Over the last few years, I've been sharing a lot of my personal life with you. The last two years of loss, in particular, have definitely allowed me to feel the winds of change and all of it has instructed how I now run my business, who I work with and what I focus on.
 
As many of know, I believe the personal is professional and the professional is personal so, I not only share, because it’s all directly intertwined with my business but I share because I believe with whole heart that you can’t get to know my offerings if you can’t get to know me ~ the real me.
 
With that in mind, I became an entrepreneur 14 years ago, to blur the lines between what we could call home heart and business heart.
 
I’m led by purpose in both arenas which makes it so that anyone who enters my home, as they did in both a private VIP day and two-day mastermind retreat for my Mom Mogul clients last week, receive the same thing: empowerment, authentic expression and a big dose of the real me.
 
The truth is, I can’t continue building a successful business without her, and neither can you.
 
She’s the gift that keeps on giving ~ she’s sustainable business and a powerful, authentic brand.

The real you is another way to say a conscious, open and transparent CEO.
 
Your potential clients need and want all of you to come alive in your business. And, you also want to remember that your authentic shares  can truly be the bridge to connection, not to mention make you feel in honest alignment and happy.
 
Part of “all of you” coming alive means creating a signature system that is unique to you, that you can point to and share with clients to be able to help walk them from problem to their most empowered, authentic solution.
 
That’s what my client Emily and I did in our VIP day session last week. Yes, we created her signature process but, if we dig deeper, we also created the possibility for her to know exactly how she’s unique and how her business is unique: a lot of it lies in her approach and how she takes her clients from point A to point B.
 
One key way to create a business and brand that is truly unique is through this approach; how you take clients through to their regal result or solution (whatever that solution is, given your specialization).
 
We dove deep into Emily’s signature process and, speaking of results, she came out the other end, not only feeling free (or “liberated” if we use one of her brand words), but more aware of how this authentic and unique process would support, not only her sessions with clients, but the creation of her ob-brand (and POWerful) upcoming workshops and mastermind program.
 
In the hours we spent mapping out the details to her signature process, we also very much received answers for what could be her signature talk, inspiration for her tagline and numerous blog posts (hello, editorial calendar), to name a few…
 
And it’s true, once you have this process down, you have all the exquisiteness you need to re-purpose for numerous business and brand needs in your business.
 
So, what is your authentic brand made up of?
 
What are your brand words?
 
And, what is your signature process?
 
If you’re attempting to do this yourself, here’s where I would tell you to begin (this is, of course, the over-simplified version):

• First, ask yourself, what are the three to eight steps you uniquely take clients through to their transformation? When you’re first looking at all the possibilities, give yourself permission to get messy. List all the possible steps you take clients through (it could be 5, 9, 14, 19 or 25). All good! Go crazy and list all the possibilities. Note: You don’t have to create the clean, succinct order to them now. Again, simply jot them all down and know you will make sense of them later. In VIP days with clients, I help clients create their signature process by using over-sized sheets of paper or post-its and jotting down every potential unique step on its own sheet/post-it. Then, like we’re putting together a puzzle, we move the pieces of paper around, deciding which element may go first, second, third etc. Through this process, we realize that some pieces or steps need tossing out, others need more work, and, then finally, end up with  a unique flow of steps that work with one another.
   
• Secondly, you will then want to work to shorten the number of steps to get closer to just three to eight signature steps that will make up your signature process, no fewer and no more. That said, what are the three to eight most important steps of all the steps you’ve gotten clear on in the longer list above?
   
• Once you have your three to eight steps (no fewer and no more), you will then work to decide what sub-steps need to be folded in under each of the larger steps. This could be said this way: what tools, exercises, and micro-movements do you need to account for within the larger, most important or key steps to take a client through to her soulful solution? (You could also make like you’re in fifth grade again and pretend you’re doing a book report. What supporting points need to be accounted for under each main point?).
   
• Lastly, you’ll want to think of a name for this unique or signature process or approach. What is the most powerful and authentic name you can think of? Make sure that it not only expresses what the signature process is all about, but what you are all about. Make sure the real you is accounted for…(wink).

I trust this serves you or, better yet, SPARKS you to create your own signature process that will help express your authentic brand and create numerous other elements or offerings from that powerful and passionate place. If you have questions around working on this together, let me know, Creative Heroine.
 
I’ll be back next week to share more around the latest Mom Mogul Success Society Retreat I hosted at my home after this VIP day with the beautiful and wise Emily.
 
Until then, and as always, enjoy your business, enjoy your life.
 
Here’s to expressing more of who you really are and finding more opportunities to leave your signature mark in the world!

Speak with you soon…

Life is good,

 
 
 
 
 
p.s. Remember that it’s coined a signature process because it's distinct from the way someone else in your industry may take clients through similar work. You have full permission to do it your way!

Today, I wanted to share something with you that I shared with friends on Facebook yesterday. Though it's not about the how-to of branding , it IS about expression (or, more specifically, we could say it's a show OF authentic expression that I'm a stand for, for all women), and that's something, of course, that connects you and I — the desire and 'how-to' of authentic expression in business and in life.

Ah, music to my ears…

In light of the recent tragic goings-on around the world, I also believe the expression below appropriate to share with you, my community of Creative Heroines, because you are a woman devoted to continuing to move more gracefully from problem to solution, in hopes ofexpressing more of who you really are. And, really, that's what my personal story genuinely has baked into it.

You stand for your authentic expression and solutions in business and life, and I proudly stand with you! (Thank you for being you).

I intend for the sharing to do three things:

1) Energize you to share more of you really are (People engage and connect with you (the real you), long before they engage with your products and services).

2) To support you to step even deeper into gratitude, the thing that can support you to land smack dab in the middle of your greatest business and life vision quicker, and with a lot more joy.

and

3) Allow you to see that the personal is professional and the professional is personal. Remember that what you make the opportunity for in your business, you also create in your life, and vice versa…what you make room for in your life, you also continue to nurture in your business…

Enjoy.

On Friday the 13th, my high school's art building was named after my brother and one of the studios inside was named after my Mom.

It was a beautiful afternoon, fitting for two creative souls.

Before sharing my thoughts and a blessing I was asked to give, they handed me the microphone that had just worked outside. Only this time it didn't work.

I joked that my Mom never needed a microphone to share what she wanted, believed or felt and we laughed. In many ways, it was fitting that I didn't have or need a mic either. (Infinite love + gratitude, Mom).

As usual, I went off piste from what I had written for a bit, and part of what came before heading into the blessing, was this…

About 30 minutes after my Dad called that July morning to give me the very unexpected news that she was gone, I was back home from dropping Nolan off at Summer camp.

Sitting at the dining room table, I wailed. After I caught my breath, I grabbed a piece of red paper and a pen, my version of Kleenex and the thing that, for me, most appropriately holds the overflow of emotion…

The very resilience and inner strength my Mom exhibited in her 57 years, I shared with the 60+ people in attendance, was the very thing that in that moment moved me to start writing everything about her I was most grateful for. I wrote until I couldn't write any more, a pouring out and a swimming in the truth of all that still existed.

I continued…

I wrote what I was most grateful to her for and I also wrote what I was grateful to have created alongside her, particularly over the last nine months (our relationship had grown another set of brand new, beautiful wings).

As we head into Thanksgiving, one of those days we can create in the every day, I am evermore aware that what has made way for my healing, more and more, is this: the looking inside of myself, and outside too, both left and right at all there still is, and at all they have left behind in me that will stay with me for my forever.

It's mighty — and so is gratitude.

Life-giving and life-affirming, just as one of the mantras/momtras included in a new workbook to clients beautifully states, "The more gratitude I feel, the less it hurts, (repeat at least 3x)."

And that's the real blessing.

The more gratitude we feel, the less it hurts.

Enjoy your weekend, Creative Heroine and may your your greatest freedom, healing and the biggest expression of you in business and life lie in your honesty and heart.

Transparency truly is the bridge to connection.

Speak with you soon…

Life is good,

I'm back. 

Wherever you've been, off in that creative and beautiful mind, on an exciting trip, diving deep into healing or thrown deep behind-the-scenes of a new program launch, I hope that you have had very real (and long) moments of feeling back…

Are you back?

• In this season of life, are you feeling that you've landed back in your purpose?
• Landed back into what really light's you up, and, therefore, what "business" will continue to be about for you?
• Back to giving yourself more permission to express your true self, not just via your blog or on social media, but with all of your most important relationships?

In short, are you coming back to yourself and feeling even more you, even more honest and true to the person that matters most ~> you?

As I ramp back up from my most recent loss, this is what I've been diving into, a coming back to self. (For those of you who are new, it may not be what you expect to learn about in a business newsletter, however, when it's a part of my life, it's also a part of my business: I lost my Mom unexpectedly three months ago, and also lost my 22-year-old brother, unexpectedly, two years ago. The winds of change…).

And, in ways, I do feel — back:

~ Back and ready to share around what you need most support with in your businesses and brand expressions.

~ And back to, generally, give this life all that I got.

I do have a lot to give, and I know you do too.

So…how do we continue being the givers and the livers, the person who lives life to the fullest? (Sorry, I don't mean to make you think of liver pate :-).

So here's the thing that grief forces you to look at straight in the face ~> we can give more fully of who we are, be most generous of spirit and of greatest service when we have made time to give to self…to reflect, sit in stillness and, generally, make our enlightened no's a must.

Have you made saying no a must lately in your business and in your life? Have you been reflecting daily and weekly on what's working and not working for you? Have you made time to sit in stillness knowing there's as much creativity and strength in it, as there is in the drive you have to build am empire?

Over the last three months, I have re-designed what feels like my entire life and business:

I've tweaked my business model, changed my program launch plans, taken myself off of countless newsletter lists, further refined my weekly schedule and what types of activities I focus on during weekends, as well as let my team and family know, in no uncertain terms, how much self care and stillness will continue to be folded into it all…

I was pretty good at it before and, let it be known, that I will be exceptional at it now. Join me. Let's be exceptional at reflecting more often, at giving generously of our enlightened no's and at being more still, so we can really hear the space between the words and meet our most cared for self.

It's such a gift when we give to ourselves and are able to support others even more fully as a result.

So there it is.

Be exceptional at coming back to yourself and continue the exploration process by asking yourself: what may I need to tweak in my life and business so I'm expressing my true brand of woman?

What does my brand need to express that hasn't been expressed yet?

How does your marketing need to change or evolve to feel most like you?

What might you need to fold into your offerings so they include not just what you think will sell, but what will shine and most serve you?

As I shared with my Mom Mogul Success Society clients last month, success has many definitions and every week, every month and every year, we need to ask ourselves, once again, what our own definition really is. At different seasons, we have different versions of success and we need to base what we do (or don't do) based on that very definition.

Allow your current version to come front and center to really take care of you today. That's what true success does…it takes care of you.

Forget what others have told you success is, come back to yourself and make decisions based on what you, deep down inside, truly feel.

Today, my definition of success is based on how still I can be while still also getting after my passions, goals and serving some of the best clients around the world. (For those of you reading this — you are some of the favorite parts of my days).

Life and entrepreneurship call us to create and do every day, more and more in line with our values, however, the problem is that we're too busy to listen, most days. Today, however, I'm listening rather intently.

Which brings me to this. In the spirit of being back, really listening as well as doing things differently, I'd love to ask how I may best support you in my giving and sharing via my virtual love notes (aka newsletters)?

What are your most pressing questions around creating a meaningful business, while still having a life? To creating consistent income? What part of your authentic brand is yet to be figured out? What are your biggest obstacles as far as your expression is concerned?

Seize the moment — let me know! I'll be choosing a few of the most common themes and will reply with my Success and Brand Coach hat on.

Until we connect again, Creative Heroine, I wish for you, your own moments of radical (yet simple) stillness.

Here's to meeting the self whose way better equipped to serve, lead and guide with full heart because she's given herself the gift of time…

To your enlightened no's!

Life is good,

p.s. Just post your comments below and let me know what's on your mind, as far as branding, expression and authenticity (or similar) are concerned. I'll be looking forward to hearing from you!

Periscope. It's truly all the rage. It's my favorite way to spend time on social media right now and I believe it will "stick" not just for me but for millions of other people. Be one of the early settlers with me!

As you can see above, I've been fairly active on the platform already and am on my 35th scope. I scoped at Oprah's VIP event a few weeks ago, scoped in Mexico, Iceland and more, all around how you can create (or re-create, as the case may be) your brand (apologies that I'm just getting around to sharing my channel with you!).

Come on over and I'll not only continue sharing how-to's around the topic we're all most united on ~> Branding/Your Brand of Woman but around how you, too, can grow your influence, visibility and brand on the new LIVE-streaming video platform.

Again, be one of the early settlers! Join me on Periscope. 

1. First, download the free Periscope app onto your smartphone.

2. The, create a username (matching your Twitter account), a killer bio for yourself (feel free to take a look at mine as just one example), upload a headshot, start taking notes around what your first video Periscope broadcast will be about and, voila, you're on your way.

3. Connect. In the search bar, look for my handle @michelleghilotti.com. 

Join me this week for my next three to ten minute brand training scopes where you'll walk away with specific how-to's and increase energy to take action on the way you truly want to be of support to others through your successful business and magnetic brand.

"See" you soon, Creative Heroine. Enjoy your business and enjoy your life!

Life is good,

p.s. Can't wait to provide value in this new way #bizscope #brandofwoman #creativeheroine.