Across the Desk

Still not on board with putting yourself out there? Get. Over. It. If you are in business then you are in the business of networking. Why? Because people are NOT going to magically find you and be drawn to your magnetic personality and think you are just the most awesomest person EVER! They need to meet you and then all those things happen. I'm back out in the networking world and over the past tw...

Are you a reader? Or at least a learner? Or at least curious? Something? I'm a massive reader and while most WWW's are devoted to books, this week is devoted to why you should read books for your business. A friend told me she felt like she wasn't working on her business if she was reading about business. And I understand that - I do. BUT, you are missing a whole world of expertise and opportuniti...

So you might have heard a bit about me sprinkled throughout Across the Desk or Entrepreneurial Entrails but what I haven't shared is my love of being involved in health care. For 13 years, health care was my career. As a medical office administrator and then as an instructor for the MOA program. How lucky was I? I get to teach AND teach medical curriculum? Sigh. I miss being a teacher ... But I di...

Christie Ellinger and I sit down to discuss the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur and a pilates instructor. Pun intended ;) Christie has to be one one of the most passionate instructors I've EVER met. She is committed to health, wellness, learning and feet. We didn't get to feet today but she'll come back to Across the Apothecary and discuss the amazing tool of shaking hands with your feet. T...

Is it different being a female entrepreneur than a male? Well, never having been a male, I'm not sure of the answer. But having been a female for a very long time (as in always), I know what the experience is like for me. That's not to say that men don't share some of the same concerns and foibles of the entrepreneur life but I'm pretty certain that the roles at home are quite different. Yup, I we...

So what have I done with my life? Some would say too much. Some would say not enough. I haven't saved the world so far but that's not to say it won't end up on my to do list at some point. Right now though I'm busy trying to use all the education, skills and experiences I've gathered in my varied and storied career to build a business. I've been: 1. An event security guard. 2. A pub security guard...

Have you ever wondered what's really going through a prospects' mind while you're pitching away about your business? Did fear ever come to mind? Me either. Most people don't think of themselves or their service / product as scary but that's how those hearing the message can feel. While listening to you they are evaluating you as a threat! So put the spear down and pick up the book Pitch Anything b...

I look for inspiration wherever I can. A bit of an inspigroupie if you will. This morning I hit one of my usual haunts, the TED talk circuit. I have learned the weirdest and best stuff by taking chances on speakers that show up as recommendations. Why? Because I like to think I don't discriminate on where inspiration comes from but this morning, I realized I do. Why is it we can be more open to ac...

Have you ever had a little voice give you a nudge? And have you ever listened to the nudge and had something awesome happen? That was me on Friday. And all because I went to events and put on events. Those events set this event in motion which has now lead to more events! You can't get any more eventful than that ...

Have you ever noticed that if during a conversation you share something personal with someone, such as where you were born, that it can spark an entirely new level of conversation? You've kicked it up a notch. You've opened up. You've made it possible to make a connection. How cool is that? Such a simple thing to do but so effective. If you have a hard time sharing with others, well, your sandbox...

Sometimes a book is just not in the cards as part of your learning style and that's just fine. Good thing there is Success Magazine. This resource is part self-help, part business building and part thought provoking. I've been a devotee for the past three years and have no plans to give it up any time soon. Check out their website: http://www.success.com/ and see for yourself :) Have a successful...

I love being an entrepreneur but sometimes it sucks. Hard. Such as when you see people who have chosen the conventional path paying off their houses, going on vacations and just generally kicking up their heels. Meanwhile, you're wondering how to pay the bills and will this crazy ride ever calm down enough for you to also enjoy Tahiti? Or even Florida?

I firmly believe that part of business success is sharing part of your real self. That includes on social media. I cannot stand following people only to discover that they entire content consists of top 5's, webinar links and marketing messaging. Drives me clinical. So in that spirit - meet me and my penchant for superheroes, movie theaters and my magical moment with Christopher Plummer.

Fear can make you its b#%ch. When you let that little voice get too loud, it can incapacitate you and leave you paralyzed from taking the next step for your business. I thought I had fear whipped. If you knew me, the last word you'd use to describe me would be fearful. I'm not a badass by any stretch but there aren't too many things or people I won't take on. It's just how I'm hard wired. But then...

This weeks Wise Word Wednesday is brought to you by the letter U. As in You, Inc. by Harry and Christine Beckwith. It's one of the few business books I've read that not only has inspired some fantastic creative moments but has actually provided me with insight in to behavior, motivation and opportunity. 5/5 stars for this one!

If you are an entrepreneur or small business owner you know what I mean by grind. Every minute your brain is working on ways to make your business better, your idea better, serving your customers better and just being better than the next business. And even when you are dead tired, you still keep moving at the grind. But does passion for your business always motivate your grind? What about the gui...

Ballsy in Review - this week was just the two of us (great song) but wow did we cover a lot of business topics. Not only did we manage to cover growth goals but also process creation for on-boarding and HR practices and targeted audience messaging. We explored how looking at your own experiences and education can help you create the job posting that will get you the employee you need and figured o...

Are you a creative business owner? Is your scale a bit tipsy towards the creative vs the business end? Meet Monica Graves who combines both sides of the brain to make her custom jeweler business extremely successful.

Many small business owners get caught in the weeds of running their business. The small details that can mire you down instead of actually helping you move your business forward. Learn why the pain of churn is something you need to avoid when building your business and how adding the right strategies can help avoid this common pitfall.

If you are an entrepreneur who happens to write, or you are planning to be a writing entrepreneur, then this is a book for you. Elizabeth Bergs', "Escaping in to the Open - The Art of Writing True" is a fantastic resource. With creative prompts, ideas for writing groups and tips on how to write for business, this book will get your creative voice working. Elizabeth Berg is a best selling author wi...

Sometimes working from home can be great. Other times? People forget that working is as working does and working from home is still working. However, the great part can truly come in handy when life and family throw you a curve ball and you need to put on the Mommy hat and make the magic. Sound familiar?

So have you had a setback that messed with your networking mojo? We've all had times where our business is going through a down and you still need to be able to get out there and promote. Or have you decided to pivot your business but the messaging just isn't quite there yet? Best way to fix both of these problems is to keep putting yourself out there and find a networking husband or wife who will...

No, this is not like build a bear. Trust me. What it is, is the sound advice of creating a relationship with a trusted colleague who will help you build your business. Not in a brick by brick way but by being someone who holds you accountable for goals and targets that might fall prey to the monster of procrastination if we don't use this strong tactic to keep it in check. Join me with Doug Osborn...

If you are a passionate reader who isn't a fan of wasting time on crappy books, then Wise Word Wednesdays is for you. As an entrepreneur, part of my learning curve is learning from the experts and reading everything I can to help my business. This week we delve in to EMyth Mastery by Michael Gerber which provides a mix of story and practical advice on how to develop your business skills. Why? Beca...

Some of us might think we have the dream team of idea generation right in our own heads. After all - who's going to love our ideas more than we do right? This strategy has too many faults to mention though one does slip out in the previous sentence. Loving our ideas does not make them a good idea. In this episode of Entrepreneurial Entrails, I share my idea generating techniques as well as the sug...