First Word

I've read some business owners who have complaints about owning the business. I see absolutely no downside to it not when you compare the downside to corporate. When I listen to friends bemoan their corporate situations, I am constantly reminded why I have no interest in working for someone else. So why do I love owning the business? My corporate attire consists of either a purple or blue bathrobe that I switch out of into comfortable clothes around, say, noon . I tossed out every suit in my closet years ago. I actually donated them to Goodwill to help other women dress for success. Yes, my good, ole bathrobe. No wedgies. No nylons (ack, does anyone wear nylons anymore?). No dry cleaning bills. Love it. I don't commute, and therefore I don't pollute . My commute looks like this: roll out of bed and stumble into office chair. No fear of greenhouse emissions here. I have a very low carbon footprint. I sleep in right up until my day gets under way. Yes, I am responsible ...

Where's your passion? What motivates you? Answers to these questions applied to your business are not all sappy and sweet -- the answers are meaningful to your success. When we do things motivated by either greed or a shallow need for attention, our success doesn't always follow. I'm not saying that greedy people don't get what they're seeking. Just look at the crash of Wall Street and those greedy souls. They got what they sought all right. I am saying that when we run our business without heart, it may not go as well as expected. In my business in particular, it can be a lot of flash in the pan. You can get a lot of attention as a publisher. You get to attend parties. You can a lot of media attention. You get to meet famous people. While that all sounds interesting and good to stroke someone's ego, it's not the reason we're in business. But for those who are attracted to this business with a desire to stroke their egos, it's always going to fly in ...