Words of Wisdom

Seeing things not for what they are but for what they might be creates opportunities.

- Carolyn Kepcher, fwm

One of the things we love most about what we’re building at fwm is an unparalleled network of expert contributors: authors, speakers, celebrities, coaches and executives who are sought after for their career expertise and insight.

And so, since the Yahoo! Seeds for Success contest has us all thinking about what it takes to create and run a business, we’ve asked a handful of these experts to share their words of wisdom with you on the topics of entrepreneurship, fulfilling your dreams, and truly thriving while striving.

From holdups and holdouts to deals and developments, entrepreneurship is a world unto itself -- and can best be enjoyed and conquered in the company of supportive peers and wise mentors. We hope you’ll find fuel for your journey in these…

Take this to heart; your idea came to you and no one is better equipped to make it a reality than you. No matter what happens, know that you have what it takes to be a champion or this idea would not have even occurred to you.

- Tom Volkar, Delightful Work & CoreU.com

Great entrepreneurial minds never go it alone. Seek out mentors in the business area you're interested in. Read every book and article you can get your hands on. Study companies and industries that relate to your idea.Keep sending yourself positive karma but balance that with a healthy dose of idea analysis. Great business ventures spring from well thought out plans and critical thinking.

But don't fool yourself into thinking it's going to be easy. If you're afraid, steer clear of launching your own venture. The path to self-employment and entrepreneurship is often paved with mistakes, missteps, and failure. That's just the way it is, gals. If that doesn't scare the stilettos off of you, then you've got the makings of a true business owner.

- Eve Tahmincioglu, Author, "From the Sandbox to the Corner Office" / Columnist/Blogger, MSNBC.com's "Your Career"and "YourBiz" / Blogger, CareerDiva.net

Never allow fear to stop you from realizing your dreams, there’s a whole new world out there for those willing to step out and take a chance. Follow your passion and your heart and everything will start to fall into place. You never know what magic awaits until you take that first step. You can do it!

- Cynthia Shapiro, The Work Doctor

Think of yourself like a professional athlete. You need to surround yourself with a solid team of coaches, experts, and supporters to achieve your exceptional goals.

- Nina L. Kaufman, Esq., Ask the Business Lawyer & Business Partnership Central

Trust your gut. Often we intuitively know the direction we want to follow well before our brain catches on.

- Pamela Dodd, Internet entrepreneur

Stop being flattered when asked to do business. You have every right to be in the game, play the game, and win!

- Joni Daniels, Power Tools for Women

For those contemplating taking what Thoreau called 'the leap in the dark to our success’, it’s necessary to gather data, including seeking out advice from several sources. Too often, though, you’ll find that people may not be so excited about your idea or may not believe in you. Don’t listen to them. You must know with absolute certainty that you are going to make this thing work, one way or another. Once you have that confidence and determination, nothing will stop you.

- Deb Owen, 8 hours & a Lunch: A Search for Balance and Sanity

While you are pouring energy into your new business, don't forget to drink as you pour. Drink from your well, whether that well is exercise, meditation, spending time in Nature -- whatever replenishes you.

- Judy Martin, Work/Life Monitor

I started my marketing business 20 years ago and, looking back, I remember wondering if I would make it. Here are three things that worked for me. I used affirmations to remind me of what I could do, connected with successful entrepreneurs to inspire me and gave thanks every day for the little victories along the way.

- Tricia Molloy, Author of "Divine Wisdom at Work: 10 Universal Principles for Enlightened Entrepreneurs"

It all started with a window

Quite literally, a window has changed my life.

Upon moving into our new home three years ago, we child-checked and child-proofed every room from top to bottom, as we have three young girls. But we missed the window.

Days later our then 2-year-old, Audrey, pushed the screen and tumbled out, falling three floors to the ground below.

It seemed like an eternity before I reached her. Like running in a dream, my brain was racing but everything else seemed to be in slow motion. The horrors I imagined in my mind prior to reaching her still haunt me.

I am convinced an angel carried Audrey to the ground, because after a full medical evaluation, she left the hospital the next day with only a bruise on her leg.

The whole instance shook me to my very core. And caused me to reevaluate my priorities and my goals in life. The reality of life being fragile caused me to take personal inventory.

Right around that time, Carolyn and I began talking about the importance of building a life that allows for career success and as well as life’s other priorities. It’s something that personally resonates with each of us. We talked about how there’s really no company or brand addressing this growing need among women.

And then, it just became apparent. We needed to start that company.

The rest is history unfolding, in fwm: finding what matters.

To bring things full circle, NBC’s The Today Show aired a segment this past Friday on child safety, during which I had the opportunity to share Audrey’s story with millions of viewers. This is something that is very important to me, as I have a strong desire to help others avoid a similar scare – or, worse yet, a tragedy. The Today Show segment gave me that opportunity.

Amazing how everything works.

And it all started with a window. My daughter was kept safe (a gift for which I will be forever grateful), and I was propelled to a new and more meaningful career and family life.

Have you ever experienced something that has caused you to reevaluate your work and life? Please share.

And thanks for hearing my story. I feel blessed that it’s brought me here, to you.

***

Watch fwm co-founder, Jen Marr, in a featured “child safety” segment on The Today Show.

When the long hours are totally worth it...

The cost of something is the amount of life that you must exchange for it.

I've seen this quote before, but I saw it again this morning while standing in line to pay at my favorite country market. Just being in there puts me in a good mood, because the people who run it have a passion for what they are doing and it shows in every home-made item. And in the lovely quotes they put up on their white board by the cash register.

I've had jobs I loved and I worked a lot of hours at them. When I married, and when I later became a mother, the amount of life I was exchanging for a good job and a good paycheck somehow became too big a cost. I do a different type of work now. In a small way, I am helping to launch fwm. My role isn't the biggest one on the team but like everyone else here, what I do does matter.

I suppose here would be the place in the story where I happily report that I work less hours and have more time with my family. Well, I do. However, that doesn't mean there aren't some weeks that require more hours--there are. I'm happy to work them. Why? Didn't I leave that all behind? I'm happy to work those hours because we're building something here that matters and because this work fits perfectly into my life (I do a portion of it from a home office).

Carolyn and Jen have had big jobs and worked tons of hours, too. And now they have big jobs and work tons of hours. What's the difference? Fwm is theirs and they are building it with a passion and dedication that differs from other kinds of work.

You entrepreneurs know what this is--so tell us about it. Did it come as a surprise to you that you have had to work some unbelievable hours to build your business? Is the cost worth it to you?

5 hugs a day. and other little-big things that matter.

My dad always has said that everyone should get and give at least 5 hugs a day.

I grew-up believing that’s true. And I still do. To that end, I am one of the least-restrained huggers you’ll ever meet. (Although I’ve learned that unsolicited hugs freak some people out, so I’m respectful of that.)

My point? Hugs matter. As much as – if not more than – other “high profile” priorities, like submitting the quarterly report on time, getting the kids to soccer practice, and cleaning out the garage every spring (although, admittedly, that feels really good).

On his blog, The Simple Dollar, fwm contributor and financial expert, Trent Hamm, wrote a recent post about this very thing, called The Things Money Can’t Buy. It’s a great read. And a great perspective – especially from someone who spends his days focused on finances.

Hugs are quick, free, easy. Yet, for their small effort, they impart a significant worth on those who give and get them. I know. I grew-up with parents who gave them freely, and often. Because it mattered to them to do so. And today, it matters to me.

So tell me – what little-big thing(s) matter(s) to you?

Surviving Launch Anxiety

A few years ago I read that the latest savvy business trend was to "go green" and I immediately came up with the idea of creating eco-friendly, reusable grocery bags. After Googling my idea I found that other people were already banking on it, but I also discovered that the bags that existed were expensive and not accessible to every market. So I did some more research, drafted a business plan, and started calling suppliers to figure out how I could provide a similar product for less. My plan was to create colorful polypropylene bags with large white figures that would serve as canvasses for children to decorate. Parents everywhere would display their kids’ creations while saving the planet and there would also be an interactive website to teach children about the environment.

But I never went through with my idea because I experienced launch anxiety. You know the feeling: that something will go wrong and everyone will know. I was paralyzed with what ifs. It seemed like everyone I told my idea to would either laugh or question the need for such a product. At the time, I thought my decisions needed a seal of approval from everyone else. I was afraid of the embarrassment that I would feel if things didn’t go according to plan and they asked, “What ever happened to that bag business you were planning?” I always knew my idea was a great one, but I made the big mistake of thinking that everyone had to agree. If I planned on doing it all by myself, why did I care so much what everyone thought? I was afraid of failing and being stuck at square one again for everyone to see.

These days I want to be a writer and that launch anxiety is slowly creeping up on me again. With college graduation quickly approaching I have to make career decisions pretty soon. I know I have plenty of choices like freelancing, editorial work, or writing for public relations; but I always have that gut feeling telling me to proceed with caution. Every time I want to sit down and write clips I wonder: can I really make a living as a writer? What experience do I have that might encourage anyone to care about what I have to say?

I still don’t know the answers to these and many questions, but I know that every day I wake up and I want to write about something. This is my calling. So I’ve decided to just listen and take small steps everyday. My mentor says that fear is a good thing and anyone who has ever achieved great success has gone through what I’m feeling. I know she’s right so I’m going to try to ignore my anxiety as much as possible and take small steps for my career every day.

Have you ever experienced launch anxiety? What helped you cope with the feeling? I’d love to hear about how being nervous or afraid of the unknown affected your career path and helped you keep going.

Working From Home: My Four Biggest Time-Wasters

OK, first off: the good news. Working full-time from home is great. On rainy days, you can't beat the commute. On sunny days, I pull my laptop onto my terrace and feel nothing short of smug. However, I've discovered the hard way that there are many pratfalls you need to look out for, lest you want to be working from home well into the night.

What is my biggest pratfall of all? I bet you can guess. Time-wasters. Here are the biggies:

* Personal phone calls. I have discovered that some people equate working from home with not really working at all. As such, I have fielded many a long, involved personal phone call at, oh, 10:30 on a Monday morning. Next thing I know, it's noon. I have found the solution to be as simple as it sounds - Caller ID. If it's not work-related, I call back on my lunch hour. No exceptions. I've become hyper-vigilant about this, and noticed a big difference.
* Unexpected Visitors. A friend of mine is an artist who lives six blocks away. Thursday is his designated day off, where he does errands and likes to catch up with friends. The first couple of times he stopped by unannounced, I felt it was important to show I could be spontaneous and take advantage of my work-from-home freedom. Next thing I knew, it was 10:00 pm and I was racing towards a deadline. The truth is, you need to be disciplined, not spontaneous, for working from home to really work.
* Email. Perhaps the toughest time waster of all. Many corporations ban internet email, and that's a smart move if you ask me. Without coworkers to banter with, I often look to email as an opportunity to connect with people in a limited, time effective way. I don't feel a need to reply to every email, and save prolonged communications for the weekend. Does anyone out there have strategies for effectively limiting your email? I'm all ears!
* The Ellen Degeneres Show. OK, this is one rule I learned hard and fast. No TV. Never. Ever. I watch the Ellen Degeneres Show on vacation, and it's all the sweeter.

Working from home has pros and cons. You'll work much harder than you ever imagined (time is money), and it can be lonely. But if it's what you want, it is so worth it. I'd love to hear your stories of working from home. Is it all you thought it would be?

a personal inventory is good for (your) business

“What are your strengths and weaknesses?” I think it’s safe to say this scores right up there as one of the Most Over-Used and Under-Performing Interview Questions Ever. In fact, fwm expert contributor Karen Burns touches on this in a recent piece on interviewing on her fabulous blog, Working Girl.

However, taking an inventory of your strengths and weaknesses is a great personal exercise that can serve you well. fwm community member Sookie brought this up recently, in response to our Roundtable: Starting a Business blog post. She wrote:

One of the first things I did to start my business was research, then hire the professionals in those areas I couldn't do or understand. I am one person who only can wear so many hats, so I found my strong points and hired for my weak points.

You’re one smart cookie, Sookie (c’mon – can you blame me?). I agree with you wholeheartedly: it’s important to know where your vulnerable spots are, and make sure they’re covered. In fact, in my first book I described my inventory-taking as an insurance policy.

What do you think?

Have you used a personal inventory to help round-out your weak spots? Are you intrigued enough to give it a try?

Chime in. I’m interested in finding out where you land on this topic.

Purpose.

Some may not agree with me. But I think more than not do.

I am a firm believer that each of us is gifted with specific talents, and a purpose for which we are to use them. And, to add to that thought, I believe our greatest joys in life come from following those talents, that purpose.

Not that the path is all rosy when we do, but it has meaning. Direction.

Certainly, I’ve wandered off my path more often than not. But I guess my point is that, when I’m on the path, I know it. And it feels right.

I have talents and a purpose as a mother, a wife, an employee, a friend, a daughter, a sister, an aunt.

And, as pertains to what we’re doing here at fwm, what truly matters to me is finding my gifts and reason for being in each of those roles. And doing my very best to fulfill them.

At the end of the day, that’s what I want my life to stand for.

Little else matters to me.

Recovery Matters

Life has its little annoyances, but few bother me more than The Cliché. Of course, every office has that one person who has a trite expression for every circumstance (“Hey! Working hard or hardly working?”), but that’s a whole other blog post. Today I’d like to muse about one of those times when I must admit that a cliché is absolutely true:

Problems can be opportunities.

There is no arena in which this resounds more than Customer Service. And of course, no matter what your business is, it is likely that you have customers. Every day presents an opportunity to make them happy. Bear this in mind: Every problem presents an opportunity to blow them away with great service. The recovery is far more important than the mistake.

Here’s a small example. I once made an error with a customer (it happens) by promising them a phone call from a higher-up in my company, and then failing to communicate this to said higher up. The customer actually had to get back in touch with me to follow up and see why no one had called! I did two things: sent a genuine apology and promised to make it right. I didn’t make it right, though---I made it better than right. I asked my superior to get his superior (a celebrity and heavy-hitter in business) in on this, which he did, and together they made contact, on a Saturday, and basically showed this customer that she mattered. She saw how we hustled, and she ended up much happier than if I had never made the mistake in the first place.

People expect to be made happy and get what they paid for; it should be the baseline level of service in any organization. Being blown away by great service, however, is different and this is what makes people remember you and tell others about you. Since a happy customer may tell one or two people about their experience and an UNhappy customer will tell an average of ten people, this tells me that we need a new statistic on what happens to those who experience great service in the form of recovery from a mistake or problem. I’ll bet they tell more than one or two people about you.

Since we’re sharing…fair is fair and I’ve told you MY mistake…tell us your great service story! Whether you were the customer or the service provider, we want to hear all about it.

Entrepreneur Webinar with Carolyn; Monday, April 21st at 11AM EST

Interested in being part of a private audience with our own tell-it-like-it-is entrepreneur, Carolyn Kepcher? Here’s an opportunity to do just that.

Carolyn has been invited by the company Carve Your Own Road to lead a live webinar titled: Corporate Trailblazing – The Launchpad for Entrepreneurship.

During this webinar, Carolyn will share ideas re: how to use your corporate experience to help pave the way toward launching your own business.

Providing corporate insight from her years with the Trump organization; entrepreneurial experience from the founding of her own business venture, Carolyn & Co. Media and fwm; and her own perspective on the importance of work/life balance, Carolyn also will be available to answer your related questions.

All you need to participate is online access and a phone. Easy peasy.

Find Out More Details and Sign up!