What Is Your Divine Purpose?

  We all have a creative genius within us, and this genius presents itself only when we are living in alignment with our divine purpose.

  Let me ask you this, have you ever felt like there is a part of you that has not yet been tapped into?  Do you feel like you are living a comfortable life, yet still looking for that thing that really makes your heart sing?  Have you found yourself continually searching for that part of you that is special, unique and absolutely brilliant?

  I have a confession, I remember thinking, since I was 9 years old, that something very special was going to happen for me.  And while many wonderful things have happened, I always was searching and waiting for that one really magical thing that would call forth my divine purpose.  What I learned, after 40+ years of waiting for and searching for that magic, was that it was within me all along.  I just needed the right opportunity to discover that. 

  Fortunately, I discovered the CORE MAP process which completely opened up my entire life to new dimensions, opportunities, and levels of effectiveness.  Since then I have been working closely with other women who were also on the verge of breaking through the monotony of life as it was, and unearthing their true divine purpose and live it fully!

  When we are fully aligned with our purpose, and the life we were born to live, we find helpful people and seemingly “magical” or coincidental opportunities coming forward which gently lead the way.  This is the experience of being in the flow, and life becomes much more effortless, joyful and meaningful.

Here 5 simple steps to help you tune in to your own divine purpose:

1.         Brainstorm, and write down everything you really love to do.  Once you have completed the list, go back and number each entry in the order of which appeals to you the most.

            Tip:  Think of the times in the past when you were at your absolute best!  When time just passed, and everything felt as though it were going your way.

2.        Read over your list, and put it away for a day or two.  Make an appointment with yourself when you have some quiet time, and take out your list and begin adding to it.

            Tip:  Make sure you are including only those things that make you feel really joyful.  Sometimes we are extraordinarily good at some things, yet they do not make us joyful.  These are the things that we have learned, or may have been conditioned to do well, but are not part of our life’s purpose.

3.     After you have dug really deep within, and recognize what it is that truly makes your heart sing versus those things you typically spend your day-to-day life doing, go back and re-number the entries.  Make sure what makes you feel most joyful and purposeful is number 1 on your list.  

            Tip:  It may surprise you to discover that the order may differ from the original order you assigned a day or two ago.

4.         Select the top ten entries on your list.  Now, make a list of what each of these top ten has in common.  With this in mind, what occurs to you that may be a clue to uncovering your divine purpose?  

            Tip:  Don’t limit yourself to just one idea.  Play with this over a period of time.

5.         Once you have uncovered some of the clues to what may be most important to you, immediately begin taking steps to bringing more of those joyful, meaningful experiences into your life.  For example, you may have discovered that many of your top ten entries related to travel.  You might begin bringing more of that into your life by subscribing to a travel magazine, or planning your next trip to an exotic destination.

            Tip:  Pay close attention to what energizes you the most.  Again, this may not be the same as what you have been doing most of your life that you are really good         at. But that’s okay, you’ve just added a whole new dimension to your day-to-day life that brings you closer to living the life you were meant to live.

  When you are on the track of your divine purpose, everything you do in pursuit of it will inspire and energize you.  You will begin to call in the people and opportunities that will continue to show you the next steps and open up doors which you hadn’t even known existed for you.  When you are not living in alignment with your divine purpose, you are not in the flow, and life feels like a struggle and drains your energy.  Continue to pay attention to how you feel when you are going through your daily activities.  If it feels joyful and easily flows, you are on the right path.  This is the path of living your divine purpose and when your true creative genius shines through!

To your joyful and inspired success~

Namaste,

~Laurie

<

  Let’s face it, without marketing, your business has little chance of succeeding. You may start getting clients to work with, but eventually, you will find yourself struggling to find clients who want to buy what you have, and burn yourself out.

  Actually, many entrepreneurs dip a toe in the water with their marketing by giving their business a name, coming up with a catchy tagline and getting an icon or clip art to put on their business card and website. Yes, done right, this is a piece of your marketing. So, what else is there, and how can you make marketing the piece that ensures your business success?

  Recently, I was at a local networking event and one of the people in the group was allowed 5 minutes to get up and speak about her business. As she was speaking, I realized that I was having a hard time understanding what it was that she wanted to get across, and why I might want what she had to offer. And, I was not at all compelled to want to find out more about her or her product. That’s not to say that there was anything wrong with her or what she said…… in fact it was more in what she didn’t say.

  I learned her name and her business name right away. That’s always a good thing ~ however, believe it or not, neither really told me what she does.

So, here’s tip #1: Having a business name or tagline that tells people what you want them to know and remember about you.

  This is the beginning of getting your branding across. Putting all of your pieces together in a concise, clearly understood message so people remember what you want them to remember about you. Yes, you want them to like, trust and respect you, but more than that, you want them to know and remember what you can do for them.

  If your name, business name or tag line doesn’t clearly tell people who you are, what you do, how you uniquely help, and why they should choose you to spend their time and money with, then this needs your attention now! Typically, we have only 30 seconds to capture someone’s attention. In those 30 seconds we want to be sure they walk away with what we want them to remember about us. Basically, what’s in it for them?

Here’s what you need to know to craft an effective tagline.

  An effective tagline helps you clarify what makes you or your service special and enables you to sum up your “competitive advantage” in just a few words.

  Next, this speaker handed out her brochure which was professionally printed, on nice cardstock. That’s always a good thing ~ however, believe it or not, the picture on the cover was of a forest of fern plants. Is she a gardener? A botanist? A landscaper designer? No, she is a financial investment manager. I guess money is green and so are ferns and that’s where that connection comes in???

So, here’s tip #2: Your Brand Isn’t Just a Logo, or the Colors You Use, or Your Business Name

  …… it is all of these things, and more, together. Everything must consistently give the one singular message you want people to remember about you. Money management / ferns; I still don’t get the connection.

  A company’s logo, colors and the images it uses all serve to support and reinforce the brand identity. The more you reinforce the features of your brand identity, the more familiar people will become with it and the more likely they will be to do business with you repeatedly.

To strengthen your brand identity, be sure it is:

  Your brand identity can be extremely valuable if done and used effectively. Do everything in your power to build a strong, well-regarded brand image and just about every aspect of building your business – especially the marketing piece – will be much easier.

  Then, this speaker went on to tell the facts about her company and what she does. Actually at that point, I was disinterested because I already know someone who does what she does. In fact, there were 3 others in the room who do the same thing; one of them sitting right next to me! So, what would compel me to learn more about how she can help me, or to recommend her to someone else who may need her services? What does she do brilliantly well that the others don’t? What makes her unique? What differentiates her from the rest? Perhaps it is that she grows ferns in her yard? I don’t know, she never said that, but it’s a guess on my part based on her brochure.

So, here’s tip #3: Your Brand Identity is, or Should be, Unique to You.

  That’s why people choose you to work with over someone else in the same field. You must unearth your own brilliance and unique qualities so that you can make them part of your brand identity.

To create a strong brand identity, you must be clear on:

Make a list of the values you want your company to reflect and be associated with.

Develop the core message for your company:

  Your core message, including your set of values, is what defines your brand. It’s what you want customers to remember about you. When you have a strong, clear message, you’re much better able to develop a strong connection with your customer base.

  These are three key drivers which help to create a strong, memorable image and message for your business. You need to keep your core message in mind when you’re developing your advertising, website, packaging and marketing materials (such as brochures, business card, catalog, etc). It must permeate every aspect of what you do and be the foundation of all your marketing activities.

  The message that clients or potential clients get from you about your business is the key to success. It’s imperative that you create the core message you want to send for your business or service. Without articulating your core message and consistent brand identity, it’s impossible to develop an effective, meaningful marketing program.

  Remember, if you don’t create the message that you want people to “get” and remember about you, they will create their own.

Laurie Polinski
Spinning Gold Marketing

If your business feels more like the wallflower right now, and you’d like to have more of what the rock star has, ask yourself these 3 three key questions:

1) Have I articulated and written down my brand promise?

2) What do I want my clients to remember about me and/or my business?

Your core message should be based on:

It’s important that you understand and clearly articulate the core message you want to send for your business. You need to keep your core message in mind when developing all of your advertising materials such as your website, brochures, business card, etc. Your core message is what you want your clients to remember about you. This is how you create a deeply meaningful connection with your clients and prospective clients.

3) Does my company name and/or tagline explain the nature of my business or what I do?

My tagline tells 3 things:
  1) Who I work with – “Entrepreneurs”
 2) What I do – “Business Growth Coach”
  3) What I promise – “Focused, Fast Results.”

Laurie Polinski
Spinning Gold Marketing

What Is Your Business Brand?

  Your brand is the message that you create around your business from the inside out. Its primary function is to let your audience know who you are, what you do how you help people and what they can expect from you. An authentic branding message will also express how you’re different from others in the field of your expertise; it’s developing your positioning and staying true and in perfect alignment with the core of who you are and what you promise to deliver.

What Will An Authentic Business Brand Do For You?

  In addition to letting people know about your business with a single glance, a brand message is one of the most important tools that a business has in marketing itself and letting people know that the business exists to serve their needs. Most entrepreneurs are passionate about helping others by doing what they do best, but if people don’t know that you’re out there, or don’t quite understand how you can help them, then you won’t be doing much of what you love or making the money that you need to make in your business.

  To be successful, a business must have a magnetic, positive and authentic branding message that connects with their audience on a deep and emotional level. And, remember, your brand is who you are and what you stand for, so not only will the right brand message attract more of the right clients, but it will also strongly symbolize your vision and allow you to be more confident when asked, “what is your business, and what do you do?” And it will provide the guiding light to where your business can go. 

Laurie Polinski
Spinning Gold Marketing

1)  Give some serious thought to what differentiates you from the competition.  We’ve all heard that we need our “elevator speech”–the 30-second infomercial that quickly tells people who you are and what you do.  Your elevator speech should answer the question:  “Why should I work with you instead of any of the others?”

-         How do you get clear on what you can offer?

-         Do you offer a product or service that others don’t?

-         Do you have special training or certification that others don’t have?

-         Do you understand what you are truly expert at that sets you apart?

-         What core values do you have, or does your business reflect?

  Once you know the answers to these questions, you will have the basis for your elevator speech. Stick with it—that is your story.  That story is the one that will stick in customers’ minds and, if it sounds authentic, they will repeat your story to others.

2)  Start a word-of-mouth campaign.

    Word-of-mouth is free and can be your most effective form of advertising as long as your message is authentic to who you are, what you offer and how you help people.

3)  Do you have a membership or club that offers discounts or other incentives to your loyal, repeat clients?

This gives clients incentive to continue coming back to you instead of trying a competitor.

  Remember, though, almost no discount or incentive will be enough if your client is not satisfied with your service.  Again, this is where your message must match what you deliver.

4)  Give your clients incentives or discounts for referrals.

  Create some kind of reward for your clients who share your message with others.  For example, you might have special cards printed for your clients to give to friends and when their friends use your services, both your referring client and the new client receive a discount or incentive.

  Be sure your branding and authentic message is clear on whatever card or piece you use so that your existing customer doesn’t have to do the work of trying to communicate who you are, what you do and why their friend should go to you.

5)  Make sure you have good marketing materials to give to potential clients.

  Your brochures, fliers, website and any other marketing materials must reflect your authentic branding so that people quickly and easily understand who you are, how you can help them and why they should choose you.

  Some of these suggestions may cost a little money, but when you have the right branding message–one that is truly authentic to who you are and what you are an expert at delivering–it will be the catalyst to what makes you stand out in a crowded field.

  With the right branding message—one that is authentic to who you are and what you are an expert at delivering—these inexpensive advertising suggestions will be the catalyst to what makes you stand out in a jam-packed market.

Laurie Polinski
Spinning Gold Marketing

  Your business starts with a foundation, and the strength to any foundation is it’s cornerstone. The cornerstone of a foundation provides stability and strength to support a structure and without it, the foundation will fail and the structure collapse. You are the cornerstone of your business structure and in being solid in your goals, vision and self awareness, you will allow for the support needed to build a strong successful business.

Knowing Yourself Allows You to Effectively Brand Yourself

   As an Entrepreneur, being very clear on who you are at your core, allows you to build a solid relationship with your ideal clients. Promoting and operating a business that is a reflection of who you are will attract clients through authenticity, promoting a sense of deep trust. Operating your business with a self-awareness will nurture self confidence, and exhibiting self-confidence will assure your clients on a deep subconscious level that they are in the best of care.

Self Awareness Business Tools for the Entrepreneur

Laurie Polinski
Spinning Gold Marketing

Be sure to take the time to build that solid foundation under your business.

Here are the:

7 Key Steps to Taking Control of Your Business This Year

Laurie Polinski
Spinning Gold Marketing

Help! I Don’t Know Where to Start

Have you spent 2009 and previous years gathering knowledge and information through books, seminars, ebooks, teleseminars, online courses and…did I miss anything?  Are you on so many email lists that you know there is no possible way you could read all of them and put them to use?  Is your head spinning because you have learned so much and yet you fear there might be something you are missing?

If you have answered yes to any of these questions you might want to sit down and brace yourself, for the news I am going to tell you might be a little frightening.   My friend I believe you have it and it looks bad…..I believe you have Information Overload Syndrome!

What is Information Overload Syndrome?

Many entrepreneurs, especially when new in the game spend much time on training and gathering information on the business they are pursuing.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with research and education, the challenge is, there is so much information available and it is so easily accessible in this electronic age that before you know it, you have so much material, you don’t know where to start because you are overwhelmed.  Usually what follows is not starting at all or paralysis.

3 Steps to Overcome Information Overload

Chances are you have plenty of training, knowledge and information already and more might not necessarily help you, in fact it might just make things worse.  What you need to do at this point is channel all the information and training you already have and move forward.  Here are three steps that will guide you from paralyzed to productive:

1. Time to focus or refocus - Once overwhelmed it is easy to lose track of what you set out to accomplish in the first place.  Take time to reevaluate your goals and determine if they need to be adjusted.   Be clear on your niche and your ideal client.  What can you offer them to serve their needs?
2. Develop a plan and strategy – Now is the time to go over the materials you have learned so far, all the knowledge you have amassed and pull it together into an organized system that will move you in the direction of your goals. Doing so will start you on your way to answering your ideal clients’ needs and making you money.
3. Get into action - One of the things I have learned through experience is, always move towards completion – not perfection, and make adjustments along the way.  It is important as entrepreneurs to always be learning, the key is to learn while the wheels of your business are in motion.

r

So let’s summarize:  To overcome information overload:  1. Get yourself focused; 2. Develop your plan; and 3. Get into action and 2010 will be your best year yet!

Back To Business Basics

With the beginning of a new year only weeks away, now is the perfect time to start laying a solid foundation for a successful 2010 in your business. As this year is coming to a close, this is a perfect time to take a step back and take a close look at where you can make adjustments to make 2010 your most profitable year yet! Here are 3 ways to put your business on the right track for the coming year.

 Research Your Niche

 Take some time to examine your niche market and area of expertise. Observing how other professionals in your field do business may be an inspiration to try a new approach to your own business that may open some profitable doors for you. Also, research potential clients for ideas on how to win over new business opportunities and how you can continue to serve the needs of your current clients. 

Invest In  Business Education

When applied properly, the axiom “you have to invest money to make money” really pays off. For you, the entrepreneur, investing time and money to further your education in your business niche through college courses, training and certification and coaching will expand your knowledge and skills and strengthen your position as an authority in your field, helping you to better recognize and respond to the needs of your clients while pulling you ahead of the competition.

 Create a Clear Business Plan

 Having a comprehensible business plan is vital to the success of your business. Begin constructing your 2010 business plan now by determining and recording your goals and strategies for the year. In other words: where would you like your business to be by the end of 2010, and what is the best course for you to get it there? One of the biggest mistakes many entrepreneurs make is not mapping out a clear and precise plan. If you don’t have a clear vision of where you want to be, how do you expect to get there?  By creating a clear business plan now, you’ll be able to bring in the New Year hitting the ground running.  

Researching your niche, investing in continuing business education and creating a business plan are some key ways to ensure that 2010 will be the best for your business, and for you, so far. Here’s to a profitable New Year—here’s to your success.

Laurie Gracie Polinski

Spinning Gold

>

I took SO much away from the info-packed content-rich 4-day seminar that I used up an entire notepad and had to start writing on the back sides of my pages!   There is obviously way too much to share in one post, but one thing that I came home and implimented immediately was / okay 2 things / (1) from James: Get Things Done Fast! (2) from Mari
Smith – The importance of having your Twitter background custom-created to match your branding!  Mari says this is the most valuable REAL ESTATE on the web!

So what I did, was take James’ advice, and quickly called my VP of Visibility, Christy Taylor, and my Twitter background is being created as I write this!

Can’t wait to debut it!

~LaurieP.
The Entrepreneurs’ Marketing & Business Growth Coach who gets Results!
Spinning Gold

Meet me on Twitter: LauriePolinski

Chat with me on Facebook: LaurieGraciePolinski

>