Best Small Business Advice – Interview with Ali Grace

Until March 31, I’m running the Best Business Advice Ever interview series featuring successful entrepreneurs. I’ve asked each of them what’s worked, which mistakes they learned from the most, and the one piece of advice they have to share with you.

Ali Grace is the CEO of Guilt Free Goddess and Graceful Living Retreats. Ali’s transformative work as a coach, speaker and retreat facilitator shows women how to transform and realign their lives. Having survived cut-throat Corporate America, a major health crisis before the age of 30, devastating relationships, and financial crisis – a few times, Ali draws on her own exploration of spiritual psychology and her continual commitment to learning to inspire others to live peacefully and gracefully. Her lifestyle today bears little resemblance to her former six-figure, seven days a week sales career for a Fortune 500 company. Ali’s private coaching practice is dedicated to working with women and men in life transformation, co-dependent relationships, early life trauma and moving into life purpose.

As the first person in her family to graduate from college, Ali grew up adopting the belief that working hard equals success in life, and that it was achievable at a price. Her first job was at the age of 14 and she worked her way through college. Early in her career she climbed to a position as a sales manager for a Fortune 500 company responsible for a $1billion sales goal. Travel around the world, high income, and working seven days a week became the norm for her and was simply the cost of success. At age 28, she had a mild stroke and took time off work for the first time in her life. But that was still not enough to make her stop. Listen to the interview to learn:

• How she went from the proverbial corporate fat into the corporate fire (and why a new career only made things worse)
• Why we often think doing things the safe way will guarantee success, love and happiness (and why it often doesn’t)
• How being skeptical and “mainstream” kept her focused as she began the profound spiritual journey that changed her life
• What her Masters advisor told her about her “Triple A” high achiever work ethic and how her thesis experience turned into her new business

To get a complimentary download of this and other Best Business Advice Series interviews, enter your name and email here (it’s free and there are no sales pitches or upsells in these presentations – enter your phone number if you’d also like to get early notice of upcoming events). You will also receive a subscription to popular articles published by Corporate Fugitive and Sherri Garrity.

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Entrepreneur Beware – How to Find the Right Help

Many corporate fugitives start their businesses with a solemn vow to live footloose and fancy free and to fly completely solo. Self-motivation is good, but getting the right kind of help when you need it makes a world of difference. Entrepreneurs who are willing to invest wisely generally grow their business much more quickly and avoid expensive and time consuming detours.

But like any other consumer purchasing decision, buyers of professional services need to be savvy and aware.

Let me give you one recent example. I was speaking with a business owner who I’ve come to know. Although he has never been a client of mine, I’ve had the opportunity to watch his new business develop from an idea to a reality and I enjoy speaking with him from time to time.

He did all of the right things before he started his business. He researched his market well, and he took steps to develop services for the market based on what he learned, and not on what he thought they needed.

He was also willing to invest in hiring a business consultant. He had met this consultant through a university, and this person had credentials.

One of the consultant’s recommendations was to lease office space, so that potential clients would take him seriously.

Well, it didn’t take very long to realize that despite getting good response, the high overhead was really limiting his ability to get his business started off on the right foot.  This expensive detour set him temporarily off course and tied up money that could have been used to grow other areas of the business.

You see, the business owner in this example was dealing with a consultant who was very familiar with traditional business models, but not versed in the world of online marketing, membership and event based programs. So his advice might have been sound for someone else’s business, but not this particular one.

I’ve seen other examples of business owners spending a fortune on various marketing materials, and others who have used up their last available credit or savings to join the “hot ticket” program that they think will change their lives and businesses forever.

I hear stories like this all too often. The truth is, there is a real range of business and marketing advice to be had out there. Some are highly qualified, and some aren’t. Even a well respected business advisor can steer you in the wrong direction, if you haven’t chosen the right one for you.

Other entrepreneurs simply find themselves have been disappointed when their results did not add up to their expectations.  So what’s at the bottom of this? How do you know you’re making the right choice? Here are some tips.

Invest at the right time. Don’t spend randomly. Invest only in those services or programs that will help you get further in the area you need help with the most right now or in the next short while.

Be very clear about what you need before you go looking for it. All of your decisions should be based on your strategy and where you want to be. Make decisions that are in 100 per cent alignment with your goals. So if you know you’re weak in one area, for example, how to price and package your services, and that is your immediate priority, then don’t sign up just yet for that top notch speaking coach. All of the speaking and marketing in the world won’t generate sales for you if you don’t have the business foundation in place.

Perform your due diligence check. Before you sign the contract or whip out your credit card, check out the business. Is it credible? Does the provider have demonstrated expertise? Can they supply references beyond testimonials published on their web site? Are they well respected within their industry? Have they taken the time to speak with you and get to know you to be sure there is a good match on both sides? A reputable advisor will want to work with the right kind of client, and will want to be sure that they will be able to work successfully together, rather than simply make the sale. An advisor who turns you away and refers you to someone else views this as adding integrity rather than losing business.

Check your expectations. Before you commit, be sure you are very clear what your intentions and expectations are and that this service is the right match. Sometimes disappointment is the result of unrealistic expectations or simply a premature or mismatched investment.

And most of all? Remember that in the end, it’s your business. Seek trusted advisors, but never abdicate your seat as the CEO of your business and your life.

Want to use this article? You can as long as you include this footer: Sherri Garrity is the Chief Corporate Fugitive and creator of the Five Keys Success SystemTM for ex-corporate employees and aspiring entrepreneurs who want to break free from the confines of their corporate experience and live outside of the ordinary. The Corporate Fugitive system demystifies the business of setting up, managing, marketing and growing a successful and extraordinary business. Visit www.corporatefugitive.com for information and step-by-step resources to take you from overwhelmed employee to extraordinary entrepreneur.

Debt – The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

As a business owner, or aspiring entrepreneur, you will be faced with making many choices that can either move your business forward, or hold it back.

Although most of us would agree with the concept that you have to spend money to make it, when it’s your signature on the check, and your bank account that’s being depleted, it can be really difficult to put that adage into play.

And no matter if you work at home, or rent office or storefront space, make no mistake: there are start up costs and ongoing expenses involved in launching and running a business.

The difficulty I see most corporate fugitives have is deciding when to spend, and what to spend on. Unfortunately (and sadly) I have seen many people overspend on items that are not poor choices in and of themselves, but are made at the wrong time, and end up being almost a complete waste of money.

Especially when your business is in its early days, you will not yet have a predictable cash flow pattern and most likely you will turn to personal credit to fund your business expenses. Even though this isn’t the textbook way to do it, I can tell you that most of us have done this, myself included.

So before you whip out your credit card for the next “must have” item, take a look at these guidelines to help you make a good decision.

Good Debt

• Equipment and tools you need to deliver your services
• Professional advice that impacts the legal and financial operation of your business (such as a financial advisor, accountant or lawyer)
• Professional advice that is pertinent to where you are at in your business right now (such as a business advisor or marketing strategist)
• Training programs or products that address an area of weakness that is keeping you from earning money (for example, how to set up your business model, pricing, marketing, sales)
• Participating in coaching or mentoring programs in which the content you are learning can be applied within a year and will return your investment multiple times over
• Assistance to help you generate revenue faster by freeing up your time to spend on your clients instead of administration or activities to run your business (for example, a virtual assistant, a bookkeeper)
• Memberships and events that put you in contact with people who will help you move your business forward (either by increasing your skills, connecting with your target market, or finding strategic alliances and other business owners who you can work with for mutual benefit)

Bad Debt

Any expense or investment that does not have an immediate or short term return can be considered a bad debt in my books. For example:

• Training or products that are valuable but which you can’t implement in your business within the next year
• Participating in programs that are so far beyond where you are in your business that you just don’t fit (for example, joining a program that focuses on a specific area, or is designed for business owners at a higher revenue level – there is a fine line between stretching yourself and aiming higher, and totally frustrating yourself because you don’t have the resources to keep up)
• Overspending on randomly selected marketing activities without having a business and marketing strategy in place (it’s better to do less activities consistently and strategically, than to scatter your marketing)
• Spending indiscriminately on getting help with different aspects of your business, without having a cohesive plan in place to manage this (for example, hiring different people to do different things for you, without ensuring they all understand the big picture and how what they do for you relates to the others on the team)
• Purchasing high ticket products or services that sound like a good idea someday but don’t have an immediate fit in your business model (for example, investing in a program that teaches you how to run a high level group program, when you have no plans within the next year to launch this service; or investing in capital expenses like fancy equipment that is more than what you need)
• Buying anything from someone who has questionable expertise and no proven track record ( the internet is full of the “one chapter ahead” crowd)

And ugly debt? Ugly debt is when you have reached the point that you have exhausted your resources, you don’t see a return in your revenues, and you’re contemplating folding up your tent and going back to the job world. Don’t let this happen to you! With a solid plan in place, and the ability to make informed decisions, you will be able to design the business of your dreams, without breaking your spirit or your bank.

Want to use this article? You can as long as you include this footer: Sherri Garrity is the Chief Corporate Fugitive and creator of the Five Keys Success SystemTM for ex-corporate employees and aspiring entrepreneurs who want to break free from the confines of their corporate experience and live outside of the ordinary. The Corporate Fugitive system demystifies the business of setting up, managing, marketing and growing a successful and extraordinary business. Visit www.corporatefugitive.com for information and step-by-step resources to take you from overwhelmed employee to extraordinary entrepreneur.

Twelve Ways to Get More from Events

Attending conferences and workshops relevant to your business is one of the highest return activities you can spend time and money on, provided you approach it right. There is nothing like a live event and the decisive action statement of stepping away from your daily surroundings to put you in your growth zone.

Here are 12 strategies I use to make the most out of every event I attend.

1. Be strategic about the events you attend – In your corporate career, you most likely had a training and development plan that was developed by your supervisor. You might also have had events that you attended purely for marketing your employer and networking with others in your line of work. Being in your own business is no different, except that you are responsible for creating your own plan.  So, set your goals for the next year and make a plan. Look at what you need to learn, as well as the events that attract the kind of people that fit your target market. And remember, your target market isn’t just your clients! Connecting with other business owners who your services complement and can be valuable sources of referrals is just as important. Whichever way you approach it, put a dollar value on it to put it into perspective. Many business owners, especially in the start-up stage, talk themselves out of going to events like this because of cost. But spending $2,000 for example to meet contacts that lead to $20,000 in business over the next 12-18 months is a sound investment, don’t you agree? If you are strategic and you follow through, this isn’t an expense, it’s a down payment on future revenue.
2. Once you’ve committed, find out who’s going – Do your homework before you leave. Make a list of who you intend to meet. Today many events are posted on LinkedIn and Facebook, and it’s possible to see who else is planning to go.  If you don’t know who, then identify your criteria for the type of person you want to connect with. Are you looking for prospective clients? Seeking someone to partner with on a project? Looking for someone who has a valuable resource your clients need? Be definite and choosy too.
3. Start networking before you get there – Connect with the people on your list. Send them a message through Facebook or Twitter, or email. Try to line up a phone call. Note: this has an awesome side benefit if you tend to be shy; you’ll already know someone when you get to the event.
4. Put your best foot forward – Take a fresh look at your business cards, website and other marketing materials and see if they are current and represent you well. The people you meet are going to check it out, so it had better be up to date and professional. The same goes for the obvious personal stuff, like you r appearance. You don’t have to go out and buy a new wardrobe, but dress neatly and professionally.
5. Take material with you – You’ll need lots of business cards. Consider printing a special run with your photo on it. Especially when you attend large conferences, it’s hard to put a face to the name later. With the fast and inexpensive print services like Vista Print out there now, you can economically do a custom business card for special purposes like this. Make sure yours has your name, email, phone, website, and your social media links (your name on Twitter, Facebook etc.)
6. Use your travel time to catch up – You know all those audio downloads,  business articles and books you’ve been saving? Spend your travel time catching up. You can pick up a tiny MP3 player for next to nothing that plugs right into your computer USB port. Listening to audio programs is a great way to get into the training mindset and uses your travel time productively. If you have a laptop computer you can access all of that reading material too, just set some time aside before you leave to put it all in one place.
7. Keep your eye on the ball – You’ll be hearing a lot of concepts, and at a really good conference, there will be more than you can possibly handle at once. Make notes in the margins of your materials, or bring those little tab Post-Its (I love 3M) to mark the good ideas for later. Don’t discount them because you feel they’re unattainable, or beyond your level. Remember, you might not be there yet, but you’ll get there eventually.
8. Start an idea list - As ideas, even the crazy ones, pop up (and they will) write them down in ONE place. Capture them! Some of these off-the-top ideas end up being the best, you just might not see it yet.
9. Stay an extra couple of days – I make it a point to build in some solo time right after the event ends to absorb what I’ve learned and combine it with some rest and relaxation. Stay an extra night or two in the hotel, or move to somewhere else nearby. The cost is minuscule and the benefit is huge!
10. Make an action plan right away – It is amazing how many people invest hundreds or thousands of dollars in conferences, and immediately go back to business as usual on “Monday”. Don’t do this! Go back to your idea list and your bookmarks, and put your plan in play immediately. Decide what piece of learning or good idea you want to pursue, identify what you need to do and get it on your calendar and in process right away.
11. Have a follow up plan – You know all those people you met? Get in touch right away. Because the majority of people don’t do this, you’re automatically going to stand out. Write a follow up letter template before you go and have it ready to personalize when you get back. Or, delegate this to your virtual assistant if you have one. Make the letter more than a simple hello by having a call to action. For example, if it’s a potential client, invite them to join your mailing list, connect with you on Facebook, or schedule a free consultation (whatever is most pertinent for you right now). If it’s a potential joint venture partner, invite them to let you know how you can help them, and what you’ve got going on that might complement them. These are just examples, but you get the idea.
12. Protect your zone! – The worst thing that can happen is to feel the euphoria and positive energy of an event, and have it crash the minute you go back to your usual routine. This is why I recommend you define action steps to keep that momentum going, following up with people who you met and setting aside time on your schedule each week just for learning and connecting. Hold on to that possibility you glimpsed, and don’t let it go. Protect your time, and stay in that space. It’s where the magic happens.

Want to use this article? You can as long as you include this footer: Sherri Garrity is the Chief Corporate Fugitive and creator of the Five Keys Success System^TM for ex-corporate employees and aspiring entrepreneurs who want to break free from the confines of their corporate experience and  live outside of the ordinary. The Corporate Fugitive system demystifies the business of setting up, managing, marketing and growing a successful and extraordinary business. Visit www.corporatefugitive.com for information and step-by-step resources to take you from overwhelmed employee to extraordinary entrepreneur.

How much are you willing to invest in your business?

If this article title caught your attention, I bet you’re thinking this is going to be about money. We’ve all heard the advice to save six months’ salary before starting a business, not to use our own personal credit, et cetera (don’t feel bad if you did neither, most solo service-based entrepreneurs don’t).

This article talks about the other investment in your business, and it’s the ones that I think are more important to your long term success than anything else. I’m talking about how much you are willing to in-vest in your business.

How much do you believe in what you do? How much do you believe you’ll be successful? How much faith do you have to believe in the invisible?

The mind is your biggest success muscle, and using your ability to visualize and imagine is how you exercise it.

If you’re not convinced, or perhaps never thought that much about it before, take a look at the world of sports. There are millions invested in the psychology of winning. There are oodles of experiments and anecdotes that show mindset trumps all.

You might have heard about some of the studies that measured brain waves of athletes at rest, but visualizing their wins. Or the famous athlete who proved time and time again he had the physical ability to beat the record, but continued to psyche himself out when running the specific event the reining record holder dominated.

Have the courage to dig deep and pay attention to your thoughts and actions. When you say you “hope” your business will take off, do you mean you really don’t believe it will, or that you aren’t sure you will be able to? It might not be a harmless comment. Many business owners who say they want success, often fear it, or don’t secretly believe they deserve it or will attain it. In this case, the negative mindset can trump all as they subtly sabotage themselves.

A powerful mindset, paired up with a solid business plan is a two-step path to your extraordinary business.

Here are five ways to build and flex that muscle, and in-vest in your business:

• Hang out with entrepreneurs committed to in-vesting. Their energy will motivate and inspire you as your mind opens to what’s possible.
• Attend as many conferences and live events as you can. Making the decision to stretch is a momentous occasion and giving yourself permission to spend on this is transformational in itself (if you plan it right and do the follow up, you will come home bursting with new ideas, and will meet new clients as well).
• Participate in a mastermind group.
• Work with a coach one-on-one, or in a group program where you can learn together with other entrepreneurs.
• Set aside time each week to read, listen and absorb. Use downtime in the car, or double up when you’re running errands or exercising to listen to audios (I publish several short audio articles and always provide a download when I hold special teleseminar events).

All of these are ways you can invest in your business, by investing in yourself. If you commit to doing these kinds of activities consistently, your return will be higher, and faster, than you may have thought possible.

Want to use this article? You can as long as you include this footer: Sherri Garrity is the Chief Corporate Fugitive and creator of the Five Keys Success System^TM for ex-corporate employees and aspiring entrepreneurs who want to break free from the confines of their corporate experience and  live outside of the ordinary. The Corporate Fugitive system demystifies the business of setting up, managing, marketing and growing a successful and extraordinary business. Visit www.corporatefugitive.com for information and step-by-step resources to take you from overwhelmed employee to extraordinary entrepreneur.

How to create a landslide success

Early on as an entrepreneur I realized that I could not achieve the level of success I desired by doing everything by myself. It’s like pushing multiple boulders up a very slippery hill.

The first thing I did was get help, as in hired help, to take over tasks I was not particularly good or fast at, or that cost me less to have someone else do than the money I could be earning by spending my time on income generating activities.

But getting help with workload only removes the strain of pushing SOME of the boulders. We all have our own personal boulders – doubts, fears, self criticism, negative attitudes – and these are the ones that are the heaviest. The harder we work and the more we put ourselves out there, the more it can feel like we’re in the middle of a landslide.

This is why so many successful entrepreneurs invest in coaching and mentoring. Having an objective expert look at your business as well as provide you with support is invaluable. I have invested a lot of emotional and financial dollars in coaching and professional resources because I have seen the value first hand.

One of the most important lessons I’ve ever learned came from one of my business coaches. Before each discussion she asks you to fill out a form and one of the questions is “What opportunities do I have available to me right now?”

This question smacked me right in the middle of the forehead. It forces you to stop and think about all of the opportunities you have in front of you at this very moment. Some of them may be in progress, but I would hazard a guess that for most of us, many more are in the “to do” pile.

When I work with business owners and I am looking at the current state of their business, versus where they say they’d like to be, I often find they already have the bits and pieces of an extraordinary business. They have great ideas. They have existing clients. They have built in networks.

But, there are usually two areas that are holding them back.

• One, they can’t see the potential in its entirety and also can’t see a way to pull all of the pieces together. This is the value I can offer them.
• Two, they haven’t followed through on opportunities they have right in front of them. So I help them identify and create a plan to capitalize on them.

The truth is that most of us fail to follow through for any multitude of reasons. However, we place limits on ourselves by doing lower return activity, focusing on the day-to-day busy-ness, trying to do everything on our own or find other ways to sabotage our own success.

The next time you find yourself saying that your business isn’t going as well as you’d like, or you’re not getting enough clients or making enough money, the very first question you should be asking yourself is if there are any unharvested opportunities before you right now.

I bet you’ll find there are lots of half-dones that are just waiting for you to follow up, that can make you money and build your business.

So dust off those ideas and take outward action on them. Do more than plan and think about them – make a phone call, follow up with a lead, get in touch with someone you’d like to do business with. Blast those boulders up and over the other side of the hill!

And don’t wait too long before you do this again. Set aside time to do this at least part of every week. Or take a day out of the month to do the bigger planning, and do smaller follow throughs each week.

The point is, don’t let those opportunities pass you by. You can create a landslide – of success.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:  Sherri Garrity is the Chief Corporate Fugitive and creator of the Five Keys Success System for ex-corporate employees and aspiring entrepreneurs who want to break free from the confines of their corporate experience and  unlock their business potential for greater  personal freedom and prosperity. The Corporate Fugitive system demystifies the business of setting up, managing, marketing and growing a successful entrepreneurial adventure. Visit www.corporatefugitive.com for free tips on how to unlock the business in you.

You can do it, you just don’t know it yet!

Would you rather listen to this article?

This morning I celebrated a personal milestone. You see, although I am a fairly active person and like to golf, take dance class, and ride my bike I have never been “into” sports.

So you can imagine my family and friends’ surprise when I signed up to run at 5:30 a.m. a few times a week.

Today was the first day, and when I arrived I immediately sized up the other women in the group. I knew that a few of them were seasoned distance runners, from their conversation with the leader. About a third said they run regularly, for exercise, and the rest were like me, totally inexperienced and probably feeling a little unsure.

We started with a one kilometer run just to “warm up” followed by another four kilometers. I completed three and had to walk a portion of it.

All I was thinking was I didn’t want to finish last! When my shins started to feel like they were on fire, I was tempted to quit. Thoughts of “what were you thinking” came to mind. It would have been very easy to deke off the trail and drop in at my friend Wendy’s house.

But I didn’t, and instead of feeling like a loser, now I am celebrating the good feeling that I accomplished the first steps in what will be a longer and sometimes painful process. I was the last to finish, but not by much, and instead of feeling self conscious and comparing myself to those that did better than me, I crossed the end of the trail with a big smile for showing up and not quitting.

Originally, I was going to send out a different article today. But this experience got me thinking about how much our mindset and prior conditioning shows up when we are challenged, feeling less than competent, and getting out of our comfort zone.

Quitting a job and starting a business, and then growing and advancing it takes a lot of courage and determination.

We underestimate how much our self-labels and tendency to compare to others can undermine us.

Through coaching and working hard to improve my own skills, I realized that no one is born a wildly successful entrepreneur and that often feeling incompetent or uncomfortable is just a sign that you are encountering something you just haven’t learned how to do yet.

Separating the label, for example, “I’m not an athlete”, or “I’m not a marketing person”, from the act of learning a new skill, is a perspective that has really helped me.

In business there are many skills we need to learn and master. Not all of them will come easily. Here are five tips:

Recognize but don’t be identified by your limitations – We all have things we are good at, and things we are not. The more in tune you are with your own weak spots, the more you can work with them instead of against them.

Know you are not the only one -Everyone struggles, although our individual struggles are different. If you don’t participate in a networking or mastermind group, or other forum, consider getting involved. It’s amazing how lifted up you can feel when you know that others are going through challenges too.

Stretch yourself – Putting yourself in situations where you are a little uncomfortable is how you grow. Doing the same things, the same way, is not going to get you different results. You have to be willing to try new things.

Make yourself accountable in the way that works for you – If you know you are less strong and therefore less likely to work on a certain aspect of your business, find a way to make sure you do. This is the number one reason that people hire coaches and join mastermind groups. The aspect of public commitment and a shared promise to show up is a very effective way to hold yourself accountable. Others may find they need a different form of support like setting goals and rewarding themselves for completion.

Change your attitude – If you can accept challenge and approach learning with an “I just don’t know how to do this yet” attitude, you can see that nothing is insurmountable. Put yourself in a  position of power, rather than negatively labelling yourself. When you do something, focus on your achievement and celebrate ALL wins, no matter how seemingly small.

As for me, I am fairly sure I will not run a marathon, but I will succeed at my own goal. Coffee at 6:30 anyone?

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:  Sherri Garrity is the Chief Corporate Fugitive and creator of the Five Keys Success System^TM for ex-corporate employees and aspiring entrepreneurs who want to break free from the confines of their corporate experience and  unlock their business potential for greater  personal freedom and prosperity. The Corporate Fugitive system demystifies the business of setting up, managing, marketing and growing a successful entrepreneurial adventure. Visit www.corporatefugitive.com for free tips on how to unlock the business in you.

Feeling crazy on an ordinary day? How to get out of overwhelm and stay on track as your own boss

Would you rather listen to the article?

I have a vivid memory of feeling frustrated in the employment world. It drove me crazy when it seemed there were no consequences for people not keeping their commitments, offloading work to others, and scattering when “it” hit the fan.

Being a very strategic person, I could never understand why my higher ups appeared to be willing to get caught up in fighting fires instead of preventing them.

One day, my supervisor saw this was causing me stress and pulled me aside and gave me a piece of advice. He said “Sherri, you can’t care more than the boss cares”.

That was over 15 years ago but his words have stuck. I knew he was just following the chain of command, and even though it bothered him too, he’d learned there was no point in trying to swim against the current. Instead of feeling frustrated, he resigned himself to play it safe and forego the headache.

That was one of many moments when I knew I just didn’t think like everyone else. I could not play it safe or turn the other cheek.

Fast forward to today, I am the boss, and I can set my standards just as high as I want. But dreaming of being the boss, and becoming one are two different things. I have had to learn to make decisions carefully and to care deeply but not lose objectivity in my business.

Participating in mastermind groups, working with coaches of different sorts and taking the time to reflect on what I want and where I am going have all been critical to keeping me on track.

Here are some tips for your peace of mind:

Bring your vision to life – there are two components to this – taking the time to define the vision and mission of your company, and bringing it to life. Take a look at the way you operate and communicate with clients and make sure that your actions are in sync with your vision.

Hold yourself accountable – this is really hard to do when you are the boss, but you need to set goals and performance standards for yourself, and monitor them. The key here is being realistic in raising the bar high enough to stretch you, but not so high as to be completely unrealistic. One trick that has worked for me is to set 90-day goals and to divide the steps I need to take into smaller weekly actions. The upfront planning takes a bit of time but keeps me focused and assured on a weekly basis.

Recognize your chinks – the biggest obstacle most of us face is our own mind. We all have issues of some kind, that’s a given. Don’t measure yourself against others. Just be honest about your own weaknesses. Tune in to them but don’t let them rule you. And if it’s skills you need, that’s easy, either learn them, or hire someone to do them for you.

Build carefully – wouldn’t you rather be a rainmaker than a firestarter? So many times we rush around and create disaster. If you’ve set realistic goals, and you stick to them, stay on the course and don’t second guess yourself. Make decisions based on your vision and what fits you. A big mistake many driven, corporate fugitives make is to chase every bright shiny object. This just doesn’t work in the long term. To make the rain fall, you need to create the right conditions.

Filter information – the biggest complaint I hear from other corporate fugitives in that they are totally overwhelmed at the need to keep up.  All the material in the world is no good to you unless you can do something with it. Focus on what you need to get done, weekly, monthly, and only actively focus your attention on that.

Stop comparing yourself to everyone else – one of the worst things you can do is try to keep up with what you think your standard should be, based on everyone else! This is especially true for the solo business owner following others on the internet. You will be quickly discouraged, if you are looking at the “overnight” successes out there.

I hope these strategies will help you stop the insanity!

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:  Sherri Garrity is the Chief Corporate Fugitive and creator of the Five Keys Success System^TM for ex-corporate employees and aspiring entrepreneurs who want to break free from the confines of their corporate experience and  unlock their business potential for greater  personal freedom and prosperity. The Corporate Fugitive system demystifies the business of setting up, managing, marketing and growing a successful entrepreneurial adventure. Visit www.corporatefugitive.com for free tips on how to unlock the business in you.

Start from where you are

When you go from employee to entrepreneur, it’s really easy to become overwhelmed with all you need to learn and do.

How to organize your office, what marketing tools to use, what to tell people about your services, how to set up your finances…it’s feels endless.

I have to tell you, that in many ways it is endless. As an entrepreneur you have entered into a contract with yourself that requires performance in many areas, beyond your professional expertise.

The good news is, the best place to start is exactly where you are, right now.

Lately I have had the chance to speak with some very high powered and successful entrepreneurs as part of the Entrepreneurs Unplugged telesummit. It has been really interesting to me that many of them have said similar things about feeling overwhelmed, and facing challenges.

The bottom line is that, there really is no single best way to do anything. What many of them have said is that what’s important is to go with your strengths, and to set yourself up for success. This means, if you’re struggling with all the marketing options and you like speaking, speak… use that as a key way to get your message out. If you don’t like talking on the phone, and you want to follow up with someone you met at an event, hook up with them on Facebook and send them a quick email. You get the idea.

The most important thing is to do something, and do it consistently. A mentor of mine told me that in her opinion, one of the main characteristics of a successful entrepreneur is tenacity (my husband laughed when I told him this, because he calls me the Terminator   so I choose to take this as a compliment).

So if you are feeling overwhelmed, don’t be so hard on yourself! Simplify your action plan, don’t think you have to do it all right now, and just get out there and take steps, consistently.

Can you expect too much?

Let’s face it – if you’ve walked away from a ’secure’ career to march to the beat of your own drum, you are making a statement. And making a statement automatically positions you outside of the norm and what is expected. In fact, you’re doing something that most people DON’T do. And that can feel exhilarating.

That high will take you to places you never imagined you would go, but there is one truth, and that’s what goes up eventually comes down.

Most of us hit a point when we realize we don’t know what to do next to grow the business, and that we’re working harder than we ever imagined we would. This is not a good feeling. Our hopes fade, and we question our dreams.

I believe that most corporate fugitives totally underestimate what’s involved in running a business – because our frame of reference is completely unrealistic to the small business world.

This week, as part of the Entrepreneurs Unplugged series, I had the opportunity to speak to two successful entrepreneurs who, like many of us, struggled and zigzagged their way through the early and difficult years in their businesses.

James Roche used the wonderful analogy of a carpenter who is an apprentice and journeyman before he becomes a master. Just like we would not expect to be a master carpenter without first learning how to use tools, and then gaining experience under guidance of others, we should not expect to become masters in our businesses overnight.

Alicia Forest shared her story of being downsized from a job she loved, and how hard it was to admit a few years later that she may need to give up her business and get a job again. She turned it around, through learning new skills and by seeking help. In the process she built a six figure solo business that works for her and her young family.

I am sharing these stories because I think it’s important to get a reality check on the emotional roller coaster that comes with leaving the corporate world and becoming your own boss.

So if you struggle sometimes, I have good news for you – you’re in good company! Here are some tips to help you deal with this:

Make a commitment to yourself to do what it takes – if you can’t do this, you need to question if you really want it bad enough.

Expect bumps in the road – this is part of personal and business growth, not a sign of failure. You will experience these whether you are an apprentice, journeyman or master. How well you can learn from them, and move on, will have a direct impact on your business success. Know that you will feel overwhelmed at times and that this is part of your “contract”

Use this as your stepping off point – identify where the weaknesses are in your business, or in your mindset

Seek knowledge – learn about these areas. Learning never stops in business and in life.

Get support – don’t expect to do this alone. Join a group, find a mentor, or get a coach. You will feel lifted up just by the feeling that you’re not on your own.

 What do you need help with? I’d like to know.

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