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The Brazen Soul Blog

January 26, 2011
21:28
Working Retreat Vlog – How do I afford a working retreat?
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For some of us the vision of a retreat includes massage tables nestled under giant banana trees. I’m in for that for sure! However – though that’s an awesome plan for getting away from it all – that’s not the only way to have a retreat. By definition, a retreat simply means to pull away [...]
January 18, 2011
16:11
Coaching vs. Consulting, Clarified
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When I hit a point in my business where I was ready to step up my game and increase my marketing efforts, I looked for a business coach. At the time, I thought consultants were for companies to hire, not solo business owners like me. So, I found a “coach” who was actually a consultant. [...]
January 17, 2011
19:51
Working Retreat Vlog Series: Part 1
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As I talked about in the starter Working Retreat Vlog Series post, I get amazing amounts of work done during working retreats. I am able to concentrate, find flow, get into the meat of things and actually complete projects that I’ve had brewing for a long time. I usually also weave in some lovely personal/business [...]
January 14, 2011
19:40
Working Retreat Vlog Series Starter
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You want to get some great work done in the world, right? I feel confident in that guess because you’re here on this blog – and that’s so much of what this blog is about. So, you really must go on a working retreat – if you don’t already do that. And if you do [...]
January 12, 2011
20:06
The New Michelle Barry Franco (Note: I’m Still Just Me)
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As you can see, things have changed quite a bit here at michellebarryfranco.com. I spent the last part of 2010 having some really heartfelt conversations with myself and a few things came out of those conversations: 1. I want to express myself completely, authentically and with my whole heart in this life 2. While public [...]
January 07, 2011
15:13
2011 is The Year of the Table
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As you may know if you have been reading for a few years, every year as one year rolls into the next in celebratory glory, I declare a theme for the coming year. This past year was The Year of Opening. The year before was The Year of Sleep (possibly my most unsuccessful theme of [...]
November 29, 2010
14:31
5 Public Speaking Presentation Moves That Inspire Love From Your Audience
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Remember that one speaker at that talk you attended where you were just riveted, inspired, totally moved during and after the talk? Remember how it felt like they were talking to just you, in a strange way? How it felt like you sort of knew them after they spoke, even though you’d never actually met [...]
November 11, 2010
14:01
Got Public Speaking Anxiety? Of Course You Do – And That’s Okay
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At a recent speaking event, before the festivities were officially underway, a woman in the audience asked me: “So, are you nervous at all right now? Because you certainly don’t look nervous. I bet you’re not nervous at all, are you? I can’t even imagine”, she streamed. Well, I can’t even imagine either. I am [...]
November 08, 2010
20:54
People Want More Peaceful Business Networking Feelings
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What would it take for you to get up, ready and out the door to attend a totally optional business education session at 7:30 in the morning? You’d have to be pretty motivated, right? Two weeks ago, I facilitated a Business Success Program session for the Bend Chamber of Commerce called Networking with Impact & [...]
14:43
Business Communication Should NOT Be Boring
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When I began teaching public speaking classes at San Francisco State University, I was still working during the day at a high tech company. This was the late 1990′s and we were, like most start-up companies in Silicon Valley, working long hours toward a big Vision. It was an exciting time of stacked soda cans [...]
September 21, 2010
14:55
What’s Your Why?
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Last week I completed the first phase of Coaches Training at Baraka Institute in Portland, Oregon (more on how amazing Baraka Institute is across a few future posts.) As usual, I was flinging together some last minute stuff to hit the road for the three and a half hour drive to Portland, where the training [...]
August 19, 2010
21:28
The Banana & a Prophylactic: The Fine Art of Amplifying Aids in Public Speaking
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When I was in college I was a member of the Peer Education Program (PEP.) We were just starting to realize the devastation that HIV and AIDS were likely to cause on campus if we didn’t get the word out about how the disease is spread (and how it is not spread.) So, my health-conscious [...]
August 16, 2010
17:28
Why I forgo Food and Sleep to Read a Penelope Trunk Blog Post
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Every time I see a new post in my inbox from Penelope Trunk, my heart skips a giddy little beat. Why? You ask… Because I know she’s going to say things that shock me, make me think, and unhinge my jaw at some point in almost every post. I read a lot of stuff. I [...]
August 06, 2010
8:52
It’s How You Handle It That Matters – And Dar Williams Knows How to Handle It
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Last night Jim and I went to see Dar Williams perform at The Tower Theatre here in Bend. Damn – she is amazing. If you get a chance, go see Dar. Anywhere you can. While it’s the first time I’ve seen her on stage, I get the strong impression that no matter where she performs, [...]
July 28, 2010
21:27
It’s Not That I Wasn’t Listening But I Can’t Remember Your Name
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One time I called a good friend of mine and her husband answered the phone. I consider her husband a friend, too, if but one layer away in the circle than my friend. The point is - I totally know his name. “Hello?”, he husks out in his lovely voice. A voice with which I [...]
July 19, 2010
14:24
Who Are You? And, What Are You Trying to Say?
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I got a phone call four nights ago from a good friend’s husband. While she and I were really good friends about seven years ago, and have maintained a caring friendship across many miles and life changes, I didn’t know her husband really well. Which is why my heart sank when I heard who it [...]
July 10, 2010
9:25
Speak & Flourish: Why you should push past public-speaking fear in service of a thriving business
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Push Past Public Speaking Fear

(I wrote this article for Cascade Business News (a local publication in my town of Bend, Oregon), which printed this week and thought you might find it useful, too.)

The last time I did a pro-bono 20-minute presentation for a networking organization, I had one person slip me their card on my way back to my seat and two more emails in my inbox when I started work the next morning, all inviting me to work on projects with them. That “free” presentation turned into hundreds of dollars worth of paid work the following day.

And it’s not just me who has this experience.

Lynn Wenger, founder & web developer for webprodigy.com, had three new website development clients before she even finished her community education program on How to Build Your Own Website.

I’m just sayin’… I know that speaking can be scary (it’s the number one fear for people in national polls), but it’s worth it to look that fear right in it’s gnarled up little face, give it a smile and nod, and get on stage (or in front of the room, more likely) anyway.

Here’s more on why:

People work with people that they know, like and trust. When you offer up your expertise for people to listen to and use (even for free), they get a taste of your style, your level of knowledge, and your humanity. If you do a good job with the presentation (more on this next time), then they feel connected to you. Think of that – all in one fell swoop of a short presentation, you have created a sense of connection with a whole roomful of people. That’s some powerful groundwork toward new business.

Your potential clients are looking for solutions to their problems. Seriously, we’re all searching for the answers, aren’t we? Like I need to organize my daughters’ clothes in a way better system! If someone stood in the front of a room and gave me real, actionable, valuable information about how I might be able to do that (just as an example – calling all organizers!) there is a good chance I’d hire them to come show me at my house – or possibly even do it for me. What can you give away in a talk that would inspire someone to hire you for the next level of service?

Creating a presentation makes you a way better business-person, no matter what your topic area. To create a great presentation, you have to hone in very specifically on your message. You need to be able to name the problem you solve, say succinctly and powerfully what you can do to help and offer uber-clear suggestions for action. That kind of extreme clarity gets integrated into your day-to-day marketing and business practice to your benefit.

I guarantee that you will feel the benefit of pushing through your fear of public-speaking and getting out there with your well-crafted message in many parts of your business. You will almost certainly get new clients as an immediate result and the confidence and clarity you experience after the process will have a long-lasting energizing effect on so many aspects of your business.

Go ahead, feel the fear, smile and nod, then get on up there and say it!

If you like this article, I bet you’ll also like…
June 24, 2010
16:18
Organizing Your Speech So Your Audience Can Actually Use the Information (Remarkable Speaking for Ordinary People Video Blog Series)
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Today’s topic in the Remarkable Speaking for Ordinary People Video Blog Series is How to Organize Your Speech So YOur Audience Can Actually Use the Information.

This may seem totally elementary, but it is woefully disregarded way too often. I want to eliminate that possibility for you. Remarkable speeches are memorable because they have awesome content that people actually remember and use (plus other stuff we’ll talk about throughout the series.)

And for those of you (like me) who like to scan a post before you decide to invest in the video (or the meat of the content), here are the hi-lights to help you decide if you want to spend the 3.5 minutes on the video itself:
1. Too much information is overwhelming to your audience. People often give way too much information (thereby overwhelming the audience.) Let’s don’t have you do that, okay?
2. Choose three main points (or chunks, as I like to call it, even though it doesn’t seem all that appealing when I think about it) under ONE main idea (the title of your speech should reflect this one big focus area.)
3. Add compelling stories, super-specific tips, and exciting statistics or data to each of those main points only as they serve to further illustrate and amplify those main points.
4. Cover nothing beyond the main topic of this presentation and the three main points you have chosen. You will struggle to let go of “really great information” you want to share – let it go anyway. You will think the information you are leaving out is “really important” – leave it out anyway.
If you do all of this for real, you’ll structure yourself a really powerful presentation (assuming the content is excellent quality.)

There’s more in the video, including an example to illustrate structure. As always, I invite your feedback, thoughts, ideas and suggestions. In particular, I’m wondering about your experience of seeing really great presentations that you remember well. What did they do with the structure that helped you take it all in? Do you use strategies I don’t mention here in your own presentations that we can all learn from?

If you like this article, I bet you’ll also like…
June 15, 2010
13:50
Remarkable Speaking for Ordinary People Series – Type-style
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I know that sometimes you just don’t want to watch a video. Maybe you’re at work and you don’t want others to hear that you are doing a little (educational!) blog-touring. Possibly you want to scan the info first, to see if it will be worth your time.

So, I’ve asked the excellent David Merrick (my guy for all things online-tech-marketing-ish) to help me translate the video posts into written blog posts, distilling it down to the essentials from the video, using my voice. I think he’s done a mighty fine job of it. So, here is the first translation of the intro video and the first content video in the series.

As always, I welcome your thoughts, feedback and suggestions. In particular, I’d love to know, do you have a preference between video & written? Or audio alone? Or a mix of all three?

Okay, here goes David’s summary of the videos:

I’d like to introduce our “Remarkable Speaking for Ordinary People” video series!

I decided to create this series to help those of us who are not as well-known as Tony Robbins, Steve Jobs, but who do want to improve our content, delivery, and other aspects of great
speaking. Maybe you are just starting to get your message out into the world in a bigger way. Maybe you want to start speaking, but you’re really nervous. Maybe you don’t know where to start, or you’re not exactly sure how to structure a speech in a way that an audience can take it in readily, easily, and go use it to take action in the world. If so, this series is just for you!

In service of that, I’m going to give you several straight-up tips on:
public-speaking content structure, organization, delivery, research, and more.
I’m also going to venture out and see as many ordinary-ish speakers as I can over these next couple of months. I’ll share with you things that I see in their presentations, like suggestions and ideas that I can provide for you that will make your presentations even better. I’m doing this because I know that, at this very moment, a lot of ordinary people are out there making an extraordinary difference in the world by getting their message out there (and often creating more business in the process). I want that for you, too.

So that’s what this series is about, and I hope you’ll join me in this adventure! I’ll be regularly posting new articles and videos here on the Brazen Soul blog once or twice per week. I invite your comments, your ideas, your suggestions, and I hope that, together, we can all collectively add to the value of this “Remarkable Speaking for Ordinary People” video blog series.

and the second video, on the OSU-Cascades brown bag lunch talk: “Why Not Gross National Happiness?”:
Welcome to the first video of our “Remarkable Speaking for Ordinary People” video series!
I want to talk to you today about a presentation that I recently attended at our local college campus, OSU-Cascades, called “Why Not Gross National Happiness?”. It centered around the question of why we’re using production and productivity, instead of well-being and happiness, as a measure of our success as a society. All in all, the presentation was excellent, and I’m going to discuss the aspects that were really great about it as well as a few ways that the presenter could have delivered a more powerful presentation.

In service of those two goals, I’m going to discuss
what made the content of the presentation so appealing,
and then
what he could’ve done with his visual aid (presentation slides) to make a stronger connection with his audience. On Content…

The presentation’s content was great because he fully flavored it with all of the appeals– ethos (credibility), logos (logical), and pathos (emotional). He cited credible academic journals with peer-reviewed research by other experts in the fields of psychology, economics, and the effects of financial success on well-being and happiness. He used his own experience, which, on top of its inherent ethos (credibility) appeal, helped to bring us closer to him as an audience. Boosting his credibility also added to the logical appeals in the content of his presentation. Perhaps most importantly, he provided emotional appeals as well with pictures that were very compelling, including one of chickens that were crammed into a pen as he discussed how this was “cage-free” chicken raising actually looks like in practice.
On presentation slides…
The presentation was great, but could’ve been made better through his presentation slide choices. He used slides–lots of slides–which can be dangerous to public-speaking if the presentation slides aren’t done right. Presentations slides are a tool to emphasize a point that you’re making, to amplify your presentation. In many cases in this context, they did, (as in the case of the image of the chickens) but several of
them were jam-packed with words.

When your slides have lots of words, people (including you as the presenter) shift focus to those slides and you lose that vital connection between presenter and audience. The way that
you make meaningful impact in the world, in almost all aspects of interaction, is connection. When all of you are staring at the presentation slides, you miss that critical opportunity for eye-contact and connection with your audience.

This loss of connection negatively impacts your presentation in a couple of ways. First, you lose out on
the feedback that the audience is giving you. You don’t know if they’re telling you “Yes, I’m
understanding what you’re saying,” by nodding their heads or smiling - or “No, I don’t get it,” by way of furrowed brows and head shaking. This is essential feedback for you as a speaker to act on. It gives you the signal to better explain a point if everyone looks confused, or to exclude extra explanations or stories if it appears that everyone understands. You also lose out on the potential power of your visual aid because a wordy slide doesn’t look as nice or have the same impact as a powerful image or a slide with a few large, carefully chosen words.

For truly magnificent presentation slide design, I highly recommend using the guidelines Garr Reynolds provides in his fantastic book, Presentation Zen (affiliate link). Essentially, he advises six words or less per slide if at all possible and a big, powerful image that amplifies what you’re saying so each member of your audience can feel the emotional impact and better connect with you. That’s what you want for powerful presenting.

I hope those two tips about the public-speaking presentation content and presentation slides help you in your next presentation.

Until next time, lovely day to you!If you like this article, I bet you’ll also like…
12:14
Freight Trains & the Drive for Self-Expression
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I spent this past week on an unexpected trip to California. My mom was sick – she is on the upswing now – and I needed to be there to help figure out who could help her get better. I am pretty tapped out on hospitals, ERs and insurance company paperwork at this point. At the same time, I am profoundly aware of the gifts they all were in this confusing medical adventure we went through. More on that later – there were many surprisingly relevant experiences to share from all that.

But for now, I want to talk about this freight train I saw as I was making the 6-hour drive home. Check out that train. Isn’t it beautiful? I was totally struck by the colors and artistry on every single car on that train. What I thought to myself was, “Man, our drive for self-expression is so intense!” Because it is.

I get it that it’s illegal to paint those train cars. I’m not here to comment on the legal thing, either way. I’m here to scream from the rooftops: You must be heard! (Isn’t that ironic?)

Here’s the thing: If you are a creative person (and really, who isn’t, whether they self-identify or not?) it is essential to your health and well-being that you find your modus creativitando (mode of creative expression – no, that last word isn’t a real word, but I like the way it words with modus.) We know this from happiness research (especially if you are American), we know this from mental health experts, and we know this from people who tell us how much better their life is now that they’ve started living from their center of self-expression (like here and here.) Those people who risk their freedom (they could go to jail, you know… or get a fine, or whatever) just to express their artistic talent and message on the side of a train, they have this figured out. The bummer is, they aren’t making any money off of this. They still have to pay bills somehow. The nirvana is marrying your modus creativitando (yep) and your paycheck (in a legal way that doesn’t jeopardize your freedom to enjoy your freedom) and making big stuff happen in the world. Some people argue that you don’t need to get paid to do what you love, but I can’t help but think that is the only way to make the hugest mark in the world for most of us.

Meantime, if it’s a start for you and gets you off your tookus toward living your greatest self-expression, find a freight car to paint (but since I officially do not condone illegal behavior in any way, please ask permission first. Or whatever.)If you like this article, I bet you’ll also like…
June 03, 2010
9:50
Remarkable Speaking for Ordinary People Series Intro & Overview
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If you are NOT a professional public speaker – maybe you’re just starting out in your public-speaking adventure, or you are just really nervous or want a refresher on the fundamentals of great presentations (with some truly new and different angles on powerful speaking at any level of experience), this series is created precisely for you. More details here in this overview video: (be sure to scroll down to the first content post below as well!)

Remarkable Speaking for Ordinary People Video Blog Series Intro from Michelle Barry Franco on Vimeo.

And now for the promised First-Ever post of the series, let’s dive right in and talk about great content & engaging use of presentation slides using the talk I attended today at OSU-Cascades called “Why Not Gross National Happiness?”:
If you like this article, I bet you’ll also like…
May 27, 2010
16:59
Public-Speaking Tips from Mike Arauz's Design for Networks Talk
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Mike Arauz of Undercurrent in New York gave a great talk today for our AdBite meeting today. Here are just a few of the things he did really well that we can learn from and use easily in our own talks:

Public Speaking Tips: Thoughts on Mike Arauz of Undercurrent talk for Adbite, Bend, OR from Michelle Barry Franco on Vimeo.

Here’s the link to the video archive from the talk so you can see what I’m talking about. Thanks, Pinnacle Media, for creating a video we can reference. Y’all are so lovely.If you like this article, I bet you’ll also like…
May 24, 2010
11:07
Launch Party Fun – Join in, even from afar!
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Thanks to my brilliant friend, Joan Dudley of The Sol Center, today is Launch Party Day (woo hoo!) for Vision Into Action & Your Hello Intro Self-Guided Workshop. (Without her, I don’t think I’d have thought to throw a party – but I’m sure glad we are!) We’re calling our event Launching Soul because both Joan and I are launching products designed and produced for soulful people who are working to maximize their life and business. Joan’s product is a revolutionary approach to unblocking the stuff in your way of making great things happen in your life – and The Brazen Soul programs are designed to take you step-by-step through making the business parts of those great things happen once you are destuckified.

I hope we’ll see you at tonight’s festivities (Fox’s Billiards, 937 NW Newport Ave. Bend, OR 97701, ph: (541) 647-1363, kids welcome until 7pm at which time I guess Fox’s turns into an adult bar.)

I’m going to do a drawing at tonight’s party for one free whole entire Vision Into Action program (this means that the winner will get: 200+ page step-by-step coaching guide for creating powerful, authentic messaging in his/her business, a CD of inspiring conversations and additional coaching with other Brazen Soul business owners, plus an expansion interview DVD where I share additional coaching to help maximize the impact of this self-study program. PLUS they get the entire Your Hello Intro program as a BONUS (which comes with every Vision Into Action program.) That Your Hello Intro program is it’s own self-contained program with 2.5 hours of video workshop (shot from a live workshop I facilitated) plus a 70 page guidebook. But wait, there’s more! … there’s also an exclusive online web page where you can download many of the worksheets and checklists in the program for easy use over and over – plus additional resources that I update as I find great new things I think you should know about. I did everything I could think of in these two program to make it possible to ramp up your natural yet-oh-so-powerful communication style in your business. If you are looking to spice up your business messaging and get Radical Clarity on your vision, word from those who have used it is that this program really does help a lot. Come to the party and put your business card in the giant brandy glass!

And just in case you are too far away or simply can’t make it to tonight’s Launching Soul shindig, I’ve decided to bring some of the fun to our online community here!

So, if you want to be part of the fun and maybe win the whole shebang for yourself, just send me an email to michelle@thebrazensoul.com that says, “Pick me, pick me!” in the subject line.

I’ll print all names on paper, put them in my fancy big giant brandy glass drawing jar and pull a name tomorrow. I will email you if you won then send you your program once you send me contact info. I will NOT use your email for any other purpose. Incidentally, if you would like to be on The Brazen Soul email list, you are enthusiastically invited to go here: www.thebrazensoul.com and click “Free Business Growth Tools” which will prompt you to give your email to join the list (you’ll also get some cool business growth tools by doing that!) You’ll get the monthly newsletter (more like mothly-ish) plus those awesome business growth tools you’ll read about once you click that link.

I look forward to seeing you tonight if you plan to be at the party. If not, I look forward to your email in my inbox and am rooting for you to be the winner of the online drawing! As always, thanks so very kindly for your support and engagement. If you like this article, I bet you’ll also like…
May 10, 2010
20:01
Public-speaking Video Post: Abolish Impostor Syndrome
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In case the thought that you need more experience, more training, more perfection, more [fill in your belief here]… here’s how you can provide real value – and attract real clients to your business as a result – in a public speaking presentation on your area of expertise, even if you don’t know every single thing there is to know on the topic (which is the case for every single person in any area of expertise, by the way.)

Abolish Impostor Syndrome in Your Public Speaking for Small Business from Michelle Barry Franco on Vimeo.If you like this article, I bet you’ll also like…
May 05, 2010
10:18
The Mindful Use of Technology for Authentic Human Connection: Wisdom 2.0 Conference Reflections
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A really important conversation began this weekend.

It’s a conversation that we all, on some level, know has to happen. It’s one that’s happening in many of our hearts and minds as well as in our families, marriages, within our friendships – maybe even with work colleagues. Those personal conversations have been intense, conflicted, and even frustrating for many of us… because the answers and next steps aren’t really clear.

I’m talking about How to stay connected spiritually, in a heart and soul-centered way, as human beings while taking bold and brilliant advantage of the exciting technological advances in communication that we have available to us today.

The Question is:
How do we make mindful use of technology that has the power to bring us meaningfully closer to more people than ever before, while maintaining a real connection both inside ourselves and in our face-to-face interactions?
For those of us who love the different kinds of connection that technology facilitates, it can be tricky to find the best ways to keep that virtual connection strong and useful… and give ourselves the “unplugged” time required to be truly present in heart, mind and spirit in our face-to-face connections as well. After the Wisdom 2.0 Conference this weekend, I understand even more fully why this struggle is so real for me and others like me. I’ll tell you more about that later but let me just say for now, it’s not entirely our lack of willpower (whew!)
A zillion little sound bites were shared that caused spikes in my brain, heart and gut energy.
I’ll share just the few that sit with me today, as I re-enter into my work life two days post-Wisdom 2.0:

Possibly the most striking discussion I heard the whole weekend happened in the second half of the first day when Tami Simon, founder and owner of Sounds True (multi-media publisher of many best-selling soulful audiobooks and videos), described her experience of checking email. She talked about that rush that happens sometimes when she checks email and watches that long list of emails flood her inbox. The incongruency between the overwhelm that email so often causes for our “to-do” list and that strange attraction (compulsion…? ….addiction?) to receiving new emails. Tami’s not alone. Knowing laughs and head-nodding filled the room immediately (my own laugh & head-bobbing included.) This happened even as we were all mid-stride in a conversation about how overwhelming email can be and that it also plays an unwanted negative role in so many of our days. Tami cited brain research on the rush of dopamine that floods just the right part of our brain as those emails fill our inbox and I felt suddenly vindicated somehow… like my own attraction to checking email at least wasn’t just about a lack of willpower on my part.

The brilliance in conversation that came from the stage was really staggering. We heard about how one of the founders of Twitter – Greg Pass – Tweets to push the edges of his own creativity and exploration (my words.)

Philippe Goldin, a hard-core brain researcher/neuroscientist from Stanford showed us in graphics and enthusiastic narrative the ways in which research indicates that meditation is better for our mind, body and spirit than just about anything we could possibly do, period (including exercise.) High-ups from Google in a number of departments told us about how they integrate mindfulness practices like yoga, Qi Gong and meditation into their daily lives – and the programs they bring to Google employees in an effort to help their employees stay healthy in all aspects of their lives as much as possible, even in the midst of a truly uber-connected work world.

The description that Linda Stone gave of how to know if you have email apnea (a shortage of breathing while using email) felt like she had been secretly looking into my office window and watching me: sitting at computer, shoulders slumped forward, hands turned inward on keyboard, staring blurry-eyed at the screen, shallowly breathing (and sometimes even holding my breath, when I think about it!) As Linda requested that we practice this familiar position in our chairs, she asked us to take a deep breath in – an almost impossible task from that position. Point made. Not a lot of deep breathing going on from this position. We simply can’t get in an optimum amount of air in this body configuration.

The speakers were really fabulous: brilliant, interesting, and truly mindful human beings (far as I could tell.) But really, the major coup of the whole weekend for me, was getting to hang out in a room full of my kin. The energy in the room was palpable – people were clearly very very excited to have this conversation. We were excited for ourselves and we were excited for what this means for humanity and technology. The possibilities for mindful, conscious, beautifully human business felt greater than most of us had experienced before. All that and it felt like we didn’t have to turn in our smartphones and computers to make it happen. There’s a middle way, it feels – and it’s awesome to be in a roomful of really smart, mindful people searching for that middle way with us.

For me – and I have struggled both with being “too connected” and with not feeling like I know how to virtually connect “well enough” – this conversation was totally riveting, enlightening and thought-provoking. If you check out the Twitter stream (#wisdom2conf) you’ll see that I am most definitely not alone in those feelings. You won’t find the answers there, necessarily, but you will find a lot of people committed to that goal.

People are already doing very cool things to help make the online experience more human, transparent and soulful. More businesses are being Visioned and launched right now by people in that Wisdom 2.0 conference toward that end. It’s exciting. We absolutely cannot ever replace human touch, eye-to-eye contact, the energetic exchange that happens when two or more people sit together in a room in conversation, in meditation, or in solidarity on an issue. I don’t think any of us want to replace those lovely human experiences. It’s about expansion… opening… growth… different kinds of connection that enrich our lives in new and unexpected ways. I don’t think we’ve found the perfect way to use technology to enhance our human connections (doubt we ever will) but I am optimistic that we are having the right conversations to help us get closer to that goal. Go check out the #wisdom2conf Twitter stream – and read the blog posts being shared about the experience – and you’ll see.

This was just the beginning. You are invited to join the conversation right now. I’d certainly LOVE to hear your thoughts & ideas on how we can mindfully take advantage of the technologies available to us and use them in service of a more authentically connected world.If you like this article, I bet you’ll also like…
May 01, 2010
12:49
Your Hello Intro Self-Guided Workshop Update
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I’m at this amazing, soul-shaking conference this weekend called Wisdom 2.0, mesmerized by speakers and panelists who take soulful business to the edges of brilliance. I am both inspired and overwhelmed by the possibilities of this approach to life and business. Can’t wait to share my many learnings with you.

But I can’t just ignore the fact that Your Hello Intro Self-Guided Workshop did NOT in fact arrive yesterday, as planned. I wish it had – and it’s going to be ready early next week so we are very close… but we missed the promised launch date. Argh. It’s one of the problems, I suppose, with beginning development of my second product while still in the throes of producing the first. Next time I’ll know that it simply takes longer than expected for every stage of product development and I’ll plan accordingly.

I wanted to give you that update for those of you awaiting arrival of your copy (right now, only those who have ordered Vision Into Action as Your Hello Intro comes as a bonus with that program) – and those who are awaiting the option to purchase one. I will excitedly share news of Your Hello Intro availability as soon as I have it in my warm, anxiously-awaiting hands.

Sorry I’ve been scarce from the blog lately. I have many posts started and waiting… just got caught up in product development these last few weeks and didn’t have the time to finish any the way I want them. Back to it soon. I’ve missed connecting with you here.

Lovely weekend to you!If you like this article, I bet you’ll also like…
March 31, 2010
13:34
Will you please do me a favor? I want to *really* understand soul-inspired business owners’ needs.
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I have been head-down focused on product creation a lot lately. I do love that kind of work, however intense and grueling it can feel at times. Now it’s time for me to get eye to eye with more of you all who are doing the soul-inspired work I always talk about and try to serve with these products and coaching.

I want to understand as clearly as possible exactly what is your pain. What keeps you up at night (or causes you anxiety during the day) as you build your soulful business?

I created this really short survey to try to get a sense of what you may be struggling with (if anything at all.) I also want to get a sense of how things are going for you overall.
Would you mind filling out this survey for me, please? Click here to take survey
It takes about two minutes. I will be so grateful – and I am happy to send you the results once I get enough data to warrant some general conclusions. And if you are so inclined to pass along this survey to others you know who could add to the wisdom, that would be so lovely.

Thank you so kindly.
Click here to take survey
Thank you Joe Marinaro for the carved “please” image.
March 30, 2010
21:02
8 Ideas for Establishing Yourself as a Leading Authority in Your Field
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My new (fabulous) SEO/tech person for The Brazen Soul says I need to get content out there that speaks to the pain of my “market” and is super-easy to digest. (Jeez, he sounds like a good marketing guy, too, doesn’t he… hmmm, even more fabulous.)

He’s right. We’re out here on this web of connection and information to resolve desires and needs. You may not have noticed (ahem), but sometimes I say a lot of words and do a considerable amount of musing in my posts. (Which I may be at risk of doing right now already…)

But not this time.
Here are 8 rock solid things you can do right away to step toward becoming a Known Expert in your field:
1. Start a blog. Post really smart tips, stories & ideas on that blog that meet the needs of your market. (Like this, see?) One of my clients has grown a whole following based largely on her blog – one that has now joined her email newsletter as well because they see her as an expert in her area of counseling.

2. Write an article for print publication. You can often find local publications in your area of expertise (parenting magazines/weekly, business news, Chamber of Commerce publication) that accept well-written articles from non-professional writers. They often have an online version of their publication as well, expanding your reach considerably. (Be sure to share about your article in your blog and on social media as well!)

3. Offer to speak for a local group that would benefit from your expertise. If you are a counselor who works with children, offer to speak to a local Mom’s/Dad’s/Parent’s group on a topic you choose together (have a list of topics ready to offer up.) If you are a medical massage therapist, offer to do a presentation for the staff at a pain clinic… things like that. I have a few clients who speak at the local college in classes related to their areas of expertise. See if there is an opportunity like that in your area.

4. Create an email newsletter. Send it out monthly to your list of contacts. Better yet, add a sign up form to your website (talk to your website developer if this is outside of your expertise. It’s worth the effort, trust me), offer a really cool free gift for signing up, then fill your newsletter with such great content that your readers can’t help but encourage their friends to sign up, too.

5. Write a book. Okay, this is a doozy, I know. But it’s really effective at showcasing how much you know on your topic – and how well you can write about it. And by the way, it’s super hard, but it’s more doable than you might think. I wrote the 200+ page companion book to Vision Into Action: The Brazen Soul Program in 4 months, start to finish (another month for the publishing rigmarole.) If I can do it, you so can do it.

6. Join the Board of a local nonprofit organization that you adore.First of all, serving others who need you feeds the soul. This is a powerful way to do that. You don’t need me to tell you that, you probably give your time already. Being on the Board of an organization gives you challenging opportunities and often requires that you advocate publicly on behalf of the organization. This gets your name out there and shows you care enough to Contribute in big ways.

7. Offer a free workshop. Your name next to the cool title you’ve given to your workshop, expressing your expertise status (as you convince others you are the one to learn this thing from) is pretty compelling. Especially if you do it repeatedly, where your name and business start to become associated with your topic area. If you make cakes, throw a free cake decorating workshop. If you are a nonfiction book author, offer a workshop that helps people interact with one of the most exciting concepts in your book. I facilitated a free Party Pitch workshop recently and it was fabulous. (Plus, I created a very cool product out of that workshop… bonus! Watch for that soon, by the way…) I am known around town as the person to go to for your networking Party Pitch – even now more than before, thanks to that workshop.

8. Create stunning marketing materials (website, business cards, brochure). I once had someone hold up my brand new (stunning, I might add) brochure, wave it in my face and say, “You clearly know what you are doing.” She hired me, yes. I had at least three other phone calls as a DIRECT result of that heavy-card-stock, deep purple, simple-and-dramatic marketing piece. The other day one of my clients told me that a friend of hers started telling her about “this woman who has this really cool website who helps people grow their soulful businesses” until my friend realized she was talking about me. Not to brag by telling you all these stories about me, me, me… and anyway, all of these are the work of brilliant designers, not me (which is why investing in talented design is such a no brainer.) People spread the word when they are impressed by your marketing materials. That’s why it is way worth it to invest in them.

Okay – there you have it. Pick one. Get it done. You are one step closer to growing your business in ways you can’t imagine right now. Then pick another and get even closer… it just gets better from there.
12:36
A Sense of Home in Business
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Nancy Jane Smith explored the concept of “home” in her Live Happier blog yesterday and it really got me thinking. This sense of “home” is so powerful, isn’t it? It’s that feeling that we are safe, comfortable, nurtured. There’s warmth, acceptance… for me, even a sense of empowerment. These are a big deal – these feelings – as we venture into the world making our Contribution. Yet, it’s not always clear how to get that feeling. My experience is much like Nancy’s in that sometimes I am actually in my physical home when I am feeling this sense of home and other times, my home does not provide this kind of sanctuary. There are times when I am quite disconcerted, ungrounded, and even a bit lost even as I sit here in my very own house.

Conversely, there are times when I am out in the world in seemingly vulnerable circumstances and my sense of home surrounds me. I might walk into a new networking event, where I know no one, and feel at peace and grounded. I stand on stage while I am being introduced to an audience of 100 or more people and I am centered, empowered, ready to give it my all. What is that distinction between circumstances, if it isn’t the actual specifics of the situation? That’s what I’ve been contemplating this morning.
Then I remembered my experience of the Remembrance from the spiritual sales seminar I just finished.
I recall a strong sense of home as I went through the ritual of inviting my gifts to arrive in my body/psyche/heart before I took whatever next step I was planning to take in the sales process. While I am not traditionally religious, I do have a great sense of a Divine source and it was really powerful to tap into that. I realize now that this feeling I experienced when we would go through this ritual is the sense of “home.” Sometimes I am more connected to that source than other times.

So, there’s that whole spiritual thing that can take me a long way toward home, even when I am far from my actual abode.
And there’s a physical thing, too, when it comes to feeling at home.
It isn’t totally required (nor is the ritualistic direct connection to the divine required, actually) but it is really powerful, too. I felt it the first time I walked into the house I live in now. The lighting was warm, streaming through a window. The ceilings were lower than normal, with raw wood covering the kitchen’s interior sky. The floors were a warm, golden red cedar. I could imagine laying on them, reading a book with a pillow tucked under my chest for softness. For me, the colors, lighting, and shapes in the space said “home.” They resonated with my own sense of place. This reminds me that the way I set up, decorate and take care of my space really matters. It matters for my sense of home – which matters for my sense of well-being and empowerment. I know I’m not alone in this meaningful connection to space because Victoria Moran wrote this brilliant book called Shelter for the Spirit in which she shares so much of what I, too, feel about the importance of space. Then, taking it way deeper and more scientific, Esther M. Sternberg M.D. wrote a book called Healing Spaces: The Science of Place and Well-being on it, too (which I am still making my way through reading.)
I make a more powerful Contribution in the world – with my clients, in my writing, when I create new speeches and curriculum – when I feel at home.
I don’t think these two things sum up all of the ways a person might connect with their sense of home. But I think they are really fabulous ways to honor your desire for that sense of comfort and power. They are things that are available to you in your business anytime you need them. I’m feeling really good about reconnecting with both of these avenues for strength and greatness. I hope they serve you well, too, somehow, as you venture forth in your soulful business.

Thank you back_garage for this cool homey living room image.
March 27, 2010
22:48
Soulful Sales & The Sacred Moment
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I am finding my way back into the rhythms of home after two blissfully spiritual days at a sales seminar.

Yes, you heard me right – a sales seminar. A blissfully spiritual sales seminar.

Oh, isn’t this a complex statement on so many levels?

First of all, we soulful types often have a harder time than others with sales and marketing. Sales, marketing and other business-y type concepts feel so sterile and heartless… I know that’s not true for every soulful business owner of course, but enough of us struggle with this that there’s a good chance that you do, too. So spiritual sales might seem like an oxymoron… impossible, really.

Not if you hang out with Mark Silver of Heart of Business, though. His whole premise is that business transactions can promote spiritual healing and growth. Which is all fine and good in theory, but can a person really back this kind of radical statement up with experience and facts?

Yes. He can. He showed us how in this workshop – and I am positive that it’s true, after what I experienced. (And really, it affirms all of my business exchanges in my business… though I didn’t have nearly as much language and as many tools before to maximize this part.)

I’m going to share the highlights of my takeaways in hopes that you’ll get even a nugget of what I got from this experience. Then, I’m going to encourage you to check out his The Sacred Moment Home-Study program (which is $100 off just until March 29th!! Hurry. I am not an affiliate nor is there any other way in which I get compensated for my passionate endorsement of this program) or sign up for his next offering of this beautiful gift of a seminar, whenever that may be.
Here are my top 5 gifts from The Sacred Moment seminar:
1. Remembrance is available anytime. I would never have called this heart-connection process Remembrance. I would have said something like “checking-in with myself” and maybe that’s easier to understand for some as I explain this part, since Remembrance is a Sufi tradition – unless you are a Sufi. The point is, anytime we are uncertain, feeling lost or unclear how to answer a question or even indecisive about resolving an issue, our connection with the Divine (however we experience it individually) is available. We can access that connection then ask our heart to act as a conduit for communication. Mark’s guidance around this process was… well, divine. We practiced this often and I learned how to listen better over the course of the two days. For me, this alone was worth the price, time and energy expended for this seminar.

2. Compassionate Questioning is the way. I already loved listening before I got to this seminar. I truly believe that committed listening is the most powerful interactive sales tool we have. Yet, sometimes my excitement and intense curiosity cause me to take potential clients in directions they weren’t intending for our discussion. This happened while I was doing a practice exercise with another participant who helps women find clean and organic cosmetics. I was so excited about her business because it’s a personal mission of mine – removing toxicity from our products in my home all around - that I started to ask her questions that were more about my own interests than her needs. While my enthusiasm is genuine and non-manipulative (I had no sales agenda with it), it can be overwhelming at times and take things off track. The focus on Compassionate Questioning in this seminar reminded me that I need to stay open to listening for their needs – removing my own curiosity in service of determining if I can really help them.

3. Your potential clients want to say “yes”. I have been on the other side of a zillion situations where this was so true for me. Yet, somehow I hadn’t realized how absolutely true this is. As soon as Mark said it, I had flashes of the immense relief I had when I found my designer (heart, soul & talent abounds!), our two amazing caregivers for our three daughters (oh my, the relief and gratitude!), my website developer… I could go on with such a list! The point is – I wanted to say “yes” every time I met someone for each of these needs. I just needed to find the right person to say “yes” to!

4. It really is about Contribution, even during the sale. The gifts matter – on every level. The talents and skill matter. Whether you really can meet and resolve the need matters. Your greatest gift is making it abundantly clear when you can meet that need – and letting them know when you cannot meet the need. The kind of gifts that often come in wrapping paper and fancy bows matter, too. The samples of your Contribution that come in the form of “free gifts” with newsletter subscriptions, the tips you give on your blog, and the referrals you hand over when you can’t meet a person’s need are part of what make the business exchange a soulful exchange. You are two human beings – one with a need, the other with help for that need. While I live this approach in my business every day, the practical reminders and examples throughout the seminar were powerful reinforcers of that approach. Giving generously feeds your heart and soul and makes a real difference for another human being – and, frankly, spreads goodwill all around. Give big on behalf of all of that.

5. It’s all about genuine, human, soulful connection. All of it. Once we establish the baseline that our potential client has a need that we truly can meet and resolve, the sale is about making an honest connection with your potential client during the exchange. Mark lead us through this shocking (and slightly uncomfortable but way worth it) totally silent exercise where we connected with our own need (yes, our needs, not the clients need), then our own gifts, then the other person, then literally bowed in service (it’s way more dramatic and powerful than that remotely describes… you just have to be there doing it) to feel how the sales cycle works even without words. It’s totally real. You feel the shifts in curiosity, then offer, then agreement, then service. It’s gorgeous.

So, if you have a desire for spiritual connection in your sales experiences – especially as you experience sales yourself – you’ll probably find The Sacred Moment a beautiful gift to your business. I really did.

Regardless, I hope these concepts that I learned in the seminar will spark something in you that gives you a greater connection to your own soulful approach to sales. Will you let me know? I’d love to hear about it.

Much gratitude to Just Chaos for the lovely Sacred Lotus image.
March 15, 2010
13:06
A Manifesto of True Clarity
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Do you know why The Law of Attraction doesn’t work for many people?

I do. It’s lack of Clarity.

“The Secret” is Clarity. That’s the magic. It’s simple.

And, if only it were so simple…

Clarity is elusive. You think you have it one minute and it feels so good. It feels so right and real and… perfect! Then, something shifts. You learn something new (like it costs $6,000 a month to rent an RV, putting a bit of a damper on your 6-month Tour of America plan), or you start the Great Project and realize that it’s not what you thought it would be (goodbye Clarity!) or you simply have a new epiphany. Those are the worst – new, contradictory epiphanies that interfere with the Clarity you just had.

See, I can tell you that all you need is Clarity and your dreams are just around the corner. The problem is that True Clarity itself is so hard to reveal. There is so much in the way. Like other people’s voices from when we were wee-babes, things we think we “should” do/want/feel/be good at, mixed emotions about the path to getting to that dream, fear of leaving others behind as we launch skyward, fear of failing at the dream, fear of realizing the dream and hating it after all, fear of [insert 1,000's of other fears here]. And even if we know that these fears and old stories are in the way, it doesn’t mean we know how to move them out of the way.

I’m on a mission to find the most powerful tools to Reveal True Clarity.

I have a few awesome ones that I use in my work with clients, like The You Interview (love it! Super useful) and Life Visualization (sign up for The Brazen Soul email list here and you get the whole Life Visualization process, including downloadable audio as a bonus) and they have served me and my clients really well. But I know there’s more out there – there’s a process that will reveal True Clarity in a way that leaves us unwavering in our certainty.

I intend to find, create, build… whatever I need to do, the most clarifying True Clarity process ever-there-was. And when I do, I plan to spread it far and wide. Because I know that True Clarity is the most powerful way to reveal our individual brilliance. And I definitely want your brilliance in our world.

Stay tuned…

Thank you annia316 for the stunning image.
March 09, 2010
11:51
Networking & Marketing for Artists, Artisans & Designers
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Maya Moon Designs Bags

My friend and client, Maya of Maya Moon Designs, makes seriously stunning handmade leather handbags. I mean she MAKES them, from concept to design to sewing every stitch of the piping on every one of her pieces of practical fashion art. I am blown away regularly by her ideas and creativity. Her gifts are way outside of my own strengths. And every time I carry one of my Maya Moon creations, I feel lighter, happier and way cooler than I usually do (fashion coolness not being one of my more glowing strengths.)

Maya and I have spent a good deal of time discussing how she might answer the oft-asked question, “So, what do you do?” Of course, Maya has the great advantage of wearing her artwork on her arm everywhere she goes, so she can say, “I make handbags” then hold up the stunner of a bag hanging on her arm to speak for itself. This works well – people always get excited, always want to know more, and it is not uncommon for the early beginnings of an actual sale transaction to occur right there in that conversation. Marketing her handbags is pretty easy when she is at a party or networking event (or in the grocery store, really.)

Many of us aren’t so lucky as to wear our art/service/products on our arm wherever we go. This means, we have to figure out how to explain our art in a way that makes a distinction from other artists, expresses the goodness that we bring to our Right Clients, and says very specifically who would most benefit from our wares. Marketing our art requires more descriptive and planned communication.

If you answer the question, “So, what do you do?” with “I’m a jewelry designer” guess what will happen… ? Probably nothing. Maybe they’ll ask what kind of jewelry, if they are intrigued or if they want to extend the conversation. Or, maybe they will nod and place you in the gigantic category of “jewelry designers” ranging from bead jewelers to precious metals to a designer for a mall retailer. In that case, are they going to send friends your way to check out your wares? Or leap on the chance to see the goods themselves? Probably not.

So, what do you say?

Do your best to include at least these three things in your Party Pitch (this is what I call your answer to the question “So, what do you do?”:
- What you solve
- For whom you solve it
- What it’s like to experience your work (some call this part your Unique Selling Proposition. I sort of mean that but more on that later.)
The answers to these questions aren’t always direct in your Party Pitch, but they are there in the message. The point is – a person knows how to refer someone to you (including themselves) who would enjoy your product or service.

Here are some examples:

I design and handcraft precious metal and natural stone organic style jewelry for men and women.

solve: the desire for natural beauty enhancement
for whom: men and women (if it were just women, you don’t have to mention it since jewelry is most often for women.)
the experience: natural, organic, handcrafted… possible assumptions about the experience: down-to-earth, warm, human, egalitarian

I make hand-dyed vibrant nature-themed silk scarves for women which are sold nationally in small boutiques

solve: desire for self-expression of love of nature through wearable art
for whom: women
the experience: high-end quality, one-of-a-kind ownership

I photograph and frame unexpected details of nature, such as closeups of birds feeding their young, for a child’s bedroom, play areas and classrooms.

solve: need and desire for children to experience moments of nature
for whom: parents, caregivers and educators
the experience: kid-centered, unique/unusual (unexpected details of nature), nature-loving

And if you’re thinking you wouldn’t feel comfortable saying all of that in answer to the question, “So, what do you do?”, you’re not alone. The other huge part of having a great, natural Party Pitch is getting used to saying it. Practice, practice, practice… and let variations flow naturally, too…

Just don’t go back to that useless one that tells them nothing about who you are and the brilliance you bring to the world. Okay?
March 08, 2010
16:19
The Good Kind of Long Day
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Yesterday as our four-year-old “center” daughter and I were driving home from a “date day” including birthday party of one of her preschool friends (a ballet, tea party no less!), I had the thought: This has been a long day…. the good kind of long day. I wonder if she was having a similar feeling because right then she said, “Mama, are you taking a long-cut?” She meant was I taking a long way home, which I sometimes do when I just feel like driving a bit longer. But since I was taking the same route I usually take from that side of town, I wonder if she was expressing a similar feeling… a sense of a longer, more relaxed day in a way.

It got me thinking (later, after all the girls were in bed) about how time feels: days, hours, minutes, weeks. How it’s always the same in that a minute is always sixty seconds and a day is always 24 hours, but that’s not how time feels. It goes faster and slower – depending on what we’re doing and how present we are. The last few months have been full of hours that fling by like minutes and days that pass through almost unnoticed from late nights into early mornings.

That’s what I think was behind my sudden noticing of this good kind of long day I was having with my daughter yesterday. It was a Sunday feeling day – like old Sundays used to feel. I liked it. It reminds me of Gretchen Rubin’s (of The Happiness Project) “The days are long, but the years are short” concept. Which also reminds me: you really should watch that video (grab a tissue beforehand) if you are at all inclined to get lost in the frenzy of life’s details at times.

Part of me is thinking I should tie up this post with some connection between all of this parenting stuff and business ownership. After all, this is my business blog here, not my family blog. But you know what? I bet you can do that for yourself, if you need to – connect this concept of presence, enjoying the moment, living peacefully inside of a long day in your soul-driven business. For me, I just really wanted to share with you that feeling I had yesterday of the good kind of long day… and wish that kind of feeling for you sometime this week.
March 04, 2010
15:09
Sometimes This Running Your Own Business Thing is Really Hard
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When I walked into my home office this morning the sun was blazing through the sheer drapes that cover the large glass doors. As I locked the door against the rest of the house, I felt one of those giddy little giggles arrive in my chest that I get sometimes when I walk in here. I love my life. I love my kids. And… I love when I get to come in here and focus on the work I love, too. Sometimes I feel this feeling so excitedly that I get this little giddy thing that happens.

But I haven’t felt that for a while, so this one was particularly welcome and blissful.

The last few months have been hard core. I have mentioned this intensity in this blog a bit, but I feel like it deserves a little more attention. After all, maybe one or two of you will identify, and I could use a little connection on this topic. Sometimes this solo business owner thing can feel a bit isolating – even for an introvert like me.

I’m not even sure exactly what I want to say about this – except that no one really tells you how intense it all gets. I mean, they do – but it’s like trying to tell someone how hard it is to become a parent. You just literally cannot know what it’s like to parent until you have a kid. You can’t read about it, you can’t take care of other people’s kids for a few days, and you can’t get it even from having hours and hours of conversations with people who have kids. Believe me – I did all that before I had kids so I really know.

And I know it’s true about business ownership, too, because I just realized today as I felt my first giggle in this office in a long time that I’ve been in one of those really intense periods that no one tells you about, because they can’t.

By the way, this isn’t about income or productivity or rejection or sales channel or anything like that. Or, maybe it’s about all of that in some mix of ways I never expected.

It’s crazy because I just wrote and produced this program that I think is awesome. It turned out to be way cooler than I expected on many levels. And I’ve already sold some of them, even before the program was complete. So, see, that’s so much goodness.

Maybe it’s just working fourteen hour days, broken by four hours of family and kid-time that both nourishes my soul and feels like I don’t have time for it. I make up for the lost work time by not sleeping enough. Maybe it’s the thousand decisions to make about book cover designs, interior layouts and marketing channels. Maybe it’s wishing I’d go on those hikes and walks and read the lovely memoir I have waiting for me, instead of working more. Maybe it’s being out of balance. Except I don’t believe in balance, really.

It’s not as sunny now as it was when I walked into the office this morning – and my giddiness has faded considerably. But I do feel myself coming out of the craziness of this last few months and I like that. I know I’ll get there again, in some form, as I launch into the next big thing. But for now, I’m grabbing my shoes right this minute and taking my dog (in the photo above) on the trails. I may just have to work a little tonight to make up for it.
March 03, 2010
11:08
Blogging Leads to More of Your Right Clients
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Starting a blog can feel daunting. I know because I thought about blogging a long time before I started to do it myself. Even then, I struggled to really get into blogging. I think the reasons for this struggle are similar for many of us who are in heart-felt business endeavors: 1. We like to listen to others so sharing our “expertise” in what appears to be a one-way fashion (which it’s not, but at first it really feels like it is) feels strange, 2. It takes a lot of confidence to put yourself out there in such a bold way to such a potentially gigantic audience, and 3. We already have too much to do so thinking of topics, figuring out how to write them in a way that’s interesting, and learning the technical aspects of blogging feels overwhelming.
If you can write reasonably well, you really should blog
If you listen to or read anything about marketing your business or private practice today you will hear how important it is to have an online presence – and one that attracts your Right Clients, fans and potential collaborators. The best way to do that – hands down – is blogging. (Actually, public speaking is even better, but that’s not an online endeavor, mostly… but more on that soon.) Blogging is a great way to be generous with your knowledge, invite conversation and show your expertise.
If you can Guest Blog, too, that’s a lovely bonus.
Eventually, if you keep at it for a while, other people might invite you to blog on their website, too. This is great news for a number of reasons: 1. you get a brand new audience, which means a whole new set of possible connections with you and your business, 2. you get “linkbacks” to your website, if they agree to add a link to your website – these are good for Search Engine Optimization, and 3. it is an endorsement from a third party that they think you have credible expertise.
You never know where these guest blog opportunities might show up.
After I wrote my first Working Retreat blog post, in which I talked about home swapping as a way to arrange a retreat at lower cost, I got an email from Lois at Home Base Holidays asking if I would guest blog on their companion blog about using home exchange for working retreats. (Which I did and here is that blog post.) What a cool opportunity for me. A whole new audience, and one that fits my Right Clients well because I work with solo business owners like counselors, social workers, therapists and artisans so often. Many of my clients chose to go into business for themselves so that they would have the flexibility to travel.
So, start your blog, if you haven’t already.
I really do relate to the uncertainty about beginning your blog. I know there are so many things that you could do to grow your business. And, I also know that blogging draws community and potential clients to your page. From there, it’s about creating meaningful relationships just like in any other part of life. And you know how to do that. So give yourself this opportunity to reach a bit further in your connections.

Starting a blog can be really easy. If you need a few pointers to know where to start, get in touch via email or comments here. I am happy to point you in some useful directions.

Thank you to Foxtongue for the fabulous blogging via typewriter image.
March 02, 2010
13:11
How to Create a New Website with Less Angst
» ‎ The Brazen Soul Blog

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It took about five months to design and launch the new The Brazen Soul website. I thought for SURE I could get it done way faster – after all, I am a workhorse, willing to keep at it hours upon hours until the thing gets DONE.

But that’s not how creative, collaborative project go. You can’t rush brilliance. And you certainly can’t convince everyone else involved in the project to take on your ridiculous workhorse ways.

Creative endeavors take t-i-m-e. Time. TIME.

And patience, which I’m constantly trying to cultivate but wondering if it’s just too far outside of my strengths.

That said, looking back I realize there are a number of things I could have done differently when creating The Brazen Soul website. I hope sharing them will make your next website project – or any creative collaboration – less anxiety-provoking and more streamlined.

Here are the five biggest takeaways I’ve had from my website redesign process:
1. Direct communication with the Designer/Design team is critical. The Brazen Soul rebrand was really an offshoot of a plan to create a new website. I was working with a coach at the time and the further we got into the business details of a new website, the more clear it was that I really needed a whole new brand (actually, a new business name, too!). My coach was an excellent co-thinking partner and brilliant at helping me navigate the rebranding process. Handily, she had a design branch of her business that handled logos and websites. I like and trust my coach, so I hired her team on for this project. Turns out, her “team” was housed somewhere far far away, with a 9-hour time difference, and every single tweak or revision took from three to FIVE days. The process was excruciating. I did get a gorgeous logo out of the process, though it took something like 40 original concepts to get there (note: if you are anywhere past 5 or so original concepts, there is a serious communication problem/design skill situation.) The website creation process began to show the same patterns, so I bailed out of that arrangement relatively early. The lesson: Have direct communication with the creative team to ensure that your design wishes are heard and understood – as are deadlines and revision timeframes.
2. Relationships make a big difference. I have a number friends who are designers. Most of them actually don’t like to work with solo entrepreneurs and small business owners. We are notoriously undecided and slim-budgeted, I hear. So, even if they would make an exception and work with me because we are friends, I didn’t want to be the one to affirm their preconceptions about entrepreneurs. The website developer I ended up hiring, Lynn, and I have worked on client projects together before as well as co-facilitated workshops and presentations together. She designed my previous website as well. As soon as I realized the error of my ways in my new website process, I called her. She hopped on my project immediately (with nary a sarcastic told-you-so comment, the lovely soul) and put me directly in touch with her favorite designer, Asha Hossain. Through lots of conversation with me, Asha (who is definitely working in the sweet spot of her strengths – she’s so good) designed a site I love. The difference in angst was night and day with these mutually respectful, collaborative relationships driving my website project. The lesson here: If you know that someone is really good and you have had great experiences working with them in the past, use them again. Don’t start anew with the unknown when the known is already great. (Jeez – this seems so obvious when I put it there like that. hmph.)
3. A self-created wordpress blog can bridge the gap nicely. Designing and building a website takes a while, even when the whole team jumps on board immediately and everyone’s plates are empty enough to concentrate a lot on your project (which wasn’t entirely the process with mine, but damn close.) In my case, it didn’t make sense to use my old website since I had a very different new brand and business name. So, I took my amateur wordpress blog skill to the task. I went to www.wordpress.com (not www.wordpress.org, which requires your own hosting and a bit more technical skill) and chose a theme with a customizable header. After some frustration (required of most new technological ventures, in my experience) lasting a very short time, I had a temporary home for The Brazen Soul. It wasn’t fancy – but really, it worked beautifully. I made new connections every single day via that website – in all of it’s simplicity – and for me, that’s what it was all about – getting the new brand out there and creating meaningful relationships. The lesson here: Doing something now is way better than doing nothing and waiting for the perfect something (sometimes. In this case.)
4. Let expertise drive the task while you joy ride in the backseat. Once the designer was on the task, it was all a lovely, awe-inspiring experience. We exchanged a bunch of emails about my business, the purpose of my website and details of my Brand Elan and Asha brought on her brilliance in design. Then the same process was repeated in functionality planning with Lynn of webprodigy.com. The more I let them bring the solutions and let go of controlling every detail, the more often I was happily surprised by their remarkable ideas and outcomes. The lesson here: Let go and your collaborators will bring exceptional brilliance from their strengths and Contribution.
5. Pad the budget – time and money. Even with my workhorse ways and a ton of flexibility and commitment from my web team, the project took way longer than I hoped or planned. It just does. I changed my mind a few times. We had all these holidays in there like Christmas and New Years (annoying!). The copy wasn’t flowing as easily as I hoped it would when it came time for me to write some of the pages. We had all of those final itty bitty fixes that happen on any project of this kind. Of course, all of that mind-changing and great new ideas added design and development costs. I don’t regret a single one of those changes or additions in functionality – but I hadn’t planned for them either. The lesson here: Add at least 20% (I’m making that number up – but it’s about right for my project) to the time and budget for your web project so you have room to produce the most remarkable project possible.
I wish you great success on your website or other collaborative project. I beam happily every time I open up The Brazen Soul website so I know all of the time, energy and resources are worth it. Well, that and the fact that community is building beautifully through The Brazen Soul brand, just as I hoped. Let me know if I can be of service to you in any way as you venture into your project. I have a checklist for choosing a web team and a Website Planning Worksheet that walks you through the many planning details of creating a new website. I’d be happy to send them over to you if you send me an email with the request.

Thank you Martin Kingsley for the angsty guy image.
February 25, 2010
12:42
Marketing for Counselors, Social Workers & Therapists – Part 2
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We’ve established that it is the right thing to do, letting your Right Clients know that you are ready and willing to help solve their problems and/or meet their desires.
You know that marketing your practice is a gift to your Right Clients.
This is a meaningful milestone – truly believing that marketing your practice is important to making a positive difference in the world. If you haven’t soaked in that belief, please spend more time really owning this truth. It will make a huge difference in your willingness to put the word out about your business.

I will assume you are convinced and are ready to go forward.
Now, for how to market your counseling, social work or therapy practice with Soul…
What next? How do you market your counseling, social work or therapy practice? What do you say, in what way, and where?

There is much to decide. And we will get to all of it.
Start with You.
But first, let’s talk about you. Starting with a deep inquiry into exactly who you are: your style, your values, your personal voice and approach, will make all of your marketing so much more natural and compelling. Plus, using your most authentic, powerful voice in your marketing will attract your Right Clients – the ones who are most likely to resonate with you and therefore experience the kind of growth and change they are seeking.

You may resist this approach because you might be thinking: But counseling is about them, not me. Of course that’s true. And when they show up in your office, you’ll do what you do best, focus on them and their needs. And in fact, the marketing you put together is about them, too. The more authentic – the more specific, clear and expressive – you are in your marketing message, the easier you make it for your clients to recognize that you are the one who can help them.
It’s like walking into a bookstore.
Think of all of those book covers you see when you walk into a book store and look at one of the New Release tables. Picture the titles, the fonts and colors used, the style of the imagery. Isn’t it a great gift that the covers usually reflect what’s inside? A lighthearted book might have a whimsical font and bright colors. A technical book often has cleaner fonts and, well, technical-looking images.

The person looking for counseling or other helping services isn’t really all that different than the person looking for a book. They need signs and signals from all of their potential helping professionals to narrow down their choices to the right ones for them. You can help provide that by reflecting your authentic style and voice in your marketing.
Are you wondering how one does this with something as personal and non-commercially motivated as mental health and wellness services?
First, you articulate very clearly – to yourself – your style, angle, and approach to the business of your counseling, social work or therapy practice. This has nothing to do with your approach to therapy (though, of course, they will likely be aligned), this is a separate description entirely.

I take people through a really powerful Brand Elan process in the Vision Into Action program, as well as in all of the one-on-one partnering programs. If the term “brand” is unfamiliar to you, think of it as the personality, values and approach of your business as it is reflected in every single thing you do. Brand Elan is a deep process that people find incredibly useful and exciting. In the end, we end up with three words that powerfully describe the authentic style, angle, and values of the business.

I highly recommend the Brand Elan process for you – it has helped my clients immensely. And if you aren’t ready to invest in those processes, do spend some time asking yourself a few questions like:

What do I love? What textures, experiences, colors and images really excited me?

Where would I go if I needed nurturing? What would the scenery look like?

Where would I go if I needed fun and play?

What are my five favorite words?

What qualities do I look for in my close friendships?

And about your business:

Is my business:

vanilla or chocolate? Why?

rain or wind? Why?

tulip or pine tree? Why?

Then, look for themes.

Inside of the answers to questions like these, you will discover themes that can help you name your own brand style. When you marry the style that shows up in your personal questions with the textures and nuances you feel in your business, you get great insight into ways you can make your business both authentic and magnetic in your marketing.

If your initial theme appears to be “nature” consider something even more specific, like “oceanside” or “earthy”. Or possibly it isn’t more specificity that you need, but just something slightly differently nuanced. A few other possible theme translations:
Initial Theme    Other Possible Descriptors
Peaceful                               Serene, Still, Open, Calm
Old-fashioned                    Nostalgic, Retro, Arts & Crafts
Modern                               Contemporary, Urban, High-Design
Spiritual                              Sacred, Transcendent, Soulful, Zen, Ethereal

One really important tip as you explore words to describe your brand: Seek really descriptive words. Use a thesaurus to dig deeper and get more specific.
Very Important Note: These brand style descriptors are just for you. No one else ever has to know (or agree with you, necessarily) about them. They are simply a reference for you to spice up your marketing and brand. Partner up for mindshare.
This project can be done reasonably well on your own but is way better with the mindshare of a partner. If you can’t hire a marketing coach, consider asking a good friend to join you in your brainstorm for your brand style descriptors.
Use your descriptors as you craft your counseling, social work or therapy marketing messages.
Once you have your descriptors, you can start crafting really exciting marketing messages.

Notice the difference between:

Counseling for Couples

and

Love & Light in Relationships

or

Helping People Grow through Transition

and

Living the Wide Open Life

Next time I’ll talk more about ways to infuse your marketing with your descriptor words. Until then… happy digging! I promise, the self-inquiry will be worth it in the growth of your practice and your sense of self-expression in your business.

Many thanks to Juhansonin for the bookstore image.
February 23, 2010
16:46
How to Accept and Use Feedback From Others
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As I’ve mentioned (kind of a lot now), I’ve just finished writing and producing this Vision Into Action program. As I’ve also mentioned, this is a much more intense project than I expected (though I am thrilled with the outcome, mind you.) There are multiple moving parts and the expertise and input of many smart people is needed to really hit this kind of project out of the park.

A truly great information product has all of the same elements that any other exceptional product has:
- Great design
- Ease of Use
- Provides a fabulous experience
- Solves the problem or Meets the desire that inspired its purchase
As the Author, It’s Hard to Know If You’re Getting It Right

The thing is, when you are the author and producer of said Great Information Product, it’s really hard to be sure you have hit all of these elements brilliantly. For me, having written every single sentence of the 30,000+ word guide that goes with Vision Into Action, there came a time when I simply could no longer hear the content as I read it to myself. I had lived, breathed, and relived every sentence so many times that I had no idea how to determine if, as a whole, the concept was being shared in the most useful way.

Ask for Feedback.

So, I had to ask for feedback. And I asked for it from quite a few people – busy, smart people who are in high demand in many areas of their lives. This is beyond the expertise that I hired people for such as the manuscript review, editing and design. This is the kind of feedback that you request for free.

Think Hard About Who You Ask for Feedback.

It’s a really big favor to ask – reading a book for someone before it is finished baking and asking for specific thoughts and ideas to make it better. You want to think hard about who you ask and how you ask them – then what you will do with the information when you get it. I learned a lot in the process of gathering feedback. I thought you might find it handy for your next creative endeavor requiring insight from others.

Here’s what I learned during my feedback gathering process:

1. Other people have really amazing ideas.

2. Some amazing ideas just don’t fit in this project.

3. Not everyone is going to get it. It matters that the Right people get it.

4. People can help you way better when you tell them exactly what will help the most.

5. A heartfelt thanks and an offer to reciprocate help works wonders.

Feedback Brings Amazing Ideas:

My feedback crew on Vision Into Action brought me some amazing ideas that I couldn’t possibly have thought of I hadn’t asked for their input. At least three of the most useful online tools I added to the exclusive web page that go with Vision Into Action were specific suggestions from the feedback crew. I am including an audio version of the DVD interview on the CD based on the insight from one feedback partner that some people will enjoy listening to the CD in their car. All of this, plus literally hundreds of text, storytelling and editing suggestions made this information product so much better than it would have been without their collaboration.

Some Ideas Simply Don’t Fit.

While the vast majority of ideas I got were integrated in some way into the product, there were suggestions that simply didn’t fit with the overall goal of the program. I had to remind myself regularly that, while my feedback partners are really smart people with fabulous ideas, I am the one who hold the Vision for this product. I need to stay clear and true to that Vision so as not to dilute it with the many different ideas and directions that creativity can take me and others involved.

Your Feedback Collaborators Really Need to Get It.

There were times during the process when I really lost my excitement for the whole thing. Fear would take over as I realized how much time, energy and resources I was expending to create this product. Intellectually, I know this is a normal part of creativity because I’ve experienced it before during my own projects and by watching clients go through this during consulting gigs with them. And yet – couple this low-point with feedback from someone who just doesn’t understand what you are trying to do and you can get sent reeling into Doubtville. This happened once to me. Luckily, the experience was unknowingly followed up by another smart person who totally got what I was trying to do and the energy of that collaboration pulled me up from the depths. Surround yourself with people who get what you are doing (note: this doesn’t mean they have to agree with everything you say and do – that’s not helpful – but they really should get the value you are adding and be a fan of it.)

Be Specific In Your Feedback Requests.

As I went through the feedback gathering process, I got way better at asking for specifically what I wanted from my collaborators. This helped my collaborators expend energy where it was most needed, instead of feeling responsible for finding every misspelling in the document (which was being handled by my brilliant copy-editor/husband.)

Give Genuine Thanks and Offer to Reciprocate.

I worried a lot about the huge favor I was asking of my friends and colleagues on this relatively large project. I knew the amount of work it entailed because I have been involved in feedback and editing of books for friends and colleagues. It’s not small commitment. But then I remembered how I felt, being invited into these really cool projects by people I liked and respected. It felt good – I felt valued and smart. I felt like I made a difference in a meaningful project for someone I cared about. Then I realized that my genuine thanks and offer to provide help on their next project was probably enough.

Every single time I invite others’ brilliance into a project, the outcome is beautifully enhanced. I wish that for you in your next creative adventure. I hope this helps you make the most of the collaborative opportunity.
Thank you, JacobB0tter, for the collaboration image.
February 22, 2010
16:53
Marketing for Counselors, Therapists & Social Workers: Part 1
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I have the great honor of working often with counselors, therapists and social workers. I have a special love of assisting counselors and other helping professionals with their marketing because I really value and respect the work they do in the world.
I was almost a counselor myself – four times.
In fact, if Contribution was set up like the Enneagram, I’d be a “Communication Coach” with a “Counselor” wing. I know this with certainty because I have begun the process of applying to various counseling programs four different times – and one time I even spent a whole year in a Master’s in Counseling program. I loved studying counseling and I remain riveted by mental health and wellness topics. The only reason I left the program is that I realized that I already had the training and experience I needed to do the work I loved.
I love being a part of mental health wellness and care.
While I am fascinated by counseling, therapy and social work topics, my greatest strengths are really in helping others articulate and share their brilliance. This makes it extra-exciting when I get to spread the brilliance of a really good counselor, therapist or social worker. I feel like I am a part of helping make their clients lives better by letting them know that this helping professional exists through marketing.
Counselors, Therapists and Social Workers Often Resist Marketing.
The thing is, marketing is especially tricky for many helping professionals. Even using the word “marketing” can be off-putting because it feels somehow manipulative, as though we are trying to persuade the person in emotional trauma to buy something they don’t really need. But that’s not at all what marketing is about – not at it’s core. Marketing is about getting the word out to people who need your help. This is a gift. It is a meaningful Contribution to the world. It is only right that when you have something that can genuinely ease the pain of another, you offer it up if you can. That’s what marketing a counseling, therapy or social work practice is about.
Marketing in the mental health field is especially soulful work.
We do want to honor the special circumstances of mental health and wellness care, so it is appropriate to approach marketing in this arena thoughtfully - soulfully. That’s what this series on Marketing for Counselors, Therapists & Social Workers will be about: how to market your practice with soul so that you can help those who need you right now.

In Part 2 of the series, I’ll share thoughts and suggestions on defining your Right Clients. I look forward to your thoughts and input from the field!
February 15, 2010
17:33
Work Retreat Planning, Post #2: Goals & Tools
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Did I convince you to consider the Working Retreat in my last blog post?

I hope so. Seriously, it is so worth it.

Assuming you have those planning details handled (or well-on-the-way-to-handled), let’s talk about what to do during your retreat.

The number one Working Retreat Rule: No Rigid Schedules.

Inspiration and creativity need room and space. You can’t force them to show up on some silly schedule you might feel compelled to put together to ensure that you stay productive during your retreat.

That said, it’s a really good idea to have a few general goals for your time away. Examples of Work Retreat goals might be:
1. Write three chapters of book
2. Lay out all elements of new self-study program for production
3. Write all web copy for new website in development
4. Set goals for the coming year
5. Write five content-rich articles for online distribution
6. Create social media strategy (hey, I have a worksheet for this. Email me if you’d like it.)
This is Your Sacred Time.
Now, don’t have this many goals for one retreat! Pick one or two. Your retreat should feel wide-open, while being very focused in intention. And try to keep your goals related to working on your business, not in your business – to loosely quote E-myth mall business guru Michael Gerber. This is sacred time meant to ramp up your creativity in ways that you deserve to have devoted to your business. (Yes, your clients deserve your greatest brilliance, too – and it’ll be way more available for them after this retreat, trust me.)
Plan It – Then Let It Go.
Once you know what you want to accomplish on this retreat, let it go. Let it happen if it should. From my experience, I always get at least what I wanted done in a retreat – and usually even better stuff that I couldn’t possibly know I needed or wanted because my mind was too constricted by the day to day of regular work life when I was setting my goals. This sort of fits into that somewhat woo-woo category of “this… or something better” intention-setting. Go with it.
Move Your Body. Preferably Outside.
I used to think this was some kind of idiosyncratic thing that just happened to me, but the more people I talk to the more convinced I am that at least half of the human population – maybe a lot more (though this is totally unscientific research) – experiences hugely powerful ideas while moving their bodies outdoors. I know it’s not true for everyone because my husband does not experience this for the most part, probably because he is usually doing something really hard-core like skiing, treacherous hiking or playing basketball. So, maybe the advice is: move your body outdoors, but not doing something that requires a ton of intense strategy or exertion.

I don’t know how to emphasize, well, emphatically enough, just how extraordinary this tool is – walking or jogging peacefully outdoors, inviting free-thinking. It is where all of my most exciting ideas originate, I’m pretty sure.
Write It. Or Speak It.
I have been trying to do Morning Pages since my first read of the excellent book The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron to little avail. I am simply not a journaler. I occasionally find it useful, but mostly I get distracted and sort of bored by the whole thing. My friend, Tam, though, is a prolific journaler. So is my friend Liesl. So, I know that really smart people get a ton out of journaling because they are both brilliant women. If you know that journaling is a great way for you to get what’s in your heart and mind out into the open – to release it and free you up a bit – then plan to journal on your Working Retreat. Because you want your mind as freed up and open as possible.

The nice thing about journaling or writing morning pages is that you have a pen handy and a place to write both the unnecessary thoughts (in service of getting them out of your mind) and to document the great stuff that shows up with your clear mind. Make a big fancy box or other notation on your pages where you write the stuff you want to refer to later so it doesn’t get lost in the rubble of journaling.

For me, speaking is way more satisfying. Two things happen for me when I say my thoughts out loud: 1. I know what I think with way more clarity, and 2. I can let go of thoughts that are simply useless and inaccurate. Then, after those two things happen, there’s the third part where all of these really cool, exciting ideas show up. This is what we’re working toward with this release portion.
Don’t let discomfort get in the way of talking to yourself.
Speaking feels most appropriate when there is another person present – at first. But when you use it as a tool for thought-processing and release, you get used to just saying stuff out loud when no one is there. It has the same mind-opening effect that I imagine journaling does for others, so it’s worth getting past that first uncomfortable part.

I highly recommend bringing a recording device on your speaking-walks, like this Sony MP3 Recorder, which is what I use. I bring it with me whenever I take walks outside, but especially when I am on a working retreat. After you spend some time working through the first two parts of “journaling” out loud, thereby clearing your mind of idle chatter and unnecessary thoughts, get that recorder ready. You will want to document some of the ideas that show up.

I’m excited for you about your Working Retreat. I know it will be fabulous. Please check back in and let me know how it went, what worked and what didn’t so we can all learn from each others experiences.

Oh, and in case you happen to be in Oregon (or would like to travel here – highly recommended, by the way) and haven’t landed on a good location for your Working Retreat, Doc Huck recommended this lovely-sounding Writing Retreat spot on the Oregon Coast via her comment on the last Work Retreat Planning Post #1.

Thank you smoMashup for the lovely walk in the woods image.
February 11, 2010
21:06
Work Retreat Planning, Post #1
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Sunset view from the beach house deck

So, you know I just (almost) finished this Vision Into Action program because I sent that post two days ago. What I haven’t talked about before now is how intense writing and producing this program was for me.

Man.

There’s some chance you’ve read some of the many blog posts out there on how easy it is to create information products. I’ve read a zillion of those articles, too. And you know what ? I bet you can create information products that way. You might even be able to sell them for a while (after all, no one knows exactly what they are buying in many cases.) But if you want to create a really useful information product – one that will truly add value and engage the reader – it is not a simple process. It’s just not.

But it’s totally doable – and it can be done quickly and with high-quality output. Like all creative endeavors, you just need the time, space and focus to really hunker down into it and let the goodness flow. I’ve got a secret to getting all of that – uber style.

Working Retreats.

On three separate occasions during the writing and production of Vision Into Action, I packed my bags and settled into a totally new and strange (and amazing) environment and worked my fanny off. Here’s where I went: October – the beach house, November – the lake lodge, January – the local inn.

This is the part where you assume I must be really wealthy. And you’d be wrong. You might assume I have a bunch of family nearby who takes care of my kids when I am gone. Wrong again.

It takes Planning & Creativity – and for some of us, Partnership. But a Working Retreat is way worth the effort.

It takes creativity and commitment to make a work retreat work, especially if you’ve got many responsibilities outside of your work. Like the three kids 5 years old and under that I have. Or the mother-in-law for whom you are the primary caregiver. Or the daytime job you hold while you build your dream business in your off-hours. To add to the complexity, I’m going to assume that you don’t have a ton of expendable income here, so then there’s that expense thing to work out. That matters to me, too – expense.

So, see – I get it about complexity and the issues involved in up and leaving your responsibilities for days at a time. Yet, I am absolutely certain that these retreats are a primary reason that I am able to get these big creative projects handled in weeks when other people I know who have similar circumstances take years to do similar ones.

I’ll give you my strategies. Maybe they’ll work for you. This first post will be about how to find a retreat spot and prepare for the retreat. I’ll write a follow-up post about the actual details of the work retreat.

So, how to get a retreat spot…

1. House Swap: I love house swapping! House swapping is the bomb. Seriously – pick your dream spot and go stay in a warm cozy home there, in the midst of real-life in that area. With a kitchen, backyard, or – dare I even say it – a stunning view of the Oregon Coast. Yep – that’s the house-swapping experience. And it can be yours, too. Check out Craigslist or any of the online house swapping services. Now, if you have others in your house who need to stay home during your working retreat then you have to find a swap that works at off-times, when they can come to your house at another date. Plan your Summer family camping trip accordingly.

2. Seek off-season deals on lodging – My lake lodge writing retreat was in November, when the snow was beginning but not heavy enough to draw the skiing crowd. I got my beautiful lakeview room for HALF off the regular price, plus I had the whole lodge to myself for contemplative walks and fireside writing in the main area during the wine and cheese “social” (more wine and cheese for me!) Note: I paid way less than the amount listed here on this website for that lakeside room. The same is true of the local inn I stayed in for my final working retreat on the Vision Into Action program. Call to ask about rates and you may be very pleasantly surprised by unadvertised deals they’ve got during the off-season.

How to make a retreat work inside of your busy life…

3. Call on Your Partnership. If you have kids or others counting on your care and you already share kid, career and home responsibilities pretty evenly then one of you being away doesn’t require this huge download of information around school schedules, aging parent visits and food preferences. But it still requires that your partner step up and do all of the tasks for a few days. Promise her or him that you will do the same for them sometime soon. Just the thought of it usually makes this an easy promise as they launch into fantasies of their solo getaway.

4. Prepare Stuff at Home So You Can Let It Go. If responsibilities at home are more individualized, then more planning will be required. Do whatever needs to be done so that you can leave with great confidence. Cook a meal or two and freeze it. List out favorite lunch items. Write a note with details of normal visits to your parents or regular after-school activities. Ask your caregiver to arrive early and stay late just for the two days you will be gone. The important thing is that you leave with total confidence that things at home can be handled without you. Your mind is freed up for this retreat.

5. Let It Get Handled Without You. Then trust that everything will be fine while you are away. It’s that simple. You’ve got some brilliant work to do – that’s your job for the next 36 to 48ish hours. (depending on your retreat deal.)

I cannot tell you how much work I get done on a work retreat. Some of that is because I don’t have to interrupt my work to help with meals and bedtime routine with the girls – but a good portion of that is unrelated to parenting. There is something totally inspiring about unstructured time for creativity, exploration and head-down get-it-done focus. (In case you’re wondering if I miss my girls – yes, I do. But that usually kicks in right about the time I am packing to head home so it’s perfect. I’m thrilled to see them – but I didn’t spend my whole time away pining for them.)

In the next day or two, I’ll share ideas for how to structure your time and activities during your working retreat (though I use the word structure incredibly loosely here) to get the maximum out of the experience.

Bend Blogs » The Brazen Soul Blog

The Brazen Soul Blog

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