3 Secrets to Look Younger, Look and Feel your Best and Boost your Confidence

When we Look good, we Feel good and we Do good.

Like anything, of course, we can apply the good, better best multipliers, right? 

Women have an amazing capacity to undervalue ourselves. We place a huge number of limitations on ourselves, and the worst part is we don't even realize it. 

There have been a couple of amazing social experiments in the news recently.

The Dove forensic artist experiment that showed the difference between how people see themselves compared to how others see them. 

The Mrs magic mirror "you are enough" campaign. Where women were asked to rate how they felt about their appearance in what turned out to be an interactive mirror. 

As if we don't have enough self imposed issues, the inevitable effects of time and age start to show and thanks to the media, we feel even smaller and less significant and less worthy the older we get.

And while I hope that these movements continue, and women begin to develop a stronger sense of self worth, I know that even though we know it's wrong, we fall back into those self limiting beliefs easily and quickly.

So what can you do? 

1. Find one simple practice that makes you feel good, make it a habit and turn it into a ritual. This can be something small, but it must be something that you do in gratitude to yourself. Meditation, a cup of tea, read your favorite quote, listen to your favorite song. Daily affirm that you are, in fact enough.

2. Take great care of yourself, the best thing you can do to improve how you look and how you feel is drink water. Plenty of it. Every day. It flushes toxins, it hydrates all of you, and brings back health to your entire body including the biggest organ in your body, your skin. 

3. Invest in a skin care regimen that you love that works for you. Everyone has different skin with different issues and different priorities. Find something that works for you and stick to it. Every day! 

When we feel good, we look good, and we can do more good! 


How would you like to look 10 years younger in 15 minutes without laser or cosmetic surgery, without air brushing or photo-shopping, without makeup contouring tricks? Click here to see for yourself.

Spoil me Silly

This week I write to you from sunny Phoenix. 
I love it when the stars align and things gel together. I have a convention in downtown Phoenix over the weekend, and my parents live in the Phoenix suburbs. I am able to combine a visit with business and through the power of the world wide interwebs, I can even extend my visit to a whole week and work from Phoenix for a couple of days.

Today, we went out for breakfast, did a little shopping, and got massages. 

As adults, we don't get the chance to get spoiled very often, so I'm enjoying my time with my parents and allowing myself to be treated. 

It's not about money or gifts, but just letting someone else take care of things for you when you are normally the care giver, the organizer, the orchestrator is a huge blessing. 

As women, we often have a hard time accepting, heck, most women can't even accept a compliment! 

I'm giving myself the gift of doing just that this week. And it feels GREAT! 

And check out my office! 

 

Why did you do it?

Women business owners and entrepreneurs, why did you do it?


Why did you decide to start your own business? What was your inspiration? What did you hope to gain? What were you trying to get away from?

I think some women entrepreneurs started their business because they dreamed of a better life. 

More financial abundance, more time with their family, vacations, a nicer car and home, more security, more fun, more HAPPINESS.

But MOST women entrepreneurs started because... 

• You wanted to make a bigger difference in the world. 
• You have something to say and want to be heard.
• You have a big vision about the person you want to be.
• You have an image you want to put before your children as an example of the possibilities for future generations of women.
• You were tired of the control of your well being and the security for your family being in belonging to someone else.

You were dissatisfied with something, your previous career, working for others, or a situation or problem in the world. AND you chose, you felt EMPOWERED in some way to change it. You took action. You took a risk.   

And YOU certainly want all those things

more financial abundance
more time with your family vacations 
a nicer car and home more security 
more fun 
more HAPPINESS

But they aren't your why, your motivation, or the thing that gets your juices flowing and your engine roaring.

Please, please share below what was your reason? Why did you do it? I'd love to hear your story and you never know who you're inspiring with your story. Don't forget to share a link to your blog or website so we know how to find you!

3 Secrets to Grow your Business when you Connect

We crave connection. Real person to person connection. We get so bombarded each day with commercials and ads.

All expecting us to hand over our hard earned money without ever actually connecting with us. 

Women, especially, do business based on emotion, rather than logic. Touch her heart and she will practically throw money at you. OK, not literally, but pretty close. More importantly, she will want to support you and help you and can become a fantastic source for lead generation without you ever having to ask.

1. If someone has made an impact on you, personally or professionally, tell them! 
Last week, I felt compelled to drop a short note to my business coach who has profoundly impacted my life. I don't know why, but I'm glad I did. You don't know when what seems to you to be a tiny gesture could mean the world to the person standing next to you or waiting by the phone or sitting at their computer.This was her response:

We are all connected, we are all one community. When that tiny voice tugs at your heart, listen.

2. Be authentic! 

People can sense a phony. Know who you are and what you stand for, and don't compromise because you think your customer or partner will view you more favorably as a result. There are things about you that make you, YOU. Love those things! They make people remember you. Me? I love wine and shoes! People I've met at just a few networking events post to my facebook wall funny sayings about wine or great shoes all the time. That means they are thinking about me. Top of mind is GREAT for business. 

3. When you are making a person to person connection, CONNECT! 

One of the greatest compliments I ever received was from a friend that told me she never feels so truly heard as when she speaks with me.

Have you ever been talking to someone and you can see them looking over your shoulder? Have you ever found yourself formulating your response before that other person completes their thought? 

This includes when you are on social media. Complete your thought, your whole thought with the other person in mind, leaving your agenda at the door.

Remember, touch her heart and she will practically throw money at you.

Feed that craving with our supportive live and online networking community.

What does "Self-Care" mean to you?

Self-Care

We hear this term a lot. As women entrepreneurs and professionals, we have a pretty good idea of what this is supposed to be, right? 

Taking care of ourselves, so that we can be our best, to do all that we do for those around us. Whether that be friends, family, business associates, customers, or the world.

I love the analogy of the oxygen mask on the airplane. Put your own mask on first, before helping others. You can't be of use to those you care most about, if you are compromised.






But this term can mean any of at least a hundred things, if not more. I generally consider myself pretty good at this practice. I manage my stress levels pretty well, I take time to relax and do things that make me feel refreshed and ready to take on the world again.

But there are always things we can do better, right?

When we think of "adding self-care to our routine" we often feel very overwhelmed. We feel like this is going to be one more item on our to-do list that isn't "necessary" or "high priority" and we portion that time for other things. 

I believe, that self-care is very necessary and very high priority. Remember the oxygen mask analogy? We simply cannot do all of the things we want to do, need to do, are meant to do if we are not at our best.





And, I think that "adding self-care to our routine" is much like eating an elephant. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.






So, start with making a list. What are things that constitute self-care to you? My definition: things that make you feel refreshed, refilled, renewed and ready to take on the world again. 

Possibilities: 

• massage
• manicure/pedicure
• facial
• bath
• enjoying your favorite beverage on your deck or patio
• exercise
• clean eating
• chat with your best girlfriend
• a guilty pleasure movie or TV show possibly with popcorn
• a glass of wine, possibly with your best girlfriend or a special someone
• a great dessert
• walk outdoors
• sauna
• steam
• makeover
• retail therapy - a new great outfit or pair of shoes
• time off - vacation or stay-cation
• read a book
• listen to music
• sing out loud
• dance to your favorite song

The list could go on and on and on. My best strategy for eating that elephant is pick no more than 5 things that make you feel refreshed, refilled, renewed and ready to take on the world again. 

At least 1 that is a "big" thing, something you aren't going to do every day or every week, but would be a special treat and schedule that into your calendar no less than once per quarter (3 months) or as much as say once per month. (like a massage, pedicure, facial or vacation)

1 or 2 "medium or small" things, something you can do at least once a month, or as much as once a week. For me one of my top ones is lighting several candles in my family room and watching one of my favorite TV shows with the lights off and candles lit. 

1 to 3 "tiny" things, something you can do at least 3 times as week or as much as every day. Get a really great body lotion you can put on after every shower, pull out that skin care routine, and figure out how to do all of the steps, and DO THEM at least 3 times a week. 

If you try to schedule them all at once, you may feel overwhelmed again. So, once you have your list of 5, add 1 item per week to your schedule for the upcoming 3 month period. If you start with the "big" thing, and work your way to the "tiny" things, they will be much easier to "digest".

I would love to hear your lists. Share in the comments what your 5 items are and if you already have any of them scheduled on your calendar. 

Let's Get Naked

In the world of social media, interesting and uplifting things manage to hit my radar every so often. Last week, it was this great story, song and video by an artist, Colbie Caillat, who I would never have heard of as it's not the kind of music I typically listen to. 

You can read the story, and watch and listen to the video at the link behind the pic. 

It not only inspired me as a powerful message for our young women, and some of the older women I know too, but it really got me to thinking about some of those universal truths.

We have all known girls, had girlfriends, or even sometimes been those girls who were so desperate to be in a relationship that they tried to be something they were not. Not in an effort to be false, or to hide or be dishonest, but innocently enough, just trying to be what "that person" wanted, or what she or we thought "that person" wanted.

I think we all also know that in the end, that is not only unsuccessful for the obvious reasons, but it is also kind of unattractive. 

People know when you're not being your authentic self. Maybe they don't know they know it but they sense it. They sense your genuine self. One of those things I can look back and remember learning quite keenly as an Over 40 Female, is the process of learning to like myself. Really like myself. 

The other thing I learned is that it's pretty unreasonable to ask someone else to like you if you don't actually like yourself. 

And here's the universal truth part - this not only applies to romantic relationships, but also to family, friends and business. 

The more you really like that person in the mirror, and the more you really authentically show up as that person in the mirror, the more attractive you become, on every level. 

Don't get me wrong, you won't see me out too often with no makeup or my hair not done, but I am willing to put myself out there naked now. 

It even inspired me to put together a special event with Chicago Over 40 Females. 

When you're all alone by yourself do you like you?

I wasn't always this way...

Many of you have heard the story of how I became an "entrepreneur", but for those of you that havent...

My life changed when my husband was laid off in 2005 from a corporate job that had made him so depressed he was a completely different person.

We likened the layoff to when a loved one has been really sick for a long time, and they pass away. It's sad, but it's really a relief that the suffering is over.

We decided it was our last best opportunity for him to pursue his life long dream rather than go back to doing what he hated somewhere else.

We took a huge leap and walked away from a 70K+ income and invested another 70K+ in the additional training he needed.

We decided we didn't need to suffer any more.

My husband's happiness was more important than his income or our lifestyle. I didn't know how, but I knew I'd do anything to work it out.

So I started my business alongside my corporate position to supplement our income. I found in helping my husband make his dream come true, I not only found a dream I didn't even know I had, but I figured out that life is supposed to be good and happy.

Every day.

We learned that it is truly never too late to bring your dream to life. At 43 years of age, my husband got hired as a commercial airline pilot!

We learned that anything really is possible!

And we've figured out that life is about each day, making the most of who we are, where we are and most importantly who we are with.

It turns out it wasn't just me experiencing this - we all get so busy living life, that we forget to Live Life.