The Summer Of Desire

June 16, 2015 By 1 Comment

“The Summer of Desire” It sounds like a steamy romance novel and well, it is sort of… Or maybe I should say it could be. It could be YOUR sultry story.

As entrepreneurs we are hard-wired to be ambitious. It seems like every waking hour is dedicated to thinking about how to build our businesses. “How can I reach more clients? What products should I develop? What training course will help me get to the next level? Should I use Infusionsoft or Ontraport?” And the list goes on…

This may surprise you, but thinking too much can be detrimental to your success. Being overly analytical stymies creativity and leaves no room for the heart. Of course, you need strategy to stay on track and you need grit to get the work done, but all work and no romance leaves Jane a boring and mediocre fem-bot. What you need is a little intrigue. Oh, la, la!

Passion is the fuel for all great endeavors@HeatherPoduska (tweet this)

Passion takes your breath away. Passion gives your vision wings. Passion makes your feel alive.

Passion can also help you feel fully expressed when doing something you love. When you love what you do, your imagination can kicks in to high gear and you become wickedly innovative. That’s how great brands are birthed and fortunes made.

How did the rose ever open its heart and give to this world all of its beauty?
It felt the encouragement of Light against its being; otherwise we all remain too frightened. -Hafiz

For many of us, the idea of leading a more passionate life sounds great, but we get stuck in our heads. We want more joy, but we don’t know how to access the part of ourselves that will lead to greater fulfillment. I’ll admit, even for the most enlightened pleasure-seekers, navigating a path to our molten core can be challenging in a world filled with iphones and incessant alerts. Thankfully, we have summer.

I invite you to take advantage of the heat and sun to allow your desires to percolate. Use this time to massage your deepest longings and give credence to their callings. If you do, you may find answers to questions you never even thought to ask and your business will take on new life and meaning.

Here are a few suggestions to help you ignite your flame this summer: [Read more…]

Filed Under: Authentic Branding, Bold Branding, Finding your flow, Finding Your Purpose, Finding Your Voice, Life Lessons, Success Strategies, Winning mindsets Tagged With: , , , , ,

Are You Satisfied?

October 14, 2014 By Leave a Comment

I heard a really interesting interview recently with Oprah and the comedian, Kevin Hart, where they were talking about success. Now clearly both Oprah and Kevin Hart are already successful, to the tune of a billion dollars, thank you very much. Oprah asked Kevin if he felt successful and he said, “Yes, of course, but there’s always something more.” More? More than $25 Million? More than $1 Billion??

Actually, yes. Kevin and Oprah both agreed each one of us is always aiming for the next highest expression of ourselves. Wow, that is awesome. THAT is creativity. THAT is BRANDING!

It doesn’t matter if you are making $100,000 or $10,000,000. We are all human beings. We are all reaching for the next thing. The problem is many of us don’t know what that next thing is. And the reason we don’t know is because we are looking for external  answers.

The answer to our greatest success comes from knowing ourselves. When we understand what we value, what our passions are, what our vision for the world is, then the pieces start to fall in place. There is no guessing. Instead, there is an inner compass that guides our path, that makes our decisions seamless because they are in alignment with who we are at the core.

When you are making millions of dollars, you are past the point of worrying about whether or not you can put food on the table. You are financially successful, but does that mean you call it a day? I don’t think so. If financial success were enough for total fulfillment, we would not be hearing from the likes of Richard Branson or Mark Zuckerberg anymore. Beyonce and Jay-Z would just pack up their yacht and sail off into the sunset.

As human beings there is an inner drive for self-actualization, to become the highest version of ourselves. There is a need to be seen and heard and to feel relevant. And most importantly, I believe there is a need to express ourselves and to have that expression create connection.

Let’s play a game, shall we. Pretend you are the richest person in the world. You can buy anything you want, go anywhere you want, do anything you want. What would you buy? Where would you go? What would you do? This is a fun game, isn’t it? Now ask yourself “Why?” Why would you buy the Ferrari? Why would you go to Africa? Why would you create a charitable foundation?

For the way it would make you FEEL.

If you went on safari, you’d be on an adventure, you’d be learning, you’d see beautiful animals and landscape. You would experience awe and beauty. It would feed your soul. If you bought a Ferrari, you’d gain status and recognition, you’d be expressing your wild and fast nature, you’d’ FEEL sexy and powerful. If you started a charity, you’d be giving of yourself, connecting to a cause you care about deeply, you’d gain a feeling of gratitude and generosity.

Do you see a pattern here? It’s’ about feeling, connection, passion, expression. It’s not just about the money. It’s about being wildly ALIVE. Of course, the money is vital to the equation. You need the money to actualize, but understanding what the drive is behind the desire for money is critical to both success and happiness.

We tend to think the next level of financial success is going to make us fulfilled, but that is back-asswards. When we understand what fulfills us, we make better decisions about how to make our money. We are happier, more open, we connect more freely and we have more to give. Our creativity skyrockets and we become more innovative and energized. Who doesn’t want more of that?!

If you are not feeling those things in your business now, there is room for improvement. The more you can connect deeply with who you are and how you want to show up in the world, the easier it will be to know your next move.

If you are yearning for a more meaningful version of success, I invite you to apply for a Complimentary Consultation with me here by CLICKING HERE=> http://bit.ly/1pHt7FC

 

Filed Under: Authentic Branding, Success Strategies Tagged With: , , , ,

Your Brand is Calling… Are you listening?

May 21, 2014 By Leave a Comment

Now that summer is approaching (big yeah!!) it’s time for ice-cream season. Ok, in full honesty it’s always ice-cream season in my house. But nothing is as good as going to one of those awesome ice-cream shops with tubs of the colorful cold stuff. I love watching my kids press their noses against the glass trying to decide between Moose Tracks and rainbow sherbet. I usually go with some low-fat yogurt number and then watch pining away as the kids slurp up their creaming drippings.

Honestly, I don’t even know why I pick the yogurt. I don’t really like it that much. I end up consuming empty calories without the satisfying pleasure that should accompany indulging. It’s kind of a waste. For all the bother, I’d rather have an apple. But in the moment of choice, I focus on what I should be doing so I pick a treat that really isn’t much of a treat and I go away feeling kind of gypped.

What’s worse is the whole time I’m slugging through my yogurt, I have to watch everyone else enjoying their choices. Sometimes it’s hard for the kids too. They may like what they got, but then they look over at their sisters and feel jealous. What if hers is better? What if she made a better choice?

Why all the focus cups and cones? [Read more…]

Filed Under: Authentic Branding, Bold Branding Tagged With: , , , ,

If the Shoe Doesn’t Fit Anymore

May 14, 2014 By 4 Comments

Did you ever get the feeling that something in your business doesn’t feel right? You start to get a little gnawing feeling you can’t identify. It’s not that things are dramatically wrong, but they aren’t exactly right either. Maybe you have some clients coming in, but the business still isn’t really taking off. Or you could even have a more steady stream of clients, but you just aren’t as excited to work with them as you used to be.

What’s going on?

You could be in the wrong shoes, brand shoes that is.

Remember when you were a kid. One day you’d be running around in your Hush Puppies and the next, your little piggies would be banging up against the edges. It can be like that with your brand too. You are plugging along in your business feeling like everything is fine until you realize everything is not fine. You may not be sure why, but you know you don’t feel good. Something is being pinched, and that thing is [Read more…]

Filed Under: Authentic Branding, Brand Building, Brand Management Tagged With: , , , , ,

Follow Your Bliss. Period. End of Story.

January 9, 2014 By Leave a Comment

Follow your bliss. Turn your passions into profits. Follow your heart and the money will follow. Have you heard phrases like these? What do you think? Does it make you feel excited to think about following your passion? Or do you think it’s all a bunch of new-age hype?

I’ve heard a lot lately about how following your passion is just a bunch of hooey. Yes, I said, hooey. What these nay-sayers suggest is following your passion is not a sound business approach. It takes hard work to be successful. If you are passionate about what you do, great. If not, it doesn’t matter. What does matter is putting your nose to the grind stone and getting it done.

Again, I’ll ask you. How does that make you feel? Do you believe success is hard work? Are you  nodding your head in agreement? Or do you feel slightly pinched in the throat? Well, I’m going to tell you, [Read more…]

Filed Under: Life Lessons, Success Strategies, Taking care of your instrument, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , ,

The Problem With Thinking Outside The Box

August 21, 2013 By 2 Comments

Want to know how to turn your pretty good brand into something really special? You need to shake it up, think outside the box. At least that’s what everyone says. But what if everyone is wrong? What if everything you needed to be spectacular was right inside your very own box?

The problem with thinking outside the box is the whole going outside business. We tend to think we can cherry pick parcels of genius from the ether.  The truth is, when we reach out and away, we move away from the very things that could set us apart. In an effort to expand our brand appeal we actually dilute its  potency.

Of course, we find inspiration outside of ourselves, however, [Read more…]

Filed Under: Bold Branding, Connecting with your Audience Tagged With: , , , , ,

Do You Have An Inspired Brand?

April 24, 2013 By Leave a Comment

mallYou have business cards, check. Your website is up, check. You are networking, check. You even have some clients, check. You’ve done all the things you’re suppose to be doing to get your business  up and running and now it’s running, but that’s about it. You don’t feel the way you thought you would at this point. Things aren’t as fun and exciting as you imagined they would be.

It happens to most entrepreneurs at some point. In the beginning you have all the enthusiasm of a kid on the last day of school. You can’t wait to open the doors and get out there, but something happens along the way and you lose steam. While it’s true, there is a lot of foot work to be done to lay a strong foundation for your business, you mustn’t lose the spark that set you on the entrepreneurial path in the first place in the process.

That spark is the core of your brand. It’s not the snazzy business cards, the zippy new tagline or even your great services or products that is going to attract people to your brand. How enthusiastically people respond to your brand is in direct proportion to the level of passion you exude towards what you do.

But what’s a girl to do if she’s lost that lovin’ feeling? It is essential you find ways to stay excited and inspired about your business. Here are a few ideas to get you back into your groove: [Read more…]

Filed Under: Brand Management, Overcoming challenges, Success Strategies, Winning mindsets Tagged With: , , , , ,

“It’s a Beautiful Day”

September 17, 2011 By Leave a Comment

"It's a Beautiful Day"I recently read an article about the rock singer Bono where he talked about the process of finding his voice. Initially, he tried playing guitar, but he did not excel with it. Then someone suggested he sing, but he didn't think he really had a voice and he struggled to know how to do it. However, he gave it a second try and something clicked. He found his voice.

It's hard to imagine a singer who has performed for millions and millions of people not thinking they have a voice and almost panning the idea of pursuing a career in music. However, I understand it because I've seen this phenomenon first hand. In music school we used to sing for each other every week performing the pieces we'd been working on or doing mock auditions for our studio. There would often be a young student who really struggled to sing well. One would wonder how they were ever going to make it as a singer. Lo and behold, a few months later their voice would start to bloom.

So what happened for Bono and my music school colleagues? Why were they able to find their voices? First of all, they stuck with it. When you are struggling with anything it's tempting to give up. You may feel because you failed at your first attempt it means you are not gifted enough to pursue your dream. However, it often just takes a little time and patience to see the results you want. You may already be doing everything right and you are simply in process.

The second thing they did was continue to explore. Bono first tried guitar and then singing. He had to figure out how to make it work. "I had tried before, but I had no voice at all. I remember the day I found I could sing. I said, 'Oh, that's how you do it." (Success Magazine) A lot of people think you can either sing or you can't, but that's not true. Singing is a process of learning to coordinate many internal processes. You have to explore the mechanisms of your body. What happens when I breathe this way? How does my tone change when I focus my sound towards my nose? As you explore, you get information about what works and what doesn't to get the results you want.

Finally, they got feedback. In Bono's case it was from his bandmates who told him he was a lousy guitarist. So he tried something else. In the case of the music students it was from their teacher and their studio mates. They were able to take that information and apply it to tweak their process, refine their instrument and ultimately, blow away their audience.

Whether you are singer or a business owner the same lessons apply. If you have a passion, a desire to share your gifts and be heard by an excited audience, you can't be let fear of failure stop you. You need to keep at your craft, keep learning and exploring and continue to get feedback from your mentors, peers and clients. There have been many stars who did not start out at the head of the pack, but because of their curiosity, their tenacity and their willingness to learn they ended up finding their voice and their success.  If you are willing to do the work, you can do it too.  When you do, like Bono says "It's a Beautiful Day." 

Filed Under: Finding Your Voice Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,