Embracing Leadership

ople together.

The merging of minds is a key factor that makes our world such a diverse and unique one.  One of the things I love about working with entrepreneurial spirited people is their ability to be leaders without even knowing it most of the time.  Their energy for creating and bringing ideas together ignites a spark in those around them.   They really do become a host at most things that they do from personal engagements to managing their businesses.

Think about it in this light – Think back to a party or event you have attended where the host made the entire event a delight to participate in.  Every detail was thought of, from the food to the entertainment.  Most of all it seemed like it was effortless for him or her to take care of the needs of all the guests.  Think about it in the light of those you enjoy doing business with also – who are those people and companies that make doing business with them effortless and pain free.  Something you actually enjoy to do.

While I was in LA this past week I found myself struggling with doing some business with companies that did not get me, or my needs.  In amazement I walked into a cellular telephone store (can you spell V-E-R-I-Z-O-N) to be greeted by two people who asked me to check in at a computer kiosk.  I did and then proceeded to wait for 15 minutes before someone could help me.  This is while there were 8, yes I said 8, employees standing around yakking with each other somehow unable to help me or any other customers waiting to be helped.

When I finally was helped, I really did not get what I needed and here, almost a week later am still trying to work it out with them.  Hardly an experience I would call delightful.  In fact one customer finally exploded while I was there getting helped.  She commented quite vocally at just how insane it was that no one was being helped when there were so many employees standing around.   Sadly, instead of being listened to she was condescendingly talked to and basically ignored.

I bring this up only to outline the importance in leadership of empowering people.  Just imagine if those 8 people had been given the power to help who ever walked through the front door of that store.  Instead of 8 robotic uninterested people there might have been 8 people open and ready to be a “host” to the next “guest” that walked through the front door of that store.

You are invited this month to open your arms around how leadership works in your life.  Our Free Wednesday Wisdoms Teleseminar this Wednesday is on the topic of Leadership during times of change. It is entitled, Communicating Change Four Things Every Leader Must Know, Say and Do. Gretchen Anthony of Tilt Communications will share with us some tools that will allow you to come away from this one-hour discussion better able to translate the fear of change into the opportunity of vision. Learn more and register here.

Take a look at how you embrace your role as a leader from those you interact with daily to those you want to interact with on a less frequent basis.   How well do you embrace leadership?

Ripe for the Pickin’

“No wind can bring down the fruit before it is ready to fall.”
-    Gary Zukav

This Monday’s letter is arriving late, as I have been playing the role of a gypsy this morning and traipsing across the desert, just now arriving in California.  It is a little before noon Pacific Time as these words emerge from me.  Hard to believe that just early on, yesterday morning, I was fighting the snow of Vail pass.  Today with approximately1600 miles, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada and the Mojave Desert under my belt I have arrived safe and “somewhat” sound (that is still to be determined).

Upon awakening this morning, I was not feeling very victorious.  There I was in this horrendous Las Vegas Casino Hotel (Whiskey Pete’s to be exact).   The only one I could find that would take my trusty traveling companion, my dog, Samantha, as I tried to get a few hours of sleep.  While Sam was as snug as a bug on a rug (this morning’s picture) the hotel with its clang of slot machines and its ghastly smell of cigarettes, had gotten the better of me.

Truth be told, I really do hate Las Vegas!!  The book, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas came to mind as I barreled out of there before the sun had a chance to make it up over the beautiful desert mountains at 6:30 this morning.  I was a chick on a mission, heading towards the interstate with the sole intention of getting as many miles between my van and Vegas as possible. My destination – Los Angeles, and my Mom.

Shaking off the crud of the overnight adventure I got back into the groove I was in before arriving in Vegas yesterday afternoon around 5.  The open road is a great way to open your mind, your heart, your being to the world around you.

I do love the drive to LA from Boulder (minus Vegas), truly a place to dub with the name “God’s Country”.  Every piece of beauty is more engaging than the one before.  Driving with just Sam in the van with me, left lots of time for reflection and opening my mind to the fact that I have decided to spend the next month in California.  Listening to several books on tape (something my kids would have never stood for!) with themes of inspirational stories, I just let my mind go.   The hours flew by.

With my Mom looking at her options in her cancer treatment it just seemed that I needed to make my life a little portable right now, hit the road and spend the month ahead with her.  It seems somewhat strange, and yes surreal, to realize that yes, I could still operate my business from the phone and from my laptop no matter where in the world I find myself.  It is the beauty of technology after all and a gentle reminder of one of the reasons I am in business for myself.  For those of you getting this letter that I know in the LA area I look forward to the opportunity to connect with you in the month ahead.

What I found to be true, once I made the decision to go to LA for the month in just a couple of days it fell together.  Just as I heard Gary Zukav say in today’s quote (on a CD from his book, Soul to Soul, yesterday in the car) the fruit was ripe for the pickin’.

How many times, once you make up your mind to do something, do you find that it is as if the event was just waiting for you to make it happen?  How many times because we are stuck in our “routine” do things not happen because we didn’t open ourselves up to the possibilities of it?

I am open to what the week ahead and month of May have in store.  Hoping that you are too!   One thing for sure I am looking forward to writing and writing some more.  What better way to kick it off than to have my good friend, Cynthia Morris as our guest on the Wednesday Wisdom Teleseminar this week?  If you have been meaning to join us for one of these free, nearly weekly calls – you don’t want to miss this one!   It is entitled, Write Your Way to Success, Use Writing to Grow Your Business.  More Info Here.

Get yourself out there and find out what is ripe for the pickin!

What’s Stopping You?

“What would you attempt to do if you knew that you would not fail?”
-    Robert Schuller

As the sun makes it’s way over the eastern horizon, a new week begins.  Before getting up this morning I lay there in bed thinking about the week ahead and what I wanted to see come to fruition.  Who were the people I wanted to connect with and in what ways did I want to propel myself forward.

Yesterday, after a few days of rain and snow, we had a beautiful spring day.  With the sun calling to me I decided to do something I have not done for a long time.  Heading out to the barn I got my road bicycle down from the rafters.  It has been a number of years since I had ridden it, and after getting some air in the tires it was ready to roll (with more of a tune-up coming in the week ahead).

Riding the country roads near our house I knew that I was riding with a purpose.  Late last week, I found myself continuing to want to get involved with something that would work towards the cause of cancer. In the process strengthening my own body would be a big plus.  I came across a charity ride in Southern California in August.  Contacting my friend Debbie who I knew has trained for a bicycle challenge in the past, we discussed teaming up and making this happen.

While pedaling along yesterday and going about 5 or so miles it was clear I had a lot of training ahead of me.  I am a bit out of shape (yes, an understatement) and would need to put in a lot of miles between now and August to be able to make the 65 or so miles of the ride.

The thing I love about this challenge is that it is for such a good cause – The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training.  Instead of thinking about all the grueling workouts between now and then I am thinking of the beauty of the ride itself – between Ventura and Santa Barbara.  In addition, I have been thinking about the money I would be able to earn along the way for charity, being able to do something myself to help with the battle against Cancer.

Reading this week’s quote was a reminder of why we do the things we do.  When we look at the positive end result from what needs to happen, it can propel us forward as we get fully behind where we need to go.  When we let the fear of failure get in our way it usually stops us in our tracks.  Even amazing things have happened in medical recovery, leaving doctors scratching their heads, when the mind heals the body through positive belief in healing ourselves.

Let’s take a look at the example of starting a new business venture.  Most people do so with the vision of what the business will bring to their life and the life of others.  Anyone who has started and runs a business knows what a challenge it can be.  But it is indeed keeping your mind wrapped around the end result you want to see, your vision, that keeps the business moving forward.

So as you move forward in the week ahead ask yourself this question again.  What would you attempt to do this week and in the week’s ahead, if you put the fear of failure to the side and did it any way.  What have you been putting off that would make your world a better place for not only for yourself but for others as well if you moved forward?  Could this be the moment you have been waiting for.  Remember, there is no time like the present!

Finding Our Way

“One’s dignity may be assaulted, vandalized and cruelly mocked, but cannot be taken away unless it is surrendered.”
- Michael J. Fox

This Monday morning finds me home from California and ready for a week of playing catch up.  The last few weeks have been a whirlwind and I find myself not only playing catch up today but also trying to catch my breath from all that has transpired.  Trying to make sense of it all and move forward.

One thing that has become so apparent for me is our abilities to make our own decisions.  Before leaving California I gave my step dad, who is dealing with Parkinson’s, a copy of Michael J. Fox’s new book, Always Looking Up.   It was a strong reminder of courage that is needed in moving forward when physical limitations are placed before us.

As we went through the entourage of doctors for my mom these past few weeks it became very clear that while they are good at trying to find cures – they are also human. One factor that we dealt with is how they are trained to cure through medicine.  What became more than apparent as we looked at my mom’s diagnosis and the resolve for it, is that sometimes drugs prescribed by doctors cannot always cure us.

In fact, the cure can be part of a whole new set of problems as my Mom sadly discovered, getting Leukemia from chemotherapy while trying to cure Ovarian Cancer.   We need to be aware of what is going on and count on our own discovery processes to find the “cure” that will work best for our own individual needs.  We need to find the possibilities and solutions to those things that get in our way, be it physical or mental.

While crazy stuff goes on in our world from obscure earthquakes to car accidents – we do need to remember those things we do have control over.  It’s like hiring a consultant for your business yet remembering the important fundamentals for why you started the business in the first place.  We can take advice, but then we need to take the power and control we have built within us to make our own decisions.

Yesterday during a family debate about a matter at hand my husband, Ed said, “Yes! Ok, No! What?” all in one breathe, thinking out loud.  It got us to giggling and repeating the phrase throughout the rest of the day.  But in thinking about it this morning the words he said really do run the spectrum of accepting information and then fully examining what that information means to you – and ultimately what you are going to do with it.  It is the beauty and the power that comes with our own innate intelligence.

In the week ahead, I hope that you joyfully find your way – get the answers you need and the resources that will help you along your journey.

Crystal Blue

“Look over yonder, what do you see?
The sun is arising, most definitely
A new day is coming, people are changing
Ain’t it beautiful, Crystal Blue Persuasion

Better get ready, to see the light
Love, love is the answer and that’s all right
So don’t you give up now, so easy to find
Just look to your soul, open your mind”
- Tommy James

As I start to click the keyboard this morning I realize just how much difference a week can make in our life, or even a day for that matter.  Before leaving home for California, a week ago Saturday, the song Crystal Blue Persuasion was playing on the CD player in the car.  The words have been churning through my mind everyday since.

Interestingly enough, I read that, when Tommy James (of Tommy James and The Shondell’s fame) wrote the song he had been reading the bible and the words just seemed to come together.  It is a song that makes me think of the late 60′s and California for sure.  Heading to the ocean this past week, the water of the Pacific seemed to hold a crystal blue persuasion all of it’s own.

While here in California and going to a doctors visit with my Mom last week we got the news that she has gotten more cancer from her cancer treatments.  What amazed me the most was her calmness and strength in receiving the news.  In fact, she was the one cheering up the doctor!

As we discussed the cancer and the implications moving forward she said, “Today is the only day any of us are guaranteed of having and we should be grateful for that.”  She inspires me to appreciate my life, just as it is in the moment, just a little bit more.  In the week ahead, I will be staying in California to assist her in discovering what this next leg of her journey will entail.

Our perspective about so many things can change dramatically with just a few words being uttered out of someone else’s mouth.  We can find ourselves revisiting the aspects in our lives that mean the most. We could really take a strong hard look at what we want to do with our time given on this planet.  If we are wasting it not being happy, worrying or fretting about things – we could in fact change that scenario quickly.

We could begin to truly appreciate the reality that this moment is the only time we are truly guaranteed of being given.  The mystery of life for each of us is in fact a gift that we should not take for granted.  The attitude we in which we approach each day determines how brightly the sun shines for us.

In the week ahead – think about this – If you were given the news today that you life was in jeopardy – what would you want to make sure that you accomplished?  What joy would you want to bring to yourself and/or to others that you love and care about?  What would you want to make sure that you checked off your must do list?  Could you answer, “Yes” when asked if you are living your true purpose?

Once done, think about what it is that is stopping you from reaching towards all that you want in your life, today. Is it something within your self?   How can you take the power that is within you and bring it to the surface?  To let your inner strength become the power which carries you forward, constantly and consistently.

I hope that you can join us on Wednesday for our free Wednesday Wisdom Teleseminar.   This week the topic of discussion is, Ready, Set, Speak.  Have you been thinking about doing some public speaking but maybe need a push?  Or perhaps want to just to build some self-confidence in this area and get better at it?  Join us for an hour of tips and motivational insights.  Click here to register.

Wishing you a week where the sun shines brighter and the water is crystal blue, persuading you to open your mind!

Interest and Commitment

“There is difference between interest and commitment. When you are interested in doing something you do it only when it’s convenient.  When you’re committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results.” – Ken Blanchard

This week finds me looking for results in the area of a bit of rest and relaxation.  Crazy as it sounds, sometimes I find myself needing to get focused and committed to making rest happen.  The unwind pattern isn’t always so easy for me; I spend a couple of days just getting unwound.  Perhaps you can relate?  While it always sounds good in theory, sometimes, especially when our cup runneth over it can take a little work to let the fast pace of life slow down.

Vacations are about the simple things like enjoying the flowers, which are plentiful in Southern California (not so plentiful at home in Colorado right now).  Saturday when we arrived Bailey and I stopped to take a picture with our cell phones of the beautiful flower I have included in this weeks letter.  As we were walking along the sidewalk we both stopped at the same time and started snapping the picture.  My love for the botanical must be rubbing off on my daughter – which makes my heart happy.

Capturing the essence of life’s little joys, was brought to life in a Denver Post article last week.  Bruce Cameron summed up life’s enjoyments this way -
“The lesson from my dogs is simple: When times are tough, you can see yourself as having no place to go, or you can see yourself as completely free to explore opportunity and be joyful at the prospect.”

So as Bailey and I embark in a week of the unknown – I will squeeze in a little work – mainly writing – because of the love and commitment for what I do.  Yet – I will also be sure to find plenty of time for the things that bring me peace and joy.  As we wander around Southern California looking for opportunities to find our creative and playful selves, I wish you also a week of fun in whatever you are doing.

Remember as Ken Blanchard says – except no excuses – do what your heart tells you to do!

Wind and Wings

“Nurture your mind with great thoughts; to believe in the heroic makes heroes. “
- Benjamin Disraeli

This Monday morning has me thinking of hero’s and heroic acts.  What it takes to make us step up to the plate to do more and be more.  Sometimes it comes naturally and sometimes it can take much more effort.  Sometimes it is just utterly frustrating when we look at all there is on our plate and the thought of doing one more thing can be more than we can muster up – but usually we go ahead and do it anyway – or do we?

It seems these days we need more heroes.  More people to look past a variety of road blocks from financial to environmental to life issues and make amazing things happen.  To take our inner fears and chuck them to the side and as Nike says, “Just Do It.”

What are the common traits of a hero?  As today’s quote implies, great thoughts that come from a good attitude about life in general is for sure a foundational requirement in a hero.  Think about Superman – he was Mr. Positivity.  And he had to hold down two jobs and not get much credit for any of it!  Yet had the pull to keep going on – most heroes seem to be like that.

Speaking of Superman, wise words from the late Christopher Reeves, who said, “I think we all have a little voice inside us that will guide us…if we shut out all the noise and clutter from our lives and listen to that voice, it will tell us the right thing to do.”   Now there was a human being for sure! He played a hero on the silver screen but then of course ended up playing a much bigger hero role in real life.  He showed others what it takes to really give all that you have to give in the face of adversity.

Can you imagine going through all that he did in front of the whole world and then becoming a role model for so many.  It is was amazing to watch and the kind of hero stories we need to hear to give us motivation that yes, anything is possible – if we put our heart, soul and spirit to the task at hand.

What in front of you is really challenging you?  I am sure you can think of just one thing or perhaps two or more.  Are you facing what you need to or turning away and trying to pretend it doesn’t exist?  Perhaps you are facing many obstacles and trying to figure out which one should get your utmost attention.  You may even be looking at how you can take care of it all.

I invite you to join us this Wednesday for our Wednesday Wisdoms Teleseminar as we spend an hour on the topic of Summoning Your Inner Hero.  Creativity Coach, Katherine Torrini will share with us the tools we each have within us to take that “leap” so to speak.
For more info on how to call in via web or telephone click here.

So as you move forward in your week ahead – think about those people whose “wind is beneath your wings” and whose wings you are carrying. Give the gratitude each of you so deserve.  For without our heroes – where would we be?

Wishing you lots of strength, joy and fortitude to move your world forward in the week ahead!

Tweet, Tweet

“Know Thyself.”
- Ancient Greek Proverb

This week as I let the words begin to flow, I have gratitude for the new day and week before us.  An unexpected medical problem landed me in the hospital a week ago Sunday and oh what a week it was!  It was a week for recouping and taking care of things that only absolutely had to happen. Life had many things in store.   Amazing how priorities change when the most important elements of your life, like your health, and the health of those you love take over.  As you may have noticed I never even got a Victory Letter out last week!

When your lack of good health takes over it does in fact require you to get to know yourself a bit better as today’s quote suggests.  To understand what is making you feel the way you are and to help you get back to feeling healthy again can be a gift like no other.  There sure is nothing better after feeling pain – than to allow your body to heal itself and get back to optimum health.

So as I approach this new week I have a new gratitude.  I thought it might be fun to work towards gratitude everyday in a new way and wanted to have you join in with me.  You probably have heard some rumblings about the social network of Twitter at Twitter.com.
What I have been enjoying about it, as I have started to play with it, is every day that I go on the site, my focus is to talk about something I am grateful for in my life.

There seems to be something empowering about saying a gratitude out loud for the world to hear.  To play along you can simply go to twitter.com and take the few minutes to sign up if you haven’t done so already.  You can find me under either the name victorygirl or Cheri_Ruskus.  Follow along and lets “tweet” on a regular basis.

Interesting as I have been thinking about Twitter – outside my office window these days is a variety of birds that have been feeding on the buds of the Aspen Trees that are coming to life.  It is a reminder that spring starts this Friday!  Something to be grateful for, indeed!

Life is less than perfect – that is for sure.  But I can’t help but really believe that when you get past the yucky stuff – you can’t help but find the good stuff.  The truth is negativity fills your head and your heart with just that – why dwell in it.  It can be maddening, leaving us with sadness and heartache.  Sure, it can be helpful to talk through the troubling aspects of life when needed but then we need to move on!  Find our truth and the light that helps us to shine forward.

Shakespeare said, “This above all: to thine own self be true; And it must follow, as the night the day; Thou canst not then be false to any man.”   Most mornings we awaken to look at our own reflection in the mirror.   Who is it that is staring back at you?  Do you recognize yourself most days as you move onward on your journey?  The truth, your truth, is a key element.  Let yours be real and let your song be heard.

Tweaking

Our perception and attitude toward any situation will determine the outcome.
- Chinese Fortune Cookie

Last night as I read these words from my fortune cookie it got me to thinking about the possibilities of what would come to pass if we kept our attitudes at 100% at all times.  What would our outcome be on a regular basis if we consistently believed that we could do anything we set our minds to do?  You know if we didn’t let the crud get in the way and let our inner critic take the reins.

What if we just tweaked the things weren’t working so well in our lives just a little bit and then went ahead and moved forward.

Tweak, the dictionary says that to tweak something is to make a slight adjustment or change in order to improve or fix it.  What if when things went wrong we just moved forward and did what we needed to do to fix it?  Unfortunately fear and distrust tends to get in our way and sometimes stops us dead in our tracks.  Making mountains out of molehills, taking along with it a big chunk of happiness that could have been ours for the taking.

This past week I watched with my heart wide open as my daughter Bailey was once again challenged by so called “friends” turning into mean girls.   As they tried to crush her spirit, I was incredibly proud as she bounced back and pushed towards activities in her life that would bring her happiness.  She tweaked what needed to change and began moving towards what she wanted in her life.

A friend of mine this past week also pushed past some huge obstacles in her life and made what seemed like far away dreams a reality.  Over the course of the past year she has put one foot in front of the other and made what had originally seemed impossible, possible.  I couldn’t be happier for her as she starts on this new path in her life.

Each of us is on one journey or another in our lives.  Some days every thing goes as planned and life just clicks along while others can be a struggle.  It is what we do during those times of struggle, how we tweak that which doesn’t serve us, that makes our lives all our own.  The words of Robert Frost in his infamous poem, The Road Less Traveled, come popping into my head this morning and seem appropriate for today’s letter -

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

So as you head forward in the week ahead I ask you to think about making choices that help you tweak that which is not working in your life – or if appropriate perhaps pick a different path altogether.  It is our innate positive inner voice that we must listen to in order to know which way we need to travel.

Stepping Stones

The difference between a stumbling block and a stepping-stone is how you use the stone.
- Origin Unknown

With the light of this new day – I open my eyes to thoughts of two parts of my life that are near and dear to me, my role as an Entrepreneur and that of a Parent.  Both of these roles are not for the weak at heart, spirit or mental capacity. These two roles in my life test my abilities on a regular basis, yet I would not give up either one for any thing in the world.

It’s interesting as I think of it, the similarities these two roles have in common.   Anyone who has birthed a business and/or raised a child knows this to be true.    The common denominators or perhaps stepping-stones are a full range of emotions and strengths that are required on a pretty much daily basis.  They include but are not limited to:

Vulnerability – As a parent we can layout the road map for our kids.  We do our best by them and hope that the road they take is a safe and joyous one.  In our businesses we do the same seeing past the roadblocks that inevitably hit us along the way.   But on both accounts the road traveled is most definitely out of our complete control.  Life takes the turns that it does.  Perhaps by acknowledging our vulnerability to the twists of fate we can better live with them.

Persistence – When the going gets tough, the tough get going, as the saying goes.  Anyone who has ever owned a successful business knows this to be true.  There are those days of long hours and unexpected demands that require giving up the simple pleasures  – all for the good of the business.  For anyone who has sat up rocking a child or waiting for them to come home, the nights can be long – requiring a persistence to keep on going no matter what.

Compassion – Understanding the needs of others is a strength that is undeniably important in both roles.  Holding the hands of our customers, caring about their needs, just as we do with our children.  Yes, maybe not to the same extents – but there is a deep caring that is required from us.    The importance of being nurturing is a component that we need to remember each and every step of the way – on both accounts.

Challenge – Our primary role as the Chief Entrepreneurial Officer (CEO) of our business and as a Parent is in insuring that growth happens on a regular and consistent basis.  We need to nurture our children and our businesses no matter the challenges that we face.  Sometimes our biggest challenge can be in wanting to have things remain just as they are and not letting change happen.  When we do this, we do a great injustice to our children and our businesses by not letting the growth that is built into the challenges occur.  From every challenge comes a great strength that makes each and every one of us stronger.

Passion – When it all is said and done the one thing beyond persistence that keeps us going when our adorable toddlers turn into demanding teenagers is our love and passion for them.  The pulls on our heartstrings are deep and true allowing us to see beyond obstacles.  It takes us past the deep valleys.  Same in our businesses – if we feel it with our heart and soul, we can gather the strength to get past anything.

So as you move forward in your week see where these emotions outlined today are currently taking you in all areas of your life.  Notice how you react to the rocks placed before you.  Are they just blocking your way or actually giving you perspective to take a bigger step?  Perhaps maybe even to take a leap towards that which your heart desires.

Wishing you many giggles along your way this week!  Speaking of giggles I hope you enjoy today’s photo that I caught of my pooch, Samantha.  It is a great reminder that random moments can bring us the greatest joys.