Real You: Making your dreams come true

Reality check time!Here is the most important notion I've learned during the last five years: you are responsible for making your dreams come true. That's it. The truth. You can wish for help, you can pray for assistance, you can even believe in somebody who says they can make your dream come true. But they won't. They can't.

In my first book - a business book for women entrepreneurs called REAL YOU INCORPORATED - I emphasize the fact that to make the business of your dreams become a reality, it all starts with you. Knowing who you are, and what you truly want. Knowing what you are willing to sacrifice to get there, and knowing what you won't.

And, I'll tell you what. It's the same whether your dream is to become a small business owner, or a published author, or a (fill in the blank). It is up to you. My youngest son is 17 and pursuing his dream, wholeheartedly, as I write this. His dream, most would say, is the impossible dream of making it as a singer/songwriter. Not just making it as in playing a few gigs in the garage after he comes home from his real job. No, he wants this to be his real job. Yikes, right?

Wrong. You see, I wish I had gone for it earlier, my dream of writing a novel. I didn't have the confidence. I took the "easy" path of journalism and marketing. I learned a bunch and enjoyed a fabulous career. But I always wanted to write books. Oh, and live at the beach. I'm finally doing both, but it took me a very long time to get here.

So that's why I'm wholeheartedly watching my son Dylan make his dream come true. (People tell me he looks like James Dean and sounds like, well you decide!)

Dylan wrote five original songs, recorded his first EP and released it a couple of weeks ago. He has stepped out into the world, and out of his high school comfort zone. It takes courage. It takes amazing perseverance. Sure, his family is all behind him - but he must make this dream come true. And I believe it will, because he believes it will. And he wants it, more than anything.

What do you want? What's your dream? A group of authors have joined together to help you make your dreams come true by giving you a jump start - and a chance to win a fabulous prize! So enter the 101 Dreams Come True contest created by my friend, the novelist Marci Nault and featuring two of my books - HERE, HOME, HOPE and REAL YOU INCORPORATED: 8 Essentials for Women Entrepreneurs. Both books are about making dreams come true - and both will remind you it all starts with you.

Real You: 8 Tips to Turn your Passion into Profit

Writing is one of my passions. Since you’re already familiar with Real You Incorporated, I’m excited to get another book into your hands. Be the first to get my new eBook, Turn your Passion into Profit: How to Create the Business of Your Dreams! It’s a 40-page, step-by-step guide to creating the business and lifestyle you’ve always wanted. It’s the perfect complement to Real You Incorporated—and it’s only $9.95!  

Here are 8 tips from the eBook to get you in motion.

1. Know your Vision. Being able to envision your business service or product, and how it is differentiated in your chosen industry, is crucial to your long-term success.
2. Be Ready to Work—and Get Help. Are you willing to do a little bit of everything, yet ask for help when you need it? Don’t go it alone. You must have a strong enough personality to know where you excel and where you need help.
3. Define your Brand. Try to define yourself in one word. This is the basis of your personal brand. Need help? Ask your friends, relatives, book club members, co-workers—anyone who knows the real you.
4. Create a Brand Board Today. Creating your own brand board is a great YOU brainstorm session. Transform a poster board into a montage of pictures with things you love to do, places that make you happy, colors that brighten your day and aspirations—images that exemplify your personal brand.
5. Name your Company. Naming your company matters. It’s part of your real brand; it’s your essence. Start by writing your company’s story—even if you don’t have one yet.
6. Create an Online Presence. This is crucial. At the very least, you’ll want to create a website where people can find your contact information. Then take it to the next level by using social media, a blog and e-newsletter to stay in touch with your customers.
7. Build Trust & Recognition through Social Media. Social media sites, such as Twitter and Facebook, allow businesses to build great relationships with present and future customers. A little bit of human interaction can go a long way.
8. Stay Focused. As your business gets off the ground, it’s important to stay focused and keep working. Most businesses don’t take off overnight. Even if you don’t see immediate results, continue working to add value for your clients.

Are you ready to learn more great tips? Click here to purchase Turn your Passion into Profit: How to Create the Business of Your Dreams.

The eBook is ready for immediate download. You can start using these tips immediately!

The time is now, start your own business today!

It’s never too late to start your own business! Whether you are 28 or 72, if you are passionate about business, you will succeed.

As the baby boomer generation grows older, it is more common to see that those approaching retiring age are not emotionally ready to do so. Every 60 seconds, a woman starts a business, and a large percentage of those women are over the age of 50. Many of these women have a productive career behind them, years of knowledge packed away and still dream of running their own business. And there are not limitations on making your dreams come true.

I tell people all the time that it’s never too early or too late to create their personal brand. Everything you’ve done up to this point has prepared you for entrepreneurship, and you are uniquely qualified to make your dreams and your passions come to life. Along the way, you’ve acquired wisdom and experience. Sure there have been setbacks, but you’ve moved ahead with great strides. In short, you’ve learned from a wide variety of experiences that will benefit you greatly in the days to come.

So, I say start defining your personal brand today. Then take it, along with the experience, insight and confidence you’ve gained in the process, and begin the next chapter of your career with gusto.

First things first in 2009!

If you’re like me and haven’t made a New Year’s resolution, do you feel guilty? If you have made a New Year’s resolution and you’re feeling like you won’t live up to it, are you worried? Well, stop it already! Some of us are good at resolutions; others aren’t. But the key to starting anything, at any time, is to make sure it’s true to the Real You. Are you keeping yourself at the center of your life? That phrase, and reminder, in and of itself is the key to a successful 2009 and a successful life. And no, I don’t mean moving through life without loving your family, friends and coworkers. What I mean is that your love for them can only be fully actualized if you are fully actualized. If you are being the Real You. The key to deep relationships and a rich life is through the intimacy involved in letting people in—letting them get to know the real you. That is only possible if you know her yourself.

Here’s a question for you: If you could be anyone, living or dead, who would you be?

The answer, I hope: YOU!

When I wrote Real You Incorporated: 8 Essentials for Women Entrepreneurs, I hoped it would help other people like you feel empowered to be real, to take charge of your life by putting your passions into action and creating or recreating the life and business of your dreams. The feedback has been fabulous, and many of you have posted your charts and vision boards on the website. I’ve received emails and letters from across the country from women—and men—who have been inspired and empowered by the Real You Process.

My wish for you for 2009 is that you take the time to cherish yourself. Take a step and complete your Real You Chart, perhaps, or finish your vision board. Today is, in fact, the first day of the rest of your life. Don’t sit back and wish you had taken care of yourself. Don’t wish your dreams would come true. Take action. Put yourself and your passions at the center of your life. Be kind to yourself. Take a deep breath, let your worries melt away, and make 2009 the year the Real You shines through!

The pressure of doing it all and starting a business

If you have always dreamed of being an entrepreneur but feel pulled in a dozen different directions, I have a few tips for you.

If you are committed to making your dreams a reality, you must stop and take some time to focus. I mean really clear your plate of all of life’s demands for a short while. Then, focus on your goals. What are they? Where do you want to go? What kind of business plan do you envision? What does your brand look like?

At this point, it’s up to you, so fire up that laptop or get out your pencil and get started. Record your thoughts and commit them to action. While it’s never too late to get started, there is no time like the present. Good luck!

Do you have an entrepreneurial success story? I’d love to hear from you!

Hard Work Does Pay Off

I have some great news to share. I was recently awarded the 2008 Stevie Award for Women in Business in the category for Best Entrepreneur.

Thanks to my amazing team at Real Living and all of our phenomenal agents and franchisees who continue to grow our brand throughout the country. Without your dedication and passion, this would not have been possible.

Remember that you can make your dreams a reality. With vision, steadfast determination and a great support system, you can achieve anything!

Don't Forget to Dream

Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.

Begin by asking yourself this question: If you could be anyone else for a day, who would it be? What is your dream? Start defining it. What are you passionate about? What business activities feel most like fun and least like work? Of course, this requires some soul-searching. Take it to the next level. Write down the names of three people you admire. It doesn’t matter if they are family members, friends or business acquaintances. Then, determine what characteristics you admire in each of them. The attributes you list should be closely aligned with the heart of your passions! When you define your passions and dreams, you begin the planning process, and that in turn opens the door to exciting possibilities.

This tip, from Gloria Steinem, is definitely one to live by. Anytime you create and build a business, you dream—or plan. It’s part of the natural course of events. And leaps of imagination are necessary for making it happen. There are, after all, endless possibilities, and it’s up to you to steer them in the direction that fulfills your dreams. I spend a great deal of time talking with women entrepreneurs around the country, and I am able to witness firsthand the incredible success they are experiencing. As you know, women are starting businesses at twice the rate of men. Why? The reason is in part because they can, but also because they are dreaming and planning. It’s the excitement of the possibility. And today, more than ever, they know that it’s possible for a woman to own and operate her own business. Thanks to women like Gloria Steinem who forged the way for women like me—and you.

What about you? Are you dreaming and planning? Is your imagination working overtime? Get your mind in gear by reading about other women entrepreneurs and sharing your success story at www.RealYouIncorporated.com.

Find clarity about what it is you are seeking, and go after it.

If you don’t have a clear picture about what you want, you will never get it. Clarity of vision is so important. But to do it right takes time and effort. Begin by choosing three words to describe your business, even if that business is not yet off the ground. Then put your operating principles in writing. This will likely be the precursor to your company vision or mission statement, so take the time to get it right. Next, list some additional adjectives that you want to associate with your vision. Play around with it; be creative. This is the fun part. Remember, the clearer the picture, the easier it will be to transform your vision into reality.

This tip comes from Elizabeth Lessner, owner of Betty’s Family of Restaurants in Columbus, Ohio, which includes Betty’s Fine Food and Spirits, The Surly Girl Saloon, Tip Top Kitchen and Cocktails and Dirty Frank’s Hot Dogs (coming soon). Even before she opened her first restaurant, Elizabeth was trying to find a niche. She wanted to create an environment where women could go—a place to hang out and feel comfortable, free of hassles and full of fun! “It seemed like I could do it,” she recalls about her initial vision. So, she decided to take a chance. Sure, there were skeptics in her life, people who doubted her ability to make it happen—especially at such a young age. And frankly, without that clear picture, it could have flopped. But Elizabeth had clarity, and she went after it—and that made a huge difference in the outcome.

You, too, can follow a dream—a similar dream of owning your own business, perhaps. In the meantime, learn more by reading Elizabeth Lessner’s profile at RealYouIncorporated.com.

Should you join the family biz right out of college?

Joining the family business might seem like the easy route after college, but there are several things to consider. You must first decide, simply and emphatically, if this business is your passion. Sure, you’ve grown up with the business, but is working in the family business part of your dream? Be absolutely honest about your answer because it’s your life—and you can’t live that life pursuing someone else’s dreams.

If you make the decision to join the fam, do so only after obtaining the necessary training and know-how. Make sure you’re qualified and prepared for the task. This is important so that others have a positive perception of your role in the business—and they take you seriously.

For other tips on finding your passion see Real Fact Two in Real You Incorporated.