Posts Tagged ‘Entrepreneur’
Choose your Business Model
Posted on: August 16, 2013
- In: 30 Day Blog Challenge | business | Business Models | Career | Challenge | Entreprenuer | Networking | Relationships
- 3 Comments
Welcome to Day 11 of the 30 Day Blog Challenge!
This challenge has been an excellent experience so far, I’m learning, actively growing and able to expand my knowledge. Now to get down to the nitty gritty:
Which business model is best for you and what one revenue stream is most feasible?
Yesterday I discussed my two key options for streams of revenue. Today I’m narrowing it down to just one and explaining why. As Natalie discusses in today’s post the two most viable business options are selling yourself vs. selling others. I know that sometimes I tend to sell myself short and not highlight my skills as effectively as I could. However selling myself and my expertise is certainly something I can stand behind and as projects and clients come into place, I’ll have a clear idea of how effectively I’ll be able to promote the project based on my skill set.
That behind said the one revenue stream which will work best for my business model is active. Why? The hands on approach of interacting with others through coaching, trainings, seminars or one-on-one sessions will work great with my personality. As a extrovert I get most of my energy from being around others and working closely with them to ensure success. I recently took a work compatibility test and received my strengths card via Good.co
Taking the test and reading through my score was an excellent way to put business and my work ethic into perspective. It helped me identify the places where I can increase my skills and take a look at the places where my personality type could pull me off track.
What are you strengths which work best with your business model?
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Hands On or Hands Off
Posted on: August 15, 2013
- In: 30 Day Blog Challenge | business | Business Models | Career | Challenge | Empowerment | Entreprenuer | music | Networking | Social | Social Media | travel
- 4 Comments
A great point Natalie brings out in her video “3 Main Ways to Make Money Online” is that a location independent entrepreneur should have several sources of revenue. Today’s prompt is:
What are the key ways in which you want to make money online in your chosen business OR Which are the key online revenue streams you want to focus on in your existing business?
This video was a great eye opener for me. As a freelancer most of my work is actionable, which means I have to be hands on and completely focused on a project for the 3-4 hours I freelance every day. Now this does not exactly provide me with the means to hit the road, travel to exotic locations and not have to worry about streams of income going up or down. However as a past musician and current author I completely understand the benefits of royalties.
I remember the months spent songwriting and jamming with the band, pulling together the perfect combination of music and lyrics. Once recorded we were able to sit back, slap hi-fives and begin the process of marketing and promotion. Even now years later I still hear from old fans reminiscing about the days of the band. Will be the band ever get back together? Who knows, but the album is still for sale and can be downloaded via any digital distribution source which is a plus.
Book publishing works the same way and ideally I would like to complete my five novel fantasy series. They will most likely be published under a pen name which will include initials, since those kinds of authors tend to do well. I mean look at J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, J.K. Rowling and George R.R. Martin. Sign me up!
I love being hands on, I enjoy working with clients and spending time putting together a strategic plan for a project. I love social media and networking, meeting other like-minded individuals and having the opportunity to inspire and encourage. I’m all about that! The key revenue streams I would like to focus on are:
- Find a way to have a constant stream of income while doing all the hard work up front and reaping the benefits later.
- Work hands on with clients whether it’s social media marketing, training, coaching or freelance writing.
What are the top ways you’d like to see revenue come in?
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The Invisible Cheerleaders
Posted on: August 14, 2013
- In: 30 Day Blog Challenge | Books | business | Career | Challenge | Empowerment | Entreprenuer | Inspiration | Motivation
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After a 24 hour writing break (I know, who needs to take a break from writing? Right?) I’m back to continue on with the 30 Day Blog Challenge. Writing has been easier during the past 7 days and today’s prompt is:
Whose online business do you admire most and why?
Obviously The Suitcase Entrepreneur who went from working a 9-5 job to traveling the world while building her business and encouraging others to follow her path.
Laura Kessler – A Music Business professional who also has a virtual business. She provides coaching, vocal performance, consulting, executive communication and more. The first time I talked with her I was impressed with how knowledgeable and personable she is. Our first conversation lasted over an hour and even thought we were working on the same project I walked away uplifted and encourage to promote my virtual business.
Seth Godin – I was first introduced to Seth Godin’s books, namely, Linchpin: Are you Indispensable? which I wrote about in a previous post. Seeking to create change and go against the norms, one always runs into people who tell you point blank “You’re wrong, the system is the system for a reason, because it works!” Reading Seth Godin’s books opened my eyes to the fact that even though there are accepted norms on society, we can create new norms by being unique.
There are many more people and businesses who motivate me to press on. I like to call them the invisible cheerleaders because although they don’t know it, they have encouraged me to live life to the fullest and broaden my impact on others.
One of the reason I’m driven to succeed is because I was born a middle child. You know what they say about middle children, statistically they are often overlooked and feel left it. It wasn’t that I felt under-appreciated growing it, it was just that I was always part of the crowd, and with four lovely sisters it was hard to stand out.
Breaking out of that crowd and going off to do my own thing made me realize that although it is fantastic to belong somewhere, it is much more rewarding to strike out on your own and create success from those ventures. There are many sources of inspiration along the way.
Who or what inspired you to take your unique path in life?
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- In: 30 Day Blog Challenge | business | Career | Challenge | Empowerment | Entreprenuer | Health | Inspiration | Motivation | nature | Social | Technology | Wellness
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I am constantly amazed and inspired by stories of people just like you and me who take the initiative to change their lives and follow their dreams. Day 6 of the Suitcase Entrepreneur 30 Day Blog Challenge focuses on case studies of those who transitioned to living life on their own terms. I encourage you to read more and if you haven’t joined the challenge already it’s not too late! Today’s writing prompt is:
What are my three priorities for the next 30 days that will move me closer towards living life on my own terms?
- Get to work! I would like my business to be solely online, a virtual resource accessible to anyone,
anywhere. That being said over the next 30 days I need to work on writing a business plan, identifying the services I want to focus on and completing my website. I must admit I’ve struggled a bit with what services I would like to offer. Obviously I love social media marketing and defining a plan for content marketing. My strengths lie in planning and time-management, however I want to pass on what I have learned and empower my clients to reach their goals. - Challenge myself! I think my biggest competition is myself and through the 30 Day Blog Challenge I have set a goal to write every single day for 30 days. This is a huge goal for me because when I first started my blog I did not have a focus, I wrote every month or so and this year I made a resolution to blog more. (It’s working!) I’m also challenging myself to run a half-marathon before the end of the year since fitness energizes me and helps me stay motivated. I’m not a runner by any means but I think discipline and training will help in other areas of life.
- Test it out! What I need to do next is plan an international trip, it’s time to go, my traveling feet are itching and I’m ready to explore. I’m working towards spending two weeks in New Zealand in Winter 2014, hoping from spot to stop every couple of days, meeting new friends and enjoying an indescribable experience. I plan to blog often and keep my virtual business with me along the way.
Writing these priorities out and sharing them makes my goals a reality. Now that I’ve shared with the world now I have to focus on these dreams and make them a reality.
What are 3 priorities you need to make a reality? Share in the comments below or if you end up blogging leaving a link!
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The Sky is the Limit
Posted on: August 7, 2013
- In: 30 Day Blog Challenge | business | Career | Challenge | Entreprenuer | Social
- 1 Comment
Welcome to Day 2 of the 30 Day Blog Challenge – I’m super pumped today because I just downloaded a copy of The Suitcase Entrepreneur! Have you gotten yours yet?
Getting back on target today’s prompt is:
If you woke up tomorrow and were free to do anything you wanted with your life, what would you do and who would you be?
I feel shallow sometimes thinking about all the things I want out of life, to drive a Porsche, live in a penthouse downtown and enjoy a successful career as a senior executive and entrepreneur. Truth be told I don’t know what I want out of life, especially if the sky is the limit, but I certainly know what steps I would take to achieve my dreams.
There are three ways to move forward which would involve traveling, socializing and continuing my dream to be an entrepreneur.
Travel – When I was 15 I took my first international trip to Panama for 10 days, and that was when the travel bug hit me. I spent 3 days training in Miami with about 900 excited teenagers and college students. 8 hours in an airport in Costa Rica eating fries and trying to figure out how to sleep comfortably across 3 chairs. 9 sleepovers in a spider infested Villa with 10 other girls. 1 night in an authentic Indian village with unusually large rodents and 3-day tattoo ink. A year later my adventures continued in Mexico (including an impressive view from the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon) and finally in 2009 landed in Ireland for 14 days. Ireland was quite a drastic change from South America, the air has an ancient feel to it and everyone enjoys going to the pub (I can’t blame them). Next up I’m planning a trip to New Zealand and can’t wait to share my incredible pictures!
Socializing – Social media, inbound marketing, network marketing, followers, likes, all used to describe finding friends online and in person in order to build a community. I love networking whether its finding inspirational stories online or striking up random conversations in Starbucks. I’m the kind of person who finds myself happiest with in a room full of people. There are those who pull energy from others and those who find energy from being alone. My goal is to always have that positive energy surrounding me wherever I go.
Entrepreneurship – I currently provide freelance services geared towards content management, blogging and social media marketing. Why freelance? I can do it this any where there is wi-fi and coffee, I cannot miss my coffee date with a white chocolate mocha. Entrepreneurship is exciting and challenging but totally worth it when I receive rave testimonials from thrilled clients. (You can choose those out on my website). To be honest I’m not sure where I want to take my freelance business. I love my day job and certainly want to see my own business take flight but I am unsure of the direction to take it in. My goal is to learn from others and gain as much knowledge along the way which is one reason I’m doing the 30 Day Blog Challenge. It’s not too late to join, in the words of my favorite TV Show (which is nothing like “Friends” for the record!) Challenge Accepted!
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The Story of Your Life
Posted on: August 6, 2013
Remember those childhood hobbies?
Dreams of becoming older and taking on an exceptional vocation? Saving the world and going on a new adventure every day? No? Well maybe those childhood dreams aren’t so far off after all. My childhood dream was to become a writer and a bestselling author. Where am I today? Working in Wellness, writing on the side, dabbling in freelance and loving every minute (almost).
The thing about dreams is that as you grow, your dreams grow and change with you.
While I may not be a bestselling author today, I’m still a writer which is one of the main reasons I started this blog. I’ve found that stories are powerful, and when shared even better whether your format is through songwriting, poetry, painting or design. I love networking and blogging gives me another ready to stay social and learn from other artists.
As a writer I’ve found the most joy comes from blogging and sharing with you. My goal has been to reach those who want to share, discuss and find some inspiration to take the path less traveled in the story of your life.
After all one of the most important part of life is have the confidence to be you and stay true to your dreams.
You’ve heard this said again and again but I want to encourage those who desire to live outside the box, it’s a journey but it will be worth it.I’m always looking for a Challenge and am thrilled to be apart of this journey discussing topics by The Suitcase Entrepreneur.
What are your childhood dreams and how has that changed the story of your life?
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The Wind to your Kite
Posted on: May 17, 2013
- In: Career | Challenge | Entreprenuer
- 2 Comments
One of the many pursuits in life, besides the American Dream of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is self-fulfillment. Even growing up I already knew I did not support the traditional dreams of a young woman, that is, going to college, meeting the One and having a house full of babies by the time I turned 30 (although there is still plenty of time for that!).
Being a workaholic was a given, having always wanted to work I found it was something I enjoyed, besides if you love something why stop doing it? Now as an innovator who runs off the beaten track I have new goals of not only working in a corporate situation but also focusing on freelance projects. In that note I’ve calmed down and stepped away from additional part-time jobs to spend time building a client base. My self-fulfillment comes from helping others get their projects off the ground and running, much like a kite, and I’m the wind. If you have any projects that need wind, email me.
Otherwise let me know how you find self-fulfillment?
