How to Pet the Monster

January 21, 2011

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When you build a business, you’re actually building an entity, separate and apart from yourself and the work you do. It’s a thing, like a child or a pet or a relationship. And it’s helpful to think of it that way.
I actually picture my business like the big blue monster in the 2001 movie, [...]

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Seven Easy ‘Exactly What to Do’ Steps to Take So You Can Enjoy More Time, More Profit, and Get Back to Doing the Stuff You Love

January 18, 2011

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I’m doing a special teleclass tomorrow. It’s about exercising your Business Brain.

Here’s why you might want to listen in:

Have you done wonderful, valuable things for your clients, but haven’t really worked out the framework of your own business?
Do you hold the work you do for clients in such high regard (because you’re [...]

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Did you have misconceptions about being the boss?

January 12, 2011

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It sounded like a great idea to start my second blog, PowerSmarts, for Q&A, when I came up with it. Lots of people have more than one blog. And I liked the idea of having one separate spot for answering questions.
But every once in awhile, like now, I feel torn between my two blogs [...]

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How you sabotage your own work . . . and yourself

January 9, 2011

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I was on the phone with a client right before the holidays and ran into an amazing phenomenon, again, that happens with my clients — I call it the “Just Me” Curse.
I’m sure I run into it because of who my clients are: values-driven creatives, coaches, and consultants.
It goes like this (and I’m [...]

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As seen on. . .

December 28, 2010

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I’ve been pretty busy lately. And it’s been the holidays. But that’s no excuse for me not telling you about my first guest post on the very excellent, wildly popular (138,894 subscribers at the time of this writing), and downright inspiring blog about creating compelling content, Copyblogger. I’ve got to tell you, it was [...]

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Do you have the courage to be imperfect?

December 15, 2010

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I can’t stop watching this video of Dr. Brene Brown, who set off to study connection between people. In her research, Dr. Brown found that connection can’t be studied without bringing in love and belonging and worthiness. It just comes up.
Here’s what she found: There are two types of people —

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Get a Jump on Business in the New Year, Now

December 13, 2010

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It’s that icky time for you, when you just kinda want to slide through the rest of the year, isn’t it?
All your friends with “real” jobs are doing it — heck, their brains left their bodies right after the U.S. Thanksgiving weekend. It’s the holiday season — it would be so tempting to turn [...]

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Stop Procrastinating

December 5, 2010

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It’s easy to put things off — everyone does it. Ha! I just started this post with one of the excuses you use to procrastinate, didn’t I? It makes you feel better to know you’re in good company, so you can let yourself off the hook — again.
The thing is, procrastination in itself is [...]

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How to Have an Indestructible Business

December 2, 2010

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You’re probably very good at what you do. In fact, that’s why you started your business — because you can do something amazingly well, you have a passion for it, and it really helps people. So far so good.
But every once in awhile, when you’re not doing what you love to do so much [...]

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Get Out Of Overwhelm with Sticky Notes

November 28, 2010

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I’ve talked to several business owners in the last few weeks who are stymied by the same thing — having lots of great ideas, but just not knowing where to start to get anywhere with them. I also heard this during a conversation with a coach for a major marketer last week: she told [...]

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The Three Phases of a Small Business: Which One are You In?

November 19, 2010

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In my work with small business owners, the same themes keep coming up over and over again, and it’s usually pretty easy to tell where each one is on the entrepreneurial path.
Here are some areas most small businesses get stuck:
getting caught in the weeds,
not having a clear vision,
not monitoring finances properly or at all,
having [...]

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Be more successful online by being seen more online

November 17, 2010

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OMG, can it really be this simple?
I’ve always been so, so, so interested in what captures attention. Having owned a marketing communications firm for 25 years, and now coaching small business owners, I’m still fascinated and intrigued by what it is that initially captures and then holds the attention of potential customers. What makes [...]

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Does your workspace fit the way you work?

November 12, 2010

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Funny stuff happens when you start mixing things up. You learn some things about yourself.
Last week, during a Q&A session my friend, ADHD expert Jacqui Sinfield, and I were doing for our “Ask Marcia and Jacqui Anything!” open line series for entrepreneurs with ADHD or ADHD tendencies, I shared. And Jacqui nailed me.

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How energy and emotion affect business

November 9, 2010

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You’ve heard that if you talk to your plants, they’ll be healthier and grow better. It’s been scientifically proven with special cameras that can photograph the energy fields of the plant.
During experiments, when a plant was exposed to “dangerous intentions,” its energy field got smaller. When intentions were positive, as when people came to [...]

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My GramMargie’s Solution for Business Inspiration

October 4, 2010

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When was the last time you sat down in person with someone you like, and shared ideas? Not on the phone. Not on a video conference. In person.
My mother was a redhead in a family of redheads. Five kids with fiery tempers and personalities, and they often picked on one another. Mom was the [...]

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How to Run Your Business with Fearlessness

September 27, 2010

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Want quick, no-nonsense answers to business questions everyone wonders about but nobody asks? Answers that will give you confidence in sticky business situations?
Check out my new Q & A style blog, PowerSmarts. I just unveiled the site today, and will continue to stock it full of answers from my PowerSmarts emails (you can sign [...]

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Use Emotion to Win Clients

September 27, 2010

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I want to give you a heads up about a guest post I wrote for Parse, the brainchild blog of Jenn and Ken Visocky O’Grady, presented by the very respected HOW magazine.
My newest post is called “Use Emotion to Win Clients,” and I’ll be posting there monthly from here on out.
Here’s an excerpt:
When having [...]

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Always Be Real

September 24, 2010

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If you’re on my mailing list, you know by now that the reason this blog has been neglected for a few months is that I’m retooling my business.
I’ve taken a break for awhile — on purpose.
I really needed some time to stop and take a look at my business. It just wasn’t making total [...]

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Recommended Reading List

June 16, 2010

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I was asked for a recommended reading list by several people I met when I was speaking last week in Denver at the HOW Design Conference. Because my topic was “Be a Better Manager: The 3 Major Principles of a Great Team,” this list covers my favorites for management, leadership, business, and some good [...]

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Entrepreneurs with ADHD: Work with Your ADHD Tendencies, Not Against Them

May 21, 2010

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Did you know that people with ADHD are 300% more likely to start their own business than someone who doesn’t have ADHD?
300%! That’s a lot.
And because ADHD is under diagnosed in the adult population, there are probably many more entrepreneurs with ADHD who aren’t included in that percentage.
I had no idea how prevalent ADHD [...]

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My Pink Ladies Post: Marcia’s Power Tools for Business Building

May 12, 2010

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Melanie Kissell started this. She wrote a post about her favorite tools, the ones she uses to market her business, and a lot of us really liked that post. From that came her idea for the Pink Ladies of Online Marketing, where those who commented and were lurking around from Connie Ragen Green’s 30-Day [...]

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My 5 Commitments, & the End of the 30-Day Blogging Challenge

May 8, 2010

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I have thoroughly enjoyed Connie Ragen Green’s challenge to write 30 blog posts in 30 days. I’ve gained a new appreciation for my blog throughout this challenge, and for the value of writing and posting consistently. So I’m declaring right here and now my new commitment to post to my blog on a more [...]

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Avoiding Success: Why Don’t You Live Up to Your Full Potential?

May 8, 2010

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Here’s an interesting fact from the US Government:
During the average workday, most people spend more time goofing off than doing “real” work.
On average, 53% more time, in fact.
It gets worse.
When they are doing their “real” work, more often than not they are actually either:
a.  Only pretending to work
b.  Doing “busy work” with no value
… [...]

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You’re a Bit Crazy: Think you have ADHD?

May 7, 2010

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I did a teleclass back in March with a friend and colleague, Jacqueline Sinfield of UntappedBrilliance.com, an ADHD expert and coach, who is also participating in Connie Green’s 30-Day Blogging Challenge with me. Jacqui and I got a terrific response to the call, which was titled “The Surprising Similarities Between Entrepreneurs and Adults with [...]

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