The Dream Catch Series - Featuring Laura Knights

Dream Catchers

By LaTasha West

                

The Dream Catcher series seeks to provide information and real world advice. Over the next few weeks
I will share interviews that I have done with ladies who are successfully chasing, following and living their dreams. These women are wives, mothers and business owners who are willing to share a small piece of their journey with you.


I hope this series encourages, motivates and inspires you to believe.






This week I chat with Laura E. Knights, Owner of Laura E. Knights Coaching and Consulting


Here is what Laura has to say:

LaTasha: So, Laura, What makes a good entrepreneur?

Laura: I think it’s critical for an entrepreneur to take risks and to not give up. The definition of entrepreneurship is risk! You can’t just focus on instant gratification because you will give up quickly. You have to have a plan, do the research, and make space for your market to talk back to you about their pains and desires. You have to have what I call “strategic patience” because it takes time to turn over a profit. It’s a fine balance though, because at the same time, an entrepreneur must be assessing their business and their industry at all times for indications of when it may be time to cut their losses, change directions or end a particular endeavor that could cost more than it has the potential to make.


LaTasha: If you had to pick a skill or trait the each entrepreneur that you know has in common what would it be? Explain.

Laura: They are visionaries. They see possibilities on the blank slate, and they have the courage to put themselves out there and create something new.


LaTasha: Were you a good or bad employee? Tell me why you believe so.


Laura: I think I was a good employee, but that was only because I was what you would call an “intrapreneur” in every job I had. Although I was an employee, my role was really to create new things…programs, systems, processes, etc. I’m a strategist by nature, and as long as I can assess, problem solve, and create, I’ll be happy and able to produce great results. Even as an employee, I had the space to be entrepreneurial in my approach to my work. If that characteristic wasn’t present, I think I would have been a horrible employee because I would have gotten bored really quick!


LaTasha: Who is your business role model? Why did you choose this person?


Laura: I don’t want to be cliché’, but Oprah and Richard Branson are my business role models. They both have a heart for service, and they give back immensely; however, they are not fearful of taking their brands into new markets and industries. Oprah is a media mogul, but she has the magazine, coffee line at Starbucks, film/theater projects, founded a school, etc. Branson is into music, the airline industry, mobile technology, etc. They have done so many diverse things, and yet still made them fit seamlessly under one strong brand. I'm multi-passionate and I have plans to do so many things, that many may perceive as unrelated, so they really inspire me and give me hope to go for it.


LaTasha: One last thing, What is the one piece of advice that you would give to someone who is considering entering your industry today?


Laura: The coaching and consulting industry has blown up in recent years. Part of that is due to low barriers to entry. Anyone can wake up and call himself or herself a coach or consultant these days. Many would say the market is becoming saturated. My advice would be to really do some self-assessment to see what makes your services different from those around you. Try to develop a really defined niche, instead of just “life coach.” Ask yourself, “What specific result do I help people achieve? What is my unique approach to help them achieve that result?” Once you have a clear response that is supported by the outcomes and testimonials of the people you are serving, build your marketing messaging around those specific results. You MUST find a way to make yourself standout.

The Dream Catcher Series- Featuring Priscilla Williams

By LaTasha West

                

The Dream Catcher series seeks to provide information and real world advice. Over the next few weeks I will share interviews that I have done with ladies who are successfully chasing, following and living their dreams.  These women are wives, mothers and business owners who are willing to share a small piece of their journey with you.

I hope this series encourages, motivates and inspires you to believe.

This week I chat with Priscilla Williams R N, of  PriscillaQWilliams.com

Here is what Priscilla has to say:

1      LaTasha: Tell me how you came up with your business idea? Was this something that you have always dreamed of doing? 

        Priscilla: When I first started my first business, it was a nonprofit to provide resources and educate cancer patient of color particularly. I was working at the cancer center in downtown Chicago giving chemotherapy and I saw a need for individuals who didn’t have the knowledge of cancer or how to take care of themselves or family. I joined forces with Mrs. Mary Mitchell, of the Chicago Sun times and we held breast cancer awareness programs to educate the community.  After a few years, I took a job with a major nationwide pharmacy and I decided to take my business in a different direction and that’s when I started Priscilla Q. Williams, Inc. This allowed me to speak and educate about different health issues and to educate on a broader level including cancer, diabetes, heart disease and many other health issues. Shortly, after, I started an internet base radio show and I focused on health, wellness, and women’s empowerment. I have a heart for women and I not only wanted to educate about their health, but I wanted to empower them to live their dreams and to go after their goals. This is when people began to reach out to me for info about entrepreneurship and inquire how I started my business. This is when I began to have women’s conferences, networking events and speak about women empowerment.  I always had dreams of having a business when I was a child.

LaTasha: How long did it take you to actually launch your business after you got hit with the concept?

·        

        Priscilla: It took a few months after the idea hit me, I started reaching out to similar business that provided resources. I would check out books at the library to learn about nonprofits and I it took a few days for me to incorporate my business. Once my business was incorporated, I began to make business cards, I purchased a website, and I began to meet with key people who would help me get started. This was all done in less in 6 month time frame.

2       LaTasha: Did you earn a profit right away? If not how long did it take you?

·        Priscilla: No, I did not earn a profit right away. I actually did a lot for free for a long time. I started to make a profit after about 1 year. I did a lot of consulting through my business. I landed a contract with a company for 2 years through the health department to educate about diabetes and this is when I really started to bring in a consistent revenue.

3      LaTasha: What would you say was the best piece of advice that you were given in business?

·         Priscilla: The best advice I was given as an entrepreneur, is to remain consistent. If you want to be successful in any business you must stay committed to your business and not give up. Everything might not go as planned, but you have to be willing to keep working and making connections.

4     LaTasha:  As entrepreneurs, we have millions of business ideas, what was the craziest one that you had? Did you try to launch it? How did it turn out?

Priscilla: I must say I have a lot of business ideas, but they all made sense. I have a heart for people and so my business mind always deal with helping others. I think that it is very important to run your ideas by a coach or a mentor so you can make sure you’re heading in the right direction.

To learn more about Priscilla visit

Website: www.priscillaqwilliams.com
www.blogtalkradio/priscillaqwilliams
www.facebook.com/pwillia1
www.twitter.com/p_williams1

Priscilla is just one of the many amazing women who are living and catching their dreams! The Dream Catcher blog series is just one component of our mission to inspire you to chase and live YOUR dream.  We invite you to join us on this life changing journey! For more information on the Live the Dream Symposium Tour, Radio show or The Next 100 project visit www.idefinemysuccess.com

                                                                                  

The Dream Catcher Series- Featuring Summer Alexander

By LaTasha West

                The Dream Catcher series seeks to provide information and real world advice. Over the next few weeks I will share interviews that I have done with ladies who are successfully chasing, following and living their dreams.  These women are wives, mothers, business owners and DREAM CATCHERS who are willing to share a small piece of their journey with you.

I hope this series encourages, motivates and inspires you to believe.

This week I chat with Summer Alexander, CEO of Summer Alexander Research, Inc.

Here is what Summer has to say:

LaTasha: Summer, how long have you been in business now?

Summer: 3 years!!

LaTasha: What, if anything would you change about your journey in business?

Summer:  Honestly there isn’t anything I would change – even the months with no clients, the days I felt like giving up and the many, many tears I shed. I’ve come to understand that every little thing I’ve experienced has been a necessary step on the path to get me to exactly where I am today.

LaTasha: What was the biggest misconception that you had about working for yourself?

Summer: That I would have more time! While I do have flexibility with my time, I am always in CEO mode. When I worked a job, at the end of the work day once I walked out the door I didn’t think about it again. With my business there always seems to be more to do, another idea to implement, one more email to send, etc…

LaTasha: Were you born an entrepreneur or did you become one? Explain.

Summer: I was definitely born to be an entrepreneur but didn’t always know it. I had a “good job” working with people I loved and making “good money” but I found myself unhappy – restless even. I didn’t know why. After 7 years I was downsized and found myself unemployed for the first time since I started working at 16 years old. Initially I loved the freedom of not punching a clock but there was always this inner nudge pushing me to do more. Turns out that nudge was trying to tell me I had so much more work to do in the world but not for someone else.

LaTasha: If you taught a class on entrepreneurship what would you name the class and why?

Summer: I’ve learned that no matter what business you are in, you are in the business of marketing which is why I teach entrepreneurs how to market their businesses effectively in my Effortless Marketing Bootcamp. What I love about this training is that I have a chance to not only work with the group as a whole but to talk monthly with each entrepreneur individually over the course of 6 months. So often we sign up for programs and trainings but never take the action necessary to actually achieve the results. I named my program the Effortless Marketing Bootcamp because I’ve taken the effort of taking action away by holding you personally accountable.

Summer’s Business

Summer Alexander is an award winning Market Research professional with a passion for making data and analytics understandable for business owners. 

After working 7 years as a Network Engineer for AT&T, Summer took the knowledge and skills she learned in the corporate workspace and paired them with a formal education in marketing to partner with small business owners and help them grow strategically.

Summer learned first-hand what it takes to grow a company while working for the owner of a multi-million dollar small business. She helped fund the production, marketing and distribution of products by researching and presenting key market information to private investors which helped to raise over $300,000 in capital for the company. As the marketing manager Summer was also responsible for plan development and execution of all marketing and advertising activities for the company. 

Now the driving force behind her own company Summer has been featured in Black Enterprise and has had the pleasure of working with clients such as Pace Suburban Bus Company, IL Department of Veterans Affairs, and was hired as the Marketing Director for the 20th anniversary of the Black Women's Expo and directly contributed to attracting more than 30,000 attendees over the 3 day weekend. 

In addition to developing strategic marketing plans for companies throughout the US, Summer is also a professional speaker and an Amazon #1 Best Selling Author of The Little Book of BIG Marketing Ideas and the September 2014 release Effortless Success: How to grow your business without hard work, struggle and sacrifice. As professional speaker and trainer, she has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs through her practical yet motivational marketing bootcamps and workshops.

With a personal motto of “Doing what I say I will do, when I say I will do it,” Summer is recognized by clients as providing prompt, accurate and reliable market insights to help increase client attraction and profits for small businesses. 

Learn more about Summer when you download her free recording Break the 7 Mindset Blocks Keeping Your From Earning More In Your Business:

Website www.MarketingMoneyMindset.com

https://www.facebook.com/SummerAlexanderResearch

Twitter handle https:// twitter.com/SummersResearch

Summer is just one of the many amazing women who are catching and living their dreams! 

The Dream Catcher blog series is just one component of our mission to inspire you to chase and live YOUR dream.  We invite you to join us on this life changing journey! For more information on the Live the Dream Symposium Tour, Radio show or The Next 100 project visit www.idefinemysuccess.com

Stop wishing and make it happen!

Maybe you made a wish.........

Setting goals incorrectly can be similar to riding a stationary bike. You are pedaling and pedaling, moving and moving yet you are getting nowhere.  This can be frustrating, discouraging and even somewhat intimidating.  Studies show that people fail to achieve the goals that they have set for themselves because they are going about it all wrong.

Did you know that there is a correct and an incorrect way to set your goals? If you are like the vast majority of people you probably thought something like this: “I’ll say what I want and then I work to make it happen”. Sounds easy enough right? Wrong! Setting goals requires some thought. Not only should you be specific in what you are trying to do, you also need to have a plan to get there.

Some people think that they are setting goals when in fact they are actually making wishes. Do you know the difference?

Have you been trying to lose weight for an extended period of time now?

You want to earn more money in your career yet it hasn’t happened for you?

Can’t seem to find the love that you are looking for?

Having trouble building your savings account?

Business not growing like you thought it would?

If you can answer yes to either of those or have a similar situation, it’s probably because you made a wish for those things to happen and you have not made them a goal.

I highly suggest that you take part in the Vision Seeker Series! I'll help you stop wishing and make it happen!

Join me for a complimentary strategy call June 26th where we will discuss proper techniques and strategies to set goals correctly and achieve them! Click here to register for the 6/26 FREE session!

Watch out, this could kill you!

Are you a procrastinator?

I was in Mc Donald's, I'm sure that you are familiar with their menu: burgers, fries, chicken sandwich, filet o fish. That pretty much sums up the options. The menu has remained consistent for about the last 20 or so years, but for some reason the person ahead of me just could not decide what to order.


Is that you?  Does it take you an extended period of time to make a seemingly simple decision?
Are you the person who needs to weigh the pros and cons and then weigh the pros and cons of the pros and cons?


This process is somewhat acceptable when making a life altering decision, however if you are doing this before you decide on something as simple as what to wear for dinner, chances are you are a procrastinator.


Procrastination is a form or fear and lack of confidence which will quickly kill your dreams and plans.


Normally people think procrastination is putting off doing something until a later time, which is true, however procrastination can take on many different forms.


Here are some the most common ways people procrastinate:
-Always busy but getting nothing accomplished. You have 4 open projects, yet it's been 3 months and have not launched one. You are self sabotaging. Focus & complete a task.


-You have to look at all of the possible outcomes, every one that you can think of, before you decide. News flash, nothing is foolproof, you might still get it wrong. Stop thinking & move. If you make a mistake learn from it and start again.


-You need more research. How long do you need to study the market? By  the time you decide to jump in the trend will have moved on without you. Trust yourself. If you are wrong, see above.


-It's just not the right time. Well tell me this, when is the right time? I'll wait for an answer. Exactly! There is no perfect time. Never has been. Never will be. Stop waiting & move before you miss your moment.


The state of indecision will not only drive you crazy it will stifle your growth.To be successful you will have to take some risk. You are intelligent enough to make a decision. Trust yourself. Move from your gut and go! 

What to consider before you Fire Your Boss

What you better know before you quit your job

By LaTasha West

The day I fired my boss I felt like King of the jungle, all banging on my chest, head up high and proud! The last time I left my job, actually left my last job for the last time it was surprisingly emotional. I felt nervous yet empowered and ready to take on the world!  It was my time, time for me to run the show! Yes!!! Finally I was out on my own.

After the euphoria wore off then I was like a deer in headlights thinking ut oh what do I do now?  I hit a few bumps in the road, made some mistakes, cried some tears, and cursed myself and possibly a few clients. I searched under a few rocks to find some PAYING clients, wondered what happened to all those people that I thought would buy from me and even wait for it thought about giving up and getting another job (but only for a few minutes). Am I in your backyard yet?

Yep we’ve all been there; the key to it is not to stay there. Most start up companies take time to get off the ground. You will bump your head more times than you thought, but that is okay remember it’s just like when you first learned to walk. You fell a few times but eventually you were able to walk and then run.  Don’t get discouraged.

Firing your Boss can be the most amazing and life changing thing you'l ever do. However, you need to make sure that you are clear on what you are doing. Why in the world are you giving up a steady paycheck? make sure you can answer that question.

If you are convinced and set on jumping off of this cliff and building your plane on the way down, 

Here a few things to make your journey less painless

1. Know your WHY. - What is the driving force behind this adventure? Why are you branching out on your own?

2. Know your WHAT- What are you looking to do long term? Prepare your business for the future from day 1, so you don’t end up getting stuck in a position that you hate.

3. Know your HOW- How will you take this idea all the way through completion? How will you deliver your products or service? How will your support yourself in the slow times?

4. Know your WHO- Who is your client? Be specific. Who is your product or service designed for?

Knowing your why, what, how and who will provide a solid foundation on which to build the business of your dreams. Before you fire your boss, get clear of those things and you’ll be off to a great start. If you have already fired your boss and are feeling stuck try revisiting the points above to clarify your strategy and re-find your umph!

Get your marketing message heard

Can they hear your message?

By: LaTasha West

You’ve been busy trying to get the phone to ring or to get clients in the door but no one is calling or stopping by. No one is opening your emails, reading your blog or responding to your social media posts. You are starting to get exhausted and frustrated.

Don’t give up; maybe your audience can’t hear you.

It’s time to switch up your approach or PIVOT as I like to say. When promoting a product or service, trying to tell a story or just get someone’s attention you need the audience to hear you. 

That’s marketing- marketing is getting your message heard. So how do you do it?

Here are a few points to consider when crafting your marketing message

1. Know exactly who you are talking to. Understanding your audience will help you craft a message that speaks to them, to their hearts. People decide with their gut, hearts and emotions.

2. Meet them where they are. This doesn't necessarily mean physically, but that might work too. I mean find out what is important to them. What do they want/need? What are their pain points? If you can present a solution to a potential client’s specific problem you will get their attention.

3. Be Personal. Connect with the potential client. Use their name if you know it, comment on what they were wearing when you met, mention the place where you met. A personal connection is a great way to start a conversation.

4. Speak in a common language. Do not talk over anyone’s head. Do use big words, or company/industry jargon. Keep it simple so that they can understand you. Think about how you zone out if someone is using words that you don’t understand.

5. Keep it simple. Do not dilute your message with random facts. Keep the listener focused on what you are presenting, only mention details relevant to the point that you are making.

6. Bring it all together. After you have delivered you message, it’s time to drive it home. Remember to remind the listener of their specific problem that you are solving.  Clearly state that you understand their need and how you will help them. Talk about your benefit to them.

Try implementing these steps the next time you present your massage and let me know if you see better results!

Are you the boss of your business or is your business the boss of you?

Are you self-employed or are you a business owner?

By LaTasha West

Do you know the difference in being a business owner and being self-employed?

When you started your company, what was your vision? Are you achieving that vision?

Most entrepreneurs start out as being self-employed and eventually move into business ownership. However there are some, myself included who get stuck in the “self-employed” stage. If that is not where you want to be, then you will become drained, frustrated and feel discouraged and stagnate.

So how do you know if you are stuck being self-employed when you want to run a business? Here are a few signs to let you know that you are self-employed.

·        

             If your business can’t run without you

·         If you are actually the person making the product or providing the service

·         If you don’t work, then you don’t get paid

If this is you, you are most likely self-employed; you created a job for yourself!

Now if that was not your plan and you would like to have more time, more flexibility and greater earning power it’s time to discover how to go from being self-employed to being a business owner.

Here are a few steps to get you started

1. Determine what processes in your business can be automated

2. Hire some help, even if it’s only contract or part time

3. Create a passive income stream

Can you see the difference between being self-employed and owning a business? Those who are self-employed work “in” their business, those who are business owners work “on” their businesses.

If you are not where you want to be, don’t fret, start making changes!

Staying focused on your focus

"Image courtesy of Michal Marcol/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net".

Staying focused on your focus

By: LaTasha West

If you are anything like me or like most creative minds you have at minimum 10 new ideas a week. The super hero in you tells you that you can do each and every idea that comes into your head, but I have to share a secret with you. That’s not the best idea.

Trying to do too many projects at once can cause you to be overwhelmed and you may get burned out. Believe me when I say I know, I have found myself working like a mouse on a wheel trying to get 6 projects launched at basically the same time. It was terrible and quite honestly I was working, working, working and getting nowhere. You have to decide what to work on now and which brilliant ideas to put in your “later folder”. The later folder is your friend, use it.

How do you decide where to put your focus? I’m glad you asked. This depends on your long term goal. For example if your goal is to make money soon, then you want to work on the project that is most likely to bring in revenue quickly.

Once you have set your BIG goal then you should tackle it one piece at a time. Take your BIG GOAL , break it into medium goals, break those in to small goals and then break those into micro goals. By doing this you will reduce your chances of being overwhelmed and loosing focus or giving up all together. This helps you FOCUS on your FOCUS. As you check items off your list you will feel accomplished.

Your focus plan may look something like this.

BIG GOAL: Host graduation party June 6th

Medium Goals: Find venue, caterer, and DJ and book them by May 1st

Small Goals: Call 4 venues for pricing and availability by Thursday

Micro Goals: Monday make a list of 10 possible venues, caterers and DJs

Make sense? By breaking each task down, into smaller quantified goals with a due date you now have focus. As you complete your micro goals, you are now set up to complete your small goals and so on.

Now you try!

Turn off the noise!

"Image courtesy of imagertmajestic /FreeDigitalPhotos.net".

Turn off the noise

By: LaTasha West

Distractions are everywhere; around every corner there is something to keep you from doing what you need to do.  I find that we spin our wheels doing several things and get nothing done. It’s time to turn off the noise in your head and in your life.

We must work on being intentional.

Is Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest helping you get closer to your goals? If not, then it’s not a priority it’s noise! TURN IT OFF!

Are the Real Housewives of whatever city paying you? It’s not? Guess what…it’s noise! TURN IT OFF!

Still working on the website and logo yourself? How is that coming? Clients calling you yet? No? You guessed it,, that is just another form of noise. Hire a professional so that you can work on your business. Turn off the noise!

Giving away your time and energy for free? Does this benefit you in anyway? If not…IT’S Noise!

It’s time to turn off the noise and clear your plate so that you can focus on where you want to be.

Take a couple hours and silence all of your devices, turn off all social media, close your email and put up the real or proverbial DO NOT DISTURB sign.

In this time

1. Spend about ten minutes noting your goal for the day.

2.  Take about 20-30 minutes to figure out what you need to do accomplish this goal

3. Spend the remaining time doing the items you have listed from step 2

Trust me you will be able to get much more done this way. Try it and let me know how it works!

The *ish that keeps me up at night

Since it’s after midnight and yet again I can’t sleep this week’s blog will talk about what keeps me up at night.  Usually when I can’t sleep it because there is something on my mind, more often than not it’s an idea for a business. Seriously I get at least one great business idea a week. I wonder if anyone else can relate to this. 

The problem here is that once these ideas get in my head I have to map them out. I cannot rest until I formulate an entire business concept, a color scheme, logo and strategy to take this business idea from dream to reality.  I go through this full process at least 2x per month-honestly. If someone was to get a hold of one of my notebooks, they could make themselves quite rich. Of course I am not able to birth each and every idea that I come up with, and that is the ish that keeps me up at night.

That is passion; I have a passion to create businesses! God has given me the creative talent to clearly visualize concepts and map out businesses. Sometimes I find myself asking God to please turn this off, make it go away, but week after week it continues to happen.  I've finally accepted that this is my walk, my walk is to create legacy, not just for my family but for the families of the clients that I touch as well.

My creative thinking is meant to be a blessing to those who I encounter on my way. Developing strategy and creating business blueprints is the stuff that keeps me up at night. What keeps you up?

Ipad or notepad

"Image courtesy of bplanet / FreeDigitalPhotos.net".

Are you an Ipad or Notepad?

By: LaTasha West

This blog post is inspired by a client who I love to chat with, she is completely innovative and yet fiercely traditional at the same time.  This conversation came about because the client had an appointment scheduled and could not locate the information that she needed to manage her meeting, therefore she called me as a backup.

During our conversation she mentioned the reason she couldn't locate the required information was because her computer was down. Which is why she likes the tried and true method of having file cabinets and file folders with papers and notes. She asked did I have client files, I answered with “I used to do it that way now all of my documentation is done electronically and stored in the cloud, everything that you do on paper I do on the internet/computer”.

This stirred a thought in us both, is one method better than the other? The answer is Nope! I believe you should do what works for you. 

I’m an Ipad, She’s a notepad. Each method had pros and cons.

Her method requires that you are in a specific location to access your information, which can be limiting if you work on the go.

My method allows me to access files wherever I can access the internet, but what happens if I have no internet access?

Nowadays technology is vast and things move really quickly, people want to be able to move and deliver right away, thus the beauty of the Ipad. This allows you to record your thoughts in a format that can be forwarded on without having to rewrite or type them out at a later time.

In defense of the notepad: some people just like to write; it’s a part of their creative process. Pen and paper helps them to think and formalize their thoughts. They enjoy flipping through pages and notes.

Earlier this year, I found that as "techie" as I can be I still would rather read a good old fashioned book, and turn the pages rather than listen to an audiobook, or read an ebook. So technically I guess I am a bit of an Ipad and a notepad.

Either way works just fine, it’s a matter of style and preference, so long as you are productive. Which one are you, an Ipad or Notepad or a combination of both?