High-Achieving Women's Blogazine

There are so many people in transition these days. Career transition creates stress and its wreaks havoc on our mental, physical and spiritual well-being. During this time you may need to pay attention to the effects of stress and learn to take care of yourself when you’re in transition.

Here are 5 great ways to get started:

1. Keep a career journal: Journaling is an extremely effective way to manage your career transition and maintain a healthy perspective. This should be done consistently every week for at least two nights per week.  Don’t forget to include your thoughts about your transition.

2. Set boundaries and maintain the set boundaries: Life can get overwhelming when you’re in transition. You must remember to set boundaries for yourself as a way to curb the feelings of overwhelm on a daily basis.

3. Exercise your body while you expand your mind: Regular exercise is critical to your well-being, especially during career change when stress levels are much higher. You must make it a priority to engage in some kind of aerobic exercise at least three times a week.

4. Get and keep support: It’s easy to get discouraged by the terrifying statistics about the job marketplace. During this time more than ever, you need to surround yourself with positive optimistic people who will support you during the transition.

5. Emphasize the positive, eliminate the negative: When you’re in transition, sometimes it can seem like there are those naysayers at every turn. Keep the ‘Negative Nellies’ and other defeating influencers at bay.

Remember that you deserve a healthy well-balanced life of learning, new experiences and ventures, solitary time and spiritual growth, especially during times of transition.

If you would like to know more about the ‘art of’ collaborations, strategic alliances, partnerships, high-end list building, getting noticed in the job marketplace or how to position your company for growth, I invite you to become a member of the Global Association of High-Achieving Women.

If you want information that will allow you to maximize your footprint and potential for business growth and career success go to our Freebies Page and sign up for a wealth of free information.

Love, Success and Greatness

Dr. Laureen

Million Dollar Solutionist™

Twitter: DrLaureen  
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/drlaureen
Facebook: http://profile.to/drlaureen

© 2010 Dr. Laureen

PS: If you haven’t done so yet, head over and become a Fan (Like) of the Global Association of High-Achieving Women?

PSS: The Global Association of High Achieving Women and Masterpiece Solutions are the sponsors of the free monthly newsletter: Elevations™. Elevations™ has three focus categories:  Your Career – Your Business – Your Life and You. If you would like to receive free monthly issues of Elevations™, please provide your name and e-mail address below.

In Part I, Collaborations are the Key to Business Success, I discussed what constitutes a collaboration and why it is a key element in taking your business to the next level.

Collaborations begin the minute you have the inspiration for a project – even if you don’t know who you want to collaborate with. Start by recognizing that when you collaborate, a new energy is created that is ‘bigger than both of you’.

Here are a few tips to follow if you are thinking of working with another person or business:

1. Have a specific vision or common objective and make sure that it is one that you both share.
2. Create a written mission statement and develop an action plan. Be as specific as possible by including the tasks you both are responsible for and the roles that each of you will play.
3. Develop a written contract or memorandum of understanding (MOU). Be specific about monetary and time commitments and the division of the benefits from the project.
4. Set regular meeting times and make sure you have an agenda. Have specific, clear goals with deadline dates.
5. Without reservation, accept the other person’s skills and methods of working.  Remember they will have to accept your skills and method of work as well.
6. Be sure to utilize the skills that are unique to each collaborative partner.
7. Keep the lines of communication open between collaborators.
8. Build the collaborative relationship on mutual respect, trust and lots of humor.

One of the best things that you can do to make your project really soar is to incorporate masterminding principles and techniques. The book ‘Think and Grow Rich’ is a good reference source.

If you live in Houston, you might want to attend: Take It Up a Notch Boot Camp Intensive® While the rewards of strategic alliances, partnerships and collaborations definitely increase the return on investment, more significantly than what can be accomplished independently, many of these alliances fail due to the lack of not knowing how to apply ‘new economy’ techniques for building successful for-profit and non-profit collaborative relationships. This intensive boot camp  starts August 3^rd. To register and reserve your seat: http://bit.ly/bxm6i8 .

Love, Success and Greatness

Dr. Laureen Wishom

Million Dollar Solutionist™

twitter: DrLaureen  
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/drlaureen
Facebook: http://profile.to/drlaureen

© 2010 Dr. Laureen

I received a call from a former client who wanted to know my thoughts on forming business collaborations.  I reminded her of what Anne Frank’s once said: “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much”.

Collaborations are the key to business success. Think about the TV reality show: Survivor. The players consistently display the power of collaborations by building alliances early in the game. In most cases, those collaborations ensured a victory.

Business guru, Stephen Covey started the collaborative trend that extols the value: “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”. Collaborations are the difference between winning and losing the game. With this being said, it is not much different in the world of business from the TV reality show: Survivor.

Collaborations are key elements in taking your business to the next level. It is a powerful business building strategy, which is often overlooked, yet it is an easy business practice that produces powerful results that increase your footprint in the marketplace.

Love, Success and Greatness

Dr. Laureen Wishom

Million Dollar Solutionist™

twitter: DrLaureen  
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/drlaureen
Facebook: http://profile.to/drlaureen

© 2010 Dr. Laureen

In the new economy, strategic alliances enable businesses to gain a competitive advantage by accessing other entities’ resources, including their markets, technologies, capital and people.

Although the below list is not all inclusive; traditionally, businesses use strategic alliances to:

• achieve advantages of scale, scope and speed
• increase market penetration
• enhance competitiveness in domestic and/or global markets
• enhance product development
• develop new business opportunities through new products and services
• expand market development
• increase exports
• diversify
• create new businesses
• reduce costs

Strategic alliances are becoming a very powerful tool for expanding the reach of one’s company without committing the owner to expensive internal expansions beyond h/her core business model or budget.

Love, Success and Greatness

Dr. Laureen Wishom

Million Dollar Solutionist™

Twitter: DrLaureen  
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/drlaureen
Facebook: http://profile.to/drlaureen

© 2010 Dr. Laureen

One of the fastest growing trends in business today is the increasing number of strategic alliances. A strategic alliance can range in scope from an informal business relationship based on a  simple  contract to a joint venture agreement.

For small businesses, strategic alliances are a way to work together with others toward a common goal while not losing h/her individuality. Alliances are a way of reaping the rewards of team effort – and the gains from forming strategic alliances appear to be substantial. Studies have shown that companies participating in strategic alliances reported as much as 18 to 25 percent of their revenues coming from their alliances.

A strategic alliance is essentially a partnership in which you combine efforts in projects ranging from getting a better price for supplies, for by buying in bulk together, and by building a product together with each providing part of its production. The goal of an alliance is to minimize risk while maximizing one’s leverage and profit.

A strategic alliance is not, however a merger or acquisition. A merger is the full joining together of two previously separate corporations. A true merger in the legal sense occurs when both businesses dissolve and fold their assets and liabilities into a newly created third entity. This entails the creation of a new corporation.

On the other hand, an acquisition is assuming ownership of another business. The acquisition can be made through a direct purchase or through a merger agreement that involves the exchange of assets.

While there are similarities in which a business might consider one of these solutions, they are far from the same. Mergers and acquisitions are permanent, structural changes in how the company exists. 

A strategic alliance is simply a business-to-business collaboration. Another term that is frequently used in conjunction with strategic alliances is establishing a business network. Alliances are formed for joint marketing, joint sales or distribution, joint production, design collaboration, technology licensing and research and development.

You can learn more about strategic alliances by attending: Take It Up a Notch Boot Camp Intensive® scheduled to start 8/3/10 in Houston, Texas.   You will learn how to create sponsorships, form strategic alliances, partnerships and collaborations. It all starts on August 3^rd.   To register and reserve your seat visit:  http://bit.ly/bxm6i8.

Love, Success and Greatness

Dr. Laureen Wishom

Million Dollar Solutionist™

twitter: DrLaureen  
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/drlaureen
Facebook: http://profile.to/drlaureen

© 2010 Dr. Laureen

I received a call from a potential client and here is what she asked: “I recently had the opportunity to talk with a CEO of a major company who was willing to share some words of wisdom with me at the recommendation of a mutual friend.  He gave me a lot of information and I decided to ask him why he was willing to give me so much information when I am going to end up being his competitor. The CEO’s departing words were: ‘I am not worried at all, because I can produce it faster than you can consume it’. “What was he trying to tell me and do I need a business mentor to ensure proper growth?”

My response was very simple:  “You are part of a marketplace that thinks in terms of scarcity, where people compete for limited opportunities. The CEO thinks in terms of abundance and unlimited opportunities”.

I told the client that when someone comes to him for help, he should give them everything that he can. I suggested that he must find a mentor and in turn become a mentor.

Studies show that organizations that have launched well-planned mentoring programs report lower employee turnover, higher productivity and more employee satisfaction.

Here are a few things that successful mentoring makes possible:

• The development of a strong and capable leadership with a line of succession
• The opportunity to improve the organization’s scorecard
• The ability to connect people within the organization
• The  capability to upgrade skills and knowledge
• The opportunity to not only attract but to retain the best people

Just remember that mentoring does add something to the people you mentor and it adds something to you. Through the mentoring process, you practice diagnosing situations and designing effective responses. You become more skilled in giving feedback and drawing out what is considered ‘untapped potential’. You will also experience the satisfaction of seeing someone reach higher and achieve more and you build a reputation for ‘growing people’.

Having a reputation for ‘growing people’ is worth millions; if you want to success great remember this: ‘the more you give the more you receive’.  Mentors are not a luxury, they are a necessity.

If you would like to know more about how to avoid time wasters and how to form collaborations, partnerships and strategic alliances which will impact your bottom line, become a member of the Global Association of High-Achieving Women. Membership does have its privileges and it will definitely impact your bottom line.

Love, Success and Greatness

Million Dollar Solutionist™

twitter: DrLaureen  
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/drlaureen
Facebook: http://profile.to/drlaureen

© 2010 Dr. Laureen

In part 1 of HOW TO STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD AND AHEAD OF THE COMPETITION, I discussed the first two ways to stand out in the crowd and ahead of the competition: 1. Stand out by doing different things and 2. Stand out by doing things differently.

Outlined below are the two additional ways for standing out:   They are:

3. Stand out by stirring emotions

Did you know that clients will surely remember you when you stir their emotions in a positive way?  It’s time to rev up the warm fuzzies.  Start by making people laugh and have some fun throughout the interaction. Whatever emotions (e.g. having fun, feeling powerful, showing empathy and being successful) are important to your clients; make them feel it in a big way.  Be sincere, and don’t hold back on the ‘drama’ (in this case ‘drama’ is a good thing).  You must act big to make them feel big.

4. Stand out by being consistent

If you are always something or never something (whether good or bad), then you are standing out in that way. That’s because consistency makes your message stick. It’s important to decide how you want and need to stand out in the minds of your target audience and always behave or present yourself that way.  Remember that anything done consistently creates a brand reputation. What do you need to be or do consistently?

In summary to stand out from the crowd and the competition you must:

1. Stand out by doing different things
2. Stand out by doing things differently
3. Stand out by stirring emotions
4. Stand out by being consistent

You can start by committing the next thirty days to identifying three ways where you can stand out in the marketplace and develop an implementation plan.  The more you stand out the more you outclass the competition.

Mark your calendar for the June 8^th teleclass entitled: “IS YOUR ‘FEAR BEAST’ OUT OF CONTROL OR HAS IT BECOME A PERMANENT WARDROBE ACCESSORY?” This teleclass will cover how to handle the fears associated with career change and career transition; the 7 tips for keeping your fear under control while taking your career and business up a notch in challenging times; the 7 tips for managing stress when fear prevails and how to break free of your fears and start reaching your dreams.

It is also the preview call for the launch of the Global Association of High-Achieving Women. This first-ever membership association is designed for high-achieving female career professionals and women business owners who want to ignite their careers and businesses through the use of the association’s innovative professional development tools, masterminding, platinum-style coaching, and leading-edge business growth and career success strategies. Be sure to register for this teleseminar at: http://tiny.cc/nf7q5 I will be giving away some powerful career and business growth materials valued at $500+.

Love, Success and Greatness

© 2010 Dr. Laureen

Standing out in a productive, positive way requires deliberate and conscious efforts to get attention, get noticed and achieve desired results.

All of us stand out in some way; but the question is whether we are standing out in the ways that help us realize our desired results.

If I asked you: “How do you stand out right now?” What would be your answer? Is the answer that came to mind helping you achieve your short- and long-term goals or is it keeping you from getting noticed?

Here are 2 tips for standing out in the crowd and ahead of the competition:

1. Stand out by doing different things

You can stand out by doing something that no one else in your marketplace is doing.  So it’s about getting creative. You can stand out by inventing, developing or initiating something new or unique that meets the needs for your target market. Think about what products or services you currently offer and how you can re-purpose them so they stand out in a crowded marketplace.

2. Stand out by doing things differently

You can stand out by doing common things in an uncommon way.  Think about Southwest Airlines.  By adding your own creative spin you can make the ordinary, extraordinary, and exciting.  So what can you do to spice up your products and services?

What are some of the different ways you can present or deliver products and services to your clients so you stand out from the crowd and ahead of the competition?

I hope you have enjoyed this blog post.  Watch for the next post where I will conclude with the final 2 tips on how to stand out from the crowd and ahead of the competition.

I must share this with you: “I always tell people that one of the greatest compliments you can give me is to tell me that I am different.  When people are different, they make a difference”.  I said this to say… its okay to be different.  If everyone else is going right – then you go left.

Mark your calendar for the June 8^th teleclass entitled: “IS YOUR ‘FEAR BEAST’ OUT OF CONTROL OR HAS IT BECOME A PERMANENT WARDROBE ACCESSORY?” This teleclass will cover how to handle the fears associated with career change and career transition; the 7 tips for keeping your fear under control while taking your career and business up a notch in challenging times; the 7 tips for managing stress when fear prevails and how to break free of your fears and start reaching your dreams.

It is also the preview call for the launch of the Global Association of High-Achieving Women. This first-ever membership association is designed for high-achieving female career professionals and women business owners who want to ignite their careers and businesses through the use of the association’s innovative professional development tools, masterminding, platinum-style coaching, and leading-edge business growth and career success strategies. Be sure to register for this teleseminar at: http://tiny.cc/nf7q5 I will be giving away some powerful career and business growth materials valued at $500+.

Love, Success and Greatness

© 2010 Dr. Laureen

In the Part 1 of ‘Top Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make When Starting and Growing a Business’, I shared with you three common mistakes entrepreneur make. Just as a recap, the three mistakes are:

Mistake #1 – Not having a business plan

Mistake #2 – Losing the passion too quickly

Mistake #3 – Expecting success to come overnight

In the Part 2 of ‘Top Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make When Starting and Growing a Business’, I shared with you Mistake #4: Not Enrolling and Completing ‘New Business 101’.

In this post, I will discuss the syndromes that fall under: Mistake #5: Not Enrolling and Completing ‘New Business 102’

The course ‘New Business 102’ is a continuation of ‘New Business 101’.  This course is designed to help you avoid the very common business mistake syndromes listed below that are normally made during the start-up and growth stages.

1. Neglecting Continuing Education Syndrome
   
   You are the only renewable resource, besides your employees, your business has. You may be a master at getting the most out of your other resources, but how are you doing with you?
   
   
2. Not Having a Plan in Place Syndrome
   
   Many small business owners avoid planning at all costs. The old adage, “Failing to plan is planning to fail”, is true. Without a well-thought out plan for establishing your business, running your business, and marketing your business, you will waste a lot of time which you don’t have.
   
   
3. All Work and No Play Syndrome
   
   Running your own business is hard work. However, without proper relaxation, you will become increasingly less productive. Here’s my suggestion: Take a walk. Talk to people along the way. Join a gym and work out. Join a professional group or a Rotary or Lion’s Club.
4. Take Your Existing Customers For Granted Syndrome
   
   Remember the first few customers you ever had? Remember the appreciation you had for them? Remember the little things you did for them? When did you stop and WHY? If you avoid looking after your existing customers and they will go elsewhere.
5. Never Ask For Referrals Syndrome
   
   Happy customers are a major business asset. That asset can yield benefits in many ways. But you have to ask. Instead of spending a lot of money on your advertising, why not ask customers for referrals? Referral sales are the cheapest and easiest way to grow your business.
6. One-Stop Shop Mentality Syndrome
   
   Many business owners fail to achieve their true potential because they try to be all things to all people. You need to target your ideal customers. Look at your product. Ask yourself who would benefit most from your product. Once you have selected a targeted group, learn everything you can about them and go after them.
   
   
7. Neglecting Marketing Syndrome
   
   It is so easy for a business owner to get caught up in the daily operations of a business. The inventory ordering, data input, and more, can become all consuming. Then one day you look up and wonder what happened to the business.
   
   Marketing is all about future sales. You plant the seed today to reap the benefits tomorrow. If you want a long-term successful business you simply must market.

For those of you who read this post and who will commit to avoiding these seven mistakes, you just completed ‘New Business 102’.  Stay tuned for my next post (part 4) where I will continue to discuss the top mistakes that entrepreneurs make when starting and growing a business.

I will host a special teleseminar on June 8^th entitled: “IS YOUR ‘FEAR BEAST’ OUT OF CONTROL OR HAS IT BECOME A PERMANENT WARDROBE ACCESSORY?”

* How to handle the fears associated with career change and career transition?

* How to handle the fears associated with the 8 stages of starting, developing and growing a business?

* The 7 tips for keeping your fear under control while taking your career and business up a notch in challenging times.

* The 7 tips for managing stress when fear prevails.

* How to break free of your fears and start reaching your dreams?

Be sure to register for this teleseminar.  I will be giving away some great materials on fear and success. http://bit.ly/aVgiqK

Love, Success and Greatness

© 2010 Dr. Laureen

In the post: ‘Top Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make When Starting and Growing a Business – Part 1’, I shared with you three common mistakes entrepreneur make. Just as a recap, the three mistakes are:

Mistake #1 – Not having a business plan 

Mistake #2 – Losing the passion to quickly 

Mistake #3 – Expecting success to come overnight 

This post will cover: Mistake #4: Not Enrolling and Completing ‘New Business 101’

There are a number of courses designed for new business owners and many of these courses are free. The problem is that new business owners do not enroll in this type of course because they think they do not need it or they just don’t get the importance of this type of course.

The below six mistakes are important and they must be addressed.  If not, these mistakes can drain you of your money, time or even kill your business venue permanently.

1. Failing to pay attention to corporate formalities.

    (not setting up your business entity correctly and failing to protect your personal liability)

2. Failing to appropriately address founder’s equity.

    (not looking at all options: founder, co-founder, venture capitalist, etc.)

3. Failing to raise enough money.

(not understanding that things often cost twice as much and take twice as long as anticipated)

4. Failing to save for a rainy day… spending money too quickly.

    (not spending money wisely)

5. Failing to pick the right advisers.

    (not screening investors, board members, service providers carefully)

6. Failing to protect intellectual property assets.

    (not adhering to copyright laws and protecting your assets)

For those of you who read this post and will commit to avoiding these six mistakes, you just completed ‘New Business 101’.  Stay tuned for my next post (part 3) where I will continue to discuss the top mistakes that entrepreneurs make when starting and growing a business.

I will host a special teleseminar on June 8^th entitled: “IS YOUR ‘FEAR BEAST’ OUT OF CONTROL OR HAS IT BECOME A PERMANENT WARDROBE ACCESSORY?”

* The difference between fear and phobias and are some fears ‘good’ fears?

* How to handle the fears associated with career change and career transition? 

* How to handle the fears associated with the 8 stages of starting, developing and growing a business?

* The 7 tips for keeping your fear under control while taking your career and business up a notch in challenging times.

* The 7 tips for managing stress when fear prevails.

* How to frame and break free of your fears and start reaching your dreams?

 * Why you need to practice getting uncomfortable if you are going to up level your career or business?

Be sure to register for this teleseminar.  I will be giving away some great materials on fear and success.

Love, Success and Greatness

© 2010 Dr. Laureen