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Archive for the ‘Entrepreneurship’ Category

Change Ahead: Apply Within

Tuesday, May 10th, 2011

Today marks a new start for me. It is the day that I officially announced to the world that I am pursuing new a direction in my work life. That The Enterprising Moms and Apply Within, two businesses I started while growing my young family will no longer be my primary work focus … that I will be exploring work options outside of my home, likely in a traditional work setting.

It is not a decision I have come to quickly or lightly. It is one that evolved out of shifts and changes in my home life creating a need and want for something that will better my needs and those of my family. The process has been underway for some time, though I was not fully conscious of it early on. Even when the need for change began to come into sharp focus, I was not quite ready to acknowledge it. In fact, I was down right resistant and mournful about it.

I have spent years creating a work life and communities of support around my identity as an Enterprising Mom. In the beginning it took me a while even to think of myself as an Enterprising Mom. I would call myself a business owner, self-employed, a freelancer or any number of other things to avoid that word “entrepreneur.” It felt so much larger than me, like shoes 5 times too big. Overtime I came to embrace the idea of being an entrepreneurial and Enterprising Mom and I know that no matter what line of work I choose, that part of me will live on, though it will be expressed in different ways.

There are lots of factors that have led me to this place, many of which I will likely explore here and process through my writing. And, to be sure, it us not all bad. In fact, there is a lot that is good about it. I am getting excited about this change and the liberation that will come. Although I am thoroughly conflicted about the impact this change may have on the amount and quality of time I will have with my kids, I know that I am a creative and resourceful person and will use those skills to create a work life that is a good “fit” for me, my family, my home and my work.

And this brings me to the new name of this blog, “Mama is Having a Fit! “It is about my journey to find just the right work-life fit and what I learn along the way. My hope is that this exploration will not result in too many “fits” or tantrums. But since there is learning in all things, a fit or two may be a part of the process as I work to find just the right Fit.

Carolyn

Mama is Having a Fit! / Apply Within Work-Life Hub

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Posted in Choice, Entrepreneurship, Family, Reflections, Work / Life Integration, work-life balance | No Comments »

Alternative Work: Franchising

Saturday, March 1st, 2008

Considering striking out on your own, but afraid of the risk? Want your own business, but don’t necessarily want to start from scratch? Franchises are one way to own your own business without starting from scratch and without having to do everything on your own. And, franchising can present less risk than other business startup options. Because someone else has already developed a business with systems that work, a franchisee can start a new business with fewer growing pains.

Like all types of business ventures, there are advantages and disadvantages to owing a franchise. You should investigate all aspects thoroughly before diving in.

If you’re in the DC metro area and interested in exploring further, check out the International Franchise Expo, April 11-13th in downtown DC.

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Posted in Alternative Work, Entrepreneurship | No Comments »

Personal Branding and Your Career / Business

Tuesday, December 18th, 2007

What’s your brand? How do you set yourself apart from your colleagues and competitors? What makes you unique? And how do you share your differentiating qualities with your colleagues, clients, and those you encounter and engage?

While the concept of personal branding has been around for a while, it’s gained lots of attention in recent years and is being promoted as a highly effective way of managing one’s career and/or building one’s business.

Ten years ago, FastCompany.com’s article “The Brand Called You” drew useful parallels between one’s personal brand and that of big name organizations and offered a method of discovering the essence of one’s own brand.

Last month, A Brand New You, held a day-long summit on personal branding featuring presentations by many leaders in the field. While I was unable to participate, I was happy to see that the presentations were recorded and are available for download or to listen to online or via podcast.

And, last week I participated in a teleclass on personal branding, featuring William Aruda and Kirsten Dixon, co-authors of a new book on the subject: Career Distinction: Stand Out By Building Your Brand. The team talked about the importance of taking ownership of your career and responsibility for your career development. Through their book, they offer strategies for using personal branding to do so. While I haven’t read the book, I have added to my reading list. Once I do read it, I’ll be sure to provide a review.

What I liked about the branding concept is that it isn’t about packaging. It’s about you … getting really clear on who you are, what’s most important to you and understanding how to leverage those things to enhance and manage your career and/or business. It’s about discovering your unique talents and sharing them with those who need to know about them.

Have you developed your personal brand? If so, I ‘d love to hear about your experience in doing so and how it has impacted your career or business.

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Posted in Career, Entrepreneurship | No Comments »

Living the Dream

Monday, October 29th, 2007

Last Friday, I had a wonderful opportunity to attend “Living the Dream” the 2007 Women Entrepreneurs Expo sponsored by the Women’ Business Center of Northern Virginia. With more than 400 registered attendees, the event sold out weeks in advance. Offering workshop tracks for aspiring, beginning and established business owners alike, the Expo really delivered!

What made the event especially powerful was being in the presence of so many women (and men) who were living their dreams. There I was, in the midst of hundreds of others who decided to follow their hearts and forge their own trails. The energy level was high and participants were so eager to share, learn and engage.

Forming connections with so many people living in choice left me feeling energized and inspired with lots of bold new ideas for my own businesses.

Who and/or what really inspires you? What sparks your creativity and gets your energy pumping? Now, commit to immersing yourself in it in a really big way. Surround yourself by who or what inspires you and then simply notice the impact!

Posted in Career, Choice, Entrepreneurship | No Comments »

Committing to Change

Friday, October 26th, 2007

“The moment you commit and quit holding back, all sorts of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance will rise up to help you. The simple act of commitment is a powerful magnet for help.” — Napoleon Hill

I came across the above quote in an email signature recently, and it really caught my eye. Once upon a time, I would have read right past it. But, since I made the decision a few years ago to take my career in a new direction, I feel as though I’ve lived this quote over and over again.

When I decided change careers and become a life and career coach, it felt as though just about everyone with whom I came into contact was somehow connected to my journey. You know that feeling when you buy a car, and then suddenly you start noticing that same car everywhere? Well, that’s how it was for me. And at times, it felt surreal.

I’d always been a bit slippery when it came to making decisions. Whether ordering a meal off a menu, or a more complex thing, like buying a computer, I’d research and research until I’d accumulate so much information that I’d become overwhelmed and paralyzed, unable to make any decision at all.

But, there I was, in a job that was going the way of Apple’s Newton, and I needed to figure out what was next for me. With the help of a career counselor I figured out what I wanted to do and then (deep breath!), I made the commitment to do it.

Making that commitment was a huge leap for me. And, I found that once I made that leap, each subsequent leap or decision became a little bit easier. With every step that I took towards my goal, it seemed as though more hands were reaching out, helping to propel me further along my path. My mind became open to new possibilities and I became more willing to take risks. I developed a new sense of confidence my decision-making ability and a new sense trust in my choices.

Today, as I think about other major decisions in my life, like deciding, with my then boyfriend, to move away from Boston without jobs or even a certain destination, I marvel at how things just seemed to fall into place. I got a temporary job with an organization I was absolutely thrilled to work for and eventually landed a permanent position. A bookstore chain for which my husband worked was opening a new store in the very city where I landed a job. Once we’d committed to moving, so many things seemed to converge to facilitate the process.

What I thought of as strange coincidence then, I now realize stems from living in empowered choice!

What’s one thing you’ve been longing to do, but have been holding back on? Pick one thing, anything. Make a leap, open your mind, and see what happens …

Posted in Career, Choice, Commitment, Entrepreneurship | No Comments »

One Mom’s Balancing Act

Wednesday, October 17th, 2007

While visiting with a friend today, I asked how she was doing with Toastmasters. Without knowing it, we had joined different clubs within a short time of each other. It was fun to discover that we were traveling similar paths. She’s a fellow work-at-home, business-owner mom with two young children and she’s one of those ‘how-do-you-manage-to-do-that?’ mothers. She exudes this clarity about who she is, what she wants, and what she is willing and going to do to accomplish it.

At some point along the way, she noticed that Toastmasters ceased being what it was for her in the beginning. She just wasn’t as jazzed about it as she had been. And, she suspected that it might have been a way to distract herself from the business at hand … growing her business. When she talked about how she’d been feeling about Toastmasters, it was as though someone had thrown a wet blanket over her shoulders. She appeared to be saturated and dragging, and even a little wilted.

But, she also noticed something else … that when she recently stepped up her commitment to her business, she really tapped into her passion. And, it was so clearly present in her being. Her posture straightened when she talked of her business, her face positively beamed, and her vibrant smile reappeared. There was no back and forth. There was no hesitation. She was plugged in and she, and even I, could feel it.

And her priorities were also plainly clear … her family and her business were what lit her up and she knew that was where she wanted to spend her time and energy. But, she had also made and wanted to honor a commitment to Toastmasters, which usually involves two meetings per month (and one additional meeting for her as an officer). Rather than getting stuck in conflicted feelings, she simply rewrote the rules. She figured out how she could continue her work with Toastmasters in a way that fit in with the rest of her life and enabled her to focus more of her energy where she wants it.

What’s neat to me about this story to me is that my friend really paid attention to that inner voice … the one that let her know that something wasn’t working. And then she chose to do something about it. Simply noticing is great. We can get lots of insights by simply noticing what’s going on inside and how we respond to what’s going on outside. But it takes and extra something to choose to do something with that knowing.

Did Toastmasters loose it’s shine because it just got old and stale? Or did she come to realize that she no longer needed or wanted to be distracted from her passion?

Whatever the reason, she tuned in, rewrote the rules, and took action to shift the balance once again … Living in choice!

Do you find yourself still doing things that worked once upon a time, but no longer hold meaning for you? What could you let go of? Where could you rewrite the rules to shift your work/life balance to a more satisfying place?

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Posted in Choice, Entrepreneurship, Moms, Work / Life Integration | No Comments »