First Word

I am easily inspired. Today I woke up at my usual late morning wake-up -- a gift I give myself as a reward for not punching someone else's clock. I was talking to someone last night who is also an entrepreneur, and she mentioned she hardly thinks about the days when she was a corporate worker. She put it out of her mind, which is a good thing. As for me, I keep it front and center in the back of my mind. Why? Because it's no place I ever want to be. I have always been aware of the blessings of my freedom and choices. I know that these choices and the freedom I have to live life my way require dedication and hard work. It requires keeping my eyes forward and pushing my business toward new levels of success -- that I don't become complacent. When I did entered into business relationships, in the past, that might somehow get in the way of my designed life, I always protected myself. I would never allow anyone to get in the way of my goals and dreams. This fact is one thing tha...

Being an entrepreneur requires a constant passion to succeed and a huge scoop of optimism. If you don't work in a brick-and-mortar office, you're going it solo. You have to motivate yourself. Give yourself the daily pep talk. Stay positive and earnest. Try and do things like a vision board so you can refer to it to keep your spirits high. Use a coaching service like the Daily Whip, Erika Lyremark's inspiring program designed to keep your spirits high and attention focused on your goals and aspirations. Believe me when I say some days I run into quirky, strange barriers. People are unpredictable. They can make oddball requests. They can decide to use another business instead of yours for often the strangest reasons. Don't try and put rhyme or reason around "crazy." Move on and stay focused on big picture dreams, goals and aspirations. If someone brings you down or fills your head with "no-go" ideas, stay away from them. Surround yourself with people w...