Teresia's Blog

This month’s newsletter is all about the power of planning.

“The bigger your vision, the more time you must spend on planning”

Be sure to check out our resources of the month section. For a limited time, I am offering a special opportunity to participate in a breakthrough blueprint strategy session. Make this your most profitable summer yet!

Happy Planning!

Your personal business building mentor,

http://Teresia.com

Feature Article

If we had a hidden camera to spy on the lives of 10 entrepreneurs it is a good chance  most of them would exhaust us just by watching their day. The thing is, most entrepreneurs get stuck in a mode of reacting to things – catching and dealing with whatever comes up. The phone rings, they answer it. An email comes in, they respond immediately. A co-worker has a problem, they’re on it.

While this may seem to be a good idea in the moment, at the end of the day they feel scattered and unproductive. Can you relate?

And when this continues over time, profits, motivation and quality of life suffer a great deal. When people don’t see results, we tend to lose interest. Loss of enthusiasm eventually leads to total burnout, both personally and professionally.

The only way out of this situation is to make the decision to 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 yourself into this mode is to do some planning.

Michael Gerber, renowned author of The E-Myth, talks about working ON the business, not just IN it… and that’s exactly what we’re telling you to do. Not once, not periodically – habitually. This is a mission-critical skill for ongoing business success.

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Imagine a cup that represents your internal energy. When your cup is full, even overflowing at times, you feel confident and focused; you’re in the zone.  You have so much to give to your clients, your business and your circle of influence.

Now imagine your cup springing a leak. As the energy slowly drains out, you struggle to keep it full. It gets harder and harder to pour energy into your business and the people around you. You feel much less vibrant, and you enjoy your activities less. Things become a struggle when there is less energy to go around.

This cup represents not only your energy but your ability to achieve success. It’s not just imaginary; it is a very real part of your life as an entrepreneur. So, if you want to be successful, you have to ask yourself:

1. How do I need to design my business so that my cup stays full?
2. How can I market my business in a way that keeps me energetic and passionate?

These are very important questions, because in the coaching industry, we’re not selling a product; we are marketing ourselves. It’s personal, very personal. We’re asking people to invest in us. This can be an intimidating thing to do. It’s a high-stakes proposition, and it can bring out our inner gremlins – self-doubt and insecurities. As we go about building our business and coaching others, we want to be engaged in activities that feel natural and effortless, so our inner light can shine and people can experience our brilliance, not our fears.

Passion into Profit Coaching Challenge: Embrace the standard that 80% of your time as a coach in business you will be doing what you love and find a way to let go of or delegate the rest! Your success depends on it.

  PS. I would love to hear from you! Do you feel that your Entrepreneurial cup is full? What can you do today in your business to ensure your marketing your business in a fun and effortless way? Please share with us on Facebook.

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Building a coaching business can feel daunting, especially if the entrepreneurial world is new to you or you don’t particularly like the whole marketing conversation. But let it be known, you do not have to do the hard driving, grit your teeth action to build a profitable business.

If I told you it was possible to market your business through activities that you found fun, energizing and effortless, would you believe me?  I’m going to share with you how to make that vision true for you.

Building a successful business is like building a skyscraper, you need a solid foundation to support a six-figure business. But beyond a solid foundation to support it, you need a consistent source of energy to keep doing the activities you need to do to get the results you desire.

What is this source of energy? We’re talking about marketing. Not flash-in-the-pan marketing… sustainable marketing. And if you want it to be sustainable, it has to be easy. It has to fit with your natural abilities – the things you are good at and enjoy doing. I call these your attractive abilities – your key to successful entrepreneurship.

Every single person on the planet has a unique set of talents and gifts. These are the things that come easy to you and complement your personality. You are good at them, and naturally, you love to do them.

For example, some people are extroverted and enjoy engaging those around them in meaningful conversations, like Mark Zuckerberg or Bill Gates.

Others are introverted and they have an impressive skill set when it comes to processing information and putting their thoughts on paper. Example could be leaders such as Warren Buffett or Steven Spielberg.

Sometimes, these abilities feel so natural that we assume everyone can do these things. But that simply isn’t true. These traits are gifts, specially developed aspects of your personality, and they form the basis of your unique ability to contribute in the world.

Give yourself a chance to thoroughly investigate what it is that you are both great at and love doing. Begin by asking yourself these four critical questions.

1. Which business activities energize you, both during and after you do them?
2. Which business activities make time fly?
3. Think of a time when you were successful as a professional. What activities were you doing?
4. What activities do other people complement your performance on (and you feel surprised because you thought everyone was good at it)?

Passion into Profit Coaching Challenge: Decide today to align your marketing activities with things you love to do and what you are great at and embrace the effortless way of being a coach in business.

PS. I would love to hear from you! Are you clear on your Attractive Abilities?  What are you doing to build your business that you love to do?  Please share with us on Facebook.

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We are almost at the end of the first month of the year. A great time to check in and ask yourself how is this year shaping up so far?  At the beginning of the month I shared a concept that I am very passionate about, one that has transformed the quality of my life and the life of many of my clients, and that is living a life aligned with your values.  When we are engaged in activities that are MOST important to us, it increases our energy, our passion for life and pulls us toward creating the results we most desire in our life. I am grateful every day for a business that allows me to live my highest values and this month I celebrate an over the top inspirational evening with the most influential woman in the world OPRAH WINFREY!

Sharing the evening with great friends, being in the same room as one of my role models (OK,  it was a big room) and soaking in every word she said, was a night of living my highest values. I continue to ask myself how can I continue to increase my quality of life and fully step into my highest values on a daily basis and in today’s article I ask you the same question! 

See below in our resource section we have extended the holiday price ( for 3 more days!) on our ebook on “A New Approach to Goal Setting” - a step by step self coaching guide on clarifying a living your life aligned with your values.

Feature Article: Foundation of Living a Life You Love! Part 2

Earlier this month, I introduced the concept of setting goals that reflect your true values – goals that inspire you to take action (instead of those you have to force yourself to achieve). Many of us have been conditioned to “goal set” to live a life we love. Goal setting is powerful but only sustainable and fulfilling if they are aligned with what we most value.

To help you get clear on your own personal values, I asked you to complete the following 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)_.

When you answer this question, you end up with a list of attributes that you value. (To review, examples include authority, adventure, connection, creativity, etc.)

Now you’re ready to set goals that support your values.

First, make a list of initial goals for this year. Consider the different areas of your life: relationships, career, finances, health, spirituality, recreation, etc. Take a few minutes and brainstorm all the goals you have in each area.

Now, take a close look at your goals and eliminate those that stem from something you feel you “should” or “have to” do. If it doesn’t light you up inside, cross it off your list. (Really – it’s okay!)

Next, compare your remaining goals with your list of values; can you find any goals that are aligned with a values?

I recently went through this process with one of my clients, Kim, an ambitious self-employed consultant. She was overwhelmed with goals and quickly losing interest in them. With a lot of encouragement, she eliminated all the “should” goals – effectively cutting her list in half. With a little more work, she identified her top 3:

1. Lose 15 pounds
2. Update her website
3. Increase her bottom line by 30%

At first, Kim wasn’t very excited about these goals. Then we reviewed her values – health, expertise, and making a difference. She came to realize that her goals would help her experience exactly what was most important in her life. Losing weight would improve her health; updating the website would showcase her expertise; and increasing her bottom line would mean more clients, more work, and more impact in the world.

Once she made these connections, Kim was eager to take action. She was committed. Every day, she did some kind of exercise – walking, yoga, at least some stretching. And she wasn’t thinking about those 15 pounds… she was thinking about improving her health. Not only did her motivation go up, but her level of confidence and clarity increased. She knew she was living her life exactly the way she wanted to. Within months she made great progress toward all of her goals, but her focus was on living in alignment with her values. Her goals were looking after themselves.

When you narrow your focus – to live according to your values – you don’t have to set as many goals. Give yourself permission to let go of the “shoulds” and say yes to what you’re passionate about. These things will naturally lead you to a more engaging, fulfilling and easier life.

Create goals that are about the experience, not the result. What goals could help you experience more of what you value the most? For example, if you know you value contribution, how can you step out of your box to contribute more? Perhaps you could accept more leadership at work, or volunteer for a local charity. Create an outlet for your values, whatever they are. The benefits will ripple across all areas of your life.

We get so caught up in the responsibilities of day to day life that most of us lose touch with the things we love to engage in. Life does not need to be a struggle. Stop pushing yourself so hard, and take time to reconnect with your inspiration. Make a commitment to reorient your life around the things that energize you and nurture your soul. I promise, your quality of life will improve and you will naturally be pulled towards the results you want in your life.

Coaching Challenge:

1. Eliminate any goals that reflect a “should.” Only keep those you truly want to achieve.
2. Associate each goal with one of your core values.
3. Decide what kind of action you need to take to honor those values and move closer to your goals.
4. Get excited and get moving! You’ll make quick progress… I’m sure of it.

Resource of The Month:  A New Approach to Goal Setting Ebook

‘A New Approach to Goal Setting’. Ebook

We have extended our special offer for you! For a discounted rate of $19.97 (regular price $29.00) you can literally transform how you live your life! (I have discounted the rate in hopes this will help you decide to give yourself this gift of working through this life changing process.) Special offer available until January 31st. Click here for more information.

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!

  PS. I would love to hear from you! Have you taken time to explore and design your life around your values? I would love to hear how this process made a difference for you.  Share with us on Facebook.

Your personal business building mentor,

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The first goal of online marketing is to attract attention to yourself and your business by emphasizing the unique value you can deliver to a specific group of people.

Today, in the era of social media, this has never been easier. Whether you prefer to write, deliver speeches, connect through videos, create illustrations, or even just chat with people, the Big Four of Social Media will help you and your business gain exposure.

1. Facebook
2. Twitter
3. LinkedIn
4. Youtube

By sharing your unique processes and expertise through the different online venues, your goal is to make people say, “I really enjoyed this (article, video, comment, blog post)! I want to check out the website and learn more about this (person, topic, solution).”

When people get to your site, they’ll be interested to learn more about you and see what else you have to offer them. They see your smiling face and read a little about “what’s in it for them.” They’ll spend some time reading your blog entries and/or watching your videos, absorbing the information and resources that you’ve posted to entice your ideal clients. Ideally, they learn something about you and your unique processes, and they get excited about learning more.

Passion into Profit Challenge: Determine your strategy to share your expertise through the big four of social media and make it a consistent marketing practice.

This is the first step in developing a relationship – consistently connecting with people and establishing credibility. When they get some value from this step, they will move on to the next step – investing in your services!

Be sure to join me on Feb 12th for a complimentary Explore Entrepreneurship Webinar where we will be exploring the power of claiming your niche. To learn more and to register please click here.

  PS. I would love to hear from you! Have you created your Social Media strategy?   Share with us on Facebook.

Your personal business building mentor,

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Many business owners are reluctant to identify and target a niche – and micro-niches make them super nervous. Why? Because they think a niche will become a limitation, something that will hold them back. They think, “I’m just starting out… how I can fill my practice if I niche myself?”

Truth be told, a niche will indeed create limits. It will limit your interactions with the hordes of people who are NOT a good fit for your business. And by putting that “limit” in place, you aren’t blocking out opportunities – you’re blocking out the people who will waste your time.

Remember, with online marketing, we have access to the entire world – billions of people! And to make the kind of revenue you probably want to make, you need only 10 to 20 one-on-one clients. Niching will help you connect with those people.

Don’t be afraid that a niche is going to lock you into a certain groove forever; you can always change along the way. As entrepreneurs, we are always rebranding and digging deeper. Your business will continue to evolve, so get excited about that. As you grow, you will have more to bring to your clients.

The Niche Paradox:

Sometimes people are afraid to niche because our skills can be used in a lot of different areas. We think, “I don’t want to characterize myself as a certain type of coach.” That’s understandable. But, believe it or not, a narrow niche does NOT lock you into a narrow field of coaching. For example, I help coaches build their businesses, but in every breakthrough session or strategizing session, I get to talk about a wide variety of things: who they are, their beliefs, confidence, and who they need to become in order to create what they want. So probably 50 percent of the time, I’m working on things totally outside of my niche. Even with a strong micro-niche, I attract people that I love to work with – and that opens up so many different areas to work in.

Leverage your efforts, leverage your expertise, leverage your marketing strategies and decide on a niche today.

Join us in the Erickson Business Center for our free Explore Entrepreneur Webinar on February 12th where we will be exploring how to choose the right niche for you. Click here to find out more.

  PS. I would love to hear from you! Have you created your niche? What might be holding you back?   Share with us on Facebook.

Your personal business building mentor,

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• Are you resisting letting go of the holidays season and fully getting back into the life of a growing entrepreneur?
• Does anxiety and the New Year tend to go hand and hand for you?
• Is there a part of you that would rather keep your head under the covers for just another day?

If yes, you are not alone.

As I self-coach myself to transition from a 2 1/2 week vacation (a wonderful Christmas with family in Ottawa where we embraced -20 degrees weather and fresh snow for a week!) and get back into the entrepreneurial lifestyle, I noticed a twinge of anxiety and put myself in the shoes of all of the fellow budding entrepreneurs I have had the honour to mentor. I shared a personal story with the participants of the Passion into Profit program and the Erickson Business Center community and I received a lot of “LIKES” and many comments, as it resonated with a lot of people. I thought I would share it with you, my valued TLC community, in hopes that it also supports you in experiencing the beginning of the year with more ease, inner fulfillment and knowing that it all happens the way it is suppose to.

Feature Article: Trust the Divine Timing of Your Life

The first 3 years of my business, without fail every January my body would shut down and I would be confined to my bed for at least 7 days. When I look back I realize the pressure I would put on myself to achieve, to produce results, to leverage the opportunity that the beginning of a New Year could provide for a coach helping individuals set and achieve their goals. By the first week of January,  I would have created an online marketing campaign to sell my New Approach to Goal Setting Ebook and  I was in full blown action to fill a live workshop I delivered by the end of January on goal setting and have at least a dozen other  “going public”  commitments under my belt for the first quarter of the year. Yes I was motivated and very passionate about what I did but underlying that was also a huge dose of lack of self trust, a driving need to feel like I was significant and  that I would succeed as an entrepreneur. 

I share this with you to assure you that if you are feeling anxious going into the new year or resisting taking your commitment to building your business to the next level, you are not alone.

As budding entrepreneurs, it is natural to put pressure on yourself, to have BIG goals, to have even bigger gremlins and perhaps the biggest gremlin of them all, “will I really make it as an entrepreneur”? (The relentless self doubt gremlin).

Eighteen years later, I begin the New Year very differently.  Yes, there is still a twinge of anxiety but one that fuels me rather then landing me in bed for a week.

Here are the top three things I have learned:

1. A marathon approach to business is more successful and sustainable than running sprints.
2. Your success as an entrepreneur (who also lives a great life!) is directly related to your depth of self love! (Yes this one surprised me too
3.  Listening to and dancing with the divine timing rather than forcing your timing is a lot more fulfilling and effortless.

This January, resolve to make your relationship with yourself a priority, set realistic goals that energize you and trust the divine timing of your life.  

If this post resonated with you, take a deep breath, and repeat this affirmation “I trust the divine timing of my life and know that everything happens at the time and the way it’s supposed to”. Really breathe into it. Repeat it again, Ok one more time. Now don’t you feel better?

Remember, as a community of coaches on the journey of realizing our entrepreneurial dreams, we are in this together (oh yeah, that is another big learning I received “You can’t do this business building thing alone! Being vulnerable, asking for help and cultivating a world class support team is key in realizing your entrepreneurial dreams”).

Resource of The Month: A New Approach to Goal Setting Ebook

We have extended our special offer for you! For a discounted rate of $19.97 (regular price $29.00) you can literally transform how you live your life! (I have discounted the rate in hopes this will help you decide to give yourself this gift of working through this life changing process.) Special offer available until January 31st. Click here for more information.

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!

  PS. I would love to hear from you! How do you start your new year? Do you set realistic goals and stick with them or do you feel overwhelmed?   Share with us on Facebook.

Your personal business building mentor,

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Have you considered coming up with a “THEME” for the New Year? This theme is your overall intention; your overall vision or your dream for the upcoming year.

Themes add a quality of inspiration and fun to your year. It becomes the lighthouse for your priorities of the year. It may be a QUALITY (courage, action, balance, commitment), or it might be a PHRASE (attracting ideal clients, going with the flow, embracing the entrepreneurial mindset, embracing technology).

What do you really want to experience or create in 2013? Let your priorities uncover your theme. This is an opportunity for you to listen to the callings of your soul and really determine what needs your awareness, energy and attention to continue to create a life you love.

  PS. I would love to hear from you! I would love to hear what your theme is for 2013!  Share with us on Facebook.

Your personal business building mentor,

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In our fast-paced lives, as we begin to approach a new year, we have a tendency to start thinking about “what’s next” long before we wrap up what we’re currently working on.

While this can be a strategic way to keep things moving, it can also rob us of the opportunity to reap the full rewards of the journey we’ve been on. There is great richness and depth to be found when you take time to really look at your recent experiences. In addition to ensuring you have some downtime this holiday season, I encourage you to take some time to reap the benefits and honour the progress you’ve made in 2012. Click here to read more

Catch Your Breath Before Tackling 2013
Reflection on Past Accomplishments is Worthwhile

A Resource For You: Take the time to acknowledge and reflect on 2012 and begin build a strong foundation for creating exactly what you want in 2013. Please email teresia@teresia.com to receive your Acknowledge 2012 list of questions.

  PS. I would love to hear from you! Do you take time to reflect on your past accomplishments and where you are right now? Share with us on Facebook.

Your personal business building mentor,

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This time of year, many of us begin to think about what we want to create, experience or accomplish in the New Year. Many people start the New Year with a heart full of good intentions and a list full of resolutions and/ or goals, but the sad truth is that fewer than half of those resolutions and goals will ever be met. Through my experience of being a coach and in the business of helping entrepreneurs set their goals and achieve them, I notice over and over again unless goals are based on what we truly value, they are fruitless and we often end up feeling self-defeated. This year, give up New Year’s resolutions and traditional goal setting and simply discover and embrace living a life aligned with your values.

In module 3, we learned the power of and importance of values. They 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 who you are, glowing and life seems effortless. Values are the essence of who you are.

When you live a life aligned with your values you:

• Know that when you set a goal you will feel fulfilled both when you achieve it and during the process!
• Live life with ease and increased passion.
• Have decision-making become effortless and inspiring.
• Never question how you choose to spend your time or what opportunities to pursue.

Clarifying and then living your life in harmony with those values, provides an inspiration, an inner drive that keeps you moving.  Imagine building your business from this place? Imagine everyday being engaged in activities that are aligned with what brings you great passion and fulfillment.  In an instant, we go from “having to build a business” to “living a life we love”.

This holiday season give yourself the gift of reviewing or discovering your true values. Set a foundation not only for an extraordinary life but also a foundation for an effortless and fulfilling journey as an entrepreneur.

Here are a couple of resources for you to help clarify your values:

1. Take the time to acknowledge and reflect on 2012 and begin build a strong foundation for creating exactly what you want in 2013. Please email teresia@teresia.com to receive your Acknowledge 2012 list of questions.

2. Special Holiday Season Offer! A New Approach to Goal Setting ebook.  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! I highly encourage you to give yourself the gift this season of this personal self discovery process. (Regular price $29.00 - discounted rate for the holiday season is $19.97) Click here for more information.

  PS. I would love to hear from you!Do you take time to get clear on your values and what you want for the coming year? Share with us on Facebook.

Your personal business building mentor,

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