Shannon Ward & Diana Stirling are a unique duo that are striving to use their business On Track Media, to build “Pretirement Wealth”, which includes both capital AND the time and freedom to enjoy it.

Shannon and Diana living the dream

They also are determined to ensure that they and other women entrepreneurs are building businesses that support their ideal lifestyle.

They have worked hard, fallen hard, and risen from the ashes to tell the story of how they went from their “dream” business with $1m in revenue to fulfilling lifelong personal dreams while succeeding with a new business model based on a very different definition of success.

Diana recently returned from 4 months in Australia with her family and Shannon from a 2 month “learn to surf” trip in Costa Rica with her family.

It was around this time that I had the pleasure of meeting them and engaging in an energetic and lively conversation about how they’d totally changed their lives to achieve the lifestyle they wanted. I drilled them with several questions as I knew this was precisely what I was about to embark on and that they’d have some fantastic advice for me.

And they did. Here it is in both in video and below in writing. Enjoy

When you initially went into business what did you want to achieve?

Shannon: I wanted to build a large business.  Big equaled success at the time.  $1M revenue, 15 employees and a large downtown office.  It was the only barometer of success we had ever really been exposed to at the time.

If you could pass on one key lesson learned when setting up your business what would it be?

Diana: Make sure you take the time to build your foundation: Legal, Insurance, Taxes, and Finances. At all times know your cashflow – cash is KING. You don’t have a business without cash.

What was the turning point that made you decide to downsize and live life to the full?

Shannon: I walked into the downtown office when we were at the height of our revenue and number of employees. Diana looked at me and asked what was wrong and I just started to cry. I was desperately afraid to admit to her that this definition of ‘success’ was not working for me.

We were working 80+ hours per week, we were exhausted and never saw our families, and we were no longer engaged with our clients – we were spending our time with HR issues, legal consulting and accounting meetings.

In one frank conversation, we knew were on the same page – Diana was losing precious moments with her newborn son – and also dreading the business that we had poured our passion into.

We knew we needed to start valuing our TIME more than any other success factor. It was at that point that we restructured everything to become PRETIRED – to have the capital and the time and freedom to enjoy it with our families.

Your both living what many would consider the ideal lifestyle, what could we all do tomorrow to be one step closer to it?

Shannon: The step before that even is to figure out what really matters to you.  This was harder for us than we expected.  We were so caught up in roles and expectations of who others thought we should be that was difficult to identify what really mattered to us and what we really wanted out of our lives.

Diana jumps into her great lifestyle

Add business and family commitments, a mortgage and a dog and it becomes challenging to see beyond what everyone else needs from you and focus on what you want and need. Once you know what you want start building your life (not just your business) to accommodate that.  It’s taken us over 2 years of conscious work to get to this point.

Tell us your key advice about how to build and maintain a healthy working partnership

Diana: Your business partner is like your spouse without the makeup sex. Like any marriage, it takes work, communication and a solid knowledge of your financial situation at all times.
Shannon: Especially when you are working on the other side of the world from someone – you must communicate well so you can be sure you’re both working toward the same goals. At the same time you have to trust that they are doing their thing and working hard even though you can’t actually see them everyday.

How long did it take you to become profitable enough to support your lifestyle?

Diana: As long as it took us to realize that it wasn’t all about money…
Shannon: The two key factors are money and time together.  We could be making a lot more money but not have the time or flexibility to live out our dreams.   We’ve learned in the past couple of years that we need a lot less money than we used to think to be happy.

How did having children change your perspective on your business and priorities?

Shannon: Having my son changed everything.  It changed where I wanted to work (mostly at home), how I wanted to work (with enough flexibility to spend lots of time with my son and husband during the week) and what I wanted to work on (any time spent working was now going to take away from time with my family and so it had better be rewarding work that fulfills me or it’s just not worth it so much anymore).
Diana: Having children immediately shows you how fast time goes – your child is an infant for less than 6 months… that’s less time than it takes to launch a product. Don’t put off living and experiencing any longer.

If you were to suggest the three main tools you need to be able to work and travel what would they be?

1 – Salesforce.com
2 – Google docs
3 – Skype (Shannon managed a team of 5 people when she was living on the beach in Costa Rica – all through Skype)

What are some of the top books you’ve read that have made a personal difference to you and influenced you and why?

The Four Hour Workweek (4HWW) by Tim Ferriss, after reading this we defined Pretirement. We could write forever on just the principles we learned in 4HWW but these were our “ah-ha” moments.

• Introduced to “Deferrers” those that save it all for the end, only to realize life has passed them by.
• Everything popular is wrong! And retirement is WORST case scenario insurance!
• Sell or donate all the clutter in our lives – FREE ourselves!
• Process and outsource!

What is your key piece of advice to anyone considering a location independent business

Shannon: Get out of your own way.  The first time especially, it can be downright terrifying to cut the ties and attempt location independent work. However, there are numerous books and blogs for advice on how to do it, and most importantly the technology now exists to support it.  So, get out there – there is no excuse not to in this day in age.

Catch the ladies new blog here www.pretirementliving.com

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If you’re anything like me, deep down, you’ve had the desire to work and live from anywhere in the world, or at least to have the opportunity to do so with your own business. I know not everyone starts their own business to be able to travel, but I’m sure it crosses their mind at some point.

I’d like to hazard a guess, from the many conversations I’ve had with fellow entrepreneurs and workaholics, that achieving this level of freedom and flexibility is not something many of us manage.

The travel suitcase for women in Budapest market

Well I’m here to chart my journey on how I make this a reality. I’m writing this while travelling ‘backwards’ on a train from Budapest, Hungary enroute to Graz in Austria. The sun has dipped under the clouds, which is giving me some welcome respite from the relentless heat that I’ve been experiencing since arriving in Europe.

There’s no air-conditioning, only hot air that circulates through the window and every so often the smell of oil wafts in. If you’d walked into my carriage five minutes earlier you would have found me nodding off listening to the amazingly talented band Keane.

My laptop battery will not last for longer than an hour and my iPod is running even lower. This, my friends, is my attempt at working whilst travelling. Not sounding too successful I agree, but I’m only just beginning and looking forward to the adventure.

Up until now it’s been a lot harder than I had anticipated for a few reasons. I decided to concentrate fully on competing in the World Club Ultimate Frisbee Championships in Prague last week. The schedule of our games, early starts, warm ups and the travel to and from the fields at different locations meant each night I had less and less time to check in online, and less desire.

Then after a full on week where we beat our seed but missed out on our team goal by losing two universe point games, I simply felt like a break. A break from everything, and the chance to just be a tourist when I arrived in Budapest with some of my team-mates. I was offline for four whole days, nothing short of a miracle and trust me it felt good.

The other reason is lack of reliable internet which I fully expected on my travels but didn’t realize would be so disruptive. Trying to do this from busy and hot hotel foyers is just not conducive to being productive at anything.

My Location Independent Remedy

I’ve taken a few important steps in the last few days to ensure the rest of my journey of running my business from afar goes more smoothly.

Step 1: Always adapt
I have an adapter that I will not lose or loan out (I learned my lesson on that last week). This means I can charge up wherever I go and never be `uncharged’. Don’t underestimate the power of the right tools for the job.

Step 2: Go Offline
I finally enabled Gmail offline. I’ve never really had a need to read, write and respond to email when not connected and then send it when I’m back online – until now. Email clients like Microsoft Outlook and Mozilla Thunderbird are great for this but I love that Gmail offers it too and I know I’m going to find this a super handy tool like so many of you already do. Imagine what I can achieve without a connection!

Step 3: Be courteous
If you know you’re not going to be online, set up an autoresponder that says so. I put mine on from day one saying with the header `Natalie is away working and travelling in Europe’ and a simple message saying because of this I may not be responding to emails quite as quickly as normal. So far it’s been great, people have answered their own questions or simply noted they’d meet with me when I’m back.

Step 4: Create a schedule
Obviously one of the easiest things I can do is plan my travel schedule better and commit. Now that I’m off to stay with friends in Graz for a week I know that I will be in one place so I can get a routine going.

I intend to get up early before the sunrises and get some solid work done and then enjoy the late morning and early afternoon to explore. Once satisfied I can use the cooler evenings to get more work done before dinner. I’ll also use travel time on planes and trains to the max.

Step 5: Keep on communicating
I love Skype (when it doesn’t crash) and given all you need to use this is the software and a headset I intend to set up some weekly meetings with my intern plus some interviews when I have reliable internet. No need to stop with the communication in any way shape or form these days, plus it’s free!

Step 6: Stay focused

It’s pretty easy to get distracted when you’re travelling to beautiful cities like Prague and Budapest and a group of friends suggests visiting the castle over the 3 hours you intended to work on your eBook, sales strategy or application development.

However this is a business you’re running, so know what your priorities are and make an intelligent choice based on whether you’ll find more joy in visiting that magnificent attraction and experiencing the here and now of the country you’re in, or whether finishing the critical work that needs to get done will be even more enjoyable.

Step 7: Learn from the best

If you’re subscribed to my newsletter then you’ll know I’m excited to feature two interviews this month with successful women entrepreneurs already making it their business to travel and live where they want while making a living. For me emulating those who already do what you want to do, and do it very well is simply the best way to learn.

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Do you ever catch yourself repeating useless behaviors that get you nowhere? For me it’s things like keeping my email open or not prioritising my key task of the day and doing other things instead.

I know you’ve been there too. My question to you is why do we continually exhibit this kind of behavior that jeopardizes our brilliance?

The old saying “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you always got” couldn’t be any clearer.  There are several rules of business that, if followed, will make you truly successful, whatever your pursuit.

Yet, time and again, we don’t take note. It’s like we almost refuse to listen because, lo and behold, if these wise people are actually right and we achieve beyond our wildest dreams we won’t know what to do with ourselves.

I’ve been reading some great articles recently that have given me a good slap in the face to wake up to reality. So listen up. Below are the 10 things to avoid if you want to kick ass in business. Perhaps this time we’ll actually take note and more importantly take action!

No #1. Not solving a real problem

Got a great idea? Oh yeah? Says who? You and your ego or the hundreds of people you’ve heard complaining about this problem that you think you can solve.

You need to evaluate whether or not your business ideas solve a real problem or addresses a real customer need.  Then ask yourself if there are people out there actually looking for what you plan to offer, and how much they would be willing to spend to get it. It’s not rocket science.

Did you hear about how the Americans spent millions back in the day trying to make a pen that worked in space? The Russians gave their astronauts a pencil.

No #2. Lack of Focus

If you are like me you’re already pursuing several projects because it appears that one will not suffice or if you have several then surely one will succeed right?

Wrong. Choose one of them and focus on it. In the words of Obama “Yes we can”. Simple but true. When have you ever focused on several things and done truly well with ALL of them?

Sure test them before you make a decision is fine, but choose one as soon as possible and stick with it.
My best tip – don’t ask your closest friends, parents or people who have never been in business – just trust me on this. Ask your potential customers.

No #3. Always starting something. Never finishing

If I look back on the many `To do’ lists I make and goals I’ve set over the years I see a curious pattern emerge. Although I do actually complete quite a lot of stuff I also have way too many things on my list and therefore take a lot longer to do them.

You need to develop a habit of finishing what you start and work on it daily. The less you pile on your plate (see No #2.) the less you’ll have to finish and that means you’re going to complete it!

Apply this liberally – from large projects to your daily activities. Finishing clearing out your office, enter in your expenses, install the anti-virus software, paint your toe nails, book that trip. JUST DO IT.

No #4. Being Cheap.

It’s easy to not spend money when you don’t have much of it. But you have to invest in the important things. So make a list of basic items that are really necessary to get your idea off the ground such as the right servers or a domain hosting service.

Next list the items that would be worth investing in because they would likely give you a competitive advantage or strengthen your brand such as a professional website designer or a marketing and PR specialist.

No #5. Spending Frivolously

I’ve met many people who keep spending money on creating `stuff’ because they either have too much money for their own good or still have an income to draw on. Stop putting off launching.

You don’t need the fancy website, the awesome promo video, the snazzy business cards. You just need to have a product or service that functions enough to solve a problem. So create a budget for every project you start, and stick to it religiously.

No #6.  Avoiding the Competition

One of the biggest pet peeves Angel Investors have is hearing a pitch from an entrepreneur who says they have no competition. Trust me you want competition as that means there’s a market for your idea.

Unless you’re creating a new market with your product or service, you can pretty much guarantee someone’s doing what you’re planning to do in some shape or form.

Make sure you evaluate the competition you’ll encounter and do this for each of your business ideas and projects so you have a really good understanding of what you’re entering into.

No #7. Not Emulating the Best

I always seek to emulate the best. They set a high standard which can be a little daunting to attempt to reach. What you can do is identify and incorporate the best practices of your market segment.

You can guarantee these smart people will be competing with you, so learn from them before you try to beat them. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel, just do it better.

No #8. Thinking you’re Superhuman

As much as I like to have control over what I do, I’ve long since recognized that two heads are better than one. Richard Branson always attributes his success to surrounding himself with the best minds.

So start delegating as soon as possible and focus on the strategic side of the business, because that is

where your time will be more effective.  I’ve recently taken on not 1 but 3 fabulous interns, each with their own strengths. I can now focus on business development and the things I love most.

No #9. Being Inflexible

If anything, I like change too much. However most people, even dynamic entrepreneurs, don’t.

Remember that your vision should be rock solid, but your strategies need to be flexible and reflect the

changes in the market place and your customers and tactics can change weekly if not daily.

No #10. Ignoring the Facts

It’s great to follow your intuition but if you don’t ever weigh in with the facts and do some measuring you will have no idea whether you’re really on track.

Always test and collect facts before making decisions. Why else do you have Google Analytics set up, click through tracking tools and Facebook Insights?

What other things do you think we could avoid as entrepreneurs?

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Yesterday I finally got around to watching this incredible animated video by Dan Pink, author of Drive who explains, in a highly visual and entertaining way, what science knows about incentives and awards and what the business seems to keep ignoring time and time again.

In his own words his book and this video is “a paradigm-shattering look at what truly motivates us and how we can use that knowledge to work smarter and live better”.

You may think it’s incentives that’s primarily monetary but actually it’s not what you think. The secret to high performance and satisfaction is “the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world.”

I know in my life this has been very much the case. It’s never been about more money, otherwise I’d have risen up the corporate ladder to increase my salary and benefits until I could go no further. And then what?

Well nothing, unless I was driven by purpose, by valuing what I do, by having the freedom to do what I love and making a difference in the lives of others and in this world.

I’d highly recommend you taking 10 minutes over your morning coffee to watch, learn and apply it to your business, your team and your relationships.

What motivates you most?

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I don’t often get worked up, but one thing that I value above all other personal and professional values in life is INTEGRITY.

Image Credit to Bolstablog

Either people have less of it these days or I’m hanging around with the wrong people. I admit we all have flaws, we all make mistakes and can’t always be true to our word.

I am aiming this post at those people who fail to turn up to events or appointments, don’t treat deadlines seriously, don’t follow up or get back to you, forget about things all together, hold you up, constantly reschedule or fail to prioritize their own schedules and work at the expense of others’ valuable time.

Stop it. It’s rude, it’s disrespectful and it’s totally unnecessary.

I get that emergencies come up, that software failures caused your online calendar not to sync or an urgent crisis appeared. I will forgive you for that and be understanding because that’s life. So long as you attempt an email or phone call to let me know ahead of time.

I won’t forgive lousy time management, shoddy memories or something that seemed like a more attractive option that you went with instead.

I believe entrepreneurs can be particularly prone to over promising and under-delivering (from my own personal experiences). We aim to please, to be better, to improve the lives of others with the products and services we develop and deliver.

Then we realise we’re totally overburdened, stressed out, taken on one too many things and balls start to drop. So why not acknowledge that and do something about it? Here’s my thoughts on the matter:

5 Top Ways to attract more integrity into your life

1. Start with yourself
   You’re brilliant, yes you are. You just need to gain some focus and respect your limitations. People will get it if you say no, sorry I can’t do that, I can’t meet this week or I can’t start that project for another two weeks.

   The minute you set more realistic expectations for yourself you will find you’re able to commit, produce the results and follow through on your word.

2. Demand more of others
   There’s no harm in telling people in your personal and professional life how you like to conduct yourself and the type of behaviour you expect from them in return. You may have different values so you need to let them know what yours are and what you appreciate and like.

   If you don’t tell them how will they know? You do it for your employees why not do the same for your clients and customers?

3. Be selective
   If people don’t respect you or let you down or  then simply don’t deal with them again. This goes for customers, clients and even friends.
   It’s called filtering out the flakes to let in the fantastic people!. You owe it to yourself to surround yourself with brilliant, wonderful people who you respect and admire and know that this feeling is mutual.
4. Set strong policies
   Set clear guidelines for those you interact with, whether it’s your turnaround time for communicating with them, how your week usually looks, when you allot time for meetings vs work clients, team time etc.

   The more upfront you are from the beginning the better it will be for both parties. They’ll know what they can expect and how to deal with you and you won’t have to repeatedly push back each time a boundary is crossed.

5. Just be better This goes for everyone (and most definitely me). Do one small thing every day that makes you a better person. Turn up to that meeting 5 minutes early, send that follow up email you delayed on, call a client just to connect, introduce people that could benefit each other, do a favour for a friend just because, send a thank you card because you can. Just do it.

And please give me your top tip for ensuring that flakiness is banished forever, I could do with some.

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I was at a business networking event on Wednesday night and this framed message was sitting on someone’s desk. I just thought it was awesome. I don’t think I need to say anymore.

Enjoy your weekend you stunning entrepreneurs and feel free to leave your own legacy via a comment!

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When you started your business I bet one of your main reasons for doing so was the freedom to create your own schedule and work your own hours.

You wanted a piece of that wonderful entrepreneurial lifestyle of working from the beach, jetting off on an impromptu vacation on your yacht or dropping everything to head away to one of your holiday homes…..

You may not be quite at that stage yet, but are you actually taking advantage of the freedom you have and scheduling regular time out? Are you taking regular holidays or mini retreats or taking a whole day out during the week just because?

If you’re anything like me I’m pretty sure you’re working way more than you should, on weekends, late at night, basically all the time. I know we do this because we love what we do but it’s not healthy and it’s not sustainable and it’s certainly not we signed up for.

I’ve watched myself over the last few months become obsessed with the wrong things. Is checking my email one more time necessary? Does it really matter if I have more fans of my Facebook page than I did one day ago? Should I berate myself if I haven’t engaged across my Twitter accounts or responded instantly to a LinkedIn message? Must I schedule one more meeting with someone in my day?

No, as Seth Godin says, this is the resistance. All these things are stopping you from creating real art and working on purpose. So I decided to go into full battle against the resistance this weekend and drop everything to hit the great outdoors. That was my best decision ever.

Nine of us headed off early on Saturday morning kayak in the Indian Arm Provincial Park, an 18 kilometre fjord just 30 minutes away from Vancouver City. We set out paddling on the water to enjoy a spectacular landscape featuring rugged, forested mountains, large rock faces, small islands and a plethora of nature.

It takes mother nature to make you appreciate that this is what life is all about – nothing but you and nature. The calm serenity of paddling in sync, quietly gliding along the water and listening to the birds, seeing starfish sunbathing on the rocks and even having a deer chilling out right by your campsite, content to share your space.

No reception, no hot water, no facilities of any kind bar an outhouse, a creek and a fire to sit around to eat your dinner and drink wine. Perfect.

As always there’s a lesson you can learn that can translate back to your everyday business life. Here are my five:

# 1. Roll with the punches

After 4 hours of kayaking we reached our camping spot, set up tents, settled in and lazed on the grass dozing in the sun. We then decided we had to go and see the 50-metre high Granite Falls just 20 minutes away before we lost evening light. We all got back in our kayaks and I took the single one for a change.

Enroute two friends were trying to rescue an empty beer can floating by and doing their bit to keep this protected park clean. I went into to help out by using my paddle to push it towards them. I kept leaning out, stretching further until slowly, and gracefully my kayak simply rolled and I went into the cold water and slid out with crocs still on my feet and sunglasses on my head.

I was surprisingly calm and started laughing. The water was refreshing (I’d wanted to swim anyway) and the whole incident was highly amusing to my friends who’d watched it happen. I managed to turn my kayak upright and somehow get in after falling out again, pump out the water and carry on towards the waterfall.

Being totally wet now meant I got to fully enjoy the waterfall’s magnificence up close by bathing in it and exploring, plus for future reference I knew I could get in and out of my kayak with ease.

Roll with the punches you’re dealt and make the most of them as you never know what other benefit you may derive from doing so.

#2. Timing is everything

I’m sure you’ve had that experience of being in the perfect place at the perfect time, whether for an introduction to the right person or a business deal coming together just when you need it.

Well for us it was leaving the waterfall to get back to our campsite just before it went under water.

As we paddled closer we saw some of our gear floating in the water and the grass that we lay on earlier submersed in water thanks to the incoming tide. The water was 15 cm away from the first tent when we arrived. It was perfect timing to save our campsite set up.

Celebrate the moments when timing works to your advantage and be thankful for it.

#3. Change your mindset

Some weeks everything feels like an effort, you experience one issue after the other. This is precisely when you need to focus your mindset on what you want to have happen instead, how awesome your week will be and what amazing things will be achieved. Trust me it works in business and in life.

On day two I stepped up to take the individual kayak for the first half of the journey and had no idea that it would be so tough having kayaked for several hours the day before.

I was in pain. My muscles were complaining, the current was initially with us and now was turning, it was overcast and cooler and I found myself not fully enjoying the moment.

I thought back to the World Record breaking dragon boating crossing of the English Channel with the Sisterhood in 2007 which saw me paddling in a boat for 3 hours and 42 minutes solid. There was no room for whining then so why I was doing it now?

Helped entirely by the fact that I was donning my gear now for the first time since August 2008 I decided to suck it up! I focused on my paddling rhythm, I did a `Power of 10’ to increase my speed, propel myself along faster and catch up to my friends so I could chat with them and take my mind off the pain. It worked perfectly.

Create the right mindset and focus on the solution to your problem. The problem will address itself.

# 4. Take in the bigger picture

It’s become harder for me to step back from what I’m doing each day to focus on the business, rather than be caught up in it. The same applies to my fitness right now, training for World Clubs, which I leave to Prague for in 2 weeks today, can become all consuming. You get so tied up in training everyday that you forget what you’re actually working towards and why it’s all worth it.

Being out there on the water at times I would be looking straight ahead, at the front of my kayak, watching my stroke and the water glide by. At one point I realized a seal was staring directly at me and swimming towards me, then there were four of them just 10 metres from me. It was beautiful and I almost missed it as I was only focusing on what was immediately in front of me at the time.

Most of the weekend I’d luckily been taking in the whole picture which included the vast expanse of water before me, the proud mountains looming above, the puffy white clouds in the blue sky and the birds swooping overhead.

We spotted starfish drying on the rocks, herons chilling out, sulphur staining the rocks bright yellow, beautiful houses tucked away behind bushes and lupins up on the cliffs.

Make sure you’re not missing what’s right in front of you and be sure to readjust your focus to take in the bigger picture.

#5. Enjoy every moment

That might sound a little cliché and I know asking you to be happy every single moment is also not realistic but you have the power to make what you want of any moment just by changing your attitude, so try and do that more often.

When it rained in the morning and we were packing up our campsite several of us were happy to just be out in the great outdoors and not worried that we might end up a little wet, we were about to head out on the water anyway.

We stopped half way at a jetty and made our lunch. Suddenly the sun came out and warmed us up so we could enjoy our food, devour our chocolate and get a little drunk on wine.

We decided not to hurry back but instead soak up this moment and enjoy our time together.

Don’t be in such a rush. Enjoy those special moments because it’s about the journey and not the final destination.

PS Happy National Linchpin day – raise the flag!

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I was recently honoured to be a guest speaker for the Valley Womens Network. One of their organizing members had found me on Twitter, then subscribed to my blog and followed my journey.

Joanna contacted me and asked me to speak on one of my much earlier posts on The Art of Storytelling. I was thrilled but at the same time realised that’s a pretty big ask to speak about excellent story telling.

I like telling stories and I think I have many to tell but that doesn’t mean I always tell them well. It’s definitely an art.

Ironically while preparing my speech a friend of mine said they’d recently downloaded a kindle book on the art of storytelling – how ironic.

So there I was reading from the book on his iPhone and taking notes on my iPhone in the back of a car – a story in itself.

Here’s what I learned that you can apply when pitching your business to your customers and clients:

Tell me a story

Methods of influence like persuasion, bribery or charismatic appeals are PUSH strategies.

However story is a PULL strategy – if it’s good enough then people – of their own free will – come to the conclusion they can trust you and the message you bring. Letting people Decide for themselves is one of the great secrets of true influence.

There are 6 types of stories you can tell:

1. Who I am
2. Why I am here
3.The Vision
4. Teaching
5.Values on Action
6. I know what you are thinking

1. Who am I?

Give them a taste of who you are and why they can trust you. We filter every word through a  believability index based on our judgements of a person so Self Disclosure is key.  Theory is if I trust you enough to show me my flaws you can trust me enough to show me yours.

Great leaders use the power of a story of a personal flaw to great effect.

2. Why am I here?

Your reasons for wanting to influence may combine selfish reasons but if you acknowledge them upfront people will be more accepting. People need to know ‘what’s in it for them’ but also ‘what’s in it for you’. Be genuine.

3. Vision Story

If you’ve satisfied 1 & 2 then they’re ready to listen to what you think is in it for them so you need to paint a moving picture of benefits.

Take time to find a story of your vision in a way that connects – a story that they see.
A story that weaves all the pieces together – especially the struggles and frustrations- so that they can make sense of it.

4. Teaching stories

By telling a teaching story it can help us make sense of new skills in meaningful ways. For example telling your new receptionist about how to use the phone system is less useful then telling him about your previous superstar receptionist who did wonders.

By clearly stating that they handled stressful situations effectively, were always polite, knew where the CEO was at all times and how to contact her, then this new receptionist can know what’s expected of them and can say ‘ How would Mrs so and so react now?’

5. Values in motion

The best way to show someone is by example, the second best way is to tell a story with an example.
A new Sales Manager holding their first team meeting  could tell a story about the time they made a major mistake that nearly cost the company dearly. Because they owned up to it straight away they earned the trust of the client who instead doubled their order.

This story clearly shows the integrity of the sales manager and allows their team to know what to expect of them, that they’re human and clearly have learned some valuable lessons along the way. Personal and compelling stories are best.

6. I know what you are thinking stories

When you tell a person a story that makes people wonder if you’re reading their minds they love it. You’re in an all day conference where they’re telling you how you can make triple your money in just three months following their system.

The presenter stands in front of you saying `I know what you’re thinking, how they can guarantee I’ll triple my sales just by using this system’.
If you’ve done your homework on the group and who you need to influence it’s relatively easy to identify their potential objections to your message.

If you name their objections first you’re that much closer to disarming them. You can call them out upfront on why they may want to discredit you and can neutralize concerns without any direct confrontation

In Summary

Storytelling is the most valuable skill you can develop to help you influence others.
It is your birthright to be a good storyteller. In a sense your life is a story and you are already telling that one perfectly.

Clothing truth in story is a powerful way to get people to open the doors of their minds to you and the truth you carry. Remember that Jesus and Mohammed used story to redirect peoples lives and Cavemen used picture stories to elevate their status.

I’d like to credit The Story Factor – inspiration, influence, and persuasion Through the Art of Storytelling by Annette Simmons for giving me this thought provoking material to work with and use in my future stories.

What’s an example of a great story you’ve heard?

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I have to admit when I first labeled myself an `Entrepreneur’ I thought I now sounded very intriguing, slightly mysterious, and seriously interesting. Almost sexy.

If Entrepreneur had a `role description’ written by a recruitment agency it would read something like this:

Desired Skills and Experience

• Must be able to move small mountains on a daily basis, be open to change, willing to take risk, flexible beyond belief and have the stamina of an ultra marathon runner.
• Must enjoy working ridiculously long hours for little money and enjoy being financially burdened 90% of the time.
• Should be used to getting little to no sleep or at least adopting irregular sleep patterns
• Able to cope with vast amounts of stress – mainly self induced and happy in the knowledge that work life/ balance is not in the dictionary as a real word
• Most comfortable having your ego bashed on a daily basis, able to enjoy the thrill of a rollercoaster ride and not prone to puking or showing signs of weakness.
• Used to doubting your abilities and having days when you wonder what the heck you’re actually doing and whether it is even a good idea let alone whether people will pay for it.

If someone had told me it’s a sure fire way to lose sleep, lose all semblance of a balanced life and  become a slave to work I might have considered not taking this route…….yeah right! Deep down we love it.

The Best Wine Label Ever, what's your label?

So why do we do it?

I believe that for some of us it’s the allure of fame and fortune – that winning idea that turns into an overnight success.

For others it’s the freedom of working our own hours and being able to take off at any time – even if this an elusive quest.

For many it’s our complete and utter passion for doing what we believe in day in and day out.

For others it’s because we don’t want to work for someone else or are lousy at it, perhaps we’re just not good at `regular work at all’.

Then there’s those of us that didn’t get an education, really had no career skills but knew we could make something of ourselves and our endless stream of ideas.

Whatever the reason that we landed in this spectacular role, we deserve to recognize our awesomeness from time to time.

Who cares if we’re addicted to work and the lack of balance in our life, or that we’d rather be doing nothing else than working on all our many business projects?

I can’t help it and I know I’m not alone. Especially when someone pings me at 1am in the morning with an idea, or an email response and I send them a note to say they should be sleeping…which is ironic in itself given I just answered.

This is a common bond between many entrepreneurs and so this article is to honour those of us that don’t take time recognize our awesomeness. Who else climbs the highest mountains unprepared just because?

Who jumps from buildings without checking the parachute first or sails off on an uncharted course to enjoy a new adventure and reach a new shore?  Yes that’s right – we do.

So shout it out, celebrate your fabulousness and create your own definition of Entrepreneur, just like this:

E = Extraordinary

N = Neurotic

T = Tenacious

R = Restless

E = Extreme

P = Persistent

R = Relentless

E = Energetic

N = Nimble

E = Engaging

U = Unstoppable

R = Revolutionary

I’m sure at least one of those words resonates and I think they showcase the many different facets that make us who we are. What sets us apart is the ability to accept our flaws and acknowledge our strengths and push on regardless of not knowing the outcome or whether we have the right ingredients for success.

This is no ordinary role. This is not for the weak or fearful, the scared or the meek, this requires guts, courage and spunk and even moments of insanity.

Go ahead, write your own description and make sure you leave a legacy you’re proud of. Or at least make the title bestowed upon you into an acronym you can spell like: PEER >  ENTER > RUN   OR  PEE > RE-RUN > RENT

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Women all over the world are uniting right now with the launch of the much anticipated sequel – Sex and the City 2.

Image Credit to Style Bakery

It’s a time when girlfriends come together to dress up, drink cocktails and have some serious fun while living vicariously through the adventures of Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte.

Despite the lousy reviews it’s received I’m still going to see it with my girlfriends – it’s like a rite of passage every woman has to take.

It struck me that if you were to view your business personality as one of these four fabulous characters you might actually have a clearer understanding of your style. So which character do you most resemble?

Carrie Bradshaw – The Iconic Neurotic

Love her or hate her, Carrie is notoriously led by her emotions and wears her heart on her sleeve. She’s constantly craving acceptance and needs reassurance. Sometimes selfish and definitely self involved she does exhibit self-deprecating humour with which she tackles stereotypical issues.

I’m sure we can all relate, both personally and as entrepreneurs to being a little self involved. When we’re trying to juggle so many hats and call on an array of skills on a daily basis, it’s easy to get wrapped up in your own world, your struggles and successes and think it’s all about you.

It’s also common to doubt yourself, be overly critical of your abilities and to stress out at all the things you have to achieve. This is the time when humour can be a life saver, as can a great group of girlfriends to call on and tell you to get grounded at the same time as acknowledging your fabulousness.

Key Takeaway:
No matter what be true to your own unique self and always remember that if all else fails and you’re feeling it’s all too much then put on a fabulous pair of high heels and a bold outfit and stride out into the world.

Samantha Jones – The PR Extraordinaire

Outspoken and a self-proclaimed “try-sexual” (meaning she’ll try anything at least once), Samantha is  my favourite character. Her candor and honesty endear her to me and her sexual exploits just blow me away.

I’m not sure if I should be proud or worried that my friends labeled me as Samantha the other day, but I’m certain that if I wanted a PR specialist on my side, she’d be it.

Her dynamism and open-minded attitude, plus her ability to take life by the horns and embrace is something we should look to emulate much more often.

Especially when we are focused too much in the day to day running of our business and want to step away and look at our business from a fresh perspective. Learn to view your business from a PR standpoint, how would you best like to be represented?

Key Takeaway:

If life is throwing you more challenges than you care to deal with, take a leaf out of Samantha’s book and embrace them with a go-getter attitude, use them to your advantage and make sure you enjoy yourself along the way! What have you got to lose?

Miranda Hobbes – The Brazen Careerist

A career-minded lawyer with extremely cynical views on men and relationship, Miranda represents that woman who feels she has to act more masculine in order to be taken seriously in her work.

She’s a workaholic but eventually finds a way to balance career, being single, and motherhood – something to admire.

She also exhibits a softer side and is an amazing confidante. One of those solid, reliable and honest friends you need at your side when taking the entrepreneurial path. Smart, logical and ambitious, she’s definitely got it going on in her own unique way.

Key Takeaway:

A determined and ambitious attitude can get you far and life so long as you balance it with your softer side and don’t forget about your feminine needs.

Charlotte York – The Eternal Optimist

As the most conservative and traditional of the group, Charlotte places more emphasis on true love and family values. I love Charlotte’s eternal optimism on life and love although she’s the character I relate least too, giving up on her career as an art dealer for her first marriage is not something I’d personally consider.

A family woman at heart she presents a straight forward attitude and caring nature. Dependable and courteous, Charlotte strikes me as the type of person who’d go over and above with professionalism in any aspect of business. Something we can all aim for.

Credit New Line Cinema

And let’s face it, sometimes conservatism is a trait that some entrepreneurs would do well to take in small doses.

Key Takeaway: Stay true to your core values, know that there is strength in some traditions that can be translated to the quality of your work and the integrity of your business.

If you were hoping there’d be some fashion, flair and shopping to this post then can I suggest you check out Social Shopper, a fantastic, soon to be launched service that offers 50-90% off daily deals in your city.

Right now they have a $500 shopping spree as a gift to one lucky new member and 5 double passes to Sex and the City 2 (Vancouver only but watch for their expansion!)

Disclaimer: This is a shameless plug for my awesome new client Social Shopper who I’m delighted to be working with on their launch and social media integration.

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