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Close Encounters with the Dark and Scary

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Divide : Scared To Death
Image by monsieurlam via Flickr

Written by Karen D. Swim

For the past week I have been working on a low cost information product for job seekers. I have ghostwritten two books and a manual on career marketing and management for clients, in addition to my own work in the field.  I have spent four years successfuly helping job seekers search for and obtain new positions. I have coached clients on interviewing and salary negotiation and have written hundreds of high impact resumes and bios.  Yet, with 65% of my product complete, I was gripped with doubt.

I was sitting at my desk working away. It was Saturday and I had chosen to work because I was excited about the product. I had it on my 2008 list and kept pushing it aside but here I was finally doing it.  It was snowing outside and the perfect day to write.  The peaceful silence was interrupted by an old familiar voice, “What if this is a big flop?” My stomach quivered as I considered the question. “Oh god, what if it is a flop, I’ll be a total failure and everyone will know, what am I thinking, I’m not as smart as…”My thoughts raced ahead to me being the  BIG FAT LAUGHING STOCK of the internet.  People would tweet about my failure and the virtual tomatoes would fly in my direction.

The voice taunted me, telling me I wasn’t smart enough, good enough or ready enough to complete this project. My shoulders began to sag as the joy dissipated from my heart. It was then another voice, softer but bolder declared, “And?’ One word but the meaning was crystal clear, “and so what?” I straightened my shoulders and listened to that voice.

I could try and possibly fail or never try and fail for sure.

We are all vulnerable to moments of self doubt.  In less than 10 minutes I had gone from a happy, reasonably confident woman to a quivering mass of insecurity.  This time I had stared fear in the face but I am ashamed to admit that at other times fear has been the victor.

If you are 100% comfortable and confident you are probably not taking a risk. Taking on new challenges, stepping outside of our “tried and true” is scary. Too often we allow fear to direct our footsteps. Yes, there are times that danger is ahead, but that voice is a confident voice of warning not a voice of self-doubt and negative self talk.

Instead of waiting for fear to leave, invite it on the journey.  Let faith drive the car and shove fear in the back seat, or better yet, leave it by the side of the road.

As for me, I am scared but I am also excited. I might blow it big time but there’s also the chance that I might get it right. Of course there are people who know more than me, but if I wait to be the smartest, fastest, or best I’ll die never having tried, and I have decided that would be a far greater tragedy than failing.

How do you overcome fear? Have you ever allowed fear to prevent you from doing something you really wanted?

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7 Limiting Beliefs Fatal to New Business Owners

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Broken Chain Ring
Image by Wease via Flickr

Written by Karen D. Swim

Many of you left behind the shackles of employment to brave  self employment in 2009. You are basking in the glow of your freedom as you realize that no one is the boss of you. Put down your bowl of Froot Loops® and step away from Oprah because I am going to save you money and time by helping you avoid the mistakes common to new business owners.

  1. You are an entry level employee required to work your way up the ladder to earn the promotion. Welcome to self employment . You have been promoted from chief bottle washer to chief of everything. Start acting like it.
  2. Fees are based on time in business rather than value offered. Yes, you are a new business owner who will have to build a portfolio of successes but presumably you can actually do the job. Your past experience has value even if you obtained it as an employee. There is a prevailing myth that new business owners must charge below market value in order to establish their worth. This is utter hogwash. I am quite frankly puzzled by the thought process but let me clear it up for you, your clients are paying you for what you can do for them. It’s up to you to price it accordingly.
  3. People will do exactly what they say. Contracts exist for a reason. You do not have to overwhelm your clients with lengthy agreements but you should document the scope of work and terms and gain agreement in writing before you begin a job. Whether you sell a product or service, the terms and expectations should be articulated in writing.
  4. Business will come to you. You meet someone in line at the grocery store and get into a conversation that results in them saying they need your services. You give them your card and they promise to call after the new year. Bless your heart, you believe them. You have to develop leads, and follow up with them. I’m not proposing that you stalk them but follow-up is critical. People get busy and priorities shift. If you don’t follow up, when the problem crosses their radar screen again, they are going to call the person that comes to mind and it may not be you.
  5. You  cannot afford to hire help. Hire early and hire often and you will earn more and avoid the trap of equating being busy with success. Build the cost of a Virtual Assistant (VA) into your jobs. Many VA firms have pay as you go structures so that you are not locked into a long term contract. You will make more per hour when you share the workload.
  6. You  have to know everything. As an employee when you did not know something, you did not declare yourself unfit for your job. You gained the knowledge you needed to do the work. Knowledge is easy to obtain. Do not allow it to hold you back from pursuing a bigger project, or trying a new challenge.
  7. You have to know everything today. Knowledge is so easy to obtain that you are now attending three teleseminars per week, subscribed to 100 must have newsletters and have more ebooks than files on your computer. Limit the information to what you need to know and will apply now.

Being in business is hard work but so rewarding. However, you don’t have to suffer the newbie blues by making blunders that can be avoided. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you get stuck.  There is always someone who either knows the answer or can point you to someone who does.

Please feel free to add to the list with your tips, suggestions or questions in the comments.

Resources

StartUp Nation – Discussion forums, community support, resources and vendors

Freelance Folder – Blog, forum and resources for freelancers or solo professionals

Success In Sweatpants – Sweatpants Manifesto, Coaching programs and advice on building a 6-figure freelancing business

IAC Professionals – VA firm that offers a wide range of services including admin, accounting and marketing

Business Tools and Resources – Communication, bookkeeping and other tools useful for any business owner

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Dazed and Dissatisifed in Corporate America

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Sculpture/billboard Melly Shum Hates Her Job (...
Image via Wikipedia

Written by Karen D. Swim

How was your vacation? “Oh man it was great,” she offered with obvious joy in her voice. She then hesitated and her voice dropped, “but it was a mistake to take off two weeks because now I don’t want to go back to work.”

Every Friday night, Eva leaves the office with a bounce on her step. By Saturday afternoon, she is counting the dreaded hours to Monday morning. By Sunday night she is so miserable that she is unable to enjoy the remaining hours of her weekend as she thinks about returning to work on Monday morning. Eva has Sunday Syndrome.

Understanding the Illness

Sunday Syndrome is one of the many glaring signs that it is time to evaluate your job. Over the years I have seen the syndrome so often that I can spot the signs even in absence of the words being spoken. You may be surprised how many people have traded “job security” for happiness. They convince themselves that it is easier to remain with the devil you know than to jump headfirst into the unknown. They are wrong.

Staying in a job that makes you miserable is an injustice to both you and your employer. You’re showing up and doing the work but believe it or not you and your employer deserve better. Your employer wants people who identify, improve, reduce, grow and generally contribute value to the organization. You want to be stimulated, challenged and engaged. When you and your employer are aligned, you both win.

Digging Deeper for a Diagnosis

Assess what really bothers you about your job. Is it the work or the environment? Are the deadlines and demands overwhelming or are you so bored that counting paint chips would be more exciting? Is it the company culture or just your department?

What do you like about your job? What tasks would you gladly perform even if they were not part of your job?

Choose the Right Cure

The obvious cure is to change your job, and if the company, culture and work are what’s ailing you then this is the path you should choose. However, many people fail to explore a less obvious but often viable option – change your job but keep the company.

Job roles and descriptions are not written in stone.  Do you have ideas that will improve efficiency? Are there unfulfilled needs that you can manage in addition to your current duties? Can you volunteer for a special project? Are there unmet needs that would result in a newly created position? Prepare a written plan and present it to your supervisor. You should treat this as you would a formal interview for a brand new job. Identify the pros and cons and be prepared with answers. Assess the costs and the return on investment. If your supervisor is not immediately sold on the idea, propose a trial period in which you can measure the results and meet at the end of the period to discuss.

Whether you propose a brand new job, or modifications to your current one, you will never know what is possible until you ask.

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At the Intersection of Been There and Looking Ahead

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You are here
Image by Martin Deutsch via Flickr

Written by Karen D. Swim

Hello and Happy 2009! Like most people I have spent the past couple of weeks reflecting on the past as I planned for the future. I took real time away from business and the internet to relax,  reflect and reconnect with the neglected pieces of my life.

Before I moved forward it was important to review the lessons learned in the previous 12 months. What went right? What went wrong? More importantly how would I apply the lessons to keep growing and moving forward?

So, what did I learn?

  1. Sometimes you’re on the right road but you’ve got the wrong mode of transportation.  For me this meant for  looking at plans and processes in detail. Often the plans were solid but I needed to tweak the process which included sometime appointing a different driver.
  2. I am not my business. As a small business professional it’s easy to blur the lines between the business you created and you as a person. My whole reason for creating a business was to allow me to have the lifestyle I desired. I had to take a step back and realize Words For Hire is not Karen Swim. That delineation helped me to think about my business with a clear head free of emotional baggage.
  3. I don’t have to know everything. This was a hard one but my natural curiosity led to information overwhelm. My feed reader had more than 400 subscriptions, I was receiving alerts every 5 minutes from the 50+ forums to which I belong and I was consuming far too much “news.” I cut my feed reader down, unsubscribed from tons of email messages (which I never read, they simply taunted me until my weekly email clean-ups) and stopped the steady flow of news.
  4. Mindful motion trumps multitasking. I had redeveloped the very bad habit of thinking I could do multiple things at once…and do them all well. However, after a period of rest I returned to work focusing on one thing at a time, fully engaging and completing one task before moving on to another.  I accomplished more in half the time.
  5. I’m the boss of ME.  I am not an employee in my life or business.  I am CEO and that comes with the responsibility of managing my most valuable asset – me. I have to chart the course and ensure ME Inc. stays on track. I also must set boundaries and block out the things that are impeding my progress.

Using the Past to Propel the Future

There would be no point in reflection if I was not going to take action on the information.  The first major change I’m making is to my schedule.  I’m switching to a 4 day work week with shorter hours each day.  I have committed to a 90 day experiement and will share what I learn with you here.

My schedule change will enable me the time to fully engage in the things I love like the blogging community. I would much rather complete my essential tasks for the day and then spend time visiting your blogs or chatting on Twitter rather than trying to juggle it all during the “work day.” I look forward to more meaningful interaction with all of you this year.

One final nod to 2008- Robert Hruzek has graciously extended an invitation to all of you to showcase your Best of 2008 posts in his super sized, Blogapalooza.  Going through my own archives proved to be a wonderful opportunity to see how far I’d come in a blogging year.  Robert’s more than halfway there to his goal of 100 participants. I would love to celebrate your accomplishments, so please participate and spread the word.

What’s in store for you this year? Care to share any big hairy audacious goals for 2009? Do you have a theme for the year? Your comments are always welcomed.

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3 Reasons Why Purpose is Essential in Business

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A Propósito / On Purpose

Image by a VeCeS Veo… via Flickr

Written by Karen D. Swim

I received an email newsletter and video from BrandU this week. In the video, Kim Castle shared a story about a Native American Long Dance ceremony and tied the lessons she learned to being an entrepreneur. I was struck by a comment she made regarding purpose and its role in the entrepreneurial mindset.  Kim noted that the leader of the ceremony was “on purpose.” She had a tangible vision and determination.  She was not asking the market what they wanted or how they wanted to be marketed to, but followed her purpose.  The result? People flock to the ceremonies and they continue to grow nearly two decades later.

We are bombarded with messages that tell us the how, why, should and must of business.  Much of the information is solid but blindly applying it can be deadly to your spirit and your business. Here are 3 reasons why Purpose is essential in business (and life!):

The court of public opinion is sometimes wrong. If you ask people what they want and how they want it, they may give you what they want but not necessarily what they need. Let’s face it we’re all pretty good at Monday Morning quarterbacking but so often we would not follow our own advice! Results don’t always come the easy way.  When you have a clear and definitive purpose you are able to put feedback, suggestions and opinions in the right context.

Purpose breeds consistency. A clear determination to live “on purpose” provides a steadfast inner compass that will help you maintain consistency in action and results.  When you are clear on your “why I do this” it will guide you in your day to day business activities. You will not take shortcuts, or compromise your standards. People can count on you to do what you say over and over. In business and life, your reputation is everything.

Purpose gives you a solid foundation. I have been acutely aware of this recently. Many are reacting to the economic climate with depression and desperation.  Admittedly, it is challenging to filter out the negative information and soldier on,  even tougher on a slippery foundation. However, when you are assured and committed to your purpose you can stand on that rock solid foundation. Your purpose will keep you grounded in good and bad times. Your plans, decisions and actions will not be driven by temporary conditions but your purpose. The storms may rage all around you but purpose is your lighthouse.

Whether you are an entrepreneur, employee, blogger or stay at home parent, life requires you to have strength of character. Without it you risk being tossed to and fro by the whims of life. Purpose keeps you connected with your internal compass, vision and values.  It will not prevent you from ever making mistakes (I can personally validate this fact!) but will provide an objective standard to get you back on track when you blow it.

Are you clear on your purpose? Have you ever compromised your purpose out of fear or public pressure? What were the results? The mic is on and it’s your turn. Share your insights, comments and experiences. It’s fun to discuss and learn.  🙂

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Praise for Men With Pens

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Written by Karen D. Swim

I emerged from the underground studio to a crowd of people.  I had only been there a short time, where did all these people come from? As I tried to make my way through, holding tightly to my zip files, hands grabbed at me as whispers rose from the crowd.

She worked with the Pen Men, they did her redesign. How did she get them? I heard they were booked for years. Well, I heard that it’s really four of them, that’s how James manages to be everywhere at one time.

I blinked from the blare of bulbs flashing, secretly hoping they caught my good side.  As I pressed on toward home, people shouted, “What are they like? Does James do all the talking?  Are they really that good?” I stopped in my tracks, looking toward the crowd, flashing a huge grin and replied, “You’ll just have to see for yourself.”

Yes, I am the proud recipient of a legendary Men With Pens design.  I floated in their orbit as I got up close and personal with the magic of the Pen Men.  And because I love you all so much, you don’t have to wait for the Behind the Music VH1 special because I’m willing to dish on the delightful duo.

“Quality in a service or product is not what you put into it.  It is what the client or customer gets out of it.” –Peter Drucker

Unlike a VH1 Special, I have no dark tales. Harry and James are really good at what they do. However, their true genius is in how they make you feel as a client.  I had to keep checking my head to make sure I was not wearing a tiara. They ask questions and then they listen…really listen. They listen with their ears, eyes and hearts. Somehow they catch what is articulated and what is only dreamed. They take it all in with patience and gentleness, offering guidance when needed.  They then quietly retreat to their super secret laboratory and somehow make sense of your random thoughts, ideas and snippets of sentences.

The process is fast. They walk behind the curtain and “poof” a finished vision appears with the wave of a wand. However, the true magic is their ability to help you to see your business not only as it is today but what it can be tomorrow.

Do they live up to the hype? Oh yea, it’s even better than what you’ve heard.  I got rid of ugly blog syndrome forever but most importantly, I caught the vision of who I could be.  For that I am eternally grateful to Harry and James and their magic pens.

How do you deliver magic to your clients?

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