How Catwoman Stalks Her Own Business

by Susan Seale | May 11, 2014 | Entrepreneurship

Last week I was speaking to a beautiful, talented young woman just starting her own business.

I recommended for her to read Lessons of a Lipstick Queen by Poppy King.

I recommended it because I love Poppy’s super engaging, creative way of talking about building a business.

Poppy has the perfect description of me + my coaching business right now

“If you have ever lived with a cat, you may have seen them moving round and round in a circle before deciding exactly where to sit.  Once they’ve picked a spot, though, you can’t budge them.  That’s what a marketing point of view should be like.  Circle around the vicinity where you are looking to market, then decide on what it is you are saying, and sit on it.” (Poppy King)

Me (with short hair) and Tigger while on the trip of a lifetime.  One of the families I worked with when I had my school, took me to Disneyland.  Their dad really didn’t want to go to and I love Disneyland so I offered to go in his place.

I’m like that cat moving round and round my coaching business not having decided exactly where to sit yet.

I have so many interests and gifts in business and life. I’m in that stage of growing my new business as a coach where I’m trying things on to see if I like them.

Sometimes I feel like I’m bouncing around with Tigger!

Exactly how do I want to niche? (It’s recommended, of course…niche-ing)  Picking that one perfect little zone of genius that only you can really serve in the unique way that you uniquely possess.

My (adult) History In Biz

When I started Musicalia I resisted niche-ing. Musicalia wasn’t a music school in the beginning, it was an Educational Service.

I officially registered my business as ‘Musicalia Educational Services’.  The Musicalia bit came from a dream I’d had and even though I didn’t know exactly what I’d do in my business I knew for sure it would have the name “musicalia” in it.

I offered music lessons and creativity classes for adults as well as multi-generational music workshops, professional development workshops for classroom teachers, worked as a travelling consultant to school districts, accepted commissions for book-binding projects and large scale acrylic paintings.

A strange mix I know but I was trying to figure out how to break out of my union-controlled teaching position in the school district and was literally throwing everything into the mix.

I was circling.  Big time.

It just happened that I was teaching a baby music class for my 1 year-old nephew on Saturday mornings as a favour to my sister. Those classes grew exponentially over an 18- month period (like from 3 babies to 120) and I ended up not having time for all that other stuff. In the end, I had to niche and give the rest of it up.

I had circled around my community to see which of my gifts would be most attractive and also create an income.

That’s how my music school was born. Organically. So organically, I had quite a few people tell me to ‘grow up’ and go back to my real job. That was over 2 decades ago so clearly I didn’t listen to them.

The music school is now closed and I’m trying to determine which of my gifts will be most outwardly useful AND self-delighting now?

My Current Circling Thoughts

Will I coach only women?

Will I include programs on money? (I LOVE talking about money mindset, wealth building and money healing so I’m definitely leaning to creating something here.)

Will I include only self-study programs? 1:1 coaching? group coaching too?

Will I include my gifts at creativity coaching?

Will I ONLY focus on business coaching?

Will I work only with beginners? Women over 40? Under 40? With creatives? With folks who need emotional relief? Will I do energy work…only? Or as part of my life coaching?

I’m circling.

Where will I feel good?

Where can I give from my heart?

Where do others think I serve best?

Where will I make the most money?

Will I use my intuitive gifts?   Can I help but use them?

I’m circling…like that cat.

And the young woman I spoke to last week sent me a message.

 

“I loved talking to you.  You really have something special that resonated with me so much, so thank you.  So happy you reached out to me.”

 

I spoke with many people last week.  It’s part of my circling.  My intuitive gifts had me reaching out to this woman because I knew she needed an ear.  Most people contact me though:)

The one thing I know for sure right now is I LOVE talking to people about their lives AND businesses. I feel completely awake when I do. I feel like I’m on purpose and doing something I should be doing.

I love…

• talking to people who really want to workshop and express their thoughts
• being the person with the puzzle-solving brain
• talking to people who love my ‘intuitive hits’
• those working jam-session strategy sessions full of ideas, brainstorms and possibility for other people’s businesses
• the energy created by problem solving and how spent I feel afterward
• sitting with folks who are in pain, hearing their heart’s expression, their fears, their challenges, supporting them as they move back to center
• the ease of energy healing work
• meeting new people
• that my client base is international now (wow)

Are you circling?

Or do you know exactly what you’re marketing and centered on in your biz?

I’d love to know exactly what YOU do.

Hopefully you will be able to leave a link to your website if you have one.  See you in the comments!

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How to Overcome BlogWriter’s Block

by Susan Seale | Apr 3, 2014 | Entrepreneurship

1.  Recognize that you are blocked.  (There may be some crankiness involved)

2.  Accept that you are blocked. (There are some really good reasons you are blocked)

3.  Do some forgiveness work on some area of your life.  (This will release some feel good feelings that will remind you you are not always cranky and blocked even if there are good reasons for it)

4.  Get a haircut. (There’s no need to look bad while you have writer’s block…especially if the block goes on for months)

4.   Ask someone for help. (Preferably someone who helps you get in touch with with your protective inner selves AND your creative inner selves).  Thanks, Janelle.

5.  Just write anything and get going again.  (Don’t worry about having an editorial calendar.  Don’t worry about being organized.  Don’t worry about being profound.  Don’t worry about the blog picture.  Just do it.  You can upload a photo later.)

6.  Press PUBLISH.

7.  Do something else immediately so you can’t think about what you just did.   (I had a conversation with the woman cleaning our house.)

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The Harder I Work…The Luckier I Get!

by Susan Seale | Nov 5, 2013 | Entrepreneurship

I know, I know…

…you read on everyone else’s blogs that hard work is old school.

It’s not.

Having a biz means you’ll have a load of tasks + be faced with your own fears + doubts + old, familiar, safe mindsets (that must change).

Because you are compelled to create your own biz…the one of your dreams…you are willing to work.

If you are not compelled to work, to make the call, to talk to the person, to create the product, to show up… in order to create your dream…it’s only because of this.

1. You have a spiritual/emotional block.
2. It’s not the biz of your dreams.

That’s it.

When I founded a music + movement school for children over 2 decades ago, it was work.  It was physical work.  It was also the first time I consciously chose to create out of  a place of trust in the invisible realm of spirit.

People were amazed at my success (no one else was doing what I was doing and this as we know is usually NOT a good thing in biz) and people used to comment on my success.  I used to say to them, “I’ve just been so lucky”.

A friend finally took me aside and said,
“Yeah…the harder you work, the luckier you get.

Stop saying it’s luck. You deserve your success.  Remember that.

Most people are just not willing to put in the combo effort to spiritually, emotionally + physically call in their success.”

Are you willing to do the spiritual + emotional work?  Do you even know how?

I’ve had my own businesses and been self-employed most of my life.

I’ve been surrounded by hard-working folk.  Peasant-farmer types.

My mom was a role model for me on how to work hard and get results.  She did not model the inner work, the gentle calling-it-in work.  She may have done it but she didn’t talk about it and I didn’t see it.

These things I’ve learned on my own.  I studied.  I read.  I paid attention.

What I’ve learned is yes, the physical effort matters and makes a big diff.  I have to take action but it’s the inner work that is the magic…that allows me to laugh and enjoy the building process…to see those coincidences, miracles + unexpected lucky times.

If you’re wondering if inner spiritual type work can work for you ask yourself…

1.  Was I imaginative as a child? 

2.  Am I willing to believe my business has a purpose beyond just making money?

Then, write down your vision and imagine it coming to life.

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My Secret for getting things done

by Susan Seale | Nov 4, 2013 | Entrepreneurship

My Secret Tools

Sometimes those daytimers + google calendars + digital checklists just DON’T work!

I am one of those people who LOVES planning…especially on a blank piece of paper.   When the paper is clear + blank (+ my Sharpies are close by) my life becomes a potential work of art.

The humdrum can be a victory!

I know this is super low tech…it’s just the absolute best for when I must keep the blinders on and get ‘er  done!

It’s my planning grid.

Here’s how to do it.  Grid your paper (with colorful pens) and then list the tiny tasks that need to be done.  One task inside each square of the grid.

Awesome for…

• monthly goals
• when you have multiple businesses like mine and many small tasks you will do almost anything to forget/neglect, yet they do need to be complete daily + weekly
• when your main tasks don’t need to be written down but you are working on a larger project with small steps that need to be done and you’ll not do them (cause you’re too tired) unless they are itemized and easy to see and you have a sense that they can be crossed off with a giant satisfying X
• when you have to be your own accountability partner
• when you are in overwhelm…make a grid with 8 boxes…fill them up with small tasks + be sure to include a self care item like ‘drink water’ in one box and complete.  Done.  Overwhelm (your inner child) says “look…I did it!”

A grid completely covered with x’s is a rainbow of satisfaction.