As you may have noticed I’m a big believer in using Social Media as an integrated part of your business marketing approach. I also love coaching people where I can in how to use it effectively for their unique business situation.

Twitter has blown my mind with the ability it has given me to connect with a diverse range of terrific people from all around the world.

I’ve been able to reach people I may never have even discovered or had the chance to contact. In return people have found me completely by random and become fans of my blog thanks to links I’ve shared or retweets I’ve received from others in my community.

For all those people who don’t understand Twitter or bad mouth it – you’re missing out! If you want to know my key tips for using it for business and beyond then get your free copy of my eBook `The Entrepreneur’s Social Media Workout’.

Today I want to focus on profiling a few of the awesome women I’ve had the pleasure to connect with on Twitter. I recommend you follow them and here’s why: I appreciate their advice, their sharing of great information, their support, their style and the unique energy they give to women the world over.

If you enjoy this let me know and I can feature it regularly. There are so many more to mention!

Top 20 Women to Follow on Twitter for Business, Marketing, Technology advice and more

1. Ali Brown @AliBrownLA
   A self-made millionaire entrepreneur and a mentor to women around the world, helping them start and grow businesses and live extraordinary lives.
2. Aliza Sherman @alizasherman
   Strategist, Futurist, Speaker. Co-founder Conversify (social media marketing agency). Founded Cybergrrl/Webgrrls. Alaska-based World Traveler.
3. Kathy Meyer @2cre8
   eMarketing trends and technology enthusiast. She believes in balance and simplicity of design + form + function. She’s a Mompreneur, Foodie, Art, Music and iPhone lover.
4. Maren Kate @MarenKate
   Entrepreneur, start up starter, blogger and all around quirky chick.
5. Carrie Wilkerson @barefoot_exec
   Consultant/Strategist for work at home professionals. She aims to educate, empower, encourage & entertain men & women pursuing biz goals with integrity & passion!
6. Francine Allaire @thedaringwoman
   Founder of The Daring Woman™, Founding Partner of Supreme Social Media, Business Matchmaker, Social Media, Alliance and JV Strategist, Daring Lifestyle Designer
7. Linda Hughes @iempoweru
   Loves entrepreneurs – their inquisitive minds, fighting spirit & that persistence that moves mountains! Totally supportive of them in every way.
8. Anita Campbell @smallbiztrends
   CEO, Small Business Trends, an online small biz community reaching over 250,000 each month. Delivers small business success daily.
9. Simone Brummelhuis @thenextwoman
   Founder of The Next Women Business Magazine which features Female Heroes and News Interviews. Funding Community Founder Entrepreneur CEO TV Pitching Events Speaker – phew!
10. Karmen Reed @kickofftopic
    Provies marketing solutions through social media, online visibility and positive attitude. Loves to travel, cook and read.
11. Melissa Galt @prosperbydesign
    Dream Maker, Profit Architect, Social Media Muse, Life Designer, Tastemaker, Style Visionary, Foodie, Bungee Jumper, Adventurer, Optimist, Speaker, Author (clearly a keyword specialist
12. Anastasia Ashman @Thandelike
    Expat+HAREM neo-culture entertainment writer & producer. A Berkeley native who resides in Istanbul. TEDGlobalist. Hybrid identity adventuress. Seeker of the global niche.
13. Natalia @nakisnakis
    Founder & CEO of Pipeline (@PipelineWomen). Tweets about: #womeninnovators, #socent, @NYWSE, Gen Y, LGBTQ issues, OrgPsych, Healthcare, PopCulture & Gadgets
14. Kristi Colvin @kriscolvin
    Founder & Chief Creative Officer, Fresh ID. Creator of Twitterface. Opinionated user, brand experience designer & customer advocate.
15. Anita Borg @AnitaBorg_org
    Helping technical women connect with each other, resources and opportunities through her work at the nonprofit Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology
16. Coles Johnson @IndieBusiness
    Mom. Indie Beauty Network, Indie Business Podcast. One-time practicing attorney. Award-winning smallbiz advocate.
17. Manishka Thakor @ManishaThakor
    Personal Finance Expert for Women.
18. Tina Cook @TinaCook
    Social Media Marketing Mentor and Strategist and Guerrilla Marketing Coach, loves life by the Indian Ocean, photographing and creating inspiring visuals.
19. Elena Verlee @ElenaVerlee
    Loves to Talk About PR, Building a Biz and Living Life Fully. Has built 6 and 7-fig businesses, has 2 kids and lives in 2 countries. Has a great blog called PR in your Pajamas
20. Melinda Emmerson @SmallBizTalk
    Melinda Emerson is Host of #SmallBizChat, author, speaker, and smallbiz coach. Expertise in smallbiz start-up, social media marketing & developing content.

I would LOVE for you to add your own top women to follow in the comments section so we can all benefit and connect.

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A few months back I was reading a fascinating article in Entrepreneur.com about how few entrepreneurs start a business with the end in mind. The all important exit strategy seems elusive to many of us yet it is so important to have that end goal in mind.

I was so impressed by the points in the article and the level of advice given, plus the fact that she’d just written a book called Show Me The Money that I just decided to email Chia-Li Chien and tell her so.

Chia-Li Chien is the founder and chief strategist of Chien Associates LLC, a strategy and implementation management consulting firm that helps women entrepreneurs to convert their business into meaningful personal wealth.

She’s also one of the most organized and productive women I know that focuses on her priorities and getting results. I was impressed by her prompt, friendly and professional reply, scheduling of our Skype interview and her follow up and her sense of humour.

Chia-Li even shared her incredible calendar with me that is fully colour coded and is planned months in advance with weekly sessions blocked out for marketing, writing, business development, workshops and more.

I knew we all could learn a great deal from her years of experience in time management and business systems, but more importantly her financial prowess and passion in helping women invest in themselves.

Here’s our interview below plus listen to our recorded Skype call where I ask Chia-Li specifically about exit planning, time management tips and more.

Tell me why having an exit plan is so important for women in business?

Creating a business is not just a means of “lifestyle”. As women we often end up taking care of everyone else in the world except for ourselves and we also neglect to view our business as an investment asset.
When you start to view it from this perspective though, you will actually demand an annual return and a certain growth in value over time. Without this end in mind you will not get where you want to be, or achieve financial independence so you can enjoy doing the thing you love the most.

In your opinion, what’s the biggest challenge women face in viewing their business as investment?

They don’t see it as a real investment asset, most view it as “lifestyle” or in reality a job. Let me elaborate, if an owner takes less than $100K salary from the business, she effectively created a job for herself.

If an owner takes less than $250K salary from the business, she created a “lifestyle” for herself.
Until you create 2 to 5 times of the value you’re not creating wealth for yourself at all. The biggest challenge I see women face is “but I am not in the business to make that much money”. My answer is always the same, then work for someone else, it’s a lot easier that way.

What do you love most about helping women achieve financial freedom?

I’ve been there, and can relate to their challenges. We all have family and business to juggle and there is no one formula that fits all. Everyone is unique, and each woman her own set of challenges that I love to help solve.

Most importantly, I am a great connector and can help my clients connect to big customers/clients and stay focused. I love to see them grow and it is the most rewarding thing for me to witness.

You’re a master at time management, what are your top 5 tips for managing your week?

#1. Preview your week: Check your week’s schedule on previous Friday night or early Monday morning so you can familiarise how your week layout looks.

#2. Block Time: Block out time in your calendar such as

• Staff meetings
• Training (for you)
• Green block (making money time)
• Client service/design time
• Marketing/Sales (unless you have staff to do this)
• Review/monitor Company KPI (Key Performance Indicators)
• Paperwork time – something you have to do but make NO money for such as filing, signing contracts, etc. Your staff can do most of this but there are still some things you need to do.
• YOU Time – such as family time, nap time, fitness time, etc.

#3. Be true to yourself: Once you have your own systems down, follow your own rule so your staff can keep you honest.

#3. Put your To Do on your calendar: Block them out into the categories above. So you don’t get side-tracked easily.
#4. Take Care of Yourself. If you need time to nap, put a nap time in your calendar.
I wake up at 5 AM everyday; naturally, I am exhausted by 3 pm. Therefore, I block out 3 to 5 pm for cooking for family or nap time for me. You don’t have to be a super women. Yes, I get home from the office by 3, but continue to work few hours after 6 or 7 pm.

You put aside 25% of your time for marketing your business, what’s your key focus?

My key focus on marketing is to land speaking engagements and interviews. In professional services, the most effective way to generate qualified leads is to get in front of qualified suspects (they may not be prospects yet).
Often it will lead to another speaking engagement or prospective meeting.

This can include “center of influence” or COI, those business entities that have the same target clients as you do, and they refer clients to you. I also call them Market Makers and I cover this in more detail in my book.

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

Most of Dr. Wayne Dyers’ books – very much aligned with spiritual, purpose and passion and John Maxwell’s books

– great leadership books.
I believe that we all have to do what we’ve been called to do, that which is truly aligned to our passion, purpose and core talents to thrive in our lives. Finding the passion and purpose is not easy.

To recognize them and align them with your core talents is even harder because at the end of the day, you have to make money out of that. So these books have greatly influenced me.

But to be honest, there are many more Chinese books that I read that influenced me as I was growing up. Those are the ones built my foundation, integrity and value in life. Mostly Tao or Lao Tzu related.

What’s the most exciting thing that’s happening in your world right now?

I’d say it’s getting requests from people that I don’t know about my Show Me The Money – Run Your Business Like A Prosperous Investor book. I’ve received many requests for consultations or sometimes just simple one or two quick questions.

Because of that, I am planning to launch “Ask Jolly” for women entrepreneurs to call in for a live show. I am the Suze Orman version for Women Entrepreneurs.

What is your key piece of advice to any female considering becoming an entrepreneur?

I hate to tell you to read my book, but in chapter one, I reveal an ancient Chinese secret for success. Sorry, ladies, there is really no secret here, but some smart hard work as I mention this previously published article “Secrets of a Successful Exit”.

If you can get the first and 2nd set right, you’ll have a great start. You ultimately have to be honest to yourself whether it is worth that much effort to create a business.

To win a signed copy of `Show Me The Money’ just tweet this message:
I want to win a copy of `Show Me The Money! and learn how to treat my business as an investment  via @womanzworld

Chia-Li is also a columnist for WomenEntrepreneur.com & Fox Business online and her interviews appear in the New York Times “You’re the Boss” Blog.  Chi-Li also serves on several womens’ boards and provides pro bono services to the community. You can reach her at jolly@chialichien.com

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This is a Guest Post from Stella Fayman who knows her stuff on an area I’ve recently had frustrations with – credit card processors. I think you’ll find her tips very valuable.

Image from MBDA Minority Biz Blog

If you have your own business, you most likely have gone through the annoying and frustrating process of choosing a credit card processor (also called a merchant account provider) in order to accept credit cards.

Since there is not a lot of information out there on how to choose a processor, a lot of business owners get ripped off with tricky rates, confusing salespeople, and contracts that are impossible to understand.

Here are some tips to help guide you in your search:

1)   No cancellation fees allowed

Make sure to read the fine print from your credit card processing contract. You may be surprised to find a cancellation fee from at least $250 to several thousand dollars.  This fee is a way of guaranteeing your loyalty to the processor, regardless of your satisfaction with their service.

The good news is that getting rid of this fee should not be a problem: most salespeople have the authority to waive it. To avoid this problem, talk to the salesperson and make sure the fee is waived in writing either in the contract or as an amendment.

For a beginning business, making sure to have the no cancellation fee clause is a great hedge in case anything goes wrong.

2)    Only interchange plus pricing

The bulk of the processing fee goes to Visa and Mastercard—this fee is called “interchange” and is set in stone. Interchange-plus pricing is the fairest form of pricing structure for your business, meaning that you pay the interchange fee plus a constant markup which goes to theprocessor as a service charge. Having this structure ensures there are no tricky fees or hidden costs, unlike tiered pricing structures.

3)    Comparison shop

Research shows that the best deal can be found by comparison shopping for credit card processors–at least five. However, make sure to compare on an apples-to-apples basis, and be sure each processor knows that you are actively shopping. You can easily make your bids more competitive by leveraging the power of comparison.

4) What about PayPal?

If you’re in ecommerce, PayPal seems to be the no brainer chose for a processor.  It’s an ok choice in the beginning when credit card revenues are low and your service is growing.

However, as revenue gets in the thousands it’s time to reevaluate since PayPal may be taking more of a cut for their service than a traditional merchant account provider.

5) Don’t Rent of Lease Equipment

For the most part credit card processing equipment is quite cheap now.  Those little black terminals that you see in small retail stores usually cost $100 – $300 and a full-fledged POS system is a little more than a desktop computer, less than $2000.

If you own your own equipment there is less chance for processors to sneak in extra profit by padding your lease payments and it also makes it easier to switch if something goes wrong in the relationship.

Bio: Stella Fayman blogs about credit card processing at the TransFS Blog.  Just like getting multiple quotes for airfare using Expedia, TransFS lets business owners compare top quality processors on an apples-to-apples basis and makes sure they get the best deal by not having any cancellation or hidden fees, and only interchange plus pricing. Feel free to email Stella with specific questions at stella@transfs.com.

This is by no means a paid advertisement! I think this is just very handy for business owners to know about.

If you have 30 seconds to spare I’d appreciate your vote on my one click poll in my previous article on what solutions you’d like to see from WomanzWorld to help you and your business

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As an entrepreneur I’m sure you know this story all too well:

You have a great business idea and hit the ground running with the bare bones of a business plan. You know you’ll come back to it at some stage but for now you’re excited by the momentum so why bother?

Before you know it you’re feeling overwhelmed and struggling to grow your businesses. There aren’t enough hours in the day to cope with your existing work load, much less add to it by investing time to work ON your business!

The thing is, if you have don’t plan for your business success then you’re setting yourself up to be another business failure statistic. I don’t want that to happen and neither do you.

Enter the WomanzWorld Academy

As you know I’m passionate about getting more women into business. I want women to court bolder dreams and turn them into reality.

Way back when I first started WomanzWorld, I wrote a loose business plan. In my bold vision I stated that I wanted to eventually use this platform to launch products that would ensure more women around the world started their own business.

I wanted to be able to set up the WomanzWorld Academy that would allow women in underdeveloped countries access to basic business training. This is still my vision.

But it starts here. It starts with you. It starts with women entrepreneurs supporting each other to succeed.

The number one common challenge I see with my entrepreneurial friends is taking action each and every day to drive their business forward. I struggle with it and I’m sure you do too.

I recently created `The Dream Squad’, a group of 6 women entrepreneurs that meet regularly to discuss our business challenges, help each other on aspects of our business, provide advice, knowledge and hold each other accountable.

I liken it to a mini Mastermind Group and Entrepreneurs Organisation group rolled into one. And it works! We may not always meet our goals but we’re achieving a lot more than we were as individuals.

It becomes so much easier when you build a network of support to keep you accountable, to ensure you’re meeting the actions you set for yourself. It pushes you and drives you and the momentum can be infectious.

It is clear that bite size chunks of learning is the best way to go. Coupled with regular activities to work on to propel our business to the next level.

The special ingredient is having a business coach to work with you yet not everyone feels they can make that investment when starting out. That’s why, Coach Felicia Lee and I have been working hard on creating:

`Startup Success in 60 Days or Less’ program

This exclusive Online Business Coaching Program launches on May 17th 2010. It’s the first program being offered by the WomanzWorld Academy.

We’ve limited participation to just 25 amazing women entrepreneurs who are serious about taking their business to the next level for less than the price of a coffee a day. We can’t wait!

Registration begins today. Full details are on the Startup Academy Page and also on the registration page which you can access by simply clicking this button.

See you there?

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Coaches Corner is brought to you every second Thursday by our resident business coach Felicia Lee who specializes in working with women entrepreneurs on business growth and development.

An article I read noted that young successful CEOs have a common trait – they are ever optimistic about opportunities that surround them.

Numerous studies have shown that people who are optimistic are healthier, live more abundant lives, are creative, resourceful, and accomplish more.

Successful entrepreneurs often see possibility within every situation, even when market conditions are unpredictable.  They believe in the possibilities.

Being optimistic and positive is a frame of mind that you can choose to embrace.

For example, when you go shoe shopping (which is one of my favorite activities), as you look at the array of shoes on display in the window, do you think “oooohhh, I like those, but they probably don’t have my size …” or “wow, those are cute, but I don’t think they have it in black.”?

Of course not.  You go in the store, hopeful and optimistic about the possibility of finding a great pair of shoes that will make you look fabulous.

So go take that first step towards a new opportunity.  How?  It’s not all that different from shoe shopping – you seek it and pursue it.  Here are some examples of what you might do to get started:

• Brainstorm on new business ideas
• Create a new partnership or alliance
• Network and meet people that are not in your industry
• Do something new in your business or life
• Learn about and model after someone who is successful
• Take a class to expand your skills
• Have coffee with an old friend, someone in your referral network or a past client
• Do one thing that is bold and crazy
• Double your goals and work out a plan to accomplish them
• Read a book that makes you expand your thinking
• Put yourself in an unfamiliar situation and enjoy the experience

What opportunities will you commit to create or pursue in the next 30 days?

One opportunity you can take is to sign up to the first ever WomanzWorld Academy `Startup Success in 60 Days or Less’ program  on Saturday 1 May. Details to come of this super exciting online business coaching program.

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Finally, I hear you say,  the long awaited eBook based off the excellent series of blog posts has arrived.

I’m excited to have produced my first ever eBook ‘The Entrepreneur’s Social Media Workout’  and to be able to offer it here for you for free.

You’ll be treated to a series of beginner workouts with exercises that you can conduct over a month to see real results for your business.

I’ve added in some extra special information on why Social Media is so good for business and proof that it does indeed attract leads and customers and business.

Like any exercise plan, you need to apply focus and discipline to see the benefits from your effort.

This book will help you shape up and get social media savvy in no time – or at least allow you to make sense of all the tools available to you and how to apply them in an integrated way to your marketing efforts.

Workout 1: Back to Basics

Workout 2: Get Facebook Fit

Workout 3: Tone up with Twitter

Workout 4: Exercise Control Of Email

Workout 5: Lunging into LinkedIn

Workout 6:  Make Movie Muscle

Workout 7: Website Weightlifting

Workout 8: Build a Better Blog

I can’t wait to hear your thoughts, get your feedback and hear your success stories.

In fact, I challenge you to take the next 30 days to take your Entrepreneurs Social Media workout and email me with your results.

I’ll do a series of feature posts profiling those of you who write in and let me know what worked for you and where you struggled. Where you saw the most improvements and what you need to work on.

To get your free copy now simply enter your details below and you’ll receive a confirmation email with the download link.

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If you are in business, you probably already know a few things about sales.

The sales process generally runs something like this:

Build rapport, inform your customers about the product, deal with concerns or objections and try not to pressure them too much. Let them make the decision and if they walk away, leave them with your contact or information so that they can make the purchase later on (or even better, get permission to contact them at a future date).

The first step of the sales process – building rapport, is often overlooked or done hastily.  Being our own biggest fans, we likely  jump quickly into  informing customers about products.

However, if you invest a little more time into building rapport, you’ll find that your customers come to trust you more, listen more, and be more open about what you have to offer.  The rest of the sales process becomes that much easier once someone likes you and trusts you.

What if you are not the type that makes small talk easily? Building rapport needn’t be cheesy.  Just be your open, friendly, and helpful self.

One of the best ways to build rapport is by focusing less on what you have to offer, and more on understanding the needs of your customers.

Ask them open-ended questions about their business, listen to where the pain points or motivations are, and find out more about what they are currently doing and where they would like to be.

My parents use to say to me – you have two ears and one mouth for a reason.  Listen twice as much as you speak.  I hate to admit it, but they are right!

Exciting News: I’m delighted to be offering a one month Entrepreneurs Startup Program on May 1st in conjunction with Felicia Lee, Ghost CEO Advisor.

This will be an online program exclusive to Women Entrepreneurs who want to kick start their business. We’ll take you through every aspect of starting up a business with daily activities to help you take action, fantastic templates and group coaching calls. To register your interest email me

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Many of us start businesses because we want flexibility and control in how we spend our days and the number of hours that we work in our business.

It’s ironic that, a few years down the entrepreneurial path, we often find ourselves running from task to task, often ending the week not knowing what we’ve accomplished.

If this sounds a little too familiar – sit back for a moment and take a quick look at how you’re running the business.

Do you have systems and processes in place?  Or are you too busy juggling everything that it’s hard not to drop balls.

Here are a few questions for you:

• Do you have a system for tracking opportunities that come your way?
• Do you use a sequence to turn prospects into clients?
• Do you have a weekly schedule (that you follow)?
• Do you spend time looking for things – paper, phone numbers, files on your computer?
• Do you know where your business stands financially?
• Do you handle your customers’ inquiries and issues consistently?

Your business is made up of different systems – sales, marketing, financial, administrative, communications, client support, etc.  Setting up consistent methods or processes lead to having consistent results.

If you want to grow, if you want to hire, and even if you want to sell, it is imperative that you have these systems documented.  Knowing how to do any of these in your head doesn’t count as having a system!

So where and how do you start?

Pick an area that you want to tackle first.  What’s causing you the most stress?  Where are things going wrong?  What is taking up a lot of time?

Document what you are currently doing, then take a look to see if you can make improvements.  Set a desired outcome for each process, and use tools like diagrams, flow charts, duty rosters, process maps, or checklists – anything to get the information out of your head and onto a piece of paper.  Then test your new process, and make improvements over time.

I’m often asked which area to tackle first, if there are no systems in place whatsoever.  I’d say take a look at how you manage your time.  Be intentional about how you spend each day, so that you can dedicate the right amount of time and effort to the areas that need attention in your business.

What systems are you going to implement in April?

Another excellent post from our resident coach Felicia Lee, Ghost CEO Advisor. If you want to speak to Felicia about coaching opportunities with her then please email her and mention WomanzWorld for a special rate.

NEWSFLASH: I’ve almost completed by first ever eBook that will help you and your business rock the Social Media world – or at least get you up and running with the best of the basics.

It’s a compilation of the Social Media Workouts for entrepreneurs  I’ve been posting throughout March and better yet it’s free!

I would love to launch it on my birthday this Saturday so watch out for details!

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I’ve been doing a lot of pitch reviews lately with my clients.  They polish off their presentations or proposals, and they run it by me as if I’m the client.  We go through what they think is good and what they think needs to be polished.

I used to give my clients feedback right away after the presentation, but lately I have changed one thing.  I ask them to provide their own feedback on how they did first, before I dive in to provide my comments.

I am amazed at how different the conversation is from that single change.  Usually they are right on the mark when it comes to what they thought went well.  Where we usually differ is on what they thought needed improvements.

Here are the a few areas that often need tweaking:

• Features vs. Benefits – It is so easy to go on and on about features rather than benefits, because we want to make sure our clients “get” what we are offering.  You want to cut this down to just the essentials, and focus on how your customers’ lives are going to be much easier because of your offer.  When they are ready to go into the details, they will ask you for it.  Don’t bore them with the nitty-gritty before they are ready.
• Hooks – Do you talk about what it would be like to work with you (or your products) throughout the presentation?  Paint them a picture.  Tell them how others have used your services or products.  Describe the process as if they have already bought from you.   Use examples that they can relate to.  Anticipate their questions and objections, and answer those throughout your presentation instead of waiting till the end.
• Customize – If you are spending the time to do a presentation, make sure you customize your materials to your customer’s business or process.  There is nothing more annoying than watching a “canned” presentation, especially if it’s a one-on-one meeting!  Are you demonstrating understanding of their pain points and processes?  Did you incorporate their logo into your presentation?  Are you using their terminology?

When your pitch is ready, make sure you run it by a few different people:  someone that knows your customer, someone that works in your industry, and someone that is outside of your industry and has no idea what you do.

You’ll get a much better sense of where you need to change things after hearing their feedback.

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By Felicia Lee, Ghost CEO Advisor

It’s been such a joy to watch and participate in some of the 2010 Winter Olympic activities.  I’m quite inspired by the Olympic athletes, especially in their stories and journey.

Olympic Gold Medal (Photo by Natalie)

So many have always known that they’ve wanted to become an Olympian ever since they were little kids.  Some have been called “too ambitious”, but have not allowed naysayers to come between them and their ambition.  Today I want to take a quick look into this thing we called “Ambition”.

Are you ambitious?  What does the word “ambition” mean to you?  Do you feel uncomfortable talking about your ambition?

Does it conjure up negative connotations like self-centredness, egotism, or perhaps manipulation of others for your own purposes?

In my coaching sessions, I go over my clients’ business goals, and I usually ask them to aim for what they want, not what they think they can achieve.  Sometimes I really have to stretch them.  I find so many women uncomfortable with being public about their ambitions.

Many think that ambition is only condoned once they have first satisfied the needs of all their family members – husbands, children, elderly parents, and others.  Otherwise their ambition is called into question.  So they settle for something less.  Something that is maybe a little bit easier to achieve and won’t rock anyone’s boats.  Often, they pack their ambitions into storage, to be dusted off one day in the future, but certainly not today.

Today I challenge you to think about your ambition

What have you always wanted to achieve or to be?  Are you living your passion?  Are you taking steps, if slowly, to get there?

Your ambition doesn’t happen unless you intentionally map out a plan for how you’re going to get there.  Here are two factors to consider:

1. Your competency i.e. getting really good at what you want to do, and
2. Building a support structure to provide the proper recognition for your achievements.

Today, there are fewer issues around women achieving competencies – there is far less discrimination in getting into the schools or programs that you need to and getting the job or the promotion, and there are plenty of resources and support for starting and running a business.

However, I see women having more challenges in building the recognition and support they need to sustain the journey to fulfilling their ambition.  We tend to shy away from asking for appropriate acknowledgement of their contributions or to demand appropriate support.

We feel selfish when we don’t subordinate their needs to those of others.  We also tend to downplay accomplishments, and have much more difficulty tooting our own horn.

Yet recognition is such a fundamental emotional need, and can play a big part as the motivational engine that drives our pursuit.  Just take a look at why Olympic athletes compete – they are all going for gold, and the recognition that a gold medal brings.

I would encourage you to dare to be ambitious with your pursuits in the first place, and then take a look at the two steps again.  Do you have steps in place to become competent, and do you have a support structure to provide recognition and so motivate you to keep going?

Listen Up: You could win a complimentary 45 minute coaching session with Felicia valued at $150.

This can be in person or if over the phone so it doesn’t matter where you are in the world. Just answer these 2 questions in the comment section below:

1. What is the key area you need the most help with as an entrepreneur? (i.e Financial advice, marketing, social media, business plans)
2. What do invest your money in most? (i.e business books, courses, products, advice, outsourcing)

Competition ends Sunday 7th March at midnight PST. Winner will be announced and contacted on Monday 8th.

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