Ask Others, Trust Yourself by Elisa Balabram

At the end of the radio interview with Wendy Hanson, she asked me to say one word that would help me move forward. My word was “commitment”. Why commitment? I can speak from experience that if you are not really, fully, completely committed to your idea, your vision, your purpose, it is not going to happen, or you are not going to make it happen. I was able to finish writing and publishing “Ask Others, Trust Yourself”, only after I committed to it. The day that I did it, I could no longer procrastinate, stop writing, let naysayers or fears take over. I had to keep going. What could you commit to today, that will propel you into taking action?

Wendy’s word for the day was “Action”. I like the idea of having a word to lead the day, and help you stay focused and accomplish your goals. Feel free to post your word of the day.

Last night was the last of the 8-week program I took with Lena West founder of xynoMedia Technology and guest writer of WomenandBiz.com, called Real Women Do Social Media. She taught us the importance of choosing the right social media tools for our businesses, of knowing our customers, of finding our voice, of having a schedule to blog and be present on social media, and of calculating the return on investment in each strategy we take. Many of them are strategies we are constantly hearing about and doing around the traditional marketing tools, but Lena points out how crucial it is to take similar steps within the social media world. She also shows women how to find their own voices. Lena has her own unique voice - in her articles and blog posts, she tells it like it is, and it is refreshing.

I’m looking forward to implementing all that I learned from Lena West. To learn more about the program and register for the next class, please visit www.realwomendosocialmedia.com.

My first step after taking the class was creating a schedule to blog, and I’ll be posting my thoughts, experiences, challenges and advice more often from now on. If you read anything that you like, feel free to post comments and join the conversation.

Wendy Hanson, co-author of The Sassy Ladies’ Toolkit for Startup Businesses, interviewed me for TheSassyLadies Blog Talk Radio show. The Sassy Ladies book is a great tool for someone who wants to start a business and it has a lot in common with Ask Others, Trust Yourself. For example, they also recommend that you don’t ignore the naysayers, but that you actually check in with yourself to see if the advice is valid. I also like the way they help you breakdown your vision for your business, into small steps you can start taking today. To learn more about the book, its authors and The Sassy Ladies, visit: www.thesassyladies.com. Here is a link to listen to the interview and learn what you need to know about asking for business help: http://bit.ly/cuDxwW

Thank you, Wendy!

Take a moment and ask yourself if you are showing up for your business. Are you showing up at all or are you hiding?

Recently, I encountered two experiences with people who weren’t sure they should show up for events, but when they did, they were happily surprised.

The first one sent me an email a couple of days prior to a woman’s business conference, saying that she wasn’t sure she was going to make it, since she didn’t see the value of going. I explained to her that it was a great opportunity to learn and I recommended that she showed up. She did and stayed through the end. When one of the organizers did a cash prize drawing, she won it!

The second one is a friend of mine, who wasn’t sure he was going to my birthday celebration a few weeks ago. He went and met a friend of mine who knows someone who needs his services.

I ask again, are you showing up? I can’t guarantee that if you do show up, something amazing will happen, but nothing will if you don’t. Take a look at our book tour page to find out where I’m showing up next. Hope to see you soon.

A few years ago I could have chosen any New Year's resolution, and if I would have just followed them, they would have made a huge difference in my life: Find a new job, lose weight, exercise every day, grow my business, go out more, etc. I chose instead to laugh more in the New Year. The year that was ending had been difficult, and I wasn't feeling great about my life or about myself.

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Secret #1 Start by asking yourself what do you need help with.

Secret #2 Make a list of your contacts and their areas of expertise.

Secret #3 If you don’t know anyone with the expertise you are looking for, ask for referrals.

Secret #4 Before hiring a coach, consultant or other business professional, ask for references and contact them.

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