World Domination Summit: Connecting, Finding Your Joy & Fear Of Failure

I just came back from the World Domination Summit in Portland and it took me a few days before I could put in to words what it meant for me.

For those of you unfamiliar with the event, it is organized by Chris Guillebeau who blogs about un-conformity and living an unconventional life. I first came across him  a few years ago when a friend told me about his book, “The Art of Non-Conformity” and have been hooked ever since.

Clearly, I’m not the only one as nearly 3000 other people from around the world descended on Portland to partake in this summit.

Chris organized a stellar event and there was so much to do with the organized sessions, meetups and other activities going on. FOMO (fear of missing out) was definitely a thing but you just needed to roll with it and be present wherever you were.

It was like the Internet had come to life…all these people who I’ve been following were right there. What I absolutely loved was meeting people who I’ve been connecting with online,  giving them a hug IRL and deepening existing friendships. For me this alone made the event worth it!

women mastermind online networking group

WEMastermind ladies!

My 3 Big Takeaways:

1 Find Your Peeps

Magic happens when you surround yourself with people who take action..whether it is this particular summit, a networking event ..things super-charge when you connect with doers, movers and shakers. Find your people- get to those events and make things happen!

2 Find Your Joy And Do More Of That

In a packed house (rather church), Danielle Laporte answered people’s burning questions and there were oh so many tweetables! Amongst my favorites- “Imprint your cells with your victories”. “Joy is a birthright”  “You need to listen to the muse when she shows up or she won’t show up as much.” “You have to be on purpose.”

3 Start. Experiment. Failure is Okay

I absolutely loved Jia Jiang’s talk on fear and rejection. Too often we hold ourselves back from actually starting because we’re afraid of  failing. But what is the cost of not trying and actually succeeding? A LOT. You might actually exceed your expectations and blow your mind!

If you haven’t heard his story check out his TEDX Talk and his surprising lessons from 100 Days of Rejection:

There was a line that singer/song-writer Clare Bowditch shared that grabbed my attention, particularly when you are feeling overwhelmed and not sure which direction to take:

 You don’t have to do just one thing, but you have to start something. ~ Clare Bowditch

And finally,

You can’t dream your way to success. Action trumps everything.

And this happened. Apparently there is a slight difference between 80’s dance party and “costume” party. But really, could you do it any other way?

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Even if you couldn’t make it to WDS, I’d love to hear in the comments below something that you plan on taking action that is outside of your comfort zone but you’ve been itching to do!

 

Featured Image Photo Credit: Armosa Studios

Episode 15: Developing Your Compelling Business Offer With Nailah Blades

An important part of being an entrepreneur is learning from your peers. “Unstoppable Entrepreneur” profiles entrepreneurs just like yourselves who have taken the leap to follow their passion and create their own work & lifestyle. They share their expertise: tips for success, tools they use and valuable things they have learned along the way.

This week I had the pleasure of speaking to Nailah Blades of Polka Dot Coaching. Nailah discusses the importance of having a strong business foundation before focusing on the ‘glitz and glamour’ aspects of your business like branding, website and biz cards.

Watch/Listen to the video below and share your feedback!

Key Takeaways

  • The importance of building your business foundation before you start working on your website, business cards and branding
  • Getting clear on your offering
  • Listening to your target market and adapting
  • Not ignoring your ‘calendar of freedom’ as an entrepreneur and WHY you started a business

Click to Tweet Have a solid offer before you focus on the glitz and glamour part of your business  @NailahBlades

Resources Mentioned

The $100 Startup

About Nailah Blades

Nailah is the founder of Polka Dot Coaching where she helps her clients create lucrative businesses they are passionate about and that are aligned with their core values—by breaking down queen-sized dreams into bite-sized goals. 

 

 

 

Be Inspired. Take Action. What Will YOU Launch With $100 Change?

As of this writing, there are exactly 104 days left until 2013.

Have you been procrastinating on that project you thought of way back in January? Or are you just a little stuck on how to turn your big idea into a reality?

Why not end the year off with a bang and get that project out the door that you have been putting off all year?!

Now you can.

Okay, let me back up a bit and tell you where I’m coming from..

My friend, Natalie Sisson, founder of the Suitcase Entrepreneur (who you’ve probably seen around here on the blog) was recently handed $100 at the World Domination Summit and `told to have fun with it, surprise someone or start something special‘, she decided she needed to do much more than that.

And if you follow Natalie, you know that when she says much more..she means it (she biked across Africa earlier this year and raised over $10K for charity!).

She believed that this $100 change could potentially change lives. So she set about starting a movement that not only gives you a blueprint for creating change, but a framework of motivation, mentoring and a community to get it done.

She has just launched $100 Change, and I think you need to know about it, because it’s a really cool initiative.

I also had the pleasure of watching this project unfold when Natalie was visiting Montreal back in July.. so to see it launched (and so quickly) is amazing! And a testament to what can be done in a short amount of time when you focus, get support and are clear on what you want to do.

$100 Change is a program empowering you to start your dream project or business in 100 days for $100.

Natalie has pulled together 100 change makers from around the world, to share and impart their wisdom and advice over 100 days for $100.


Imagine if $100 could change your life

In Natalie’s words,

But $100 Change is so much more than a program designed to get you to take action and start something special.

It is also is a not-for-profit initiative that is driven by you, me and a community of people who want to create change and turn their dreams into reality.

The really unique part of this initiative, is that virtually all the money received from people who buy the $100 Change program (minus associated costs in putting it together) during the 100 program will be redistributed back into ten scholarships.

Not only do you get to learn and be inspired from change-makers from around the world..you also have the potential to receive a scholarship as well as mentorship and a business framework. So much win!

Stop waiting for tomorrow. Stop watching others do it.

Get the support you need. The daily dose of ‘kick in the pants’ and get it done!

 

Get Unstuck. Be Inspired. Launch Your Dream Project..Finally!

So what are you waiting for?

Episode 9: Turning Ideas Into Action And Launching A Product With Natalie Sisson

An important part of being an entrepreneur is learning from your peers. “Unstoppable Entrepreneur” profiles entrepreneurs just like yourselves who have taken the leap to follow their passion and create their own work & lifestyle. They share their expertise: tips for success, tools they use and valuable things they have learned along the way.

This week I had the pleasure of interviewing Natalie Sisson of The Suitcase Entrepreneur live! Natalie shares with us the details of her first product launch, her advice for those just starting out and her biggest initiative yet!

Watch the video below.

 

 

Key Takeaways On Launching Your First Product:

  • Be specific about the outcomes you want and taking yourself seriously.
  • Ask yourself when developing your product, “Who am I serving?” “Am I doing it in the best possible way?”
  • The importance of starting your idea and building on it as you go.
  • Invest the time, money and plan so your product looks good!

An idea is just an idea until you put it out there and take action.  Click to Tweet

And Natalie’s latest product launch:

$100 Change initiative

product launch tips for solopreneursAbout Natalie Sisson

Natalie Sisson, The Suitcase Entrepreneur, shows you creative ways to run your business from anywhere. She’s travelled to over 56 countries, biked across Africa and raised over 12K for WomenWin and is passionate about entrepreneurship.

 

Enjoy Unstoppable Entrepreneur? Want to be featured or recommend someone? Email  me at sandy@sidekickpm.com.

3 Essential Resources for Budding Entrepreneurs

From idea overwhelm to actually starting, let’s face it, the life of an entrepreneur is not easy!

I’d like to share three resources that I value that have been really helpful in putting those ideas down and taking action.

Taking on the World Starts with Mindset


Natalie MacNeil’s book as I mentioned in my review is an absolute gem. Not only does she share her story about how she got started but she guides you through creating your ‘Master Action Plan’ to help you embark on a successful journey towards buildng your dream career/business.

The $100 Startup: Reinventing the Way You Work

What I loved about Chris Guillebeau’s new book, The $100 Startup, is the practical advice. He shows you that you don’t have to spend tons of money to get your idea off the ground through his interviews with hundreds of entrepreneurs (as well as accidental ones) who share their stories and how they did it. Chris gets you thinking and acting like an entrepreneur and makes you realize that transforming an idea into a business does not have to be hard (but there is work involved!!)

 

WEMastermind: Accountability & Support

Get Killer CoachingThere is a lot to but you don’t have to do it all by yourself!

A mastermind does not replace the hard-work that you will have to do to get your business off the ground but what it does help you with is accountability, support and access to people who have “been there, done that “.

That is huge.

What it means is that you don’t have to go at it alone and can reach out to people to bounce your ideas off and benefit from group wisdom.

Here are 3 ways I benefited (but there are SO many more!)

Accelerated Personal Growth

Because there is access to a whole new set of ideas and perspectives, my personal growth accelerated during this time period. Each day and week I found myself immersed in new ideas, readings and unique outlooks that I normally may not have come across.

Commitment

No slacking off here!

Because you will have to carve out time to work on your goals and have something to show for when you meet your accountability partner, each week I was motivated to make time to work on my projects and ideas. Having that weekly call really pushed me a long.

Of course, life does happen and some weeks may not be as productive as others but that’s why your accountability partner is there to help you get back on track!

Community

I now belong to a global community of action-taking, driven entrepreneurial women who I can bounce ideas off and also cheer me a long. I look forward to checking in with them on a regular basis and see what progress they have made and am always learning. Amazing!

If you are looking to move forward & launch your awesome ideas to the world, I highly recommend you take action and join WeMastermind. There’s still the better half of 2012, so get to it! The next program starts on May 24th and you can take advantage of a special where you sign up with a friend and you both save $300 each!

 

What are some of the resources that you find valuable? I’d love to hear about them!