Why You Should Wish Upon a Dandelion

You may be wondering why I've been talking so much about dandelions. When my designer and I created the Start Within branding, I was so excited to include a dandelion in the new logo. I feel that, symbolically, the dandelion is a great icon of renewal and growth -- that only can come from an inward focus ... like starting within!

The dandelion plant itself has amazing internal cleansing properties, as I discussed in my last post. Cleansing rituals, I believe, can help you to rejuvenate yourself. Cleansing is beneficial for each part of you --- your mind, body, and spirit.

Read on for more interesting points about dandelions and suggestions on how to do a Thought Cleanse for the Spring!

Why the Fascination With Dandelions?

There are many folklore superstitions that have been attached to dandelions over the years. In addition to granting wishes, many people believe that dandelion seeds will carry your thoughts and dreams to loved ones when you blow them into the air. It's been said that if you can blow all the seeds off a dandelion with a single breath, then the person you love will love you back. If seeds remain, then the object of your affection may have reservations about their feelings toward you.

Still others believe dandelions may help you tell the time or even predict the weather. For example, dandelions have been called the shepherd's clock; since their flowers tend to open shortly after first light and close again at dusk. Amateur meteorologists might use dandelions as an informal barometer. When dandelions have seeded, they will tend to extend into a full ball in good weather. If rain is on the way, however, they will tend to fold like an umbrella and remain tightly closed.

How many of these superstitions hold any truth? You can decide! 

Wish Upon a Dandelion to Cleanse Your Thoughts

The one thing that is for sure, scientifically, is that blowing a dandelion's seeds into the air will have an impact. Where those seeds fall on fertile soil, there likely will be new dandelions in the future!

When your attention is caught by dandelion seeds floating in the spring breeze, pause for a moment and take stock of your thoughts. Which thoughts are consuming your mind -- positive and hopeful or negative and fearful? Is it time for a thought cleanse?

By replacing negative beliefs with new, revitalizing thought patterns, you can gain the power to transform your behaviors, emotions, and attitudes. Even if you can't find a dandelion on which to blow, you can still do a thought cleanse.

With that in mind: close your eyes, envision the dandelion, get quiet, and start within. Ask yourself:

What NEW Thought Seeds Would You Like to Plant This Spring?  ... then blow

Assertive Communication: Not Just Good for the Bottom Line

To succeed as a woman entrepreneur or startup founder in today's New Normal requires strong communication skills -- whether you're seeking to raise capital, find partners, hire employees or create a buzz about your brand.

While communication isn't an exact science, it IS possible to adjust your communication habits and behaviors to jumpstart your business interactions and relationships.

Think about the business interactions in which you engage on a regular basis. Do you communicate confidently and assertively when you:

• Propose a new idea or business solution
• Ask for cooperation or help from a business partner
• Say 'no' to a request of your time when your plate is already full

To make it easier, I suggest you think of being assertive as a communication dial or knob that you can turn up or turn down to boost your confidence in critical business conversations. For example, you can tweak your body language and nonverbal responses based on the cues you receive from the other person.

• Increase your eye contact or lean forward to let him/her know that you're fully engaged in the conversation and attentive to his/her needs
• Raise the volume of your voice (breathe from your diaphragm) to emphasize your key words and points to keep the other person engaged -- use his/her name at crucial points in the discussion when you really want to capture their attention

Did you know that learning to be more assertive is actually good for your health? Being more assertive and confident in your business interactions is not only good for your bottom line! It helps to boost your self-esteem and gain more respect from others -- both of which can reduce and alleviate your stress and anxiety.

For more tips on how to assertively communicate in business, join me on Tuesday, March 27 for my Communicate for Impact class for women entrepreneurs at Wix Lounge in New York.

NEW Podcast: Make Your Brand POP in the New Normal

If you're an entrepreneur or "side hustler" in today's New Normal, you know it can be challenging to reach new clients and customers -- to make your message stand out from the constant information overload! Since you're reading this post, you're in luck because I've found a savvy, fashion-forward expert to share tips in a new podcast about how to make your brand POP in today's New Normal!

Meet Melissa Gonzalez, CEO of Lion'esque Media, an entrepreneur who truly grasps the concepts of networking and business. A former Wall Street executive, Melissa has become a force in the fashion world by helping up-and-coming designers to make their brands POP in today's New Normal.

Melissa uncovers emerging artists and designers and helps to grow their brands through media blitz coverage, video interviews, and hosted shopping events. Recognizing the challenge faced by her clients to gain exposure and visibility, she made a bold move -- she approached the Roger Smith Hotel to collaborate and showcase their wares at a storefront on Lexington Avenue between 47th and 48th Street in New York City. Can you say prime real estate??

In our podcast, Melissa shares her "lessons learned," including specific techniques on how you can find the right partners and champions to help make your brand POP -- based on your goals and target audience, and how you can creatively use social media in your business (or self-) marketing campaigns.

Her joint venture, the RS POP Shop, is a unique opportunity for artists and designers to connect online with customers [through the social media infrastructure of Twitter, online PR and blogs] and in-person with curious passersby along Lexington Avenue. Since inception, clients have included Animated Closet, Jensen Martin, LaQuan Smith, Lolli Poppit, Simon Carter London; many of whose designs have dressed a wide array of celebrities and have since collaborated with major brands like American Apparel and Club Monaco.

Designers also benefit from a sponsored, live broadcast opening night event and customized branding videos, like this one created for this month's RS POP Shop designer Patricia Brown for her jewelry collection. All proof that emerging doesn't have to mean invisible!

Listen to the podcast for more ideas to create a buzz about your brand and let us know what you think. What creative strategies have you used to make you or your brand POP in the New Normal? Comment here or tweet me your responses and ideas to @Coach_Colette.

NEW Podcast: What's Your Personal Brand?

Summer is upon us; but the InStep Consulting team realizes that even if you're on vacation, you're still seeking relevant, helpful information in today's tight marketplace. So, we're continuing our NEW podcast series, InSide the HR Studio, to offer an insider's perspective on career transition and success.


We have a special guest InSide the HR Studio - Kaliym Islam, Vice President of DTCC Learning. His career has spanned across internal Learning & Development to his current role in which he oversees the design and delivery of the company's external training programs and products, including e-learning, instructor-led training and documentation. These efforts help to strengthen DTCC's relationship with its customers by keeping them abreast of the varied financial products and services it offers.


In the podcast, Kaliym and I discuss strategies to Create a Buzz and define your personal brand in the workplace. We also talk about the ways to leverage social media tools (like blogs and podcasts) to communicate that brand to a wider audience. Kaliym shares personal stories about his ascent within DTCC and how he created an "advisory board" that has provided great insight as he has navigated his career.


Tune in to the podcast to find out what Kaliym's personal branding motto ICEM stands for. [HINT: the "I" stands for Identify -- but you'll have to listen to the podcast for the rest of the terms and how the motto can help YOU define YOUR personal brand!]

Then, share your thoughts here or tweet me your brand on Twitter!

NEW Podcast: Are You Too Proud (or Shy) to Brag?

I'm proud to share with you a podcast in which I was interviewed by Stacey Shipman for her Back to Your Senses show.

In this podcast, I share practical answers to frequently asked questions about self-promotion:

• What is your WOW! Factor? How/when can you share it?
• Why is it important for both business owners and career professionals to create a buzz about your accomplishments?
• What are effective ways to self-promote without appearing “pushy” or “arrogant”?

This last point is particularly relevant given our current situation - I'd argue that now is NOT the time for you to be bashful about highlighting how you can add value to a prospective employer or new client. While self-promotion can sometimes be a challenge, I provide simple steps you can take TODAY to start promoting not only yourself but your values as well.

And, I've renewed my 140-character pitch challenge to all of my listeners and readers. Whether you are a job seeker or business owner, tips in this podcast will help you network and promote yourself to success!

After you listen to the podcast, please share your comments and feedback. You can tweet me on Twitter or share your 140-character pitch here on the blog.

Create a Buzz: Build Your Brand with Video

I've just discovered a great resource to create videos called Animoto. It's a user-friendly site that enables you to upload relevant images about yourself or your brand, and include a fun music track. I created this short video about InStep Consulting and our approach to test the functionality.

What's Your 140-Character Pitch?

What ARE you doing to promote your personal or professional brand - in 140 characters or less? I'm sure you've gotten quite prolific at texting or tweeting your latest commuting adventure, weekend escapade, famous person sighting, etc. in 140 characters or less.

But, can you use Twitter and/or other microblogging sites to create a buzz about what you're REALLY doing -- or perhaps seeking -- in your life?

The idea for this post hit me this morning around 7:15 AM [long story]; so I decided to Google careers in 140 characters. And, I discovered some interesting things. I came across a tweeter called The Media is Hiring, who "helps media employees who have been laid off find new work 140 characters at a time."

I also found a story about a woman named Chelsea Winkel who apparently found her job via connections she made on Twitter. Of course, when you read the story, you'll see that it took a bit more than just creating a Twitter account. Her Problem Solved blog and website both explain how she can add value in her industry. But, the connection with her new employer was sparked via Twitter.

Seems like Chelsea took Stephen Baker's advice from his Business Week Blogspotting blog, when he challenged us last May to write 140 character resumes for ourselves and famous people.

In essence, we're all now challenged to come up with 140-character pitches (instead of 30-second elevator speeches). As you know, I aim to practice what I preach, walk the talk, etc. So, I've come up with my (initial) 140-character pitch: "Coach Colette helps business leaders leverage their power, passion and relationships to achieve meaningful results in 140-characters or less."

What do you think? Tweet me your 140-character pitch at Coach_Colette.