As the year comes to a
close, I always like to reflect on what has worked this year, and what has not? What are my takeaways and lessons to learn? Here’s my top ten:
1. Titles
make all the difference
What you call a program,
webinar or article makes all the difference between folks coming, or staying
away. Instead of calling our health
show, the Women’s Health Show (yawn), we decided this year to build on our
successful webinar series – Five Days to Feeling Fabulous, and so we called it
Live your Fabulous. The result – great
turn out for basically a first-time event and we will use it again next year.
2. When
you have the right people in place, delegation is easy (well, easier)
With my personal move to
the country, my trips into Toronto have been kept to a minimum and that has
been made simpler because I have two great gals – Karen Kessler and Anne
Bergman, running the show there. Thanks.
3. You
don’t need all this paper
Building on the move
theme, we still have boxes of paperwork in the basement. I haven’t needed or looked at it in the year
since we moved, which speaks to the fact I have way too much paper. I have
started to streamline what we keep and file.
4. Murphy’s
law – what can go wrong, will go wrong
That’s how it felt about
our webinars this past year – from power cuts in the middle of delivery, to no
sound and the presenter talking to herself, to a recording link that connected
to a porn site! You sure have to keep
your sense of humour over stuff like this.
5. Just
ask
Back in July I got an
email from Sam Horn’s office to check if I still wanted to get her emails.
Although based in the US, she was complying with CASL, and mentioned in this
bulk email that she would be in Canada in 2015 with her new book.
Knowing what a great
speaker she is, I saw this as an opportunity, after all, what had I got to
lose? So I emailed her direct and asked
if she’d speak at our conference in May.
She said yes!!! I still get
goose bumps thinking about it. (It is May 26 ladies, mark your calendars)
6. There
are some courageous women out there
As part of our research
for the book, Amy and I have been interviewing women. Some of their stories would blow you
away. I am in awe at how they can get up
in the morning and function, given all that they have been through.
7. What I thought was scary, isn’t
There was a time when
talking in front of the camera would have left me tongue-tied and shaking in my
boots. Not any more. And I am not alone,
with One Red Lipstick, women are finding their voices and speaking up.
8. Guest blogging brings great returns
I have been writing for
the past six months for She Owns It.
This opportunity has given me such great exposure, with my blogs being
promoted out there to well over half a million people, and my following has, as
a result, increased dramatically. They have signed me up for another six
months. Woo hoo.
9. “Slow down, you go too fast”
Life can change on a dime
as I found out after my fall in October.
I am just so grateful that I didn’t do any permanent damage to my eye
but it has caused me to challenge myself as to whether I needed to do
everything that I’ve been doing. And the
answer is no, so come 2015, watch for the new Anne.
10. Put
your expectations in writing
I have learned the hard
way that when you don’t spell out and put your expectations in writing, you
leave yourself open to people taking advantage for their own gain.
I have been doing this for
12 years now, which is a long time for me, as I get bored easily. But I never get bored with seeing someone
blossom, grow and become who she is meant to be, and if I’ve played a small
part in making that happen, I glow inside.
Making a difference is still the ROI for me.
So as I look at this list,
it seems to me that 2014 overall, was an exciting year. One of growth - professionally and personally
- and one where I have had the good fortune to partner up with Amy Hunter and
Fay Chapple. I highly recommend collaborating with like-minded women. It is
powerful.
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