Sensation roots us in the present. When we tune in to our breath, our flesh, our bones, and blood, the fullness of our being comes alive and taps into a fertile source of power and inspiration. Read more...

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I am on a smoothie kick! I love making smoothies because they are easy, delicious, and fun to make. This Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothieis my latest smoothie creation and I am in love. It makes a great snack or dessert. And the best part? It is super easy to make, you only need five [...]

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Confidence in business can seem fleeting, but it doesn’t make it any less desirable. We all want to stand behind what we do with pride whether we are sharing with other business owners what it is we do, or selling to a customer without selling. I will share a little secret; confident business owners are actually pretty quiet. They are not loud and boisterous—rather they are self-assured, and grounded in who they are.Here are my 7 tips for building confidence in your business and they all begin with you.Tip #1: Get Rid Of All The “Should”Allowing “should” to creep in can create self-doubt and confusion for you, your business, and your customer. “Should” are the things you may not think you are built to do, or even want to do but you think you should. These are energy drainers and will keep you from being great at what you already love to do. For example, this past year I thought I should work with all types of businesses, but my real love was with creative women. The moment I let go of my should my business grew. List all those things you think you should do and begin letting them go.Tip #2: Make Some Proud FriendsProud business owners may not even know how proud they are because they could be quiet! These are those who easily share their passions for their work, or who enjoy giving credit to those who have helped them get where they are. You might already admire them so let them know and ask if you can pick their brain about how they carry themselves. They will be flattered, trust me.Tip #3: Practice Makes PerfectIt may sound silly to practice your confidence, but it really can help! Mimicking real life situations like sales, customer interactions, press, or marketing can help you in the moment. Ask a friend to play a faux role, interact with them, and gather feedback. It will be far more difficult in practice than in real life so by the time you are using your new awareness you will be natural.Tip #4: Always Lead With The BenefitWhen in doubt, lead with the benefit. Benefits are the reasons what you do will actually fit into someone’s life. We are emotional beings and we tend to let our emotional side do the thinking, talking, and buying. To confidently appeal to other’s emotional side lead with the biggest benefits for buying what you do. For example a feature of my work is that I coach, the benefit of coaching is confidence and clarity. The benefit of confidence in a business is growth. That tends to grab other’s attention more than they what I do does.Tip #5: Note When Something Goes Really WellNext time an interaction goes well be it at a network event or just casually talking with friends make a note when it goes over well. Maybe you practice using benefits and get a different reaction or you have people following up with you the next day. This is a time to reflect on what you did well because you just have to do more if this in the future. What events were best, what people responded well, and what language did you use? Do more of what already works because it will work again!Tip #6: What You Love Most Will Sell ItselfYou will sell with the most enthusiasm and genuineness if it’s something you truly love. I truly love supporting clients through getting unstuck. I could talk about this all the time, and when it comes from my heart that shows. That emotion I put into how I talk about my work sells far more than me trying to intentionally sell to a new client. If it’s not something you truly love then return to no. 1 and clean out some of that should.Tip #7: Remember, Customers Are Lost Without YouThere are numerous potential customers out there who want or need what it is you create. They are hurting and suffering because they have yet to find you. Put them out of their misery and offer up the best version of what you love to do! You might be thinking, “But I make jewelry!” And I would respond, “Yes! And your jewelry can make your customer light up like she never has”. Remember, there is always a benefit to what you do.As a Certified Life Coach Andrea is a qualified active listener. It is her role to hear the things that are not so obvious, clarify their meaning, and support you through your endeavor. Meet Andrea at Aleda Fitness.Main image courtesy of Son of Groucho

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Transformation begins on an individual level and moves out into the world. The more I’m learning to trust my intuition and act on it, and the more I’m willing to experience and accept all my feelings, the more the energy of the universe can move through me. Read more...

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Dedicated to work in Ecuador to make positive improvements on the quality of life in small villages and communities. Read more...

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Dedicated to work in Ecuador to make positive improvements on the quality of life in small villages and communities. Read more...

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Our family has been on the healthy eating train for almost 2 months, hooray! I’ve been trying really hard to make dinner with vegetables or a salad, helping get in our greens. After talking to a friend of mine about how she helps her kids eat healthier food, she shared a super cool tip with [...]

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On most Fridays, I set-out a free play art activity for my girls. I pull out materials we haven’t used in a while, various items that fit a theme (like “round”), or craft supplies that we don’t normally use together. While we often enjoy doing crafts together, these art times are all about experimenting and [...]

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Are you trying to make a living from your creativity?  Are you interested in how others succeed as self-employed artists or how to run your own arts and crafts business?The creative community has changed significantly over the past 10 years and in order to raise our collective awareness and gain a deeper insight into this community, our friends at Right Brain Rockstar and Artonomy are conducting a new survey called The Enterprising Artist Survey and we need your help to complete the survey and help spread the word.Click Here To Take The Enterprising Artist Survey Today!Do you want more details?  Here you go...What is The Enterprising Artist Survey?The Enterprising Artist Survey is an opportunity to learn and understand more about the creative community and the self-employed creative entrepreneurs that make up this community (as well as aspiring creative entrepreneurs).Do you ever wonder...How creative entrepreneurs earn most of their income?If they do any other additional work to supplement their art sales?About the challenges they face or the fears they have?If they use the internet, social media or a blog to promote their work?These are the kind of questions we will get answers to and we will share this information with the creative community (you) so we can all have a better sense of the type of people who make up this community as well as insights into how to create success.Who Can Take The Survey?Anyone who considers themselves a creative entrepreneur or an aspiring creative entrepreneur is more than welcome to participate.  The survey will be open until March 1, 2012 so complete it today by clicking the link below!All participants will receive a summarized copy of the results (just be sure and leave your email address in the survey) and if you leave your name, website and/or Twitter handle, your information will be included in a roundup blog post on Right Brain Rockstar shortly after the survey is closed.And, please note that when we say artists, that doesn’t just mean people who draw and paint. Any kind of creative endeavor is fair game, be it photography, crafts, graphic design, music and more!Click Here To Take The Enterprising Artist Survey Today!

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The kitchen – seriously how much of a Mom’s time is spent here? For me, it’s where my three year old’s education primarily takes place. Eg. “We need six cups of flour, count with me: one, two, three…” Or there’s learning the colors with fruits and veggies: “What color is the banana? And the avocado? [...]

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