Do you feel the pressure to raise the bar in your business at the beginning of a new year? I've felt like that, too. This year I decided that I want more in my business and life; more ease and grace, more play time and more joy. I want my business to be driven more from within, my higher-self and source. This requires surrender, listening and trusting the journey. For me, surrender means letting go of the outcome and the “how”, especially the “how”. I have a morning routine that includes meditation. I’m now asking during my meditation time; what do you want me to know, do and be? Whatever message comes through, I have committed to follow and trust that it’s for my highest good and in response to my ask for “more”. I’m, in essence, an employee to my higher-self. What a fresh way of looking at my business! Right? Did you know that you, too, can have the CEO of your company be your higher-self – Source. Did you know that when you apply this way of running your business, everything changes, transformation happens and your imagination goes beyond what you thought was possible? In my 35 years of working for corporate, I never received training that taught me to surrender and trust my higher-self for the answers. I’m committed to you, as a mentor, to bring this way of running your business with ease and grace. Are you ready to shift to a different way of growing your business and making an impact? Let’s chat about how you are doing business today and create a path to more ease and grace, fun and joy. Click the button below to schedule a complementary 30-minute session where you will walk away with at least one idea to implement.

Like a hummingbird, when we live our day empty, there is a delicious freedom of not having to be anything other than who we are. The rest of the story: We are fully present to our senses. We see things in their true nature. We smell the sweetest of scents. We hear even the smallest of leaves fall and our skin is sensitive to the slightest of breezes. We live empty and open. Are you full of the noise of the past or worrying about the future? Distractions from the present moment prevent us from receiving intuitive messages, and seeing the opportunities in front of our eyes. Take a deep breath and bring your attention to the present moment. “Excerpt from the Amazon’s bestselling book “Katherine’s Quest: One Woman’s Journey to Elation”. To order the book click here

The coronavirus pandemic forced businesses to adjust to ensure their survival. We all welcome 2021 with open arms. It’s important to stay on top of the latest business trends. As entrepreneurs, we need to be ready for these trends.

Gratitude is one of the highest and most empowering states you can achieve. Being grateful raises your vibration level and truly magnetizes you to attract more positive energy into your life. When you are grateful you feel joyful, satisfied and filled with heartfelt appreciation for what you have received and continue to receive. You basically tell the universe, “Thank you, this is wonderful – send me more please!” The universe dutifully responds to your request by sending you even more reasons to be grateful. It must respond in this way; universal law demands it. How do you become more grateful and therefore, attract more of what you truly want? These five practices are a good start. Choose one and practice it for 30 days.  Express gratitude to others . This could be as easy a phone call, a text or a thank you note. Rarely do we receive cards any more. Imagine the smile on their face when they receive your note. Wow! Can you imagine the positive impact you would have on their day? Adopt the “gratitude is an attitude” lifestyle . Everyday write down five things you are grateful for and why you are grateful for that particular experience or thing. Just 15 minutes a day focusing on the things you’re grateful for will significantly increase your body’s natural antibodies. This can be done at the beginning or at the end of your day. Look for what you want to see vs. what you don’t want to see. Too often we go about our day waiting and expecting awful things to happen, or we expect to be disappointed. Some of us walk around saying, “I don’t like this, and this, and that….” and look for things that need changing. I wonder what your day would look like if you focused on what you did indeed want to see. “I like this, I like that…. oh, and I really love that!” You would be a better a mood, smile more and see the good in all. Thank yourself. Gratitude doesn’t always need to be focused on what other people have done for you! Make sure you give yourself a thank-you for the healthy habits you’ve cultivated in your day and life, such as eating a balanced meal or giving yourself enough time for rest each night. Look for the silver linings. Even the most difficult times in our lives come with some benefit—you just have to look. Making a mistake teaches you a lesson. Being sick draws the attraction of family and friends. When things seem hard, ask yourself: What’s good about this situation? Gratitude is a magical therapy. Start collecting the magic today. What are you most grateful for?

Have you had a day where you have said “I hope to not have another day like this” or “I wish all my days were like this”? We all have those days. Some days we live our day from the neck up. Our mind chatter dictates our mood or how we feel about ourselves. Our chatter instills a lack of confidence and we play small, make decisions from fear or worse take no action at all. The bummer part about it is that sometimes we are unaware that this is happening. Each morning we get to start brand new and be conscious and intentional about our day. I love it! Have you had that kind of day when you wake up feeling rested, positive and full of energy? You connect with what truly matters and your decisions throughout your day come from this place. There’s this wonderful and peaceful place of alignment. Ahh…you want more of these days. It’s all there for you every morning. Embracing each morning as a new beginning allows you to be open to possibilities, to remind yourself what it feels like to make decisions from your heart and to acknowledge that you are exactly where you need to be.  “Embrace each morning as a new beginning” …. Pat Alva-Kraker – excerpt from Katherine’s Quest: One Woman’s Journey to Elation. Pre-Order at https://amzn.to/2EP69O0 .

Passion is an essential piece of the entrepreneurship puzzle. Without it, it’s more challenging to get your footing as a new entrepreneur. It’s a driving force behind preliminary success, and it’s easy to find in the beginning. But what happens when it starts to wane? How do you find your passion again and again? Any seasoned entrepreneur will tell you that passion will fade. It’s inevitable. But the key to prolonged success in starting and running your business is always to find your passion, even when it takes a temporary hiatus. Why? Because without it, it’ll be challenging to keep your energy infused in your daily tasks. The Magic of Passion in Entrepreneurship Passion is like a magic wand for new entrepreneurs: it can change the things you don’t like into exciting endeavors. When you’re enthusiastic about something, those menial, tedious tasks magically become stepping stones leading you to your goals. Of course, not everything will be butterflies and rainbows. But doing something with emotion will always feel more natural than doing it without, and it will often bring you more success. So what do you do when that magic is gone? Find Your Passion at the Start When your energy fades, or you start to experience burnout, it’s often a loss of passion. You had it once before, where is it now? The secret is to go back to the beginning. If you seek business coaching, you’ll learn the importance of keeping a personal record of your journey. If you write down why you started this endeavor, you can quickly and personally remind yourself of that essential ingredient. We all need those reminders of why we dove into entrepreneurship in the first place! Connect With Clients & Customers As new entrepreneurs, life is usually inspiring despite the challenges. Your adrenaline is pushing you through, dominating roadblocks. But when we start to sink into the pile of mundane tasks, the passion can quickly begin to fade. Remind yourself of why you started your business (as in #1) and then connect with the people you’re helping. When you take some time to reconnect with the WHY and interact with your devoted clients or customer base, then you’ll eventually start to feel the magic again. This process will need repeating as you continue your journey. Seasoned entrepreneurs know that passion is something that you’ll chase for many years. Find Your Passion in Other Things Life cannot be all about your business! If that’s the case, you’ll undoubtedly experience burnout and lose passion forever. Instead, diversify your sources of energy. If passion starts to fade in your work, take a little break, and explore it in something else for an afternoon. Maybe it’s baking or gardening or hiking. Refresh your passion in something else so that you can insert it back into your business. Reach Out to Your Community In business coaching, this step is imperative to both new and seasoned entrepreneurs. Sometimes, you merely need to connect with someone else who “gets it.” Every business owner will experience this multiple times, so reach out to your safety net and ask them to help you find your passion again. Most likely, it’s just a phone call or a cup of coffee away. The Power of Positive Thinking Here’s the catch: when your passion starts to fade, it’s still inside you. It never leaves your mind; it’s usually just clouded by exhaustion and negative thinking. Enter the power of positivity and positive thinking. It might sound silly at first, but positive thinking is a common tactic in business coaching and successful entrepreneurship. By focusing on the good, you’re essentially focusing on your passion. Don’t squash honest emotion—when you feel bad, let it out. But then, try to center yourself around positive energy, which passion loves.

For many entrepreneurs, lofty, admirable, and authentic dreams are what inspired you. You view big business or other entrepreneurs, and you vow to do better. You passionately research how to grow your business and stay true to your values and the person you are. And it works! At least, it works until “business” ironically gets in the way of your business. We’ve all been there. Bills come in, the reality of economics hits, competition wears you down, and you wonder if it’s possible to stay true to your values as an entrepreneur . To grow your business ethically and morally isn’t impossible. It may take a more conscious effort, but you can certainly do it! Identify Your Values The first step is to identify your values . What’s important to you, and what do you want your business to emulate? Use others for inspiration: what to do and what not to do. But when deciding how to grow your business under your values, try to focus on your beliefs. Not every entrepreneur has the same values that you do, so it’s okay if your business plan is different. Maybe you want to hire a diverse staff, use domestic manufacturers, or use sustainably-sourced materials. Perhaps you’ll vow to be transparent and honest throughout your business. Whatever your values are, take time to honestly think about how you can add them to your overall business plan. Grow Your Business with Solution-Based Thinking The next step is to anticipate roadblocks. Any seasoned entrepreneur will tell you the same thing: there will be a temptation to abandon some of those values. Why is that? Because “business” gets in the way. What happens when profits are down, and you can outsource production for much cheaper? Or when demand is down, and you can use a fishy marketing scam to boost sales? Bills don’t stop, so you may be lured into making decisions that compromise those values. What can you do? Anticipate these moments and plan accordingly! Let’s take the example of a too-good-to-be-true marketing scheme. They’re out there, and boy, are they intriguing! Avoid temptation by creating numerous back-up plans that allow you to stick to your values. Plan ethical marketing strategies that you can regularly apply to support authentic business growth. There are thousands of resources out there, and many share ways to avoid schemes that trick—and often disappoint—customers. What about the lure of cheaper products? Add a back-up plan for that, too! Instead of outsourcing manufacturers, can you reduce costs differently? Are there more low-cost domestic manufacturers? Or, can you find alternative and less expensive materials that create a similar quality? Create lists, plans, and solutions for anything that you think might get in the way. Accept Feedback When determining how to grow your business without compromising your values, learn to accept feedback in a way that supports your endeavors. That feedback may come from employees, customers, clients, your community, or partners. Entrepreneurs know the importance of building a passionate and loyal community , so it’s imperative to listen to your community members. They’re an excellent resource for business growth, and you can learn from them. If you have a loyal customer base or clientele, you won’t have to worry about compromising values. Instead, you’ll have support and income you can rely on from a group that cares about your work as much as you do. Virtual Leadership Retreat This month’s posts all focus on the idea of personal and business growth as an entrepreneur. If you’re interested in learning more, Majestic Coaching will host a virtual retreat from July 31 – August 1, and I’d love to see you there! We’ll discuss topics like staying true to your values, as well as building authentic leadership, bringing more purpose into your work, and impacting the world around you. As new and seasoned entrepreneurs, we often get stuck in a mindset that doesn’t serve the people we are or the clients we help. I want to encourage you to shift the paradigm of your business toward a more conscious one! If you’re interested in attending our virtual retreat, please contact me for more details !

Retreats, in general, are an excellent strategy for entrepreneurs to boost business growth. They are unique opportunities for networking and reaching new clientele, and they also work their magic by increasing energy, creativity, and passion within you and your team. And we can all use a little help with those—burnout is real! But when planning business retreats, there is a big difference between using that time for a good break or turning it into a work retreat. How do you know which one to choose? Benefits of Business Retreats The first step of the process is to learn the different benefits of business retreats and determine what you and your team need the most. Both seasoned and new entrepreneurs can vouch for the advantages of escaping the office and renewing your spirits! Work Retreats: Networking & Business Growth There are two main categories of business retreat benefits. The first one is focused mostly on your business growth and future success because they get you and your team in front of a new audience. With a work retreat, you can network with seasoned masterminds to help you in your endeavors. In return, you gain advice and build a support network of amazing entrepreneurs who have already been through the nitty-gritty of business ownership. They can also be potential collaborators on future projects or even prospective business partners. Work retreats can also introduce you, your business, and your brand to new clientele. They’re an excellent way to build relationships with potential clients and customers and get the word out about your business. Different retreats draw different crowds, so choosing the right one is critical. Break Retreats: Relaxation, Teambuilding, & Renewed Energy Another perk of business retreats is that feeling of renewed energy after spending much-needed time outside of your usual environment and focusing on getting the creative juices flowing. Even if you love your job and your business is your baby, we all lose passion from time to time. Any business coach will tell you to break out of the norm and spend time in a different environment. Why does this strategy work? Because when you take a break from everyday tasks, relaxation and renewed energy allow you to focus on the aspects that you love. You can build heighten bonds within your team and return to the office, ready to tackle all the fantastic ideas you brainstormed together. A relaxing retreat doesn’t even need to have a work focus at all. But, because the stress melts away, you and your staff will naturally start to feel more passionate and creative. Which one to Choose: Break or Work Now that you know the benefits of both types of retreats, you need to assess your business. All entrepreneurs are different, so ask yourself what you need the most right now. I Need a Break! Are you or your team feeling burnt out or overwhelmed? Are all your recent ideas a bit lackluster? Are you questioning why you started your business in the first place? Do you wish your team was closer? If you answered yes to these questions, then you most definitely could use a break! The secret to a break retreat is to keep business out of it. As noted above, the time and space away from the usual duties will naturally freshen your team’s minds, prompt new ideas and creativity, and renew fading passion. And having fun will undoubtedly bring you closer to your staff.  I Need to Grow Business! Do you want to grow your business? Do you feel that you’re at a crossroads, and you’re not sure what direction to go? Could you use some sound advice from seasoned professionals? Would you benefit from fresh ideas and new visions? If you answered yes to these questions, then a work retreat is best for you. Sometimes, all you need is a sounding board to help you conquer roadblocks. Sometimes you need more diversity in your network to help you expand on projects. Work retreats are an excellent method for building your business organically.

With the implementation of lockdown and social distancing measures due to COVID-19, the world is seeing a rise in opportunities to work from home. This increase comes with some benefits, as most Americans who transitioned to working from home feel more productive and satisfied. Major companies like Microsoft have extended orders to work from home until the fall, leaving many questioning if it’s the way of the future. So what happens if companies keep their employees at home? If this happens, workers will transition from working from home to remote work. Although these two terms are similar and interchangeable in many ways, there are some differences to consider. What Does it Mean to Work From Home? If your friend tells you that she’s working from home, you might automatically think she’s now a remote worker. Yes, technically, she works remotely, but the terms are different when you consider business strategy. Even before COVID-19, it was common to work from home on occasion. All it means is that you can efficiently complete your duties from the comfort of your home. The resources at the office aren’t necessary for the tasks at hand. It’s often reserved for temporary situations or contract workers. Some jobs and duties cannot accommodate this trend. Some roles require face-to-face meetings or shared in-office resources that you can’t take to your house. But for many companies and businesses, COVID-19 has opened up the door to allowing more employees to work from home. If you’re a new or seasoned entrepreneur, you may consider this option for your staff to reduce costs. (See more benefits below!)  What is Remote Work? Now that you better understand working from home, how does it compare to remote work? The main difference is that remote working is more permanent. Many corporations use remote workers for contract work or work that doesn’t require a lot of face-to-face time. Many digital nomads and freelancers opt to be remote workers, as they can take on numerous roles at a variety of businesses. Remote workers can be full-time employees, part-time staffers, contractors, or even temporary workers. They work remotely permanently. Remote workers can make up entire businesses—it’s not uncommon for a whole online agency or organization to have a full staff of remote workers, and even start that way. With advances in technology, many daily tasks are possible over the internet. Should Entrepreneurs Pursue Remote Working? With COVID-19 pushing many of us to work from home, companies are starting to consider the idea of remote workers. There are some benefits to this concept, including reduced costs and more productive workdays, as mentioned above. What happens when you aren’t paying for office space, equipment, and the like? You save money! Entrepreneurs certainly enjoy saving money, although logistically, it can be more of a challenge to coordinate with your team. Another benefit of remote working is that you can hire skill-specific staff short-term. Let’s say you require a web designer for your new website. You don’t need to hire a full-time employee for this, as you’ll only need this role temporarily. Remote workers can offer specific skills that you can infuse into your business when you need it. Online Tools Although it is a challenge to organize a remote team, there are so many online resources available. There are numerous project collaboration apps and software to keep you organized, and there are tons of communication tools that help you stay in contact with your staff. You can organize payroll online and even coordinate employee benefits if you offer them! As many entrepreneurs are learning, working from home or remote working may very well be the future of business.