This is another great strength that is a true fit for me. I spent the early part of my career as a media director, account executive, and event planner all wrapped up into one in a small ad agency. I loved being strategic. My events were organized and I thought through every detail and “what if.” I always want to be prepared for any scenario.

Even now, I see myself doing that in my personal life. I function best with a plan and a strategy. I offer this to the women I coach – a menu of various strategies to grow their business and guide them through this process learning about themselves in the process.

“Guided by where you see each path leading, you start to make selections. You discard the paths that lead nowhere. You discard the paths that lead into straight resistance. You discard the paths that lead into a fog of confusion.” I don’t want to chase after something that doesn’t work. I give it my time and then take the positive from it and move on always thinking about the bigger picture.

I hope you have enjoyed my 5 Part Series about the book, Strengths Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath. I highly recommend you getting a copy. It’s a lot of fun to take the test and see what your strengths truly are. I’d love to hear from you, so feel free to leave a comment and let me know if you have gotten the book. I’d love to hear your results!

I truly believe in the power of positivity. I have learned to create a positive or an opportunity out of any challenge or seemingly negative situation.

“People want to be around you. Their world looks better around you because your enthusiasm is contagious.”

I choose to see the good in things and not focus on lack or negative. It has literally changed my life and brought more abundance to me.

“You celebrate every achievement. You find ways to make everything more exciting and more vital.”

As I coach women in business and help them grow their businesses, my job is to help to lift them up and raise them higher celebrating and honoring all of the achievements they have created with a positive spirit. It’s empowering – making them want to do more, be more, and reach higher than they ever thought possible.

I found this excerpt very interesting – “Don’t pretend that difficulties don’t concern you. Other people need to know that while you find the good in virtually every situation, you are not naïve. Recognize challenges, and communicate the reasons for your optimism. Your positive approach will be most powerful when others realize it is grounded in reality.”

I always say to people that everyone has issues; it’s just all in how we deal with them or perceive them. I’m not unrealistic, I know that I have challenges and unfortunate things happen in my life just like anyone else. I simply choose to look at them differently with a positive spin. It takes away much of the struggle and leads me through the process so much quicker.

Stay tuned for Part 5 – the last installment…

One of my mentors says that we aren’t born to wake up and feel average and live mediocre. I want to feel my absolute best and do my absolute best. Now, I’m not unrealistic. I know that there will be average (and not so average) days and experiences, but I continuously raise the bar for myself striving.

I do the same with my clients, constantly raising the bar, helping them stretch and grow outside of their comfort zone, which can be tough to do on your own. I am that catalyst.

“Strengths, whether yours or someone else’s fascinate, you.” I was often bewildered by the old interview question, “What are your weaknesses?” Who the heck wants to talk about that? I know what mine are and see some in other people, but who wants to focus on the negative? It just seems silly to me.

Instead, strengths fascinate me and in my opinion, make up for the weakness or lack that we all have somewhere in us. I know where I fall short and try my best there, but focus on those things that I really rock at and make them better.

“You don’t want to spend your life bemoaning what you lack. Rather, you want to capitalize on the gifts with which you are blessed.” Another spot on assessment…Focusing on lack or negativity will only bring more of that to you. I instead focus on the positive, my gifts, and my gratitude.

Stay tuned for installment #4 tomorrow!

I’m always looking ahead. Always dreaming. Always thinking about and working towards that BIG vision. I don’t feel stuck in the present. I appreciate the past, live in the moment, and always look for what is beyond and how I can make things better and live life to the fullest.

“A better product, a better team, a better life, or a better world – it will always be inspirational to you. You are a dreamer who sees visions of what could be.”

I am always thinking of a different way never ever buying in to this is ‘just the way it is.’ We all have the power to choose. We all have the power to create whatever we want for our future. How we want to feel…how we want to work…how we want to live…how we want to love…and on and on.

In the Ideas for Action section it says, “Choose roles in which you can contribute your ideas about the future. For example, you might excel in entrepreneurial or start-up situations.” I guess that’s why I love working with women in business to help them see the big picture. Helping to connect their heart and passion with that BIG vision bringing them even greater success, happiness and empowerment.

Stay tuned for Part 3 tomorrow!

I found this book to be very interesting and not like your traditional book. It starts with a code that is sealed at the back of the book. After you get your code, you head online and take the Strengths Finder 2.0 Assessment.

The assessment takes about a half an hour. It’s timed, so you have a limit of the amount of time you can spend on a question. There are 170+ questions. The goal is for you to go with your ‘gut’ and not overanalyze each one. I found some of them easy ‘no brainers’ while others I was more wishy washy on – it was a really interesting exercise.

I thought it would be fun to share with you my strengths as revealed by the assessment over the next few days.

My first strength was Activator. Here are some qualities of the activator. “When do we start? – This is a recurring question in your life. You are impatient for action.” – hmmmm, yep got that right! You believe “only action makes things happen and action leads to performance.”
Spot on again!

“As an activator you believe that action is the best device for learning. You make a decision, you take action, you look at the result, and you learn. You put yourself out there.” I’ve heard a lot of people say to me lately – ‘you’re everywhere and you really put yourself out there.’ Yes I do, because I believe that action is motion – I’m constantly thinking, what’s next? Where will this take me? How can I make this happen?

Check in for Part 2 tomorrow!

We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.

~Mother Theresa

Happy Valentine’s Day!

In abundant gratitude for you,

All of this is great…well within reason – certainly some people don’t necessarily censor what they are posting and maybe they should – but that’s for another discussion.

What I have noticed and personally experienced is the tremendous benefit that comes from incorporating the use of social media into your overall business strategy. Now, I don’t advocate using social media as your only marketing tool – but it should definitely be considered as a part of your overall marketing strategy.

I have personally loved creating a community for my business through social media over the past several years. I am so passionate about the authentic connections that can be made. It’s a great way to build relationships, establish yourself in your niche, and find your ideal clients and customers.

My Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Have a Social Media Plan for Your Biz:

1. Establishes You in Your Niche – by providing valuable content and information while at the same time engaging with your ‘followers’ you are establishing yourself as a knowledgeable and valuable resource.
2. Creates The Viral Effect – I have experienced this one first hand. It’s always fun to see what really goes viral getting shared, re-tweeted and spread around the social media space. One update can be so far reaching!
3. Drives More Traffic to Your Site – Plugging your social network in to your big picture for your business will ultimately drive more traffic to your website. It’s very powerful and for me personally, Facebook is my #1 source for traffic coming to my site. That’s pretty exciting!
   
4. Communication – There is no better way to learn about your clients and prospects than simply asking and getting real time answers. You can also easily share information about events, special offers and promotions, and product launches. It’s never been easier to communicate than it is now through Social Media.
   
5. It’s FREE! – I’m stating the obvious here, but it’s true! Social Media is FREE – why not use these free tools, which are high impact to build your business and your brand.
   

I’m nearing my 3 year anniversary in the social media space. I love using it both personally and professionally and have seen the tremendous benefits that it can have for a business. It’s interesting to note that my husband’s then college aged cousin had suggested that I sign up with Facebook those 3 years ago. I never would have imagined how much I absolutely love connecting in this way and the vast amount of reach it has created for me and my business.

Are you looking for ways to genuinely connect online with your marketing and social media to find your ideal clients? Let’s connect to see how I can help you grow your biz and get to your ideal clients, click here.

Want to use this article on your website or your own ezine? No problem! When you do so, please include:

Deanna Collins, Authentic Marketing & Social Media Strategist, is a Coach, Speaker and an Author helping women business owners create authentic connections through marketing and social media to grow their businesses, increase their profit and build better relationships with their ideal clients all while having a great time doing it!

To learn more, go to www.DeannaCollins.com

I’ve had the pleasure of studying with Fabienne Fredrickson, THE Client Attraction Expert.  I first met Fabienne well over five years ago when she was speaking at an event I was attending.  She is known for high value, high content in everything she does – she really delivers.  I’ve learned quite a lot from her through the years.

Today, I’d like to share with you an article from Fabienne that talks about Your Compelling Story.  It is essential that you are connected to your own compelling story.  It is an integral part of your business and allows you to speak from an authentic place about your business and why you do what you do.

Enjoy the article and be sure to do the assignment below!

Many of us entrepreneurs are drawn to our particular profession by a specific defining moment or series of events that changed everything in our lives. Because of that moment, some of us dropped everything and decided to dedicate the rest of our professional lives to doing what we now do.

My compelling story is my before-and-after scenario: how I went from not enough clients and struggling to pay the bills, to learning everything I could about marketing, networking and business management. As a result of creating my own ‘Client Attraction System’, I turned my practice from a mediocre one to one bursting at the seams just 8 months later, thereby eliminating my “3-A.M.-I-don’t-have-enough-clients-sweats.”

My own ‘compelling story’ is something I tell to establish instant credibility with new prospects, in front of an audience or at the beginning of my ‘Client Attraction Home Study System’. Clients and people in my seminars have repeatedly told me that hearing it was one of the first reasons they then hired me. It spoke to them because I’d been in their shoes too, at one point, and now I’m on the other side of the Client Attraction challenge. They tell me they too have tossed and turned at night with the “3 A.M. sweats,” and that to see someone having survived it and now thriving, they feel they can too.

You may also have a compelling story that no one else has. Your compelling story may be that you overcame a serious challenge in business, in your health or in life that caused you to change your course and do what you do now to help others with the same struggles.

You can use your compelling story several ways to attract clients:

1. First and foremost, it helps the prospect bond with you. If you’re in a business like mine, it’s the know-like-and-trust factor that you need to really establish with your target audience. People aren’t buying a “business.” They’re buying a solution first and a relationship second.
2. It can be the beginning of your signature talk or your teleclasses, helping you to “earn the right” to be up there speaking to an audience that doesn’t know you yet.
3. If you don’t have a lot of credentials, it can give you instant credibility. You’ve been through what they’ve been through too, you’ve experienced success, and now you’re back to tell them how to solve their problems.

Client example: A travel agent who once attended one of my Full Day Client Attraction events had a breakthrough in figuring out what makes his seemingly non-descript travel business different from the competition and it was his compelling story.To paraphrase it, his travel business focused on cruises. During a group coaching moment in the workshop, I asked him what brought him to focus on cruises, and he painted a scenario for us that no one in the room will forget. You see, a few years ago, he was diagnosed with a very serious health concern and he intuitively knew that his current corporate job was literally making him sick.

One day, because he couldn’t take the toxic environment, this unhappy employee signed himself up for a cruise. He came back having experienced what felt like heaven to him and he continued to vacation on cruises regularly and was shocked to see his health condition was getting rapidly better. According to him, he has now healed himself of his health concern, and it all started by taking care of himself and his soul by going on a cruise regularly.

He decided to quit his job and dedicate the rest of his professional life to helping people break free of toxic lifestyles by experiencing the wonders of the cruise lifestyle.

I tell you, there was not a dry eye in the room. THIS was a compelling story and everyone there was truly compelled to take a cruise after hearing him, even if they’d never considered taking a cruise before. Best of all, they wanted to work with HIM to book the details of the cruise, not their regular travel agent. Had we not gone through this exercise in person, he says he would never have considered this story something that would attract clients and give him an advantage over other travel agents. But it does.

Your Assignment:

What is YOUR compelling story around your business? What brought you to do what you’re doing today with such passion? What is your before-and-after story and how did you overcome your situation?

Sprinkle this in your marketing materials or in conversation. Creating your compelling story to share with others can be a catalyst and one of the most powerful ways for you to attract clients through the know-like-and-trust factor.

All of the best marketing in the world won’t make up for you not “showing up” in your biz.

Many people get caught up in so many of the details. They get caught up in doing the “right” marketing, having their blog perfect, the technicalities of setting up a list or an auto responder series and on and on. Essentially they lose sight of showing up and being present in their business, getting bogged down by so many details. It doesn’t make you feel very client attractive – more like confused, frustrated, burn out and overwhelmed.

Honestly, it’s not all that uncommon today especially with all of the pressures that many people are facing. Many find it difficult just to keep up.

So, what about you?

Why is it that you do what you do in your biz?

Is that something that you connect to everyday? Even multiple times a day?

It’s absolutely essential to keep that connection and continue to show up even when you don’t feel like results are showing up for you. Keep moving forward, keep taking action, keep asking yourself what you can do next. How can you do something different?

Your Assignment:

Get yourself a notebook or a journal. Each day give yourself five minutes (morning is best) to sit down and simply ask yourself these questions:

• How am I showing up today in my business?

• What do I need to change or alter in the way that I am showing up?

Keep this handy so that you can refer to it during the day when things may (and probably will) TRY to derail you. Remember, you have the power to choose how you react to anything. So be clear on how you want to show up and let nothing stop you from creating it.

In abundant gratitude for you,

I have the distinct pleasure of being one of Karen Fagan’s private clients. In my opinion, Karen is THE Empowerment Expert. Today in Karen’s weekly ezine, she shared this great article on how to focus on what you desire in your life and your business and what makes people take action to move forward. Say good-bye to procrastination and lack of focus and Hello to Desire!

Having a laser focus on what one is trying to accomplish is the major force behind what propels some people to take action toward their heart’s desires. It is exhilarating to achieve, to finally arrive at a longed for goal. Let’s be honest, nothing great ever comes from procrastination. It carries the feeling of defeat, and you deserve better than that!

What happens when you think about realizing your heart’s desires? Do you often neglect to put into motion the actions that are sure to take you to the reward of reaching your destination? Perhaps you are easily distracted. Simply ‘forgetting where your focus is’ can actually be the biggest road-block to reaching your goal.

I want to encourage you to focus on what you desire – and stay focused – no matter what happens! You will be amazed by the immediate results of this one simple, but crucial, action. Like many other women I’ve coached, who have discovered the power of acting on their heart’s desire, instead of procrastinating, you’ll wonder why you ever put it off in the first place. To help you begin to do TODAY, what should never be put off until tomorrow, I’ve included the following 5 easy steps!

1. Connect to Your Desires
   – Most people procrastinate when disconnected from
   what they most desire. It is important to reconnect with your heart desires every day. Take time now to reconnect.  Close your eyes, take a deep breath in, and really connect to what you desire most.  Imagine yourself living out your desires (really create the picture in your mind).  How would you feel and what actions would you take?
2. Be Focused – If, while taking action toward your desires, you find yourself answering your phone, checking email, wasting a big bunch of hours on face book or online, texting, or doing laundry – it’s time to get focused!  There is a time and place for everything. What I know for sure is that going on facebook and comparing yourself to others is NOT going to manifest your desires. Be focused on one item at a time to increase your success.  Remaining focused allows you to be present in what you are doing.  Set a timer during a task and start to build your endurance for focus.  My sense is that you want to be present in all that you do – whether it is work or play.  By focusing when working, you will be able to fully play when you are playing, because you will not be thinking about what you haven’t done yet.
3. You Create the Mood – People who procrastinate, often do so because they tell themselves they just don’t feel like doing whatever it is that needs to get done.  This is a sure sign that they are out of alignment with what they desire most.  For example, if you desire to lose weight, but tell yourself you don’t feel like exercising, you are working against yourself.  You will begin to find all the justification needed for not exercising, instead of doing the exact thing that will make you feel good and help you achieve your goal.  We are the creator of our moods. Yes, some days our mood will be better than other days. However, when your mood is the problem, the key is to take full responsibility, change your attitude, and create the mood that will allow you to take positive action, moving you closer to your ultimate desires. Do yourself a big, wonderful favor – stop waiting for the mood and create it today!
4. This is the right time – Remind yourself that NOW is the right time.  Why? Because, your life is NOW – not later.  Many clients say “they are waiting for the right time to start,” but I have often found the truth to be that some sort of fear is preventing them from moving ahead. If you find yourself waiting for the fear to go away – chances are, you’ll be waiting a long time. Instead, get curious – and real – about what fears you may have. Understanding just why you are procrastinating will empower you, enabling you to put an end to it and get back on track.
5. Define Your top priorities for the day – I often hear clients say they procrastinate because they don’t know exactly how to start or what to do. I cannot stress enough the importance of getting clear on your top priorities and aligning your energy.  The truth is you have everything you need to get your life done. Take action and be productive, rather than procrastinate.  When I coach clients and help them to reconnect with their heart desires – they can instantly get clarity, define their priorities, and move right out of procrastination.  When you truly align with what you desire you will be amazed at how resourceful you become.

Big Question – Are you doing what you hate?

I really encourage you to answer this question, honestly. Many people procrastinate because they are doing something they hate to do.  In a job they don’t like, they create a business model they think they will like – only to find themselves unsuccessful in changing the fact that they hate what they are doing. To waste time in procrastination only makes you feel worse than you desire to feel or deserve to feel. To love what you do – you must do what you love!

Perhaps cleaning your house is something you absolutely dread. Instead of procrastinating and allowing your energy to be depleted, hire someone to clean house for you. This one decision will considerably free up your energy and allow you to create more love, joy, and money in your life. Perhaps outsourcing isn’t an option for you. If you must do the dreaded job yourself, then reward yourself for a job well done.  Pick a reward that makes you feel absolutely great – and give it to yourself after the task is completed.  It doesn’t have to cost you a thing.

The key is to spend more time in a feel good place, rather than beating yourself up for not getting things done – and wasting your precious time and energy in procrastination.

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Empowerment Expert and Master Certified Coach, Karen Fagan publishes her “Live in Your Brilliance” weekly ezine. If you want special tips to live bold, brilliant and rich in your life and business, you can sign up for a FREE subscription to Live in Your Brilliance at www.karenfagan.com. Want to see more secret tips? see Karen’s blog at Karen http://www.karenfagan.com/blog/