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How to Get Clients for a New Business

Figuring out how to find potential clients AND how to approach them will help you grow your business fast!

Where can I find CLIENTS?


When people join my Facebook group, Women Taking The Leap, I always ask them “What is your biggest challenge at the moment?” Aside from figuring out what business to start, the answer I receive A LOT is…finding clients!

Acquiring clients is THE MOST important aspect of your business, so I want to share a few tips that you can use for finding more clients and approaching potential clients effectively. Mastering how to find potential clients AND how to approach potential clients will help you grow your business fast!


How to find more clients and approach potential clients effectively


In-Person Networking


This is the most overlooked category!


(I think it's because it's a lot easier to hide behind a laptop and just do some messaging and/or a paid advertisement!)

But the truth is the most EFFECTIVE way to make a sale and interest someone in your business services is to let them see and hear you. This will help them know and TRUST you so much more quickly than those other methods!


A few things you can do include:

  1. Attend Meetup groups.

  2. Start your own Meetup group.

  3. OR, here's a challenge for you…. send out 50 messages to people you already know asking if they know anybody that would be interested in your service! Chances are somebody will know somebody!

When you're starting out, don't discount the beauty and power of meeting face-to-face!


Online Networking


I’m going to break this category into 2 mini tips:


1. Set your focus on relationships

Whenever you see somebody you can connect with, don't automatically think about the sale. Assume they might know a potential client that will need your services! It allows you to approach them in a more personable way instead of trying to turn everybody into a client.

Focus on how wonderful it is to be able to build networks online with people that you wouldn't normally meet in your hometown, and how they may know somebody that needs your services. (You can also be on the lookout for people that would need THEIR services!)

When you come recommended, even if they're just saying, 'Hey! I know a person,' chances are that person is going to put you in a higher category than somebody else they just found online. That’s just basic human nature!


2. Think outside of the box

When you're looking for where your clients would hang out, sometimes the best place to find them is not in a group dedicated just to whatever their problem is.


Here's a good strategy for how to find other places your clients are hanging out:

On the search bar in Facebook, type in “groups joined by people who like,” and then insert the name of a page your audience would be interested in. If you are a health coach, for instance, you can insert “groups joined by people who like” and the name of a Facebook business page of a well-known health coach. Then you’ll get a list of results, and you want to click on “Groups.” Scroll down the list and you’ll probably start noticing some similarities … like maybe those people belong to foodie-type groups.

Let yourself to just be there and be present in some of those groups before you make an offer. It’s really similar to meeting people in person … you don’t want to just walk up to somebody and blurt out your offer before you’ve introduced yourself.

Once you’re ready to make an offer, try to find a way to get them onto the phone. Because if you can't meet with them face to face, you can at least transmit through your voice that you're a person that can be trusted and that knows their stuff! Doing that is much more powerful than messaging back and forth. Take that extra step to get them a little closer to you!

(For more detailed info on making that initial offer and why it’s important to talk on the phone, check out my video The Birthday Cake Strategy for Getting Clients.)

Paid Advertising

I consider this the least effective for people starting out.

Since people can’t see you and speak to you directly and aren't getting that real-time visual and emotional feedback, your messaging has to do all the heavy lifting. That means you need to be SO on-point and perfect in order to capture their attention. And if you’re not at the point where you have really tight messaging and copy, your money can disappear right down the drain.

However, it's not impossible…

You can do some fast testing to figure out what kind of offers and language is important for your customer. Then, you can give them a lead magnet or freebie that's so irresistible to them that they will give you their email address. That will provide you with further opportunities to get them onto the phone, and then have a REAL conversation with a REAL person, which is what this all comes back to in the end!


And now, some straight talk….


So often when people say they’re having problems finding clients or they can't get in front of their clients, the truth is they really are in front of their clients; their clients are EVERYWHERE. The problem is they're not getting their attention!

Those two things are TOTALLY different: finding your clients versus actually capturing their attention.

That's really where the perfect messaging comes into play. (I have a video on messaging you can watch right here!)

Here’s to wowing your audience and turning potential clients into paying clients!


Jenna

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What Kind of Online Business Should I Start? - The Top 3 Online Business Models

I want to share with you three top online business models that have been BIG money makers for my clients…
AND let you know how to decide which is right for YOU!

If you were given a personalized roadmap of EXACTLY what to do and in what order to start a profitable online business, you would do what it takes to get your business up and running in no time. Am I right?!

BUT, when you research tips and tricks, you get an overload of info trying to convince you what the next best thing is to build your business. It can get so overwhelming, especially since…you’ve never done this before!

And so you’re really left scratching your head, asking, “What kind of online business should I start?!

  • Do you sell an info product?

  • Do you become a coach?

  • Do you run a course?


Ugh, too many options!!! How do you get clear about what to do?

I feel you! I remember being there myself.

So, after building a few businesses and having the privilege of helping other people build their businesses, I want to share with you three top online business models that have been BIG money makers for my clients…

AND let you know how to decide which is right for YOU!



Whether you’re passionate about social media or branding or you’re wondering how to set up an online coaching business, at least one of these models will probably work for your business niche. Whether or not they’ll work for you is a different story … really, no two businesses are created equally. It’s all about using your strengths and the market conditions to find the best way forward.  I’ve worked with ALL types of clients, and for each we’ve been able to find an online business model that works for them!

Ready to dive in? Let’s go.



The best online business models of 2019


1-1 Coaching

This is a very popular business model and the one I chose for my current business. It starts with offering 1-1 coaching, transitions to providing group programs, and then shifts into creating courses that run on autopilot (seeing money come in on your phone as your traveling in Bali?! YES PLEASE!)

This model is great for those who are entering a market where coaching is already accepted, who feel ready to learn how to make direct sales, and are really interested in providing stellar quality results for people (you’ll get great testimonials this way, too).

It gives you the flexibility to adjust in real time as you’re working with someone and learning the business. You might not have a huge plan in place in the beginning, but you can course correct as you go!

Once you’re more comfortable with sales and getting clients, this model will generate a good amount of income which will help you jump into other endeavors like paid traffic through Facebook advertising or hiring a team.

A quick caveat: this model has you go through a steep learning phase. To charge premium prices, you really have to get good at knowing exactly what your customer wants and how to have those uncomfortable sales conversations on the phone. Knowing how to tell them why you are THE BEST for the job is key!


Group Programs


My second model begins with offering group coaching, first, then moves into offering 1-1 coaching. You can then transition to creating courses.

The idea is to start a short-term group program that offers very definitive stages and deliverables for your members. For this model, you charge each member less than you would 1-1 coaching but still generate similar revenue since you have a higher volume of clients.

From there, you can seed your offer for 1-1 coaching during the group program and convert a few people into clients for your 1-1 coaching services at the end. This will ease you into the sales process since your clients will have gotten to know you over the course of the program.

This model is good for those who need help getting comfortable with those tough sales convos (we’ve all been there!) and acquiring clients 1-1.

An issue with this model is finding volume traffic if you don’t have a large following (especially in the beginning when you don’t want to be spending on paid advertising). Also, it can be difficult for some people to work in a group. Clients might not speak up as often or contribute as much as they would 1-1. People tend to be more dedicated and work for bigger results when they pay more! You, as the consultant, will also have more to juggle in group settings with answering client questions, keeping engagement up, etc! And lastly, it takes energy to launch a program. You’ll be in heavy sales mode for a couple of weeks and then roll straight into a program, and that can really drain your energy.


Done-for-You Services  


This last model has proven to be SUPER successful for many of my clients.

In this model, you start with Done-for-You services. Instead of coaching your client on how to do a service, you actually DO it for them! Once you have built up solid testimonials you can shift into a consulting phase and from there, start creating courses.

Once you start coaching/consulting for this service, you can take a few different paths.

  1. You can coach those same clients on how to move forward with doing that Done-for-You service.

  2. You can start consulting a whole new set of clients on how to provide that service.

  3. You can teach other up-and-coming service providers how to do the service you’ve been providing.

A few really popular businesses that use this model are web designers, social media managers, and copywriters.

This business model is perfect for people who feel comfortable delivering a result but may not feel as comfortable teaching. Or, their market is hungry for someone to do the service for them, but they do not want to learn how to do it themselves.

It’s NOT ideal for people that find it difficult to deal with people that are demanding and want to see multiple revisions … or if the work itself is tiring when you have to do it over and over again.


Interested in figuring out if one of these business models would be a fit for you and appealing for your potential clients … or if you should do something else entirely?!

Schedule a call with me! We can talk about what steps you need to take to launch your dream biz.

Plus, you’ll get a feel for what it’s like to work with a business coach!


Here’s to getting crystal clear on what kind of online business you should start,

Jenna

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Can't believe I'm on camera doing THAT

Meanwhile, my husband documented the whole thing on his phone… and I really can’t believe he snapped an image of me doing this…

Jenna, Dog and Kid

Ohh I do NOT love having my picture taken!

I spent years as a travel blogger, and from alllll that time there are probably only a handful of photos of me. 

I'm usually the one BEHIND the lens! 

(Big mistake, I now realize in retrospect. If someone's going to be interested enough to check back and follow your adventures, they want to know who's actually having them!)

Even now that I've done more video work, webinars and (eek!) Facebook Lives, and spent time coaching myself through the discomforts of being visible and putting myself out there, it still feels ... weird ... to plaster my face all over my website. 

But that's exactly what I was up to all afternoon yesterday as we prepare to update The Uncommon Way...

Not just getting photographed, but getting pictures IN MY HOUSE! With my dog, and my baby ... and all my STUFF.

At times I felt my mind wandering down a dark path (People will judge me!), so I took a deep breath and a sip maybe three of wine, and focused my thoughts on the amazing opportunity it is to open up, show the real me (spoiler: travel obsessed), and thereby find common ground with people I've never even met in states and countries far away.

And you know what? Thinking of it that way actually made it ... kinda fun. Who knew?! 

Meanwhile, my husband documented the whole thing on his phone ...

...making sure to capture all the living room furniture moved around...

...and me juggling a baby that refuses to be put down and a puppy that still gets jealous...

...until those times when the baby really wants nothing to do with me because there are LEMONS within arm's reach!

...and I really can't believe he snapped an image of me doing this ... but it was too funny not to share with you all.

So yes that's me, smearing mayonnaise on my orchid plant. Because there's absolutely nothing better for making those leaves look super green and glossy. (Credit for this secret goes to my German landlord.)


And there you have it. The kind of things that will never make the final cut for the new website...

Here's to turning the lens on yourself,

Jenna

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Afraid you're not cut out to be an entrepreneur? Read this.

So there was this girl who wanted to escape the soul-sucking 9-5 life that she saw her parents and everyone around her living. And then one day she got fired.

So there was this girl.

More than anything she wanted to escape the soul-sucking 9-5 life that she saw her parents and everyone around her living. And then one day, she got fired.

“This is it! THIS is going to become my rags-to-riches story, where I pull myself up from my lowest low and launch that amazing business and never ever have another J-O-B!”

Except ... it didn’t happen.

 

Before long she was waiting tables, struggling to pay bills, scrambling to find another 9-5 (ANY 9-5!) ... and that business never got off the ground.

Which made her feel like crap. 

She cried over it, thinking maybe she just wasn’t cut out to be an entrepreneur …. Maybe she’d only ever be a worker bee, taking orders from somebody far less talented and thinking about what might’ve been...

Fast forward a few months, and she’s making more in her business than she ever did in her job. She loves her work, her clients love her ... it’s a total frickin’ love fest.

And here’s what changed...

 

She stopped trying to do it all on her own and got a COACH that could show her exactly what steps to take in the right order.

Now she no longer thinks it’s about character / savvy / luck / grit / passion etc. etc. etc.

It’s about having the right tools. (And then yes, also about grit and all ... but mostly about the guidance and support.)

 

If this is anything like you...

...If you’re doubting that you have what it takes

...If you think maybe it’s something to do with YOU

...If you think those people that are ‘doing it’ did it all on their own without outside help

 

Don’t.

 

Your dreams CAN happen, and every single one of us totally non-special people that have said goodbye to our jobs is living proof.

Find a coach / mentor / circle of friends that have “done it.” Get that support and get it DONE! Because it’s totally possible. And it’s killing us to see you think that it’s not.

-Jenna

P.S. This is the true story of a client, but it can be your story if you just do one simple thing: schedule a time when we can talk about exactly what you need to do, in what order. (Or message me on Facebook ... it's all good!) ​

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My sleazy Hollywood director story

On a breezy summer afternoon, I was walking home from my corporate job in New York Cit, completely lost in thought. A man came running up from behind me…

On a breezy summer afternoon I was walking home from my corporate job in New York City, completely lost in thought.

A man came running up from behind and stopped me. He was an Academy-Award-winning writer and director, and he wanted to cast me in a movie with Leonardo DiCaprio.

Everything about what I just wrote is true, except probably the part about him wanting to cast me.

 

When we finally met up to discuss it in a ritzy midtown hotel bar (our afternoon meetup at Starbucks got postponed when his flight was mysteriously delayed), what ensued were hours of debate about why I wouldn’t accompany him upstairs to a hotel room so we could begin working through the character development in private, immediately. I needed to “get raw” and “vulnerable,” and how could I possibly draw on the innermost parts of myself in this public setting?

Until the recent slew of allegations about producer Harvey Weinstein it never occurred to me that perhaps I could’ve or should’ve reported his behavior. In addition to bringing up this old memory, the stories in the news have me and many others reflecting deeply on the nature of predatory behavior and how we react when confronted with it … and not for the first time.

Like so many other women, this wasn’t an isolated incident in my life, nor was it my worst. I’ve got flasher stories. Cosby-esque stories. Prank caller stories. Grab-‘em-by-the-pussy stories. Inappropriate clergy and authority figure stories. And the list goes on.

So what does all of this have to do with The Uncommon Way?

 

Uncommon decisions and uncommon acts of courage.

 

It’s worth recognizing that people who choose to speak up and speak out in any context are making a brave and uncommon choice.

Most of my stories went completely unreported. Sometimes I thought no actual crime had been committed, or it wasn’t bad enough, or it was just part of the culture I was visiting. Sometimes I never really got a good look at the person, or questioned my own agency, or felt ashamed or fearful or exhausted. I also internalized the “boys will be boys” messages all around me, especially in my younger years.

Which it turns out is all very, very common … and predators bank on it. In the aggregate, we know it’s what emboldens them to continue preying on other people down the road. But when it comes to our individual stories, it’s not always so easy to see black and white.


Let’s step back even one step further.

 

We need to recognize that silence emboldens every person or group that tries to assert power in any context. There’s a corollary with even the most benign forms of suppression in society. No matter how much we recognize that, say, peer pressure is collectively detrimental, how often do we actually speak up in the moment that it’s occurring?

Life is a series of decisions. And each time you choose the discomfort of speaking up and using your voice, you help turn something that’s uncommon into something more everyday. You make the world better, less afraid, safer, and richer.

For every time you’ve made the uncomfortable decision to speak up, thank you. And if there’s something going on in your life for which you’re considering doing so now, I’m behind you 100%.

 

Here’s to taking uncommon stands,

Jenna

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2 steps to master your to-do list

To list, or not to list? After all, they can make you less productive… but if done right, they can help you be happier and more free.

To list, or not to list? 

Last week I pointed out that to-do lists can actually make us less productive. If you’re a compulsive list-maker like me, that’s pretty deflating.

On the one hand, you need some way to get the thousand ideas, projects and tasks floating around in your head into some sort of organizable format. A girl needs her clear mental feng shui, after all.

But on the other, you don’t want to feed a habit that makes you feel worse about yourself and reduces your performance, regardless of the dopamine goodness you get in the short-term.

Luckily, there’s a way to have it all. And it only involves two simple steps, both of which will make you happier in life and less overwhelmed if you just stick with them.

 

A quick caveat

 

These steps are deceptively simple. In reality, this might be one of the hardest things you’ll do. In fact, it’s what most of my clients struggle the most to implement.

Why? Because you have to reward yourself for the things that you do each day,even when you’re not sure you did enough.

And focusing on the positive doesn’t come naturally to us, as I also pointed out last week.

The good news is that this works. It gets you out of the future tense and into the actionable present in a manageable way.

Remember those days of coming across old lists with projects that still haven’t been accomplished? No longer your problem.

 

Making friends with your list

Ok, ready for the steps? Here they are:

 

1. Prioritize (aka whittle it waaay down):

So you’ve got 20 items on your list and you just know that today’s the day you’re going to knock them all out? I love the enthusiasm, but it’s a) probably unrealistic and b) certainly unsustainable.

Instead, prioritize your top 1 to 3 tasks. Do it at the end of the workday or the end of the workweek, so that when you start the day you can look and see exactly what’s ahead without getting consumed by everything else you coulda-woulda-shoulda been doing.

(You’ll probably still think of other to-dos. That’s ok. Quickly add them to your master list and forget about them. You can check out your master list at the end of the day – or week, if you have a more advanced practice – when you re-prioritize.

And if you find that some items linger on your list and never really become a priority? Say adiós. This is about slowing down and returning to the fundamentals, not accumulating mental clutter that weighs you down.)

 

2. Celebrate

Once you’ve completed your 1 – 3 tasks, reward yourself. You’ve accomplished what you set out to do and are proving you can count on yourself. If you keep this up, imagine the real progress you’ll have made in a year….

Curl up with a new book, meet a friend for a martini, splurge on a sitter for the kids or a dog walker for the furbaby … it doesn’t really matter how you choose to reward yourself. I like to set up small celebrations on the daily followed by something extra special at the end of the week.

You’re developing a positive feedback loop, and that will help you way more in the long run than whatever extra 3 or 5 or 10 things you might’ve done today.

 

This might happen…

In the beginning, don’t be surprised if you conveniently “forget” to celebrate, or if every bone in your body is lamenting the stupidity of the exercise given that you’ve ONLY done 3 things and there’s so much else you should be doing!!!

Don’t give up. It can take weeks to form a habit, and you need to get to the point where you’re on autopilot. After that you’re free to customize at will … maybe you’ll find that 5 tasks is your magic number, or 2.

What you’re looking for is consistency, the discipline to celebrate your progress, and the power (someday soon) to shake off overwhelm.

 

Here’s to becoming happier and freer on your journey,

Jenna

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What neuroscience says about your to-do list

What if to-do lists actually made you less productive? Could you kick the habit?

I’ve got to confess: Even though I know better now, if I stop paying attention I slip right back into my old ways.

I’m a hoarder ... a hoarder of to-do lists.

They turn up everywhere – upstairs, downstairs, in drawers, tucked in journals, falling out of pockets, divided among countless sticky notes….

But how can I stop?! I get such a rush when things get out of my head and onto paper. It’s like feng shui for the mind.

And don’t even get me started on the joy of actually crossing something off….

 

But even though it’s a short-term high, the latest research tells us that to-do lists tend to make us less productive by negatively affecting performance in the medium and long run.

(Noooo!!!)

It turns out that we love to-do lists because we get a rush of dopamine every time we cross something off. Those dopamine hits are très addictive - like warm chocolate croissants from Starbucks.

 

Unfortunately, we tend to put way more onto those to-do lists than we can reasonably accomplish.

And the effect of NOT crossing things off our lists – or worse! watching our lists continually grow longer, rather than shorter – makes us feel even worse than we did before we made the list.

 

What ends up happening is that a negative feedback loop forms:

  • We feel loss over the lack of dopamine

  • We focus on what we DIDN’T do, rather than what we DID accomplish, and feel overwhelmed by everything there is to do

  • We decide there’s something wrong with us (we’re lazy, we lack discipline, we’re too scattered)

  • Subconsciously, we’re less inclined to tackle future projects because we know we end up feeling bad about ourselves. It’s so much easier to get a quick hit of dopamine from social media or some other source!

 

(All of this is completely human and completely logical. We’re wired to pay more attention to the negative situations in our lifex (after all, they’re more life-threatening than positive situations) and then avoid them at all costs!)

If this even remotely rings a bell, then hang tight. I’ve got a solution for you coming next week that will show you how to have your lists but keep crossing things off like a badass, too.

 

Here’s to getting your projects off of paper and out into the world,

Jenna

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THIS basketball tip can help you beat overwhelm

As the sport’s greatest players will tell you, there’s one thing you should never lose sight of (and it’s about more than just basketball).

Even as the buzzer sounded with a 92-73 upset, there were still a few fans left waving their country’s flags forlornly in the stands.

It was as if they were hoping for a last-minute miracle and their bodies had gone into shock rather than accept the truth:

The tiny island of Puerto Rico had just beaten the United States in basketball at the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

Prior to this moment, the United States had won 109 of their 111 Olympic games. Since 1992, when pro players were first allowed on the team, they had been completely undefeated.

Nobody had expected this.

So What Happened?

The analysis began before the game even ended, with opinions flying back and forth faster than the balls themselves. When the dust settled, one thing was clear:the Puerto Rico team had a better grasp of the fundamentals.

Puerto Rico played like a team, careful and steady, rather than a bunch of individual superstars. They took their time, they passed, they guarded, and they scored. Mentally, they were resilient and positive despite what seemed like overwhelming odds.

The United States team hadn’t spent much time practicing together. They slumped and pouted. They argued with referees, they failed to pass the ball during important plays and they rushed to the basket for a slice of limelight … only to miss the shots over and over.

 

Returning to the Fundamentals

Lots of factors contributed to the difference between players, but the one worth pointing out here is the decreasing time that U.S. players were spending at amateur levels before moving into professional careers.

It turns out that all those boring drills and practice games and mental maturation and sacrificing for the team … actually made people better players in the long run. Go figure.



What’s This Got to Do With Us?

It’s natural to be seduced by ‘shiny objects,’ whether that’s…

… a seemingly direct path to the basketball hoop

… a new business practice guaranteed to make you mega-money mega-quickly

… or any of a hundred to-dos that promise to make you a better human, partner, parent, gardener, chef, athlete, etc.

Usually we try to take on too many of those new tactics, often before we’re ready, and they don’t lead us to the Promised Land.

Instead, they just lead to overwhelm. Before you know it, your path to the hoop is blocked by three towering opponents, you frantically try to pass, but the ball gets intercepted.

 

Try This Instead

Slow down.

Do one thing at a time.

Master your current set of skills before upping your game with something new.

 

There’s a really distinct energy when you approach things this way.

When you’re overwhelmed, trying anything and everything, you feel frazzled. Maybe you don’t feel like you’re good enough, or maybe you feel like you’re better than those around you. Either way, there’s a sense of lack – and maybe even frustration or anger – that’s driving your actions.

When you take time to master the fundamentals, you make sure you’ve covered the basics first. Then, because you know your boundaries and priorities so well, you feel like you've accomplished what you set out to do at the end of the day. There’s a sense of fulfillment.

 

And Then a Funny Thing Happens

Out of that sense of contentment comes a tiny little nudge … of curiosity, of change, of excitement. Like a college MVP moving onto the pros, it’s time for the next phase.

Chances are, there are parts of your life that can be put on auto-pilot because they’ve become absolutely fundamental to who you are and how you do. If not, maybe they no longer serve you and you’ll want to retire them.

Either way, it frees up space, and into that space flows our basic human impulse to grow, strive, and expand.

And that’s the place where true superstars are born.

 

Here’s to getting back to what really counts,

Jenna

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Commitment Support at The Uncommon Way Commitment Support at The Uncommon Way

THIS is your practice now

We have so many routines in our day… is your most important work one of them?

Have you stopped to think about how much time you spend on routines?

We brush our teeth, walk the dog, check email, and watch our favorite shows. We meet up with friends, head to the gym or go for a run, and maybe even meditate.

Yet so often, we don’t find time for our deepest work. (When I say ‘work,’ I’m referring to the thing that you’re driven to contribute in the world.)

 

Your Practice

In yoga, there’s lots of reference to “your practice.” Sometimes people think it refers only to the physical poses you do during yoga class, but it’s more than that.

 

ANYTHING can be your practice. (In fact, everything can be your practice.)

Just getting yourself onto your yoga mat can be the practice! Brushing your teeth can be a practice (it demonstrates your commitment to personal hygiene). Watering your geraniums can be a practice (it reflects your dedication to nurturing or creating a pleasing home).

All that matters is that you show up and do it.

 

It’s a psychological and even spiritual transformation of the mundane and tedious. Whatever you commit to – whether daily or weekly – should have a reason, and it should make you proud.

 

Your Practice, Take 2

Today I’d like to send a loving reminder that your work is your practice now.

Those “urgent” things that you tell yourself to finish before you begin your work? Not your practice. Doing things for others, when you know your own work is neglected? Not your practice. Keeping up to the minute on your social media feeds? Not your practice.

If you feel short on time, there are so many things you can let slide. Even if you used to commit to them diligently, they have served their purpose and can be retired.

Once you feel the call to tap into your creativity and contribution, you have found your practice.

It doesn’t matter if the way doesn’t seem clear. It doesn’t matter if there’s a hurdle you’d rather avoid. It doesn’t matter if you’re scared. And it doesn’t even matter how much you do on a given day. 

All that matters is that you show up and practice, today.

 

This is your time,

Jenna

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Are you willing to pay rent for what you want?

Once there was a man who decided to live life by one simple motto. Ever since I met him, I’ve been fascinated by his story.

Once there was a man who decided to live life by the motto that “It’s better to be fooled than be suspicious.”

If someone took advantage of his trust, he brushed it off and reasoned that his loss was simply ‘rent.’

Rent on what?

On his ideals, on his faith in human nature. He figured it would cost him more to live life as a suspicious person, cutting himself off from opportunity, than to live openheartedly and pay the occasional cost, i.e. rent, to maintain his convictions.  

 

Ever since I first encountered him (he’s a character in the E.M. Forster novel Howard’s End, by the way), I’ve been fascinated by his story.

While I’m a big fan of setting boundaries, I’m an even bigger fan of taking risks.

What about you?

 

… Is there something you’ve been holding back on, because you fear the consequences?

What, exactly, have you got to lose? Will it be as devastating as you might be imagining, or is it merely a rent payment? Maybe what you’re doing is far more costly than a little rent payment now and then.

…Or did you try something in the past, only to get burned?

Maybe you need to stop being so hard on yourself, brush it off as a simple rent payment, and get back to living your life.

 

As we head into fall, often one of the most productive times of the year, it’s worth thinking about your choices. 

Will you go for it, or hold yourself back?

 

Here’s to calculated risks,

Jenna

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