It's not the coffee , it's the conversations!

As an entrepreneur, you never know when or where you'll run into someone who's insight might help you CLARIFY your goals, SPARK your creativity, ENERGIZE your business strategy, or CHANGE your perspective.

So the next time you're hesitant to start a conversation with someone you don't know, keep in mind... that person might positively impact you and you might have just as powerful impact on them.

I recently completed a 14-Day Play Challenge, inspired after reading Brene Brown’s book The Gifts of Imperfection. Having successfully grown my business to achieve major milestones, I knew I did so at a cost. A cost to my well-being. So when I came to her Guidepost #7, Cultivating Play and Rest chapter of her book, I decided to do more than just read her words, I decided to take action. I made the decision to incorporate play into my daily routine for fourteen days, so I could first-hand experience the impact of play on my business, to myself as an entrepreneur and to day-to-day interactions.

I posted this challenge on Instagram within minutes of my decision. I not only wanted to invite others to ‘play’ or follow along, I was also holding myself accountable. Accountable to more play in life.

The results were mixed. In part because I made a public commitment to daily play, there was added pressure to document and share – one more thing to...

Do you have a tendency to compare yourself to others, to their successes, and perhaps even to compare your business to that of others? Then I invite you to ponder this quick analogy and apply it to both yourself and to your business.

While we were walking at the beach the other day, we passed two women walking. They caught my attention because one woman was quite tall with very long legs, while the other woman was much shorter and had short legs. What caught my attention was not their height difference, but rather the difference in the amount of work it took for each to accomplish the same result. It was obvious that the shorter woman had to exert a much larger effort to achieve the same distance and speed as her taller counterpart.

The beauty in this is that we are all different and all have our own strengths. What you can accomplish easily, others struggle with, and vice versa. While sometimes it might be worth the extra effort and hard work to achieve the same goal that comes so...

You have a dream,
Your passion is real.

You love what you do,
You set your own path.

Your gifts you share,
For they are not yours alone.

The risks are minuscule,
Compared to the freedom of your soul.

Challenges are welcomed,
For they are merely stepping stones along the way.

You strive to make a difference,
That only you can make.

You work tirelessly at your task,
For you have lives to change, impacts to be had.

Your greatest compliment is the success of another,
For whatever your role, large or small.

The success of others,
Makes your heart sing.

A difference you make, the ripples will spread.
To what extent outward, only time will tell.

If this rings true, then it must be said,
You have the soul of an entrepreneur.

Too often, we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of day-to-day living and forget to take the time to think about the bigger picture - the picture of life. For every one of us, our days are limited. We know this, but how often do we think about it in relation to our daily choices, both in our work and our personal lives?

Today's pondering challenge is simple on the face. What kind of impact do you want to have in this world? What do you want to be remembered for? Now think about your personal and business goals. Do they support or detract from your ultimate desire, or are they completely unrelated… perhaps even busy work? 

As entrepreneurs, we have the ability to use our businesses to support our ultimate desires… financially, through our offerings, through our lifestyle, and even though our clients or products. We will leave an impact, so let's all make it a good one!

A Moment to Ponder: Is it time to pause to determine if you are REALLY living your dreams?

Are you where you want to be with your business success and life-balance? If not, what would happen if you put business GROWTH on hold for one quarter and focused on yourself, your business purpose and your direction:

• How have you changed?
• Have your goals changed?
• What aspects still make you happy, which do not?
• Has your ideal client changed?
• Do you need new systems?
• Is it time to change rates or add new services?

These are a few of many questions you can ask yourself.

If your business is not fulfilling your purpose and heart’s desire, maybe it’s time to pause, reflect, listen and then take new actions. I guarantee both you and your business will be the better!

As an entrepreneur, how do you inspire others? Chances are, you inspire people more than you realize!

• You have taken the risk to start a business.
• You are going for your dreams.
• You work long, hard hours to make a difference.
• You are impacting individuals through your efforts.

Through the eyes of others, you are already a hero!