In the online entrepreneur community, we read or hear a lot about “secrets”.

The secrets to making six-figures, the secrets to your launching your first online product, the secrets to creating a sales page that converts and I could go on. And, as ex-corporate advertising/marketing gal myself, though I know it’s simply language that marketers use to inspire us to read their valuable work and insight, it leaves many with the idea that these “secrets” are only there for a lucky few, that they’re only available to a certain subset of the population, and if not eventually shared with us, will keep us from being able to continue forward in the direction of our dreams and audacious goals.

But are they really secrets (“underground or confidential”) or simply truths that if worked with consistently and with important devotion are available and accessible to all?

I say yes.

I trust you know what it takes to be successful already. Likely you’ve worked with a coach, read hundreds of newsletters and seen countless people on stage telling you what to do to reach success.

So — could it be that you simply haven't stepped into doing the things that authentically work (or have worked) for you (and many other entrepreneurs) consistently?

Listen below as I share around my own business success over the last 14 years (and say hello to three “non-secrets’” to business success).

Before you hit PLAY, be reminded again that you have everything anyone else does to dance into the next evolution of you.

Enjoy this 15-minute audio recording on the three non-secrets to creating an authentic leadership, happiness and success.

(Please note that our recording didn’t pick up the following in the first two minutes. Here is the sound bite in written form so the rest of the sharing is clear: “There are many things that are happening in the online space that are created as such to move us into action, to open an email or click REGISTER NOW. In the spirit and language of catchy subject lines, many marketers use the word “secret” to inspire and move us to read their work, however, we know that most of these things or “keys” are simply truths. Truths, that if worked on or practiced consistently and with intentional focus and devotion, would land us in the very place where that person stands. The definition of a secret is…(recording continues)").

Here’s to making happiness your business by creating your authentic brand. And remember, we all have access. That’s the real secret.

Listen to the audio recording HERE.

Enjoy your business and enjoy your life!

Life is good,

Ode to you, Creative Heroine…

As a creative woman, I know you want the yes you give in life and business to be an oaky, full-bodied YES. In fact, you live for the oaky, full-bodied YES. (me too)

As my book How to Be a Walking Momtra says, "Focus on your happiness so you can RAISE happiness". Life ticks in a beautiful way if we give the full-bodied YES to Self first.

Throughout the last 14 years in business for myself as well as the last 9.5 years as a mother, giving from this "overflow" is where my greatest happiness and success have come from (sure, there are other contributing factors to happiness and success, however, in keeping myself full or "filled up", I've primed my internal environment to be able to give to the degree I lo-hove to give to others).

It's this generosity of spirit that has grown my brand and contributed greatly to the equilibrium in my family life.

In short, we are able to contribute to the joy and success of others in a greater way by making sure our cups runneth over…

Personally, I can be a better mom, Branding and Success Coach (to name just a couple of my titles) by being more in tune with what my body, mind and spirit need to be able to give and give greatly.

When we give to Self first, things feel different, work better and the quality of how we perceive EVERYTHING softens and is enriched.

Everything falls into place.

When we give from the overflowing cup vs. the cup desperate and thirsty for a few drops of tea or water, we are able to affect our brands, businesses, children and other important relationships in a way that truly stretches everyone's happiness. Everyone wins when you win.

It's worth a more consistent try, well, let's call it a more consistent DO.

How to Give the Oaky, Full-Bodied YES to Self First

1. Make it a must. Make YOU a must.

2. Make this your mantra: I focus on my happiness so I can RAISE happiness (in my family, community and world). Repeat this at least 3x every morning or when you most need it.

3. Clear your weekly calendar of the people or projects that are depleting you. Find that space, that clearing for what you truly need and love.

4. Start doing the things each week and specifically each morning that truly fill you (you and only you). How we start our day and our week is likely how we end it, so start by diving deeper into you first thing: take the hike, hit that early morning yoga class or do that 10 minutes of meditation. And, if the early morning hours prove to be too difficult, no problem, no need to go into overwhelm. Create time for you each day during the block that serves your life (the important thing is that it happens). How will you savor life (and give to Self) each and every day? What will those ten minutes or hour be filled with?

To your week of the oaky, full-bodied YES. Cheers.

Life is good,

Life is good, why not dance on the metro?

Someone asked me the other day what this last year felt like having turned 40. Hasn't it been amazing? 40 is GREAT!

My answer: Yes, all of the above, I feel like I've dropped into me.

Truthfully, though I've felt this "dropping into me" every year in life, I'd say that the last 4-5 years I've experienced the biggest quantum leap in celebrating this comfort in my own skin. You too?

Which leads me to this and it's something I've shared with you before ~ our greatest authentic brand and your greatest happiness depends on you more and more fully "dropping" into you.

It depends on:

Expressing more of who you really are…

Doing this includes a level of transparency that leads to trust…

It includes a big dose of true human to –> human (not business woman to –> human) connection that leads to long-lasting relationships and the growth of our business…

It includes an extra serving of detachment (non-attachment for us yogis) from what others, especially those that don't fall within our ideal client or friend sphere, think.

Becoming even more you is what creating a great, authentic brand is all about and it's what being in alignment is about.

Your leadership, greatest brand and greatest happiness depends on how aligned your thoughts, words and actions are.

And it's what your business and bliss depend on. Being the kind of leader who shows up as 150% herself every time, whether it's via her newsletters, how she speaks and holds herself at a dinner party or in a VIP day with a client. 

Sure there's a level of elegance and professionalism that allows clients to feel supported, organized and well taken care of, however, we need not be a different person in our business than we are in our personal life. (For years after leaving the corporate advertising world and starting my business 14 years ago, I used "is this professional?" as my communication filter…boy was I wrong and boy did it feel bad).

Enter the wisdom that comes with time and asking the right questions: I now know that the filter is definitely "Is this in alignment with my mission, values, message and with what I say I most desire in my life?"

How would your brand communication change if you used this filter too?

How to drop into you (3 tips):

3. Understand that you will not appeal to everyone; you will polarize. Not everyone is meant to be your client (or best friend). With this understanding and acceptance that some will be repelled by what you have to say and how you say it, you can more easily shout what your movement and message is all about from the mountain tops. As the kids say, YOLO.

2. Get still. What makes you truly happy? Keep listening, go on that daily hike, buy the guided meditation app (and actually use it)…find more time to just BE vs. DO. Being driven and action-oriented is valuable as entrepreneurs and so is taking time to sit by the lake, river or ocean pondering what it is that we really want and who it is that we really want to be and gift this world…

1. Write your most transparently elegant Facebook or blog post yet (that delivers true value to your community AND that really shares more of who you really are!) and, after spell-checking, without further delay, push send! Many times dropping into more of who we are takes some cold turkey'ing it. So, what do you really believe? What do you truly value? What have you wanted to say or share but haven't for fear of what others might think or say?

No one is watching you or judging you as much as you think they are. I promise. They're too busy thinking about what to say or not to say in their next Facebook or blog post.

Enjoy your business, enjoy you life, until next time, Creative Heroine!

Have a beautiful dropping into YOU weekend.

Life is good,