Why it takes more than intentions for success to occur

I’m on a flight returning from a couple of days of high energy, teaching, networking, inspiration and motivation. I had the opportunity to keynote and coach at a private event for over 150 private clients of powerhouse entrepreneur, Suzanne Evans.

As is true for most conferences, participants left on a high note with a lot of information to process. Most left filled with the thought they would implement so much of what they learned. I sure know I have a lot to process and have every intention to implement the most important things I committed to.

You see, even as one of the faculty, I always learn something that is going to be instrumental in my personal and professional growth.

Although the intentions of 99% of the entrepreneurs are sincere, the reality is, many get caught up in their usual routines putting off until tomorrow what they committed to starting today.

I’ve been on both sides of the participant and trainer fence at conferences for years. In the decades I’ve been attending and speaking at conferences, I’ve watched what seemed like magic happen for some, while most fell right back into their daily habits.

The thing that amazes me are those people who will go to conference after conference, buy book after book, invest in training after training, and not do all they can to implement all they can that applies to them. They continually look for the “one thing” they need to do to make changes, yet, what they ignore is the “one thing” has been shared with them over and over and over.

What is the “one thing?” Different action for different results. Different actions will likely take effort, risk and money. Contrary to what one popular office supply store would have you believe, there is no easy button. Success takes work. Success takes effort. Success is not always convenient.

No matter how often some people hear this they continue to search for the easy button, the magic dust, the quick fix pill. Truth be told, none of these things exist.

Many people have a misguided belief that when someone who is extremely successful is having fun, being playful and having an outright incredible attitude that this means the person didn’t have to make any sacrifices for their success.

Consider this; one reason people who are incredibly successful are having so much fun is they know what they had to do to get to where they are at. Mind you, incredibly successful is relative to one’s definition of success. It’s not based solely on the externals. Actually, many of the externals people enjoy are a result of first starting with what goes on inside their head.

They learned to manage their state, focus on their big why and take action in spite of setbacks and obstacles that would stop most in their tracks.

Although most people can use a daily shot of inspiration and awareness, most appear not to do anything to get on track with a great state of mind.

I experienced this throughout my morning. From the 20 minute cab ride from the hotel to the airport I was a very captive audience to the miserable cab driver who packed years of how unfair life had been to him into a nonstop monolog, to the airline representative checking my bags telling me how unhappy and tired she is of her job, to the security team who must have all swallowed their sour pills and just about every traveler I observed, most seemed to be in a very grumpy mood. Granted, I don’t know what their personal situations are and yet, I do know that our mood isn’t dependent on outward circumstances, but rather our perception of what is going on around us.

As with taking action on an idea, consciously choosing to be happy is just that; a choice.

Every day we make choices. Most are unconscious due to our daily routines and habits. The greatest gift we can give ourselves is to become more aware of what we are doing. Be fully in our bodies moment by moment. Be aware of how we are impacting others in either a positive or negative way.

It’s amazing what this can do, not only for our well-being, but for the domino effect it has on others. We never know what the impact of being kind to the person who seems to need kindness can do. Often, something as simple as calling the security guard, clerk or ticket agent by name and sincerely thanking them for what they are doing can have an incredible impact on them.

By being fully present in the moment we tend to get more done in our day. We are more aware of the time wasters and energy suckers that are obstacles to achieving what we say we want.

Life truly is about choices. The choice to be kind… or not. The choice to be happy… or not. The choice to take action on what we committed to… or not.

What is your choice for today?

Why it takes more than intentions for success to occur

Transform your business by transforming your mind

It’s amazing how many people claim they want to grow their business yet, they are stuck in a mindset that isn’t serving them.

One of the best ways to shift your mindset is to shift what you’re doing.

Ready for a HUGE shift? Join me for Power Up for Profits Live!

 

Ready for a major business transformation? Want a money transformation? A success transformation? Then it"s time to Power Up for Profits….Live! http://powerupforprofitslive.com/special/

Posted by Kathleen Gage Power Up for Profits on Tuesday, October 13, 2015

http://www.powerupforprofitslive.com

Once you expand your awareness, there is no going back.

Transform your business by transforming your mind

Blab... Fad or Fabulous?

The first I heard of Blab.im was when my buddy, Brian G. Johnson posted on Facebook he was hosting a Blab. Shortly thereafter, Joel Comm was promoting his Blab. Before I knew it, many of my friends and colleagues were Blabbing and having a great time doing so.

My initial thought was, “Oh no! Not another BSO – bright shiny object.”

With all the new distractions on social media, I truly thought this was just one more to add to the bone yard of soon to be forgotten ways to mindlessly fill time online.

Knowing Brian and Joel the way I do, Blab warranted further investigation. After all, both of these online rock stars seem to always be on the leading edge of how to serve their communities.

After closer examination I got the bug. AND I predict Blab is going to create immense opportunity to those who strategically utilize this platform and the incredible capabilities Blab offers.

The great thing about Blab is there are virtually no barriers to entry. Unlike Google Hangouts, Blab is very user friendly. Even the most non-techie person can get the hang of it from the start.

As with anything, there are always Pros and Cons. Here is my take on the Pros and Cons.

PROS

• What I really like about Blab is you can use it as an open discussion forum, training platform or simply talk about trending topics.


• Limited number of on-camera participants. Some people think that having only four people on camera at a time is a major downside. Personally, I like this feature. This prevents a free for all conversation that could quickly get out of control.


• If you’re the host of the Blab you have complete control on how long you let someone stay on camera. In other words, if you have someone who is inappropriate, tries to take over the conversation with their own agenda or is just an out and out jerk, you can X them out.


• The user interface is very simple and yet, it has room to grow.


• One of the nicest features is the Twitter integration. While on a Blab you can tweet out to all your Twitter followers by the click of the button that reads “Tell a little bird.” Participants can do the same. In very short order, your Blab is being tweeted out to untold numbers of people.


• From what some experts are claiming, they are picking up quite a following, their subscriber lists are increasing and their visibility is going through the roof.


• Another nice feature is the ability to record your session. Many experts are using their recorded Blabs for membership sites, podcast shows and creating more value for their community.


• You can go live immediately or schedule your Blab in order to let your community plan accordingly.

NOTE: At the time of writing this blog post, I have a Blab scheduled for later today. https://blab.im/kathleen-gage-speaking-to-build-your-business-and-brand

CONS
Although the Pros are plentiful, there are some downsides. Yet, the upsides far outweighs the downside.

• You don’t have privacy on Blab. Once you go live, anyone can join in.


• Blab has already proven to be a BSO for some people. The phrase, “Addicted to Blab” is starting to surface.


• If someone is using Blab simply for the purpose of filling their time, you can end up wasting precious time searching out high content Blabs.


• From what I’ve seen, there are more “time waster” Blabs happening than really useful ones.

Getting the most out of Blabs you host and/or participate in

The following recommendations are for those who want to use Blab to enhance their market reach, visibility and position their expert status.

• Use the Blab platform as you would any other training environment. In other words, treat the time of participants with respect and give them something useful from your Blab.


• Make sure the whatever shows on camera is not distracting. For example, don’t do the Blab in your bedroom with an unmade bed showing.


• Avoid noise and distractions while hosting, or participating on camera, with the Blab.


• Record the session in order to re-purpose into a podcast episode, content for a membership site, or added value for your subscribers.


• Dress and act the part you want to convey to the viewers. I can’t believe the number of people I’ve seen on camera with messy hair, eating their lunch or dinner on the Blab, picking their nose (yes, I did see one person pick their nose) and/or looking bored while others are talking.


• Have fun. This is key to others having fun. If they see you enjoying yourself, it’s likely they will too.


• Keep things on target. Unless your Blab is a free for all, keep the conversation on topic. It will keep your viewers more engaged.


• Acknowledge people as they join the Blab. A quick hello works great.

Ready to jump on the Blab bandwagon? Join me for my Blab Speaking to Build Your Business and Brand. Tuesday, September 22nd – 2 p.m. Pacific. https://blab.im/kathleen-gage-speaking-to-build-your-business-and-brand

Be sure to subscribe to my Blab station in order to receive notifications of my upcoming Blabs.

If you know others who would enjoy today’s Blab, click the share buttons below.

 

 

 

Blab... Fad or Fabulous?

Is your attention span less than a goldfish?

My emails aren’t getting opened… much less read!

This is an all too common issue for anyone trying to promote and sell via email marketing. People just aren’t responding to email marketing the way they once did.

There are many reasons for the lackluster results…

• People are on overload with the amount of information vying for their attention.


• There are many more distractions than in the past.


• People’s brains have literally been rewired due to technology.


• Email deliverability is much less reliable than in the past.

Here are a few questions to consider specific to email deliverability…

• Is the email address correct?


• Has your recipient’s email address changed?


• Is the recipient’s mailbox full or has their account has been disabled?


• Does the recipient have a SPAM blocker that prevents virtually any message sent in bulk to be blocked?


• Is your messaging engaging?

In addition to the common reasons related to email distribution there is also the issue of attention span.

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine, The Associated Press, the average attention span for adults online is 9.5 seconds. That’s literally less than goldfish.

If you’re feeling like people are not paying attention to what you are sending out, writing, saying or shooting on video, they probably aren’t.

The shocking truth is that people’s brains have literally been rewired due to technology.

On any given day we tweet, we post on our Facebook wall, we watch dozens of videos, we read dozens, even hundreds, of emails and we spend hours researching on the Internet.

All of this is impacting how our brains function. Nicholas Carr, author of The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brain, writes that our attention is seized by the Internet only to be scrambled by it.

According to an article in the Huffington Post; MRI research has shown that the brains of Internet users who have trouble controlling their craving to be constantly plugged-in exhibit changes similar to those seen in people addicted to drugs and alcohol.

When most people try to unplug for even a day, they tend to experience withdrawl symptoms similar to alcoholics and drug addicts.

This is frightening information and yet, information we can benefit from knowing. Here’s why…

If you continue to send information out as you did in the past, you are likely noticing a huge drop in open rates. Today, more than ever, you have to immediately grab people’s attention.

As you prepare your emails think through your subject line. Is it one that will spark the curiosity of the recipient? Is it engaging? Does it indicate the full message will solve a specific problem?

Once people open the message does it immediately grab the reader’s attention?

Not only have online attention spans dropped to mere seconds, the attention span during live, in-person presentations have dramatically dropped in the last couple of decades to less than ten minutes. This requires that speakers and presenters have pattern interrupts every few minutes if they want to keep their audience members fully engaged.

This would include audience participation, mini breaks, incorporating visuals into your presentation and demonstrations that require attendees use different parts of their brain. Moving from critical thinking to creative thinking can keep people’s attention.

Acknowledging the dramatic drop on how long someone pays attention to whatever we are doing is essential to addressing the issue. To pretend this issue doesn’t exists will put your messaging in the category of Dinosaurs…extinct.

Is your attention span less than a goldfish?

7 top reasons to attend live events

I just returned from a live event in Miami. What a great experience. Not only did I get energized by all the great information, I was one of the trainers AND I’m on fire with a renewed sense of why I’m in business.

If you’ve ever wondered if attending live events is worth it, I can assure you,  when you pick the right events there’s no better use of your time.

Far too many people have gotten comfortable with “hiding out” behind their computers to the detriment of getting out and being seen. Although what you do behind your computer is incredibly important, don’t miss opportunities to attend live events.

Some of the best reasons for attending events are…

1. Get out of your office. It’s amazing how “safe” our offices have become. Whether your office is in your home or offsite, we can fool ourselves into believing sitting behind the computer is going to get us all the results we want and need. Periodically you need to get out of your office. A change of scenery can be incredible for our creativity, energy and vision. Events are a great way to do this.

2. Reconnect with colleagues. When I was in Miami I had the opportunity to see people I love hanging out with.  There’s a lot of power in meeting face-to-face. Even though email and phone conversations are good, there’s nothing better than sharing time with those you feel really connected to.

3. Meet potential clients. Again, it’s one thing for others to get emails from you, see you on social networks and read your blog, but there’s a heck of a lot more power in potential clients seeing you in the flesh. It’s much easier for someone to make a decision to do business with you when they see you in person. Even though the decision may not be made right there and then, face-to-face encounters accomplish a lot and set the tone of what comes next.

4. Get out of your “safe bubble” and mingle. As with point #1, you have to be willing to get from behind your computer to shift your energy. Far too many people fool themselves into believing they are being productive by never getting out from behind their computer. We need human interaction to get the creative juices going.

5. Build alliances. It’s amazing how many joint venture partnerships began when we met someone face-to-face. As with the previous points, when your colleagues meet you in person, it’s a lot easier to strike up deals. There’s a high level of trust that’s built.

6. Recharge. If you’ve been feeling stuck, events are often the very thing that will recharge you. Again, when they are the right events for you. Attending an event simply to be attending an event may not be the right reason. However, if it’s an industry specific event, one with lots of networking opportunities and one where you will learn great information, there’s a great chance you will return to your office on fire with enthusiasm.

7. Learn. As an entrepreneur you should always be learning. What better way than an event specific to exactly what you need to know to build your business. The best way to learn is to go into the experience with the intention of learning. This means, be fully present, avoid distractions and give it your all. 

These are only some of the great reasons to attend live events. Myself, I regularly attend, and speak at, live events. I know how essential attending events is to my business growth. I always leave with more enthusiasm than I started with.

I am very strategic about the events I attend. They must be in alliance with my overall business goals. After all, I am investing time, money and energy with each one I participate in.

If you’re in need of an infusion of ideas, energy, passion and focus for your business, the right event can give you all this and more. I designed Power Up for Profits Live! with all of this in mind. It’s three days of learning, connecting, brainstorming and networking.

Power Up for Profits Live! is perfect for any entrepreneur who’s ready to get an infusion of energy to take your business to the next level.

Join me on October 22 – 24, 2015 in Vancouver, Washington for Power Up for Profits Live!

Click here to learn more and register.

 

7 top reasons to attend live events

WTF or WTG? What’s going on in your head?

Have you ever had one of those light bulb moments where something became incredibly clear? I had one of those moments this morning.

My light bulb moment was this; to go from lukewarm to passionate is often as simple as changing one tiny thing… a letter of the alphabet.

WTF or WTG?

WTF = What the F&*K!

WTG = Way to Go!

One letter apart with a world of difference in the meaning and outcome.

I’m working on a new branch of my business requiring time to learn, study, implement and test. In addition, there’s a financial investment I’ve made and continue to make.

I have an incredible mentor who is teaching me step-by-step what to do.

“Don’t expect to make money right away Kathleen,” my mentor cautioned. “You’ll likely need to test, test, test several times before you hit the target. Once you do it’s magical,” John stated.

I chose to study under this expert because of his results. He is recognized as one of the most successful people in this particular industry. Last year he made $1,800,000 selling a particular product online. Yes, you read right… one million, eight hundred thousand.

Another reason I decided to work with John is his attitude. Not only his business attitude, but towards his family, friends, clients, God and life. People often tell him how lucky he is. Actually, luck is not his secret weapon. Attitude is. 

Building his business didn’t happen without obstacles, setbacks, failures and frustration. Yet, in spite of this (or maybe because of this) he maintains an incredible attitude.

I’m not talking a Pollyanna, head in the clouds type of attitude, but rather one that allows him to manage his energy when things don’t seem to be working out.

It’s the attitude that when you hit a wall you don’t keep beating your head against the wall saying, “WTF… why does this always happen to me?” but rather the “WTG… you figured out one more thing that isn’t working.”

You can learn the strategies. You can use the latest and greatest system. You can put a ton of money into training, advertising and a team and STILL get crappy results based on a crappy attitude.

95% of your business success is based on your attitude. An attitude where you are willing to put the time into learning what you need to, manage your energy when things don’t outwardly seem to be working and stay the course with an attitude of gratitude.

Just because you didn’t get the sale on your first call, you didn’t sell thousands of dollars’ worth of “stuff” with one email and you had only a handful of people show up on your teleseminar, webinar or live event, does not mean you’ve failed. It means you likely have more work to do.

Lots of people dream of running a successful business where no problems exist and everything works the first time they launch it. To me that’s a huge WTF!

Want to find out what it really takes to succeed? Why not ask experts who have highly successful businesses? I can assure you, they have crap happen all the time.

Crap that would likely shock you. Yet, when the poop hits the fan they don’t say, “This isn’t fair. Why did this have to happen? This is way too hard.”

Nope! They manage their thoughts and energy. Sure, they may have brief periods where they fall victim to an attitude that is not serving them, but they are quick to shake this off.

They evaluate the situation, adjust accordingly and start again.

If it seems you are hitting roadblock after roadblock you would be well served to pay very close attention to what you say to yourself and others. What attitude do you wake up with and hold on to throughout the day? Do you take responsibility for your actions or do you blame outside circumstances for why things are not working in your favor. Outside circumstances can be other people, the economy, competition, increased vendor costs, etc.

Whether or not you believe this your energy is one of the most significant aspects of success. As has been said, “It’s not what happens that matters. It’s what I do with it that makes all the difference.”

Some people are so conditioned to stay in the WTF attitude that even when they make a sale they say, “Yeah but, I need more sales.” Or when a solution is offered by someone who’s been where they are at they, “Yeah but!” the solution.

Seriously?!?!

The only butt you need is the one you sit on.

So what can you do to shift your attitude? Here are a few things I do on a daily basis that took me from an attitude that literally ended me up on the streets in my mid 20’s to one where I have such an appreciation for the blessings in my life that regardless of outward evidence, I KNOW things are all working out in my favor.

1. Count my blessings by focusing on what I have to be grateful for each and every day.


2. Surround myself with others who also live in the space of gratitude.


3. Realize that what I see in the natural is not all there is. The Universe is conspiring in my favor for things to work out. What may seem like a roadblock may be the very thing that’s necessary for me to be open to something bigger and better than I could ever think up on my own.


4. Manage my energy through prayer and meditation.


5. Have a mentor who I can confide in when I’m feeling small.


6. Find out what others did to achieve their success and rather than say, “That’s easy for you, but I’m so flipping unique, it wouldn’t work for me,” I say, “If you can do it, I certainly can too. I just need to find out what to do and then do it.”


7. Find someone who is less fortunate than me and help them out. When we willingly serve others from the heart it’s amazing how fast we get out of our “stinking thinking” and into a place of gratitude.


8. Get 100% honest about how much focused effort I am putting into a project. I can easily fool myself into believing I’m giving 100% to an end result by constantly checking emails, playing around on Facebook, cleaning out a drawer or any number of things that keep me from doing the one thing where I may get rejected so I completely avoid it. And if I’m not avoiding it, I’m kicking and screaming the whole way thus sabotaging my success.


9. This one is huge. I’ve gone through periods where I’ve been totally committed to my physical wellbeing and other times, not at all. During the times I put my health on the back burner, things go south pretty fast. I don’t feel good, my mood is not as good as it could be and I may even fall into the “life sucks” mode.


10. Avoid living in regret of the past and learn from those things that didn’t work the way I had hoped.


11. Stay as present in today as is humanly possible. Step #4 is crucial to being able to stay present.


12. Repeat #1 throughout my day.

Truth be told, you, and only you, are responsible for your mindset. Your mindset determines the kind of actions you take and the energy you bring to the game. Your actions are what create the juice in life.

You can live a lukewarm life or you can be so on fire with passion that people are incredibly attracted to you and what you have to offer.

Granted, not everyone wants what you have. However, I can guarantee that there is a community of people who could be rabid fans if you would simply give them the chance and get excited about all the possibilities that life has in store for you. Are you sure this community knows you exist? And if they do, what energy are you giving them…WTF or WTG?

It’s up to you.

WTF or WTG? What’s going on in your head?

Millions of Facebook and email accounts are fake

Chances are many of the people you believe to be friends on Facebook are “ghosts.” That’s right. They don’t exist.

I’m not talking ghosts like in the spirit world. I’m talking out and out fake. Actually, Facebook has no way of knowing exactly how many accounts are fake but it could be as high as 11.2% according to many accounts.

If there are that many fake accounts on Facebook imagine how many fake email subscribers you likely have on your prized subscriber list.

Not only bogus email address, but dead addresses, those that were input wrong and any number of reasons why the number of subscribers you believe you have is actually way off.

If you’ve been wondering why your open rates are getting lower and lower, you don’t need to wonder anymore. It’s gotten completely out of control.

“Why is my open rate so low?” many people ask with great frustration in their voice. I’ve had countless conversations with clients about the need to use more than email marketing to reach people.

It’s gotten to the point many people throw up their hands in frustration feeling like the only solution is to throw in the towel.

Don’t be so hasty. Rather than making it an all or nothing proposition, there are other ways to reach your potential clients. Granted, if all you want to do is sit behind your computer to make money  that’s a completely different conversation. If, on the other hand, you are looking for effective ways to position your expertise AND reach your market, read on.

1. Pick up the phone. As much as some people avoid the “800 pound gorilla” the phone is one of the most effective tools you have. Sure, not everyone will want to hear from you, but if you make it a regular practice to call a few people daily, you may be incredibly surprised with the results. Sometimes it’s to let people know about an offer you have. Other times, it’s simply to connect.

Many people have been so out of touch with using phone calling as part of their marketing they have an actual phobia of picking up the phone.

2. Direct mail. It’s amazing how effective this can be. Whether it be a postcard, letter or lumpy mail, sending something the good old fashioned way, when added to other forms of marketing, can generate interest in what you have to offer. Sure, there is a cost to this, but what would you rather… minimal response from something that cost virtually nothing to do (like email marketing) or an increased response with something that requires an investment of time and money.

3. Social media. Many people believe social media marketing is a complete waste of time. Granted, it can be, but  to make it work you have to have more than a hit and miss approach to social media marketing. The more value you bring to people, the better. As with anything, a targeted approach on a handful of platforms is going to get you a better result than throwing mud at the wall and hoping something sticks.

Surprisingly, you don’t need to spend a lot of time on social media to leave a solid foot print. And leaving a foot print is a great idea. Many potential clients will check you out on social media before making a decision to do business with you.

4. Networking meetings. Ahhhhh, good old face to face networking. For many people this is a lost art. And yet for others, it’s like money in the bank.

When you attend networking meetings be willing to reach out to people, but avoid instantly trying to sell something. Rather than trying to see how many business cards you can collect each time you attend a networking meeting, go for quality connections with a few people.

Take a genuine interest in other people. Have conversations rather than simply trying to see how many people you can give your “elevator” speech to.

5. Presentations. By far, this is one of my favorites. Organizations, associations and companies of every size are on the lookout for experts who can offer quality information to their members and employees. This does take more effort than the previous four strategies, but the payoff can be huge.

First,  you position your expertise and message. Second, you stand apart from others in a big way by doing what many experts are deathly afraid of. Third, you are serving others in a very powerful way by presenting high value information.

In order to really stand out, reach your market and get your message heard, you absolutely must use more than one method to promote what you’re doing. And you have to get really honest about how much effort you’re putting into what you’re doing. If you’re relying solely on sending emails out or posting a few things on social media, chances are you’re missing a lot of great opportunity.

You have to take a more well rounded approach to what you’re doing. Ready to stand out, be seen and be heard? Then you’re ready for Live Your Life on Purpose Mastermind Retreat.

This is a three day intensive with other conscious entrepreneurs who have a powerful message they are committed to getting out in a big way.

http://kathleengage.com/retreat/

Live Your Life on Purpose is limited to 12 participants. It takes place in Portland, Oregon on June 15, 16 & 17. This is your opportunity to join other conscious entrepreneurs for a deep dive experience with me as your host.  Click here to learn more and register.

 

Millions of Facebook and email accounts are fake