One day on our way out of town to visit family, I asked my hubby, “Can you be humble and competitive at the same time?”

He said, “I think so.  You can do your best and not think you’re better than anybody else.”

“Hmmm…I think you’re right.  Nicely said.”

I used to think these two qualities didn’t go together.  That’s because I hadn’t yet met many people who were both humble and competitive.

When I started learning from people who gracefully possessed both these qualities, I was intrigued and drawn to them.  Some of these folks are multi-millionaires like Tom Challan and Dani Johnson, that I used to judge wrongly.  I thought they only cared about making money.  Boy was I wrong.

It took me many lessons to realize both Tom and Dani love people, they understand people getting stuck in life, and their life’s work is helping people get un-stuck and moving forward.  I’m thoroughly amazed at their humility – AND their competitive side.  If they didn’t train themselves to compete, like an athlete competing in the Olympics, then they wouldn’t be helping the sheer number of people that they help on a daily basis.

Amazing, amazing people.  I can’t wait to meet Tom in person at the Real Savvy Success event in Orlando, Florida this coming April 2011.

And you can play a big part in helping me get there!  I’m “humbly competing” in a photo contest to win a ticket to this event!  I’ve been shy about asking for help so far but I’m not letting my ego get in the way.  I’d really appreciate your help to get me there!  To help me, follow steps 1 and 2 below:

1. LIKE the page Real Savvy Success at http://www.facebook.com/realsavvysuccess

2. LIKE my photo at http://on.fb.me/dSF4Z1

Thanks in advance!!!

What do you think, can you be humble and competitive at the same time?

If so, how?  If not, what stops it?

Is it easier to let kids make a mess than it is to let ourselves as adults make a mess?

Last week my kids and I were playing bowling.  My daughter was frustrated that she was no longer getting strikes like she did when she first started playing.  I took her to the side and explained, “It’s normal that sometimes we’ll do well and sometimes we won’t do as well.  It’s a game we can improve on our skills over time.  When we don’t do as well, can we find a way to still have fun?  That will keep us going.”

Little did I know that conversation for my daughter to learn from “losing” or “failing” would prepare me for my work week to come.

Truthfully, this making a mess thing scared me.  My fears kept me from my potential, the potential that my God planted within me.

Being willing to make a mess means being willing to make a mistake.  Do you fear making mistakes?  It’s time to uproot that fear and crush it.  That fear will keep you and me from living life fully.

That being said, I’m in the process of making a mess.  It was scary at first to step into it but once I did, there’s no turning back.  AND I LOVE what it does in me on the inside.  The best way I can describe it is…

“…to have faith is to have wings.”  ~J.M. Barrie

What’s this I stepped into?  It’s working my business as a profession and tapping into ad campaigns.  For a stay at home mom like me to step into the role of a business developer with both feet has got to be one of the scariest things I’ve ever done.  In the past I’d done it with one foot in, one foot out.  This mediocre commitment produced mediocre results.

A full-on commitment means being willing to make a mess toward your dreams.  Earlier I spoke of my conversation with my daughter about “losing well”.  Well the exact thing happened to me as I was working with the people I called – I wasn’t doing as well as I did the first week.

Should I let that stop me?  Absolutely not.  I want to “lose well”.  It was a setback but setbacks don’t mean it’s over.  Sometimes the greatest success comes with failure first. (From Spa For The Soul)

Do you let yourself make a mess toward your dreams?

Today is Work At Home Wednesday!

Last week you read about why I blog, a new concept I’m applying to save time on blogging, and a little bit about why I started in business.  This week, you’ll see what my workspace looks like.

Now, I’ll admit my home office desk is not as organized as I’d like it to be.  So today I’m showing you what I affectionately call my Summer Blogging Station.  It’s the perfect set-up to apply that new concept I told you about last week – “chunking” or “batching” through an hourly focus.

That hourly focus is helping me through the summer months to work more effectively around my kids, as they’re home full-time.  Since I started this last week, I estimate saving a couple hours a day doing the same blogging activities:

1.  Write a blog post that’s been brewing in my mind.

2.  Read others’ blogs and comment on their blogs.

3.  Reply to comments on my own blog.

4.  Follow others’ blogs.

That’s more time to spend with my kids!  Here’s my workspace during the day.  When the kids are home, every hour I spend 30-45 minutes with them, I set aside 15 minutes for focused blogging right here:

And my daughter’s looking over my shoulder:

It’s actually a sofa table that temporarily serves as a work surface.  Here I can see into the living room where they keep playing.  I have easy access to the kitchen behind me for snacks or water.  All I need is my computer.  It’s the best place to enforce the 15-minute timer and feel extremely productive!  I’m loving it!

Today I’m also joining in on Show Us Your Business Wednesday.  It’s a great way to meet other “socialpreneurs” – people who use social media to network, connect and promote their businesses, blogs or brand.

Go check them out to meet other work at home business owners, entrepreneurs, Etsy shop owners, and more!  They’re also showing their offices/workspaces today, so be sure to visit them.

If you enjoyed this post, you can grab my button and link up right here:

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I heard this on a webinar training the other day:  The success rate in the real estate industry is estimated to be about 6%.  That means 94% of all the people that get their real estate license never sell a house.

Now why?  You gotta wonder, right?  What is it that makes the difference between the businesses that succeed, and those that don’t?

In the home business industry, the success rate is 2-3%.  We’re encouraged to never quit though.  In order to achieve something great, we must refuse to give up.  So why do people quit?  As my business coach Tom Challan puts it, people quit because their “junk in the trunk” is exposed.  This industry exposes people where they’re at in life – fears, work ethic, past habits, procrastination, etc.

The people who make it are the ones who commit to succeeding long-term.  It’s as simple and complex as that.  We get to work putting all the ingredients together to form our goals, focus, and motivation.  We’re getting rid of the distractions and hindrances.  We move beyond the “junk in the trunk” (fears, no work ethic, etc.)  We’re personally and professionally growing.

Here’s a great case in point.  My business partner Patty Gale shared this insightful video on Facebook.  Take a look at why Amish businesses succeed.

What are some things you see in Amish businesses that make them successful?  And how can you apply them in your business if you own one?

Ever wonder what the home business industry’s really like?  In this post, you’ll get to hear some of the good, bad, and ugly from my own journey when it comes to working from home…

Recently, I’ve been asked this question:

“How long since you first got introduced to networking and all this started?”

I thought I’d answer that here for the first official week of Work At Home Wednesday!

The Good:

When I was in San Luis Obispo working as a Christian ministry field staff, I was invited to a church craft event, I believe in 2002.  I LOVE arts and crafts and was already making cards with rubber stamps.  At this event was where I was introduced to scrapbooking through the company Creative Memories.

Through networking with Creative Memories consultants, I discovered the world of direct sales and later on, network marketing.  I was pregnant with my first, and knew I would be a stay at home mother.  So the idea of a home-based business sounded great – I could make some extra income at home doing something I love!

So I embarked on researching different companies, and in the process found a few whose products absolutely amaze me.  Very high caliber ingredients, results, and even packaging.  I wondered, why aren’t these products sold in stores like other products?

I since learned that these companies cut out a lot of the middle men and advertising costs, so they can pay on-the-field marketers to spread the word via what’s commonly known as word-of-mouth advertising.  They can also make their products extremely high quality as a result of this method of marketing.

After contracting in a few of these companies and much valuable training, I realized a person’s business must reflect WHO THEY ARE.  As networking businesspeople, we must not separate who we are from our business.  Our deepest values in life express themselves through our business, and so we must find a way to integrate the two.  Who we are IS our biggest business.

The absolute coolest thing that I love about the home business industry is the personal growth opportunities.  It can get intense; however I welcome it because through this kind of personal growth, I’m overcoming a lot of the obstacles in my life that I otherwise would not face head on and grow from.  I’m all for harnessing my hindrances and weaknesses to go the distance and be better equipped to impact others’ lives forever!

I’ve only scratched the surface in terms of the good of this industry.  There’s so much more that I can get into here!  But let’s move on…

The Bad…well, the intensity of the personal growth.  As good as it is, it can also feel like a fire has been lit under you and you’re either gonna let it burn away the stuff in your life that gets in your way…or not.  The beauty of it is, it’s your choice.  Another bad is…a higher probability of felt rejection and failure.  You’ll feel like you’re hitting brick walls quite often, and so there’s ample opportunity for developing “thicker skin”!

The last bad I’ll address is getting over the belief many of us may have regarding marketing, especially as Christians, and that’s “marketing is evil.”  I don’t know about you, but when I first started, I had this belief.  I won’t go into full-blown detail here in this post (which is meant as an overview).  I can do that in future posts if you want to know more about it.  So let me know if you do, ok?

The Ugly…well, in-fighting.  Leaders stealing other leaders’ organizations.  Companies and marketers that aren’t honest and end up giving our industry a bad name…an ugly name.  There’s a higher potential for gossip as teams grow in size.  Leaders being jealous of other leaders.  I think I’ll stop with the ugly.  You get the idea.  This kind of stuff can happen anywhere, don’t you agree?  As long as we live on this planet, we’ll have these kinds of problems and conflicts.  What counts is the maturity and skill to handle these conflicts gracefully.

That’s why personal character growth is so important!  One of my mentors, Dani Johnson, puts it best, “Your income follows your personal growth.”  So even with the Bad and the Ugly, the home business industry comes back around to equip and empower us to be the kind of people who live passionate, purposeful lives.  The kind of people who make a difference for future generations.  Who are equipped to engage with people, celebrate life and bless those in need.

What about you?  What are some of the good, bad, and ugly from your own journey in the home business industry?

What is it that makes Work At Home Wednesday different…

…from all the other online business support communities out there?

Honestly, I don’t know.

All I know is, you’ll get heard and listened to.  Our culture is to share our hearts, struggles, joys and victories in building our businesses.  Everybody has a valuable story and journey to share, and we can help each other out a lot just by sharing it transparently!

The truth is, many more of us struggle than we want to admit.

It’s not uncommon for us to feel overwhelmed, alone, rejected, misunderstood and just plain frustrated.

Don’t get me wrong.  The home business industry is an awesome industry!  But let’s face it, it’s a TOUGH industry.  98% who enter it don’t make it.

Sometimes it’s just a 1-2% shift in thinking pattern that makes the difference for you and me.  That’s why I believe with all my heart that a caring, supportive community is so vital in helping you and me thrive.

Combine support with skill development, and you’re already way ahead of the 98%.

I’m committed to MASTERING the art of building relationships…making business personal through relational artistry.  Solid Relationship is the strongest glue that holds our organizations together and solidifies our checks long-term.

So…

Our mission for Work At Home Wednesday is to provide a place where you and I can be real to share where we’re at, give and receive encouragement, and share tips & strategies along the way that will increase our skill level and professionalism.

That means more and better results over time.  Less headache, less rejection, and less time spent working.

I’d love for you to join us!

To start things off, please introduce yourself here!

I trust you’re enjoying your weekend – many of you are having BBQ’s as we speak!

Right now I want to pause and remember our fallen soldiers on this Memorial Day.  The price they paid for others’ freedom…our freedom…

And there’s a new kind of life after death.

It is with mixed soberness and excitement that I introduce to you a few new things here on this blog.

You see, the fear of failure, success, and what people think…has got to die.  Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed.  But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

I admit, up until now, I’d been letting my perfectionist tendencies keep me from really getting to know and love on people – even though that’s what I want to do through this blog.  And for whatever reason, I’ve also pushed aside my love for music and my faith, and not allowed myself to express this side of me.  I was so encouraged by Patty Gale through her post, Shhhh…We’re Not Supposed To Talk About It.  So, I’m facing my fears head on…

I’m opening this blog up to interact with you more!  That’s always been what I love to do and I don’t want anything to hold me back from it.

Here are the new things to be on the lookout for:

• Starting next Monday, I’ll be sharing Mindset Monday with a twist.  Stay tuned!
• This coming Wednesday, I’ll be kicking off the new Work At Home Wednesday platform for home business entrepreneurs!  Come and join in and invite your associates and friends!
• Tomorrow, you’ll read about what makes Work At Home Wednesday different from other online business communities.
• In the meantime, check out the newly revamped Best Of page, where I share some favorite posts.
• Last, but not least, I want to get to know you!  I’m a big fan of building community, and have opened up a spot on my sidebar that links to a page where you can introduce yourself .

I’m very excited and looking forward to getting to know you!

Most of us in the U.S. live with debt.  We also have the money to buy extra things we may or may not need.  So how do we determine what to buy or not buy, what to invest or not invest into?

First, let’s look at this question:

What are the most common areas of investment people make?

1.  Stocks

2.  Real estate

And what’s the greatest investment a person can make?

One where you’re the one that determines the value of the investment.

Go here now for more on how to break the debt cycle and earn 16% on your money

This video will only be up for a limited time and then it’ll be locked up in the member’s area…so I encourage you to watch it today.  You’ll be glad you did!

And while we’re at it, guilt and shame too…

Assumption #9 in 12 Christian Beliefs That Can Drive You Crazy says, “Guilt and shame are good for me.”

Is that right?!  Let’s take a look at the questions asked during our Safe Haven group discussion…

1. Where have you heard the “guilt sermon” the most before?
2. What is healthy guilt and shame?
3. What is unhealthy guilt and shame?
4. Would you consider yourself guilt-driven or love-driven?
5. What are some of the eight steps you can do right away?
6. Which ones do you need most help on?
7. Is there anything we can do to help you?

Fear is a real force that affects millions of people.  We all get afraid or scared about SOMETHING.  Everyday, there’s crime, intimidation or even wounds that keep us in bondage to fear.

There’s fear of being rejected, fear of making a commitment, fear of losing relationship.

So how do we live life to the fullest…how do we get fear to work for us, instead of against us?

One way to start is to recognize for you, what are the door openers to fear.  For many people, it’s indecision, procrastination, inaction.

The path of fear is sneaky, and sometimes not obvious.

Fear also speaks through condemnation.  Fear of condemnation can be very heavy.  Condemnation seems to speak to us in the middle of the night sometimes and seems to come with a heavy feeling in our stomachs.

“You’ll be tormented in fear if you do not step out in faith.” ~Dani Johnson

Take a look at Romans 8:1.

For direct, practical help on how to handle fear and make it work for you, watch the video on How To Defeat The Power Of Fear In Your Life by Dani Johnson.  All I know is, if there’s anybody who can teach it with more effective boldness than Dani, I haven’t seen it.

Watch the video here before they move it into the members area

You’ll be equipped to defeat this crippling force called fear, that keeps millions in emotional and spiritual bondage, that prevents us from living the lives we were designed for.

Then visit a mom with courage, whose vision is to help save Sacramento girls from modern day slavery.

You’ll be touched and inspired by the determination, courage and vision of one mom who decided she will make a difference for these girls.

Here’s a cool show I listened to today from Eric Worre, My Final Thoughts on the Mike Dillard Interview.  It’s episode #92 on his website.

In it, he states that the same things that make people successful in the online world are the same things that make people successful offline.  If you’ve heard the argument between “new school” and “old school” marketing, aka online and offline marketing, you may be surprised at these 3 things common to both genres:

1.  Face your fears (and turn your weaknesses into strengths).

2.  Develop your skills.

3.  Make yourself more valuable.

Eric loves how Mike ended the interview by saying, “Pick one skill and master it.”

“Become KNOWN for something,” Eric continues, “to the whole world, to your group, to your neighborhood, to your company.  Become known for one thing.  Pick something and become known for it.”