Is Your Business Vision Sabotaging Your Success?
Last year I attended a mind-body-spirit expo here in New York City. The exhibitors included quite a few psychics. Many of them were offering on-the-spot free readings, including a warm, flamboyant woman I’ll call Claire.
Claire made eye contact with me as I was walking past, then reached out and gave me a bear hug. “What’s your question, honey?” she asked.
It was around my birthday, and I had been doing a lot of visioning for my business and my life. So the question that popped into my mind did not come as a surprise.
“I’ve been working on aligning my vision with my purpose,” I said. “Am I on the right track?”
Claire paused and looked at me deeply. “Almost,” she said. “You need to make just a few tweaks.”
Anyone who has had a good reading will not be surprised to hear that Claire’s split-second assessment confirmed what I already knew in my heart. “But I basically have it, right?” (I was feeling very unsure about it all!)
“Oh yeah, you have it. But remember, if you’re trying to drive to Los Angeles and you’re just a little bit off, keep going the way you’re going and you’ll end up in Des Moines.” (Is that awesome, or what?)
Having a vision is important, but having the right vision – i.e., YOURS – is mission-critical. Your vision determines your destination – i.e., your outcomes. You can have the clearest vision in the world, but if it’s the wrong vision for you, you won’t get where you want to go. Wrong vision, wrong destination. Simple as that.
That’s why I spend so much time with my clients getting very clear on what they really want. We create the vision before we do ANY of the “nuts and bolts” marketing work. (Wrong vision, wrong destination equals lost time, money and energy – yuck!)
“That’s great, Elizabeth,” you might be saying. “But what if my vision just isn’t very clear?” Here are some tips to bring it into focus:
1. Recognize the lack of clarity for what it REALLY is. After years of working with my own vision and helping others with theirs, here’s what I know for sure: a lack of clarity is NOT about not knowing. It’s about being afraid of what other people will think, and what we think is possible
(And where do our beliefs about what is possible come from? Other people’s stories – i.e., what they think).
2. Be willing to be honest. Creating a clear vision for your business requires you to be truthful with yourself, and courage to speak your truth… to yourself. (Note: You DON’T have to speak your vision to anyone else until you’re comfortable! But you do have to speak it to yourself.)
3. Be willing to be curious. Getting in touch with your true vision often means getting past a lot of junk that has been cluttering up the view. Instead of getting frustrated or being hard on yourself, you can choose to see it as an adventure, an opportunity.
4. Ask yourself powerful questions. Here’s one: “If I could create my business in any way that I wanted, what would it be?”
5. Forget the how. This one is tough, because our minds immediately want to jump to the details – the how. But remember: the “how” you know is based on your own experience, and the experience of those around you. The Universe holds greater possibilities than what we can see with our own two eyes.
Also, the “how” details can prevent us from really going deep with the “what” and “why” – it’s another way for our minds to keep us stuck (and “safe” right where we are).
6. Be willing to let go of attachment to NOT being clear. This brings us back to self-honesty again. Are you attached to not being clear? Being unsure is often really a smokescreen… because so often, we use it as an excuse for not taking action.
7. If all else fails… ask yourself, “What am I clear about?” and start there. A clear vision takes time to develop, and almost always requires course correction. You can’t wait until you have everything worked out to get into action! Action leads to experience, which leads to feedback which leads to… a refinement of your vision.
8. Be willing to trust the process. Finding your vision (and building your business based on it) also requires taking steps in faith. You know what’s best for you, better than anyone else – believe it!
Do you need to get clear on your vision for your abundant business (and your life)? I’ve created tools to help you with exactly that, and I’ve included them in the forthcoming digital home study edition of The Abundant Business System. With your vision in hand and everything you need to attract all the clients you want while staying true to YOU, you’ll be unstoppable! Mark your calendar for May 12-14 – on those days, the Abundant Business Homestudy System goes on sale for the first time, with a very limited quantity available at the intro investment. (By the way, “home study” simply means that I’ve collected all the tools and information and organized it so that you can work through the system at home, at your own pace.)
(c) 2009 Elizabeth Genco Purvis. All Rights Reserved.
Want to use this article on your website, blog or in your own ezine? No problem! But here’s what you MUST include:
Elizabeth Genco Purvis, “The Marketing Goddess” teaches spirited solo business owners and conscious entrepreneurs how to attract an abundance of clients, income, freedom and satisfaction in their business while staying true to their values. Visit MarketingGoddess.com to claim your copy of “Grow Your Business With Spirit And Soul,” a 7-part audio workshop with everything you need to begin attracting more clients right away.
How Many Clients Do You REALLY Want?
Have you ever wished for more clients because you want to help more people and increase your in-come, AND at the same time, felt a little hesitation at the prospect?
Often I hear “spirit-and-soul-preneurs” say they want more clients. But when it gets right down to it, they don’t really want as many clients as they think they do (or think they “should”).
The biggest fear? Overwhelm. (Otherwise known as “too many clients, not enough time.”) Sometimes they’re conscious of this fear, sometimes not. Either way, they hold themselves back, and end up more frustrated than before.
The good news is, as a purpose-driven service-based business owner, you CAN design the business that supports you best. Here’s a simple 6-step formula to hit your target in-come while working with “just enough” clients.
1. Be honest with yourself. One of the very first articles on business I ever read was by James Wells, one of my favorite Tarot consultants. (We both wrote for Llewellyn’s now-defunct almanac The Tarot Reader.) James presented a formula:
Money you want to make = (Number of clients) x (Amount you charge)
It was the first time I’d heard the notion that I could decide how much money I wanted to make, instead of just taking what I thought I could make or what was offered. My mind was blown! (Funny how the simplest ideas are the most powerful, no?)
First things first: decide on your numbers. But beware: there’s little point in designing your business unless you’re really honest with yourself. Don’t worry about what you think is “right” or what you think is possible. Think about the numbers you really want, and WHY you really want them.
2. Drop the “shoulds.” Divide your desired in-come by the number of clients. That’s how much you’ll have to charge each one. Simple!
Want to make six figures while only serving 10 clients one-on-one? Sweet! You can do that. Trouble is, many spirited entrepreneurs see that number and hit a wall… because it’s a lot bigger than they’re used to. And they feel really uncomfortable raising their fees.
You CAN raise your fees and stay in integrity. Remember, it’s all about the value you provide your clients. Get clear on what they’re really getting out of working with you, and put a real dollar value to it.
If you find yourself saying “yeah but…”, ask yourself, “Yeah, but WHAT?” As your clients will undoubtedly have to do the work to get those results, it’s their responsibility to show up and get them. Your responsibility is to provide the way and the support. Both have real value to the client who takes the work seriously. (Which are exactly the kind of clients you want, no?)
3. Think outside the one-on-one box. Classes, information products, programs, affiliate programs… the possibilities to be of service to your clients are endless!
Ask yourself: Can I leverage my time and work with more clients by designing a package or program? This can help you create more in-come in your business while working less, and also provides help and solutions when raising your fees is too much of a stretch. (We all grow in stages!)
Creating a high-value program with a focus on results will also allow you to confidently increase your fees. You can offer more to your clients when you work with them over longer periods of time, and charge accordingly.
4. Leave some wiggle room. When designing your business, your solutions will always be based on your current experience – i.e., what you already know. Undoubtedly, there are solutions out there that you haven’t heard of yet. Leaving a little “wiggle room” will invite the Universe to send a better idea your way and allow you the freedom to act on it without feeling overwhelmed.
For example, let’s say you decide you want to make $80k and work with 20 clients total. You can see how to do it: Create a package or program for $4k and enroll 20 people.
It’s a good solution! But there might be an even better way to reach your goal out there – an idea from a future session with your coach, a class you haven’t attended yet, a conversation with a friend, whatever.
So leave yourself a little room. Instead of 20 clients, focus on the first 5 or 10. This way, you’re in action and building momentum while leaving room for new and exciting possibilities.
5. Get into action as quickly as possible! What steps will you need to take to reach your goal? Create your plan and begin implementing.
6. Course-correct with confidence. With entrepreneurial power comes the need for flexibility. As you implement, you’ll make new discoveries (including, perhaps, a better way of reaching your goal, as mentioned in step 4). Pay attention to what works for you and what doesn’t, and don’t be afraid to adapt to what you learn.
© 2009 Elizabeth Genco Purvis. All Rights Reserved.
Want to use this article on your website, blog or in your own ezine? No problem! But here’s what you MUST include:
Elizabeth Genco Purvis, “The Marketing Goddess” teaches spirited solo business owners and conscious entrepreneurs how to attract an abundance of clients, income, freedom and satisfaction in their business while staying true to their values. Visit MarketingGoddess.com to claim your copy of “Grow Your Business With Spirit And Soul,” a 7-part audio workshop with everything you need to begin attracting more clients right away.
Next Week’s Newsletter: Is Your Business Vision Sabotaging Your Success?
The next issue of my Abundant Business email newsletter is going out on TUESDAY, April 14. If you’re on the list, you’ll get it free in your mailbox. If you’re not, you won’t! 
Here’s just some of what’s coming…
- Featured article: Is Your Business Vision Sabotaging Your Success?
- A hidden reason WHY you may not reach your goals as quickly as you could (and how to fix it)
- An archive of the replays of all my recent free classes
- IMPORTANT information about my upcoming Abudant Business Homestudy System launch!
If you’re a purpose-driven business owner and would like to learn how to get more clients, make more money, and create abundance in your business while staying true to YOU, I created this ezine just for you.
To make sure you don’t miss an issue, simply enter your first name & primary email into the boxes below and click on the button:
After you confirm your sign up (you’ll get an email about this), you’ll receive the first part of my audio workshop, “7 Quick And Simple Tips To Grow Your Business With Spirit And Soul”. It’s equal parts mindset secrets and “rubber meets the road” strategies and contains everything you need to start attracting more clients right away.
ERS: One Line Takeaways
It’s been about a week since Experience The Reality Of Success. Was going through my notes again last night and made a list of one-liners to share. (All of these are direct from David, who is pictured with me off to the right.)
You’ve undoubtedly heard many of these before; your mind will want to just move on to the next blog post, the next Facebook note, the next Tweet, whatever. ALL of them are life-changing. Meditate, muse, journal on them. Enjoy!
A question to ask yourself every morning: “What am I going to do with the rest of my life?”
How you show up anywhere is how you show up everywhere.
Do you want what you want because it’s all you THINK you can accomplish?
The key to getting where you want to be is asking the correct questions.
You must abandon the following idea: “Oh, I’ll just try this.”
“I have to figure it out” immediately leads to a story that doesn’t serve you.
Stop saying, “I can’t figure it out!” Instead say, “This is easy.”
We are continuously drawing into our lives what we expect.
Your life is a direct reflection of your beliefs.
Your wishing consciously for something doesn’t mean that you’re ready to receive it.
You are not serving anyone by buying into their story. (Note: this one is particularly challenging for me!)
Inflexibility == time and energy that is lost forever. You must get uncomfortable to make progress,.
Focus on the way, not the how.
Words are NOISE. Vibration never lies. (!!!!)
If you’re living in the past, you’re giving your past, not your present.
“No” is not no, it’s “Next.” In any business, there are always more no’s than yeses.
And, my favorite…
You don’t have to do anything to be worth everything.
That wraps up my ERS take-aways! I hope you’ve enjoyed the content I’ve shared with you. I’m preparing a whole new series of articles, posts, and audio that I’ll begin posting soon.
This series will be packed with useable tips and strategies to help you grow your solo business…. and it’s all leading up to a very special “something” I’ve been working on for a while. Newsletter readers always get first dibs, so be sure to sign up so you don’t miss anything! (Sign-up boxes are in the upper right-hand corner of this blog.)
7 Steps For Building A Brand That Matters
As promised, here are Tony Hsieh’s 7 steps for building a brand that matters, from his talk at ERS (Tony = CEO of Zappos.com):
1. Decide. Building a long-term sustainable brand requires more patience with revenue & profits in order to lay the proper foundation. Decide sooner rather than later.
2. Figure out your values and culture. Again, the earlier the better. What are your personal core values? What are the core values of your practice? When your personal values are aligned with your business and everyone supporting you lives by them, things are so much easier. Also: You must be willing to hire & fire based on your core values.
3. Commit to transparency. “Be real and you have nothing to fear,” says Tony. Zappos’ tools for transparency include an extranet for vendors, tours & reporter visits, and (of course!) their very active presence on Twitter.
4. Whatever you’re thinking, think BIGGER. One of Tony’s favorite sayings is “Chase the vision, not the money.” Does your vision have meaning? Tony’s vision of “Delivering Happiness” became meaningful to employees. They all got behind something much bigger than themselves. Result? Explosive growth for Zappos.com.
Focus on “the greater purpose behind the profits.” If you’re doing something you’re passionate about, everyone will see it. And the money will follow.
5. Build relationships. Be interested rather than try to be interesting. There is something interesting about everyone you meet. (Tony also pointed out how even the briefest connections can blossom into something great, even 2 or 3 years down the line.)
6. Build your team. “If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” – African proverb quoted by Al Gore. Hire your support staff slowly, fire quickly. (If that sounds harsh, think of all the people you DON’T get to serve and support because of a poor hiring decision.)
7. Think long-term. It all gets down to repeat clients & customer service. There is no “get rich quick” formula and “overnight successes” are years in the making. It’s all part of your path, both personally and in business.
Elizabeth Purvis, a.k.a. “The Marketing Goddess” mentors extraordinary spiritual women entrepreneurs to 6-figures and beyond.
