is the chapter titled Gems of Wisdom. It includes business advice from the over 100 female entrepreneurs Aubert interviewed for her book.I especially enjoyed this gem from Michelle James the CEO of The Center for Creative Emergence:
Give yourself space, time, and attention to hear your inner source of guidance. Let it surprise you. And don't believe anyone else's fears - the naysayers - it's a reflection of their fears. (Pg. 214)I immediately thought of my brother and his never ending torrent of business ideas. When he asks me to evaluate them I am almost always negative; he will lose his home, never find another day job and his family will end up living in a van by the river. This quote helped me realize my objections are more about my fears and values - I value security - than his ideas.
Shawne Duperon of Shawne TV provides an example of the advice I should be giving him:
Get cash flow handled. BE sure to have at least 3 primary clients so you can generate and play in marketing. Don't borrow money for PR. Cash flow is king and lowers fear so you can play. (Pg. 218)Since I know he likes a good investment tip, this one is for you B:
At a recent seminar Bruce Johnstone, CFA was asked where he would invest $100,000 today:
He began by reminding the crowd interest rates will not remain as low as they are today, so first he would leverage his real estate. Then he would use that money along with the $100k to invest in early stage venture capitalist projects such as purification of fracking water, developing insulation products and waste to energy products. He would invest in all of these before solar and wind.
There you have it younger brother, if you decide to go ahead with his plan don't ask my opinion because Johnstone lost me at the word leverage.
As a mom, I try really hard not to pass my fears on to my kids. I value safety and security but I don't think thats what 3 young, adventurous, creative boys value at this stage in their life. As a blogger, I think its hard for my family and friends to see ithe value I find in blogging. But I don't let their lack of understanding deter me either. I think thats a very powerful quote you shared that can be applied to many aspects of our lives. Somebody gave me $100k today? I am investing it in my kids college and our retirement, ive got too many medical issues to invest in risky ventures. :) great post!
ReplyDeleteI struggle with this so much - part of me wants to be the ultimate dreamer, living life to the fullest, each day like it's my last, blah blah blah. But I need money. I need a stable income. I need a steady routine. It's a tug-of-war .... one I havent mastered yet. And yea, tried to read what that guy would do with 100k and the only thing I really understood was 100k. HAHA
ReplyDeleteThis is so timely fo rme. I have a tendancy to always try and prepare for 'worst case scenario' so when someone asks me for advice, much like you, I automaticall go there and at times it's as if I can see there hope decrese as I speak and I have to catch myself and remember them not me. Great Post, Savvy!
ReplyDeleteVery true! It's really hard not to pass on fears to other people or not to take on their fears, too.
ReplyDeleteI love the advice about facing fears. I agree that frequently negativity comes from fears. I find myself projecting my own fears frequently when other people approach me with ideas.
ReplyDeleteI'm no business expert though so everything else is pretty much out of my league. But still I find that all of this general advice is important for any field.
I love the advice about facing fears. I agree that frequently negativity comes from fears. I find myself projecting my own fears frequently when other people approach me with ideas.
ReplyDeleteI'm no business expert though so everything else is pretty much out of my league. But still I find that all of this general advice is important for any field.
Great advice, Savvy. Much more constructive than what you were telling your brother. Thanks for sharing this!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post about fear and negativity stopping us from going after our dreams. I have some ideas of my own that I have been trying to get over my fear of doing. My husband recently started up his own company and I decided to go with it. Instead of discouraging him, I've thrown myself into it as much as I can to help him, and it's doing amazingly well!
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