Resources for a Productive & Creative Life
Are you dreaming of becoming an entrepreneur? While it’s not necessarily the right career path for everyone, there are habits you can develop to increase your chances for success in the entrepreneurial world. Habits can be incredibly powerful. James Clear, in his bestselling book (and one of my go-to’s) Atomic Habits, explains how establishing good …
Have you heard that it will help your business to become a confident and successful public speaker? It’s true. Speaking can be a great way to grow your business and a great way to make new connections. For more on that see my recent post Three Ways Speaking Can Grow Your Business. Learn the Art …
Have you ever thought about how decluttering your business can start your new year strong and successful? It’s a new year, and it’s time to firm up our plans for the months ahead. To start strong in the new year, you should get ready now. One of the best things you can do to prepare …
Happy New Year! Here we are just one week into a brand-new year. While I understand January 1st is just another day on the calendar, somehow putting up that brand-new calendar makes the days seem full of possibility. I set goals and make changes throughout the year, but this time of year still feels different …
When I was 19, I decided I would start a photography business to pay my way through college. I enjoyed photography and I took a photography class in high school to fill a gap in my schedule. Based on all that experience, I began photographing friends and family, and when someone suggested I should be …
The holidays are over, the kids are back to school and now it’s time to get back to work and get focused on your business. Are you ready? If you haven’t already set yourself up for success, take some time this week and put into place these five habits to position you for success this year. …
The six rules for entrepreneurial success is the third in an occasional series about becoming an entrepreneur. You can find part 1 here and part 2 here. This article was originally published in 2012, and updated in 2022. Once you have your small business up and running, it is definitely not time to sit back …
Have you ever given a presentation, tried to explain what you do, or taught a class, only to have it fall flat? Being sure you are understood, whether in a conversation or presentation, is critical to its success. It can seem a big challenge, but it really doesn’t have to be. If you follow these …
I think I may have been born with the entrepreneurial gene–or at least it bit me at a young age. I was fortunate to be raised in a family where my parents were willing to encourage teens to be entrepreneurs. As a result, besides babysitting, my first teen job was making macramé pot hangers for …
Like most other kids, I had career dreams and aspirations growing up, but becoming an entrepreneur wasn’t actively among them. I don’t think I even heard the word entrepreneur when I was a child. When I was almost 12, I started babysitting to earn pocket money. Babysitting didn’t pay particularly well, and I found myself …
How will you wish your friends, family, and customers a happy holiday this year? Have you thought about it—or are holiday cards just an old-fashioned holdover from the last century? You can send a printed holiday card by traditional snail mail. It’s a time-honored tradition, more than a hundred years old. Sending a creative holiday …
One of the biggest challenges for most entrepreneurs, especially when first starting out, is how to be successful in your business & still have a life. Balance is not always a skill that comes easily when we are following our dreams and building businesses. I used to own a retail photography studio. For the last …
Entrepreneurship can be a challenging life. Many entrepreneurs, especially those just starting out, often work alone. While being your own boss is often one of the chief attractions of entrepreneurship, every entrepreneur needs some support to help them on their path to success. Having a support network can not only keep from feeling (and being) …
Networking is an essential in the business world. While you can be successful without making networking your second career, it is virtually impossible to be successful in business, especially if you have customers of any kind (and what business doesn’t?) if you don’t network. Becoming a successful networker doesn’t take any special skills or talent, …
Do you keep a journal? You should. Keeping a business journal can boost your success. Keeping a consistent, regular record of your business growth helps you keep track of new ideas, measure your progress, celebrate your successes and analyze your flops. What is journaling? Journaling is simply the act of putting thoughts or ideas onto …
Are you looking for the magic formula for guaranteed success in your small business? If you find it, will you let me know? Seriously, though, there is no magic formula. No secret combination of education, experience, funding, or products will guarantee you a phenomenally successful business experience. However, there are keys you can use to …
Priority management and time management are not the same thing. Do you know the difference? Have you fallen into the “Time Management” trap? Are you always trying to maximize your time, working on different systems to manage it, control it, and try and make more of it? Stop. Time doesn’t need managing. Time is the …
Is your email inbox like mine? If I don’t keep a close eye on mine (meaning every 12 minutes), it somehow seeks revenge and its contents multiply faster than the hangers in my closet. Since I don’t want to spend my day babysitting the inbox, I’ve developed a few strategies that allow me to handle …
Once upon a time, my calendar was bursting at the seams. With four active children, a retail photography studio, church service, and community volunteer work, my color-coded calendar looked like a rainbow threw up on it. I was busy 24/7 and the word “relax” was not a part of my vocabulary. I felt like I …
Is your business where you want it to be? Are you feeling frustrated or stuck with the growth of your business? You can do many things to try and give your business a boost. Some solutions may require a substantial financial investment. Other solutions may require a lot of time. How do you know where …
As a photographer and consultant, I hear a lot of questions about online image use. Most of these questions are about images people find on the web and want to put on their blog, website or Facebook page—or about using them in various products such as eBooks and advertisements. These are six of the most …
Are you having a mid-life crisis? Are you thinking your best opportunities may have already passed you by or wishing you were younger so you’d still have a shot at the success you’ve always dreamed of? It’s not too late. Just because you’re approaching the mid-century mark (or even well past it) doesn’t mean you’re …
Business apps are an essential for all entrepreneurs today. Subscriptions and purchases can add up quickly, though, for the solo entrepreneur. How do you choose which apps to use for your business and which are the best value? I recommend looking for free apps to increase your productivity, as a starting point. Whether the app …
Are you feeling stuck in your business marketing? Are you looking for a way to expand your reach without spending a fortune? Would you like to attract more potential customers and increase your authority? If the answer to these questions is yes, you should consider public speaking. Speaking on topics in your niche, whether to …
