Three Reasons to Work Through the Holidays

I hope that your holiday season is going beautifully. Were you thinking of taking the rest of the year off? Here are a few reasons why you shouldn't.


- Your prospects are available.

Most people are enjoying a few days off between now and the new year. If you've had trouble reaching Jack and Jill, chances are, they are taking it easy and catching up on the things that they haven't had time to take care of before. And that's where you come in.

With everyone else on vacation, your prospective client has a moment or two to speak with you. Give them a call and gift them with the solutions that they are looking for this season.


- The focus is on the new year.

It's the end of 2010. Everyone is talking about what they want their 2011 to look like. If you're an event planner, tap into Jill's need to have the wedding of the summer. Are you a fitness coach? Now is the right time to help Jack work out a plan to get into shape before his 40th birthday. People are ready to make a change and take action.

- You have to create your own 2011 plan.

There is nothing worse than sleeping through the holidays and waking up to find yourself ankle deep in a new year with no idea of where you're going or how to get there. Use some of this quiet time to design your own blueprint for success. The better organized and efficient you are in your business, the better you can serve others through it.

Adrienne Adams is an author and business coach. She is passionate about helping women earn an income doing what they love to do -- and are probably already doing for free!

Would you like more information? Visit www.itsnotenoughtodream.com

Rest! Reflect! Renew!

"Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening my ax." Abraham Lincoln

Seasons Greetings!

I am just back from an absolutely wonderful cruise vacation. Meals, housekeeping, child care, entertainment...my every need was met against the backdrop of clear skies, blue waters, and beautiful sunsets. It was my own little piece of--dare I say--heaven. The pics haven't quite completed their journey from teenager's digital camera to hubby's computer to my inbox, but I'll be sure to post a few next week.

I'd like to encourage you all to take a few days away from doing and just be. It's important that you leave your responsibilities, otherwise, you'll feel inclined to take care of them. This could mean staying at a friend's house for the weekend, checking into a hotel, or sending the kids to stay with auntie or the grandparents for a few days. Turn off your phone and hide the laptop from yourself. I didn't take a computer on the cruise and cell phone roaming fees would have been ridiculous, so I wasn't tempted to take care of any business at all.

Vacations aren't optional. They are necessary. We become dull with use and have to spend some time sharpening ourselves. Be sure to take at least a weekend as soon as you can. Below are some ideas for how you can spend your free time.

Rest.
- I spent the first day and a half of our trip being thankful and just relaxing. Eating. Sleeping. Inhaling. Exhaling. Enjoying my family without having to worry about housework, schoolwork, or a hectic schedule. Don't do anything, just be.

Reflect.
- As entrepreneurs and go-getters,our minds are often on overdrive and there is only so much resting that we can do. Once the thoughts and ideas start to creep in, write them down. If you're inspired to do something new, it's good to jot down an outline or strategy that you can implement when you return. Have you had a particular problem? There were some things that I prayed about and turned over and over in my mind until I received a solution.

Renew.
- Do you desire to be a better person? A better parent or spouse? Do you have business goals that you want to meet? Chances are, you vowed to do something a year ago, or a few years ago, and have fallen off the wagon. Renew your vow! Be true to yourself about what you need to do and then learn more about how you can get it done. I brought along a book and read a couple of chapters each day.

Take some time for yourself and come back sharper than ever!

Adrienne Adams is an author and business coach. She is passionate about helping women earn an income doing what they love to do -- and are probably already doing for free!

Would you like more information? Visit www.itsnotenoughtodream.com

Business & Balance

At our monthly tea this past Saturday, we had a great group discussion sharing the business habits that we are going to carry into 2011 and searching for alternatives to the things that we'd rather leave behind.

In a room full of women, with most of us being job-and-household-and-family-and-business juggling moms , it's no wonder that we spent some time discussing how we can better balance it all in the new year.

Here are a few tips to keep all of the balls in the air at once.

Define your new normal.

Accept that your situation has changed. If it used to take you twenty hours a week after working your day job to take care of home and family and now that you've started your business, you only have five hours a week...something has to give. Maybe you can use the crockpot and paper plates a few times each week to cut down on a messy kitchen. Perhaps hubby can get the kids ready for bed at night and fold the laundry. This new season of your life calls for a new plan.

Set limits.

It's very easy to renege on the schedule that you set for yourself. "I'll just finish cleaning up this room," or "I'll just make a few more phone calls" can easily turn into moving all of the furniture around in the house or working very late into the night. These extreme actions in one area leave you lacking in another and scrambling to make up for it the next day. Learn how to complete the task, be satisfied with the accomplishment and move on to the next thing. Between family and friends, there will be enough pressing issues that get you a little off track from time to time. Maintain the schedule when you can and it will help in the long run.


Live in the moment.

You are more effective when you are focused. Reading emails while watching a movie with the family takes away from the family time. What would it be like if everybody in the room was doing it? Inform close friends of your at home "work" hours. You can't talk to them any more after work than you could during the day. You're busy. Give your company the respect that it deserves. Multi-tasking is not always a good thing.

Happy Holidays! May your upcoming year be 2011 times better than your last!

Adrienne Adams is an author and business coach. She is passionate about helping women earn an income doing what they love to do -- and are probably already doing for free!

Would you like more information? Visit www.itsnotenoughtodream.com

Are you google-licious?--Three Things Entrepreneurs Can Learn From Google

It seems fitting that Labor Day signals the start of a new work season. The kids go back to school and adults say goodbye to the long days of summer, hunkering down and keeping busy until more vacation time with the family rolls around during the winter holiday season.

In business, being busy doesn't always mean progress. We can get stuck in 'busy mode,' and our efforts don't yield results. How many times have we researched the same thing over and over again? Edited and re-edited an article? Planned an event until we couldn't plan anymore?

Upon coming back from the long weekend, I was at a loss as to what I should write about. I headed to Google's homepage to do a search for one reason or another and was instantly entertained by a 'google ' of colorful bubbles. And then. It hit me.

Here are three things that entrepreneurs can learn from Google to ensure that their labor is productive. Enjoy!

--- Be YOUnique. It keeps people coming back to see what you're doing next.
Okay. I know that I'm not the only one who checks out Google during the holidays to see how they've managed to manipulate their letters to make a cool picture. We lose something when we try to be like someone else. Whatever flair, talent, know-how, or individuality that you possess, use it! It helps you to stand out from the pack. People remember when you do something well. They also remember when you do something different.

---- Get involved.
So, this is tied to the really cool pictures. Google partnered with the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum and started a competition called Doodle 4 Google. Talented students K-12 had the opportunity to enter and have their drawing displayed on Google's homepage. The winner this year received a $15,000 college scholarship, a netbook computer and a $25,000 technology grant for a new computer lab at her school. We reap what we sow. Giving is essential.

---- Diversify.
I've had a Gmail account for some years now. I also have a Google Voice number. My sister loves her Google Chrome toolbar and is trying to sell me on Google Talk. You get the point, I'm sure. Offer your clients a service or product. Make sure it's great. Then, figure out what else they need and offer it. Make sure that's great too. Repeat. Multiple income streams are what millionaires are made of.


Visit us at www.itsnotenoughtodream.com where we encourage women in entrepreneurship and faith!

School is in Session!

'Tis the season for kids to head back to school. But children aren't the only ones that need to keep learning. Being teachable and trainable is a must for entrepreneurs. Below are a few things that you can do to make sure that your company makes the grade!

- Take a class.

Are you up to date with the latest information in your field? Perhaps there is a more efficient way to do things that you should be studying. It's important to keep looking for ways to set you apart from your competition and to provide the best products and services possible.

- Join an association, club, or networking group.

There is absolutely nothing like being in the presence of like-minded people who help you to be a better you. Exchange ideas. Start a mastermind group. Partner and host events together. Make sure that you are around those who encourage you to go higher and higher.

-Read. Read. Read.

Some things never change. Reading is still fundamental. There is no point in reinventing the wheel. Everything that you desire to do, someone else has done and succeeded. Read an autobiography to learn how they did it. The entrepreneurial road can get rocky sometimes. Read a self-empowerment book to keep your spirits up. Don't have time to attend a class? Read a how-to book to master a new technique.

Implementing these easy tips will ensure that you reach the next level of business success!


Adrienne Adams a mom of five and president of the It's Not Enough to Dream Women's Small Business Circle. She helps everyday women go from dreaming a dream to creating their futures.

To learn more about how she can help you, visit www.itsnotenoughtodream.com and schedule a membership appointment.

Morning Cup of Inspiration: Moms--- Turn Excuses Into Something You Can Use

I am a wife. I'm also a mother of five. My days are filled with cleaning, running errands, paying bills and driving the children to and from their various extracurricular activities. Evenings will find me doing laundry, cooking, helping with homework, combing hair and preparing to do it all over again the next day.

I know what it's like to be sitting on a vision, and not be able to work toward it because we're bogged down with the responsibilities of everyday life. I've gotten over the hump. You can too. Read on to learn how you can easily turn those excuses into something that you can use.


--I don't have the time.

We choose how we spend our time. We make the time to do daily tasks. It's three times as important that we make the time to do what needs to be done so that we can get ahead.

When I first began to write my business plans into my daily schedule, some things had to go. A few times a week, I wouldn't turn on the television or pick up the phone because I would researching or writing. I did it until it became a habit and now, I have to make myself sit down and watch a television show. Each time that I sat down to work on what is now my completed novel, I would remind myself that I was spending time working on something that would add value to my life and as a result, the lives of my husband and children. It's important that we break out of the day-to-day monotony and make it a point to dedicate time to those things that will enrich our lives.

Positive Affirmation: What I'm spending my time on is positively impacting the lives and future of myself and my family.


--I don't have the money.

"Empty pockets never held anyone back. Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that." --Norman Vincent Peale

Where there's a will, there's a way. When we hear entrepreneurial success stories, rarely do we hear about the million dollars that someone had to invest in their business to get it started. Start with what you have where you are and move on faith. My sister and I started working together six years ago in different states, around my hectic mom schedule and her nine-to-five job. We endured through my pregnancies, breastfeeding, my sister's graduation from college and her eventual cross-country move and the death of our mother. My husband used our mortgage money to buy my first shipment of books. I had to get out there and sell like a mad woman to get the money back. There were plenty of times that we had to come out of our own pockets. We've had to pay business and licensing fees, purchase marketing materials and there have been too many miscellaneous expenses to count.

Now, with a book tour under my belt, a flourishing small business circle for women, a magazine that debuts this fall and my sister working next to me in our own office space, I have to say that it was worth every single penny.

Positive Affirmation: I am making an investment in myself, my family, and our future.


--My children will suffer if I have to take time away from them to work on my business.

As a stay at home mom, this is an excuse that I struggled with for a long time. But what I discovered was that many of the things that I'm teaching my children can be demonstrated through my journey of faith and entrepreneurship. They see me living God's purpose for my life and standing on His promises. I don't just tell them they can reach for the stars. They see me reaching and hitting the mark. They are learning about vision, work, goal-setting, marketing, customer service and writing their own paychecks. I'm teaching them that we can work hard and play harder.

Positive Affirmation: My children don't have to look any further than their own home to find a role model.



Visit www.itsnotenoughtodream.com and schedule a membership appointment to learn more about how you can go from dreaming a dream to creating your future.

Our Vice President Comes Home

Here at the It’s Not Enough to Dream Women’s Small Business Circle, we don’t just talk the talk…we walk the walk.

Listen to this exclusive interview with Bridgette Outten, Vice President of the It’s Not Enough to Dream Women’s Small Business Circle. Hear about how she stepped out on faith, handed in her resignation letter, and is pursuing her passion on her own time.

Click here to listen to the interview.

Visit us at www.itsnotenoughtodream.com to learn more about how you can bring your own vision into existence.

Morning Cup of Inspiration: Running the Race

Happy August!

This year is going beautifully. We are truly enjoying our walk of faith.

However, journeys, races, any trip from one place to another for any significant length of time, are not without incident. We get sick. We get tired. Stuff lands in our path and we stumble. Sometimes we fall.

When someone wins a race, or arrives at their destination, it doesn't mean that they didn't experience any difficulty. It just means that they rose above it, and conquered it. As you continue on in your entrepreneurial journey, consider implementing these tips to help you to stay on your feet.

- Pace yourself to limit burn out.

When I first started doing my morning runs, I ran like a mad woman and was in pain before I made it halfway around the track. After running one lap, I would have to walk around twice just to catch my breath and wait for some of the cramps in my side to subside. I slowed my pace to a jog and found that I could go around the track five times before I even thought about stopping.

If you exert all of your energy at the beginning of the race, you will probably tire out quickly, quit, and throw your hands up in exasperated exhaustion. Move along at a steady pace. Work towards your goals daily. Consistency is key.


- Focus on small milestones.

My thirty minutes of exercise in the morning just flies by. I never worry about how many laps I have left, or much more ground I have to cover. I focus on the little white lines on the track. I have a different goal after every few steps. Before I know it, I'm finished.

Many of us back away from a task because it looks too large to tackle. It might seem like a long way, and it might be. But there's no fun in focusing on the end. Enjoy the trip. Don't worry too much about ten years from now. Gratefully and joyfully complete the tasks for the day, knowing that each little step is one closer to your destination.

-Run another lap.

It's interesting. After I've been jogging around for so long, it kind of seems like my feet are moving on their own, and I'm able to sprint at the end...running that last lap as fast as I can. It's called a 'second wind,' and www.dictionary.com describes it as a renewed energy or strength to continue an undertaking.

After you've gotten used to the steady trot, and you're experiencing pure joy in just having the opportunity to take the journey, go ahead and let that energy carry you around one more time. Do something extra for someone. Stay a little later. Add another task to your list.

You can do it! Enjoy your faith walk!

Visit www.itsnotenoughtodream.com to learn more about how we encourage women in business and faith!

"It's Not Enough to Dream" Magazine

We are ecstatic to announce the launch of the "It's Not Enough to Dream" magazine. This print publication will further encourage women in business and in faith. We offer several opportunities for you to benefit from the magazine.

Read on and see where you fit in!

- Subscribe-
The "It's Not Enough to Dream" Women's Small Business Circle magazine is for any woman who desires to be encouraged by the testimonies of others, and who seeks natural and spiritual knowledge that will help her to lead a life of purpose in the Lord. Whether your God-given vision is a mighty tree, a sprout, or a tiny seed hidden in the crevices of your heart and soul, you can gain inspiration from other Christian women who are learning to walk the walk.


-Write-
We appreciate your submissions. If you have a story idea, or a message that you think belongs in our magazine, let us know.

-Advertise-
We believe in shopping small businesses. Our ad rates are very affordable for the small business owner. Our fall preview issue will reach 1500 subscribers and we're growing! Contact us to discuss how we can help you get your product or service in front of the masses. Payment plans are available.

You can send in your products for review, or have your jewelry or designs featured on our models.

Visit www.itsnotenoughtodream.com for details. We hope to have you as a part of the "It's Not Enough to Dream" Magazine Team!

Special Delivery

A couple of months ago, I received two letters in the mail. The envelopes were identical, both addressed to the parent or guardian of my thirteen-year old son. They were from a scholarship fund. He has been accepted to an all boys private school here in Chicago and we've spent the last few months filling out scholarship applications to help cut the costs.

I opened the first envelope, and the letter said that he hadn't been selected as a scholarship recipient. I opened the second envelope, and that one reported that he had been chosen as a semi-finalist and needed to attend an interview to further determine his eligibility.

I thought about it for a second or two. And then, I slipped the nay-saying letter in between some books on my desk. The letter that declared him a semi-finalist? I called my husband at work and read it to him. I also gave it to my son as soon as he walked in from school.

A day later, I got an email letting me know that a mistake had been made in sending letters out and that my child was indeed a semi-finalist. That was nice. But I knew that there had been a mistake. I didn't call the office or even entertain the idea that he hadn't been selected. Why?

Because my Bible says in Phillipians 4:19 that MY God will supply all of my needs according to His riches and glory in Jesus Christ. And I had been asking God to meet the tuition need since we learned that our son's attendance at this high priced institution of learning was a possibility.

Not only would I pray and speak the scripture over our situation, I believed (faith) that the Lord would make a way. And then I got started filling out applications to do my part in the process (works). (James 2:17)

We have to understand as believers that we will be presented with two reports every single moment. The Lord says that all things are possible through Him.(Phillipians 4:13) Satan wants us to believe that we are unequipped. Jesus came that we might have an abundant life. Satan has many of us bound so that we are merely surviving, not living. (John 10:10)

It's not enough to read the Word. We have to confess it. Believe it. Act on it. (Romans 10:9)

Our son interviewed for this scholarship back in February. As I sat down at the computer today to write this post, the mail carrier dropped the mail through the slot. I picked up the envelope and opened the letter saying that he had been chosen as a scholarship recipient. Glory to God!

As believers, the Word of God should be the report that we live by. Study it. Believe it. Confess it. Act on it.

And then wait for your miracle to be delivered to your door.

January Winners

Congratulations!

The following ladies are our winners for the month of January and will receive a custom made candle from Tracy's Scentsational Candles!

You choose the color! You choose the scent! Enjoy!



Cheryl Cook
Shenise Cook
Dequiana Brooks
Lorraine Bogan
Vida Brown

Smells Like a Good Deal! January Giveaway!

If you've stopped by the online resource center, then you already know about my vow to shop small businesses. And you also know that Tracy's Scentsational Candles have replaced the Glade and Febreze brands in my household.

What's especially great about Tracy's candles is that they are custom made. Do you like the smell of apple cinnamon, but the red candle doesn't match your furniture? No problem. Tracy can make a white apple cinnamon candle if that's what you prefer. Your fragrances and colors are your choice.

With an abundance of scents to choose from, and votive candles that range in price from $2-$10, Tracy's Scentsational Candles are the perfect stocking stuffers for friends and relatives.

We are excited to be launching our new website and even more excited about all of the sharing and growth that will take place throughout this year. We are giving away candles from Tracy's Scentsational Candles to FIVE of our members!

Choose your fragrance and color here so you that you're ready when you win!

The drawing will be held at the end of January. Happy New Year! Hope yours smells sweet!