3 Keys to Conscious Business Success
by Christine Kloser, “The Conscious Business Coach”
Throughout the past two weeks, I’ve had numerous (lively) conversations about what it means to be a conscious business owner. I’ve turned this topic inside out to get to the bottom of what conscious business is about. I share these 3 Keys to Conscious Business Success from my own “in the trenches” experience.
In order to recognize your business as a conscious business it needs to match three criteria, and if any one of these is missing... it’s not a conscious business. It may be a conscious “hobby”, or a conscious “project”, but not a conscious BUSINESS.
Conscious: fully aware of or sensitive to something; deliberate, intentional.
Business: a person, partnership, or corporation engaged in commerce, manufacturing, or a service; profit-seeking enterprise or concern.
OK, so now that we know the “dictionary definition” of conscious business, here are the three key elements necessary for YOUR conscious business success.
Make a Difference.
A conscious business is one that’s committed to making the world a better place. This doesn’t mean you have to change the life of every person on the planet (though that may be your aspiration), but you DO need to provide a product or service whose intention is to improve the lives of YOUR clients and customers. Think of it as being dedicated to changing “your world” and the people who are touched by doing business with you.
Whether you own a yoga studio or a deli; offer coaching, financial planning or sales training... the question to ask yourself is, “Am I truly committed to improving the lives of my customers and clients?” If you answer yes, you’re one-third of the way there!
Be Profitable.
This key has been the most challenging for me. I’ve been SO committed to making a difference, I had neglected to analyze each of my businesses on its’ own “legs” to see if it’s profitable. It had been easy to overlook the specific numbers when, overall, things are in the black. So, I ask you to do the same thing I did. This is especially important if you have multiple businesses and income streams. Here goes!
Spend the afternoon with your books. Sorry, I don’t mean Conversations with God or Think and Grow Rich; I’m talking about your QuickBooks. Yup. Go ahead and do it. Pull up your “profit and loss” statements and read what they have to say. Is more money going out than coming in? Is one division of your business supporting another division that’s costing you money? Does the business look “on paper” like you thought it would? Is there money “leaking” out of your business? Are you on track to reach your financial objectives? Hint: One of your objectives needs to be profitability!
If your business isn’t profitable, it’s time to do what it takes to become profitable. And, if you’re like me, your commitment to conscious business may cause you to face some difficult decisions.
Be Your Best.
This key is critical because it involves how you FEEL, everyday, as you go about working “in” and “on” your business. I was reading the Abraham-Hicks book, Ask and It Is Given on the treadmill yesterday and the book drives this point home. Abraham-Hicks reminds you that your most important priority in manifesting your dreams is to “feel good.” The question to ask here is, “Does my business cause me to feel good? Does it support me in being my best?”
Your conscious business should be a source of positive emotions, a vehicle for full self-expression, a way to fulfill your destiny, and fuel for being the best you can be. If your business is not a source of “feeling good”, identify what doesn’t’ feel good about it. And, then begin to eliminate or transform those aspects that have been pulling down your emotions. Your goal is to have your business fully engage you in experiencing positive emotion!
The good news about being a conscious business owner is you’re “awake and aware” to every aspect of your business. From this perspective, you stand in the most powerful position to take action in creating the business (and life) of your dreams.
© 2007 Christine Kloser
Want To Use This Article In Your Ezine or Website? You have my permission, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Christine Kloser "The Conscious Business Coach," publishes the revolutionary ‘Conscious Business Connection’ ezine. If you're ready to integrate business strategies with intangible/Universal principles to help you achieve results faster… and easier, visit http://www.consciousbusinesscircle.com/.
Monday, January 29, 2007
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
3 Steps to Quickly Accelerate Your Business
3 Steps to Quickly Accelerate Your Business
by Christine Kloser, “The Conscious Business Coach”
Is this your year to exponentially grow your business? If so, I’ve got good news for you. It’s possible! But, there may be some old thinking (and habits) that needs to be tweaked in order for your rapid growth to occur.
What I’ve noticed with some of my clients and customers is a struggle between being of service to the world and making a lot of money. If you’re nodding your head up and down in agreement… stop. You don’t need to choose, you can have both meaning and money. How do I know? I’ve been there. I’ve been of service (and not focused on money) to the point where it drove me to the verge of bankruptcy. Thankfully, that was several years ago and since then I’ve consistently generated a generous six-figure-plus income.
I’m going to share a few of the key lessons that accelerated my business in hopes you’ll use these steps to quickly manifest YOUR dreams.
Step 1: Let Go
This is the first place to start… to let go of something you feel is holding you back. Let’s face it. Times changes, you change, circumstances change, goals change, people change… you get the picture. As your life evolves, transforms and shifts there are things you may still be carrying that no longer serve you.
Go with me for a moment and imagine you’re taking a trip to Alaska and have packed your suitcase full of warm sweaters, gloves, hats, coats, etc. to keep you warm on your journey. Now, your plans have changed and you’re going to Hawaii. Would you carry the same suitcase you had packed for Alaska? No. You’d let go of the warm winter clothing and pack a bikini and sandals instead.
Take a look at your business, and your life. Do you see things you’re carrying around in your “suitcase” that were packed for a different journey than the one you’re on now? If so, release those things that no longer serve you with blessings and gratitude and you’ll be lighter and quicker on the path to your dreams.
Step 2: Focus
Now that you’ve done some self-assessment and released those things that no longer serve you, it’s time to get down to business and FOCUS on what you most want to manifest in your life. Here’s a tool I use when I’m having trouble focusing on getting my highest priority tasks done. And, it doesn’t cost a dime.
Simply find an accountability partner who also needs to spend some focused time on his/her priority tasks. (Hint: These are the tasks that are closest to the money.) Now, choose a time you will BOTH focus on your priority tasks. For starters, two hours is a good time to schedule for this exercise. Now, once the time is in your calendar (in pen), make arrangements to call each other when your “focus time” begins and tell your partner what you will do in the next two hours. Then, turn off your phone, shut down your email, ignore the doorbell and do ONLY what you told your partner you’d do. After the two hours is up, call your accountability partner and tell them what you did during that time. It’s easy to focus for a specific amount of time like this, especially when you know your partner is doing the same.
Step 3: Make Public Deadlines
This one’s my favorite! If you really want to light a fire under yourself, make a public deadline. What do I mean by a public deadline? It’s when you book the hotel room for the workshop you’ve been talking about doing. It’s when you say “yes” to a speaking engagement when you don’t even have your speech outlined yet. It’s setting the date for your tele-class before it feels “comfortable” to do so. It’s committing to publishing your ezine on a specific date, even if you only have five subscribers. You get the picture.
This step ensures your rapid forward progress through the methodology of “learning by doing”. You’ll always learn more (and faster) when you are learning as you do something. All the book smarts and knowledge in the world doesn’t mean anything until the rubber hits the road. And, this step is where it happens.
Have fun with these three steps. If it feels overwhelming to do all three of them at once, not to worry. The important thing is that you do at least one of them and then another and another… continually. Ultimately this three-step process will become second-nature and you’ll be taking these steps without even realizing it.
© 2007 Christine Kloser
Want To Use This Article In Your Ezine or Website? You have my permission, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Christine Kloser "The Conscious Business Coach," publishes the revolutionary ‘Conscious Business Connection’ ezine. If you're ready to integrate business strategies with intangible/Universal principles to help you achieve results faster… and easier, visit www.ConsciousBusinessCircle.com.
by Christine Kloser, “The Conscious Business Coach”
Is this your year to exponentially grow your business? If so, I’ve got good news for you. It’s possible! But, there may be some old thinking (and habits) that needs to be tweaked in order for your rapid growth to occur.
What I’ve noticed with some of my clients and customers is a struggle between being of service to the world and making a lot of money. If you’re nodding your head up and down in agreement… stop. You don’t need to choose, you can have both meaning and money. How do I know? I’ve been there. I’ve been of service (and not focused on money) to the point where it drove me to the verge of bankruptcy. Thankfully, that was several years ago and since then I’ve consistently generated a generous six-figure-plus income.
I’m going to share a few of the key lessons that accelerated my business in hopes you’ll use these steps to quickly manifest YOUR dreams.
Step 1: Let Go
This is the first place to start… to let go of something you feel is holding you back. Let’s face it. Times changes, you change, circumstances change, goals change, people change… you get the picture. As your life evolves, transforms and shifts there are things you may still be carrying that no longer serve you.
Go with me for a moment and imagine you’re taking a trip to Alaska and have packed your suitcase full of warm sweaters, gloves, hats, coats, etc. to keep you warm on your journey. Now, your plans have changed and you’re going to Hawaii. Would you carry the same suitcase you had packed for Alaska? No. You’d let go of the warm winter clothing and pack a bikini and sandals instead.
Take a look at your business, and your life. Do you see things you’re carrying around in your “suitcase” that were packed for a different journey than the one you’re on now? If so, release those things that no longer serve you with blessings and gratitude and you’ll be lighter and quicker on the path to your dreams.
Step 2: Focus
Now that you’ve done some self-assessment and released those things that no longer serve you, it’s time to get down to business and FOCUS on what you most want to manifest in your life. Here’s a tool I use when I’m having trouble focusing on getting my highest priority tasks done. And, it doesn’t cost a dime.
Simply find an accountability partner who also needs to spend some focused time on his/her priority tasks. (Hint: These are the tasks that are closest to the money.) Now, choose a time you will BOTH focus on your priority tasks. For starters, two hours is a good time to schedule for this exercise. Now, once the time is in your calendar (in pen), make arrangements to call each other when your “focus time” begins and tell your partner what you will do in the next two hours. Then, turn off your phone, shut down your email, ignore the doorbell and do ONLY what you told your partner you’d do. After the two hours is up, call your accountability partner and tell them what you did during that time. It’s easy to focus for a specific amount of time like this, especially when you know your partner is doing the same.
Step 3: Make Public Deadlines
This one’s my favorite! If you really want to light a fire under yourself, make a public deadline. What do I mean by a public deadline? It’s when you book the hotel room for the workshop you’ve been talking about doing. It’s when you say “yes” to a speaking engagement when you don’t even have your speech outlined yet. It’s setting the date for your tele-class before it feels “comfortable” to do so. It’s committing to publishing your ezine on a specific date, even if you only have five subscribers. You get the picture.
This step ensures your rapid forward progress through the methodology of “learning by doing”. You’ll always learn more (and faster) when you are learning as you do something. All the book smarts and knowledge in the world doesn’t mean anything until the rubber hits the road. And, this step is where it happens.
Have fun with these three steps. If it feels overwhelming to do all three of them at once, not to worry. The important thing is that you do at least one of them and then another and another… continually. Ultimately this three-step process will become second-nature and you’ll be taking these steps without even realizing it.
© 2007 Christine Kloser
Want To Use This Article In Your Ezine or Website? You have my permission, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Christine Kloser "The Conscious Business Coach," publishes the revolutionary ‘Conscious Business Connection’ ezine. If you're ready to integrate business strategies with intangible/Universal principles to help you achieve results faster… and easier, visit www.ConsciousBusinessCircle.com.
Wednesday, January 3, 2007
How to Make Lemonade... When Life Gives You Lemons
How to Make Lemonade… When Life Gives You Lemons
by Christine Kloser, “The Conscious Business Coach”
I never imagined I’d be in this situation. Literally, as I write this, I’m experiencing something I never thought would happen to me. I share this deeply personal experience with you because I believe there isn’t a separation between business and life when you’re a Conscious Entrepreneur. How you handle situations in your life is how you’ll handle them in business and vice versa. In hopes you will glean something from my experience that serves your highest good in business and in life… here goes.
I couldn’t be happier, my plan was unfolding in perfect order… or so I thought. I had always intended to be pregnant with my second child by the time I turned 40 in December 2006. And, as intended, it happened right on time with grace and ease. Christmas was extraordinarily special… announcing to my family and my husband’s family (in person) that we were expected our next child in the summer of 2007. We had Christmas ornaments made for our parents with four Christmas stockings that read “David, Christine, Janet (my almost 2 year old) and Baby.” It was the perfect way to announce the great news.
I admit when I first found out I was pregnant (even though it was my intention) I was somewhat surprised it happened with such speed and ease. Granted, our first daughter was conceived in the blink of an eye, but could it possibly happen like that again, especially being 2 ½ years older?
I was surprised because I felt I was truly experiencing the power of manifesting and intentions being realized. I was being called to grasp the magnificence of my life at an entirely new level of acceptance, “bigness” and bliss. I felt I was being pulled by the Universe to embrace how incredibly joyous life can be. Still, in the recesses of my mind, I wondered if my life was getting “too good to be true.” How could it possibly be THIS magical?
You can imagine my devastation when I experienced a miscarriage the day after Christmas. It was especially challenging because I was away in Connecticut. I couldn’t go see my doctor, I didn’t want to ruin the holiday for my family, I had a Christmas gathering to attend right after I found out I miscarried, and it had taken some fancy footwork to find a doctor and ultrasound technician who would see me immediately the day after a major holiday. It was a whirlwind. I was in physical pain, scared, sad, angry and feeling uncertain of everything.
Life had given me lemons… just when I felt I was swimming in an abundant pool of sweet, tasty lemonade. Once we got home to Pennsylvania, I entered “Super Christine” mode. I got down to the business of preparing for a New Year. I organized nearly my entire home, started (and finished) a scrapbook project, went shopping for gizmos, gadgets, and storage supplies that we needed around the house, returned some Christmas gifts, organized thousands of digital photos, and researched a new eating plan to naturally reduce my cholesterol. All within 48 hours!
Then, it hit. The floodgate of tears and pain surfaced on New Year’s Night. This is when my husband and I traditionally do our annual intention setting ritual. And, I couldn’t do it. I just couldn’t find it in my heart to write my intentions for the year.
Instead, I curled up and cried for a good long while. Somehow amidst the tears and pain, I managed to find my journal and a pen upstairs in my bedroom. I had a feeling the process of writing while I was enmeshed in the emotion would be the key to release some of the pain and begin to turn lemons into lemonade. I cathartically wrote page after page after page. If I wasn’t wiping my tears I was writing. Thankfully, at some point, my loving husband came to me and simply sat beside me while I cried and wrote. Once I was done writing, he held me close and I cried even more in the safety and comfort of his arms.
The act of writing while in a heightened emotional state was metaphorically my way of “squeezing lemons”. I began to connect with the perfection, gifts and lessons this “Baby Spirit” was here to bring me. I found gratitude for the short time I was pregnant. I felt my prioritize shift as I wrote. I forgave myself for having lost the baby. I committed to taking better care of myself physically and emotionally. And, by the end of my journal entry (without being conscious about it) I had written all of my intentions for 2007.
The next time life give you lemons, I invite you to remember what I’ve shared here. And, I trust, you will discover your own way to make lemonade.
© 2007 Christine Kloser
Want To Use This Article In Your Ezine or Website? You have my permission, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Christine Kloser "The Conscious Business Coach," publishes the revolutionary ‘Conscious Business Connection’ ezine. If you're ready to integrate business strategies with intangible/Universal principles to help you achieve results faster… and easier, visit http://www.consciousbusinesscircle.com/.
by Christine Kloser, “The Conscious Business Coach”
I never imagined I’d be in this situation. Literally, as I write this, I’m experiencing something I never thought would happen to me. I share this deeply personal experience with you because I believe there isn’t a separation between business and life when you’re a Conscious Entrepreneur. How you handle situations in your life is how you’ll handle them in business and vice versa. In hopes you will glean something from my experience that serves your highest good in business and in life… here goes.
I couldn’t be happier, my plan was unfolding in perfect order… or so I thought. I had always intended to be pregnant with my second child by the time I turned 40 in December 2006. And, as intended, it happened right on time with grace and ease. Christmas was extraordinarily special… announcing to my family and my husband’s family (in person) that we were expected our next child in the summer of 2007. We had Christmas ornaments made for our parents with four Christmas stockings that read “David, Christine, Janet (my almost 2 year old) and Baby.” It was the perfect way to announce the great news.
I admit when I first found out I was pregnant (even though it was my intention) I was somewhat surprised it happened with such speed and ease. Granted, our first daughter was conceived in the blink of an eye, but could it possibly happen like that again, especially being 2 ½ years older?
I was surprised because I felt I was truly experiencing the power of manifesting and intentions being realized. I was being called to grasp the magnificence of my life at an entirely new level of acceptance, “bigness” and bliss. I felt I was being pulled by the Universe to embrace how incredibly joyous life can be. Still, in the recesses of my mind, I wondered if my life was getting “too good to be true.” How could it possibly be THIS magical?
You can imagine my devastation when I experienced a miscarriage the day after Christmas. It was especially challenging because I was away in Connecticut. I couldn’t go see my doctor, I didn’t want to ruin the holiday for my family, I had a Christmas gathering to attend right after I found out I miscarried, and it had taken some fancy footwork to find a doctor and ultrasound technician who would see me immediately the day after a major holiday. It was a whirlwind. I was in physical pain, scared, sad, angry and feeling uncertain of everything.
Life had given me lemons… just when I felt I was swimming in an abundant pool of sweet, tasty lemonade. Once we got home to Pennsylvania, I entered “Super Christine” mode. I got down to the business of preparing for a New Year. I organized nearly my entire home, started (and finished) a scrapbook project, went shopping for gizmos, gadgets, and storage supplies that we needed around the house, returned some Christmas gifts, organized thousands of digital photos, and researched a new eating plan to naturally reduce my cholesterol. All within 48 hours!
Then, it hit. The floodgate of tears and pain surfaced on New Year’s Night. This is when my husband and I traditionally do our annual intention setting ritual. And, I couldn’t do it. I just couldn’t find it in my heart to write my intentions for the year.
Instead, I curled up and cried for a good long while. Somehow amidst the tears and pain, I managed to find my journal and a pen upstairs in my bedroom. I had a feeling the process of writing while I was enmeshed in the emotion would be the key to release some of the pain and begin to turn lemons into lemonade. I cathartically wrote page after page after page. If I wasn’t wiping my tears I was writing. Thankfully, at some point, my loving husband came to me and simply sat beside me while I cried and wrote. Once I was done writing, he held me close and I cried even more in the safety and comfort of his arms.
The act of writing while in a heightened emotional state was metaphorically my way of “squeezing lemons”. I began to connect with the perfection, gifts and lessons this “Baby Spirit” was here to bring me. I found gratitude for the short time I was pregnant. I felt my prioritize shift as I wrote. I forgave myself for having lost the baby. I committed to taking better care of myself physically and emotionally. And, by the end of my journal entry (without being conscious about it) I had written all of my intentions for 2007.
The next time life give you lemons, I invite you to remember what I’ve shared here. And, I trust, you will discover your own way to make lemonade.
© 2007 Christine Kloser
Want To Use This Article In Your Ezine or Website? You have my permission, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Christine Kloser "The Conscious Business Coach," publishes the revolutionary ‘Conscious Business Connection’ ezine. If you're ready to integrate business strategies with intangible/Universal principles to help you achieve results faster… and easier, visit http://www.consciousbusinesscircle.com/.
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