5 Things You Must Do to Re-Brand Your Heart-Centered Business (And Your Life) Without Losing Your Friggin’ Mind

In my recent article, It’s a Re-Brand: How My Business Baby Done Got Borned, I spilled the beans on the birthing process for my new business brand, Get Out of Your Own Damn Way. The journey has been filled with ups and downs, breakdowns and breakthroughs, pain, joy, and FEAR.

In other words, it’s been just like life.

Yeah, there’s no escaping the fact that my business is an extension of who I am. That’s what heart-centered business owners are like. We live and breathe our business, because our business reflects who we are and what we stand for. We have HUGE, ginormous visions and missions to fill. That means my tribe gets to be on my journey with me, and I wouldn’t have it any other way (as scary as it is to be open and exposed in some of my most vulnerable moments).

Of course, there are lessons along the way. Detours. Wrong turns. Missed exits. Unexpected gems. And plenty of opportunities to walk my talk. I love the idea of helping others along their journey, even if I’m only a couple steps ahead at times. I believe we all have something to learn from each other.

So what have I learned along my re-brand journey? Honey, there ain’t enough space here for it all. But there’s some pretty major lessons that have popped out that I want to share…because they are truly LIFE lessons.

1. Get crystal clear on who you are and what you stand for. Any marketing expert will tell you that you need to be clear before you embark on branding. It’s basic stuff. But reading it or being told it is completely COMPLETELY different than living it. I thought I was clear before…twice. But when I’m being really honest, I wasn’t. I was dabbling in some different markets trying to fit them together like puzzle pieces from different puzzles. That came across in everything – my writing, my marketing, and my offers. And it certainly affected my bottom line. One of the best things I did for my business is DO THE WORK of getting clear about who I am and what I stand for.

2. Ask for help. Simply stated, but for the workaholic super woman who is used to doing everything on her own, not so simply done. Just because I CAN do most everything in my business doesn’t mean I should. There’s a certain finesse to learning to delegate. It requires letting go and trusting. Then course correcting as needed.

3. Let things percolate…but not forever. One of the wonderful things about being a creative entrepreneur is that I never have a lack of ideas. I’ve got ideas for books, programs, workshops, products, services, music, marketing, podcasts, etc. But I also suffer from what many business owners do, and that’s perfectionism. I hate putting my work out into the world without it being beautiful. The downfall is I’ve kept a lot of my ideas under wraps for years. NO MORE. I’ve finished more unfinished projects in the last several months than ever before. My mantra is “done is better than perfect.”

4. Act before you think yourself out of it. Entrepreneurs are natural risk-takers. However, we too (just like everyone else) can fall into the “analysis-paralysis” trap of over-thinking and under-acting. It’s easy to come up with reasons why something won’t work because of X, Y, and Z. But here’s a little secret – NOTHING ever turns out exactly the way we expect. So why not just get started, now, right where you’re at. There’s always room for reflection and changing course. What there’s NOT room for (if you want to fulfill your big n’ delicious dreams) is procrastination. Just get out there and DO SOMETHING.

5. Tantrums are expected, normal, and productive (if done right). It’s okay to be disappointed, frustrated, and downright ANGRY when things happen that are beyond your control. Curveballs are everywhere. But they’re not a sign to give up, they’re a sign to modify. Not one thing I planned for happened the way I anticipated during my re-brand. Technical issues, miscommunication with team members, unexpected expenses, you name it. I had moments, hours, and sometimes days when I was IN IT, grumpy, and OVER IT. But I allowed myself to yell, cry, vent, and walk away when needed to maintain my sanity. And then I got back to work having cleared my inner child’s need to throw a tantrum.

Because I’m not able to completely separate my business from my life, these are lessons that spill over into other areas as well – relationships, dating, parenting, etc. You can be sure that my life didn’t stop during my re-brand process (and actually blew up a little in some areas) and I had plenty of opportunities to put my ninja healing skills to the test in my personal life as well.

What are YOU doing to keep from losing your mind in the midst of personal and professional change? Leave a comment below.

Listen to Dr. Gregory Canillas’ “Get Out of Your Own Damn Way Story” on August 13, 2015

Join me as I interview Dr. Gregory Canillas on Thursday, August 13, as part of the Get Out of Your Own Damn Way Jam Sessions. Powerful people sharing powerful stories of how they tamed their fears, embraced their greatness, and got out of their own damn way. Sign up to listen in for free by entering your name and email below.

[color-box]Thursday, August 13, 2015, 11:00AM PST / 2:00PM EST

Dr. Gregory Canillas | www.thechicagoschool.edu/dir?userid=gcanillas

Psychologist and professor Dr. Gregory Canillas, known to friends and colleagues as “Doc”, takes a “keep it real” approach to his work both with clients and in training the next generation of therapists. His easy going attitude, coupled with a sharp insight that misses nothing, has made him popular with students and clients alike. His clinical work, research and teaching have focused on the entire range of relationship issues from trauma, abuse and infidelity to conflict resolution, spirituality and self esteem. He has worked with children, adolescents, adults, students, foster parents and anyone who needed help to better understand themselves, their relationships and their place in the world. Doc’s goal is to use his considerable education and experience to help people to live their best lives.

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Don’t worry if you miss the live interview. Sign up to get free access to the recording.

Why I Want My Email Subscribers to Get Off My List

No, I haven’t lost my marbles. I’ve actually gained a new perspective. One that makes me unabashedly bold in asking for what I want.

Once I realized my old approach of being a bit wishy-washy in asking people to sign up for my workshops, programs, and coaching and purchase my products were not only NOT working, but seeming to scare people away, it was time to develop a new approach.

As part of overhauling my business and marketing message, and unleashing the new brand Get Out of Your Own Damn Way, something switched over in me. I can no longer handle wishy-washy people in my tribe or on my email list (or in my life for that matter).

What do I mean by wishy-washy? People who…

• Are perpetually on the fence and not committing to anything
• Say they want change but never do anything about it
• Complain about how OTHER people should change
• Focus on problems without ever looking at solutions
• Continually seek the quick-fix, easy way out, rather than what is proven to work
• Refuse to try new things

Just like in dating, I have absolutely NO time OR patience in dealing with this kind of non-sense in business. It’s a waste of everybody’s time and energy.

Here’s the thing…I KNOW there are people on my email list who are mostly quiet but are still getting value from what I share and teach. There are people on my list who lurk. They soak up all the fantabulous tips I send out like a sponge and they actually use those tips to better their lives. How do I know? Because every once in a while, one is brave enough to come forward and say so.

I also know there are people on my email list who have the best of intentions but simply cannot read every newsletter or email I send out. Like me, they have a lot of balls to juggle and must continuously prioritize. But when they do make the time, they are grateful and amazed at how the information seems to speak to them. How do I know? Because every once in a while, they let me know by sending a quick email back or calling me up on the phone or sending me a message on Facebook.

There’s a difference between people who are stuck and have absolutely no intention of changing no matter what opportunities they get handed to them, and people who are stuck and are doing the best they can with every intention (which is often backed up with action) of making positive changes.

To be clear, wishy-washy is NOT the lurkers or the “I’ll get to it when I have time” crowd. To them, I say YAY, and please stay.

To the wishy-washy crowd, I say here’s your opportunity to move on. I’m breaking up with you. We’re not a good fit. I wish you all the best AND please unsubscribe and GET OFF MY LIST!

Oh, and if you’re not already on my email list (but would like to be), simply enter your name and email below and I’ll get you hooked up! This is the “no frills” version that’ll get you a nice little welcome email and a subscription to my twice monthly e-newsletter.

If you’re looking for some fancy free “ethical bribes” (i.e. you want something really cool in return for your name and email in addition to the e-newsletter), check these out:

• How Are YOU At Getting Out of Your Own Damn Way? Take the quiz to find out.
• Get Out of Your Own Damn Way Jam Sessions (powerful interviews of powerful people who have tamed their fears, embraced their greatness, and gotten out of their own damn way).

Listen to Mary Caelsto’s “Get Out of Your Own Damn Way Story” on August 6, 2015

Join me as I interview Mary Caelsto on Thursday, August 6, as part of the Get Out of Your Own Damn Way Jam Sessions. Powerful people sharing powerful stories of how they tamed their fears, embraced their greatness, and got out of their own damn way. Sign up to listen in for free by entering your name and email below.

[color-box]Thursday, August 6, 2015, 11:00AM PST / 2:00PM EST

Mary Caelsto | charmedchicken.com

Mary channels the wisdom of animals and nature to help others create meaningful rituals that bring peace and joy back into their lives. From her acreage in the Ozarks, she utilizes a mix of spiritual coaching, support, and handcrafted products to help others become the catalyst for change in their own lives. She shares her land with horses, geese, chickens, cats, the office rabbit, parrots, and her family, including her husband and her mom.

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Don’t worry if you miss the live interview. Sign up to get free access to the recording.

It’s a Re-Brand: How My Business Baby Done Got Borned

Picture this: January. Ready for new beginnings. Stuck in old patterns. Desperately wanting things to change but not sure what the first step is to take. Knowing you have something completely earth-shatteringly life-alteringly amazing to share with others.

Come on now. I know I’m not the only one who’s been there.

Enter some soul-searching, tough and real (and kinda painful) conversations with friends, colleagues, and mentors. And the thought that “I’ll give it one more try, but if this doesn’t work, I’m getting a damn (gulp) job again.”

Business owners do this dance…often. We are intimately familiar with the dance of “things aren’t working” and “it’s time to change direction…again.” Yet it’s still scary. I mean, white-knuckle, hold-your-breath, eyes-wide-shut kind of scary.

And yet we soldier on. Why?

Because we have vision. We have a big mission to fill. We are driven by unseen forces and a knowing that our path, even though not easy, is the only one for us. We are trail-blazers. We are risk-takers. We are believers in magic, love, change, choice, abundance, and healing.

So what gets in the way?

I will speak for myself (but I know that my words bring voice to many of you out there).

I get in my own damn way!

In January 2015, my business was tanking. Things got hard. People weren’t registering for my workshops like they used to. People weren’t responding to my offers like they used to. It was like…crickets.

I had some tough decisions to make. And I had to take a long and honest look at what wasn’t working. After the initial shock and berating myself and stomping around like a petulant child, I got over myself and realized what I had done to contribute to the demise. And you know what? Something amazing came out of all of it.

During one especially difficult conversation with my business coach (when she jokingly says she made me cry), she backed me into a corner with this simple question: “What do you want your customers and clients to do?”

For those of you who have customers and clients, you know this isn’t always such an easy question to answer. Typically, I would hide behind words like “feel better,” “lower their stress,” or “improve their relationships.” Of course, I do want this for my customers and clients. But honestly, these are a bunch of fluffy words that don’t really mean anything because they’ve been used to death. I’ve also hidden behind the veil of losing clarity, getting unclear and foggy about what the hell it is that I do. And let’s just say, my coach does NOT let me get away with that one AT ALL.

So she pushes me. And during this conversation, she pushed me further and harder than ever before and wouldn’t let me off the hook. Tears streaming down my face, in a booming voice, and without any hesitation, I yelled at her: “I want them to get out of their own damn way.”

There was a moment of reverence after I belted it out. And she said, quietly, in stark contrast to my loud declaration, “that’s your brand.”

And my new brand was born: GET OUT OF YOUR OWN DAMN WAY!

Here we are, months later, and my new brand is finally out there. I’ve connected with colleagues, clients, and customers all over the world who resonate fiercely with it. And it is taking my business in new directions that are exciting and unexpected.

Don’t get me wrong, the road hasn’t been easy. In fact, I’ve had to re-declare every step of the way as I’ve crafted my new marketing messages, redesigned my website, created a new quiz (“How Are YOU At Getting Out of Your Own Damn Way”), and all the other things involved with a major business makeover.

But every step has been worth it. I am an entrepreneur. I did not choose the easy path. I chose the one that lets me express my soul’s work by being a beacon and a model for those I serve. My brand is Get Out of Your Own Damn Way, and that’s exactly what I must do in order to help my customers and clients do the same.

I’ll be sharing more about my re-brand journey in upcoming articles…all the lessons I’ve learned and the epiphanies that come with stepping out more fully into my greatness.

Got a comment? I’d love to hear it…leave it below.

Listen to Dr. Mekel Harris’ “Get Out of Your Own Damn Way Story” on July 30, 2015

Join me as I interview Dr. Mekel Harris on Thursday, July 30, as part of the Get Out of Your Own Damn Way Jam Sessions. Powerful people sharing powerful stories of how they tamed their fears, embraced their greatness, and got out of their own damn way. Sign up to listen in for free by entering your name and email below.

Dr. Mekel Harris| www.mekelharrisphd.com

Dr. Mekel Harris is a licensed psychologist, Associate Professor, international speaker, community advocate, and mentor in the Los Angeles area. Her specialty areas include health psychology, consultation, and grief and loss. She is finalizing a memoir, focused on her grief journey, following her mother’s death in 2012. Aside from professional pursuits, Dr. Harris loves to travel and experience new cultures, sing, spend time with family (including her sweet Beagle), and journal. She continually strives to get out of her own way and realizes that living a mindful and faith-centered life is the only way for healing, connection, and blessings to flow!

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Don’t worry if you miss the live interview. Sign up to get free access to the recording.