The truth is…no matter how good you are, and no matter how carefully you plan, things will go wrong in your business! There will be times when people aren’t entirely thrilled with you!

Here’s what inspired today’s message. Our tech team recently took on the huge task of upgrading our servers. One client came up against a hiccup during the upgrade and lashed out with a pretty scathing email that was both accusatory and tough to receive. In this case, despite our best efforts, I realized we just couldn’t appease this particular customer.

I wanted to share with you how I worked through it because what came out of it is actually something really beautiful, something valuable for the team, and something we’re going to use going forward.

I wrote down and answered five powerful questions.

1.  What’s true about this?
   When you’re triggered and feeling defensive, you can’t always see what’s true.  But, there were things that were accurate in what she said.
2. What’s not true?
   There was a lot that was unfounded.
3. What am I willing to own?
   What will I take responsibility for in order to make the most of this situation?
4. What can I do to remedy this?
   How can I mend this client connection and what can we do to prevent it from happening again?
5. What am I going to take from this going forward?
   While we all get triggered when we’re feeling wrongly accused, if you access the truth about something and you access your desire to serve and make a difference in the lives of your clients, you can respond powerfully and purposely.  Good things can come from any situation.

So, while it was not an easy morning for us, our team walked away with more clarity about what we can do in the future in similar situations.

We also came away feeling as though no matter what, we can manage.  We can go through this journey because our vision for our business is so much more important than any triggered state. And as long as we come from a place of service and we’re willing to take responsibility and make changes going forward, it’s all good.  It’s all good.

So that’s my message to you, straight out of the life of Jane Deuber and her amazing team, growing this amazing business.

Take responsibility for what you should own.  Practice self-love and let go of what you shouldn’t own. I’m wired to be a pleaser.  This sets me up to take “client dissatisfactions’ pretty hard.  My guess is that is true for you as well.

So, next time you’re triggered by something that has gone wrong, write out and answer the five questions. You’ll find that it will center you and allow you to respond from a place of power and clarity…and you will then uncover the beautiful take-aways from the experience.

For further advice on managing difficult moments in the life of your business, schedule a strategy session with one of my business mastery coaches. Get started here.

Personal Growth inspiration, strategies

I’m asked this all the time…“Jane, how do you get so much done?”

The truth is, time management for Entrepreneurs is essential to success but not typically something that comes naturally.

So to keep myself on track and in service to my clients, I’ve actually made it a habit of tracking how I get so much done in a day.

I offer 10 tips here. Let me know which tip is your favorite!

1. Perhaps first is, I’ve got good at saying NO. No to tasks that don’t light me up, projects that aren’t aligned with my goals, clients that aren’t in sync with what I offer. “No” is the best efficiency tool you will ever have.
2. I know my “power rhythms” and I work them to my advantage. I know myself – how I’m wired and I design my day around that. I know when I’m best at writing, networking, closing deals, leading my team or creating a strategy. Different tasks require different parts of me and I’ve learned to move with my natural rhythms. Read more…

Maintaining Mindset, Personal Growth inspiration, progress

One of the greatest gifts (and challenges) that business owners face is the juggling of the many roles of the entrepreneur. On a daily – even hourly – basis we are called to shift gears and perform tasks that are as varied as the items on our “to do” list. It’s the source of entrepreneurial stress that sends some into overwhelm and others to the sofa in an effort to shut out the demands of business ownership.

Knowing that not a lot gets done eating Bon Bons on the sofa, I’ve honed a strategy that supports me in moving through my day with greater ease and effectiveness. It’s my way of calling forth the traits and skills that are required for the myriad of tasks on my plate. Call them roles, archetypes or alter egos, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that they help me experience my days with more joy and effectiveness and that’s pretty cool. Meet the many parts of me…

The Visionary is the Dreamer with their eye on the future and their feet firmly planted on the ground. When we step into the role of Visionary, we stand in possibility and see trends and opportunities that the other parts of us can’t see. It’s the Visionary that can champion a cause, align the team with what needs to get done and rally the masses around one unifying vision. The Visionary measures the short and long term strategy against the core values of the company, making sure the team never loses sight of their overriding purpose. It’s also the Visionary that inspires others, stimulates collaboration and ultimately understands that the vision only happens when the right team is aligned. Read more…

Business Growth, Business Vision, Maintaining Mindset, Personal Growth inspiration, productivity, strategies

One of the things that continually astounds me is how the simple act of “getting clear and focused” can literally transform the experience of my days and the results I get to enjoy.

I’m inspired to share this on the heels of a full day of planning yesterday, during which I brought together various team members (live and virtually) to discuss our shared vision, define our key strategies, establish our priorities and get clear about where each of us will be “working our magic” to make it all come together over the next two months. Were there other things I needed to be doing? From phone calls and emails to our next program launch, there were lots of things I could have been doing for that 7 hour stretch of time. But the reason I make time for these strategic Planning days is that I know that for every hour I not only save 4 hours in productivity, I also give my team the gift of clarity, contribution and collaboration – all of which keep them productive, fulfilled members of my team.

With clarity about where I should be investing my time each day and our priorities clearly laid out for the rest of my team, we can ward of overwhelm and step into that sweet space of confidence, joy and purposeful action.

Purposeful Planning…

• Gives you a sense of direction, meaning, and purpose
• Reduces uncertainty, anxiety, doubt and fear Read more…

Business Growth, Business Vision, Maintaining Mindset, Personal Growth inspiration, progress

I’m feeling really alive today. Not a manufactured sense of aliveness conjured up to mask the not-so-good feelings that might otherwise be there.  This morning, my aliveness feels real, grounded and sweet.

So I’ll take it into my day as I cross off the “to dos,”answer the emails, make the calls and complete the projects.

What’s cool is that lately I’ve been feeling this sense of joy and peace – even in the midst of my crazy life of growing two businesses, raising a son, nurturing a marriage and celebrating life with friends.

So I think I’ll use this – right here in my morning practice.

As a student of my own personal transformation I want to linger here awhile in this sweet sense of aliveness. I want to get curious as to how I arrived here. If I can understand what brought me here, I can be more mindful in returning to this place – at will. If I understand how I got here, I can take it into my work with my clients as I support them to find joy, freedom and fulfillment as they grow their business. And finally,I can share it with you as I am sensing that “feeling truly alive” is something you may be seeking as well. Read more…

Maintaining Mindset, Personal Growth inspiration, strategies

OK… so I did it. I’ve started writing my book. I wrote the first pages last weekend and umm… gulp.

While I’ve been sitting with the desire to write another book for some time – it’s been a recent series of nudges that pushed me into action. That and the inner voice saying… it’s time Jane, it’s time!

So I’ll be using my occasional blog posts as a place to share the evolution of what I’m anticipating will be some pretty cool and innovative thoughts around helping solo entrepreneurs experience more joy, more fun and oh yes… higher revenues along the way.

So in an effort to keep the Inner Critic at bay I’ll begin with WHY. Why embark upon this journey of putting my thoughts about growing a successful business in a book?

First – not only are entrepreneurs my favorite people on the planet, I am also one of you. Having founded four successful businesses over the last 24 years, I know the feelings of excitement when you reach a milestone, close a deal or make a difference while making a profit. It’s sweet. Read more…

Maintaining Mindset, Personal Growth inspiration, productivity, progress

If this is your first visit with me I’ll begin with a nudge to begin not with this entry, but with my last entry – Journey to Wholeness.  Starting there will add depth to what I’m about to share – a background if you will to why Making Choices is a personal celebration of what happens when you take a stance to live the wholeness of your life.

It’s been two weeks since my re-commitment to design my “Work Life” first to serve my personal and spiritual evolution and secondly to meet my financial needs. I’ve spent the better part of those two weeks stepping back and looking at the options before me. Imagine standing on a country road in the middle of nowhere with three possible roads calling out.

There’s the road I’ve recently traveled. That one holds big adventures, personal affirmation and oh yes… lots of doing. I can already feel the adrenalin kick in as I contemplate this road. I feel my heart race and my stomach tighten as I think of big goals, long to-do lists and… the absence of ME. Been there, done that. While this road holds many rewards it also requires a pace so fast that I miss out on the scenery, the simple moments and a connection to myself. No thanks. Read more…

Maintaining Mindset, Personal Growth inspiration

It’s May 28, 2010. If I could, I would put one of those five pointed gold stars on this day – the kind we used to get in school when we finally got it right.

You see, today’s blog entry is a leap of faith for me. It’s not a marketing ploy or a part of some grand scheme to overtly move you into one of my training programs or have you click on a link and take me up on a coaching offer. Nope, I’ve let go of all that and am stepping into TRUST.

Today I am celebrating that I am one year into a personal journey that has changed me at my very core. I’m celebrating that I now see and experience my life and work as one big beautiful journey.  I’m honoring my lean and healthy body at the age of 50. I’m appreciating the depth of connection I have with the people in my life, and I’m acknowledging that while I’ve come so far in these past 12 months, I’ve only just begun.

Today I’m also publically committing to follow through on a promise I made to myself in August of 2009, to take only those projects and clients that serve my personal evolution and help usher me into the work I am supposed to do and the person I am meant to be.

Today I’m stepping into my belief that we all get to have a business that is wildly successful and beautifully fulfilling – all at the same time. I’m calling myself to a higher level – not just for my own evolution but because I sense I’m supposed to figure some things out for all of us who want it all.

Today I am inviting you to join the journey which is actually pretty scary for me because when we extend an invitation, there is always a chance we will be rejected. But that’s OK. This journey is first for me and secondly for those of you who feel discontentment in your experience as an entrepreneur and want some new ways to find joy, peace and success on the way to building your business.

What’s ahead? I have no idea.

But what I can promise you is this…

1. I will write often. No promises of how often but you can count on me to show up and share numerous times a week no matter what’s happening in my life and business.
2. I will write honestly. I’m taking off the mask and putting aside my very real need to look like I’ve got it all together. Been there done that. And while my game face serves me at times, it’s not honoring the fact that who I am today is all I need to be to make a difference in this world.
3. I will look for new solutions. This is where it gets fun for me. You see, I’ve got two big beautiful needs… to create and to contribute. In writing this blog I get to do both. My hope is that the insights and solutions I find for myself will in turn, serve you.
4. I will be authentic. I promise to be me. That means some days I will show up powerfully and full of confidence and other days I will show up wobbly and unsure. I’ll do this because I want you to find comfort in knowing I fight the same demons of doubt and fear on the way to my dreams.
5. I will make it fun. This is a growing edge for me and so I’m calling myself to bring levity and fun to the process. It’s a nudge from my dear friend John Dulworth who has opened my eyes to how much more meaningful the journey is when we don’t take ourselves so seriously.

So how about it?

Will you check in now and then to watch the journey unfold? Will you comment when you are moved or share an insight you’ve gained? I hope so because I’m sensing what will unfold over these next 6 months will be something pretty cool and I’d be honored to have you on the journey with me.

Maintaining Mindset, Personal Growth inspiration, progress, prosperity

Humility, in its purest form, has been hailed in movies, honored in classrooms and preached from the pulpits. But what is it really? What is at the heart of humility? Look up humility on line and you’ll see it defined as the quality or condition of being humble; modest opinion or estimate of one’s own importance, rank, etc.

My view of humility comes from a deeper place based on my own personal experience. I believe when we stand in a place of humility we are in essence honoring the value and brilliance of others. Not just the ones we have put on the pedestal or who by rank, serve as our leaders and mentors – I’m talking about those behind the scenes as well.

I’m reminded by a beautiful quote by Mary Kay Ash that went something like this… “To be a leader we must honor the person who cleans the floors as much as we honor the person that owns the floors.” Doesn’t this pretty much sum it up? Is anyone really any more brilliant than the other? I think not.

However, humility can be an interesting thing when it comes time to market our services, ask for business and close the deal. To do this, we are holding ourselves up as the “keeper of the keys” to the answers and solutions they are looking for.  I know that it sometimes feels a little odd to hold myself up as an “expert or guru” despite the fact that I have evidence after evidence of the impact I can have on a personal business and personal life.  Thank goodness I have friends, a coach and many clients who remind me of the value I offer.  Their experience of my work nudges me to “step into my power” and let her rip! I write the blog (you are reading evidence of one now), I make the call, I extend the invitation to work with me – all from that place of remembering the valuable impact I have on others.  Sure, there is a little voice inside telling me “it’s not right to brag.”  I hear that, check to make sure I’m coming from the right place and then keep on keeping on!

I believe I’m not different from you! The landscape of my day may be different. I may be talking to different people and my list of things to do might involve different tasks, but aren’t we all looking for a way to express our value to others in a way that’s comfortable and effective?  Aren’t we all simply looking for a way to express the difference we know we can make? I get it and I’m with you!

So let this serve as a reminder to myself and you that if the ultimate goal is to create the life we truly want to live, we will need to stand in our greatness and do the stuff that sometimes scares us. But what’s a little discomfort today if it leads to having what we truly want tomorrow?

So I invite you to find a comfortable blend of humility and power. To honor the greatness in yourself as you see the greatness in others.  It’s from this place that we can use our talents for the greater good of all.

Business Growth, Marketing Innovation inspiration, marketing

Usually when I pose this question I am using it to help a client more clearly define their ideal customer.  But that’s not the intent of my question today.  My question “Who does your business serve” is a check in for you regarding who you want your business to ultimately benefit.  Is it your customer, your employees, your creditors, or perhaps YOU?

Certainly… your business needs to serve your customers. I’m a huge proponent of making sure every coaching client has a crystal clear picture of their ideal customer and a game plan on how they will serve them. Without knowing who we serve and how we’ll do that we can’t possibly have a profitable, thriving business.

My invitation to you is to go deeper with the question, “Who does your business serve?” What is your life as an entrepreneur really like? Is it a never ending marathon moving from one item on your to do list to the next? How do you feel on the inside? Is there tightness in your chest or an uneasy feeling in your belly? How about your schedule? Is there time woven into each day for you – time to eat well, to exercise your body, to connect with your inner world and be with your loved ones or are you moving so fast that you miss the moments that make up an extraordinary life?

I ask this because I have had a business that served everyone BUT me. That business had all the signs of success – healthy revenues, national notoriety, successful teams and paychecks that afforded me a beautiful lifestyle. But behind the scenes I was in pain – working too much and sleeping too little. I spent too much time in front of my computer and not enough in nature or at the gym. I put client calls before talks with my loved ones and began my mornings answering emails rather than connecting with my higher power. The business clearly did not serve ME.

Thankfully, this time around I’ve gotten smarter. I now have a business that serves me as well as my customers, team and the bottom line. I start my days with a morning practice that keeps me clear and centered throughout the day. I get my butt to the gym or run to the beach at least five times a week. I schedule in time for myself, my loved ones and time for play. In essence – I have a business that leaves space for all of me.

What’s exciting is that the more my business serves ME, the more I show up in both my business and my personal life. I am productive, creative, focused and incredibly happy.

How about you? Do you need to make some adjustments in your business model so there is more room for you?  If yes, begin with a good hard look at the past two weeks of your life. If you found yourself crowded out by your never-ending list of emails, phone calls and obligations – it’s time for change and I would be honored to help.

Jane Deuber is an internationally known business strategist, best-selling author and highly sought speaker.  Jane has also served as a leader in the virtual training movement. Over the past four years Jane has helped over 3000 entrepreneurs experience higher profits and greater fulfillment. Let Jane show you how to create a business that serves YOU as well as the bottom line. Take Jane’s Business Innovation Quiz and find out if you are on the path to having a business that serves you. Email us at: support@janedeuber.com or call 831-375-6856.

Business Growth, Maintaining Mindset inspiration, prosperity