Top ten lessons learned

It’s hard to believe that Company of Women just celebrated its 10^th birthday.

As I reflect back on the past nine years, I admit that I’ve personally come a long way – from someone timid about speaking in public to someone comfortable on the stage. To someone who didn’t like to drive on the highways, to a person who will mix and mingle with the best on the 401.  Now driving in Toronto, that’s another story, but guess I am still a work in progress.

But apart from the personal fears I’ve overcome, I have also learned some important lessons about running a business, and admittedly, some the hard way.

1.  Dig deep and know your target group

I’ve often observed that while we think we know who we want to reach, we don’t dig deep enough to analyze the who, what, or why.  This summer I went through a marketing exercise and had to actually name my target group – Audrey, Stephanie and Caroline. It’s funny how once you put real names to them, they become real people and as a result, your strategies to attract them become more real too.

2.  Can’t please everyone

Like many women, I tended to be a pleaser, ever keen to keep everyone happy.  I would look at evaluations after events and wonder if people had been the same event as they rated a speaker.  Some would think she was fantastic and others felt she shouldn’t give up her day job. So I quickly realized it was impossible to satisfy everyone.

I was also super-sensitive so when someone didn’t renew their membership or made a negative comment, I would take it personally, feel rejected and get defensive.  These days I have come to realize it is not about me, it’s just business.

3.  Date first and get it in writing

I would leap into a business relationship, because on the surface it seemed like a good fit, then when the “honeymoon” period was over, discover we didn’t share the same values and vision, or how we would achieve our not-so-shared goals.  Now I like to “date” first before moving in with someone.

And while I would believe that we’d discussed everything and it was all clear, often it wasn’t and when assumptions were made, it would come back to bite me.  So I have learned to spell it all out and put it on paper, so there is less of a risk of miscommunication.

4.  Realistic expectations  

Everything takes longer than you think, especially when you are doing something for the first time.  When finding your way in unknown territory, it can be so easy to get lost.

I’ve also observed that sometimes people have unrealistic expectations on what they will achieve in attending a networking event.  Many come thinking if they hand out enough business cards, they will leave with business. If only that was true. 

It takes time and it is all about building relationships, not how many cards you have collected. Nor can Company of Women promise to deliver you business if you are part of our group, that is up to you.

5.  Involve others, delegate

I guess I bought into the myth that women can do it all and I sure would try.  Looking back I realize this was a big mistake because I would end up undertaking tasks that just weren’t my forte and not a good use of my time, plus errors would be made.

Reluctant to give up control, I would not delegate to others for fear that they wouldn’t do it to my way.  A rather self-defeating attitude which meant I ran the risk of burning out, fast. I also missed the opportunity to discover that doing it differently might actually be better.

Being driven and focused on business, I would sometimes work silly hours just to get something done.  Keep that schedule up for too long, and it catches up with you – and it did.  This past winter, I got sick.

So this year we’ve set up committees to plan big events.  I am relying on others to share their expertise and provide feedback on what would work for them.  And you know what, it’s so much better.  By sharing the responsibility, it lightens the load.

6.  Surround yourself with positive people

This leads me to my next point – that no one achieves success on their own.  You need a team of people to make it happen.  The key is to surround yourself with positive people who are supportive of you and believe in what you want to achieve.

7.  Don’t get complacent, change your game

We’ve been going strong for nine years now, but when we started we were the only game in town.  That’s not the case today.  You’re only as good as your last event and there are plenty of other groups out there now offering events to support the small business owner. So it is important to listen to your customers, ask them what they want which may well be different to what you want to deliver, but it is not all about you.  Be flexible and nimble when opportunities arise.

8.  You are never too old to learn

With social media there is always something new to learn.  I find I just master one aspect such as Twitter, and along comes something else.  But you know what, there is a sense of accomplishment when you grapple with and learn a new concept. 

The brain cells welcome the opportunity and while you may feel your hard drive is full, maybe it is time to download some of the old way of thinking, and free up space for these new ways of marketing, because they are here to stay.

9.  Givers gain

Are you a giver or a taker?  Sadly over the years I have met my share of takers, who pick your brains, get what they want out of a relationship and then disappear never to be seen again.  Mind you that part is OK, because do you really want to be around people who just take?  No. 

It’s like friendships.  I have a couple of friends who I meet for dinner once a month.  We’ve learned to “share the air and care” but if one person has a challenge, we focus on her.  Another month, it could be someone else’s turn but the help and support is reciprocated.

10.  Celebrate

It is all too easy to get caught up on what didn’t work, and what went wrong, but be clear on what success looks like, and celebrate and honour those moments.  It can be little things. 

I like to think I am a connector (matchmaker) bringing women together.  For me, when I connect two people and it works, now that’s success, and it feels good, really, really good.

When I embarked on this journey with Company of Women nine years ago, I had no idea where it would take me.  But what I do know is that I am glad I did, because I have met some wonderful women who have become close friends. And it can’t get much better than that.

Take time to celebrate

With our 10^th birthday coming up at Company of Women  my focus of late has been on parties and celebrations!

It therefore seemed appropriate to me that we talk about celebrations at our recent breakfast meeting. So as a way to get the meeting off to a positive start,  I had the women each share something they had to celebrate as they introduced themselves.

It was fascinating. 

The celebrations ranged from personal successes like surviving heart surgery, a new grandchild or getting married, to those of a more business nature – like finishing school, finding direction and physically opening a business after four years of persistently trying to make it happen. 

Each success was important in the life of the person and each marked a transition, a life changing moment.

As I sat and listened, it caused me to marvel at our resilience and determination to make life work for us.  For some it is hard work, digging through the dirt and baggage from the past, and yet they do it. In fact, not only do they do it, but they do it well, arising from the ashes as someone with wisdom to share to help others.

I applaud the courage and fortitude it takes to poke around at stuff we would rather keep a lid on, yet intuitively we know that we can’t move forward until the can is open, and the contents dissected.

How often do we reflect on what we have in our lives to celebrate?  Not enough.  This conversation got our meeting off to such a deeper, more meaningful start and we left seeing each other from a different perspective.  In fact, we’ve decided as a group to continue the dialogue.

I remember one year at our conference we had a discussion about celebrations, and the facilitator chuckled as she shared with me that one young woman, a lawyer from Bay Street, looked absolutely puzzled and horrified at the thought of celebrations in the office.  It was a completely foreign concept for her. How sad.

Life can pass us by so quickly and if we don’t take the moment to “count our blessings” to say thank you, to share our successes with one another, we’ve lost that opportunity to be grateful for what we have, who we are or how far we have come.   All too often we focus on the negative, and as they say, like attracts like, so you really don’t want to go there.

Let me ask you, what do you have to celebrate?  Tell someone.  You might be surprised at how that changes the conversation.

A brave new world

How long has it been since you ever tried to do something new?  It can be a bit scary to step out of your comfort zone, but it can be fun too as in some instances, you have nothing to lose.

At least that’s how my girlfriend Anne and I view our new venture which we will be launching on September 22.  Both of us have either moved or are in the process of moving, and when you have lived in one place for years – in my case 28 years - you can bet that you have accumulated a fair amount of stuff that needs to be shed and found a new home.

So what are we up to?  We have set ourselves up as … wait for it…. The Antique Annies, and on Saturday, we have a booth at the Aberfoyle Antique Fair, and  I can’t tell you how much fun this has been.

First we had to cull our loot and see what would fit under the “antique” category and fast as I would put items aside, my husband would declare them off-limits.  Fortunately he has, of late, got with the program and is more willing to part with his treasures, but it was tough going at the start.

And it is tough to part with family heirlooms, but I just know I am not going to polish that silver, nor am I ever going to don my mother’s fur coat.  So it has been a cleansing process as I have weaned myself off parts of my childhood.

Once we’d sorted through what we had, we realized that we really knew nothing about what to charge, and so we went off to do our due diligence and check out the prices at different antique shows.

Trouble was we never left empty-handed, something we hadn’t factored into our fact-finding mission.  Heaven help when we are at the show – I fear we may well leave with more than we brought, which would truly defeat the purpose of the whole exercise.

We’ve also checked in with antique experts who have helped us come up with reasonable prices. As Anne observed, it’s not really about making lots of money, but we also don’t want to find that we’ve just “given away” a real treasure.

Another part of our research has been on how to best display our goodies, and we’ve been quite creative, I think, on how best to “stage” our booth.

So all told, it has been fun, and surprisingly relaxing as we’ve prepared ourselves for our maiden voyage.  If you’re at a loose end on the 22^nd – come along and visit us, you may find one of our treasures just calling to you and we’re ready to barter.

Timing is Everything

I heard a funny story the other day from an acquaintance.  I’ll call her Mary in order to protect the guilty.

She was sharing that she strategically chooses the best time to slip expensive purchases past her husband.  She knows that as a principal he is really busy just before March Break and before school starts in the fall, and so that is when she zeros in to make her major purchases. 

This year she bought a brand, spanking new, stainless steel fridge.  “It was weeks before he noticed” she observed and her children joined in the fun, wondering just how long it would take for Dad to catch on that they had a new fridge.

It made me chuckle, but there is also some business truth in this too.  Timing is key when you are launching a new program or product.  Choose the wrong time and you’ve missed the boat, especially with products for the holiday season.  People start shopping earlier and earlier, and in the magazine business, think six months ahead.

It is not just the timing that you have to know, it’s your customer too.  This woman knew her husband so well that she knew when he would be distracted.  How well do you know your prospective customers?  Do you have the breakdown of when and where they are likely to purchase what you have to offer.  It would be good information to have in your back pocket. 

Of course the other trick, especially with husbands, is to make them think it was their idea in the first place.

Collaboration vs. Competition

When I worked as a community developer, much of my job was to bring agencies and organizations together to look at combined efforts to resolve community issues.

Much of the time it worked, because while there were sometimes funding or territorial issues, most non-profit organizations shared the same values and tended to look at what was best for the client, rather than getting into who “owned” the client.  Our focus was to take a holistic approach to the family and their problems.

It isn’t quite that simple in the private sector as business owners are always looking at the bottom line and there is an element of WIFM (what is in it for me).  Certainly it needs to be a win-win situation for all the parties involved, but when you take an abundance approach and try to work together, the end result is far-reaching.

I’ve always believed in the value of collaboration because when you pool efforts and talents, you can both be successful, and more to the point, the client benefits.

But it is not always that easy, and sometimes I have leapt into partnerships that have backfired down the road because we hadn’t clarified our end goals or how we would achieve them.  Much of the time, in hindsight, we also didn’t share the same values which is crucial to any business relationship.

That’s why I am so excited about Company of Women’s new partnership with Women in Biz Network.  Not only do Leigh Mitchell, Founder of Women in Biz Network and I share the same values, but we are both driven to helping our members succeed.  And while Leigh and I could get a tad carried away in our altruistic efforts, her partner Fay Chappele keeps us grounded and focused on the bottom line. 

By combining our efforts, we will provide even more services and benefits to our now 400+ members but there is also an opportunity for young entrepreneurs to network and meet up with more seasoned business owners.  We can all learn from each other.   

We also bring different skill sets to the partnership, meaning that between the three of us, we can reach further and potentially achieve success much faster, than if we slogged away on our own.  The key is we respect each other and recognize the expertise that each brings to the table.

Now admittedly we are in the “honeymoon” stage but I have a good vibe about this one and with all the lessons I have learned (the hard way) in the past, I am confident it is going to work, and if it works for us, it most definitely will benefit and work for you.

And talking of you, who could you partner up with?  Is there someone in your sector with whom you could cross-promote? Is there the potential of working together?  Perhaps there is a joint project you could work on as you build trust and become comfortable with each other. When you are both targeting the same client group, it can be more fruitful to combine your efforts.

As Helen Keller said “Alone we can do so little, but together we can do so much.”

Kudos to Mompreneurs

I have often compared starting a business with motherhood.  In both instances, you can do all the homework before hand – the classes, the books, talking to others – but nothing really prepares you for the reality.

Truth is when I was pregnant with my first child, I was so focused on getting through childbirth that I didn’t give much thought to life after birth. So having had a busy career, the isolation of being home with a baby had not even crossed my mind.  Likewise when you work from home, you can miss the camaraderie of your peers.

It was that sense of isolation that led me to help start our local family resource centre, and later when I had my consulting practice, launch Company of Women. Bringing women together helps you realize you are not alone and that others feel the same way too – if they are honest and choose to remove the masks of perfection.

And as for the emotional rollercoaster, it is pretty similar too, as you can switch in seconds from excitement and joy to total fear and tears because you believe that you are not up to the job in hand – be it parenting or running a business.

So to throw motherhood and business together and run a business while you are home with your children takes an even greater leap of faith and courage. I am in awe at the organization, energy and determination it must take to juggle both roles – mother and business owner -  successfully.

As I witnessed at the recent blogging session put on by Women in Biz Network, more and more young mothers are doing this. The energy in the room was electric as the women chatted to one another, comparing notes on business and family life.

Take heart, you are the new pioneers, showing that women do have a head for business, and role modeling for your children, especially your daughters, that with determination and persistence, you can carve out a life for yourself and follow your dreams.

I didn’t start my business until I was 50, so I applaud you.  You go girl.

Bullying Tactics

I was recently waiting in line at a popular, small restaurant and watching as the women ahead of us, a party of nine, not only insisted loudly that they be able to sit together but that it happen now, or they would leave and find somewhere else to dine. 

Now if I had been the young waitress, I would have been really tempted to say fine, but she was doing her best to fulfill their request, unreasonable as it was, especially given the size of the restaurant and how busy it was.

Impatient with waiting, these boorish women then pounced on an empty table that had just been vacated and started collecting empty chairs from other tables to try and fit the nine of them around it.  It was impossible.  So six of them plonked themselves down, leaving the remaining three to fend for themselves.  (They weren’t even kind to each other, never mind anyone who had the misfortune to serve them.)

We were next and we commiserated with the waitress as we went in, sharing we thought she’d done a great job under the circumstances.  She smiled and non-verbally acknowledged the challenge of the other ladies.

Just to prove that you get further by being pleasant and treating people with respect, as we left, having had a delightful meal, we both smiled as we observed that the six women had still not got their food, while the three “leftovers” were just finishing their meal.

All of which goes to show that while you can bully and persuade someone to your way of thinking, it doesn’t always pay off in the end.

I suspect that the six women – I won’t call them ladies – were not happy campers and would probably be threatening never to come back.  This would actually be good news all round – for the staff who had to cater to their demands and for the other guests who had to witness such bad behaviour.

Lessons from our athletes

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica celebrates winning the gold in the
Women's 100m Final on Day 8 of the London 2012 Olympic Games.
August 4, 2012 in London, England. (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images Europe)

Like many of us, I’ve been watching the Olympics and learning many key business lessons from the athletes’ determination and winning attitudes.

Take the way that Jamaica consistently produces some of the fastest runners in the world.

In a recent documentary on this phenomena, it was interesting to learn how Jamaica focuses intently on grooming young people to become athletes, and not just any old athletes,  but successful ones.  They actively encourage children to run and to run fast. Little wonder they have such amazing athletes and they are hungry to win.

Makes you wonder what would happen if we took that same laser sharp focus to grow our businesses?   If we focused all our energy in making it happen, maybe success would be just around the corner. But sometimes that means taking a risk, getting out of our comfort zone.

Continuing the sports analogy, it’s like any exercise you do for the first time, you use a new muscle so it hurts at first but as it stretches and expands you soon find yourself able to do more.  Maybe we need to flex our risk muscles.

One of my friends recently put herself out there.  She decided to do her first triathalon -   which involved swimming, running and cycling. Being weaker at cycling, she focused most of her training on that, as she’d been an accomplished swimmer growing up and felt confident in her abilities there. 

The results?  She came in 10^th overall.  When she checked her individual results she was surprised to learn that she did her best in the cycling where she’d focused her energies, and not so well in the swimming, which she’d assumed she’d be strong and that it was a done deal.

All of which goes to show, that when we focus and make our intent known, we achieve our goals, but when we are more complacent,  based previous triumphs, we can trick ourselves and the outcome is not as positive as we expected.

And sometimes, like the players on the Canadian Women’s soccer team, you have to put the bad stuff behind you, and focus on the future wins, because when we bring baggage with us, it can weigh us down.

When we are determined to be the best in our field, and we focus -  who knows, we could become champions too.

A greedy game

For Christmas my daughter gave me business cards – as VP of Sales for her business.  Subtle eh.

So this summer I have been helping her, arranging for reviews or profiles of her product in different magazines and blogs.

It’s been an interesting experience.  Did you know that over 2,000 magazines or blogs provide a Holiday Gift Guide – covering everything from the military to construction?  So it took time to narrow down those that fit her niche market.

But what has been most enlightening has been the reaction of bloggers who give reviews of products in their blogs.  Many of the magazines and bloggers have asked for samples, which is to be expected if they have to write a review, but when one of them asks for the most expensive version, you have to question the integrity and motivation behind such a request.

Surprise, surprise when we explained our policy was to send the small version, but we could upgrade the mat if she paid the difference, she chose not to do the review.  Says a lot doesn’t it, but on the other hand, at least we all knew where we stood.  She didn’t do the review, and we didn’t send the large version.

You could say a win-win all round, but it does make you question just how impartial and honest these reviews are. 

I mean,  should product reviewers be “paid”  by companies to review their product?  It sounds like a dubious practice to me, but I am totally new to this game, so I don’t know the rules.  

What I do know is that when you are greedy, sometimes you end up with nothing at all.

Getting to WOW

Can you remember when you had a WOW experience? 

What was it about the experience or product that captured your attention and led to such a high, memorable rating?  That’s just one of the questions asked by Michael Hyatt in his new book Platform.  Get Noticed in a Noisy World:  A Step-by-Step Guide for Anyone with Something to Say or Sell.

As I reflected on the question, a couple of occasions immediately came to mind, and each time it was the attention to detail, coupled with the atmosphere created that blew me away. 

One was the first ATHENA leadership conference that I ever attended, where its high calibre speakers impacted my life, creating a defining “ah ha” moment.  Based on that experience, I have since tried to replicate those inspiring moments in the conferences I have organized.  The second was a building, a club – the Verity Club - with its bursts of colour  (orange walls), beautiful artwork and atmosphere of acceptance.

So often the WOW factor is about going the extra mile; doing the unexpected that will grab the person’s attention. In both these instances, efforts were made to make the space or learning environment not only women-friendly but warm, with those little touches such as fresh flowers, that tell you someone cares, and that unquestionably a woman is involved in the design.  (Sorry guys)

So what can you do to create that same level of WOW in your business? 

Part of the secret to a WOW experience, explains Hyatt, is truly knowing your audience and not only talking in their language but demonstrating that you understand their challenges. As a result, you choose to provide a service or product that really addresses those needs, remembering always that it is not about you, it’s about them.

But it is not just about knowing your target group, it is also knowing and believing in your brand; and nailing down the detail to best message what you offer.  Doing your homework and checking out popular trends as well as your competition helps build that foundation.

As Hyatt says “you won’t get a second chance to make a first impression.”  So you need to make sure that your package captures their attention straight away.  But, he cautions, let your designers have some leeway to create something innovative and different.

His favourite designs are simple and elegant and I would concur.  When we make the message too difficult to decipher, we lose out and dilute the impact.   Short, punchy and to the point says it all.

However, he also warns that we have to be clear on our messages and stick to our gut instinct and not let the designers get too carried away in the design element.  Last but not least, check in with your fans, he advises, they will quickly tell you if you are on track, or not.

Bottom line, the more clear you are on what you want to create – be it product or service – the better able you will be to provide that extra WOW factor.

And that is what we all want and deserve.

True Customer Service

Every Saturday without fail, I head off to our local farmers’ market.  It is more than a shopping expedition, it has become a community experience, one that other business owners could learn from, particularly in terms of customer experience.  Let me explain why.

1.        The space is bright and airy, with daylight flooding in through the Plexiglas windows. 

2.        It is open for five hours, so it is never super-crowded, so you don’t have to fight your way around.

3.        Parking is easy, nearby and free.

4.        If you need help getting around, there are walkers to use (and return)

5.        Shopping baskets on wheels are also available.

6.        If you go on a regular basis, people get to know you and greet you by name.

7.        The “vendors” are knowledgeable and can answer questions on the produce, how they grew it and how you can cook it.

8.        Local musicians play each week, creating a wonderful ambiance.  Sometimes it is a quartet, a fiddler or a guitarist, respectful of everyone’s musical tastes.

9.        It’s not just farm produce on sale, but local crafters get a chance to showcase their wares.

10.      There’s a charity table available and so each week a different non-profit gets to promote its organization.

11.      If you buy something big, volunteers are there to help load it into your car.

12.      In buying local, you are not only supporting local farmers, but you know what you are buying is fresh

13.      There are picnic tables set aside so you can stop, have coffee and visit with friends and neighbours.

So yes, shopping may take a tad longer, but the market has become an important hub in our community, linking people and bringing them together to support each other.  Isn’t that what it is all about?

When you look at your business, what could you do to encompass this sense of community?  What changes could you make that would help accommodate your different customers. 

When we put the needs of the customer first, then we are saying something important to them – you matter.

Are you at risk of over-extending yourself?

I love the summer because I get to take leisurely lunches with friends.  But the other week, as I chatted with and caught up with one of my girlfriends, I realized something really important - I was in danger of over-extending myself, again.

As we talked and I updated her on my plans for the fall, the penny dropped that

 a) I had taken on several new projects, which excited me; and

 b) none of them directly related to Company of Women, but were potential offshoots of  

     my business.

Given that in the fall I will be back to being a solopreneur, with no staff in the office, this could be a big problem as time will be precious.  Yet I don’t want to give up on these commitments as they offer a growth opportunity for me personally and professionally.

I am sure I am not alone as we juggle the demands on our time and the priorities for our business.   So what is the answer?

1.        Determine your priorities.  Know at the outset what you want to achieve in the year ahead. Set goals. When something new comes up, ask yourself if it fits your priorities, and if it doesn’t, perhaps the answer should be “no.”

2.        Be aware.  As you take on new work, check to be sure that there are not too many conflicting demands on your time.

3.        Do a schedule. When I scheduled out the timeframe for the projects, I was relieved to see that they are spaced out over several months, meaning that I am not going to be working on them all at the same time and there’s little overlap.  Whew!

4.        Determine when enough is enough.  It will take a very exciting project to persuade and entice me to take on anything else.  My plate is full.

5.        Automate.  Because I will be the only one in the office, we are automating our processes, so that my time is not taken up with routine, admin work. 

6.        Delegate.  I plan to build a team around me who will take on some of the tasks I used to undertake, thereby freeing up my time to get involved in the new projects and different revenue streams.

7.        Change is OK.   I have given myself permission to pursue new avenues that will enable me personally to gain some new skills sets and experiences.

Being more self-aware has helped me to step back and review what I have taken on.  Maybe I am getting wiser in my old age, because in the past, I would have just said “yes” to everything that came my way, without reflecting on the impact that response would have on the rest of my workload or the members of my team.

What about you?  Do you need to step back and double-check that what you are doing fits with your vision and mission in life?  Remember we can all shape our own destiny. You are the captain of your own ship, so make sure you are steering it in the direction that suits you. Don’t feel locked in to doing something because you always have, that is not a good enough reason to continue.

I am excited about the year ahead.  Yes, it will be busy but personally I do my best when I have a lot on the go.  What about you?

Detours in Decluttering

In his book Driven, Robert Herjavec shares how often successful entrepreneurs have messy desks, a sign of their creativity and drive to succeed, he says.  I chuckled when I read that, as it meant that I qualify; I have what it takes.

Although this summer I have declared war on my office and am determined to declutter and get rid of the paper and stuff that holds me back.  I have to admit it is a bit overwhelming – I mean where do you start?  Right now I working systematically around the room, creating even more chaos until order can be restored.

I should also confess that I do this every summer with varying degrees of success, but this year I mean business as we plan to put our house up for sale and so I really do have to clean out the cupboards and reduce the signs of a busy home business.   No mean feat.

I also know it will take me time as I sort through the files and books I have collected over the years.  With the books in particular, it is like parting with old friends and my preference is to find a good home for each of them. Want a collection of business books?

Even the local library has turned me down.

While it is early days, I also know that the process will serve to remind me of how far Company of Women, and myself as well, have come in 10 years.  Yesterday I opened my Success Box – a treasure trove of notes and cards from people who took the time to thank me and express their appreciation for what I had done for them. You know the kind of stuff.  I keep it all in this beautiful box, so that when I am having a down day, week, whatever, I can turn to its contents and remind myself of what I have accomplished and how much my work has impacted other people.

Well hidden away at the bottom of this box was a little sculpture of two birds, sitting close together, one with its wing wrapped around the other.  I have had it for years. It was a gift from a former colleague and at one time it literally was perched on the top of my desk, reminding me daily of our friendship.  But it kept falling off, so I had carefully stored it in the Box.

I really smiled when I saw the birds, because that friend has just come back into my life.  For years we had kept in touch but it had been the odd card or email now and again. But now she too has joined the world of entrepreneurship, become part of Company of Women and it is truly wonderful to have her back.

All of which just goes to show that the world keeps evolving, bringing people into and out of our lives. I say out of our lives too because 2012 seems to be a time of transition for many of my friends as they chose to downsize, move out of the city to start afresh in smaller communities. 

But the moral of the story I guess, is with true friends you never really say goodbye, as I found last summer when my husband and I looked up folks in England that we hadn’t seen in 40 years and with whom we just took up where we left off.

This little detour via the Success Box has made the decluttering less painful.  It is perhaps taking longer, but the journey to reconnect with myself is worth it.

Make It The People Who Count, Not The Money

A wise friend sent me this quote “ Change your focus from making money to serving more people. Serving more people makes the money come in.”  And she is right.

So often we get caught up in the numbers game – be it number of sales or number of people attending an event or number of members.  But when we do that, we run the risk of diminishing what we are offering as our focus is on the money, not on the customers.

And people can pick up when you are treating them just like a meal ticket. I am sure we have all been in situations when we’ve felt nickel and dimed or treated shabbily.  It doesn’t feel good and you leave feeling somewhat disillusioned and disappointed.   Yes, we have to keep an eye on the bottom line, but when that is all you focus on, to the detriment of fostering meaningful relationships, then I suspect your business suffers.

I was reminded of this a few weeks ago when we had ten people registered for a lunch meeting.  “Only ten women,” I thought to myself and I questioned whether we should cancel or not.  I am so glad we didn’t, because the right ten people were there, and they rallied around one of the women who needed a boost, and who received encouragement and support from the others.

She left with her head held high and the other women also had a bounce to their steps because they knew they’d made her day and had made a difference.  That is what it is all about, not the number of participants, not the money made, but helping each other.

It served to remind me of why I started Company of Women in the first place and was a lesson I needed to learn that day.  Sometimes we can wander off track and get caught up in the chase for the all-mighty dollar, but when you are genuine, honest and care, I have to believe that others pick up on your authenticity, and your business benefits, and in turn so does your bottom line.