Archives for March 2012

A Change is Gonna Come

March 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Tis March and the weather in New England has been predictably unpredictable. This year, however, the unpredictability has been extreme. Last week it was 80 degrees in Boston and the kids in our town were stuck taking the state standardized tests in a school building without air conditioning. I, along with everyone else, was also caught off guard by the warm weather. Tomorrow night the temperature is suppose to drop down into the 20’s! Every morning is a new adventure.

In New England we are used to fluctuations in the weather, but this year has been a real roller coaster ride. It is one thing when the weather throws you for a loop, but how do you handle it when your business climate fluctuates? How do you stay cool with unexpected heat? How do you get the fire burning when things suddenly turn cold? While you can’t know every twist and turn in the road, there are strategies you can employ to stop those speed bumps from stripping the underbelly of your engine. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business Building Strategies, Overcoming challenges, Winning Strategies Tagged With: , ,

Open Wide

March 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment

There is a very funny phenomenon that happens when people first start taking voice lessons. They have a tendency to try to sing with their mouths closed! It’s a very strange thing. The whole point of lessons is to open up the instrument and learn how to let the voice soar. You would think if someone is willing to invest the time and money to actually take singing lessons it would be natural to open up and sing.  However, I have seen the contrary many, many times in my own teaching and watching other singers in master classes. Why is this so?

First, people are NOT AWARE they are not opening their mouths fully. Often when one sings with a partially closed mouth the voice actually sounds quite large on the inside. The sad truth is, however, the sound is getting trapped inside the singer’s body, rumbling around inside their throat, their mouth and their ears. It is not being projected out. As a result, the sound from the outside is small and muffled.

Secondly, in spite of the fact the student has invested in lessons and thus shown a genuine interest in learning to sing, they are AFRAID to let their voice out. Again, I have seen it many times, especially in young singers. The first time they open their mouth and let their voice really rip, they instinctively recoil at the bigness of their own sound.

Finally, a reason some singers do not open their mouths when they sing is they do not have the strength or coordination built up in their bodies to support their sound fully. Therefore, they are forced to “hold on” to their sound. They do not have the support mechanism in place to sustain the opening and project out. It is a technical and structural issue.

As budding business owners we are trying to find and project our voices too. Our stage is the marketplace. However, both the singer and the entrepreneur are trying to reach and entice their target audience. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business Building Strategies, Finding Your Voice, Projecting your Voice, Risk Taking, Success Strategies, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , ,

Think Like a Woman, Act Like a Woman

March 12, 2012 By 2 Comments

This month marks International Women’s Month where we celebrate the accomplishments of women and inspire women to be their best. This past weekend I had the privilege of speaking at an Empowered Women’s Seminar where we all shared our expertise and encouragement. It was very satisfying and exciting. However, one thing that stood out to me was the topic of safety. As many of the women in the group were business women who consult and sometimes travel to different locations for work, the issue of keeping yourself safe on the job came up. It struck me in that moment once again, how different men and women really are. I somewhat doubt an issue of personal safety would have been at the forefront of a business seminar for men. For women, however, no matter how successful you are, it is still a real concern. When I came home I mentioned that part of the seminar to my husband and he said, “That’s something I don’t usually think about.” Of course not, it’s just not something men think about as much.

Have you ever heard or seen the slogan “Think like a man, act like a woman?”  I have always been slightly uncomfortable with that slogan, but it wasn’t until I heard my husband’s response that I figured out why. As women, we are NOT men.  We are not female versions of men. We are women, completely different beasts. We do not have the same issues, the same bodies, the same minds, or exactly the same drives. Sure we share some things, but there are many, many things we don’t share. I love men and I don’t think women are better than men. On the contrary, I think it’s important to honor and leverage what makes each of us unique. Therefore, it is not my goal to think like a man, but rather to think like an intelligent woman. A man doesn’t worry so much about personal safety, however, a smart woman does. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business Building Strategies, Success Strategies, Uncategorized, Winning Strategies, Women in Business Tagged With: , , ,

Eat only what’s delicious.

March 5, 2012 By 10 Comments

I recently read an article about something called the “Snob Diet.” The idea is to be discriminating about what you eat. Instead of eating low-fat, processed “diet” food, you actually eat real, full-fat, scrumptious food. When you eat the real thing, the idea is, you are more satisfied so you actually eat less and lose weight. If you are like 99% of most of us, you are probably watching what you eat on a daily basis in an effort to stay as trim and healthy as possible, so the idea of indulging with Häagen Dazs may seem like diet suicide. But before you throw out the brie with the bath water, take a second look at the Snob Diet. It’s not about stuffing your face in a trans-fat frenzy, it’s about the experience of deeply enjoying the process of eating.

As business owners we would do well to pay attention to the Snob Diet. Whether we are talking about eating or the process of shopping, most people have a strong desire to have quality experiences. As consumers we are bombarded with garbage, with a lot of loud junk. We long for the experience that will transcend the noise and fill us with meaningful nourishment. As business owners we need to ask ourselves not only what is the best product we can provide, but also what is the best EXPERIENCE we can give our customers. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Authentic Branding, Bold Branding, Brand Building, Business Building Strategies, Connecting with your Audience, Finding your Niche Tagged With: , ,