Go big or go home... maybe not

I recently received a long email from Leonie Dawson explaining why she was clawing back her business.

Since 2009, this creative Australian entrepreneur has built a successful global business but instead of owning her business, she’s found that it owned her.  

She’d grown the business organically with one strategy/product/project leading to another and it all worked.     

But not for her.

Leonie talks about being totally taken over by OPO (other people’s opinions), which led her down a path of exhaustion, burn out and frustration as she was no longer doing what she loved.

I applaud her for having the courage to step back and reflect on what she wants out of life.  Not only that, she’s shared what she is going to do and why she is taking such drastic steps to refocus, to simplify her business and get back to her original mission.

So often we can find ourselves on a path we never planned to take. I remember in the One Red Lipstick project interviewing a successful young entrepreneur who when faced with a large, business-changing contract, chose to turn it down. 

It wasn’t the right time for her or her young family and as she reflected on her skill set, she was an entrepreneur, not a manager.  She didn’t want to be managing a large team which she would have needed if she’d moved forward.  Instead of a creative enterprise, she would have built herself an empire and that was not what she wanted.

Yet in North American culture, the mantra is “go big or go home.”  But maybe not.

In his book Small Giants, Bo Burlingham, shares stories of successful business owners, who have chosen to be great instead of big.   He interviewed business owners who had rejected the pressure of endless growth to focus on more satisfying business goals.  Goals like being great at what they do, creating a great place to work, and making great contributions to their communities.

Burlingham calls this route “the road less travelled” and it could be that those on that road, catch more of the scenery and are less exhausted when they reach their destination.

As you enter 2017, I encourage you to look closely at your goals.  Bigger isn’t necessarily better.  Take into consideration why you started your business in the first place.  Revisit your mission.  Give yourself permission to tailor your business to suit your lifestyle and your family, and ignore the pressures around you to make more, do more.

Remember this is YOUR business.  Own it. 

Getting real

 At the recent launch of the One Red Lipstick book which shares the stories of 24 entrepreneurial women from across North America, we asked some of the authors to share their message from the book.

Up first was fashion icon Linda Lundstrom, who started off by saying her message was that “shit happens.”  And she should know as after 26 years of a successful fashion design business, the bank called in her loan and she had to declare bankruptcy.  But she bounced back and has started over.

As did Nadja Piatka who in debt and recently divorced, decided since no one would hire her, that she’d hire herself.  She started off by baking and selling her muffins to the local coffee shops. 

Fast forward to today and she has a multi-million business and her muffins are sold in McDonalds, Subway and other food chains.   

Her message was that it’s not so much that you fall down, it’s how you get up after the fall that matters.

For Che Marville the key was to recognize our vulnerabilities and to share with one another because there was strength when we walked the journey together hand in hand.   She also spoke of the power of listening to your intuition, just as her mother did when Che, as a child was deathly sick, and her mother insisted that she be transported back to Canada, even though the authorities and doctors were reluctant to do so. 

And for Anastasia Valentine who became a teen mother at 15, it was important not to let other people define you.  To set the bar and hold your head high helped her navigate her early parenthood and she went on to become the CEO of a successful marketing business, when she could have so easily allowed the stigma of being a teen parent hold her back.

While the stories of these four women were dramatically different, as are the others  in the book, the one common thread is one of resilience. 

All of the women in the book faced some obstacle in their lives that they had to overcome, accept and move on from – and they did so with tenacity and fortitude, forging on to carve a life of success on their own terms.

It wasn’t a competition as to who had it worse, it was more that the women were willing to share, to be open about the trials as well as the triumphs in their lives and it gave those listening hope and inspiration, something we all need.

The documentary One Red Lipstick will be coming out in May, and it bound to bring even more glimpses into the lives of real women.  Real lives, real challenges and real victories.

Signs you are on the right track

Do you know what you want to be when you grow up?  We all struggle with this – and it is not just when you are young.  Some of us are still asking that question and are unclear on the answer.

Last night we had the launch of the One Red Lipstick book, a project I had been involved in as the editor.  The stories are of 24 entrepreneurial women who have been there and back, and still navigated their way to achieve success on their own terms.  

 Not only was there a sense of pride and accomplishment last night, but the launch  served to remind me of why I love what I am doing and how my plans for the future are taking me in the right direction.  So I’d like to share how I know this is right and perhaps then you can check whether you too are on the right path.

Pay attention to your reactions.   There’s a glow.   Your face lights up when you talk about your plans.  Your eyes shine brightly.  There’s a contagious enthusiasm about what you are doing and saying.   Several people, for example, remarked that I looked so relaxed and excited.

When you speak it all comes naturally.   The words flow, there’s no script because you are speaking from the heart.  Apart from the names of the people I had to introduce last night, I had no notes and no trouble telling people who they were and what they’d done.

You meet the right people who can help you achieve your goals.  It’s more than being in the right place at the right time.  It’s serendipity.  When you are doing what you are supposed to be doing, it all starts to fall into place.   And part of that synchronicity is that you are aware of what you want to do, so your antenna are up, and you are more open to new people and new ideas.

You share your plans and ideas and say them out loud.  In doing so, you are actually making a public commitment to yourself that you will do what you are planning to do.

The theme of the evening was resilience and courage.  It takes courage to walk through the challenges in life, but without the tenacity to stick with it, learn and move on, we’d all be stuck in a place where we don’t want to stay.

Last night I made my announcement that I am starting a publishing company so I can help others get their message and stories out into the world.   I said it out loud and already, can you believe, already would-be authors are coming forward.  Who knew?

Life is pretty cool when you are willing to open new doors for yourself.   I have no idea where this new venture of mine will take me, but I know that starting it up is adding a bounce to my step as it combines all that I love – writing, books, and people.

Just think of all the book launches I can organize – always a party gal, I just love bringing people together. And no, I am not giving up Company of Women, just expanding what we do.

If you are at a crossroads, dig deep.  What do you enjoy doing?  What makes your heart sing?   

While the stories in the book vary,  one thing the women have in common, is they didn’t let the stuff of life hold them back, they dusted themselves off and moved forward. 

And you can too.

When an ending is really just the beginning...

I’d started to write my blog this week when I realized I was falling into a trap that I’ve often warned my blogging students to avoid –

1.  Trying to do too much with one blog

2.  Not working out ahead of time what my 

     key messages are

3.  Not offering a tangible lesson to my readers

Bad. My bad, as they say these days.  I think much of it is that my mind is swirling. 

I have spent much of my time of late focusing on the One Red Lipstick book, and last week it was lovingly sent on its way to be published.

While that is super exciting, and there is a sense of accomplishment, part of me doesn’t quite know what to do next.  So many hours have been devoted to the book, so it is hard to pick up the pieces and continue with the rest of my work.

Plus sending the book to be published is just a milestone.  I know that.  It’s the first of many as we move along and start to work on getting the book out there.  As any writer/editor will tell you – producing the book is the easy part, selling the book is a whole other issue.

So what’s my message here?  Good question. 

1.              Remember to pat yourself on the back when you’ve completed a project that involved time in the making. 

2.              Pause, and before you leap into the next task, take stock on what you’ve done and what you’ve accomplished so far.

3.              Thank those who have helped you reach this stage, because rarely is it a solo effort, others have helped make it happen.  In our case, particularly the 24 women who have shared their inspiring stories.

Sometimes people act as a catalyst not fully knowing just what they are starting, and in this case, Spenser Chapple has spearheaded a whole new movement through which women get the opportunity to be real, authentic and vulnerable and are not judged for being so.  We all need role models and Spenser found them for us.

There.  Did I do it?  I hope so because there has been much to learn from this experience – both professionally and personally. 

I am not the same person who started out on this project eighteen months ago. Apart from anything else, I now wear red lipstick :)  

Seriously,  I’ve learned a lot about myself and what I love to do.   So I thank Spenser for this opportunity and for trusting me to deliver her baby – the One Red Lipstick book.  Watch for its delivery on International Women’s Day.  And stay tuned for the documentary which will be following in May.  

Inspiring women one book at a time

This summer I’ve been writing a couple of books, and as I reflect on what I am learning, I realize there are several common threads. Sitting at my computer, writing and editing,  is definitely one.  

I have also recognized that I just love, love interviewing women, hearing about their lives and helping them craft words to share their stories with others.  I hope I am listening to this joy I am experiencing.  I need to pay attention to it.

Both books are about women – in the one case One Red Lipstick shares the stories of  twenty women who have overcome “stuff” and positively moved on with their lives and in the other,  Enough, many of the women are held back by their feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt.   I almost feel I should introduce the first group to the second so we can learn from each other.

One common thread though in both books is how our childhood can truly influence our adulthood.  In One Red Lipstick, most of the women refer to their parents - sometimes their fathers, sometimes their mothers - as having a profound impact on where they have gone in life.  They were role models, paving the way for their children, with their strong work ethic and values. 

Over half the women in One Red Lipstick are either from immigrant families or are immigrants themselves.  Given they are all business owners, it speaks to how once you’ve already taken the risk of moving to another country, starting a business is just one more risk and you have the tenacity to make it work.

On the other hand, in our Enough book, Amy and I connected with over 350 women, and childhood has certainly impacted their lives, but with varied results.  For some it was a bitter-sweet experience from which they had to recover and move on.  Others are still struggling with the effects of those early relationships, and yet another group of women rose above the turmoil of their childhood, demonstrating a resilience that has to be admired.

Yet the purpose of both books is the same – to encourage and inspire women to live their lives to their potential and on their own terms.  With the stories in One Red Lipstick, the women are to be commended for being real, authentic and vulnerable. 

Their stories will inspire you and hopefully help you realize that you too can do it. We all have challenges to overcome, be it big or small, and it is your attitude that will help you not only overcome them, but soar.

And it is your attitude that we want to change in Enough.  We fervently believe that you can change how you feel about yourself. While the stories in this book may resonate with you and it is good to realize you are not alone, please know that we are in your court. We have your back and the strategies to feeling better about yourself will be found in this book.

As those of you who have authored books will tell you, it is all a process and right now we are getting the bones and the meat of the books down on paper, but it will be a few months before we “give birth” and share our new babies with you.  But I know they will be worth the waitJ