Helpingpreneurs want to help. Imagine that. You have a giving heart and a spirit of support, healing, and love. Often times that beauty stops you from being business first. And business first is really important. Gina Ratliffe uses wonderful terms about service professionals asking

Are you a hobbyist?

or

Are you wealth conscious?

The wealth conscious entrepreneur understands that values, standards, and efficiency not only serve your business model, but serve your clients and customers. Is your business running organically and a little on the fly? Do you have policies, guidelines, and procedures in place? You cannot imagine how it will improve your effectiveness and your clarity.

Here are five must haves to make sure you are a wealth conscious entrepreneur and not just a hobbyist.

1. Honor your Commitments

In business your commitment is your word. Be on time, be ready, and overdeliver. I have actually had a coach who did not show up for calls. Now, we all make a mistake, but follow through, show up, and deliver. If you have a product going out, be certain it goes out on time. If you are delivering a service, make certain it is as promised. You may glass these over as obvious, but stop and think. Am I honoring every commitment at the absolute highest level?

2. Set an Example

I read a great quote the other day… “Your sermon is best told by your life and not your lips”. Make certain you are modeling the positive image for your business and services. Your appearance, presence, energy, and language all represent YOU. It is easy to get busy in the day to day and forget what we are sharing. Sometimes it can be the smallest thing that someone picks up on and that is the image they carry forever. Preach through your actions and your words.

3. Run it Like a Business

When you are in the service indsutry, the same best practices business rules apply. You do not avoid policies, efficiencies, and procedures because your business is helping and supporting others. To truly help and support, you run your business clean and clear. Have policies, have your team and your clients understand them, and have them in writing. Keep all conversations and communication on a business level and remind yourself why you are running this business. If you are here to serve, then make sure your business is serving everyone’s highest interest by being clear and being well informed.

4. Have a Mentor

When you have a seasoned person to ask for guidance and support, everything is easier. One of my mentors always says, “Business is messy” and it can be, so to have someone to sound board, ask, and advise is leveraging your best interests in business growth. I am telling you….MENTORS….I don’t leave home without them.

5. Be Uncomfortable

Change is good. Not always easy. Not always comfortable, but it means something is shifting and we are moving. Being uncomfortable in your business and stretching yourself beyond the comfort zone means you are NOT in hobby mode. Begin to worry if everything is perfect and you are care free! It is in the discomfort that we risk, journey, and leap!

Your gifts are unique and only you can share the blessing of you. Make sure you are in wealth conscious business mode. It will serve you, serve your clients, serve your success, and serve your income growth.

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In each and every moment of your life (including this moment right now) you have an important choice to make. Will you choose to be scared, or choose to be free? In the events of the past few weeks, and the passing of my mother-in-law, I was acutely aware of the choices I had in each moment.

When my husband and I found out how suddenly the end was approaching, it was quite shocking (and untimely). There was a tiny voice in side of me that started going through all of the “what if’s.” What if she passed before David got there? What if I needed to close my business for the week… or cancel my retreat? What if I never got to say goodbye? What if…

As soon as I noticed the contractions around all of the “what if’s,” I realized they were all coming from a place of fear. They were making me feel like I was running scared. I’ve never gone through this before; I didn’t know how to BE or what to do. So, I asked myself, “is this how I want to be feeling right now?” Did I want to be feeling the fear, the frantic energy and the worry about “what if?” Well, the only answer to that question was no.

So, instead I chose to feel free within myself and make decisions from that space. Not surprisingly, grace joined me in that place and we easily got my husband on the next plane out of Baltimore with no problem. (While he didn’t make it to his mom before she passed, he made peace within himself around her passing.) I changed the date of my retreat to start one day later and the attendees adjusted to the change with such grace, as did the bed and breakfast I was holding it at… they had the exact number of rooms I needed for the new dates. My parents quickly adjusted their schedule to watch Janet while I was at the retreat so David could stay with his father in Sacramento for an extra week. And, on and on…

I stopped running scared that I wouldn’t have the time I had planned to prepare for the retreat, and chose to release my attachment to what I “thought” I “needed” to do… and the freedom within me allowed for more grace to unfold in a magical retreat. Instead of running scared about some commitment I had to break, I chose to be free within myself and not beat myself up about having to let some things go so I could be present with my husband and family.

There was so much happening in such a short period of time, each moment was a choice I had to make. Will I run “scared” or will I run “free?”

I invite you to ask yourself this same question right now with whatever is happening in your life. What are you choosing to be your experience? Are you running scared or running free?

Some of you may immediately go to a place in your mind that will quickly begin listing all of the “reasons” why you ought to be scared. Remember that this voice that causes you to feel contracted, fearful, scared, paralyzed, etc… is the voice of your ego. Simply allow yourself to acknowledge the voice. Let it feel heard.

But, as my spiritual teacher says… then turn UP the volume on the voice of your Higher Self. Listen to this voice more closely. Listen for the truth that resides deep within your soul. Your soul sings the song of freedom… no matter what circumstances may be occurring around you. It is YOU that can choose in any moment to allow fear or freedom to determine how you feel.

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I’ve done the same thing. I’ve invested more money than I care to admit to learn how to grow my business. And, I grew my business to a point that many would consider incredibly successful. But, what I didn’t realize is that I was growing the business on a cracked foundation. Why? Because I listened to others more than I listened to myself. I tried to model others, more than I created a unique model that worked for me. I did what I thought I should do rather than what was 100% right for me and my life. I allowed some of my decisions to be made from my ego, rather than my heart.

You may find this ironic to hear from the woman who is known for her authenticity and for being a pioneer in conscious entrepreneurship. It surprised me, too, when with the help of my spiritual teacher I looked more closely at the business I had created and saw many things about it (and myself) that needed to shift.

What scared me the most, when I realized I hadn’t been listening to my SELF, is how many other people this is happening to. I teach about conscious entrepreneurship, I make it a discipline to be awake and aware to what’s really happening in my business. I focus on the conscious journey I’m on. And, yet I was asleep in some ways. I felt such compassion for myself that I hadn’t truly listened to the depths of my soul and what it was saying to me, and I felt compassion for all entrepreneurs who are asleep in some way in their business.

So, I’ve been on a journey of learning to listen to myself at a deeper level. And, I invite you to join me on this journey, too. I want to share four of the ways I’ve been deepening my ability to listen to my self. And, conveniently, they spell S.E.L.F…

Silence In a world filled with noise, noise and more noise… silence truly is golden. As entrepreneurs, we’re overwhelmed by email, phone calls, TV, radio, social media, blogs, teleclasses, a long “to do” list, etc. And, it’s all draws your focus to the external. Yet, in order to succeed as a happy, fulfilled, successful conscious entrepreneur your focus needs to be inside of yourself. Silence is how this happens. So, today, please take five minutes to sit in silence. Breathe deeply and tune into your internal world. Enjoy the silence and time to simply be with yourself.

Evaluation Rather than rushing from one thing to another, chasing creative ideas as quickly as they arrive, allow yourself to evaluate everything. With each step you take in your business, be conscious about what’s happening. Does it feel right? Is it working? Is it fun and easy? Did you say “yes” when you wanted to say “no”? Is it worth it? Is it profitable? Too often, entrepreneurs get so excited about what’s next, that they move forward too fast and say “yes” too often. The biggest gift you can give yourself is to honestly evaluate what you’ve done and what you want to do to make sure it is completely aligned with you, your business and your life.

Listening Listening piggy backs on silence. Once you turn your focus inward to be present with your own beautiful being, it’s the perfect time and space in which to listen to your heart. For entrepreneurs, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the external world of money, success models, marketing, networking, creating, etc. But, none of the external aspects of your business will come together with grace if you don’t take time to listen to what’s TRUE for you.

Focus on Freedom Every decision you make in your business needs to bring you closer to Freedom! And not only financial freedom; but freedom in every area of your life. If you make a decision in your business that robs you of a freedom you want in your life, it’s not the right decision to make. Focusing exclusively on financial freedom can lead to overwhelm, confusion, exhaustion and frustration. When you focus on freedom on every level… financial, spiritual, physical and emotional… you will be guided to make the right decisions for your self.

I encourage you to write these four principles on a sticky note or index card right now and place it somewhere near your computer. Use it as a reminder to be silent, evaluate, listen and focus on freedom as you travel the path of conscious entrepreneurship.

Copyright © 2009 Christine Kloser

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When I was in Las Vegas recently with my mastermind colleagues, we originally thought we were there to take our businesses to the “next level.” After all, isn’t that what mastermind groups are all about? Progress in your business! But, I soon began to notice something each time a colleague stood in front of the room to share… the realization of which leads me to third gift I received in Las Vegas.

Gift #3: The only “next level” is within YOU.

Colleague after colleague, each time someone stood in front of the room and started talking about where they were in their business, it became crystal clear that the only journey we were there to take was the journey within.

Many entrepreneurs (myself included) have made the mistake of thinking that business growth is something that you experience on the outside in terms of increased clients, more money, more web traffic, more referrals, more invitations to speak, more of whatever you desire in your business. And, yes, those things are all outward expressions of growth… but the only thing that SUSTAINS the external growth of a FULFILLING business is the internal growth of your soul.

Sustained, fulfilling growth does NOT come from what you DO in the external world; rather, it comes from the work you do on the inside. Sustained growth and the progress of your business’ evolution is less about the business than it is about YOU. As a conscious business owner, the only thing stopping you from all the success you desire is you, not your external circumstance.

Please forgive me if I’m coming on strong here, but I speak from my own experience. If you’ve been following me for any length of time, or have read my new book, you know that I have been through some very challenging times in my business… on the edge of bankruptcy and struggling to pay my rent. It wasn’t until I stopped TRYING to make my business work, (and started to INQUIRE WITHIN about where I needed to grow so that my business COULD grow)… that my business drastically changed for the better. So, now when I catch myself focused on the external aspects of my business, it’s a reminder for me that the growth isn’t going to occur “out there”, the growth is going to occur inside of me. Then, and only then, do I experience the results I desire on the outside.

So, the next time you find yourself wanting to get your business to the “next level”… it’s a sign that the time has come for you to go to the next level within yourself. Where do YOU need to go? What’s working? What’s not working? Why are you unfulfilled with the current state of your business? What would “light you up?” What old thoughts no longer serve you? It is this self-inquiry that leads you down the path to REAL, sustainable and fulfilling success.

Copyright © 2009 Christine Kloser

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Feel like you lost your calling in all this marketing madness? I know. In the quest to build our dream business we can sometime lose sight of the gift that fueled that BIG business dream. One of the best ways to attract clients and quantum leap your business results is to reconnect with the special gift. We can overwhelm ourselves with marketing information overload and find ourselves not living our purpose, not loving the work, and frankly… tired.

Here is my quick fix for the marketing weary! A mini revolution!

1) Check your message

What is it you are sharing with people? Are you clear? Are you sincere? Are you sharing the benefits of working with you and how you can offer solutions to people’s problems? But mostly, are you speaking from passion and your divine purpose? People can smell sincerity and they will know if you are not connected to your calling.

2) Mediate on your meaning

There are certainly strategies that allow you to market effectively, but all of them fail miserably if you have lost your meaning. Why are you marketing? Why are you using the strategies you are using? Why the language? Every choice in your marketing must reconnect with your meaning and the big mission you are on. Take a moment in your marketing strategies to pause, meditate, reflect, and reconnect with your meaning.

3) Ask more

We can not help anyone without asking. I try to ask 100 people a week to join me in my movement. 100 people MINIMUM. I started this business to help more people and I simply can not do that unless I am actively asking people for their business. You can not ask enough. You can not help too many people. It is your blessing.

4) Appearing as defeat

Recognize that the obstacles may well be opportunities. Napoleon Hill says, “We see men who have accumulated great fortunes, but we often recognize only their triumph, overlooking the temporary defeats which they had to surmount before ‘arriving’.” Our opportunity may not come in the package we had expected. Temporary defeat can blossom into great opportunities.

5) Make your mess Your Message

Tell more of the not-so-pretty stuff. Clients want to connect with your message. They need you to tell the whole story and not just the success parts. The greatest gift we have is empathy. Don’t hide your empathy to look “good” or “impress”. Your full story is the impressive story.

6) Become Hype Free

Are you sharing the best of you and giving away the good stuff? People don’t need hype and they certainly don’t buy hype. Check your messages, your language, and your marketing and make sure you are providing high content, high value, and the highest level of support.

7) Start a Movement

Your calling is your blessing to the world. It is not just an idea or a method… it is a revolutionary tool to make a difference. Don’t just market – find the grass roots calling inside of you and create a movement. You and your gifts are revolutionary – go big! Start a movement.

———————————————————–

Suzanne Evans is best known as the ‘action expert’ and has coached hundreds of solopreneurs to model her multiple six figure business. Learn how you can help more people, make more money and have more fun doing what you love by signing up for your free copy of the 5-Part Mini-Course ‘Awakening Your Authentic Entrepreneur’ at http://www.helpmorepeople.com

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One of the characteristics you may possess as a conscious business owner is strength. I know this is true for me. I’ve been through so much in my business that I have acquired a tremendous amount of strength, especially during the times of adversity. Let’s face it, it takes strength to wake up everyday and pursue your dream when the odds look like they’re stacked against you. It takes strength to stay focused on your goals when life throws you a curve ball. It takes strength to stay true to who you are, when other people pile their expectations on you. It takes strength to endure in what can be a very challenging and uncomfortable journey at times. But, as an entrepreneur, you wouldn’t have it any other way.

However, strength (as we commonly think of it) is an illusion. And, this is the next gift I want to share with you from Las Vegas.

Gift #2: Your strength comes from your vulnerability.

When I arrived in Las Vegas recently, my colleagues would never have guessed what was going on inside of me. On the outside, it was apparent that I’m experiencing a lot of success: my book The Freedom Formula was just released, my new website was launched, my clients are making great strides, I recently hired four new team members to help manage the growth in my business, I have a clear vision of the next phase of my company…. I’m living in the “sweet spot” where gifts are manifesting every single day in surprising and awesome ways.

You’d think my feelings of strength and confidence would also be at an all time high. You’d think I would have bound up to the front of the room when it was my turn to share and rave about all of the great things happening to and through me. Now, I certainly could have played that role when I was speaking to my colleagues, but something inside me knew I had to be brutally honest with myself, and with them. And, so I proceeded to share some of the “wins” I was experiencing… and then proceeded to be completely vulnerable (as I’m being right here, right now, with you) and share with them that my confidence felt like it was plummeting. After they picked their jaws up off the floor from the shock of my statement, they gently asked me to tell them more about what was going on. And, I did.

I shared the struggles, fears, doubts and challenges that were surfacing along with my victories and successes. I allowed myself to let go of any feeling of how I “should” be and showed up exactly how I was in that moment. And, as a result of being vulnerable with my trusted colleagues, we all engaged in a meaningful discussion about the common challenges we (as entrepreneurs) face. The challenges we discussed were not about the external aspects of our business like marketing, systems, websites, strategy, etc. Rather, the discussions were around our spiritual connection, mission, mindset, passion, purpose and our desire to EXPERIENCE ourselves at our best THROUGH our business.

Somewhere in the middle of our deep conversation, I could feel my confidence and strength being restored. All I needed was to be authentic, honest and vulnerable with my trusted colleagues. And, allow myself to receive the abundant gifts that came forth from our deep conversation. What I discovered is that I wasn’t alone in my feelings of fear and doubt. And, that all of us (at one time or another) face these doubts in order to move through them.

I think where entrepreneurs get in a real “pickle” is when they feel they always have to show their strength; when they force themselves to appear like they “have it all together”; when they don’t have a space to simply BE and SHARE their truth.

So, I invite you to create safe and sacred relationships with colleagues you know, like and trust. And when your feelings of fear and doubt begin to surface, rather than willing or forcing your way through it, allow yourself to be authentic, honest and vulnerable. It is in THAT space where you’ll receive the abundant gifts that arise around and within you the moment you BE exactly who you are.

Copyright © 2009 Christine Kloser

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Many of you feel like you “should” hit the million-dollar mark because that’s what you see other people doing, (and we all know how over-marketed and over-hyped that is so I’ll spare you any more of that).

The truth is if a $75,000 business serves your mission, vision, purpose and expenses just fine and you are HAPPY with that, there’s no reason to grow to a million if you don’t want to. Striving for someone else’s dream only leaves you feeling exhausted, unfulfilled and “less than” who you truly are. And, that’s not what conscious entrepreneurship is about… it’s about doing what’s right for YOU, right now to fulfill your purpose and mission here on earth, and feel JOY while doing so. There is no where to “get,” it’s about the journey of your soul’s expression through your business, and your life.

Which brings me to the second part of the answer to my colleague’s “enough is enough” question. It became clear to me that “enough will be enough” when I see a change in how business is conducted in the United States and the world… where business actually becomes the way in which positive change comes about.

After all, commerce is what makes much of the world work (or not work). So, if we can make a change from the bottom-up… from small businesses just like yours to massive corporations… and truly have a unified model for conscious business to contribute to our evolution… THEN enough will be enough for me.

I’ve been telling people that I’m happily obsessed with the work I feel I’ve been called here to do for right now. Believe me, if it were up to my rational thinking mind, I wouldn’t be doing half the things I’m doing right now. I’d be spending a lot more time doing nothing; which is exactly the balancing act I’m figuring out for myself. How do I pursue the passionate mission I’ve been called to, while taking extreme care of myself?

There is so much change to occur in our world as we evolve into a new reality, that I sometimes feel like I have to keep going full steam ahead because the only time it’ll be enough is when I SEE large-scale change, (rather than destruction and constriction) when it comes to business… especially in the U.S.

But, full steam ahead doesn’t work for very long if I haven’t given myself what I need at a deep level to keep going. And, so my own journey continues as I ongoingly reflect on this question of “enough is enough.” And, I do my best to be gentle with myself as I discover how to continue on my mission of changing the face of business in the world, while keeping myself nourished, nurtured, relaxed, peaceful, joyful and happy all the while.

It’s an exciting journey, indeed… one I’m grateful to be sharing with you.

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However, this perspective of business as a competition reveals a scarcity consciousness. If you think that there is not enough “good stuff” in the world, you constantly compete with others to ensure that you get your share. This belief can ultimately lead to the immoral and amoral behaviour by some entrepreneurs that we read about in the media.

However, an abundance mindset has a totally different result. Someone with an abundance mindset believes that the universe is unlimited, that there are unlimited resources. Consequently, she knows that there is enough for everyone. She willingly helps others achieve their goals. She holds to Zig Ziglar’s belief that “You can only get what you want, if you help enough other people get what they want.”

Wallace Wattles stated in the Science of Getting Rich that “And because it is the deepest instinct of their natures, all men and women are attracted to those who can give them more of the means of life.”

As you serve your community, people will be drawn to do business with you if they can benefit from your product or services. As you help others get what they want, you show that you are trustworthy. For you know that people do business with people they know, like and trust.

As you assist others to achieve their goals and vision, your business becomes more successful. Business becomes a win-win for everyone! You are creating a profitable business as you serve others!

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