Check out my most recent article in the Vancouver Province newspaper coaches corner.

Q: I spend a lot of time in my business struggling just to keep up with my daily tasks.

I know there is so much else I should be doing like planning and marketing, yet somehow I never find the time. What can I do differently?

A: It is easy to get caught up in the day-to-day tasks of running a business.

But as a business owner, it is important to be deliberate in how you spend your time.

Three critical areas that require your time and energy are; money-making activities, planning and strategizing, and administrative duties.

Where do you spend the majority of your time?

To move from always working in your business to working on your business, implement these three business success habits into your work week:

• Planning: Schedule time to do weekly and daily planning. There is a saying “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” If you jump in and start to work before you know what your priority is, you invite disaster. Without some preparation time, you really don’t know what you are trying to accomplish, let alone know what you need to do to accomplish it.
• Blocking: Block in your money-making activities first. Money-making activities are anything that is directly related to building your business such as sales calls, networking, asking for referrals, speaking etc. You want to spend at least 50 per cent of your business hours on money-making activities. Make this your top priority every day.
• Delegate: If you are spending more than 10 per cent of your time on administration, it is time to embrace the art of delegation. Every time you go to do an administrative task, ask yourself – is this really what I need to be doing right now? Is there someone else who can do this for me? Is there a better way to do this?

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We just launched our Spring Passion into Profit program and commitment was a big part of our conversation. To grow your business your ability to demonstrate consistent commitment to your goals will determine your level of success.

I often say you can tell your level of commitment by the actions you take.  Many of you have the goal, dream, and hope to build a successful coaching business. Commitment proceeds success, and until you’ve made the commitment, goals are irrelevant, dreams are useless, and hopes are no more than a pipe dream.

“Commitment is what transforms a promise into reality. It is the words that speak boldly of your intentions. And the actions which speak louder than the words. It is making the time when there is none. Coming through time after time after time, year after year after year. Commitment is the stuff character is made of; the power to change the face of things. It is the daily triumph of integrity over skepticism.” ~ Abraham Lincoln

Whether you are committing to marriage losing weight, starting a business or taking your business to the next level, consider creating a commitment pledge and get real with your commitment.

Here is an example of the pledge we use in the Passion into Profit program. (I was inspired by the pledge concept when Oprah years ago shared her pledge around commitment to loose weight and make healthy choices, yes I am a big Oprah fan)

Commitment Pledge

I, _______________________, have agreed to participate in the six month Erickson Business Centre – Passion Into Profit Program. I do so for the purpose of developing myself as a coach and an entrepreneur and creating a successful coaching business.

I agree to complete the entire 6 months of the program as it has been designed. I am fully aware of the benefits of my participation in Passion Into Profit and have decided that this program will provide the structure needed to form the habits necessary to become a successful entrepreneur and coach.

I am committed to showing up on the conference calls (Business Building, group call and Mastermind), to the best of my ability. I acknowledge that some days I may not feel like participating or may find myself with many reasons why I am unable to participate fully. At these times, I will attend the calls anyway, as a commitment to me and my fellow participants.

I also realize that there may be times of real emergency that arise and if for some reason I cannot make the call, I will communicate to the facilitator in advance. I will also listen to the audio recording shortly thereafter to keep myself up to date and on track with the homeplay.

I am willing to ask for support from my facilitator and fellow participants throughout the program, either through one-on-one communication or via the Mastermind and Groupsite.  I know that it is useful to share my thoughts, insights and challenges with the group. As additional support, I agree to connect with my PIP buddy on a weekly basis or to let them know if I cannot honour this commitment.

Most of all, I commit to enjoying the Passion Into Profit process, knowing that the experiences of the coming six months will enhance my life both personally and professionally, as I develop a successful entrepreneurial mindset.

SIGNED _______________________

DATE _______________________

Where in your life do you need to take your commitment to the next level? Decide now and make your pledge!

By fully committing you will

• demonstrate to the world that you are serious about creating your desired results.
• be inspired to act from your best self
• feel a sense of pride that’s priceless.
• protect and strengthen your credibility and reputation with yourself and others.
• Increase your confidence, your belief in yourself, and create and unstoppable momentum

I would love to hear what you are committing to! Post your commitment – making a public commitment also strengthens your commitment.

Your catalyst in transforming your bottom line,

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Check out my most recent article in the Vancouver Province newspaper coaches corner.

Q: I have been in business for 10 years and have had some success, but I’ve always had trouble explaining clearly what I do. I’ve redone my website and marketing materials, yet I still get told by potential clients that they don’t really understand what I offer. What tips do you have for getting clear about my message?

A: What you are talking about is your “credo.” Latin for “I believe,” your credo states the fundamental components of your business – who it serves, its mission, values, and ambitions.

When you interact with clients and prospects either directly or indirectly, you are representing this credo. It is your marketing message, but even more than that, it is the window to the heart and soul of your business.

In order to come across clearly to your clients and prospects, you must first find clarity in your own mind. Here are four critical components to developing a strong credo for your business:

• Who are you? This is your name, your company’s name, notable accomplishments and titles.
• What do you do? You want to describe your primary product and/or service. After this statement, you could elaborate and draw verbal pictures for your intended audience, to clarify the service further. You could either expand in general terms, or go into specific services.
• Who do you serve? Who can benefit most from your solutions? Who is your ideal client? Get really clear about the type of person or company you are best suited to work with.
• How do your clients benefit? This is the most critical section. If a prospect is interested in your services, it is because they have a problem and they want you to solve it. You want to focus on the benefits of your work, not the features, nor the advantages. Ask yourself, what are your clients’ urgent needs (what are they moving away from)? Also ask, what are their compelling desires (what would they like to move toward)?

Once you’ve created your credo, fine tune it, and then practise your delivery until it feels comfortable. Use it everywhere and you’ll see that marketing your business can be natural and fun.

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Check out my most recent article in the Vancouver Province newspaper coaches corner.

Q: I have been in business for five years and I am working as hard today as I did in the first year. My business is successful, but I am spending most of time dealing with mini-emergencies and fixing problems. I am becoming more and more frustrated and want to get back to spending my time growing my business. Where do I start?

A: Most of us chose to be entrepreneurs and small business owners so that we can spend every day doing what we love, setting our own hours, and achieving that life we’ve always dreamt of living.

If we are tolerating a lot, it is a good chance we need to raise our standards. High standards help us lead an easier, more focused life. Low standards mean stress, and drained time and energy.

Here are three main areas to begin looking at raising your standards:

• Business traits. What business traits are important to you and your business? This could be honesty (truthfulness over deception), integrity (doing what you said you will do) or financial accountability (paying bills on time).
• Your own habits. Are there areas you could improve in your physical environment (clutter, time spent on Facebook, email management), your mental attitude (procrastination) or in your relationships (spending a lot of time around gossipers or allowing an employee to be late regularly)?
• Business associates. Think about your current suppliers, strategic alliances, employees and even clients. Do they have similar standards to you? Is there anyone who doesn’t pay their bill for 90 days, or tells white lies all the time?

Once you’ve identified areas you can improve on, decide what the new standards will be, write them down, share them with others, set up an accountability system and commit to a better way of doing things. Consciously choose to set high standards for yourself, expect nothing less from those around you, and you will see your quality of life and business success multiply.

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A. Congratulations. Taking time for yourself and writing your goals, is an important step in creating what you want in 2012. One famous study from Harvard University said that the 3% of Yale graduates who had written goals, had more wealth years later than the other 97% of the class combined. Written goals clarify thinking, objectify their potential, and reinforce commitment.

Having said that, every year I encourage people who want to do goal setting to first start with defining their values. What I’ve learned helping hundreds of individuals create a life they truly desire, is that setting value-based goals is critical to achieving your definition of success. Over the years I’ve observed that those who experience the greatest levels of fulfillment and personal satisfaction have aligned their goals with personal values.

This January invest the time in getting clear on your values. Values are the things you do that you find very attractive; an emotional state that you feel is very important. They are the essence of who you are. Examples include adventure, fun, service, creativity, connection, and hundreds more. When goals are aligned with one’s core values, achieving those goals feels satisfying, even in difficult times. Your quality of life improves, and you are naturally pulled towards the results you want. When we consciously design our life aligned with our values, experiences get immeasurably richer – and easier!

Gaining clarity of your values, and designing your life around them, is a process. It requires that you keep asking questions about what you really want. Begin by asking yourself:

• What is most important to me in my life?
• Then ask, what is important to me about that? What does this give me?

Keep asking those questions, and you’ll be on your way to the life you’ve always dreamed of.

Published in the Vancouver Province January 8, 2012

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TLC Coaches challenge:

1. Block a chunk of time for you over the holidays to begin designing your ideal 2012.

2. Email us at celebrate2011@teresia.com for your complimentary worksheet.

3. Read the article below to learn more about the power of setting value based goals.

4. Check out our New Approach to Goal Setting ebook now at special holiday pricing of only $19.99 (Reg. $29.97)

Wishing you and your loved ones a happy and safe holiday season!

With gratitude,

Set Valued Based Goals!

I want to share with you a topic that I am very passionate about – setting goals based on your true values.  Every January, I share this message with the communities I am associated with, if you have heard it from me before stay with me – it’s worth reading again

When I first became a coach 17 years ago, I was all about goal setting. I would say to my clients “Goal setting is the key to creating what you want in your life; you must be clear of your goals and write them down”. Through my personal journey of consciously creating a life I love and supporting thousands of individuals to do the same, I have discovered that yes, goal setting is important BUT fruitless unless those goals are set on a foundation of your true values.

To live a life you love and achieve what your heart desires, you must first be clear on your values. Let me explain what I mean by that:

Values are the things you do that you find very attractive, an emotional state that you feel is very important.  When engaged in these activities you feel most like yourself:  in touch with whom you are, glowing, and life is effortless. Values are the essence of who you are.

While we like these things, most of us lead lives which do not grant us the chance to just do these things. Most people set goals based on ‘have to’, ‘should’ and ‘need’ and are generally too busy with ‘responsibilities’ or ‘incompletions’ to pursue the life they truly desire.

Your values are the intangible aspects of your life that make you feel in alignment, complete, on track, and functioning at a high level. Examples include adventure, fun, service, creativity, connection, and hundreds more. A life that aligns with one’s core values will feel satisfying, even in difficult times.

When we live a life aligned with our values there are many gifts to be experienced:

• Our cup is full and we have so much more to give others.
• We live our life from a place of “attraction” vs. force. We begin to attract like minded individuals and opportunities in our life.
• We do not spend as much time on making decisions – when you are clear of your values it is easy to decide the next best step.
• We create results in our life with less effort.
• We live from a place of joy and gratitude.
• When challenges come our way – we can still be happy. (Have you ever met someone who just got fired from their job, going through a divorce, or experiencing a health challenge and they still exude joy. Now that is living a successful life.)

When we consciously design our life aligned with our values, life gets immeasurably richer – and easier.

OK, have I enrolled you in living a life aligned with your true values? So how do we do that? First you have to get clear on what your values are. Gaining clarity of your values and designing your life around them is a process.

It does not happen over night. I first heard about the concept of values in 1995 when I had my first stint with the Anthony Robbins group and even though I was eager to live life at this new level of passion of fulfillment, it took me many years before I achieved it. When we commit to living a life aligned with our values, really commit, there is a journey of self transformation that happens.

Here is what happens (if you like it or not

• You begin on a path of self exploration and self discovery.
• you must first get your personal needs met (needs in this context is simply put, the things you require on a regular basis in order to do your best work and feel good about yourself.)
• You must be open to healing any unhealed emotional wounds.
• You must become comfortable with the concept of “selfishness before success”.

Begin this journey now – give yourself and those around you the gift of a more joyful and satisfying life.

TLC Coaches challenge:

As you go through the next month, think about how you would complete this sentence:

“If I had plenty of free time and all the money I could ever want, then I would be free to (action) and that would let me experience more (value).”

Continue to practice this exercise over and over to help you identify the aspects of your life that you value most. Keep track of your answers… they’re the roadmap to your life!

For a self coaching guide on setting values based goals check out our ebook on A New Approach to Goal Setting at a discounted rate until the end of January. This is a self-coaching e-book that helps you identify what’s most important to you, and teaches you how to design your life according to your values. It just might be the fastest, easiest way to boost your life to a whole new level, and it will certainly give you a fresh new perspective on your New Year’s Resolutions!

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“If you can achieve your dream alone, then your dream is not a big enough”
~ Teresia LaRocque, MCC

I have a very important question to ask you: Do you have enough support in your life? (I’m not talking about a good bra…but that’s also helpful J)

 Who can you call when you need back up, to brainstorm business strategies or in moments of emotional crisis?  A solid support network allows you to be your best, achieve what you want and be the woman you’ve always aspired to be.

 Most women find it hard to ask for help; sometimes it makes us feel weak or inadequate. Sometimes we get so used to doing things on our own that the idea of getting help just doesn’t cross our minds. Asking for support is a sign of strength and ambition, an indication that you’re ready to take on more in life. 

 Unfortunately, many self-employed professionals suffer from the lone ranger mentality. Can you relate?

 It’s important to be independent, self-reliant and to trust that you can achieve whatever you set your mind to. Consider people, who have experienced great success or have contributed to the world or their communities, they didn’t do it alone.  While you need to know that you can depend on yourself, if you continue to do everything on your own, you will limit the level of contribution and difference you can make in the world. 

 Creating a world class support team:

There are three basic types of support: Strategic, Emotional and Task. Each type supports a different side of you and your business, and they are equally important. So let’s take a good look at each kind of support that self-employed women need, where to find it, and how to attract more of it.

 Strategic Support comes from people with more experience or perspective than you have, such as a colleague, mentor, coach or mastermind group. It could also come from someone you hire, such as an assistant or lawyer. It helps you shorten your learning curve, find resources, and create faster, better results.

 Whenever I’m facing a new project, the first thing I do is go through my contact database, looking for people who have done it before or know more than I do. I ask myself who could help with this? How can I make this an effortless process? Who’s done this before? Who might be willing to collaborate on this? It might take me a half an hour, but this process has saved SO much time!

 Relationships that provide strategic support can be formal (i.e. mastermind groups, teachers, etc.) or informal (i.e. a smart and friendly colleague). Most of us lean toward one or the other, but in my experience, people need a balance of the two.

Wouldn’t it be great if you had 3-10 savvy people you could call for a quick brainstorm on any given day? This kind of informal strategic support can make all the difference when you’re up against a wall. Instead of staring at a computer screen, you can pick up the phone and solve problems in a moment. And membership in formal groups, such as industry associations and masterminds, can give you a tremendous edge. Leverage these resources!

 Emotional Support is something that every person on this planet needs. Women seem to need an extra dose on occasion (okay – daily). But if you’re a woman who has a lot on her plate, having emotional support is even more important, and if you’re an entrepreneurial woman with high standards and ambitions, well… it’s like oxygen!

Sometimes it’s the emotional support that helps put a business back on track – or on the fast track!

What I want for every one of you is to have at least 3-7 other women on your “emotional support team” – women you feel safe enough with to confide your greatest fears, seek comfort and really bare your soul to. A community of intimate, like-minded women gives you permission and encouragement to be all that you want to be. We owe it to ourselves to establish relationships that can be all of that – because we need and deserve it. The way we hold each other is the very foundation of our life as women.

 Task Support comes from those who help you get things done – your assistant, housekeeper, babysitter and the helping hands of those we love. The support of these people allows you to have more time and energy for the things that you love to do and the things that make the biggest difference in your life.

 Did you know that the average woman in a family of 4 devotes 20-25 hours a week to running her household? That’s a lot of time! What could you be doing with your family if someone else was scrubbing your toilet and running to the post office?

 Delegate the things that drain you first; then move on to the things that are a poor use of your valuable time and attention. After all, people pay you for that! But no one pays you to go to the dry cleaners.

 If financial resources have kept you from seeking task support, get creative. Who can you barter or trade with?

 TLC coaching challenge:   

Take a good look at your life and the levels of support you’ve established up to this point. Assess each of the three areas: strategy, emotion and task. Rate your current levels on a scale of 1-10. (1 = dismal // 10 = more support than you need)

1. For each type of support, what would a “10” look like? Be specific – this is part of your vision of your Ideal Life.
2. What prevents you from seeking more support in each area?
3. How can you increase the level of support you currently experience in each area?

 Do an initial brainstorm on these questions, but keep this assignment “on your plate” for a while.  

Don’t be fooled, to cultivate a strong support network and ask for help is a crucial skill to master but to really serve your family, your community and your customers, you have to have support! Decide to let go of the lone ranger mentality and make collaboration a fundamental way you do business. You deserve it!

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When a Mastermind group reaches that perfect level of synergy; ideas, encouragement, and insights multiply.

There are, however, important standards that must be established in order to nurture a productive and empowering mastermind environment.

3 essential rules to get the most from a mastermind group:

1. Commit. It sounds simple, yet it isn’t unusual for a person to join a group with good intentions, then they miss meetings or show up late, unprepared. When you commit to a Mastermind group, take it seriously. Before each meeting get clear of where you need support, and where you can help others. Attend all the meetings, and be there on time.

2. Respect Confidentiality. Commit to a confidentiality agreement from the start. This encourages trust, honesty, authenticity, vulnerability and opens the door to creative synergy where new ideas can flourish.

3. Accountability. Accountability is one of the cornerstone principles in mastermind groups. Accountability is all about helping others to reach their goals through purposeful, sustainable action. Setting up an accountability structure can take great ideas to tangible results.

The power of a Mastermind group cannot be understated. All the great teachers of success from Napoleon Hill to Anthony Robbins have talked about the benefits of using a mastermind team to make better decisions and get more results with less effort. But always remember: a mastermind group is only as valuable as the level of commitment, confidentiality and accountability of each member.

If you are wanting to start your own mastermind team check out our ebook The Magic of the Mastermind.

The Magic of the Mastermind is the most complete guide available to forming and managing your own mastermind group -your personal board of advisors! Written from the voice of my own mastermind group of coaches, this book includes tips, strategies and insights on what makes a group truly successful.

To find out more about our next live www.TripleMmastermind.com retreat email us info@triplemmastermind.com

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Join us on October 14/15 2011 for 2 days of massive masterminding with highly successful women to bust through barriers and create new levels of success.

To find out more visit www.triplemmastermind.com

“Mastermind alliance, joint venture, business partners, cooperation… Call it what you want, you need a mastermind alliance with others to be successful.”
~ Napolean Hill, Think and Grow Rich

Check out Cheryl’s Interview with Fanny Kiefer from Studio 4 on the benefits of being part of a mastermind.

Email us at info@triplemmastermind.com to book a personal consultation to find out if this is the next best step for you.

Committed to supporting women in being their best and creating the success they deserve,

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Here are 3 easy tips to eliminate overwhelm:

1. Be deliberate with your time and attention. No more reacting to whatever comes your way. It’s time to set up your day in a way that ensures that the most important things get done – always! And the best way to get into this mode is to do some planning.

2. Get into the habit of planning. Over the years, I’ve noticed that many professionals feel a bit of resistance to planning. It can tend to feel like you’re not getting much done. But planning in your business is just like exercise and daily flossing – habits that keep you healthy, strong and capable. Yes, we can survive without it… but sooner or later, it all catches up to you. Commit to planning every day, week, month, quarter and year.

3. Start with the end in mind. In other words, think in terms of results. What are your priorities? What is profitable? What are your commitments? What must get done? Figure out your biggest objectives, then work backwards to break them down into manageable action steps.

So how can we be deliberate with our time, make it a habit to plan and start with the end in mind? Check out our video blog for some specific strategies.

Building in success habits such as planning is the difference between management and leadership. In management, you’re busy shuffling your “to-do’s” in an attempt to get everything done. Leadership is making sure you and your team does the right things to move the business forward and generate a healthy profit. Be the leader of your business – or you will be a slave to it. The choice is yours!

We look forward to partnering with you in making this a very productive, fulfilling profitable fall!

Are you an entrepreneurial women? You will not want to miss out on this….check out our very first TripleMmastermind 2-Day Retreat!

“No individual may have great power without availing himself of the “Master Mind.”

~ Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill

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