Speaking about being a Creative Heroine at IGNITE 2014 in England
Everyday leadership. Did you know that creating a well-known and TOP-of-MIND brand is all about it?
What people remember (and share most) is how you consistently, on a daily basis, express your leadership, your insight and ability to move past obstacles in all the 'regular' day-to-day conversations, regular goings-on around town, and common sharings and responses on social media. It all counts. Your logo, amazing website and elevator pitch is just a small part of the memorable story…
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I'm ecstatic to connect with you today after many weeks of hiding away planning for the big push I called INGITE 2014! I've missed you!
I would love to take a moment to WELCOME all of our UK sisters who have joined the MGI community of women making happiness their business over the last week. Welcome British soul sisters! It was my total and complete pleasure being in vibrant vortex that was INGITE with you! We are so happy to have your brand of woman in our collective.
For those of you who heard my talk last week and even for those of who didn't, let's continue the creative conversation, shall we?
Something dances in my mind often and it's what we call everyday leadership.
As I mentioned at IGNITE, creativity is all about moving from problem to solution, in hopes of expressing more of who we really are. Everyday leadership is essentially the same thing. It's about creating what we want to be a part of and doing so despite of the circumstances we face in life or business.
We have the opportunity to lead our lives, every single day.
The opportunity to lead and BE a leading lady, a heroine, the star of our own life comes all the time…it comes in the elevator, with our child in line at the grocery store, with the wait staff at that new restaurant, someone we walk by on the street, via our daily Facebook interactions and last phone call we had with our assistant (love note: all purpose-driven brands start internally first. Pay close attention to how you are establishing your brand culture internally before you ever look to spend time on the external bits).
We don't have to wait until we are on stage to be leaders. In fact, if we wait to lead until those we've waited too long. Your most magnetic brand (and being a top-of-mind leader in your field) is today, right now, in this very next moment, in this very next conversation and post on Facebook.
And I have some great news. You have it all inside of you right now. You don't need more training, e-courses, e-books or another telesummit to tell you what you'll read here right now (you may need reminders, yes, but you already know what you think you don't):
"…it is said that the greatest leader does not lead from the front of his troops; nor does he lead from behind. The great leader leads from within. It is in this way that the true power of a group, community, or relationship is actualized, and great things can be accomplished." ~ Art of War
You're that woman, the woman who leads from the light within. A light she's earned!
One of my favorite sculptures Expansion by Paige Bradley (shared in my talk)
You're the Creative Heroine.
The woman who, in that everyday conversation or daily Facebook sharing shines her authentic (wise) light and learning so bright it's hard not to pay attention to her. Your everyday leadership comes from that place of inner knowing, that place deeper inside that we sometimes forget to give ourselves credit for. Everything we've been through and that's broken us open comes to gift us with the knowledge and ability to lead in our businesses.
You don't need to necessarily learn anything more to dance in your most loving leadership…sure their might be some skills we need but the first thing we need ot do is simply need to speak from the heart more often, tuning in on a heart or soul level to what we're really called to express and be a stand for.
What is that for you? In other words, what's the feeling that you most want to gift the world? Follow that. Infuse that into all you do. Do things, sell programs and create brand photographs that express that brand of feeling consistently.
In short, speak from the deepest heart or soul space first and everything else (i.e. your skills) will catch up…
The following are four (4) steps to expressing your leadership daily, and, therefore, also grow your platform, your visibiliity, get known by more of the right people and, as a result, grow your business profitability…
#1 As stated, everyday leadership is about showing UP everyday as who you really are. But here's the kicker: we are called to more fully express who we really are, even when (especially when) it’s not popular opinion, typical or in trend. The first step here is actually two-pronged. First, we need to begin accepting, more everyday, that we will not be for everyone (as I mentioned in England: you have to be so wrong for some people that you're SO very right for others). And we do this or the blow is softened by our purpose. That's the second of the two-pronged part.
The first step in leadership is about being on purpose and always asking ourselves at least two questions: am I working with my greater purpose in mind? If the answer is yes, it will be that much easier to push aside the need to make everyone happy.
Ask, am I in tune with who I am and what I'm here to do, at a deeper level? Am I providing value, insight, interpretation and inspiration in alignment with that purpose is and am I expressing ME at the highest level (from the simple Facebook post to my last empowered conversation with my intern)?
I'm Italian and talk with my hands…
#2 The second step is leading everyday is establishing your thought leadership. First, I can't help but say that our everyday leadership begins first with the daily thoughts you have on loop inside (hello, mindset, wealth consciousness and possibility-thinking) and continues to the things you tell others/your community that you believe, think and value most.
The insight you have on your favorite niche topics and that you publicly is what you're thought leadership will be based on. You want to be known for saying or sharing these thoughts consistently, everyday. Leadership, again, is not just for the stage. It's having the courage to say what it is that you really mean to say everyday ,in all platforms and throughout all mediums. On Facebook, on video, in quote graphics, via Instagram, during interviews and throughout the telesummits you're asked to speak on.
Ask yourself — what do you most want to be known for saying, thinking and believing? In fact, here's a tip: jot those top five things right now. And as you dance through your business communication every day, constantly review the list…are you delivering against those themes or things you want to be known for most?
As a thought leader, remember, Creative Heroine, you are the go-to for insight and interpretation of news, ideas etc. And you can do this on a daily basis with all the information you share and in the way only you can share it. What oh what do you want to be known for saying all the time? What movement do you want to be the leader of (what movement ARE you the leader of)? I talk about this with all my clients and will be launching deeply into the topic with the Mom Mogul Success Society mastermind starting in January. I live for it.
Here's a tip. To be known for your movement and for your thoughts, consider using this 80/20 rule. I've mentioned it before but I bring it back because it's a key factor in setting up your brand for success. To be known for our ideas and create a brand that's constantly top-of-mind, we need to be sharing our ideas more often than we are sharing others' insight and ideas. Specifically, sharing our ideas 80% of the time and others' ideas only 20% of the time. Normally, I see the reverse being done and though we LOVE to be inspired by others' work, we need to work harder in honing our voice, our visibility and establishing our view point for the whole world to benefit from. You're really that good…
So, keep that 80/20 rule in mind…share what YOU believe. At the least, take what you’re inspired or wow’d by and instead of just pushing the share button, give us your juicy insight to what you're sharing…as a leader and Creative Heroine, share with us YOUR interpretation of it. We want to know! You'll be appeasing not only others who DO care how you feel or think about a certain topic and it will also appease the creative who lives inside all of us…
To take it one last step further…think of it this other way: as the leader and brand of woman you know yourself to be, how will you curate an experience for someone? How can you take what quote or article you see on Facebook and curate a valuable experience and moment for me? Beyond giving others insight and inspiration, being a thought leader is about giving others new ways of experiencing or seeing common things. How will you do that? (This is the stuff that bloody excites me, as they might say in England) 🙂
#3 Next…everyday leadership achowledges that you will have everyday obstacles. The third step is recognizing that as a leader you best serve when you share your insight and thoughts after you've more fully moved through the obstacle, trial or tribulation…
We can best shine our value and insight when we are not in the middle of the fire but, instead, when we are just on the other side of it. You don't have to be fully on the other side but enough where you can speak from that zone of observer…not reactive but responsive.
Speaking and sharing when you’re right in the middle of it, unless you have some great practice at making the most elegant communication decision (!) can lessen your power. It can also lessen your ability to speak from an empowered, inspired and motivating place.
Essentially what I’m saying here is that we want to learn from the trip-ups in life or business, resisting the urge of sharing from a "hot" or reactive place and, instead, sharing and distributing the value of having stepped just out from under it to your gorgeous community. In short, learn the lesson then and only then share the insight. Your elegance, creativity, wisdom and leadership will shine through in the most glorious way.
As an example, in January I launch the Mom Mogul Success Society mastermind (taking applications now) where I'm taking all I've learned in terms of growing a thriving, six-figure business while also being a traveling gypsy and devoted mom the last nine year and delivering it to a small group over six months.
Could I have done this/launched this group as powerfully two or three years ago? No. I was still very much maneuvering my way through it all. Everyday is a new day, of course, with new surprises (thank goodness as a Creative Heroine I welcome surprises 😉 but suffice it to say that I have a lot to share…and I'm ready to, excited to!
Now, nine years into both the business and the baby (who is now a very big boy who I call my life coach) I can speak from a more empowered place. I'm proud to say that after all these years, all my moves, post-partum depression and many more learning experiences, I have some solid strategies, insights, time-bending tricks and action-oriented ideas for how to do it "all".
Again, no, nothing is perfect (we're human) but boy do I know SO much more today than all those yesterday's ago about dancing with these two purposes, being a mom AND an entrepreneur. I love and want both.
Now, it's time for me to pass that knowledge along…
To close on this, where in your business communication are you ready to pass insight, wisdom or knowledge along today that you were not ready to pass along yesterday? And where are you still massaging and working to get on the other side of?
# 4 Last but not least, everyday leadership is about bringing people together as often as you can ~ giving when and where you can. The idea of bringing people together doesn’t have to come via a workshop or huge event either, that's not what I mean. Again, leadership need not only happen during the big "on-stage" moment. It can simply mean being a connector on a more regular basis. It works authentic magic for your leadership…
For example, you can express your leadership by seeing who, in your community of colleagues or client groups might be a good match or connection for one other and making the intro when you have NOT been asked to. The more "just because" moments or actions you take and the more genuine love and attention you give, the more you'll be seen as the go-to in your industry. Think of those people in your world who do this…you see them as a leader, do you not? And even if you don't, many many others absolutely do. Where can you connect the dots for someone? Where can you connect people to one another?
Recently I saw a colleague launch a new program via her newsletter (I'm on her list). I love her work and loved what she was offering (and I've been a client before) so 10 minutes after seeing her share about her new social media school, I shared it with my Facebook community, without her asking me to.
Since this isn't totally commonplace in most entrepreneur communities (without asking for something in return), she was extremely grateful and sent me a very surprised and grateful note. Same goes for a colleague who was raising money for her one woman show recently. When I saw how big her money goal was when shared about it on Facebook, I was moved to email her and tell her about an idea I had for a group of us to get together and create an event to help her raise the $40k+ goal. I mentioned that each of the experts she asked to come (really, 4-5 of her friends who happen to also be entrepreneurs) could speak from their genius and that the paid participants, having contributed to her Kickstarter by buying a ticket, would leave with tools around how to express and share their own story and step more into their visibility. And, guess what? We are making it happen – the Dirty Me Divine event – is finally here, this coming Sunday in LA and I couldn't be happier! We are still welcoming more ladies to this unique and intimate event as I type…
Of course, this sharing and event idea were both on-brand for me and MGI so they easy YES's. They were in complete alignment with my purpose and vision.
When stepping into more of your leadership, do this: make sure that you're in full alignment with how you want to give AND, as importantly, give without expecting in return. Lead from within! From that generosity of spirit that oozes out of you. In short or said another way, give and give creatively; lead from a place of creatively connecting people to others and to programs and/or opportunities they may not have had seen otherwise. It's a beautiful thing.
Both of the women I supported without being asked were blown away by the love (they won) and I believe my community won as well. I love giving so I always win.
To close here, bring people together more often (consistency is queen, remember) under the umbrella of your thoughts, heart, beliefs and values and not just to get something in return.
Create what you want to be a part of.
250+ stickers I gave out at IGNITE taped under each chair, just because.
I would love to keep this conversation going so I'm thinking of hosting a master class on being a Creative Heroine next week. Save the date: December 12th at 10am to 11:30am Pacific for a session similar to the one I gave in England but you won't have to travel.
In the meantime, I hope you are inspired to lead and to lead creatively. Until we connect again, enjoy your business and enjoy your life!
Life is good,
p.s. Keep your eyes peeled for the Creative Heroine Master Class next Friday the 12th of December! UK ladies, a lot of this will be new information not delivered at IGNITE so I hope you can make it. It will serve your business and the icing…it will serve your life. Save the date.