Top Ten Takeaways From SHINE 2010

From the amazing networking, to the main stage and breakout sessions, there were many excellent nuggets of wisdom to be had at Ali Brown’s SHINE 2010. Here were the ten that most stood out to me:
1. Decide why you are in business. In other words, what’s your WHY? Is it money, lifestyle, fame, giving back, helping others or perhaps a combination of reasons? Whatever it is, you’re more likely to stay in it for the long haul if you’re connected to your bigger WHY.

2. Evaluate where you are in your business and make your decisions from there. If you’re just starting out, you need to focus on different things than if you’re already established with a full practice. When you’re still building your foundation, it’s important not to get swayed by “bright, shiny object” syndrome. Focus on the basic building blocks before you move on to more advanced strategies. Honor the process and exactly where you are.

3. If you want to be successful you’ve got to get the money handled. You don’t have to be a CPA, but you need to know exactly how much money is coming in and out of your business every single month. You’ve got to track your expenses and be able to read a profit and loss statement. Why would the universe give you more if you can’t take care of what you’ve already got?

4. Take action. You can talk and strategize all day long, but if you don’t actually implement, you will never be successful. Money loves momentum.

5. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. You’ve got to be willing to put yourself in new situations – some of which might make you feel rather uncomfortable at first. Yet that feeling of discomfort is a signal that you’re growing and probably moving to the next level in your business. Be willing to take chances and try something new.

6. Create systems. The most successful entrepreneurs learn how to delegate those tasks that aren’t the best use of their time and genius. They do this by creating systems – financial, client services, operations, etc. – that others can use and implement over time. Start small and select one area of your business to focus on at a time. Write down each step and the exact process (saving emails and templates along the way) and save in a computer or hard copy file so that your team can access at a later date.

7. Branding isn’t optional (yes, I’ve been talking about this for a long time, but it’s worth repeating!) If you don’t craft and create your own powerful personal brand, someone else will do it for you. Your brand is a living, breathing organism that needs nurturing and constant care. Tell your story and show up.

8. Don’t feed the trolls. The more successful you become, the more likely you are to receive criticism. Learn to discern the constructive from the crap. Respect and listen to the former and ignore the latter. Life’s too short to be in a constant state of negative reactivity.

9. Be authentic. Your potential clients want the real you. Use your own voice. Life is full of copies, so dare to be an original. You’ll find that you are able to more easily connect and engage with others when you are coming from a sincere, authentic place.

10. It’s how you make people FEEL that leads them to buy (or not.) Emotions are the cue that makes the brain sit up and take notice. Appeal to your clients’ emotions, find out what’s most important to them and deliver THAT, over and over again. Be an excellent listener, show them how much you care and add value to their lives. You’ll never have to worry about your rent check again.

©Liz Dennery Sanders 2010