The second stage in the Life Cycles of Business is the Start-up Stage. The Development Stage ends and this stage begins at the point of launching your business, and generally lasts up to two years for most small businesses. For some, profits can materialize fairly quickly, especially if a strategic business plan is implemented in the first stage, you build your list quickly, there is a good network of joint venture partners and affiliates in place, money is available for marketing, and the value based service and product offers are in high demand and meet a real need in the marketplace.

However, most people do not enter the start-up stage with huge lists of potential clients, highly leveraged partnerships in place, and an abundance of funds for marketing…even if their products and services are exceptional. Even the internet has gone through its own life cycles and, unlike the development stage of internet marketing when competition was low and few regulations were in place, the third stage of online marketing, expansion,  means innovation and change is rapid.  The sheer numbers of sites you are competing for visibility with means your strategies must be smart and flexible, and response time quick in order to build your list and grow your business.

Ways to Build Your List

The primary focus in the start-up stage is to build your list, engage and develop a relationship with your list, and convert your list into raving fans and loyal customers by offering amazing value and solid products and services. As your products expand and your list grows, so does the cash flow. Money may ebb and flow a bit as you produce and launch new products, test new markets, try new strategies, track your progress, and build relationships with both customers and potential joint venture partners.

Here are some inexpensive ways you can build your list.

•     Social Media (a great platform to build your list, deepen relationships and forge partnerships)
•     E-book syndication or Kindle publishing
•     Guest blogging
•     Solo ads
•     Forum marketing
•     Joint Venture alliances online and offline (attending events is a good strategy for building JV networks)
•     Content syndication
•     Video marketing
•     Tutorials/webinars/teleseminars (a great opportunity to create or re-purpose into products later)
•     Mobile marketing
•     Speaking and presenting locally (an offline strategy that can expand nationally and even globally)

Start-up Stage Challenges

I see several challenges in the start-up stage that can hinder success and growth.

1. Lack of funds for sustained growth Expenses grow while cash flow is often intermittent during the early parts of the start-up stage. Projections may not be achieved right away, so having a budget, tracking costs, sales, and profits, and having a continued source of money to build your list and keep growing is critical. Often the lack of funds sabotages even the best laid plans.
2. Failure to Test and Track  I was surprised when it was revealed to me how few online business owners track their statistics. Perhaps they’re unsure of both how and what to track, as well as thinking it takes too much time. However, taking even 15 minutes a day to look over the most important information will save both time and money when it comes to list building and conversion in the start-up stage.
3. An “I’ll Do It Myself” Mentality  This can be a direct result of #1…the lack of funds, but people also tend to micro-manage what could easily and inexpensively be outsourced during this stage. Creating a mind map of what you feel you absolutely must do yourself, what could be leveraged with systems, and what could be outsourced to others is a good place to start. Reviewing that map monthly, as your revenue and list grows and new projects and ideas are implemented, will keep this tendency in check. By allowing yourself to begin the process of “letting go and letting others” be included as you build your list and grow your profits, you will develop the critical leadership and team building skills needed to serve you in the next phase of expansion where a good team is paramount in order to fulfill demand.

Start-up Stage Tips

The length and challenges of the start-up stage mean that the negativity vampires will pop up that create self-doubt, impatience, frustration, and even thoughts of quitting. Having a strong network in place that includes ongoing mentors, coaches, a mastermind group, partnerships, and the support of family and friends will be what encourages you to overcome the challenges, alerts you of key strategy shifts that may need to be implemented, and determines how quickly you move into the next stage.

Are you in the start-up stage right now? What are the things that keep you going? What challenges have come up that you have overcome or could use help with?  I’d love to have you share below by leaving a comment.

Launching a Business to Last

It’s critical to launch and build your business for the new economy with a sound plan and on a realistic time table…especially if you’re building it for sustainability. Once you get the foundation in place you can implement rapid product creation strategies and quick responses to the changes that seem to hit us overnight when doing business online. Launching a business isn’t about caffeine products and short term strategies that may produce income today, but fail to produce long term residual profits and an asset that brings freedom. A product launch is not a business! The life cycles of business require vision casting, strategic planning, and front end effort for lasting results and a lifestyle business outcome.

Life Cycles of Business

There are basically 5 stages in the life cycles of business.

• Development Stage
• Start-up Stage
• Expansion Stage
• Maturity Stage
• Transition Stage

I’m going to highlight each stage in different posts over the next week.

Development Stage

The development stage is divided into two areas I refer to as “seeding” and “launching” and in my Business Launch Mastery Academy I’ve broken this stage down into 5 “courses”. The first three courses are where you “seed” your passion (Dream Big!), and the last two focus on implementing your business launch (Launch Bold!). Mastering these five courses will help you thrive through your business launch!

1. Dream  This is where you seed your idea or passion into a mission and vision by examining what you really want to do, your personal strengths, weakness, skills, etc. You take a look at why you want to launch a business, and visualize what you see your business and personal life looking like in a year, 2 years, 5 years, and beyond. Then, determining what it will take to make that vision a reality and the sort of mindset you will need to see it through is critical before moving to the next course. There is no real commitment at this point, just aspirations. Clarity is the key to effortlessly move to the next course.
2. Develop   Once you are clear about your mission and vision, and your success mindset is in alignment, you develop the steps you need to put a plan into action. What are your key revenue strategies that you’ll develop your offers around?  What business entity will you put in place? What type of funding, budget, sales projections, and exit strategies do you plan to launch with? What self- mastery habits and business skills do you need to work on to achieve your projected outcomes and goals? What environments do you need to design to enhance and maximize your success? The motivated entrepreneur will not only develop, but actually start the processes in this course of creating the legal, financial, and personal foundation needed to move forward.
3. Define   After the personal, legal and financial foundation is established, you will need to define your big idea, your niche, your brand, the market potential, your products, your marketing progression plan (funnel), the tools you’ll need to launch, and the systems you’ll use to automate and leverage.  At the end of this course you should have completed your market research and have a concrete business and marketing plan in place to implement, both in the short term to launch and in the long term to scale up your business.
4. Design   Through the first 3 courses, you’ve basically created your customized  business plan, so this course is where you actually begin designing and putting into place the various pieces of your plan like your website, landing/squeeze pages, email campaigns, products and offers, list building strategies, launch strategies, joint ventures, etc.
5. Deliver   The end result is a strategic and well thought out business launch where you officially open your business to potential customers and begin creating revenue.

To “seed and launch”, the first two segments of the development stage of business, will typically take about 6 months…or even longer for some. Once launched your business moves into the next stage which is your start-up stage of the life cycles of business.

I’ve found that many people skip over critical steps, ignore, or halfheartedly do the work in developing a business plan. I’ve also watched many people struggle through the start-up stage because they chose to cut corners in the seed and launch stage.  And, I’ve watched people never get through to the actual launch because of poor planning, critical mistakes, and sloppy implementation in this early stage.

The development stage requires an honest assessment of your dreams, skills, mindset, personal mastery, market potential, and your business strategies. The process may result in a shift in your original vision, working on personal habits, or may require more skill building or research before moving on. Many things can go wrong if a good business plan isn’t put in place.

One of the best ways to avoid making mistakes in this stage is to get a mentor or coach that has business savvy and can provide direction and accountability in the planning process.

Are you among those who are committed to get launched,  develop great  products that fit into your long term progression plan, and produce the cash flow that results in the freedom you deserve and sustains your future growth?

If you’d like to work with me to create a strategic plan that will help you thrive through your business launch and set your business up for growth and profits in the future, fill in the form below for a free session and I’ll get in touch.

  Fill In Your Name and Email Below for a FREE Strategy Session

Name:

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How would you like to be the brand people remember when they are looking for the expert in_________________(fill in the blank with your niche or core message)?

I’m reading a great book right now called POP, Create the Perfect Pitch, Title, and Tagline for Anything by Sam Horn and, I have to tell you, it has ignited a firestorm of ideas and fun titles for upcoming projects.

Even though I love to brainstorm and play with words using mind mapping as part of my process, I sometimes hit a brick wall in my creativity. Has that ever happened to you? So, when the book was recommended to me by a speaker trainer who specializes in memory retention, I immediately ordered it for my library to help in creating the perfect title  for my presentations and products. I know it will also be helpful for my coaching clients as they brand and market their products.

Whether offline or online, we want to stand out and be the brand that people remember in the business environment. Creating the perfect title that attracts potential customers is one way to get them to take a further look.

Clear communication is our #1 skill that tells people who we are, what we do, how we do it, why we do it, and what transformation we can provide for them. Making our communication intriguing, fun, purposeful, and original is what will attract the perfect customer and prompt them to buy from us. Making that communication “pop” is what helps retain memory and be the brand in people’s minds. It’s what anchors your brand image into their emotions and brain.

Sam Horn showcases a variety of techniques for creating the perfect title and making every word count in your communication. As I began to read through the book, all kinds of examples of those techniques in marketing began to show up. Awareness is a key to implementation, so I want to do the same for you.

One company that had the most fun examples was Spanx, a very successful undergarment brand that is known worldwide for body shaping and is used by the top celebrities. I can’t help but think that their creative marketing played a part in putting their global brand so successfully on the map. When I think of slimming undergarments Spanx® comes to mind first.

So, here are 3 tips for creating the perfect title that Sam Horn’s book introduced and Spanx’s examples from their “Collection”.

•  Capture Conversational Catchphrases. examples; Spoil Me Cotton, Hide and Sleek®,  and Trust Your Thin-stincts™

• Alphabetize Your Core Words example; Undie-tectable® Bra-llywood Hills™

• Create the Next New Thing with the Half-and-Half Technique  example; Haute Contour®, Slim Cognito®, Skinny Britches®, and Mama Spanx®

These are techniques from just a few of the 25 chapters filled with ideas, phrases, examples of real word application and inspiration to help you create the perfect title and add “pop” in your communication and marketing. Words matter, and when we use them effectively our results will be enhanced.

Here are just a few more word combinations that I’ve seen recently that stood  out to me. Fempreneur, Rebel’preneur, Rock Your Talk,  SheConnect. and  Joint ad-Venture. Can you think of some to share? Feel free to comment below!

This is one resource I believe will make a huge difference in your marketing, your writing, your creative process, and your bottom line. Be the brand people remember by using words that “pop” and creating the perfect title for all your communication.

Buy the Book Now!

Confusion to Clarity

I, and many of my clients, fit into that 67% perfectly! I began my business because of a passion to help heart-centered entrepreneurs move through the maze of starting a business and launch with clarity and success…to help them be able to Dream Big and Launch Bold. I was seeing how confused and overwhelmed small business owners were, in spite of their passion, enthusiasm, and talent. Because of the overwhelm they were unable to take what they learned from many excellent courses and sources, map it into a strategic plan, and successfully launch a business that makes enough money to keep going.

Passion to Profit

Let’s face it, we can launch a business because of a deep passion for something, but to keep making that difference we strive for, we have to find ways of creating cash flow, even if that isn’t the driving force behind why we are in business (only 21% of us start a business to pay the bills).

3 Key Mistakes Small Business Owners Make

In the past year of working with self-employed professionals like coaches, trainers, consultants, healers, and authors, as well as small business owners, helping them launch and reinvent their businesses, I have found these 3 key mistakes small business owners make that impact their financial success.

• Failure to identify a clear mission and vision for their business
• Failure to establish a strong legal, financial, and sustainable business foundation
• Failure to strategically plan a successful launch 

I’ve seen that, because they are more passion driven, most small business owners are just not savvy about the business side of their work.

Why?

• We think it takes too much time
• We believe it takes too much money
• The financials like managing cash flow, budgeting operating costs, and tracking profit margins seem like a foreign language to those of us who are passion focused
• The “business” part of business feels like the “boring” part of business and isn’t what drives our passion

But the truth is, if you resist getting the help needed in these critical areas of your business you are likely to get stuck, give up before success is realized, run short of cash flow, and ultimately work really hard to launch your business only to see little in the way of returns on your investment of time and money. You gradually begin to lose confidence in yourself, and the support of those closest to you.

It doesn’t have to be this way. You can be a business focused owner who is passionate about serving others with your expertise. You can operate a business on sound principles, still be creative, and have the time to pursue those things most important to you in business. You can successfully merge the business side of things with your personal passion.

Are you in the 67% or the 21%?

What do you most struggle with in the business side of things? Check out my article on 10 Things You Should Know to Launch Your Business for more help.

Please share your answers with the rest of us by posting in the comments section below!

Dream Big – Ready or Restricted

Do you dream big enough that it blows your mind? Or…are your dreams restricted by what you perceive as physical truth? Things like how much money we have in our bank accounts, our age and physical limitations, our abilities and resources, and what other people say is possible or impossible in the economy stand in the way of big dreams.

As I look back on the past year of working with clients to help them define a business vision and launch their businesses, thinking small has been the number one barrier to full on success. So much so, that I’ve decided to add another complete module to my Business Launch Mastery Blueprint called “Dream”. I launched the year with an event with the same focus, Dream Big Launch Bold.

When we fail to think bigger, we simply fail to reach our full potential. Our business, life and relational rewards will be ones of mediocrity and lack. If we fail to dream big, we fail to impact the world around us in the way we were purposed at birth. Every one of us was designed with a plan to fulfill.

Do you know what yours is?

Dream Big – Abundance or Lack

Those feelings of lack…not enough money, not enough time, not enough knowledge, not enough clients, not enough creativity…those are what can control our potential instead of trust in our thoughts and faith in our Source. Your mind is the battlefield where ideas that come from the mental and spiritual parts of our being wage war with the physical.

Which one will win?

There is absolutely nothing to stop us from taking our ideas and speaking and working those into reality. Everything we see in the physical began in somebody’s mind. At creation the entire universe went from thought unseen to visible manifestation. And that Creator is our Source, so if you believe, as I do, that Source is unlimited then we have all the abundance we need to Dream Big.

Dream Big – Break Through to Your Brilliance

What steps can you take to expand your dreams and make them reality?

1. Be senseless! That doesn’t mean to put the practical aside completely, but when it comes to dreaming, you cannot be held hostage to what you see, feel, hear, smell, and taste…those things that are limited to the physical world. Ideas are birthed in our mental and spiritual being and are manifested by faith, not sight. That part of us is what makes us “creative” beings. When I get started mind mapping with my clients, the first thing I teach is to simply start putting the ideas down…whether they make sense or not.
2. Be illogical! Planning comes later. Let the ideas flow even if it seems impossible. If it’s easily achievable, makes total sense, and you can see its process from beginning to end in your mind, your dream needs expanding. A big dream will make you uncomfortable, will require you to say yes without all the answers, and stretch your imagination to new heights.
3. Be excited! If your dream doesn’t stir up passion, enthusiasm, commitment, and risk taking then it’s not big enough. Big Dreams challenge us, scare us, and maximize and expand our thinking to take us beyond what we’ve accomplished into what we can accomplish next. Our mindset will create a new physical reality so we can continually grow in our potential. How exciting is that!

Dream Big – But Don’t Just Dream

I love the series of books written by Dr. Myles Munroe on potential.  In his book, Understanding Your Potential, he discusses the process of thought into the tangible. He says “thought” is a silent word, a “word” is an exposed thought, an “idea” is the concept of thought moving into reality – potential, and “imagination” changes an idea into a plan. What do you imagine for yourself this year?

You can dream big in your mind, but if those ideas never make it into a clear mission and then into a plan of action, then the passion you have to make a difference will never be realized.

Napolean Hill said in his book, Think and Grow Rich,

“What the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”

When you dream big dreams, create big plans, take big action, then you achieve big results.

What big dream do you want to achieve in your business? Please share it below!

Every year at Christmas I would get a 1000 piece puzzle from my kids and we’d spend the next 7 days putting it together on a card table with the goal of completing it before January 1, so we could put it up or give it away to some other puzzle lover. It became one of the season rituals, and we always followed a similar pattern in solving the puzzle.

First, we always dumped the pieces and set up the box cover for the big picture of what we’d be creating. Next, we’d strategically look at how we were going to piece it together and create a plan. Then we’d look for all the edge pieces and start with building the frame of the puzzle until that was done. Based on our plan we’d separate the different segments of the puzzle into areas and each of us would work on specific parts of the puzzle like a central object in the puzzle, or color patterns, or the sky until most of that segment was done. Lastly, we’d find the transition pieces that blended the segments together to create the finished picture.

We were fixed on the vision of getting the puzzle completed in a certain period of time, and I look back and realize that it was a teaching moment for my kids to make a decision, create a plan, set a time limit, build the framework and take specific action steps to reach the goal. It was also a lot of fun and something we did together as a family during the holiday season. The journey of puzzle making was as much fun as the completed puzzle.

I’ve had people share with me that they’ve given up on their big dreams because they never seemed to get closer, no matter what they’ve tried. The error they’re making is that they’re expecting the puzzle to get done without ever taking the pieces out of the box and plotting the course to put it together. They may have purchased the puzzle and have written the goal of completing it on a card somewhere, but the pieces still sit in the box.

If you’re not also mapping your course to get from box to completion of the puzzle picture, if you’re not figuring out the first goal of creating the plan, then following the plan forward in strategic steps, you’re going to end up with a box of confusing puzzle pieces.

The same can be applied to launching your business, or planning the year ahead.  Dumping the box is that first decision you make to put your business into action.

If you’re struggling to go from writing or speaking the goal to actually “doing” whatever it takes to make it happen (dumping the box) then here are 7 steps that can break through the barrier of inaction.

1. Drill down to YOUR ‘why’. Revisit your core reasons for reaching your vision? Make sure they are strong enough to sustain your vision.
2. Take an honest look at your beliefs around money. Are you focused on the current economy? Is fear and uncertainty causing you to play small? The idea of making six figures doesn’t mean anything if you only believe you can achieve $30,000. Set a goal and create a plan that stretches what is possible for you. Dream big!
3. Create a clear vision of what you want to achieve. What will it look like? How will it change yours and others lives? Who will it impact? Is it a vision that gets you excited to implement?
4. Get rid of the baggage from the past. Are you hanging on to the failures of past goals? Forgive yourself and experience the freedom of moving forward with enthusiasm. I love this quote by Denis Waitley, “You are your own scriptwriter and the play is never finished, no matter what your age or position in life.” So rewrite your script and let the past go!
5. Do something achievable to reach your goal every day! Creating small goals that you can achieve daily will get you to the end result a lot faster than just talking about the big goals and never getting anywhere. Do it and see how much more focused you can be on the tasks at hand.
6. Enjoy the journey. When we put the puzzles together it wasn’t just about finishing the puzzle, it was just as much about doing it together as a family…the fun, the time together, the goal of achieving something in collaboration was all part of the experience. Be present in the moment and enjoy what you’re doing along the way!
7. Practice the attitude of gratitude. Appreciating where you are and what you have right now will help you launch boldly toward your goals. Gratitude is one of the biggest attraction factors in life and business. Creating a ritual of gratitude such as a gratitude journal or weekly blog post, or sending a card to someone can help to keep you in the mindset of expressing that appreciation regularly.

Many of you will create a plan for 2012. Maybe you already have it written down. Maybe you’ve declared it to others. But have you tipped the puzzle pieces out of the box and started to take action?

If any one of these steps stands in your way, you will struggle with achieving your goals. I don’t say that to discourage you, but to challenge you to break through to the next level in your life and business, and make 2012 your year to move forward boldly!

Happy New Year!
Leta

I’ve outlined 3 powerful goal achievement tips for you to finally reach your goals and keep on going.

Create big goals and small goals

When you create big goals, it gives you the motivation to keep on going, but if you see a slight disappointment and possibility of that goal not being reached, you can fail and instead give up. That’s why it’s important for you to create small goals as well. By doing so, you can keep yourself motivated whenever you reach some small and achievable goals every single day with your business.

Even just the slightest achievement of one goal can light a spark of hope in your heart to keep going. Small goals can easily be created, and by creating a few and actually reaching them, you can be one step closer to actually earning the bigger profits you’re seeking with your business.

Make it a goal to do something today

Don’t wait until tomorrow before you actually go after your business! Do it today and reap the benefits of being one step closer to financial freedom. Don’t wait until next year to start coming up with your “big idea” on how to best serve others while making money. People who succeed are those who try and actually do something about what they want. Make it your goal every single day to do at least one thing to launch and grow your business and then actually do it.  Success is bound to happen in the end when goal achievement is part of your daily practice.

Don’t forget to seek help

By seeking help from somebody with experience in  business, you are sure to reach those goals that you’ve always wanted. Let’s say that you’ve always wanted to take your passion and experience and turn it into a business that prospers. With an expert’s help and guidance, you can achieve that goal. Whether it means buying a product or actually going to a training  event, anything that you do for your business is going to help you make money.

If you’d like to finally make the difference you’ve wanted, contribute value without compromise, and actually reach those money goals you’ve been setting, then I invite you to join us in the Business Launch Mastery membership. Every month we take you through some of the most important aspects of creating a profitable online business that starts with an authentic heart message.

So, if you’re ready to launch your own business, make a greater impact, and actually make profitability part of your goal achievement, there’s no better way to do so than to have the benefits of weekly interaction with a business launch mastermind, monthly access to fresh, relevant training directly related to launching a business, and weekly Q&A that gets and keeps you unstuck and moving forward towards goal achievement.

]]> http://letarussell.com/goal-achievement-tips-for-business-success/feed/ 0 http://letarussell.com/launching-a-business-can-help-you-achieve-your-life-purpose/ http://letarussell.com/launching-a-business-can-help-you-achieve-your-life-purpose/#comments Tue, 13 Dec 2011 06:00:38 +0000 LetaRussell http://letarussell.com/?p=1233 Launching a business could be one of the best ways to turn your hopes and dreams of financial freedom and personal achievement into a fulfilling reality for you and your loved ones.  Many people spend most of their lives doing things that they are only doing because they are getting paid to do it, or because they feel that it’s what they have to do because of their current situation.

This is what leads to a life of frustration and dissatisfaction, especially when you realize that deep down inside you know that you should be doing more with your life.  It does not matter whether you are a full-time student, stay at home parent, employed in a job or career you don’t really like doing, unemployed or under employed.  Launching a business that you feel passionate about can allow you to completely transform your life, both emotionally and financially.

If you are someone who has tried to go into business for yourself before and it did not work, or you have never actually started your own business before, launching a business by yourself can be scary, confusing, and seem pretty risky, as well.  However, by getting some expert advice on what you need to do, and how things need to be done, you can overcome all of the challenges and obstacles that you will need to deal with to be successful.

If you are like most successful business owners and entrepreneurs then you know that you have the potential and ability to be, do, and have more than what you currently have, and you may also already know that the only way for things to change is for you to change.  Most successful business owners will tell you that launching a business for yourself is often the one change that can affect everything in your life for the better.  It may seem difficult at first, but if you have what it takes to persevere then it definitely is not impossible.

Here are some of the basic things that can help to increase your odds of success in launching a business for yourself :

1.) A strong belief or passion for something that would help or benefit others. This could be a completely new product or service or just your ability to do something better than the way others are doing it.

2.) A willingness to learn, change and grow. By learning from others who have traveled this road of entrepreneurship before, you will be able to benefit for their experience.

3.) The drive and determination to be successful.  Often times achieving success means getting back up one more time after each unsuccessful attempt.

Those are the three basic ingredients that can help to get you started.  By taking the time to cultivate, build, and develop these three things, you will be putting yourself on the path to emotional and financial success.  It is important to keep in mind that this will be a journey to success, so you will need to invest the time, energy and effort needed to complete the journey. However, it is bound to be a more rewarding journey than settling for an unfulfilled life of dissatisfaction which comes from not following your passion.

When you are launching a business around something that you believe in, then you feel good about the work that you are doing because you know that you are helping others and making a difference as well. That’s exactly what being a heart centered entrepreneur is about…impacting others, while making money doing something you really love.

If you’re ready to take the step and reach out for the expert help that can get you successfully launched, I invite you to take a look at a Business Launch Mastery Mastermind to see if this is the right step to achieve your Big Dream in 2012, so YOU can Launch Bold and make your dream a reality! This year long supportive mastermind will take away the confusion and fear of getting started and put you on your path of financial freedom and personal achievement.

Life happens!  I know you’ve had a few crisis moments in either your personal life or the life of your business. No matter what you do to prepare for or prevent them from happening, some things are beyond our control.

Just this past week…during a coaching session, a client had water start coming through his ceiling. Another client recently had to have surgery and experienced a personal crisis with his son…all in the same month. Just two weekends ago, our son’s fiancée canceled the wedding 24 hours before the ceremony. In October I had to return early to the US because of a visa renewal delay…that still hasn’t been processed.

These circumstances can throw us into frustration and a negative mindset…or at the least create a huge distraction…if we let it.

Or, we can choose to harness our emotions and thoughts to transform our life, business, and relationships. Yes, you have a choice. It’s called self- mastery and is a big factor in how you lead, reach goals, and fulfill your mission of launching your business.

My Thursday Thanks may seem a bit odd, but I’m grateful when “life happens” and provides a greater awareness of my attitude. It often gives me a new set point for moving forward and shows me where I might need more growth.

How we react and move forward in decisions and actions has everything to do with mindset, positive or negative. When challenges bombard our lives and businesses, what shows up in that adversity is our attitude and character.

Positive emotions are not necessarily an innate part of our lives. It’s so much easier to get caught up in the excuses and dis-empowering thoughts and emotions that keep the mind chatter going and our work and lives distracted from our potential…especially if that was the operating method of our family or friends growing up.  It takes effort, at least at first, to choose forgiveness over resentment, personal responsibility instead of excuses, and change versus comfort. But, mastering this area of our lives allows us to move forward, stay focused and reach our long term goals more joyfully.

We’re going to be devoting a whole segment of my upcoming event, Dream Big Launch Bold, to self-mastery. It’s that important…especially for entrepreneurs. And mastering our thoughts and attitudes stands above the rest since it affects every other area of mastery.

The awareness and acknowledgment of knowing why and how we approach life is transforming. Our philosophy about life is integral to our ability to think big, take risks, adapt to change, and handle those “life moments” that might leave some in fear, indecision, and overwhelm.

How do you choose to go through life? Do you know what you want out of life? Do you make things happen or allow them to happen to you? Are you even conscious that you have a choice or can create a plan? Are you grateful when life happens in a way that exposes attitudes or changes your course?

Feel free to share some of your thoughts, experiences, or how life challenges have helped you in your personal mastery by leaving a comment in the box below.

So, today I want to extend my Thursday Thanks to all of you, my clients and Business Launch family, I’ve been blessed to work with and serve over the past 6 months. I’ve experienced some incredible breakthroughs in my business the past year…going from just a big idea, to launching my business, to helping others reach their own breakthroughs to start a business…and now to planning my first event, Dream Big, Launch Bold.

There is nothing I have more passion for than to help new and existing entrepreneurs launch, build, and grow, thriving and heart-centered businesses where they can deliver their unique message to the world and have fun living a life of their own design! I strongly believe that we can achieve more when we consciously exercise a power of gratitude attitude.

Thursday Thanks has been just one of the rituals I have integrated into my life and business in recent weeks.  I get such positive responses from all of you, and the emails I send out for these posts get amazing open rates. I can’t help but think that there is just something magnetic about gratitude. The more I practice it in my life, the more I tend to hang out with those who express lots of gratitude in their lives, too.

So today I’m really thankful for…

A Mom who shows up when I need her most

A great family, strong marriage, and healthy kids and grandkids

Incredible friends who keep life amazing and fun

A growing business that allows me to help people all over the world launch and grow their businesses

A faith that allows me to dream big and trust beyond my own limitations knowing that my Resource is Infinite

When I find myself mastering my thoughts and choosing gratitude instead of resentment, frustration and blame I have more happiness, more energy, and make a greater contribution to those I serve. It is simply a choice.

So, whether you are American, or live anywhere else in the world, I want to give you the chance and choice to express 5 things you are grateful for today. Or feel free to share the gratitude rituals you use to live more abundantly. Simply post in the comment box below and share with all of us.

In the meantime, have an amazing Thanksgiving Day today and every day!