What is an Undervalued Unicorn? Check out Season 8, Episode 2 of the Creative Freedom Show to learn how to EMBRACE your inner Unicorn and STOP being Undervalued.

In Episode 1, we start things off with a bang by tackling one of the most essential yet frustrating topics in business: business models.

Woo to the hoo! Creative Freedom Season 8 launches next week!

I've noticed a trend in my email inbox recently... Even the high-ticket, luxury sellers are seeing belt-tightening behaviors in their audience. One high-end business consultant I know piled on a bunch of bonuses for their intensive, slashed the price by 25%, offered a longer payment plan than normal and still had "ONE SEAT LEFT" for […]

As a solopreneur, you'll wear many hats. From marketing and sales to customer service and admin tasks. It's easy to lose your focus or motivation.. and don't get me started on the household distractions: chores or family that seem to want your attention - or even the latest streaming series (Ted Lasso, anyone?). I've talked […]

Sarah owned a small retail store selling vintage clothing that wasn't growing the way she'd expected. She was working way too hard for far too little, and wasn't clear on how to right the ship. Sarah realized she needed help - and fast. Photo by Anna Shvets If you want your business to grow to […]

For nearly 20 years, I've been leading online workshops, teleclasses, and other digital events both inside and outside my A-Club community. I made the decision years ago to host the community piece on Facebook, while the training content lived inside my website inside our Rising Tide Learning Library. But the last couple of years have […]

Do you ever feel like you're stuck in a rut with your business? Are you struggling to find new clients or make the income you need to thrive? If so, you're not alone. Many creative entrepreneurs face these challenges, and it can be tough to overcome them especially when you're stuck in a "fixed" mindset. […]

Are you ready to turn the volume on your business up to 11 and ROCK!? Are you ready to rock your business with better clients, better offers, more money, more impact, and the ability to lead your company with ease? The Cashflow Creator Workshop is your ticket to making it happen! We started on Monday, […]

As I mentioned in a separate post, your team is the backbone of your business. They can make or break your success. While finding the right people is key, don't forget to focus on nurturing your team's collective output too. From innovation to customer experience, their productivity affects everything. Want to inspire your team to […]

When you're in the early stages of building a stand-out business, there are lots of moving parts and pieces to keep things running smoothly. There are also a lot of things that seem important, but are just distractions. So where do you need to focus right from the start? The things that will move the […]

At the end of March, I had the honor of speaking at the TEDxBloomington Salon and it was amazing. Salons are generally smaller scale TED-style events that are locally curated, like any TEDx event. Unlike a larger, full-day event where the talks can range pretty widely, Salons are generally on a more focused topic. Our […]

Can I be blunt for a moment? I can't STAND the phrase "take your business to the next level". I think it's overused and too generic to have any real meaning. And that's EXACTLY why so many business coaches - especially in the online world - use it. Yes. I use it too... which is […]

For years, I've held connection calls where I hop on zoom for 20-30 minutes to get to know a new networking connection. Invariably, a business question pops up and most of the time I can spot a solution to their issue before the end of the call. In many of these cases, I was able […]

My husband and I were talking about the movie Grease the other day. While I was conjuring up lyrics from "You're The One That I Want", Jim piped up and said, "The moral of that story is that you've got to change yourself if you want a man." I was not seeing it. I mean, […]

Once upon a time, Emily was on her way to meet up with some friends at a local rock bar. As she walked down the street, the sound of guitars and drums beckoned her closer. She walked in and was immediately transported back in time: a dim room, neon glow, and the smell of leather […]

[Author's Note: Before you ask, this is NOT about the book "Choose Yourself" by James Altucher. I haven't read it yet. It's on my list. Pinky swear.] A colleague (let's call her Gina) confided to me that despite being a six-figure entrepreneur (with real profits), despite having retired her husband, and despite being able to […]

On Saturday, March 24, 1984, five students at Shermer High School report at 7:00 a.m. for an all-day detention: "a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess, and a criminal". That's where the movie, "The Breakfast Club" begins. Throughout the film, each student will struggle with coming to terms with who they really are (warts, […]

Have you ever felt like you're not good enough, even though you know you're talented? Are you feeling like you're the only one who hasn't quite figured out this whole "success" thing despite your years of experience and talent? Like you should "be there" by now - wherever that is. Or worse you keep getting […]

If you've ever read my book The Secret Watch, then you probably also know that the story was inspired by my own encounter with a woman on a plane. She told me that I'd write a book about a magic watch that revealed special secrets and it would become a best seller. I did... and […]

When you started your business, it was probably pretty simple to handle everything on your own. You wore all the hats and maybe even wore them most of the time, because it was just you. As your business expands, things often get more complicated. Now, wearing all the hats means you have no time to […]

[Note: I started doing an annual recap back in 2010. You can find previous years here:  2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 - 2020 got skipped for a number of reasons, not the least of which was the pandemic that shall not […]

The customer experience is the name given to the customers' perceptions and feelings when they interact with a business. This is the total effect of the interactions that they have gone through, from using the website to speaking to the sales agent and receiving the parcel through the door. It is a broad range of […]

Scaling a business can be an exciting and challenging process. It involves taking a successful business model and replicating it in new markets or with new products. However, before you begin the process of scaling your business, it's important to make sure you have the right things in place. Image Credit Strong financials:  Scaling a […]

As a business, promotion is essential and that promotion isn’t just confined to the online world and locally. When businesses travel to conferences and events, it’s an opportunity to market the business to a wider market.  Taking full advantage of these occasions is important as a business, whether it’s a new company or it’s existed […]

(Image credit) For a small business, marketing can be the difference between success and failure. However, it's not as simple as it once was. You need to be aware of the different options that you have at your disposal today to get the most out of them. In this article, we'll look at some ideas […]

A chat with Dr. Michelle Mazur - where we demystify the process of rolling out and/or pivoting your message to reach YOUR right audience

In this episode, we’re going to take a closer look at what Cancel Culture Vultures are and how to protect yourself from their wrath - if that’s even possible. They’re vigilant about all the wrong things. They care more about being right than calling in for accountability. While they are a prevalent part of society at the moment, if you spend too much time worrying about them, it will stall your growth.

If you want to protect your business and make sure that your workplace is kept safe and secure at all times, the actions you take will matter a lot. If you’re not able to keep your workplace secure at all times, you’re going to eventually regret that, and that’s not what you want. So read […]

Pixabay. CCO Licensed. When marketing your business, you need to be careful of which tactics you use. Certain marketing methods could see you facing a lawsuit or heavy fines. Many people adopt these tactics without even realising that they could be deemed illegal. Below are 7 examples of the marketing mistakes you should be avoiding.  […]

How do you make the jump from being a big fish in a small pond to a larger one? While you can’t control the outcome, there are a few things you can do. Leverage your “local” relationships, give yourself time to both be seen and to deepen relationships with the right folks, find your consistency rhythm, and above all, don’t take it personally when folks act like they don’t know you.

Being invisible - especially in your business - has advantages… some hidden advantages that you’re probably not even consciously aware of. Today, we’re going to shine a light on these perks of invisibility so that you can make some empowered decisions about when to step into your spotlight and when to stay carefully tucked away in the shadows. 

Are you interested in expanding your business? If so, then it’s important to take the right path. One of the problems that you can run into here is causing your business to be inefficient. This can happen if you grow your company too quickly. The good news is that there are some simple steps that […]

[Creative Freedom S7E6] A few years back, while attending an abundance workshop, I encountered one of the scariest moments of my life! A particular exercise gave me, a business coach, a very “deer in the headlights'' moment but also, a breakthrough that changed the way I work with clients. Had my coach not taken just […]

Pexels - CCO Licence It is arguable that creativity is the one thing that will help you to be a successful entrepreneur above all others. After all, if you want to be successful in business then you need to be able to generate lots of new and interesting ideas and lots of new and interesting […]

Image Pexels CC0 License As a creative, you may have spent your whole life dreaming of being able to do what you love for a living. Being able to ditch a mundane nine-to-five job, follow your ambition, and launch a creative business may feel like a dream come true. However, for many creatives, launching a […]

[Creative Freedom S7E5] One of the common fears that comes up with my clients repeatedly is becoming a target for haters, cancel culture, and trolls. I mean, the bigger they are, the harder they fall, right? The idea of having to deal with negative attention does not feel expansive, fulfilling, or joyful. I mean, no […]

How to Get the Courage to Start Your Entrepreneurial Journey Today https://unsplash.com/photos/Fsgzm8N0hIY The decision to become an entrepreneur is a big one. And it's not one that should be taken lightly. There are a lot of things to consider before taking the plunge—like whether you have what it takes to be your own boss, if […]

[Creative Freedom S7E4] When I was 16, I was over the moon excited about getting my driver’s license. I wanted it SO bad. When I was 9, I helped my brother study for his exam and I held onto his copy of the driver training booklet. Man, I read that thing so many times, I […]

Technology You Need to Grow Your Business to New Heights Image credit Technology has significantly evolved over the last few decades and has changed the way that people work and live, the way companies conduct business and the way that people shop. It is an indispensable part of life.  Technology plays a huge role in […]

How To Delegate Effectively Running a business isn't about how much you can do by yourself. Instead, it's about figuring out what you're good at and focusing on that while giving the tasks you don't like or aren't good at to people who can do them better than you. It can be difficult to delegate, […]

Today’s workplaces are constantly evolving and so are the challenges of leading teams.  With rapid advancements in technology, collaboration and communication have become easier. Most businesses have migrated from traditional desk-based offices to virtual team spaces and online collaboration tools like Slack or Google Docs.  These changes have resulted in more accessible work environments for […]

Making your business better is one of the key things that you need to be getting right when it comes to improving your success. There are so many ideas that play a role in helping to improve and enhance this process, and you need to focus on the best ways of being able to achieve […]

Every manager or owner should look for the best ways to improve your business efficiency, but it should not finish within the office and with your customers. In addition, making your customers’ lives easier can significantly boost your company’s fortunes and help it increase its reputation within your industry. The good news is that there […]

Pexels. CCO Licensed. Workplace diversity isn’t just about meeting a quota. Hiring employees from a range of different backgrounds can have many benefits for your company. Below are a few reasons why diversity matters within your workforce. Diversity helps creativity to thrive Diversity is great for encouraging different ideas. While a team of young, white, […]

Photo by fauxels from Pexels There are many aspects to running a business. From operations to marketing (and everything in between), it’s not always easy. Business owners must be able to adapt to new challenges and ways of doing things including ways to make the company more efficient. Most entrepreneurs know that you'll have your […]

[Creative Freedom S7E3] A long-time friend of mine came to visit Nashville not long ago. He paid me a compliment or two, as he often does, and I poo-pooed nearly all of it. Later, when we were at lunch with my family, he turned to my husband and asked: “How does she not see how […]

How many touches does it take for your audience to convert?  According to some research, it takes on average 8 touchpoints from the initial interest to the full commitment to purchasing. Some research suggests it's as many as 22 "touches"! In other words, most leads will need to interact with your company's marketing content at […]

Blueprints and cookie-cutter concepts can only take you so far. Heck, we use them when we build business models. We start with the same framework for every person we work with. But, like a good builder, we don’t stop at the blueprint. That’s the what. We also need the “how”. We take that model and help them see how to implement it in ways that work for them.

Your support team is a key ingredient in a growing business. Without them, little to nothing would get done. That's why creating a safe and positive work environment for your team is so important - whether they are employees, contractors, or volunteers in your organization. This will not only make them more productive, but it […]

It's finally Season 7! It has been a long road to get here, and I’m so excited to be digging into the new content this season - all around helping you overcome the passed over paradox and step more confidently into your Great Work. To Be that star in your market, instead of a best-kept secret.

This episode is about building a community network and finding the right moments and opportunities to tap into those communities for business growth and visibility.

Every manager should look for solutions to improve their leadership skills to help push their team to new heights. However, not even the finest manager in the world will achieve their goals if they do not know how to cultivate a teamwork culture in their business. With so many contrasting personalities and skills, this can […]

Nervous about your next online meeting? You're not alone. Video conferences and online coaching sessions can be nerve-wracking, but they do not have to be as bad as many people say they are. Because more and more jobs and teams are done remotely, video conference calls are an important way to do business and keep […]

Image Credit According to a 2017 report from the Society for Human Resource Management, most companies need an average of 30 days to find the right fit when hiring for a role. Slow to hire and quick to fire has been a mantra inside corporate America for decades now, but taking too long to hire […]

Every successful business needs a driven leader that’s going to direct their team to greatness. But without the skills to do so, you’re going to have a very hard time. While some people are born with the skills to lead, there are a lot of things that you can learn to become a better leader […]

This is the LAST episode of season 6!!!I am ready to CELEBRATE with this week's episode where we dig into the questions I recommend asking yourself before you decide you are ready for coaching.

There are a lot of things that go into being a successful entrepreneur. Time management. Organizational skills. Being able to make confident decisions under pressure. Your self-improvement work never really ends. Someone once said that entrepreneurship is one of the toughest personal development programs in the world, and I don't think they were wrong. While […]

As a small business owner, it’s important to make sure you are always in good standing. This can be difficult to do sometimes, especially if you are just starting out. However, there are some things you can do to help ensure your business stays in good standing. Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash These Things […]

Your target audience and your existing customers are the people that you should be thinking about the most, always. They are the ones who are going to keep your business going, and they are the ones that you need to be focusing on as much as you can. This isn’t to say that other demographics […]

Today, I’m sharing the biggest money blocks for each creative type. Because, while we’re all unique, we do carry a few patterns in our types that can put up BIG roadblocks to our business growth and success.

There are lots of potential ways to increase your profits, but today I’m focusing on the 3 things that most directly impact your profitability and help you experience true creative freedom. 

Image Source (CC0 License) Before you think about all the tricky aspects of starting a company, you need to conjure up an idea.  What is the best possible business idea you can think of?  Well…there’s no such thing as a business idea that is the best of the best. You will not be able to […]

Your business performance is one of the most crucial aspects of running a successful company. But, you know you cannot be present all of the time. You may have meetings with investors or new clients. You may simply need to take a vacation to help you realign your focus and get back to your best. […]

There are also a lot of “feels” that come up around pricing. Today, I want to tackle one of the most common concerns I hear from entrepreneurs with an existing book of business: How do I raise my rates so that I don’t lose my current clients or come off looking like I’m only in it for the money?

There’s probably nothing people hate more than to be sold to. And maybe you’re even thinking to yourself:

"I don’t want to be that slick, sleazy salesperson and have to push, push, push all the time just to keep my nose above water."

What can you do? Listen in to find out!

In our last episode we talked about how to find folks and I intimated a little bit about the need to talk TO them, not AT them. But we didn’t get into specifics of how to do that - what to say, etc.

I don’t want to leave you hanging. So, that’s what this episode is all about.

Identifying the biggest risks in your business can help you prevent disaster before it strikes. I'm not just talking about natural disasters or social crises like a pandemic or military invasion, either. Often we can't see those things coming, even though they're always a possibility. External factors aren't the only things that can affect your […]

A moment of truth telling: Finding your audience is actually more about them finding you.  Being a lighthouse, in many respects, for your right people who need a safe harbor from the storms of their world.

What kind of a light are you shining out there? Where does that light come from? 

Today, I want you to understand the principles behind finding your target audience - how to determine if you’re talking to the right people in the first place, and if not, what may need to shift so that you can actually FIND these folks!

It can be a huge blow to your ego when your business isn't performing the way it used to (or the way you think it should). Sometimes there's an obvious external reason (pandemic, anyone?). Sometimes it's not so obvious. That doesn’t mean there isn’t anything that you can do. Take heart! Here are a few […]

Launching a business is just the beginning of things. Like launching a rocket into space, you can't just take off and trust things will be okay. You need to keep things running smoothly, course correct and keep it on track to reach your destination. In business, that "destination" can be a moving target, so it's […]

Last episode I talked about how Taylor Swift pivoted to a new music genre...and she’s not the only one. Fine artist Henri Matisse and lots of companies have started down one path, decided it’s not working for them (or has stopped working for them), and turned to something new. So yes, pivots are a thing, and they absolutely CAN be done successfully, but how do you know if it is, in fact, time to pivot? Listen in to find out today.

The question of the day: How does a rock get its own facebook page? Tune in to find out!

Streamlining your business processes doesn't happen overnight, and it might take some time to get it right. What is essential is that you understand there are plenty of benefits to be had once these workflows are improved.  There are a couple of important places to improve and streamline your business processes. In the meantime, here […]

What do thrift stores and escaping the hamster wheel of hustle have to do with each other? We call it content repurposing, and you can get a lot more mileage from one piece of long-form content if you do it.

Your business is growing, and you've outgrown your shared hosting plan. It's time to look for a new hosting service. But, with all of the options available, how do you choose the right one? This blog post will discuss what to look for when selecting a hosting service for your business. We'll cover factors such […]

We're back with our first **official** episode of our Season 6 re-launch where we talk about developing a content strategy for your creative business.

Some people think starting a business is glamourous. 10 minutes on social and you'll see feeds filled with the bro-marketing “aesthetic”: people in fancy suits, sitting in first class, suave-looking desk setups. Or worse: sitting in rented Lambos flashing a wad of cash on a million-dollar estate in the Hamptons or something. The reality of […]

Tune in as I go through a month-by-month breakdown of the highlights of what happened last year both personally and professionally, and end the episode with insight around what the changes we are making at Creative Freedom HQ that were inspired by 2021's rollercoaster 🎢

When you're running your small business, it is tempting to take care of every aspect for yourself. After all, the business is your baby. However, taking this approach could be the most harmful thing you could ever do.  You quickly learn that employees are needed to keep productivity levels at the desired standard. If you […]

We like to think that we push ourselves forward, and we always strive to meet our potential.  But actually, many of us are holding ourselves back. Hiding an incredible business idea, something we have been passionate about it for years - because we can’t make time, or we are afraid to explore our own potential.  […]

Over the past decade or so, the world has gone through a revolution in terms of internet marketing and social media. Nowadays, any business needs social media markets as a primary tenant of its overall marketing strategy. The fact is, social media gives businesses unprecedented access to customer data that was previously unheard of. It […]

The goal of any business is to make money. The more money your company makes, the more opportunity you have for success in the future. Many people view this concept as a motivator to work hard to increase profits. However, they are often unclear what measures are necessary. This article will offer three practical ways […]

[10 years ago, I blogged regularly at businessactionhero.com. While I still own that domain, it's redirected here for years. That means many of the posts I had there haven't seen the light of day in a decade. I'm bringing back some of these posts with new thoughts since I'm 10 years older (and hopefully wiser) […]

[10 years ago, I blogged regularly at businessactionhero.com. While I still own that domain, it's redirected here for years. That means many of the posts I had there haven't seen the light of day in a decade. I'm bringing back some of these posts with new thoughts since I'm 10 years older (and hopefully wiser) […]

While things are getting better, there are still some careers and industries that are dominated by men, and it can be hard to fit into these as a woman. Whether you’re starting your own business in an industry like construction, finance, or trucking, or working at a company with mostly men, it can be tough, […]

Whatever kind of business you are running, one of the main things you are always going to need to know how to do is how to bring the customer back for more in the future. As long as you are doing this, it means that you can expect the business to grow and grow, as […]

Outsourcing has become an increasingly popular part of running a business. There’s a wealth of reasons for this, ranging from optimizing your company to reducing its overall costs. That’s only if you properly take advantage of it, however. Part of this involves making sure that you choose the right freelancer or company to outsource to. […]

'I want my own business; I want some independence,' millions of individuals who have lost interest in their work shout.  While it's lovely that so many are attempting to forge their own path, many are missing out on the sheer delight and ease of joining something that is already established.  That is where franchises come […]

Has your business fallen down a few notches on the ladder? Try not to worry too much as it happens to the best of us at times. It’s not the worst thing in the world as it can be fixed. It is going to take some times and dedication on your part, but it can […]

When you run a small business, you often feel like you should be grateful for every client you can get. However, most of us have experienced at least one client who is difficult, to say the least! They may be providing your business with money, which is always welcome, but dealing with them can feel […]

When I was in first grade, my teacher saw me browsing the titles in the 4th grader section of the library. She tried to guide me back to the beginning readers, but I was undeterred. I wanted to read Charlotte's Web. Mrs. McKellar wasn't convinced, so she opened to a random page, pointed to a […]

At some point, every entrepreneur will need to begin managing their personal brand. What is a personal brand? It's your reputation as an entrepreneur and leader in the community that surrounds you. When should you start to consider online reputation management services? Perhaps sooner than you think. Genesis When entrepreneurs begin building their businesses, they […]

No business owner likes to hear the word 'risk'. Whenever you hear it, you instantly shift a little in your seat and start to grumble. You've put your heart and soul into this business - along with a lot of money - so the last thing you want to do is take big risks.  By […]

Maintaining good prices as a business is crucial to attract the most customers and maintain regular sales. Whether you are working on launching your next offer or trying to increase the sales of existing products, it is important to maintain fair yet competitive prices to attain regular customers. Here are some top tips for how […]

As part of Season 6 of Creative Freedom, we decided to take our parodies to a new level. Here's the full-length parody from Episode 1.

Are you thinking about launching a new product on the market through your business? If you listen to many of the folks in the internet marketing world, this can be a complicated process. In truth, it CAN be as easy as a paypal button and inviting folks to purchase, but usually, you've got a few […]

As part of Season 6 of Creative Freedom, we decided to take our parodies to a new level. Here's the full-length parody from Episode 1.

Starting a business or becoming an entrepreneur, like Andy Defrancesco, can be one of the most rewarding things that you ever do in your life. It gives you the ultimate freedom and flexibility to do something that you love every day. It means you can work on your own passion and that you will be […]

Running a B2B organization (or B2C for that matter!) is no walk in the park. You need to ensure you have a business that either answers your needs or needs your solutions. There are so many creative startups struggling to get things off the ground, and if you are not keen, you might end up […]

When thinking about how to improve the bottom line of their business, many companies think of how they can increase revenue, forgetting that there’s a lot of value in reducing overheads as well. Improving your bottom line works both ways, get the balance right, and you can pare down your business and enjoy better returns.  […]

As part of Season 6 of Creative Freedom, we decided to take our parodies to a new level. Here's the full-length parody from Episode 1.

As part of Season 6 of Creative Freedom, we decided to take our parodies to a new level. Here's the full-length parody from Episode 1.

While there are plenty of ways in which you can turn your creative talents into a business, you need to ensure that you are always looking towards the future as opposed to being caught up in the moment. In short, you always need to be on the lookout for ways to develop or upgrade your […]

Whether you have a talent for photography, are an artisan jewelry maker, or create spectacular pieces of art, you may have found yourself daydreaming about turning your creativity into a business. Making money from doing what you love certainly has its benefits. Being your own boss and getting up each day, and being able to […]

Launching a local business or a startup is undoubtedly one of the greatest challenges and exciting projects of your life. Nonetheless, the competition has never been as fierce as it is today - for brick-and-mortar businesses and online companies alike. Naturally, there are several unique selling points that you could incorporate in your business model […]

Getting seen as a small business can be challenging. There are new businesses entering the market every day. It is important to be kind to competition, stay on top of your game, and understand how to maximize your traffic. If you are a small business owner looking to increase your brand awareness and traffic, here […]

As part of Season 6 of Creative Freedom, we decided to take our parodies to a new level. Here's the full-length parody from Episode 1.

As an entrepreneur, your business' profitability is your primary goal. Staying ahead of the competition is ideal for promoting your businesses' longevity. Increasing your businesses' efficiency is essential in outsmarting the competition. More so, improved efficiency makes it easier to meet your clients' demands and preferences. In addition, your workforce represents one of the highest […]

As a result of the COVID pandemic, the shift towards working remotely was greatly accelerated. More employees are working from home and this has further increased the demand for VPNs. The market is flooded with many VPNs that come with different features, making it difficult to decide the best VPN to use.  However, when you […]

As part of Season 6 of Creative Freedom, we decided to take our parodies to a new level. Here's the full-length parody from Episode 1.

Here are some of the key areas to look into before making critical financial decisions that could impact your business.

Crowdfunding is a popular route for businesses that need to raise money these days. Relying on a large pool of small investors that are passionate about your idea is often more attractive than pitching to single investors, especially if you are a creative business with a clear vision. However, there are two sides to this […]

If you run a creative business, your venture is likely built on a passion for what you do. Many creative entrepreneurs launch their companies to escape the constraints of being managed by a boss or to enable themselves to enjoy the freedom of not answering to anyone but themselves. Becoming your own boss and being […]

Building a business the first time around can be challenging, but turning a struggling one around could even be more daunting if you don’t do it right. According to Investopedia, although 45% of businesses fail in the first five years, less than half of that percentage actually make a comeback or turn things around. 2% feels like awful odds, […]

Operating a business of your own, paying overhead, salaries (including paying yourself!), taxes, etc. can be stressful. When you're new in business, you've got to make every penny count. The number one goal of any business in startup is to get out of Early Struggle before you run out of resources. That means finding enough […]

This week we’re going to focus on brand visibility, but not until I tell you a story about Marvin the rooster. That’s right, a neighbor’s stray rooster is going to teach the importance of brand visibility for your company.

Regardless of what sort of business you run, what sort of ethic you want to embody, or the relative quality of the product or service you are providing, you need ways to stand out and be seen in the marketplace. Marketing is a must for every business, in one form or another. Over the last […]

As we roll into the content marketing episodes of this season of Creative Freedom, you're going to see that there are many different elements that help you create a strong online presence for your business. From your website’s design to your use of social media, your marketing strategy includes a variety of tactics and elements […]

Websites are both easy and hard to create these days. Sure, it’s simple to sign up for a web building service and "have a website" in just a few clicks, but that doesn’t always make for a good website. Even if you hire a web designer like my brilliant friend, Tracy, you'll only end up […]

Starting your own business can be extremely daunting, particularly when you are trying to do #allTheThings and stay on top of a million different tasks for your company. Don't let the long list of things to do overwhelm you. Instead, step back, and try these four tips (one at a time!) to better organize your […]

Whether you're a Chaotic, Linear, or Fusion Creative, we all need at least a little bit of "flow" in our work. Those times when things just feel effortless and time flies (in a good way). Chaotics need more time in flow than Linears do, but we all have that need. to some degree. There are […]

A few years ago, a client wanted to pay me in an international currency. I had no idea how it worked. I knew that, as my business grew, there might be more opportunities available to me if I was able to accept international payments and foreign currencies. Then, I learned that some currencies are valued […]

I remember my first one-star review on Amazon like it was yesterday. It was totally irrelevant to the content of the book. It was almost like they posted a 1-star review just to be seen, but not because they actually read The Secret Watch! No one likes to read negative reviews about their business, but […]

In this week’s dose of empowerment for creative entrepreneurs, I’m keeping my word. Last time, I told you we’d dig into how to build a sustainable marketing strategy for your business.

Being a business owner doesn’t mean you will be skilled in running every area of your company. One area managers often struggle with is marketing. Marketing is essential for any business. It’s the difference between a brand that is alive and well or one that is dying a slow and painful death. That might sound dramatic, […]

Your company is growing. Maybe you're selecting your first V.A. right now, or maybe you've grown beyond that and things are getting a bit more complicated. Whatever your situation, your staff are integral to your company. You need the right people in the right roles and if they’re not performing well, this can play havoc […]

Being self-sustaining has obvious perks, mainly that you can always depend on yourself to get the job done. However, trying to do everything on your own can also lead to your downfall as an entrepreneur. You only have one set of hands and you can't possibly be trained in every aspect of the business (unless […]

Being married to a Grammy-nominated graphic designer is both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, he's super humble and very customer focused. He WANTS you to have the best possible design for the investment you're making. On the other hand, details matter to him in ways that I wouldn't even think of. That's […]

In today’s dose of empowerment for Creative Entrepreneurs, we’re getting tactical and practical. By that, I mean, we’re looking at your planning for your business. Now, I don’t mean business plans - which I believe are mostly useless for creative entrepreneurs ...

We live in a world where it’s easier than ever before to launch an online business. However, just because it’s easy to do from a logistical point of view doesn’t mean that it’s easy from a mindset standpoint. It takes confidence to start any type of business, online or off. There are plenty of folks […]

With everything that happened in 2020, you may not be thinking about doing an in-person event anytime soon. I get it. We had to take our annual client retreat online into a virtual format last year, and it was good, but it was definitely different than being in the same room together. Hosting an event […]

"Look at me!" I'm pretty sure that was one of the first things I ever learned to say as a child. Being the middle child made me feel like I always had to compete for attention with my siblings. Especially my baby sister. She was born on Leap Year, which made her special, according to […]

As we proceed through season 6 of Creative Freedom, we're going to be talking more and more about your marketing strategy. This includes both online (digital) and offline marketing tactics. Some businesses try to develop two different "strategies" - one for online and one for off. But remember, a strategy is a collection of tactics […]

There will be many things running through your brain when starting a business. That's because there are a LOT of moving parts and pieces! There's crafting your offers - the actual things you make to sell - and all the issues that go along with that. Then, there's growing an audience and selling the thing […]

This week, we're taking a closer look at how each creative entrepreneur type can take advantage of these different business models. Sure, you can have any business model you want, but each creative type needs to focus on doing business in a way that's in alignment with their strengths.

Everyone knows that entrepreneurs need to be gutsy. How else could they face the risks inherent in starting something new? Even just the dream of starting a business is a brave endeavor that most folks can't handle.  The ups and downs of entrepreneurship can be stressful. Not knowing where your next client is coming from […]

As a creative business owner, there are so many things that fall on your shoulders. And yet, having a profitable, sustainable business really only boils down to a few essentials. Without these essentials, you really don't have a business. And yes, they may seem obvious, but I can't tell you the number of creative entrepreneurs […]

Whether you love her or hate her, Katy Perry's got a brand that's immediately recognizable in a niche that's unlike anyone else in the industry. Wanna know how you can do the same thing?

Many business owners, especially ones just getting started, typically choose a sole proprietorship, instead of an LLC (limited liability company). It makes sense. A sole proprietorship enables them to have complete control over their company, doesn't come with too many hurdles, and is often the least expensive option to legitimize your business in the eyes […]

We kick off this season with a look at how to build a business that's true to you. You know... a business that keeps you from selling your soul! How do we do that?

Marketing noise is on the rise. It is harder to be seen and heard than ever before. At least, in some ways. The truth is that your existing customers, fans, and subscribers are still your best source of new business - that is, if your relationship is strong enough. If they're not thinking of you […]

Most creative entrepreneurs I know are quite content to make just enough cash to pay the bills and keep a roof over their heads without having to work 50-60 hours a week. As my own business coaching practice has grown, I've discovered that more than 40% of my clients are in a position where they […]

We all have our own business dreams. Maybe you're struggling to pull the trigger or have no idea how to start a business without compromising your ideals. I've been there! But, setting up your side hustle and working on it in the off hours, could be the springboard to something that’s worth going full time […]

Running a business requires a lot of juggling. Work piles up, and if your support team isn't on point, you have to sort it out yourself. As a creative entrepreneur, that's one less thing you want to deal with - amirite?  I've talked in previous posts about the importance of delegation. At some point, you […]

If you've been following my most recent posts, you'll notice a theme: delegation. Sometimes, delegation takes the form of outsourcing. Most creatives I've met have a laundry list of things they'd love to pass off to someone else, but don't really know where to begin. That's what we're going to tackle today. Outsourcing offers a […]

Starting your own business can be a mammoth task, no matter what your background. It is also an incredibly exciting time when you’re full of ideas and goals that you want to see through to fruition. New offers! New clients! New possibilities! Everything feels so fresh, new, and full of possibilities. Unfortunately, for many new […]

I've said before that I'm an Internet Marketing dinosaur. With over 25 years in the online world, I know the value that digital marketing can bring to any business. I had a website for years before blogs were a thing. After a little while on Myspace (remember that?), I decided to dip my toe into […]

Creating a successful business requires several different critical attributes from you, the business leader. Success doesn’t appear the second a lightbulb flashes and inspiration hits. Instead, it takes time, effort, and hard work.  But what are the traits that you need for success in business?  In this article, we’ll explore some of the traits that […]

In the age of social media, it's become even more apparent that your customers want - maybe even need - a deeper connection with you. While it's been true for a while that most customers are looking for more than a purely transactional relationship, today it's even more apparent that your clients want to buy […]

Working with a remote team (whether contract or employees) has benefits and challenges. When location isn't an issue for the position, you can find the best person for your job requirements. Still, even the best remote team can experience hiccups no matter how good a system you have in place.  If you're looking for ways […]

Consumer trust in brands is important, and yet the research suggests that buyers believe that a company can't be both ethical and competent. Yikes! As a creative business owner, you need your buyers to trust you. That's where repeat business comes from! I've talked previously about ways to build your credibility in the marketplace, but […]

To help your business reach it’s true potential, a clear marketing strategy is crucial. As Beth Comstock once said, ‘Marketing’s job is never done. It’s about perpetual motion. We must continue to innovate every day.’ On one hand, that sounds incredibly exhausting.  Reasearch by Fractl and Buzzstream found that 21% of social media users surveyed unfollowed […]

Many creative businesses, studios, and freelancers spend a good chunk of their time, energy, and money trying to find and qualify new leads. After all, a company can't grow if nobody knows about it. I've talked before about how "If you build it, they will come" isn't even an accurate quote, let alone a great […]

If you’re a creative entrepreneur struggling to generate sales, it may be a matter of driving quality traffic to your offers. If you take the Fix This Next assessment and find that "prospect attraction" is your key need to fix, it might be time to look at paid traffic methods. While I don't recommend you […]

If you feel as if things never stop moving and pushing forward, you're not alone. There's a pervasive mantra of "hustle and grind" that oozes all over the entrepreneurial world. Trying to "keep up" is a serious challenge - and a potential de-motivator. In all my years as a creative entrepreneur, nothing is more frustrating […]

If you're like most creative entrepreneurs I know, you've probably developed a habit of multitasking, trying to force way too much into a few hours of work. Your crammed schedule probably means that sometimes you miss out on important or meaningful activities because you're too focused on putting out fires or dealing with the urgent […]

As a creative entrepreneur, you're already wearing too many hats. If you're a Fusion creative, you're probably still trying to wear them all because you can, and guilt might keep you from delegating things that you are good at. If your'e a Chaotic, you may want to delegate, but have difficulty finding (or trusting) someone […]

As a solopreneur and small business owner, it often falls on your shoulders to do #AllTheThings - not only to sell your products or services, but also to handle every aspect of building your customer relationships. People need to know you, like you, and trust you enough to want to to business with you - […]

One of the most difficult and frustrating things, when you're trying to grow your business, is simply to get noticed. I've been online for more than 25 years, and you wouldn't believe some of the things I've seen people do to attempt to stand out in their niche. For those of us not willing to […]

If you're like many of the creative entrepreneurs I know, you're probably working a side-hustle. Your day job is also probably not exactly what you thought it would be when you went for that interview. The pay may be okay (maybe). The hours might not be that bad (well... then again). But the opportunities, the […]

[The Creative Freedom Incubator is now open for enrollment! This year we're offering 3 different levels to meet you where you're at in your business journey.] Once upon a time, back in the olden days of the Internet - when animated gifs took FOREVER to load and emojis were made from text - I really […]

Many entrepreneurs believe that they need to have in-house staff to which they can delegate, but you've got options! This posts shares a few ways to begin your delegation journey that dont include hiring full-time help.

This is bonus episode 6 where we begin our conversation about the Business Hierarchy of Needs and the lowest level of the hierarchy: Sales.

The Business Hierarchy of needs is a concept developed by Mike Michalowicz, author of the upcoming book, Fix This Next. I'm a certified Fix This Next advisor, licensed to share this information before the book launches.

This is bonus episode 6 where we begin our conversation about the Business Hierarchy of Needs and the lowest level of the hierarchy: Sales.

The Business Hierarchy of needs is a concept developed by Mike Michalowicz, author of the upcoming book, Fix This Next. I'm a certified Fix This Next advisor, licensed to share this information before the book launches.

This is bonus episode 6 where we begin our conversation about the Business Hierarchy of Needs and the lowest level of the hierarchy: Sales.

The Business Hierarchy of needs is a concept developed by Mike Michalowicz, author of the upcoming book, Fix This Next. I'm a certified Fix This Next advisor, licensed to share this information before the book launches.

This is bonus episode 6 where we begin our conversation about the Business Hierarchy of Needs and the lowest level of the hierarchy: Sales.

The Business Hierarchy of needs is a concept developed by Mike Michalowicz, author of the upcoming book, Fix This Next. I'm a certified Fix This Next advisor, licensed to share this information before the book launches.

This is bonus episode 6 where we begin our conversation about the Business Hierarchy of Needs and the lowest level of the hierarchy: Sales.

The Business Hierarchy of needs is a concept developed by Mike Michalowicz, author of the upcoming book, Fix This Next. I'm a certified Fix This Next advisor, licensed to share this information before the book launches.

This is bonus episode 3 in a series of lessons learned from 25 years as a creative entrepreneur. Your business is NOT the Field of Dreams. If you built it, ya gotta market it or people ain't coming - or BUYING! At the core, marketing is sharing your message with an interested audience. But what's that message? And where do you find an interested audience? That's what we're looking at in this episode! You'll also hear about some real-world marketing examples and my "SIMPLE" framework for marketing and launching your offers.

This is bonus episode 3 in a series of lessons learned from 25 years as a creative entrepreneur. Your business is NOT the Field of Dreams. If you built it, ya gotta market it or people ain't coming - or BUYING! At the core, marketing is sharing your message with an interested audience. But what's that message? And where do you find an interested audience? That's what we're looking at in this episode! You'll also hear about some real-world marketing examples and my "SIMPLE" framework for marketing and launching your offers.

This is bonus episode 3 in a series of lessons learned from 25 years as a creative entrepreneur. Your business is NOT the Field of Dreams. If you built it, ya gotta market it or people ain't coming - or BUYING! At the core, marketing is sharing your message with an interested audience. But what's that message? And where do you find an interested audience? That's what we're looking at in this episode! You'll also hear about some real-world marketing examples and my "SIMPLE" framework for marketing and launching your offers.

This is Episode Two in a series of unscripted conversations I'm hosting on the podcast between seasons. This episode shares one of the first principles I started teaching to direct sellers when I first became a coach: The most important "product" that your company has to offer is you. No matter where you go, there you are, on display for the world to see, and if you represent a business, that's part of the reputation of the company.

This is Episode One in a special bonus podcast-only series I've created to share the most important lessons I've learned over the past 25 years. Yep. I've been an online entrepreneur for over 25 years now - back when the World Wide Web was a new-fangled thing and the Internet itself was a young upstart, barely old enough to drink.

this phrase "create epic content" has become synonymous with "if you can't make something that goes viral, then don't do anything at all" - which is a trap that either keeps you stuck on a hamster wheel of content creation in your creative business or paralyzed by perfectionism to the point of doing nothing at all.⁠ Instead, I'm going to show you an easy way to share engaging, meaningful content with your audience on the regular on any platform. And you don't even have to create it all. In fact, if you want to have a life, you probably shouldn't!⁠

You've got LOTS of ideas. How do you keep track of them all? Can they even be managed? How do you decide which ideas to pursue, and which ones to table for later (or even give away to someone else)?

As a creative entrepreneur, finding a niche can feel challenging if you don't solve a "problem" or "pain" with your Great Work. In this episode, I'm stealin' a process from the manufacturing world to help you hone in on why clients buy from you and how to find more clients just like 'em.

[Creative Freedom S5E7] If you're a heart-centered creative entrepreneur struggling with pricing, there's good news: you don't have to subsist on a survival-level income, and you don't have to price gouge your clients in order to be successful. There's a middle ground that's profitable and sustainable. Your pricing tells a story, and it's personal. For […]

Just hearing the words “business model” can conjure up spreadsheets, process diagrams, flow charts, and other stress-inducing imagery. But business models don't have to be stressful. Once you figure out your unique business model, you’ll like how sexy the results are: more money, meaning, and impact. More Raving Fans for your work, more freedom, and more time to focus on what’s truly important to you. The best part? It isn’t hard to figure out. The hard parts are sitting down to DO the work and then staying true to the business model that works for you. If you follow along today, you’ll even have some of that handled, too.

While it sounds sexy to "make dolla billz in your sleep," there are three huge misconceptions around creating passive revenue in your business. In this episode you'll go behind the scenes and see how I've set up passive revenue streams in my business, and just how "passive" they really are.

As a creative entrepreneur, having a loyal following means you've got Raving Fans who love your work, support you financially, and you can make great money doing what you love. If they're not loyal, they'll drop you like a hot rock as soon as someone new hits the scene. So, how do you build a loyal following? L.O.V.E.

One of the things that stops creatives from growing their business is a fear that they don’t have the credibility it takes to attract quality clients. Fusion Creatives tend to be “credential collectors” which stops you from bringing your Great Work to the world. This episode shares five things you can do (starting today) to build credibility in your niche, even if you’re just starting out.

Think you're ready to hire a business coach? Jessica did! She asked what kinds of questions she should ask during a hiring interview. Not so fast! Before you plunk down your hard-earned cash, make sure you know what you're getting - and that you're ready to make the investment!

It's not always easy to brand yourself when you're constantly evolving. Heck, even the concept of branding has evolved over the years. This episode gives you some questions to consider, along with a brief history of branding through the centuries - and what it means to you (and your clients) in its current evolution.

Feeling like you can't focus? You're not alone. According to a 2015 research report from Microsoft, our attention spans are shrinking and may now be on par with goldfish. Since 2000, our ability to concentrate has shrunk from 12 seconds to about 8 seconds. A goldfish has a 9-second attention span. Citing a possible evolutionary response […]

Congratulations! You've made it to that point in the year where most people have blown off their resolutions, quit going to the gym, and returned to life as they once knew it. But not you, right? You might be tired of goal setting blog posts at this point, and I get it, but the sad […]

I can't tell you the number of times I've seen "make six figures" come up on someone's annual goals. When I was a young entrepreneur, it was one of my goals more often than I care to admit. It felt like something I should be doing. Shouldn't every creative entrepreneur have a six figure business? […]

If you're like a lot of creative entrepreneurs, you might still be scrambling to put your goals down on paper for the year. In fact, several guru-types are only just now getting around to leading those goal planning workshops. The folks in A-Club and the Incubator did their annual planning before December, so that they could […]

[Note:  for the past 9 years, I’ve posted an annual re-cap of the highs and lows, lessons learned, etc. You can find previous years here:  2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 ]  It's my birthday - or will be by the time this post goes live. […]

Marvel just dropped the official trailer for the upcoming film, Avengers Endgame. Filming began in August 2017, in the can since January, and in post production since October. Fans have been dropping concept trailers since August. But the current release date is scheduled for the end of April, 2019!   You can't buy tickets this early. So why drop […]

If you follow me on Facebook, you probably saw my recent facebook post about the ah-ha's that I had on my Thanksgiving drive. Ah-ha's that led to some of the changes I'm making in 2019. Changes that I believe will benefit you in a BIG way. Essentially, I'm creating a free learning library for creative entrepreneurs that's […]

Could you be the new Creative Freedom part-time Marketing Assistant? Things are getting BUSY here at Creative Freedom HQ - and it's busy GOOD! I'm looking for a particular person (or two if we keep growing like this) to handle more of the day-to-day Marketing administrata for myself and our Incubator clients. If you've got […]

In our last episode, I shared some tips to know if an event is worth attending or not. This week, it's only fair I offer some tips and lessons learned from my past 10+ years of doing live events. From basic teleclasses and online concerts to big, multi day virtual and in-person events, here are 8 lessons […]

This is Season Four, Episode Ten. Last episode, I talked about events from the attendee perspective. Today, I'm talking about them from the host perspective. Over the past 10 years, I've hosted hundreds of live events. From my basic monthly Accountability Club teleclasses and weekly Facebook Live Q&A's to more complex virtual and in-person events like Creative […]

Over the past 10+ years, I've attended many events, hosted hundreds of live events of all shapes and sizes, and been paid to speak or perform at many more. So I think it's safe to say I've learned a thing or two about what makes for an event worth attending. In this episode, I'm sharing […]

This is Season Four, Episode Nine. The doors are now open to Creative Freedom Live, and this is high season for business conferences and events for creative entrepreneurs. But how do you know whether or not it's really worth it to invest in attending in the first place? In this episode, I provide a simple "equation" […]

This is the last segment on aspects of underearning, but I'm coming at it a different way. Forbes just launched their list of 2018's richest self-made women. I get where they're coming from, but the truth is that none of us is self-made. None of us just spontaneously appeared from the ether. Someone, somewhere had a […]

This is Season Four, Episode Eight. It's our final episode in our Summer series about underearning, and yet, it's the most important topic of all - getting the support you need to succeed. I bust the "self-made" myth bubble in this episode, because regardless of whether we start at the bottom or now, we all need […]

This is one of my most dangerous episodes, because I’m talking about what Dr. Brene Brown calls “Unwanted Identities” and how the shame of unwanted identities can impact your ability to charge higher rates for your work. Disney's "Moana" also gives us a glimpse at how far you can go if you stay focused on […]

This is Season Four, Episode Seven. This is one of my most dangerous episodes, because I'm talking about shame. I'm talking about what Dr. Brene Brown calls "Unwanted Identities" and how they can impact your ability to charge higher rates for your work. If you find yourself saying "I'm not (famous person), I could never charge […]

Okay, so it's time to raise your rates, but how? Welcome to Episode 6 of the season! It's the logical follow-up to last week's episode sharing 11 signs that you need to charge more. So now that you're clear you need to charge more, here are 7 ways to make it happen without feeling icky about […]

This is Season Four, Episode Six. This is the next logical step after our last episode. Once you get clear that it's time to raise your rates, how, exactly do you go about raising them? Have a listen to this week's episode, where I walk you through a few different approaches, from the basic, Nike approach […]

This one’s all about the dolla billz, baby! Many creative entrepreneurs get emotional when it comes to price increases. So, what if there were an easy, external way to know that it’s time to raise your rates? What if there were 11 ways? Your wish is my command! Here are 11 external indicators that can […]

This is Season Four, Episode Five. This one's all about the dolla billz, baby! Whether you've raised your prices in the last year or the last month, it could be time to raise them again if they didn't go high enough in the first place. Many creative entrepreneurs get emotional when it comes to price increases. […]

Are you being a doormat in your business? Do you constantly put everyone else's needs ahead of your own? If so, you're not alone. This week, we're focusing on one way to mitigate the 5 core symptoms of underearning: learning how to say "no" with class and authenticity. This is the third in a series […]

This is Season Four, Episode Four. Where we talk about how to say "no" with class and authenticity. Got someone who wants to pick your brain, ask you for a discount, or - GASP! - work for exposure? Need a classy way to say "um, no thanks!" without burning bridges or sounding like a jerk? […]

Once upon a time, I ran ten miles and no one was chasing me. It was a bucket list thing, to run the Bobby Crim 10-mile road race in my hometown. So I suited up and, in a matter of just over 2.5 hours, managed to lose about 4 pounds. Ha. I also learned a […]

This is Season Four, Episode Three. The overwhelm episode. Overwhelm is a common trap for creative entrepreneurs caught in an underearning cycle. What can you do when you're knee deep in a project (or multiple projects) and have to keep going? Lisa shares what she learned running her first (and only) 10-mile foot race about how to […]

We're tackling one of the biggest problems creative entrepreneurs face this week: underearning. Too many years of "paying your dues" working for free or for "exposure" have compounded the problem of creative entrepreneurs owning and asserting their value in the marketplace and charging fees equal to that value. Add to that a sense of shame or other […]

This is Season Four, Episode Two. Where we tackle the core symptoms of underearning that are common to most creative entrepreneurs. Just because you demonstrate any or all of these symptoms once in a while doesn't make you an underearner. But, if a pattern persists, you'll definitely want to look closer. This is the first […]

Hoo-rah! We're FINALLY back! Season 4 is underway, and we've got a slew of great episodes lined up. We kick off the season with a look at the 6-Figure deception, what it is, including real-life examples. I also talk about the differences between the 6-Figure Illusion and the 6-Figure Distinction, so you can understand how […]

This is Season Four, Episode One. The one where you learn about what the Six-Figure Deception is, with real life examples, ripped from the world of online marketing. It's different than the Six-figure Illusion or the Six-Figure Distinction, which I've talked about before. This is about chasing (or falling for) vanity metrics. I also take you behind […]

This is Season Four, Episode Zero. The “WTF” episode. The one where I tell you what this show is about, why you should listen, and why we're FINALLY launching a podcast. Download Season 4 Episode 0 | iTunes | Stitcher If you’re listening to just the podcast, you’re only getting about a third of the deal. I’ve […]

It's been a busy month at Creative Freedom HQ! As the first quarter of the year heads into the sunset, I've been plastering my face and voice all over everyone else's website this month in preparation next month's big open enrollment for the Creative Freedom Incubator. If you know you need both coaching and hands-on help […]

My youngest son knows he's gifted when it comes to building with Lego bricks. He can follow directions like nobody's business. He'll tell me when I've accidentally skipped a step. He'll even build new designs straight "from his brain", as he likes to say. They're so good I often post them to instagram so my fans […]

If you're like most creative entrepreneurs, you started your career wearing all the hats. Along with that came a sense of responsibility for all the parts and pieces of your growing enterprise. That's logical. After all, if the business isn't making money, you're not making money, and that's a problem! But a bigger problem I've […]

Mid-January is a depressing time for a lot of folks. In the Northern climes, it's winter, it's bleak, it's a whole lotta meh. But add to that the fact that most people are already giving up on their goals for the year, and it's an even meh-ier time. Yes. I just said "meh-ier". Aside from the fact […]

When I was much younger, I heard a joke that goes like this: "What do you call the guy who graduates last in his class from med school?" "Doctor." Now that my book, Creative Freedom is alive in the world, more people are talking about the harsh realities of building a profitable, sustainable business doing what […]

[Note:  for the past 8 years, I’ve posted an annual re-cap of the highs and lows, lessons learned, etc. You can find previous years here:  2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 ]  I've been doing these updates for a while now, and over the last couple of […]

[Note: This is an excerpt from chapter 2 of my new book, Creative Freedom: How To Own Your Dreams Without Selling Your Soul, now available on Amazon, Kindle, and coming soon to booksellers around the world. Order your signed copy at CreativeFreedomBook.com] A few years ago, a well-respected colleague of mine shared a rather vulnerable […]

It FINALLY happened to me. I purchased an online course this year... and I didn't complete it. You have to understand how RARE that is for me. As a Fusion creative, I'm a learning machine. I'm consuming and assimilating information ALL THE TIME. That's how I improve, how I get great results for my clients. […]

"What do you do when YOU cant see around the bend? When you KNOW on a deep soul level that you are meant to do something bigger and different and more expansive but you cannot see what it is? And every time you THINK you might have glimpsed it, something comes in that makes you […]

Every Halloween, I take a look back on my life and start making plans for the new year. When I was a practicing pagan, this was my New Year's Eve, and I've just kind of stuck with it. This year, it's especially poignant, because so much has changed in the last 12 months.  My year-end […]

Last week, I was witness to some amazing creative entrepreneurs making big strides in their business at my annual Creative Freedom Live event (Super Early Bird tickets for next year go on sale in November. Make sure you're on my list to be the first to know!). One of the recurring themes was a conversation […]

Look, I know the barrier to entry is getting lower and easier than ever to have a flashy, "pretty" website that looks slick, and makes you feel good about yourself. But really, is that what a website is for? If you're a creative entrepreneur, the answer is a resounding "Aww HELL naw!" To be blunt, […]

Confession time: I have sort of a business crush on Mr. Franklin. I stumbled across his first book, Produced by Faith, just as I was finishing work on my own book, The Secret Watch. His collaborator, Tim Vandehey was a friend of my editor, and I was actually checking out Tim's work when I came […]

As more creative entrepreneurs take to the interwebz to build an online outpost for their business, the conversation always comes back to technology at some point. What software do you run your site on? How do you take credit cards or invoice clients? What plug-in did you use to get that countdown timer? How do […]

Not long ago, I was sitting in a group coaching session and one of the other group members made mention of a diagram she'd created to help her have better clarity about her future. She'd taken a piece of paper and on on edge of the paper, she'd made a list of all the data […]

[Note: This is another excerpt from my forthcoming book "Creative Freedom" - which I'll be sharing in full with participants at Creative Freedom Live. Seats are going fast - we've got about 5 spots left. If you want one, it's time to get moving and get registered!] In all my years as both a creative entrepreneur and […]

Note: As we get closer to Creative Freedom Live, I've decided to give a few more sneak peeks into the content. Today, as promised in last week's episode, I'm sharing the three different types of Growth Plans that creative entrepreneurs need at different stages of their business. This is also an excerpt from my book, […]

[Note: This is an excerpt from my book, Creative Freedom: How To Own Your Dreams Without Selling Your Soul, that's coming out later this year. If you haven't already, take the quiz to determine your creative type. Be sure to get on the notification list to stay up to date on the book's release date!] […]

Most creative entrepreneurs go into business for themselves because they're following a passion and found out they could make some money doing it. But does that really mean you've got a business? Not necessarily. Get ready for some hard truths in this Facebook Live episode. Here's the replay: Resources from this week's episode: Creative Freedom […]

We make thousands of decisions every single day. Decision fatigue is a real thing. How can you make more confident decisions and beat decision fatigue or analysis paralysis on the things that really matter? Yeah. That's today's episode of Creative Freedom - with a little help from Black Sheep. Resources from the episode: Creative Freedom Live […]

Could you be the new Creative Freedom part-time Marketing Assistant? Things are getting BUSY here at Creative Freedom HQ - and it's busy GOOD! I'm looking for a particular person (or two if we keep growing like this) to handle more of the day-to-day Marketing administrata for myself and our Incubator clients. If you've got […]

So there's this show on Netflix that my youngest son has taken to this summer. Canada's Worst Driver. Well, after several seasons, they decided to round up the worst of the worst for a final season: Canada's Worst Driver Ever. I won't spoil it for you, but these drivers are absolutely frightening, sad, and hilarious. […]

The other day I was unpacking yet another moving box, and found an old notebook from 2012 that outlined the exact steps I needed to grow my business in a big way. It was literally a plan to make $5 Million in the next 5 years. Doing the math, that would be 2017. If I had […]

Every day, we're tasked with thousands of decisions. How many? Well, Cornell University researchers said we make about 226 decisions just on FOOD in an average day. The total number for adults is somewhere in the range of 35,000 decisions a day. Many of them are impulsive, and logic-driven (pro/con, etc.), but that's STILL a […]

This week I had an AMAZING photo shoot that's been several months in the making. I knew when I landed in Nashville, starting over would take up a good portion of my first year here. I also knew that I had projects that still needed to move forward: I've been sitting on Creative Freedom for a […]

This week's FB Live Q&A experiment saw me tackling a 2-part question:"What's the strategy for attracting more potential clients, besides making offers to your list?" The short answer is that you don't WANT "potential clients" - you want REAL clients. And the only way to do that is by making offers so that people can […]

As part of my ongoing experiment, this week's FB Live question came from LaTara, who asked if the only way to make money was to make high-ticket offers. The short answer is no, but there's a bigger story here. Pricing is relative. A $2,000 car isn't a high-ticket car, but a $2,000 paperclip better be […]

My first year on Twitter, I generated over $30k in income that I could point directly back to Twitter. Not every year is that great, and each platform is different, but rather than over-committing myself to a zillion social media platforms, I've been pretty strategic about where and how often I post. But what do […]

No sooner had I finished my lunch when the phone rang. It was my oldest. "Hey, are you okay?" "Not really, Mom. Aunt Dian died." Less than an hour later, I was on the road to Michigan. 9 hours later, I'm crashing at my ex-husband's house for the night. That meant I wasn't able to […]

One of the scariest topics for most of my clients - the one that brings with it the most baggage and emotional upheaval - is pricing. Right now, about half of my Incubator clients are stalled out on the decision to raise their prices. As early-stage entrepreneurs, there's a struggle between wanting to earn more […]

I think it was my grandmother who first told me that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. I was going to her church for Easter Sunday, and, of course, I had to look my best. I was representing my family, I was showing up for God, and (probably most important […]

How is it that one creative entrepreneur can have "instant success" while another puts in years of effort with little financial success to show for it? If that's a question you've ever asked yourself, you're gonna LOVE this week's episode! I've talked at length before about the myth of the big break, and the myth […]

Today is an important day for me. Not only is it the launch of Season 3 of Creative Freedom (cue the confetti!), it's also National Freedom Day. It's the day we commemorate the freeing of the slaves in our country. Were it not for this day, my father would never have been born and my […]

Is Content REALLY King? Back in 1996, Bill Gates wrote an essay for Microsoft insiders stating that Content was King – meaning that as the internet advances, it will be imperative to deliver timely, useful content in whatever form the platform demands. It was a statement so general that it easily became a meme for […]

[Note: This is an excerpt from my book "Creative Freedom: A comprehensive guide to personal and financial freedom as a creative entrepreneur". If you'd like to be the first to get updates and excerpts, make sure you're on my mailing list, so you don't miss a beat!] Suppose you saw this "advertisement" on social media. […]

Now that the new year and my birthday are both behind me, it's time to get back into the swing of things. This weekend, I'm auditioning for The Voice (third time's a charm, right?), and we're still rolling full steam ahead on new episodes for Creative Freedom Season Three. If you've got a question you'd […]

[Note:  for the past 7 years, I've posted an annual re-cap of the highs and lows, lessons learned, etc. After the roller coaster that was 2016, I'm pleased to say it was more up than down. You can find previous years here:  2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016]  Plan, […]

A couple of years ago, I was hired on as the Marketing Director at Heart of Business. It didn't last long, and yet a whole bunch of great learning came out of it (for all of us!). Mark Silver, the founder, and I developed a stronger friendship and keep respect for what we each bring […]

When I was a kid, I was told that Black Friday was the biggest shopping day of the year, and was so named because it was the day that many retailers finally posted a profit and came out of the red and "into the black". It's not true, of course, since the phrase is only […]

I almost didn't post this episode. Technology is always shifting and changing, and by the time this episode was ready to air, Blab announced they were closing (with a vision for their next evolution), and Google Hangouts On Air started making the transition to YouTube Live. And I had mentioned both of them in this […]

"What does a fish know about the water in which he swims all his life?" Einstein was talking about how the very things that are crucial to our existence are very often the things to which we're totally oblivious. They're everywhere around us, we're so entrenched in them, that they've become part of our life's […]

We're slowly recovering from the rollover last week. My son's doing better this week, but we're still not out of the woods. Thanks for all the kind thoughts and well-wishes. It really did make the whole week seem better. Through it all, thankfully, I still managed to get the important things in my life and […]

So this happened Tuesday: Essentially, my son (pictured) was driving on the freeway when the car rolled 8 times and came to a stop about a quarter mile down the road. If you're one of those types who are fascinated by car crashes, I posted the photos on facebook to make it easy for everyone. […]

With all the tragedies and depressing headlines of recent weeks, it would be easy to close up shop, dig a hole, and hide yourself away for the rest of your life. There's a lot of hurt in the world, and marketing your creative business might seem a bit - shall we say frivolous? - during […]

I am a sucker for procedural dramas. Criminal Minds and NCIS are staples in my late-night viewing. My husband and I have sort of a "silent bet" running on each episode. The first one of us to figure out "whodunnit" gets bragging rights for the night. Usually, it's me. Sometimes I get it wrong, which […]

[First, an announcement: Congratulations to Jill Stodola, who won the random drawing for a copy of Nely Galan's book, "Self Made". Now, on with the show.] My Aunt Sue was a fixture in my childhood. She was also somewhat of a role model for me. She was a federal employee, she had a social life, and […]

We're a few episodes into the new season of Creative Freedom, and I'm giddy at the overwhelmingly positive response at this season's show. Fingers crossed I don't jinx anything along the way. Getting to this point wasn't easy. As I alluded to in Episode One this season, I took a LOT of time off. The […]

First things first: I'm THRILLED to announce that the Creative Freedom Entrepreneur Types made their public debut this week over at Charlie Gilkey's Productive Flourishing blog. If you're a creative and you're not familiar with Charlie's work, I highly recommend checking him out. My guest post is an excerpt from my book, detailing the 3 different […]

One of my favorite shows on PBS is "Finding Your Roots" hosted by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. It's always fun to learn about the ancestors and personal histories of some of the most well-known people of our time. I really enjoy getting to know how these people came to be who they are through the […]

After a LONG hiatus (longer than I wanted, truth be told, but whatever.), Creative Freedom is BACK! Sound the trumpets, yo. This is a BIG deal for me. As you'll see in today's episode, we've made some changes. Why? Because I have been changing. My life looks radically different than it did a couple of […]

"You can't win if you don't play." Mom used this sentence to justify a lot of behavior when I was a kid: learning to ride a bike, auditioning for plays, joining the cross country team (I took 11th place in the city meet). And yes, mom played the lottery. She had a winning streak where, with […]

New episodes, new season. Same ol' Lisa. A new season of Creative Freedom begins this June. Mark your calendar!

[Note: This is an excerpt from my forthcoming book, Creative Freedom. If you'd like to be part of the advance team and get more sneak peeks of the book, contact me for more info.] There's a quote often attributed to John Lennon: "Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not […]

You may have heard the story about Walter Matthau. An aspiring actor approached him at some function and said that he was looking for that one big break. Matthau, in his caring, yet cynical style, says , "Kid, it's not the one big break, it's the fifty." Overnight success rarely is, and most creatives that […]

Have you ever watched Cake Boss? They make some pretty amazing cakes, and my youngest has recently become fascinated with every cooking show on Netflix he can find, including that one. I'm no Cake Boss, but I love my kids. So when it comes to birthdays, I do my best to give my kids the […]

Some dreams take a lifetime to come true... especially if you do it all by yourself. Jim Bishop's dream started when he was 15. For some inexplicable reaason, he found himself drawn to the mountains just above his home in Pueblo, Colorado. One day he found himself staring at a for sale sign on a […]

It may sound silly to you if I asked “what does your business taste like?” or “if your business were an animal, what would it be?” And yet, these are not uncommon questions to ask in the branding process. While there's not enough time and space to develop your brand in a post like this, here are some things to keep […]

Welcome to the last post in our Creative Freedom Challenge. Catch the rest of them here: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5   I love Creative Entrepreneurs. I might be a little prejudiced, since I am one, but I love ya, nonetheless. Most creative entrepreneurs begin because […]

Catch the previous posts here: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 Welcome to Day 5 of the Creative Freedom Challenge! Today's topic is dangerous, and muy importante. As a coach and trainer myself, it's a bit sacrilegious for me to suggest that spending mucho dinero on some guru's "blueprint" or […]

Welcome to Day Four of the Creative Freedom Challenge. Here are links to Day One, Day Two, and Day Three so you can stay on track. Today, I'm sharing an example of heart-centered marketing in action using what I call the "show & tell technique" It's a great way to bake the marketing right into […]

Welcome to Day Three of the Creative Freedom Challenge! Catch up here: Day One | Day Two One of the most important first steps for a creative entrepreneur to make is getting clarity - around what really matters to you and making the transition to doing more of your Great Work in the world. Today, we're […]

Welcome to Day Two of the Creative Freedom Challenge. You can catch Day One here. One of the questions I hear a lot from my clients (and one I've asked myself in the past) is "When is it my turn?" It's a question we often ask when we think we should be further along than we […]

On Day One of the Creative Freedom Challenge, we're taking a hard look at the biggest reason you're still stuck in energy-draining work, instead of getting paid well for doing what you love. And it's not what you think. Most people think the reason they're stuck is because they haven't made enough money yet to […]

Forget about "overnight success". There are countless quotes from successful people across industry that will tell you the trappings of external success aren't had overnight. My favorite is McDonald's founder Ray Kroc, who says he was an overnight success, but "30 years is a long, long night." If you're just starting down the path of entrepreneurship, […]

First and foremost: THANK YOU. Thank you for the attention, the time, the support, and the VOICE you've given to a community that's had no voice for decades. While the "Flint Water Crisis" is just now in the spotlight, it's been going on for a few years now... and the bigger crisis in Flint has been […]

[Editor’s note: This is the next installment in a series of posts. Each year since November, 2010, I've posted an annual re-cap of my happenings and a projection of things to come.  If you're ambitious, curious, or just plain bored, you can find the previous posts here: 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 […]

[Note: this is the condensed version of my annual year in review. A more in-depth piece is coming next week, but since today is a special day, I thought this was timely and appropriate.] I "broke" my first resolution ON New Year's Day. I don't tend to take them too seriously, but since it's a […]

As more creative entrepreneurs take to the interwebz to build an online outpost for their business, the conversation always comes back to technology at some point. What software do you run your site on? How do you take credit cards or invoice clients? What plug-in did you use to get that countdown timer? How do […]

Hello dear one! I have never been a big comic book fan. When I was a kid, I wanted to read "real" books. "serious" books. So comics were not part of the equation. Plus, I have an addictive personality, so that would be one more thing on which to spend money I didn't have. So […]

[ALBUM UPDATE: We've got about half the album recorded and I've approached a couple of engineers about mixing and mastering the project - one of whom has worked with artists like Clapton, BB King, and Rod Stewart. This is getting REAL, yo! If you haven't had a chance to pre-order your copy, there are only a few […]

There are those who might scoff at me for calling out a guy like Lewis Howes. After all, he's a pretty good guy, he's got a new book coming out this fall (I've read the first chapter, and so far, so good), and the value he shares on his podcasts is life changing for many. […]

First, an announcement: Des is BACK from L.A., and we had a great session this week, recording tracks for The Fine Line. We laid the final tracks for our sexified version of Aerosmith's "Dream On" as well as the understated Eagles tune "I Can't Tell You Why." I am looking forward to sharing that track […]

Recently, a new subscriber reached out and asked me about uncovering her "Great Work" in the world. First of all, I LOVE it when people email me their questions! If you've got a question, hit me up in the comments or send me an email. But to answer her question, I had to look deeper […]

(NOTE: I'm just about finished with the Creative Freedom entrepreneur type quiz. If you're not already on my mailing list, subscribe [in that handy box above] and be the first to get access!) This summer, I've been channeling my inner crafty woman. I'm a pretty good singer and speaker, but I never really thought of […]

We've all had those moments where we've gone a little overboard and shared too much information - with a friend, colleague, or perhaps even a client. My cheeks still burn from the embarrassment I felt the day I "earned" the "overshare badge" on the old Foursquare. I was just so enthusiastic about the platform, that […]

In my house, there's a never-ending battle that's almost as epic as the fight for the remote control. The thermostat. My husband likes it hot. He closes the vent in our room and bundles under at least two blankets even during Summer! My son likes it cold. If it's warmer than 65, he'll turn the thermostat […]

[Creative Freedom S1E10] At the beginning of every year, I sit down with my Dreamblazing program and set my goals - then I review them each quarter. But they also say that "life happens every 6 months" - and here we are at the middle of the year. It's a great time to make sure […]

First an exciting announcement: A few weeks ago, I happily celebrated 500,000 views on my YouTube channel. THIS week, I'm celebrating 300 subscribers (click here to subscribe instantly)! Confetti! Fireworks! Hooray! Huzzah! This has been a goal of mine for several years, and I'm beyond thrilled that it's finally happened. It was a lot more challenging than I […]

BEFORE WE BEGIN: I just want to let you know that my new web-based reality mini-series "30 Days To $5k" is now in full swing. Episode 1 aired Friday to an audience that praised the originality and risk-taking edge of the show. If you haven't yet seen the trailer for Episode 1, you can do that […]

Shazam! My audition in Detroit for The Voice went better than I expected, although I did not get called back. It's always fun for me to go to "The D" and this time was no exception. I learned some powerful business lessons during my long wait in the audition line (post coming soon), plus I met a childhood […]

In my early days on Facebook, I was quick to follow anyone with a pulse. If they connected with me as a friend, I returned the favor. I watched my list of "friends" skyrocket to well over 1000 people in very short order. Problem is, while my friend count was increasing, it didn't result in […]

Whenever I'm working with a new client, invariably we come to the topic of income. How much are you making? How much do you want to make? How much do you want to KEEP? All three questions are important, and are valuable for different reasons. At some point, the topic of "making six figures" comes […]

Sometimes it's innocent enough. Someone asks you to do something that's a real problem for them, but only takes you a quick second to handle. Once it's finished, they offer to compensate you in some way - maybe taking you to lunch, or actually offering you cash - but you decline. You've just started down […]

First off: We're only a few weeks into our new web series, and I'm already getting questions and requests for topics to cover. YAY! If you've got a burning question you'd like to see me answer in the Creative Freedom series, let me know! We want to make this program as valuable as possible for […]

First, I just want to CELEBRATE for a minute... My YouTube channel is now over HALF A MILLION views! WOO HOO! Thanks for watching, sharing, and commenting on my videos for the past 7 years (SEVEN YEARS!). Can you believe it's been that long? I can't! I've been in the online arena since 1993, but […]

It's here! After months of being sick, fighting resistance, and in general just not getting it done, I'm proud to announce my new web series for creative entrepreneurs! It's called "Creative Freedom" and we talk about anything and everything related to building a creative business that lets you have more profit in your pocket and […]

As a recovering overachiever, I've learned a thing or two about spinning plates. In fact, some might call me a pro. I can't count the number of times I've heard someone say: "Damn, Lisa! How do you manage to get so much done?" "Lisa, you are EVERYWHERE! How do you do it?" "You seem like you've […]

A couple of days ago, I was practicing The PEACE System as I try to each morning, and during my meditation, this song just started pouring out of my head. A lot of people ask me how I write songs. Sadly, I don't really write them, as much as I transcribe what I hear in […]

When "Now Discover Your Strengths" came out, let's just say I was a very late adopter. So late, in fact, that I had already bought "Strengths Finder 2.0" first. After taking the test to find my strengths, I was non-plussed. I felt like I already knew what my strengths were, and the book and quiz […]

This week, I'm in Nashville on a recon mission. Hubby and I are looking at possibly relocating, and Nashville is one of the towns on our short list. We booked one of those extended stay hotel rooms with a full kitchen, so it feels as much like home as possible. Which means I have a […]

*SMOOCH* That's my official goodbye kiss to the first quarter of the year. How'd it go for you? If you've been through my Dreamblazing program, you've probably already reviewed your milestones and re-assessed your targets for this quarter. Good on ya! Did some of your goals fall off the radar, or get completely kicked to the curb […]

It's report card time around here. My youngest is struggling in gym class. Sadly, I've seen it before with his older brother. "Won't even attempt new activities," the report card reads. So hubby and I sat down with our 8 year old to find out what's going on. "I can't do it." He said. "I'm not […]

Back in November, as I do every year, I made my book "The Secret Watch" available for a limited time at a special price. The first year, I just wanted to see how many people I could share it with, so I said I'd do a back flip if 1000 people would download it on […]

She was sprawled out on the sidewalk, screaming bloody murder.  The bike - a garage sale special (meaning there was no padding on the all-metal seat) - was still somehow attached to her. She and I lived close to each other, and were about the same age, but I had no real interest in bikes when I […]

Every hero has values to which he clings. Superman had "truth, justice, and the American way" while MacGyver believed his mind was more effective than guns for solving problems. Some values are more honorable than others, but you can't be a hero without values worth dying for. Values Worth Dying For Not a concept that's widely […]

Anyone can be a hero for a day. An above-and-beyond gesture. An extra dose of good-will. Being in the right place at the right time. Anyone can have a day like that, do something awesome, and be a hero for a day or two. True heroes walk the walk, even when it's difficult. They do […]

"That's impossible!" I can't count the number of times I've heard that phrase in my life. It's usually preceded by "You can't do that!", or followed by "Why don't you try something else?" Meh. I sometimes think that when God gave me the choice to be born, I told him to give me the absolute hardest […]

A couple of weeks ago we started the studio/office rearrange when the new lighting came. I still haven't been able to fit everything in, but this new video gives you an idea of where we're heading. It's also the start of a new format for the weekly songs. I wanted to do something that was […]

I don't know a single entrepreneur that didn't start their business with some type of do-it-yourself (DIY) approach. Most of us begin with more time than money, and it makes sense to capitalize on that resource. In fact, I tell would-be clients all the time that the less money you have, the more you need […]

At this point in the new year, more than 25% of Americans have already given up on our New Year's resolutions -that is, if we even made them in the first place. By the end of the month, that number climbs to nearly 35% of Americans (more resolution-related stats here). Some folks (and businesses) are just getting […]

It's not an easy song for a woman to sing. It wasn't written for a woman to sing. Until we started the studio rearrange, I wasn't sure I'd ever attempt to sing "Piano Man" - since my low range isn't very strong, and I couldn't boost the signal enough for it to be understandable. But […]

As I hear clients, colleagues, and friends sharing their goals for 2015, there's a chorus being repeated over and over: "This year is the year I FINALLY break __ figures!" I've heard it so many times that it makes me dizzy and sad to think about the number of folks who continue to miss the mark on this particular […]

Tomorrow, I turn 40 (Bradley Cooper and I are the exact same age, thankyouverymuch!). This clip was taken from November's show, where I realized it was over 20 years ago that I wrote this song. As Billy Joel gets the Gershwin Prize for his song, "Piano Man", this week, I wondered what it is that […]

This week I successfully completed all my planning for January! Woo hoo! I know many entrepreneurs who are still shuffling papers and won't solidify their plans until sometime in the middle of the month - after they've given up on more than half their New Year's resolutions. I've been that person, and over the last […]

It's one of my all-time favorite Christmas tunes. Maybe it's because my middle name has "Mary" in it - or maybe it's because I've always wondered what it would be like to try to parent Jesus. What kind of special issues would Mary have to deal with? Could she possibly have any clue how the […]

Uncommon. Enthusiasm. "Brave" was the theme for 2012 and in 2013, I chose to "Inspire". This year was about "Divine Alignment" - and there was a lot of re-alignment happening. Every year for half a decade now, I've intentionally chosen a "theme" and a "theme song" to set the tone for my year - both personally and […]

December is always a whirlwind for me. Holiday shows, the annual Give-back campaign, and my oldest son's birthday. This year, he turned 18! Now that my eldest is officially an adult, we can focus on "the other" holidays this month: Christmas and New Year's Eve! This is one of my favorite Christmas songs. I was […]

I think it was Jesus that said a prophet has no honor in his own home town, with his own family, or even in his own house. It's one of the big reasons I first built my business online - away from the prying eyes and judgmental insinuations of my own family and friends. Don't […]

Judy Garland is one of my all-time faves. I don't sing a lot of her music, but two songs I love are The Man That Got Away and this song - both songs debuted by Judy in one of her films. This song is from" Meet Me in St. Louis" and has had a few […]

I'm not one for social commentary or deep philosophical discussions, so consider this the "light version" of any meaningful conversation about the nexus of technology and society. This isn't a commentary about technology, though. It's more about what's unwittingly happened to people as we've become more "connected" to the world. The Industrial Age gave us cookie-cutter, […]

This weekend, I was invited to do a short set for a local non-profit holiday party. So Des and I dusted off the road gear and delighted the ladies with a few Christmas favorites. Here's one I've not shared previously: Irving Berlin's 1940's classic "White Christmas." It's fitting, since last week I did "Rudolph" and […]

It never ceases to pique my curiosity. Like the Bat-signal, or a police chase, when searchlights pop up in the sky, my brain tries triangulating the light sources to see if I can figure out what's happening. I start to wonder... "What's so exciting?" "Should I know what that's about?" "Where exactly are those lights […]

This week, I'm pleased to welcome my pal, Jen Harris, back into the studio. We've performed this song a couple of times, and I wanted to get Jen back here to share it with you. Such a fun rendition of a classic 40's song. Actually, the story behind this song is some kind of wonderful. […]

Here in the U.S., it's almost Thanksgiving, which means, black friday, cyber monday, and a whole lot of campy, cheesy, in-your-face marketing to ply you into buying more "stuff" to make your holiday complete. Blech. It's one of the reasons I do an annual give-back campaign each November around the anniversary of my launch of The […]

It's not every day one of your heroes gives you a public acknowledgement. Perhaps that will change one day, but for now, I'll keep savoring the occasional tweets, nods, and virtual hi-fives that come from people I admire in the world. Sometimes we forget that competition isn't always about "winning" in the traditional sense. In […]

Over the past couple of weeks, I've been offering up tools, ideas, and resources that I usually find helpful this time of year to help me get a jump start on the new year. From The Success Finder, to my new Dream Owner's Creed, and the Profit First Instant Assessment, each has been a part of what I use […]

  Subscribe to Lisa’s YouTube Channel | More from the 300 Songs Project | Buy The Show Replay

  Subscribe to Lisa’s YouTube Channel | More from the 300 Songs Project | Buy The Show Replay

We're posting this week's song a day early because tomorrow is our live online show - streaming straight into your living room. Need tickets? You can pick them up here. As a proud subscriber to Netflix, I managed to spend a good portion of this year binge watching "Leverage". I'd seen part of an episode […]

Ever have one of those moments where you think you know how something is going to go, and then it turns out completely differently, but it still works to your favor? That was my experience last week when I asked my facebook connections to vote on a video topic for a contest I'm entering. I […]

One of the things I really enjoy about the 300 songs project is taking requests. Several people suggested I give a listen to Joss Stone - an artist I'd never heard of. Yes. I live under a rock in a teeny tiny town in Midwest America. Don't judge. I found a copy of her CD […]

I chuckle now as I look back on my collegiate career. Convinced that I was "too poor" to be able to afford to hire a band, a graphic designer, or a business manager, I learned how to do all those things myself. I took classes in business, law, graphic design, and music. My first album […]

This week, we're playing fast and loose with Billy Joel. Hopefully, I don't offend him. I recall an interview - I think during his summer stint on SiriusXM this year - where he said that "Modern Woman" was his least favorite song. Every entrepreneur I've ever met has a project from their past that makes […]

What does it really mean to be profitable? With my newly-minted certification as a Profit First Professional coach (huzzah!), I've spent more than a few hours thinking about this question. Profit First is a concept (and now a book) penned by business author (and my friend) Mike Michalowicz. The book drives home the point that most business […]

This week's tune is officially the toughest tune we've managed to swing to date. According to Des, taking 80's pop and jazzing it out is about one of the most difficult departures you can do. I was kind of bummed when he said that, because I always thought of Huey Lewis and the News as […]

For a few years now, I've talked around the idea of Undeniable Gifts: the idea that every single one of us has something unique, special, and just for us to share in this world. But I've never given it a post unto itself. Until now. That special something... You've heard it before: "the world needs that special […]

Brace yourself. You're getting a couple of "firsts" this week. I've been working on a musical mash-up for several weeks featuring Bob Dylan's "Make You Feel My Love" and "A Whole New World" from Disney's "Aladdin" - but it was missing something. It wasn't as easy to tie the tunes together as I had hoped. […]

I've been wanting to write a post for a very long time about a concept I dubbed "the two I's". Inasmuch as we have two eyes through which we see the world, there are two "I's" through which we see the world: our divine self and our human self. You can try to dodge them, but […]

"Sometimes, friends are as family." - an inscription from The Secret Watch A couple of weeks ago, I took a trip to Great Barrington, MA, to reconnect with myself and some friends from an online group through which we all met. On the way, I stopped in Lewiston, NY to visit my friend and long-time […]

"Dreams without goals are just dreams that ultimately fuel disappointment." - Denzel Washington You know what SMART goals are, right? It's a helpful little acronym that breaks your goals into something that's: So many people use SMART goals - and for a lot of people that works. But not me. Not for a lot of big […]

About 18 months ago, I met this kid, Des. He's got an amazing gift for playing piano. Watching him perform is like watching God sit at the piano... It's almost like Des isn't even there... just music direct from the Divine. I was looking for an arranger. For this song, in particular. For a few […]

This past week, I was fortunate to be able to travel to the Berkshires and visit with great friends. Actually, they're more like sisters. As one of the inscriptions reads in my book, sometimes friends are as family, and these ladies are it. We met during Amy Oscar's Soul Caller retreat last year, and we've kept […]

Des looks at a piece of sheet music for about 20 minutes and says "Okay, I'm good." Then he hands me the sheet music and creates his own equally compelling arrangement. Listen to the solo section for a glimpse into this kid's creative improvisational genius. Just amazing. Oh, and this is song #75 in the […]

When Des came to visit, I was lucky enough to get two tracks for the new album done. Yes you heard that - the new album is finally becoming a reality! YAY! One of the things I've always wanted to tackle was Tobymac's "Made To Love". I've heard it covered and mixed in a couple […]

About a year ago, my husband and I bought a Porsche. We call it "The Time Machine" because it's really a blast from the past. When we bought it, we got the expected commentary from friends and family: "A Porsche? Really? How can you afford that?" "What are you going to do with a Porsche? […]

Back in May, I was joined on stage by The Damn Whippersnappers for my first virtual concert. It was a fun-filled and amazing day. I've posted clips from that show, but none of them really do justice to the fantastic musicians that played with me that day. Well, as luck would have it, Des, the keyboardist […]

In the long journey of recording 300 songs, I do a lot of it alone. That's fine, but sometimes I like to do multi-part harmony, and that's not something that comes across very well in my rehearsal videos. It's so much more "awesomer" when you can ask for help. I'm very lucky to be part […]

Never before, and probably never again am I gonna do something like this. Give a look at this week's video. If You have ever had projects that you felt like giving up on, I challenge you to think differently. You'll never experience success if you keep saying you're gonna get to it "someday." Let yourself […]

How many years will you stay the course and keep going for your dreams? It took Bart Howard well over 20 years. Bart was a piano player in the Blue Angel cabaret, working on his own music, in the hopes of one day working with his idol, Cole Porter. Most musicians know the name Cole […]

Judy Garland is one of my all-time favorite vocalists. So much of what she sang is right in my range, so that may have something to do with it. And while she was known as a "pop" singer in her time, she really had a lush, jazzy quality to her voice that lent well to […]

I'm laying down a  challenge for you today. This week's post shares a quick tip and friendly reminder to clear out the clutter in your heart, your home, and your life. When you do, there's a gift that comes back to you. Clearing space always makes room for something new. What that "something" is varies […]

On the heels of last week's post about Comparison-itis, I was driving in the car with Hubby yesterday and this tune came on the radio. It reminded me that nobody's perfect, we all make mistakes, and that's how we learn. Have you been beating yourself up because you're not perfect? This catchy little tune might […]

"I am enjoying showing up as myself more completely." That was the nugget of gold I rendered from my weekend intensive with my coach this past weekend. Once a quarter I sojourn in Minnesota for a few days to do deeper work to heal my "stuff" and open up blocks around my mindset. Because I'm […]

So I'm in Minnesota this week, and I'm spending time with my coach, workin' on me. We take a dinner break and head to a local joint, the Green Mill, and on the radio, I hear what I think is Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" - a tune I can never get enough of. But you […]

This song was recorded before I left town for the Pink Papaya national conference. It was a song I'd heard a couple of years ago,and as much as I liked the lyrics, I didn't think I'd ever really have a chance to sing it without sounding pretentious. Thankfully, I was  asked to select a song […]

2 Happy Independence Day Weekend! For the 300 songs project this week, I thought it was ironic that I was singing a breakup song by a Brit today (since the US broke up with Great Britain all those years ago), but the votes on Facebook made it hands down the winner. Next week, I'll post the […]

2 I may be ill this week, but I'm not skipping my weekly video. It's time again for another musical medley mashup! This time, it's the most well known Sunday song of all time (that classic Commodores hit, "Easy") with a little country thrown in for good measure (that Tim McGraw hit "Watch The Wind […]

Four ounces. It's approximately what the iPhone 5 (and a variety of other every day items) weighs. And since the start of the year, that's my net weight loss for all of 2014. Four ounces. And I'm celebrating! For the past two years, I've logged my daily weight (well, as often as possible), high or […]

2 367One of my favorite Jim Brickman tunes is not just a great love song, it's a powerful reminder to own your dreams. Subscribe to Lisa's youtube channel | More from the #300songs project

As a musician, an artist, a creative that's blazing my own trail, there's a lot of resistance. It comes masked as rejection from family, friends, peers, and the industry itself. But the worst is when it comes from within myself. I gave up on my dreams once... I was a freshman in college. I had […]

2 362 Well, the auditions for Season 7 of The Voice have come to a conclusion for me. I filmed this yesterday on our way out of town. The audition was awesome, and while I didn't make the cut, I'm completely happy with my audition and learned a lot along the way. A post will […]

"Let me be a lesson to you of what NOT to do." When you're a celebrity on par with Jonah Hill, that's probably not the ideal phrase to be uttering to your fans.  In this case, though, Jonah's sincere apology on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon after being caught on camera making a grossly […]

2 430 One of my favorite songwriters just happens to be a retired football player. Back in the 1990's Mike Reid co-wrote a few tunes with Allen Shamblin, and this one is one of my all-time favorites. The first time I heard it was on Kirk Whalum's CD by the same name, and Mike was the vocalist. […]

(Author's note: this post originally appeared in 2011 on one of my old blogs. I've freshened it up a bit for you today.) One of the things that really annoys me are those folks that say they want change, but don't take action when answers are provided. It dawned on me why they don't budge. […]

One last clip from the May show. This is our original jazz arrangement of that classic Mowtown hit "Tears of a Clown". Subscribe to my YouTube channel and be the first to know when new clips go live. If you missed the May show, you can catch the replay here.

This was the finale from our show this month. Needless to say, this was one of those "dream come true" moments for me. When I first started writing this song a couple of years ago, it begged to be played with a band. The Damn Whippersnappers do not disappoint, and Kris' solo is just the […]

2 Saturday, May 17, 2014, will be the day I count as the day my dream began anew. My whole life I wanted to be on a stage and perform for an international audience. Well, the first installment of the Front Row Sessions played host to people in London, Canada, and all over the US. […]

Happy Mother's Day! Today, I'mma be chillaxin' with my fam, opening gifts and posting the pics on facebook. This coming weekend, I'll be doing my first live "solo" performance in about 10 years. I've been in a lot of shows since I got married and had another kid, but I wasn't really the "star" of […]

I have this friend, Matt, who's a true Renaissance man. He's a gifted teacher, comic actor, impersonator, dancer, gymnast (he's teaching me how to do a backflip), and yes, folks, he can sing. Funny thing about Matt - he'd never sung in public before I met him. Now, I take no credit for his talent, […]

Each time I go to my coach's weekend intensives, I always walk away with lots of ideas that pop like "popcorn" over the coming weeks. Sometimes they come in the most unusual ways. For example, I was back in my hotel room, kind of winding down for the night. After a weekend like this, you can […]

So, um, I was listening to a Michael Buble CD, and as his swing rendition of Van Morrison's "Moondance" started playing, it became apparent that I could also hear strains of "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson. It would not leave me. You know how you get a song stuck in your head and can't shake […]

Every time my family and I make the trek to North Carolina to visit my in-laws, there's one place I have to stop. It's called JR, and it claims to be "The World's Largest Cigar Store." I don't know if that's true or not, but every time we plan a trip to Statesville, I try […]

2 Blasting back into the studio after a long hiatus, I've put together this swinging soul version of "Straight Up" by Elliot Wolff. It was a hit for Paula Abdul back in 1988 or so. This is a rehearsal video from the 300 songs project563. I love the empowering nature of the lyrics. Instead of […]

He was laying in that hospital bed for several days. Stubborn, cantankerous. He'd had difficulty breathing when they admitted him, but this eighty year-old man was a fighter, and while he hadn't been eating well for the past few weeks, his strength was contagious. His children, gathered in the room, listened to him tell off […]

2 It started innocently, as revolutions often do. I've been working (and re-working) my branding and messaging for the past year, and nothing really seemed to hit the mark. I dove into course after course that offered bits and pieces of what I was hoping would help me craft a clearer direction for me as both […]

I am thrilled to be a guest this week on my the Current Inspiration blog, wherein I share my simple 2-step process for gaining instant invincibility. My secret? I use an army of Grandmas: Okay, maybe not exactly like this, or even this: But it's a quick and easy technique that's helped me through some pretty […]

I remember it like it was yesterday. 4th floor of Darrow Hall, BGSU. A throng of students were piled into and onto my friend Angela's futon "loft" bunk bed. She had the coolest room (and furniture) in the dorm by far, and there had to be at least twelve people crammed into that little shoebox […]

[Note: I originally wrote this post a few years ago, for my Business Action Hero website. I've refreshed it here because it's still relevant - maybe now more than ever.] "If you are deliberately trying to create a future that feels safe, you will willfully ignore the future that is likely.” - Seth Godin It hit […]

I have a friend who, for the past few years, has committed to posting on her blog every weekday. That's hundreds of posts each year for the past few years. I don't always catch every post, but today's post hit me between the eyes, so I thought I'd share it with you. The little girl […]

It was a business trip. 8 days in sunny Vegas, while my family was snowbound, just HAD to have some kind of a story, right? SPOILER: this one begins with guilt, shame, and resentment, and ends up with me feeling like a princess, and six lessons you can use in the pursuit of your dreams. […]

It's a pretty audacious claim, isn't it? For years, I've been walking around with 50-100 extra pounds on my frame. Well-meaning friends and family have tried various ploys to "get" me to lose the weight, as if I was stubbornly holding onto it like a rainy day fund. Like many people facing weight loss issues, […]

On long drives, I often take a couple audiobooks along for the ride. From my home base in Michigan, it's a fairly lengthy trek to Litchfield, CT - where my friend and colleague, Amy Oscar, hosted her first-ever Soul Caller retreat. The pristinely-quiet setting of Wisdom House gave this city girl plenty of time for […]

First the important stuff: Happy birthday to meeeee!! Second, the REALLY important stuff: My gift to you is this powerful conversation with Dave Ursillo. As part of his "conversations in purpose" series, Dave and I riff on one of the hardest things I've had to learn how to do: accept and own my value as […]

[Editor's note: This is the sixth in an annual series of posts I write to focus my efforts for the new year. You can find last year's post here.  Here are links to parts 1, 2, 3 and 4.] Inspire. Brave. ENTHUSIASM! Uncommon. Each year, I try to pick a word or phrase that reflects my focus, my "theme" for the year. […]

Well, if that doesn't sound like the title to a really bad porno flick, then it's good I've got a day job! In November, I officially started a career with a company that hands out payroll and a W-2 for hours worked. I hear tell they call that "a real job" - but it's been […]

Here's a rehearsal clip of the stars of Christmas Unplugged - an a cappella holiday show put together by me and Jen Harris. Pictured from left to right: Kasie Johnson, Jen Harris, me, Ryan Johnson and Steve Harris. I have to confess feeling a little like a 5th wheel with these two wonderful married couples […]

"Dirt and dust - that's where it all begins.  Digging in. Digging in. You've got to lay a strong foundation before you make it to the ground floor." - from "The Ground Floor" by Lisa Robbin Young   I'm writing lyrics again. It's been about

I was perusing the webosphere during my lunch break today. It's been about 10 years since I've had a corporate job. As an entrepreneur, "lunch break" usually meant "working lunch" or "lunch meeting". The "break" part was sort of ignored - at least for me. Since I've started working for someone else (my official start […]

David Stanley is a friend of mine and a musical connoisseur without equal in my world. Earlier this year, he joined me in the studio for one of my 300 songs: "This Masquerade" by Leon Russell. A lot has happened since I started that project, but I still wanted to complete this video (and one […]

I really enjoyed the time I spent this year in "the studio" - aka my living room working on songs and learning the ins and outs of the recording equipment. My BHAG of recording 300 songs this year, however, went by the wayside for some very good reasons. First, I had some major family issues […]

After a long drive yesterday, I managed to squeak into Wisconsin just as the clock struck midnight last night - or thereabouts. And my body clock was just getting used to the daylight savings turn-back and now I'm in a new time zone. The things I put my body through. 🙂 At any rate, I […]

I made a promise. After we gave away more than 1000 copies of The Secret Watch during our Amazon promotion, I figured I needed to keep my word and do a backflip. Well, I don't know HOW to do a back flip - yet. But I had my first lesson on Sunday: That was as […]

[Note: This is the first in a series of what I hope will be daily video posts. I've got a lot on my mind, and writing feels too slow. We'll see how this "daily" thing goes, but today's eclipse gave me a bunch of ideas. Here's the first one. Enjoy!] Get Your Year In Gear […]

Halloween is my favorite holiday of the year, and while I love seein my kid get dressed up, it always bums me when the parents (who do most of the heavy lifting, let's be honest), get the short end of the "treat" stick. So I've teamed up with Amazon to give away my book today. […]

One of the perks of working for myself is the ability to create my own schedule for the day. One of my "must do" activities each morning is prayer and meditation as part of The PEACE System. It helps me clear my head and prioritize my day so that I can be my best self […]

My 4th grade teacher was a smart, sassy redhead. I remember overnight lock-ins, a science experiment that involved having the cute boys in class smell my perfume, and making a board game about whales, of all things. She had an infectious spirit that made you want to learn. When I think about the short list […]

It was supposed to be my day off. Every once in a while, if I'm a lucky mom, I get to take a weekend day just for myself. No specific plans, no agendas, no real commitments, just an opportunity for me to be "in the flow" of life and do whatever comes to mind. Unfortunately, […]

Whenever a person invests $40, plus $10 shipping for a box of 16 chocolates, you can be sure they're buying more than just chocolates. But what makes this offer work? And how can you apply it to your own business? Watch the video! (This is an excerpt from Spotlight Sessions, my program to help you […]

A powerful reminder from Mike Michalowicz, author of The Pumpkin Plan and The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur.

Guest post By Dan Kennedy Many years ago, I took over a business with mammoth collection problems: almost all of its customers had open accounts and paid their bills ten to sixty days late (except those who didn't pay at all). We quickly instituted a number of corrective measures, including tighter credit controls and policies, […]

So I have this friend/colleague who was once a great client (I'm happy to admit that happens pretty frequently in my business), and she's doing this amazing love experiment. She's making her coaching available as part of the gift economy. It's humbling and awesome to watch. Also, I was feeling a twinge of... envy. And when […]

It can be a real challenge to find even a little piece of quiet during the day. But quiet stillness is a daily must-have if you want to stay sane and allow for the blessings that come from intuitive/divine guidance. This week's Convo features Joanna Weston, a certified Martha Beck trained life coach. We talk […]

Before last week, I thought hot pink handcuffs were reserved for a naughty midnight rendezvous or some other illicit affair. I never once considered they might actually be used to shackle my son and remand him into the custody of the local county detention center. And yet, there I sat, saying quick goodbyes, reaffirming my […]

Shocking, but true: back in 1994, an unknown, unsigned artist had a number one hit. Lisa Loeb's "Stay (I Missed You)" became the spring board for an enduring career for the bespectacled artist - one that took a more traditional turn when she signed with Geffen Records. Back then, it was almost unthinkable for a […]

[Note: This isn't a topic I get to blog about much, because, well, my skin color is usually irrelevant to the work I'm doing in the world (funny how that works, huh?). I've been very fortunate that the bulk of the racist remarks I've dealt with in my life stemmed from ignorant classmates during my […]

The Convo returns! This week's video is a segment from Module One of my Spotlight Sessions program. The program launched today, and it felt like this segment was important to share with you. Where are you at in your 5 Key Areas? What could you be doing differently?

Last year, I was introduced to a concept that I've continued to grapple with from time to time. The picture below is taken from page 61 of Dr. Maria Nemeth's book "The Energy of Money". It's an illustration that one of her teachers once shared with her: When my coach first introduced it to me, […]

For some of us, there comes a time in life when it feels like everyone has given up on you. You might even feel like giving up on yourself. Don't. As I write this, I've just returned from spending the day in the hospital with my oldest son. Suffice it to say he's on the […]

by Leesa Renee Hall [Editor's note: This is day 24 in the Be Your Own Guru series. I first "met" Leesa  in a bathroom at a conference in 2009, but we really didn't have time to talk. About a year later we met at a different conference, and became fast friends. As she's shifted her […]

by Erin Margolin [Editor's note: This is day 23 of the Be Your Own Guru series. Ever had a controversial project that you just KNEW would be amazing if you could get it in front of the right people? If you have ever wanted to rally a throng of people around your dream, if you've ever considered using […]

by Winnie Anderson [Editor's note: This is Day 22 of the Be Your Own Guru series, and we're continuing the them of "how-to's" this week. I met Winnie in an online class, and we teamed up to practice elevator pitches. Then we started talking about fear, love and God. Yep. Deep stuff. Winnie's got a […]

by Dave Ursillo [Editor's note: This is Day 21 of the Be Your Own Guru series - and this week we're getting into a lot more "how to". This is Dave's second appearance in the series, and this 20-something whippersnapper's got moxie. Take a cue from Dave today and let your mind flow and find […]

by Teresa Romain [Editor's note: This is day 20 of the Be Your Own Guru  series. Teresa is a friend as well as a colleague. She's most effective at providing experiential examples around abundance and feelings of scarcity. I practically begged her to do a video so that you could get a very visual, experiential […]

by Cassandra Paquin [Editor's note: This is Day 19 of the Be Your Own Guru series. Cassandra is not just a seasoned business owner, she's also my Sister in-law. Her tasty hand made granola has been on my Christmas wish list every year that I've been married! In the series, we've already talked about when it […]

by Leela Sinha [Editor's note: This is day 18 in the Be Your Own Guru series. Leela offers us a 7-minute audio that speaks out about the information our body sends us all day long - and how we need to stop ignoring it if we want to experience peace, pleasure, and balance in our […]

[Note: This is Day 17 in the Be Your Own Guru series. Today is also the re-launch of Dr. Eldon Taylor's book "I Believe: When What You Believe Matters". This post contains excerpts from his book. It's also an exploration of our brain's "efficiency trap" that keeps us mired in self-limiting beliefs.] When I was […]

By Melanie Maddison [Editor's note: This is Day 16 of the Be Your Own Guru series. This is Melanie's first adventure as a guest contributor to ANY blog, and I'm humbles to share her voice today. Melanie brings the perspective of an artist and an intuitive to this conversation. She reminds us that we all […]

By Sarah Robinson [Editor's Note: I've known Sarah for several years, stalking her at first, and eventually hiring her as a coach and consultant in my business. Her work on developing fiercely-loyal communities has been, hands down, the best training I've ever gotten from her. In fact, this is Sarah's third appearance on the blog […]

By Doug Knight [Editor's Note: This is Day 13 of the Be Your Own Guru series. Today, we roll into more of the "brass tacks" of building a Noble Empire. I met Doug at a local TEDx event, and was blown away not only by his passion for non-profit work, but also his ecclectic music […]

By Tiffany Manley [Editor's note: Today is day 13 in the Be Your Own Guru series. I met Tiffany as a contestant on Prosperity's Kitchen. Her mission spoke to me, as I hope it will you. Her commitment to helping young girls take ownership of their dreams is something we can all learn from as […]

[Note: This is day 12 of the Be Your Own Guru blog series. Today's video offers you an opportunity to think about how perception works in real time, and how living your life according to your own perceptions can be both a blessing and a curse.] We all walk through life with preconceived notions about […]

[Note: this is Day 11 of the Be Your Own Guru series. It's a poem that came to me when I was researching a quote that's often attributed to Bruce Lee. "I am not in this world to live up to your expectations, And you are not in this world to live up to mine." is […]

[Note: This is Day 10 in the Be Your Own Guru blog series. And this is about the time when people start to feel overwhelmed, "behind" or they just feel like quitting in general. Is that you? If so, read on!] There comes a point on every journey where you need to decide if you're […]

by Joy Holland [Editor's note: This is day 9 in the Be Your Own Guru series. Joy's post is a timely reminder that once we have answers from our life, we need to act on them - by fully living our best life.]   We spend so much time attempting to analyze and understand; yet, […]

by  David Stanley [Editor's Note: This is Day 8 of the Be Your Own Guru blog series. Dave and I go back a few years, having appeared together in a local production of "The Who's Tommy" in 2007. Every time I talk to him, I learn something new about him. Today's post opened my eyes to how […]

[Note: This is Day 7 of the Be Your Own Guru blog series. When you've been strapped to baggage for years, sometimes it feels like you'll never shake it Today's post gives you a context and hopefully some inspiration to begin shaking your own baggage.] I've never been the tiniest supermodel on the runway. I […]

By Heather Shafer [Editor's Note: This is Day Six of the Be Your Own Guru blog series. Heather is putting her mad skills as a Dream coach to the test today, to help you decode the little messages your life is giving you every single day.] Hello Inspiring Souls! Very happy to be able to […]

by Katrina Hawley [Editor's Note: This is Day Five in the Be Your Own Guru series. Katrina lives in Hadley, MA - just far enough from Boston to not be in Lockdown, but close enough to recognize the danger at her door. She submitted this post before the tragic happenings of the past few days, […]

By Amy Wright [Editor's Note: This is day four of the Be Your Own Guru series. Amy's got a keen eye when it comes to leveraging your time. She pulls no punches today when she shows you just what you're missing out on by trying to do everything yourself.] Maybe you’re lying to yourself, following conventional […]

by Stu [Editor's Note: This is Day Three of the Be Your Own Guru blog series. Stu gives us a clear understanding of What a guru really is - and where to find yours today.] I never thought much about "Gurus" until I was in school.  I had a teacher that would tell us entertaining stories about […]

by Kadena Tate [Editor's Note: On day two of the Be Your Own Guru Series, Kadena Tate helps us get clarity on embracing our own definition of success - even when others think it might be a little crazy.] Crazy! Everyone offers a different brand of crazy. The question is “How can you unleash your […]

[Editor's note: This is the same post I began the last series with. It may seem like a crappy way to title the start of this series, but I want to jump in and shake your snow globe right away. Remember, I've seen the posts that are coming up, and our guests have put out some amazing […]

More than half a lifetime ago, my grandmother was dying. Just a summer earlier, Grandpa was in the hospital during their 50th wedding anniversary party. While he made a full recovery, her health began fading as we went back to school in September. Over the course of the next few months, as winter blew in, […]

Next week, my children are home for Spring break. #CalgonTakeMeAway Actually, they get a jump start on spring break this Friday, and my soon-to-be 7 year old will have a half day on Thursday. Is this any way for me to get my work done? We have yet to have a single week since 2013 began […]

2013 started with the best of intentions. My goal is to record 300 songs before the year ends, and I'm well over 10% of the way there. And yet... It feels like this hugely daunting task right now. Like I'll never make it. I know I'm in the thick of it. I know the year's […]

You can see all the songs I've been working on for my #300songs project here. I've got a goal of 200 subscribers to my YouTube channel by the end of March. Can you help? Subscribe and help spread the word!

Over the last few months, I've been digging into what I really enjoy: music (over 30 songs are in the can now!), performing (check my upcoming gigs here), and learning about people. Specifically, I've been swimming through books like these about finding and living your true purpose. Ultimately, it all comes down to two things: connecting to […]

Far too many of us walk around regurgitating what others have said, doing what others have done, that we forget about our own "you-nique-ness", as I've called it before. We want "blueprints" and insider help from a so-called "guru". We want the answers when we don't even always know the questions yet. Yet, we see […]

This week, I spent a lot of time rehearsing songs from the 1980's. This one is STILL a popular tune at my local karaoke hangouts. I secretly think we're all still trying to re-live the 80's. '

When I'm working with my clients, often times they'll speak about something that "always happens" to them. Something that seems to come out of the blue, and yet, when we drill down, we discover that it's usually rooted in a lack of awareness about the cause of that "something". In The PEACE System, I illustrate […]

This week marks the last video of the month, and since this is the month of love songs, I figured I'd end on a psychotic note - hee hee. "Every Breath You Take" was penned by Sting in less than an hour, and the rest of The Police then added their own unique touches to […]

This week marks the beginning of some shifting in both my life and my business. We finished our taxes, and the kids were home for the holiday, so I decided to slow things down a bit and not "push" myself to create. I explain it a bit more this week on "The Convo":   If […]

As a small child, I knew I was called to be a performer. I remember being 2 or 3 years old (before we moved into the house I grew up in) and "performing" for my family. I'd stand up on my wooden toy box, pretending it was a stage, dancing and singing for whoever would […]

In this final segment of my interview with Sarah Robinson, we're talking about the Fierce Loyalty Accelerators, specifically, exclusivity and love. Sarah talks about how the accelerators aren't meant to be a stand-alone device to employ, but work in tandem with the Fierce Loyalty model to help you grow an intensely committed community of like-minded […]

This week's song is a cover of a classic by The Beatles. "All You Need Is Love" was written to be a mantra-style piece - sort of like musical brainwashing. You hear the refrain over and over, with a march-style feel that gives it an almost militaristic, "drilling it into your head" sensation. I've yet […]

January's over, and I'm about 5% of the way toward my BHAG of recording 300 songs in 2013. That's 21 songs toward my ultimate goal of 300. Only 279 to go! Anyone else would say "Holy crap! you've recorded that many songs!?! That's Awesome!" Me? I have to remind myself to not be all "meh" […]

In part one, Sarah Robinson and I sat down to talk about her own business evolution, as well as her book,  “Fierce Loyalty: Unlocking the DNA of Wildly Successful Communities”. This is part two of a three part interview, wherein we discuss Sarah's Fierce Loyalty Model (enhanced with graphics! Ooooh! Ahhhh!).

It won a Grammy for Best Disco song - and then the category was promptly removed. I guess you could say when they made this award-winning song they broke the mold! Put on your platforms, and don't be afraid to get a little goofy - I certainly did! Have a good laugh and enjoy this […]

This is the first part of an hour-long interview with Author and Martha Beck-trained life coach, Sarah Robinson (here's part two). Her book, "Fierce Loyalty: Unlocking the DNA of Wildly Successful Communities" is available in paperback or Kindle format on amazon. You can read my thoughts on her book in this previous post. In this episode, Sarah […]

Allegedly the last song written for "The Sound of Music", this duet features my friend Jennifer Harris. One of what I hope will be many guest appearances throughout the year on this #300songs project. This is song number 15 in the can! [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ER8S-bFZkM&version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0]

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vunKAS0WBCk&version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0] When you look at your life and work, what awareness can you develop this week around the problems you're trying to solve and the responsibilities you're taking on? What problems aren't yours to solve? What responsibilities aren't yours to own? Where are you making it too hard for yourself?  Where are you looking […]

One of my favorite songs of all time, I think it is one of Billy Joel's most underrated pieces. It's a powerful, melancholy, yet hopeful tune. You kind of yearn to know how it's all going to turn out. I sang this for an audition once with an Irish accent and it got me the […]

"Why do you blog so much?' It was a valid question. And I tried to be open to where the truth laid within me. Silence. Not because I was unwilling to answer, but because the tears started choking me. I mungled my way through some explanation about how it's an outlet for me to talk […]

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiXWlbbOygk&hl=en_US&version=3&rel=0] It's all well and good to strive for excellence, but excellence is about more than just putting in your 10,000 hours. Those hours need to be focused, deliberate practice. Without that, you'll be hard pressed to reach the full potential of your undeniable gifts. Be warned: you can spend 10,000 hours of your […]

This week in rehearsal, the most enjoyable song, by far was this one. No, this is not the Selena Gomez version with the new lyrics. Ahem. The original song was written by Mel Levin around 1961 for the animated Disney film 101 Dalmatians. This is a bluesy big band arrangement written by Dr. John in […]

I couldn't keep this one to myself. My brilliant designer and friend Rhiannon Llewellyn was charged with designing a page for all 60 inscriptions from The Secret Watch so I could convert them into a beautiful downloadable format. She unleashed her creative genius and, well, it was too good to save for just those of you […]

[Editor's note: when we migrated to the new site, a lot of great posts got lost. Slowly, I'll be digging them out, updating them, and reviving them for your inspiration. So if this post feels strangely familiar, that's why.] This past year, I've been not-so-covertly working with Karl Staib on his twitter parties. He's been helping […]

I was working with my awesome beta testers on my new Get Your Year In Gear program, and a lot of questions came up about toxic relationships, setting boundaries, and cutting ties with people - especially family. The biggest question I got, though, was around dealing with people you can't just walk away from. This […]

How could I not sing this song as the end of the year approaches? Reminder: These are my "audition" videos -meaning they're meant to give you a tastes of what I'm working on. They are NOT the final recordings. This is the last video I'll post before the 300 songs in 2013 begins. Wish me […]

Got big dreams? Hold fast to them, and don't be afraid to pray for excellence. Many times, visionary creatives have lofty goals and ambitions, but we're met with staunch criticism when we share them. This forces us to either stop sharing, or aim lower. Don't be that person. Instead, when things are getting to you, […]

Merry Christmas! [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVgEE_el0V0&hl=en_US&version=3&rel=0]

Earlier this year, I was one of the lucky folks that got an advanced copy of It's Your Business: 183 Essential Tips That Will Transform Your Small Business. It's a book written by JJ Ramberg, Lisa Everson, and Frank Silverstein, and ripped from the show "Your Business" on MSNBC. The book features immediately actionable tips […]

I don't watch much television and rarely, if ever, watch the news. I had just finished my certification in Reiki training and a favorite song of mine jumped into my head. So I got a wild hair to start working on it in my studio. About an hour later, I was taking a break when […]

[Editor's note: This is part five in a series of year-end posts I write to focus my efforts for the new year. Here are links to parts 1, 2, 3 and 4.] Brave. That was the theme for 2012, and as I look back, I can say I'm pretty happy with where things ended up. […]

[Editor's note: this is a re-post from January 2012. Part 4 of a series of year-end posts I write each year. When we migrated to the new site design, all the old posts were archived. Here are posts 1, 2 and 3] Every year, I pick a word to frame my development. I also pick a "theme song" to underscore my […]

[Editor's note: this is a re-post from December 2011. Part 3 of a series of year-end posts I write each year. When we migrated to the new site design, all the old posts were archived. Here are posts 1 and 2] This is an ongoing topic of discussion for me. Fear is one of my most blogged about […]

[Editor's note: this is a re-post from January 2011. Part 2 of a series of year-end posts I write each year. When we migrated to the new site design, all the old posts were archived.]

[Editor's note: this is a re-post from November 2010. Part of a series of year-end posts I write each year. When we migrated to the new site design, all the old posts were archived.]

I was working with a client/colleague/friend* recently, celebrating her recent launch of a free worksheet she created for an opt-in on her website. She made mention that she'd gotten more response from her audience with that one freebie than she had from several other paid launches she did this past year. And I don't mean […]

Entrepreneurs dream of success. We crave it. We stalk it. And some of us continue to be eluded by it. You've probably written down a number -- or certain other goals -- and then began bowing at the altar of “if only.” “If only I could have x, then I’d be successful.” “If only y […]

Back in January, I was gifted with a juicer by a UK company that sells washing machines, among other things. Their "Fairy Hobmother" sent it as a gift for commenting on a friend's blog (who knew?). I unpacked it and started using it right away. The marketing genius behind what they did is a topic for […]

Often times, we as creators find ourselves in a bind. Okay, bind is not the right word. Neither is stuck. It's more like being trapped in a building that's collapsed. We're gasping for oxygen, battling with ourselves over whether we should scream out for help or conserve what little oxygen we have.

Seth Godin shared this video in a recent post about his TEDx talk. While it's geared to the transformation of the education system (and specifically, his "what is school for?" manifesto he wrote earlier this year), it has a LOT of juicy tidbits for creative entrepreneurs to get us thinking about art vs. work. What […]

For years, I thought I was a horrible entrepreneur and an even worse mother. I knew how to make money, but it always seemed to come at a cost. I either made money, or I spent time with my family, but rarely did I get to do both. There was a lot of talk about […]

Self-sabotage is a mis-nomer. We don't set out to actually sabotage ourselves. Often, in fact, it's quite the opposite. The thing we've opted to do instead of what we originally planned was supposed to make life easier for us. Unfortunately, things didn't quite turn out that way. Sometimes there is truly a deep-seated issue, and […]

Building a Noble Empire isn't always easy. For most of my years as an entrepreneur, I've also been a parent. Handling multiple responsibilities at one time has pretty much been the norm for me from day one. At one point, I was working 40+ hours per week in my day job, attending college full time, […]

I'm learning that many of my best posts come out of a convergence of three moments in my life. This post is no different. The first is a piece of my long lost past. Crawdads When I was a kid, the mother of a very good friend (who nearly committed suicide after his dad died), […]

"Living in your passion makes it easier to live." The words came out of her mouth as if it was a truth she had always known. Yet she was saying it in reference to something I had shared with her only five minutes before. During part of the weekend intensive with my coach, each of […]

I've had a fairly open calendar today, as I'm prepping for a trip that will take me out of town for five days. The day was pretty calm, but this evening is bustling. It's almost a whirlwind of activities: reviewing the schoolwork that needs to be done, trusting my husband to feed and care for […]

In my conversations about building a noble empire, one of the regular questions I get is "how do you build a noble empire?" This used to be a difficult question to answer. When we talk about the Five Tenets of a Noble Empire, we know that it takes a community to build an empire. We […]

A very good friend of mine has a non-profit that volunteers each year to work a booth at the Michigan Renaissance Festival. If you've never been, it's a high time of revelry, silliness, and even a bit of debauchery all set in what's supposed to be the 16 century. But really, it's like the SCA* […]

Two years ago, I put together this video mashup of two scenes from Spider Man 2. In it, you hear Aunt May talking about how there's a hero in each one of us. I thought it was a perfectly inspiring underscore to Spidey's big train rescue scene. This video's been watched over 175,000 times to […]

A Noble Empire is, at the core, a transformational business or organization that seeks to serve and is highly rewarded (and highly regarded) for that service. In our world today, empires are scorned, disdained, and generally maligned, because they are seen as greedy, despicable enterprises or political machines plotting to take over the world and leave us "Regular […]

We are truly blessed. I'm was in the Nashville area this summer, enjoying a family vacation, and the weather is wonderful. The hotel, not so much, but hey, I'm not complaining. Seriously, when you can travel 600 miles from home and visit friends, recording studios, make new friends, and generally enjoy yourself, doing what YOU […]

The 4th grader you're about to see has more intestinal fortitude than many adults I know. She is a great example of what we all do before taking the leap. We try to talk ourselves into it. We obsess, we interrogate, we obsess some more. We feel our nerves, sometimes we shy away from the edge, […]

My husband and I were grocery shopping yesterday. That's a rare occurrence. Usually, it's just one of us navigating the aisles of the store. But yesterday was our first day back from vacation, and we had to return the rental car, so it just made sense to get the shopping done on the way home. […]