the inspired entrepreneur
by elizabeth trezise

I read WNC-Woman every month, cover to cover. I laugh and I cry. I learn and I grieve. I open my eyes and I experience ah-HAs. I find something of value in every single article.

Most of all, when I read this magazine, I am inspired. Why? Because every individual that contributes to this magazine is inspired. Inspired entrepreneurs, inspired professionals, inspired moms, inspired human beings!

Inspired people are attractive. They glow with excitement about new ideas and about spreading their passion and joy to the world. People want to get to know them. Inspired people are inquisitive. They ask the tough questions, they want to learn more, they are curious about life. Inspired people have fun. They love their work, they find meaning in their contributions and they truly enjoy what they’re doing.

Inspired people also can put on a good show. They let the world see their very best side but underneath, there is so much more than meets the eye. But the not-so-often-talked-about-but-oh-so-real-things include the fears, the overwhelm, the worries about money. Working 16 hour days, multi-tasking constantly, wondering am I really good enough? These are the things that can drag the inspired entrepreneurs and inspired professionals down into the depths of despair and question “Can I really do this? Can I really be successful as a __________ (fill in the blank with your passion)?”
Yes! You really can do this! And here are some tips to help reconnect you with your inspiration:

1 Create an environment that 100% supports you. Create an office space that nurtures you and inspires you. Hire a feng shui consultant to help you.

2 Get that you’re not alone. There are thousands of other inspired entrepreneurs out there trying to do the same thing you are. Pick up the phone and call a friend who’s also in business for herself and invite her to lunch. Talk about your challenges and your triumphs.

3 Get networked! Use the resources in your community to help you be successful. Think about it – anyone who’s ever been successful – did they get to the top alone? No way! They surrounded themselves with bright, motivated, talented people who could contribute to and support them in their success.

4 Hire out your weaknesses. If you focus on your strengths and delegate your weaknesses, you’ll be much happier and you’ll be much more efficient with the work you’re doing.

5 Spend time really understanding your target market. Who are they? What do they want? Where do they hang out? Consider surveying them to understand what their true needs are.

6 Take time out for yourself. Practice extreme self care! If you don’t take time on a daily and weekly basis to recharge your batteries, you won’t have any “juice” left to keep on going.

7 Be sure to invest in your professional development. It’s easy to burnout when you’re working on your own. But going to conferences and workshops and connecting with others who are doing similar things can reenergize and refuel you and spark new ideas to help you take your business to the next level.

8 Create a Research and Development Team. An R&D Team can serve to help you in a variety of ways. They can help you to brainstorm new ideas, they can give you feedback on existing ideas and they can provide you with valuable resources.

9 Put systems in place. The best way to stay on top of the chaos is to create systems. Systems for filing, for money, for managing new clients, for follow up with old clients. Systems, systems, systems are what make any entrepreneur and small business owner successful. If you haven’t read Michael Gerber’s E-myth Revisited, be sure to put it on your holiday wish list. It will radically change the way you look at your business.

10 Focus on your vision and mission. Why are you doing this? What’s the reason behind it? If you connect with this on a daily basis, you’ll be reminded of where your inspiration and passion came from in the first place!

As we enter into the New Year, why not make some decisions and some commitments to yourself? Better yet, get a friend, colleague or buddy to help you and make commitments to each other! Read the list above and choose just one or two areas to focus on for the next month. As you commit to yourself and your business, you should feel a new surge of energy and inspiration. The next month, pick another area or two to focus on. Soon, you’ll be on your way to removing what’s draining you and creating a business and a life that reconnects you fully with your passion and your joy. Now that’s inspiring, isn’t it?

Elizabeth Trezise, M.Ed., is a life and business coach who works with inspired professionals and entrepreneurs to help them build successful businesses and create high quality lives. She does individual and group coaching, leads workshops and does public speaking.
[ InspiredEntrepreneur.com; growthworkscoaching.com;828-236-0910 ]