Small Acts = Big Impact

The sweetest thing just happened to me.

I am sitting on the couch, working away on my laptop and suddenly “Little Miss” announces “Mama, close your eyes, I have a surprise for you”.

Now, bed time was half an hour ago, “Little Man” is already asleep and I am trying to not be grumpy at “Little Miss’” attempts at avoiding bed.  “Ok, my eyes are closed”, I reply.  She scampers in, leaves something on my lap and scampers out.  I open my eyes to find a torn out sheet from a composition notebook.

A simple love poem, written from the heart of a little girl – what a truly beautiful token of affection.

This small act made me think about how we can be more giving and thoughtful in our everyday life.  Last week I had a special opportunity to make a huge impact with a small act.  A group of us ladies pitched in to purchase a much needed item for a friend.  This gift will be a blessing to her.

What are you doing that has big impact?  Are there any small acts you can incorporate into your routines?  Here are a few that I enjoy…

Love notes in lunch boxes – every so often I send a napkin with a note in my daughter’s lunch box.  She thinks it is so much fun to find a special message from me every once in a while.

Flowers just because – I love flowers and I enjoy gardening.  Every summer I grow quite an array of blooms.  Instead of keeping all the beauty for myself I share.  Last year, while my Iris beds were in full bloom, I cut buckets full and delivered to teachers, family and friends.  It was a small act on my part but brought many smiles.

A word of gratitude – Every so often I will send an email or text message to a friend or family member thanking them for all they do to make my life a better place, a little easier and a lot happier.  Just a few words sent off allows your inner circle to know they are appreciated.  Couldn’t we all use a little more appreciation here and there?

Make yourself a cup of tea – Don’t forget to give a little love to yourself.  Every evening I make myself a big cup of my favorite tea to enjoy after the kids are in bed.  This ritual allows me to take a moment, breathe deeply, and relax.

Looking for more ideas on enjoy your days more?  Shoot me an email at Kate@askcoachkate.com and we will get your started.

Oh, and if you are in New England, be sure to check out the Women In Business Summit on March 26^, 2011.  I am joining an amazing line up of presenters and would love to have you join us.

Happy Birthday?

Every year my birthday comes with a mixed bag of emotions. Today, I am having a wonderful day surrounded my children, nieces and nephews who are perpetually singing me birthday songs, dancing crazy dances as they play a variety of play instruments. It is a beautiful carcofanny of chaos and love. I am so deeply grateful for all their love and thoughtfulness as they “plan” my special dinner (pizza and ice cream cake).

My birthday is a memorable day for me not just as it is my birth day but also as the day my father left this earth six years ago. Today, I recall my fond memories of times spent with my Dad during different periods of my life. I remember early morning fishing trips, late night star gazing, latin and algebra homework. As an adult we would sit and discuss many topics – we became not just father and daughter but also friends.

Many of those conversations influence me to this day. I hear his words of encouragement as I move forward in my business, words of experience and wisdom as I raise my children, and words of support as I create a new life for my family.

When I woke on the morning of my 30th birthday I had no idea what that day held but quickly learned the day was not what I had envisioned.

I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to share those last hours with my father. To hold his hand, pray, and share in the passing of his spirit from this world. It was an honor, not a horror.

Today, my heart is happy as I feel my father’s presence through my children, niece and nephew. That is the best birthday gift I could receive.

Inspired Moments

Last night I was blessed with some divine inspiration. I have been working on simplifying my Launch Your Business Program and I think I have finally done so. There will be plenty of time for me to share with you about that new program but right now I want to talk about allowing for inspired moments.

Many of us women business owners are so busy caring for our families while working our business, being everywhere and doing everything that we don’t make time for inspired moments. It is hard to know when that moment will hit. It’s not as if you can mark it on your calendar, right?

What if you could help yourself along to have more of those moments on a more consistent basis when you need them? Inspired moments come by giving yourself the mental space to think, to contemtplate a variety of solutions to a business problem. If you are so busy on your own version of the hampster wheel how can you make time for inspired thought?

I understand how hard it is to schedule time to think, strategize and brainstorm in your busines especially if you are having some success – you are busy! I am in the same boat as a single mom of 2 and owner of a busy coaching practice.

Here are some ways I make time to think and allow for inspired moments…
- Folding laundry is a task I do not find engaging so I use that time to let my mind work. It’s great, my hands and my mind are engaged!
- Driving is when I do some of my best thinking. I don’t mean the city driving that takes all my focus but highway driving that allows for some mentall space. Once in a while, I will pack up the toddlers and go for a drive to do errands a few towns over. It is the perfect combo of thought and task completion.
- Turn off the TV. I don’t usually watch television and it adds several hours to each day for me. Where TV is a hobby most people have, entrepreneurship is my hobby. So some nights, after the kids head to bed, I will spend some time just thinking, writing and mapping out different ideas. Not all of them are worth taking action on but some are and I get to enjoy the creative process.
- Go to dinner with a fellow business owner without any specific agenda. As a business owner you probably know other business owners you would like to get to know better. Grab a coffee or a meal together and do some collaborative brainstorming. It could be just what you need to get out of a business rut and make space for some inspired moments.
- Work with a business coach to get those creative juices flowing. One of my most popular offerings is the Strategy Session because my clients get the benefit of my creative ability to create out of the box solutions to their business problems. If you struggle with being creative or making the time, working with a coach might be the best solution.

Taking time to think is crucial as an entrepreneur. I encourage you to make the time so you can grow your business. If you would like to schedule a Strategy Session click here.

The “Magic” Of Technology

The “magic” of technology is truly incredible if you think about it. I was able to benefit from this “magic” last week in my business and thought I would share.

As most of my readers know, I am a divorced, single mom of two wonderful little beings. My Big Girl is 6yrs old and my Little Man is 17 months now. And although I have an incredible supportive family, I have limited childcare. The ROI on live networking events does not usually justify the childcare costs for me. I still need to meet new people to grow my recently re-launched business to create a life for me and the kids of financial independence and prosperity.

So what’s a Mamapreneur to do?

Well, here is what I am doing. I am embracing social media and all its wonderful offerings. I am on Facebook and Twitter and joining chats. There is actually a schedule of all the different chats here.

Since the events are virtual it’s ok if I have background noise or the occasional interruption – no one but me knows.

Well, while tweeting (that is so funny to type – it makes me smile) I came across a chat and decided to check it out. I am not even sure what made me notice that tweet in the flurry of updates. The chat was a group of women entrepreneurs (like me) who were kicking off a virtual retreat with a Twitter party. I was able to join the chat then sign up for the retreat where I met many wonderful women virtually as well as gained incredible insight into my business.

As a result of the virtual retreat I found a like minded group of women entrepreneurs. I am already signed up for another event and have since joined a newly launched organization, NACWE. And just in case I doubted the money I spent to join – I won prizes for being their 100th member!

Sometimes I get overwhelmed by technology. I completely understand the WHY and sometimes struggle with the HOW. I will continue to move outside my comfort zone and ask for guidance from those who know more than I do. The benefits far outweigh the discomfort.

All of this amazing activity triggered some other great thoughts for me. I have been being tugged by an idea for some time now. It’s a book idea that has been formulating for over a year. I gained clear insight as to what it will look like and am looking forward to getting started with it.

I also posted my latest workshop offerings and f*ee teleseminars on my website. I am looking forward to offering more opportunities to work with me in the way that best suits my clients.

Speaking of opportunities, you only have till tomorrow to sign up for “Turning Over a New Leaf” all day intensive workshop on Saturday, October 9th from 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM.

The Difficult Journey of Advocating

My cousin’s toddler was recently diagnosed with Juvenile Dermatomyositis (JDM). Weakened muscles and skin rash are the primary symptoms of JDM. Some children experience a mild form of the disease, while others follow a more severe and potentially more debilitating course. Some of the more onerous secondary symptoms are calcinosis, vasculitic ulcers and contractures. This info was taken from http://www.curejm.com/info/what_is_jm.htm and be sure to visit to learn more.
Macie is 19 months old and started treatment today following her first MRI (yesterday) which showed damaged muscle tissue within her body.

Macie’s mom fought long and hard with doctors, family and friends who pushed off her concerns believing the child simply suffered from eczema. This battle began almost a year ago with an incurable diaper rash and digestive issues. Every time Macie ate certain foods her rash flared to fire red patches all over her body – there was a definite cause and effect going on.

Malyssa was put off time and time again by their family practice care as being overly concerned and neurotic. After months of demanding tests and receiving such resistance from her health care providers as well as some close family members it was no wonder she began to feel crazy.

As I watched her struggle and supported her as best I could despite the distance it became clear she was fighting an uphill battle. But she carried on because she knew in her heart that there was something “not right” with her baby. As a mother of three and a licensed nurse, Malyssa had no doubt that a bigger issue was at play.

People called her crazy, neurotic, stubborn and a variety of other names as she time and again demanded someone listen to her and find a solution for her child. Countless hours were spent each day tracking which foods caused reactions and finding solutions for a baby who seemingly reacted to every food she ate. It was a drain on Malyssa and the entire family as those hours spent cooking and tracking, worrying and traveling were not spent on enjoy her three children, husband and beautiful home in the mountains of NH.

Finally after months of traveling to doctors appointments hours away from her home, she gained some support from a dermatologist who agreed Macie did not suffer from eczema. So after many doctor appointments, hundreds of hours of travel time and months of riding an emotional rollercoaster, a skin biopsy was ordered and came back as positive for JDM. Macie has also been diagnosed with gluten and lactose sensitivities which seem to be triggers.

Any parent who has advocated for their child knows the struggles my cousin has gone thru. Advocating is hard work, emotionally draining, and can alienate those you love but advocates see the bigger picture and put their own comfort aside for the greater purpose. It was only by listening to her heart and focusing on the health and well being of her child that Malyssa was able to get answers. I have learned so much about parenting and advocating from her difficult journey to a diagnosis and I send them all lots of love and thoughts of good health and healing as they enter this next stage of their journey.

Please join the conversation and leave a comment below.

Only SIX more days to sign up and save on our in-person Boston workshop with Kate Powers! Turning Over a New Leaf for a New Life is scheduled for Saturday, October 9, 2010 – learn more about how you can still get a discount off the regular price.

Starting A Business – Do You Know What You Are Getting Into?

As a business coach I talk to a good number of people who want to start their own business. Often these people have a great idea for a shop or home bases business. They have a vision of working part time allowing for the freedom to take care of their family, enjoy life all while their business (which of course would be profitable;o) provides a full time income.

Now anyone who owns their own business whether at a physical location or home based, you know the description above is idealized. Wouldn’t everyone open up shop if we could work part time, get paid for full time and have the flexibility and freedom we want? So I thought I would share some of the basics of starting your own business.

- Business Idea of what you want your business to provide or do, who your business would serve or provide for (target market) and where your business will exist (home based or physical space)

- Market research is one of the most neglected areas of small business start up and one of the most important. Market research is gathering information about your target market, where they shop, what they buy, how much they spend, how often and what type of marketing is effective. Without this information you will be shooting your business arrows in the dark at a moving target.

- Start up costs should include enough money for several months (6 months is ideal) and factor in payroll, rent, product/inventory costs, operating costs (utilities, supplies, misc), marketing and advertising. Now this is not a complete list for every business but covers the basics.

- Funding sources for where the start up costs will come from. .. Will you take out a business loan? Do you have a large sum of money lying around? Accurately determining your start up and operating costs will allow you to appropriately plan your financing steps.

- Time line for opening shop should account for any construction needed for the shop space or time to get the website up and running so people know you exist as well as learning to be proficient in any software you will be using in your business such as your online shopping cart, QuickBooks for bookkeeping etc. These items usually take months not weeks to complete and can eat up your start up budget if you are not careful and specific.

- Setting business hours and staffing those hours. A business cannot succeed if it is not open enough hours for customers to come spend their money. Business hours need to be staffed whether by you or by an employee. A physical store may need to be opened 50 – 80 per week while a home based business may need “open hours” of 10-20 hours. These numbers only include hours your business is “open” to the public and does not account for office work etc.

- Location, location, location! If you are opening a physical store this is an issue to pay much attention to and be sure to factor in your competition, parking, and surrounding shops.

- Advertising/marketing your business is a crucial element that any successful business spends huge amounts of time and money on. Your marketing campaign should not be about what YOU like but what will speak to your TARGET MARKET. You will refer back to market research for this.

These are just some basic things to work on as you start formulating your business plan. If you would like more information about starting your business or brining success to your current business contact Kate here or email her at Kate@askcoachkate.com

Only SEVEN more days to sign up and save on our in-person Boston workshop with Kate Powers! Turning Over a New Leaf for a New Life is scheduled for Saturday, October 9, 2010 – learn more about how you can still get a discount off the regular price.

Bump In The Road…

Earlier this week I encountered a bump in my business road. It was nothing major but did cause me to shift my focus in a particular area. Then a funny thing happened – nothing else happened! What I mean is since I shifted my attention away from my regular business activities that keep things rolling along behind the scenes, behind the scenes came to a screeching halt. This was a great lesson for me to learn in the early stages of re launching my business since it allows me learn from the experience without too much damage, just a few days of lost marketing. I didn’t realize I was already at the stage of needing an assistant!
Now with this information I can better plan today and for the future as to what assistance I will need to keep things rolling along in my business even when I need to be focused elsewhere.

So here are some simple solutions I will be looking into that might be good options for you in your business.

- Hire a Virtual Assistant or the like. Whether your help is virtual or in person, hiring someone to handle some of the behind the scenes tasks that need to be done but not by you is a great way to keep your business in business.
- Utilize posting services on sites you advertise with such as Craig’s List and Backpage. For a small fee your ads will automatically repost so you don’t have to worry about it.
- Social media is such a large part of most company’s marketing these days so be sure to link your media sites to each other in a way that works best for your business and then utilize one of the many applications that allow you to schedule a list of posts at set intervals.

If you are struggling to keep things moving forward in your business, I would love to discuss ways to get things rolling. Contact me at Kate@AskCoachKate

There is still time to sign up and save on our in-person Boston workshop with Kate Powers! Turning Over a New Leaf for a New Life is scheduled for Saturday, October 9, 2010 – learn more about how you can still get a discount off the regular price.

How are you at dealing with emotional upheaval?

Today I was out enjoying the afternoon with the kids. Suddenly, my 6-year-old began to cry, claiming that she doesn’t want summer camp to end. This quickly escalated into not wanting summer to end – EVER. That’s odd, I thought; why would a simple thing like a change of season suddenly cause such a strong reaction? So I asked her if there was something else going on. Well, after a bit of gentle prodding I learned that my daughter is actually very nervous about going into first grade. She is spinning herself into emotional chaos, worrying that she will get the teacher “that yells.”

Ah, I thought, so now we have what is really going on. And it came to mind that even as grown adults, many of us do exactly what my 6-year-old did. An upcoming change in our lives, whether it’s occurring with our family, friends, lovers, work, home or in our business, strikes fear of the unknown into our hearts. We leap into visions of a negative outcome and then latch onto the notion that worst is about to occur. Then we worry ourselves, sometimes to the point of illness, over something that may not even happen.

Now, when it is laid out like that, our tendency to make mountains out of molehills seems completely obvious. However, when in the throes of a challenging situation we are usually completely unconscious of our active role in creating our own chaos, worry and stress.

So, now what? Having this information allows us to understand a few things about how our mind and most other minds handle change–which is not very well. When thinking of the upset 6-year-old, fretting over the possibility of having to deal with the “yeller” for a teacher every day, we can see how the lack of control over a pending situation case a great deal of stress and worry. And yet, she is a mere child. We don’t expect her to have the awareness or emotional skills to verbalize or rationalize her fears and needs. But are we any different than she?

The truth is that most adults are as equally inept as the 6-year-old at dealing with the normal emotional upheaval that comes along with transition and change. If there are any tools for coping, they weren’t handed to us and in fact we may not even know about them. But the fact is – there ARE effective ways to deal with the fear and uncertainty that goes along with life’s sometimes unexpected and unpredictable twists and turns.

This is what personal coaches specialize in. We help people manage their own lives more effectively, so they recognize that they indeed have options and choices, and that they really can play a part in their own favorable outcomes. A coach can help you plan more and stress less… ensuring that your decision making ability isn’t driven by fear. Fear paralyzes us and forces us to hand the controls over to other people. Clear, objective thinking moves us closer to getting what we want and achieving the goals we set for ourselves.

So here are some basics I share with my clients when they find themselves in a place of transition, filled with stress and worry.

First, look at the facts of the situation. What’s actually going on here, as opposed to which parts have you blown out of proportion or developed based on assumptions?

Next, decide if the outcome you’ve attached yourself to is the only possible outcome. In the majority of cases the more desirable outcomes are possible — even if they are unlikely, they are still possible.

Now, look at how much of the situation you can actually influence or have control over. Is the outcome completely out of your control? Or if you do xyz will the end result be more favorable?

Finally, it’s time to decide if you are able and willing to do xyz. There are many factors that go into this, so take some time to really cover all of your bases. In the process, you may realize that the original challenge is no longer an issue because there are other options that you are directly capable of influencing.

Transitions are stressful – they mean deviations from what is known, familiar and expected. Change can put you out of your comfort zone. You may not be able to rely on the people or circumstances that you have come to depend on. Change often comes with a learning curve – so you may feel frustrated that you can’t accomplish certain things at the pace you’re used to. People who are amidst big transitions in their life often feel lost and confused. It can be a humbling experience.

Make sure that when you are in a transitional time, you give yourself some space to think through and work out possible outcomes. Be proactive about influencing whatever you can, to make the best possible scenario more likely.

Finally – it’s especially important to keep anxiety at bay during times of change. Even if you feel pressured to take on increased responsibility at this time… even if this transition has caused you to put someone else’s needs before your own… don’t forget to take extra good care of yourself. Whenever you can, do something nice for you. Take time away to relax, regroup and recharge. In minimizing the detrimental effects of stress on your body and mind, you’re conserving your strength– so that you can continue to effectively and responsibly handle whatever comes your way.

Good luck! And if you need support at this time, contact Life Balance and Business Coach Kate Powers at kate@askcoachkate.com.

Guest Author: Leeann Simons from At Peace with Food

Don’t Eat Something Because “It’s Good For Me”
by Leann Simons, At Peace with Food

Last weekend I went to the movies with my son. Even though we weren’t seeing the same movie (my tastes don’t quite mesh with my 16-year-old), we did drive over together, and I count that as bonding. As I was sitting in my seat, waiting for the previews, I overheard a conversation a few seats down from me. It went a something like this:

“Every night I sit down with my bag of dark chocolate bits and I eat until I am full and can’t eat another bite. I know they are good for me and I’m supposed to eat them, but I don’t even like dark chocolate!”

This was sad to me on so many levels, perhaps the saddest being that she didn’t like dark chocolate!

Let’s look at what this woman was saying, and why it is not only sad, but also very unhealthy.

First, she is sitting down every night and eating until she can’t eat another bite. To be sitting down, probably in front of a television set, and eating is not a good habit. I call this type of eating “unconscious eating,” because you aren’t aware of how much you consume. A movie theatre is another example. How often have you bought the large popcorn and it was finished before the previews? I call those “wasted calories” because you probably didn’t even have a chance to enjoy them.

She did say she ate until she couldn’t eat another bite-so perhaps she wasn’t in front of the television. Yet she was making a point to eat until she was so full she “couldn’t eat another bite.” This is another unhealthy behavior. Chances are that if you eat until you are stuffed, especially before going to bed, you are still going to feel full in the morning. When people overeat at night, they tend to skip breakfast the next day, setting themselves up for a cycle of skipping meals and then eventually overeating because they wait too long. While this behavior won’t hurt you if you only do it occasionally, this woman sounded like she overate every night, and I’m guessing she did not eat regular meals the rest of the time.

Let’s leave the chocolate part for last; let’s look at the “I know they are good for me, but I don’t like them” comment. This is an unfortunate reason to eat food: because it is good for me. The primary reason you should eat something is because you like the way it tastes. The fact that certain foods have health benefits is a bonus. But to just eat something “because I should” is disturbing. Folks who do this wind up not appreciating all the wonderful foods, tastes and flavors found in meals and snacks. Unfortunately, food becomes like medicine-you don’t take it because you like it, you eat it because it’s good for you.

Now, let’s address the last comment “I don’t even like dark chocolate.” Never mind that the research suggesting dark chocolate may be heart healthy. Never mind the fact that I, personally, am only starting to accept that there are people who don’t like dark chocolate (and I can still be friends with them). The amounts recommended are less than 2 ounces per day, and the plant chemicals found in the dark chocolate can also be found in other fruits, like apples.

But to force-feed yourself dark chocolate while you don’t like it? This makes food more than medicine-it makes food a punishment.

Please don’t punish yourself by forcing foods into your mouth you do not like. Food is one of the many pleasures we have in our lives. Of course there are many reasons to eat fruits and vegetables, chicken and fish. And there are also good reasons to eat cake, ice cream and chocolate.

Just don’t make the reason “because it’s good for me.”