Sun Will Come Out folded card by Everything Little Miss

This post was supposed to be about BlogHer. I promised. And I’m sorry if you were looking forward to it. I scheduled it into my calendar today, but (a) ran out of time and (b) couldn’t wrap my head around it. Right now, I should be making dinner. But I couldn’t bring myself to BlogHer or dinner without sitting down and getting this out here, in the open, to you, to me.

Long story short? I surrender. I put up my hands. I give up the cape. I wave the white flag. (Insert all other similar analogies here)

As it turns out, I’m not Superwoman, and it has to be OK right now. I have clients to coach and Spring to co-host and an e-course to launch (in October, we think! stay tuned!) and I. Just. Can’t. Do. Everything.

That’s not true. I could. I could choose this to keep working this way. That would also be making the choice to be constantly tired, and mostly cranky, and considering a lunch break of more than 30 minutes a rare luxury. And I absolutely, positively go against that choice.

Remember when, about 6 weeks ago, I talked all about what was in my head & what was making my brain explode & how I was totally overwhelmed? After I wrote it I was able to own it, but yet I find myself here. Again. Thank all that is holy that I started working with Thekla again on time management, and really discovering what needs to happen in my business, at this level. I’m so, so, so (so! so! so!) very thankful that my client load is at a maximum and the consultation calls continue to roll in, but now comes the part that’s even tougher than getting the clients: managing it all. Managing it to my limits, my needs, my energy level,  my expectations & what I put on my plate. And the big realization here is that, well, I don’t really know what that is. I might think I know, but I don’t. And why don’t I know?

Because I’m new here.

It’s only been 144 days since I’ve been a full-time coach, and what I thought I could handle isn’t the reality. I am, however, taking notice, & am getting a sense now as to how many client sessions I want to conduct each day (3 maximum), and how late is too late for me to coach (9p Eastern), and that I need a Partner in Crime to manage my nudging and billing, which is taking way too much brain power now that I’m juggling (heading to spreadsheet, counting, counting, counting…) 47 clients.

Wait, did I just say 47 clients?!

I totally did. Wow. Whoa. And other “W” words. Yes, Wonderful, too.

I honestly didn’t realize that, but between my group session clients and my private clients, I have 47 on the current roster. No wonder I’m logging about 60-70 hours/week. Ah. And thank the good lord,  I’ve already cut off working with new clients ’til after Labor Day, but maybe I need to extend that date out, too.

I promise I’ll keep figuring this out, and cluing you guys in, and bringing you along for the ride. The most wonderful piece of all this is knowing that you guys are here for me, supporting me, cheering me on, showing up whether I blog twice a week or two dozen times a week (right?). And don’t even think that I’ll be neglecting this space at all – I love it too, too much.

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Delicious Discount: Get a $25 discount for any $250 purchase from  Tara Sroka all the way through Aug 31st.

Affiliate Awesomeness:

• Khristian A. Howell’s Confessions of a First Timer (get your mind out of the gutter!) is the perfect read for any trade show exhibitor virgin.
  
• Get my cult leader Danielle LaPorte’s Digital Firestarter Sessions in your own home, on your own time.
  
• Also, Molly Hoyne’s Pay-What-You-Can-Afford Joy Equation is your 30 day guide to Living on Purpose.

Related posts:

1. Stuck in the middle with….OK, I was gonna say “you” but that doesn’t apply to this post.
2. Off to BlogHer!
3. Blogin’ About BlogHer, Brazenly: Day Two!

I’m finding my way, originally uploaded by knottednes & found via kind over matter

Even though yesterday’s Tough (Question) Tuesday (”What can you take off your plate?”) was an “easy” one (compared to “Do you believe in passion?” & “What’s your definition of success?“), it totally stumped me. I looked at it & looked at it, hoping the answer would jump out of the screen & show itself to me, all spooky word-jumble-by-a-ghost-style (like the letters of “What can you take off your plate?” suddenly form “can of pea” & that would somehow tell me something).

But nope. The Otherworld did not send my messages via my 7 year old computer (that’s getting upgraded this week! Hurry up for spooky things, Ghosts. I know you’re in here). Instead, I knew a Big Ole Brain Dump was gonna show me the way. Yup, I’m about to share my process & everything that’s on the said daily/weekly/monthly (!) To Do list (despite the fact that maybe I “shouldn’t”!). Hence, the Big Ole Brain Dump along with the estimated time that goes with each task, as I think it’ll help me sort through things:

• 7 group coaching sessions: 15 hours/week for sessions & back end work
• 13 private client sessions (email & phone): 15 hours/week for sessions & back end work
• rewriting my Services copy with new packages & pricing & (forcing Luke into) updating it to go live (Note: Once it does, I’m gonna be charging $99/session instead of $79. You better contact me now if you’re thinking of working with me, ’cause there’s no going back once that baby’s updated): 3 hours
  
• weekly Skype Boozin’ & Brainstormin’ meetings with Jess Swift (for our top secret project!): 2 hours/wk because we force ourselves to stop gabbing. Otherwise, 84 hours/wk.
• writing copy for said top secret project: 3 hours/wk, ideally.
• monthly newsletter: 5 hours/month
• Spring & all that goes with it (monthly calls, taping videos, communicating with collaborators, writing & publishing posts, etc): 20 hours/month (approximately)
• 2 new written exercises/wk for group coaching sessions: 3 hours / wk
• Taking Flight content: 3 hrs/wk
• Running 3 mornings/wk: 3 hrs/wk
• weekly business building check-in/updates: 90 min/wk
• monthly finance reconciliations: 90 min/month
• daily Hootsuite/Twitter communication: 30 min/day
• blogging 3x/wk & answering comments: 4 hrs/wk

This doesn’t include the “project to do list” that contains the e-book I wanna write & researching/buying a scanner  & going back to tag every blog post & rolling over my 401K from my previous employer & writing a Go Here First page on my blog &…you get the point.

OK, so, this equals about 247 hours/month, or over 60 hours a week. Holy guacamole – I never thought of it like that! No wonder I’m overwhelmed! Not that I’m looking to slack off or nothin’, but having 30 hours/week of “committed” projects (sounds like I’m in the nuthouse!) & then about 15 hours/wk of “uncommitted” projects to work on along with about 10 hrs/wk of business building & exercise stuff feels like the perfect balance. Right now I’m at the “committed” peak just with my clients, not to mention Spring, this blog, my newsletter, Twitter, & my Top Secret Project with Jess. Sigh. Those all seem equally as important, or just a notch of importance below my clients.

I hafta interrupt this regularly scheduled program now to say how awesometastic this problem is. It’s the bestest problem in the world because – hallelujah – it means that I’m working. Amen & kiss the ground. I don’t want to look that gift horse in the mouth or be unthankful for it, so let me say it now: Thank you. If you’re one of my fantabulous clients, I’m grateful for you. If you’re thinking of being one,  I’ll make time/room for you. I think now it’s all about finding – & sticking to! – my Life Design, whether it’s inspired by Heddy Lamar or not.

See, there are Vampires in my head now, telling me that, if I block off my calendar & limit myself to, say, only scheduling consultation calls on Fridays or only scheduling 3 client sessions per day that I’ll never “make it.” I’ll lose my audience, my clients, my livelihood & my passion. He’s also telling me that I’m supposed to be working hard now, super overtime, since I just started my business & this is the only way to make it happen. But at the same time, there’s a devil on my shoulder telling me to take time off, take care of myself, leave it all by the wayside. Why it’s a devil & not an angel, I have no idea – but there he is, all red & fiery & horn-y & taunting me with self-care. Huh.

The angel tells me to find the gray area. Keep up the hard work, but set the boundaries & enforce them. Stop scheduling time to talk to people who want to be coaches (it’s so tough to say “no” to them!), and some other “friends” that clog up the calendar. Give yourself an hour a day of exercise or business building, but don’t stress about doing both. Schedule your Me Time back into your calendar & hold it tight. Remember you’re setting this up to pull back in a year or two, but now…you have the time & the energy & the enthusiasm – use it. But keep that Wall in sight & know when you’re about to hit it, & walk away. It’s alright. Be your own best friend. There, there.

I guess I didn’t come up with 1 Concrete Answer of “what to take off my plate”, but I know what I want to keep on it:

• working with as many client’s as’ll have me, but not extend myself more than 4 sessions each business day (and let’s be honest – waiting lists are cool)
• 90 minutes of Me Time each week
• an hour each day of exercise /business building/ journaling / creative time
• keeping up with Spring, the Top Secret project, my blog, newsletter & twitter for 2 hours each day, but keeping it as a lower priority than my client commitments & being nice to myself if I can’t get to it
• working on “uncommitted” projects one by one (prioritize -> pick one -> finish it) for 2 hours each week

This is about 40 hours/wk. No doubt I’ll be “working” more than that, but I’m definitely breathing easier with a clearer head.

Ain’t that Big Ole Brain Dump a beaut?

Related posts:

1. Big Realizations (or, The Results of The Big Brain Dump)
2. Tough (Question) Tuesday: What can you take off your plate?
3. I Quit My Day Job! Are You Next?

Open Up from blue bicicletta

Hello my lovely readers!

I have a small and painless request (I think!). Y’see, I started advertising on blogs like a real live grown-up woman of the world/business owner, & while I love the sites where my badge blinks brightly (currently, at Kind Over Matter, Kelly Rae Roberts & The Bright Side Project), I’d love to find, well, more peeps like you! While I think I kinda sorta know what your go-to blogs/magazines are, I know what happens when you assume…..so I figured I’d ask!

If you can kindly let me know in the comments what your go-to, can’t-miss blogs and/or mags are and whether you read ‘em by visiting or by subscription (whether via email or RSS), I would supercalifragiouslisticexpealidosciously thank you.

I really appreciate the help!

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Get Danielle LaPorte’s Nuggets of Genius in your own home, on your own time.  The Digital Firestarter Sessions from my “cult leader” are taking the Interwebs by storm!

What’s your Joy Equation? Find out with Molly Hoyne’s Pay-What-You-Can-Afford Program!

Related posts:

1. Tickle Yourself – Organized! (Get your minds out of the gutter, people)
2. Wanna coach with me for more than half-off?…
3. Top 5 Myths / Untruths / Blatant Lies about Creatives

Get Over It by Restless Type

Happy Friday, lovelies! I have to have to have to point you back in the direction of Spring because, as the title of the post suggests, we’ve done a big fat revamping. Not only did we post the very first video with our very new co-host Tiffany Moore (she’s so cute & funny & smart & engaging!), but we redesigned the site, too (”we” being “the lovely & talented Jess Swift”). We have big, fat, grandiose plans for Spring – like starting a video channel, having more contributors, taking over for Oprah (y’know, little things) – but, well, we’re not exactly sure when they’re gonna roll out & how it’s all gonna happen. It’s kinda scary & pretty exciting at the same time, so you know I’m happy (I love living in that scary/exciting place!). So please please (with sugar on top) head on over to Spring & watch our videos & comment everywhere & add us to your RSS feed /get our newsletter or email updates & help us take over the world spark some awesome conversation. Our June videos are all gonna be about the Law of Attraction, & both the videos & the comments that are already happening are super stimulating (hehe, I said “super”).

Speaking of scary/exciting, I hafta tell you briefly about the scary/exciting thing I did on Wednesday night: I attendended a networking event ALONE! Now, you might be saying to yourself, “Michelle, you can have a conversation with a wall, what are you talking about?” in which I’d reply, “But I’d only talk to that wall if someone I knew was in the vicinity!” Seriously, I don’t go anywhere alone – not to restaurants, not to the movies, not anywhere (OK, subways & sidewalks & parks & food stores & coffee shops to work don’t count – I go there alone all the time, you know what I mean). And even though I know I can talk to a wall, & I don’t have a problem meeting new people & – heck, I’ll say it – they usually find me pretty fun/nice/engaging, I don’t trust it enough to have the strength to walk in the door by myself. So, when my friend who was accompanying me to the BlogHer Meet-up left me a voicemail that she had to go home sick (hope you’re feeling better, Kylie!), I listened to the message on the platform of the 6 train, 1 stop from where I needed to go, & panicked. I was tired. I looked great. I spent an hour getting there. It would take an hour getting back. I was scared. What was I scared of? I finally told the Vampires to leave me the hell alone, as I spent enough time looking good (I ironed, for Pete’s sake!) & getting there that I couldn’t just turn around when I was 1 short stop away. Also, I know logically that I can talk to a wall. My Vampire didn’t have a comeback for that one. So, I transfered to the local train, got off at 28th Street, & walked into the restaurant. Because I was a few minutes early, I was told to wait at the bar until the downstairs space opened up. I went about my “busy business”, checking my iPhone to see if any emails came in in the last, oh, 4 minutes, & I was greeted by a warm smile by a woman – alone – at the next table.

“Are you here for BlogHer?”, she said.

“Yes,” I responded, relieved. “Are you?”

“Yes,” she said. We both laughed.

“We must have The Look!” I said. “I was going to ask you the same thing.”

Her name was Patty, & we hit it off right away. By the time we made our way downstairs, we were chatting up a storm, & Patty even told her Mom – who was worried about her going to an event “alone” – that she met “a nice Jewish girl from Long Island” (my words) & she was doing fine. Patty & I got a drink & some nibbles, & sat down in a large booth where Tracy was already situated (alone, too!). Throughout the evening, we were joined by brave BlogHer’s who approached us – sometimes alone, sometimes with a friend or two – to ask if they can join us in our big booth. Blog names & twitter handles & business cards were exchanged, & for 2+ hours, I met a wonderful array of interesting women & – of course – found a whole new slew of friendly faces to speak to at BlogHer this August (which I thought I’d have to go to, gulp, alone).

So a big hello to Patty, Tracy, Ashley, Rachel, Li, Kath & Molly for making a scary event into nothing but fun & awesomeness. See you ladies at BlogHer!

Related posts:

1. Tough (Question) Tuesday: How do you tell the Scary Stuff to take a hike?
2. Win an Amazeballs Resume Revamp Package from Alexandra Franzen!
3. Jazz Hands, Polka Dots & Spring!

That’s Molly. She gave me a seriouser pic to use, but I didn’t wanna. Look how cute she is!

I first met Molly Hoyne of Stratejoy via Twitter.  Yup, Internet friends. I checked out her site & fell in love with her the awesomeness of her blog, the enthusiasm & obvious passion she brings to her coaching, & how she calls everyone “cupcake” & “babe.” So, when she asked me to be an affiliate for The Joy Equation, her new “30 day guide to living life on purpose”, I…hesitated. Because, well, I’m still pimping out Danielle LaPorte’s Digital Firestarter Sessions (it launched amidst the scholarship craziness, & it’s amazeballs!) & I didn’t want youse guys to think I’m walking around with a fur coat & a cane & lots of bling. But then Molly sent me the PDF of The Joy Equation Workbook (think of a whole book of Tough (Question) Tuesdays) along with the first chapter of audio links, & it was a done deal. This is what I needed when I was going through my quarterlife crisis (although I didn’t quite know that’s what it was!), & the fact that she’s offering donation-based pricing just added to the cherry on top. So, I said, “Duh!” Molly & I then went on Skype & did a video interview to let ya know more about her & The Joy Equation, but her eyes looked demonic & the audio didn’t sync & it looked like I had rubbed vaseline all over the lens a la Barbara Walters, so we decided to have the interview in print instead. You’re welcome.

What did you wanna be when you grew up? I wanted to be a psychologist, an interior designer, a motivational speaker, a professor, a mom, a wedding planner, an actor and a biologist.  All at the same different times of course!

How did you become the Stratejoy Coach? Here’s the short version:  I had a completely dramatic Quarterlife Crisis when I was working in hospitality sales about 4 years ago.  Even though I was awesome at my job and really loved the people I worked with, I felt like I was losing touch with the real me…  A lot of my job felt “fake”: from the suits to the sales process to the “the guest is always right” attitude.

I had no idea what my right life looked like, I just knew I wasn’t living it!

So- I ran away…  My boyfriend (now fiance) and I sold everything we owned and backpacked around the world for 10 months.  I gave myself that time to get my shit figured out…  Who was I?  How did I want to show up in the world?  Who did I want to serve?  What did I REALLY care about?

It was a complete surrender of other’s expectations and a focus on  authentic joy and my definition of success.   Needless to say, it was quite the shift in perspective!

I got back to Seattle knowing that I wanted to help other women go through the same process I had– looking at their lives from this creation standpoint, getting back in touch with what “feels right”, and using THAT to create an amazing, bold, juicy, authentic existence.

And I went for it! That’s definitely one of my strengths- diving in!  I’ve been building Stratejoy, teaching workshops, creating the online content & classes, coaching women one-on-one, figuring out social media land, and living as genuinely and joyfully as I can.

Oops.  That seems more like the long version!  Sorry Michelle’s lovely readers!

What the heck is The Joy Equation, anyways, and how will it help those quarterlife crisers? The Joy Equation is a 30 day Guide to Living Life on Purpose.  It’s an online course that is made up of 30 days worth of journal prompts delivered via email, four audio 90 minute audio sessions, and a 40 page Joy Plan Workbook that you get in the mail!  I like to say it’s my “firstborn”…  That’s how much I love and believe in it!

And yes, there is an actually Equation!

The course operates on this premise:  Connect with Yourself  +  Define Success + Cultivate Powerful Habits + Commit to Your Happiness  = Authentic Joy.

It’s inspiring and empowering and insanely useful for those Quarterlife Crisisers because it gives you time and space to work through some big questions and a lot of the crap (comparison mania, ridiculously high expectations, limiting beliefs, lack of self care) that leads to a “crisis”.  I totally believe that each of us holds the answers, but sometimes we need someone to ask us the right questions!

I think the help really comes from gaining clarity about next steps, reigniting hope, and putting together an action plan to make it all happen.  And all of this occurs within a really supportive community.  We’re starting a movement and building a tribe of women living and working for authentically joyful lives.

And FYI asked question:  What if I’m not 24-32?  Will this still be useful? As long as you don’t mind the examples I use of 20/30 somethings and the fact that I call you sunshine and cupcake, the course is right for anyone looking for some powerful deliberate living work.  Woo Hoo!

Does donation-based pricing mean I really just pay whatever I want?  What’s the catch? I like to refer to it as “pay what you can afford” pricing.  I believe that each person who invests in the course will think about what that means for them and make an honest choice.  Many people have paid the full price of $149, and many others have paid $49.  And I’ve definitely shipped out a few Joy Plans that cost me money!

But there’s no catch.  It’s a karma thing.  If someone thinks this course is going to change their lives (which I believe it does!), I want them to have it.  So if you spend $5 on it and it costs me $10 to ship to you in Switzerland- I’m still gonna do it.  (Yup.  True story.)

I’m hoping that people will pay it forward and spread the word.  That makes it soooo worth it to me and the message of Stratejoy.

How does The Joy Equation help career changers and/or creatives? One of the amazing things about changing your career is that you have freedom to really think about how that new career affects the “rest of your life”.  One of the core beliefs behind the Joy Equation is that living on purpose means making deliberate choices about our personal resources- our time, money, energy and love. And when you’re changing careers- that’s exactly the kind of things you’re thinking about!  Perfection!

As far as creatives go, I think most of us creatives are already committed to living a life that is an authentic reflection of who we are!  I’m pretty sure it’s in the “job description” of making a living creatively! The Joy Equation helps supply some structure to our dreaming and scheming, and just like the rest of the world, creatives still need to take action to move forward.

Parting words? Always!  Can’t you tell I like to say my piece?  I’ll leave you with my anthem.

This is Life.  Jump In.   Make it Count.

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1 person. $710 worth of resume sprucing. Get The Goods with Alexandra Franzen’s Scholarship.

Get Danielle LaPorte’s Nuggets of Genius in your own home, on your own time. Announcing the Digital Firestarter Sessions from my “cult leader.”

What’s your Joy Equation? Find out with Molly Hoyne’s Pay-What-You-Can-Afford Program!

Related posts:

1. Top 5 Myths / Untruths / Blatant Lies about Creatives
2. My Unconventional Life
3. Come Out, Come Out, Whoever You Are….

Before I worked with Creatives, I was one. OK, I am one, present tense. And little ticks me off more than the Myths/ Untruths / Blatant Lies about being a creative person. Whether it’s your career or “simply” a hobby, the world at large tends to think that:

1. Creatives are stupid. Yup, I graduated NYU in 3 years. Yup, I was a theater major. That does not make it “easier”. Thank you.
2. Creatives are broke. Well everyone knows that you can’t make a living being an artist, or an actor, or a dancer, right? We must hate things like retirement & health insurance. Yuck.
3. Creatives are self-absorbed. Here’s a joke: How can you tell if someone’s Creative? By their big fat head! Here’s another: (Person 1) Knock knock……uh, knock knock……KNOCK KNOCK! (Person 2, the Creative) Oh, were you talking? I didn’t even see you standing there! I get so distracted by mirrors & my beautiful reflection. Wanna hear me belt a High C?
4. Creatives need to be told, constantly, that it’s “hard” to be a Creative. When I was pounding the pavement for 10 long years, & mentioned to anyone that I was Broadway Bound, I got one response, overwhelmingly: “That is such a hard life. Wow, so, so hard. You must have it so hard. It must be so hard for you.” I usually didn’t get that all at once, but it sure seemed like it. And my response, with a smile, was always, “Yup!” Um, I’m living it, idiot.
5. Creatives are lazy. This makes me more angry than any of the others, probably because my mission statement is to help Creatives that will not settle for a career that’s devoid of passion. To do that, there is major, major work involved. Major. And there is major, major drive & major, major motivation that goes along with it. Take Carmen Torbus, a client of mine who is a mother of 2 with a full-time job but is also an artist who leads workshops, writes books, blogs & contributes to a katrillion publications. Yeah, she’s just sitting on the couch eating Bon Bons all day. Puh-lease.

So, here comes that list of all the awesome things that Creatives are. I knew you were waiting for it.

1. Creatives have X Ray Vision. OK, that might be pushing it, but haven’t you noticed that we see what The Rest of the World doesn’t? That we’re observant & inquisitive? That our pictures say 1,000 words & our 1,000 words brings the picture into focus? Yup, we’re all superheros, especially since everyone has the capacity to see the world this way – we just choose to honor it.
2. Creatives thrive within a community. As an actor, I loved meeting new people & being part of a cast. Now, as an entrepreneur dealing with Creatives, I find ‘em on Twitter, through their/my blogs, creating radio stations & podcasts & conducting interviews with each other. They’re here to not only share their talent & to peddle their wares, but to connect with other Creatives & those that appreciate ‘em. In real life, I go to The Magnet Theater every Wednesday to see my husband’s improv team play. Who else is always in the audience? Yup – members of the other teams. They’re there to learn & to be with their friends, but above all, they’re there to support the team that’s up on stage. It’s a very, very cool place to be (every Wednesday night! Only $5 a show!)
3. Creatives are never not Creative. Sure, I can stop pounding the pavement & trying to make my career as an actor, but it doesn’t mean that I’m no longer Creative. It’s not something that can be turned on or off, or only happens in certain spaces, or is something that can be thrown away. Accept it, love it, honor it, live it.
4. Creatives add ridiculous amount of value to everyone’s life. While we may not literally save lives, can you imagine living your life without books, TV, colors, music, graphic design, etc? If everyone stopped being Creative all at once, I think everything might turn to gray. And quickly. Don’t think about this too long – it’s both scary & depressing! (Shivers)
5. Creatives spark awesomeness. There’s a reason why the advertising world has a “creative” side & an “account” side. Not to say that the account side isn’t creative, but if they were the ones in charge of things like design & copy, I don’t think we’d have anything even close to this awesome Old Spice commercial.

So how can you honor the Cool Creative that you are, & hold your head up high, full of pride?

1. Pick up a Keri Smith book (I loved Wreck This Journal, but they all look awesome). Commit to doing a page a day. Carry it with you, & don’t be scared to make messes wherever you go. In fact, aim to be messy & embarass yourself. Man, is it fun.
2. Have a dance party each & every day – just you & your favorite jump-around song (mine’s Blister in the Sun closely followed by My Sharona). Singing into a hairbrush & wearing pants are both optional.
3. I don’t know about you, but I listen to my iPod whenever I’m out of my house & not with another person. Next time you leave your house, leave the tunes (or at least the headphones!) there, too. Spend the subway ride or the afternoon in the park or the waiting time at the DMV just watching, or writing what you’re watching, or drawing what you’re watching. Notice what interests you, whether it’s someone who can easily be the base for your next sketch comedy character or the color of the sidewalk that’ll come in to your next painting.
4. Join / find a Cool Creatives group! Whether it’s virtual (you know that anyone can get a free conference call line, right?) or in person, whether you organize it or join someone else’s, nothing is more awesome than being in a room full of people who get you. Yeah, your friends & family are awesome, but they might not entirely understand. I have a feeling you know what I mean.
5. Have a monthly artist date! Whether you want to subscribe to the local regional theater or just wanna check out that independent film down the street, it is so worthwhile – nay, important! – to do. I know The Artists Way touts the greatness of doing this solo, but I think you could include others. Just make sure they wanna be there, too! Ever see a show with someone that has zero interest? SO not fun.

Are you honoring, living and/or loving your Creative Awesomeness? Maybe it’s time to bring some of your myths / untruths / blatant lies to the surface that you know are holding you back & keeping you in hiding. The Creative Community & all your future fans thank you!

Love this article & want more like it delivered to your Inbox every month? Then subscribe to my newsletter & bask in the glow of being in the know. It’s easier than tying a bow or working with Play Doh, & certainly more fun than that lawn you’ll mow. Before you miss out – go!

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1 person. 12 session. $0. Announcing the 2nd Annual When I Grow Up Scholarship!

Get Danielle LaPorte’s Nuggets of Genius in your own home, on your own time. Announcing the Digital Firestarter Sessions from my “cult leader.”

Related posts:

1. Managing Weekly Tasks (for Overly Committed, Perfectionist, Somewhat Structured Creatives)
2. Blocking Your Time (for Overly Committed, Perfectionist, Somewhat Structured Creatives)
3. Managing Your To Do List (for Overly Committed, Perfectionist, Somewhat Structured Creatives)

OK, not really.

OK, kinda.

OK, enough that my husband calls Danielle “my cult leader”, & was worried that I wasn’t kidding when I joked that attending her Group Firestarter in NYC last Sept led me to shaving my head & vowing to only eat oregano.

Allow me to explain.

Being part of the Group Firestarter in NYC last fall was without question, the most inspiring, eye-opening, authenticating non-seminar I’ve ever been lucky to be a part of, & I draw on my lessons from it each & every day, especially as I grow my business as an entrepreneur who’s committed to focusing on the soul of it. There are so many Big Freakin’ Ideas contained within my Firestarter Notes, but what I remember leaving with – & when I left, I ran straight to my Flip camera to vlog without even stopping to pee, it was such a strong, exciting breakthrough for me – is the belief that I already had the answers, even if I didn’t know what the questions were yet. I was a wee entrepreneur who had never started my own business before, & was still tied down to Corporate America, & yet I knew that The Expert here was me. It blew my mind.

And now I’m stoked to tell you that you don’t have to wait for Danielle to come to your city to start your fire. You don’t have to spend $500 on a private session, either. Instead, she’s releasing her Nuggets of Genius (yes, that’s what I called my Group Firestarter notes) in digital form, offering them not only as written copy downloaded in PDF form, but taping fantabulous, mind-blowing videos to go with ‘em. I’ve gotten a peek at both & can say that they top the charts on both the fantabulous & the mind-blowing.

And can I tell ya something exciting?

I’m gonna be in one.

I know, I know! I almost peed when Danielle asked me to interview her for one of her Digital Firestarter videos, & then I really wet the bed when she asked me if she could interview me (for the whole leaving-Corporate-America-with-a-plan angle). I haven’t seen any of the video clips yet & I’m not sure what got kept & what got chopped, but I can guarantee that what’s gonna be there is gonna be – say it with me – fantabulously mind-blowing.

So yes, if Danielle started a cult I might be tempted to join, but that’s because it’s a cult based around your uniquity, your authenticity & your strengths (which is anything that makes you feel strong. I learned that from Danielle. Didn’t that just blow your mind?). And yes, I’ve already bought my copy & signed up for the affiliate program to spread the love. Keep in mind this is the first time I’ve ever promoted an affiliate product, & if I didn’t believe 1000% in it’s fantabulous mind-blowingosity I wouldn’t put myself behind it (or in it! That’s what she said).

And if you don’t trust me on her awesomeness, let her tell you herself via my favorite blog posts of hers (which was ridiculously hard to pare down. I coulda posted 50 of ‘em):

• what’s on your stop doing list?
• busy? ’nuff whining (yup, Danielle has her own segment on the news. She’s legit, people)
• unfetter your happiness (you know you want to)
• the ridiculous pursuit of being well-rounded
• guilty desires unite
• eat your mistakes whole
• the secret to self-promotion: radiance & the facts, jack
• life is subject to change: what happened when i raised my rates
• wonder what their dream is

The Digital Firestarter launches 5/12, but if you reserve your copy early you get a free chapter & free videos to go along with it. Come & join the “cult.”

No oregano or shaved heads will result in this purchase. Well, not directly, anyway.

Related posts:

1. Tough (Question) Tuesday: What’s your definition of success?
2. Off to BlogHer!
3. Tough (Question) Tuesday: What can you take off your plate?

I Can Dream With My Eyes Open by wordboner, found via design is mine

March 4, 2010 was a day that changed my life. It was the day that I released the chains, untied the rock from around my ankle & flew the coop. Yes, that’s dramatic. No, things weren’t “that bad.” But on that day, while I was heading to the meeting that would change my life, I had to stop myself from leaping & twirling across Park Avenue, belting out show tunes (”Everything’s Coming Up Roses”, specifically) & kissing babies & doing bell kicks.

March 4, 2010 was the day that I quit my day job. The day I excused myself from an environment that, while not torturous (no, not this time around), was the opposite of what I encouraged my clients find: an environment that focuses on the strengths they love utilizing, an environment full of support & encouragement where they can create days full of passion & opportunity to thrive & grow & learn & love. Yes, it’s idealistic & yes, I know it’s almost impossible to find but yes – it is still unacceptable for me (for me!) to have so very little of that in the place that demanded 55 hours a week of my precious time. Yes, my present Corporate America job had “stability”, & a nice salary, & nobody to bully me to tears or punch walls in my presence when a deal went sour (yes, both of those things happened multiple times in my past jobs). For most, it would have been Enough. For me, it wasn’t even close.

So how did I get from that realization to that freedom? From that darkness to this light? From that frozen tundra to this tropical paradise? From that pile of poop to this mountain of magnificence? I want to say: “Easy” – but it was anything but. I want to say: “Simple” – but it was anything but. Here’s why:

• It took me almost 3 years to get from Point A to Point B. Here’s the super simplistic thought process that started roughly in the spring of 2007 & brings us to the present day:  “I’ve faced the fact that I’m not going to pursue acting as a career anymore” -> “This customer service job sucks – I don’t care if I get benefits & a ‘good’ paycheck” -> “I refuse to make a living not doing something I love. Let’s go find out what that would be.” -> “This life coaching stuff is pretty awesome. Let me find job where my manager won’t make me cry on a daily basis so I can make some money, get certified as a life coach, & build my business.” -> “I graduated with my life coaching certificate! Let’s put the pedal to the medal now that I don’t hafta be in class when I’m not at work.” -> “Hey, I got some money saved & people keep signing up for consultation calls. Let’s wait for my bonus check & make this happen!” Whew! Are you exhausted or is it just me? This did not happen overnight, people. If you expect it to, you’ll probably be setting yourself up for some disappointment & frustration. Wouldn’t happiness & ponies be so much better?
• I casted the biggest, widest, strongest safety net I could find & laid it directly under my feet. When I committed to being a life coach & launching my own business (which scared the crapballs outta me), I could have jumped in to my classes while scrambling to find clients, get the word out, & make ends meet. I didn’t give that idea more than 30 seconds in my brain before I knew that it would leave me running into the arms of whatever “stable” job would have me, & I knew the end of that movie would be a tight shot of me running out of the subway to dry heave into a trash can on the platform – again. For me, I knew I needed a job that would meet my needs financially, didn’t come home with me (no company-issued BlackBerry!), & didn’t bring me to tears or drag me out of bed in the morning kicking & screaming. When I found my current Executive Assistant job in the summer of 2007, I knew going into it why I was there & what it could offer me. And while I didn’t say then, “I’m going to resign as soon as I get my bonus check in 2010″, I had the end goal in sight the entire time.
• I prioritized my commitments. Pre-coaching, my commitments might have been my day job, rehearsals for a show I was doing, & multiple social engagements (a grown-up way of saying “happy hours”) a week. One of the scariest, grown-up things I had to do was learn to say, “No” & really, truly pick one thing over another. My friends wanted to go out on the night I scheduled to write my website copy? Can’t do it. A show was auditioning that would require 15 hours of rehearsal a week? Sorry. I did learn, however, to keep room on my schedule for Me Time & social engagements & one-off shows – just not as regularly as my pre-grown-up, 26 year old self might have. The old me would go everywhere & do everything & burn herself out in the process. The 2007 me was forced to figure out the balance, stick to her guns, & not always do what she wanted to do, but do what she knew she needed to do to keep the wheels in motion.
• I structured the growing of my business around the time & resources that I had. Going in to this, I knew I had nights, weekends, & lunch hours to make this work. When I was focused mostly on school with the business secondary, I scheduled classes into my calendar a month at a time & ensured that I had time for the things that went along with it (my school-focused blog, my research paper, my coaching model, my clients). When I was able to do more business-building stuff, I realized what I did have was a lot of time in front of a computer, & what I didn’t have a lot of was time & money. So, I focused on my blog, and then social media, & then my newsletter. While I would love to coach in-person, & I’m itching to make use of all of the creatives who are out there in NYC just waiting to meet me (that’s my perspective & I’m sticking to it!), I couldn’t make it happen while staying at my day job. This gave me extra incentive to leave, but it also made it “easy” for me to see where to concentrate my efforts.
• I made sure to have fun & really, really like (if not love) what I was doing. If I didn’t love blogging, or writing my newsletter, or taping videos for Spring, I wouldn’t have kept on doing it. By not making anything a chore, I never had to drag my feet. Even though there were a bunch of things that I thought I “should” be doing, I knew that only focusing on the stuff I loved doing was the way to go.
• I asked for help. If I didn’t ask for help along the way, I’d be sobbing on the floor in the fetal position instead of writing this article. Without my graphic designer, my web designer, my VA, my web builder/updater (aka my husband), the friends & family & clients & tweeples who spread the word of my awesomeness far & wide….I would not be here, so close to freedom. It would not have happened yet. Case closed. Party over.
• I celebrated along the way. A party to celebrate my coaching graduation. A party to celebrate my Freedom from Corporate America. As you can tell, I like parties, & I liked having the excuse to throw ‘em. Along the way, I kept it up with bubble baths & massages & my favorite flowers. Big or small, I kept patting myself on the back & giving myself a gold star. It made everything that much sweeter & kept me keep on keepin’ on.
• When I had to leap, I leapt. You might have heard me say that I’m a firm believer in not taking a leap without a net, but planting the net firmly beneath you & taking baby steps, having it being pulled out little by little, until you’re standing on your own. And while I practiced what I preached, I woke up on March 4th, took a deep breath, & said, “OK Michelle – time to jump.” I wondered if I was really going to quit, if it was the “right time”, if I was “ready.” That, too, was something that was in my head for 30 seconds until I laughed & said, “Are you kidding me, lady? Let’s blow this gin joint!” I pushed myself out of the nest, & I – a risk-averse scaredy cat who has never been on an upside-down roller coaster – enjoyed the entire trip down to the ground, where my net (my current clients, my nest egg that would give me about 6 months severance without working at all, the continuous inquiries I’ve been getting about When I Grow Up) was safely waiting.

March 4th, 2010 was the day I quit the job that didn’t utilize my strengths, that didn’t allow me to shine, that stifled me. March 4th, 2010 was the day I walked towards a career that empowers me, that enables me to not need a cup of coffee at 3p so I don’t fall asleep at my desk, that makes me feel like this is a proud part of who I am & where I need to be.

Are you next?

The article was written for my March newsletter, & therefore all my newsletter subscribers are a month earlier to quitting their day job than you are. Harsh, but true. Sign up here & make sure you don’t get taunted ever again.

Related posts:

1. “I Quit My Job!”: 90 Days Later
2. I Quit My Day Job!
3. The Beauty of the Big Ole Brain Dump (or, How I Decided What to Take Off My Plate)

Wondering what I’m doin’ with my first week as a self-employed woman of the world? Let me tell ya about it!

It’s Soul Week (& I’m Resisting the Hell Out Of It!) from WhenIGrowUpCoach on Vimeo.

And here are the links that I refer to/promised ya in the video:

• Jess LC’s Makeunder My March series
• Kelly Rae Roberts talking about Soul Camp, which was my inspiration for Soul Week
• My Simply Fearless Fempreneur coach, Cassandra Rae

Hope you all are having a fantabulous week!

Related posts:

1. Tough (Question) Tuesday: What are you resisting?
2. How to Become an Expert While Honoring Your Renaissance Soul. It Ain’t No Oxymoron.
3. “The Renaissance Soul”: The Book Review!

Yes I did.

I’m going to be a full-time creative career coach when I grow up, which will specifically be on March 22, 2010.

Cue the tears sobs of gladness (did you expect anything else?):

I Quit My Job! from WhenIGrowUpCoach on Vimeo.

Related posts:

1. I Quit My Day Job! Are You Next?
2. “I Quit My Job!”: 90 Days Later
3. It’s Soul Week (& I’m Resisting the Hell Out Of It)!