Entrepreneurs: What Are You Curious About?

The question of today's post is the underlying theme of a NEW podcast on the Competent Advantage TM channel about professional development for business owners. The podcast is my conversation with Eva Lilijendahl, an executive coach and founder of Inspiration for Excellence.

In today's business economy, you may be wondering why Eva and I spent time talking about curiosity -- why not talk about developing new business strategies, or expanding into new markets? Well, indirectly, we were talking about that -- how to be proactive about deciding in which areas to develop your skills (that will presumably help grow your business), by first spending a little time tapping into your curiosity. In fact, Eva believes that curiosity has everything to do with business development; and, I'm inclined to agree.

As I've mentioned, 2008 has become my year of technology with my recent hardware purchases. These purchases have made me more curious about social networking and Web 2.0 -- now that I have the gadgets that enable me to take greater advantage! What has that meant for my business? Well, I've yet to see the full impact; but I can speak to new habits I've included into my routine: checking in and updating my Facebook page; monitoring and adding posts to my MOLI Life Balance Board. On the fun side, I've created a new Avatar for myself on Meez (see sidebar)-- a true example of how learning can be fun!

In my world of coaching and consulting, being curious about technology will likely serve me well. Yet, Eva and I also discussed indirect benefits from learning things that may have nothing do with your business or career (won't give too much away but example in the podcast involves stage performance). Have you ever been surprised by being able to use a skill for work that you gained during a purely fun activity?

While on the road with the librarians, I recall that Kevin (Carroll) always encouraged them to stir up their sense of "neoteny" as a way of keeping an open mind during the training sessions. Don't worry, I hadn't heard of the word before either! But, it's the ability to keep your childlike quailities -- one of which is curiosity.

So, I'll ask again: what are you curious about now?

Colette is Featured Expert in MOLI Small Business Center

Hope you all had a FABULOUS Memorial Day weekend! Keeping in line with my 2008-year of-Technology, I'm excited to announce that I'm now a Featured Expert on a NEW social media and commerce community -- MOLI Small Business Center.

MOLI is a free, online social community where small business owners and individuals over the age of 18 can create and manage multiple profiles from a single account to control their privacy and separate their social, business and family relationships.

The Small Business Center is a comprehensive, multimedia, interactive destination where members can network, engage in discussions, and access expert advice, resources, tools and tips on how to take their businesses to the next level. An important component of the Center is the interactive forums, where members can engage with a seasoned group of entrepreneurs and business experts. The forum that I moderate is the Life Balance community.

What's cool is that in addition to the tools and coaching services that field experts like me can offer, MOLI also has found great partners (like E-Myth) to provide resources.

The MOLI Small Business Center – Where Entrepreneurs Work, Network and Play!

Come join me in the Life Balance community!

NEW Photos on Facebook

I've uploaded some photos from the first round of Turning the Page leadership development training to my Facebook page. Why did it take so long?

As I mentioned before, 2008 is my year of new technology. Well, my new laptop was delivered this week (early!). And, I've spent time today beginning to organize my files and documents and emails, etc... what fun -- NOT!

But, I am glad to have a newer machine that will enable me to take full advantage of Web 2.0 and social networking -- including the ability to create video podcasts with my new integrated camera! Keep an eye out for those, coming soon!

NEW Podcast on Stress & Eating Habits

Hello and Happy (belated) Mother's Day to all of the moms out there! I had a great dinner with my mom and dad on Sunday evening here in NYC (Primehouse New York).

This post is to let you know of a new podcast I've recently uploaded to the Competent Advantage TM podcast channel about Stress & Eating Habits. It’s my conversation with Frances Cheung, a board-certified holistic health counselor. In addition to her private coaching practice, she is also a nutrition counselor at Wat, a premier Thai boxing gym in New York.

Frances and I shared insights on how you can break the unhealthy connection between stress and food. For the most part, I'm a pretty healthy eater (vegetarian who eats fish). Occasionally, though, I do have cravings -- usually for crunchy/salty snacks, but once in a while for chocolate [which made the Hershey trip a bit of a challenge with such easy access to chocolate 24 x 7]. I finally "released my shoulds" and gave myself permission while there to sample without feeling guilty. It made the experience more enjoyable -- so that I didn't freak out every time I ate a mini-Peppermint Patty (that was the "assigned" candy for my training room). And, I didn't over-indulge either.

In the podcast, we focus on healthy eating habits -- e.g., I learned from Frances about the potential downside of eating while standing up -- and offer tips to reduce stress even amidst our hectic lifestyles. Hope you enjoy -- and let me know what you think after you listen.

A Personal Note: My Parents Sing at Lincoln Center

Happy Saturday! Last month, my parents had the opportunity to perform three times at JAZZ @Lincoln Center! How did this happen?

Well, they are part of the Bicentennial Choir of Abyssinian Baptist Church -- a special combined choir that was convened to commemorate the 200th Anniversary of the Church. This choir performed along with Wynton Marsalis & his Jazz Orchestra on April 10-12 at Lincoln Center and on April 19 at the Church. The performance was phenomenal!

And, not merely based on my [admittedly-biased] opinion. The story captured the attention of many media outlets, including Eye on New York -- which had a special feature on the performances last Sunday. In the video clip, my dad actually appears for a brief moment (to the right of Wynton).

Needless to say I'm very proud of my parents (not just for this, of course!). As my dad said, "it was a great time in our lives, not to be forgotten!"

NEW Podcast on Storytelling

Hello, hope you're getting ready for a fabulous weekend! I wanted to let you all know I've just uploaded a new podcast to the Competent Advantage channel on storytelling. Why storytelling?

Well, I've been inspired by one of the sessions I've been facilitating for the Turning the Page conference for library leaders called "Creating Your Library Story." It's designed to help librarians develop compelling stories about the benefits their patrons receive from public access computers and related technology. [We encourage them to find their "Kevin Carroll" stories to highlight.]

So, when I was asked to contribute by Sue Green at Nonprofit Central to create a tutorial for nonprofit leaders that would be featured by Craigslist Foundation, I thought storytelling would be a relevant theme on which to focus. And, really, this theme ties in very well with the Create a Buzz concept of Discover Your Competent Advantage TM -- keeping track of accomplishments and demonstrating how they add value.

The podcast provides tips for nonprofit leaders to create engaging stories that will motivate potential supporters and volunteers (including a model for writing the story). While it is geared towards public sector organizations, others of you may also benefit from the ideas and suggestions. Remember, the more you can tell good stories about your accomplishments [your WOW Factor], the easier it will be for others to see your value. Once upon a time ...

Library Leaders get Treats in Hershey

Here's a picture from our final session at the PLA conference with our special guest!

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St. Maarten IS the Friendly Island!

Greetings! I thought I'd make a quick post to share some details on the Good Life Festival & Retreat -- it was FANTASTIC! A big shout out to the JI Group for pulling together a wonderful event. Accomodations and service at the Sonesta Maho Beach Resort & Casino were great. Upon arrival there, we were welcomed by the St. Maarten Tourism Board as we began to unwind from our travels (completely uneventful and without delays -- surprise!).

The stress management sessions were well received. We had a discussion on Wednesday evening about our various roles/responsibilities, how to perceive them in different ways and better communicate our needs to minimize stress. On Thursday morning, I led the group through three relaxation and meditation exercises before folks headed back to the beach, etc. Then, a few of us went to the French side (St. Martin) for some local creole and browsing in the market.

No pics yet -- my phone was off the whole stay -- but hope to share some soon. I was sorry to cut my visit short (Friday); however, I do plan to return to the island for future fun (and perhaps business). My bags are packed for my next adventure -- leadership training with the "rowdy" librarians in Hershey, PA. Did someone say chocolate?? :)

Staying Connected: The Positive Side of BlackBerry

Before I head down to St. Maarten for the Good Life Festival and Retreat, I thought I'd give a shout out to my colleague Kevin Carroll for being highlighted as a featured BlackBerry owner on their website.

Who is Kevin Carroll? Kevin, author of Rules of the Red Rubber Ball, is the dynamic speaker who gets the librarians all "rowdy" when he kicks off our Turning the Page leadership training events -- by encouraging them to be creative and unconventional as they plan and execute their advocacy projects. In his BlackBerry testimonial, Kevin speaks to the benefit of staying connected with family and colleagues via the device while on the road. What's ironic about me giving the shout-out today is that I called Verizon earlier today to ensure that I'd have mobile access to phone and email while in St. Maarten.

Now, I know this may seem to some a bit contrary to some of my earlier posts about the need to unplug from our various devices. However, I do believe there is some peace of mind that comes from being able to reach out and stay connected when necessary. And, I've been able to post pics to this blog from the road using my Pearl (which I'll try to do over the next few days). The trick is to find the right balance!

BTW, you can learn more about Kevin, his firm -- Katalyst Consultancy, and how he helps people incorporate play into their work and personal growth on his blog.

Tips to Re-Energize for Spring!

Now that the buds are beginning to appear on trees, it's really starting to look like spring in NYC. I thought I'd share some tips based on a question that was posed on one of my list-serve groups:

How can you get re-energized for Spring if the pressures of work/career, personal life (or taxes!) make you feel stressed or burnt out?

Play Music
Yes, it really can be that simple! Researchers have shown (through brain mapping) that different sound frequency patterns can lead to more healthful states. Sounds that slow our brainwaves can also slow down our heart rate, blood pressure and muscle tension – and help us to relax! You can experiment on your own by listening to different types of music and observing your physical and emotional reactions. I’ve found that listening to jazz really helps me to focus while I’m working. If you’re interested in exploring this a bit deeper, check out Dr. Jeffrey Thompson’s Brain Fitness Kits at www.brainfitnesskit.com. He has created a series of audio programs for relaxation and better sleep. I really like his Awakened Mind program – helps me be more creative.

Change Your Perception
How you think about your situation can have a big impact on how stressed you feel. Pay attention to the language you use when you describe your daily activities – words like “have to” imply the activity is a burden (pressure); words like “should have” imply some sort of regret (guilt). Think about one stressful aspect of your life. Can you imagine an alternative, positive solution? If you’d like help re-invigorating your imagination, check out Not a Box, by Antoinette Portis at http://www.amazon.com/Not-Box-Antoinette-Portis/dp/0061123226.

What do you think -- what are you doing to get yourself excited and re-energized for spring?? :)

Leadership Training Update: The Sagamore

I'm back in NYC after last week's library leadership training events at The Sagamore. The picture from the last post truly didn't do justice to the landscape and scenery. Here's a shout out to Shannon and the team at The Sagamore -- thanks for making PLA and our participants feel so welcome and special! I must admit that it was cool to be back in my home-state -- where my "Ellis, like the Island" introductory joke was met with at least a chuckle!

Once again, we had some rich discussions in my enhancing project leadership sessions. We discussed the challenges of being a team of one -- library leaders who manage the shop on their own. How can you create effective teams? How do you not burnout as you balance your many responsibilities?

I typically encourage them to think broadly about their potential team members -- volunteers, board members, trustees, students, et al. In many cases, a librarian has had an "a-ha" moment about someone to approach that s/he hadn't considered before. I also suggest they tap into the passions (WOW! Factors) of others when including people on projects -- assigning tasks that they will be excited and inspired to perform. I feel I can personally relate to their stories having founded my own practice/firm.

Even in the beginning, I spoke in terms of "we," even though I hadn't really established my network of associates and consultants. It was partially to create a more established business presence; however, it also helped me personally as it motivated me to find those team members so I wouldn't be working in a vacuum (and have to keep disguising my voice on the phone -- just kidding!). That's what makes this PLA project so fun for me (aside from the fun, "rowdy" librarians *smile*) -- the great people I get to work with on a weekly basis.

In the sessions, we did acknowledge that it can be difficult to delegate responsibilities to new team members once you've found them. Why? Because we become very efficient when we're a team of one. We figure out very creative ways to keep all of those (red, rubber) balls juggling in the air. What's wrong with that? Well, nothing -- except that your new team members may have their own ideas about how to "juggle" and perform their tasks. In the sessions, we discuss how important it is to set people up to succeed, by providing the right resources, training and support. And, also by getting out of their way when necessary -- giving them permission to do it their way. Is this always easy? Absolutely not! But, true leaders know this and they accept the responsibility.

So, I'm "off" from PLA until the end of the month. I'm looking forward to our next event in Hershey. Until then, I'll be getting ready for the GLF Retreat in St. Maarten!

View from Sagamore Cottage

The picture probably doesn't fully capture how beautiful it is here. It's so relaxing waking up to this view, though!

On the Road Again: Training Update

I have a couple of days "down" time from traveling and I thought I'd post a few quick thoughts. BTW, it's really two days to catch up on calls, emails and laundry before hitting the road again on Sunday! I returned yesterday from Annapolis (sorry the pic was so dark) where I had a great time training a group of "rowdy" librarians -- their word, not mine ... I swear!

Thank goodness I've had the opportunity to train some energetic, enthusiastic and eager librarians and supporters over the past month. Because my travel delays have been incredible! It took me 6 hours to get to Annapolis on Tuesday -- waited at LaGuardia for almost 4 hours for a 1.5 hour flight! The reason shared by the airline -- no crew was available for my flight.

It's pretty ironic when I think of the project leadership session I lead for the librarians in which we discuss creating effective project teams. Now, if you're running an airline, wouldn't having sufficient, qualified crew members for each flight be at the top of your list??? Perhaps I'm being a bit simplistic. I understand the challenges of managing matrix organizations. However, when I (finally) arrived in Annapolis, my PLA colleagues told me they had a similar experience the night before -- a missing pilot! Does anyone else see a pattern here??

Last week, I was caught in the grounding of planes on my way back from Minneapolis and the PLA National Conference. It was pretty annoying to have to pay $75 to have the airline release my ticket so that I wouldn't spend 6.5 hours waiting for a flight that was sure to cancel. The most annoying part was that I'd left the event and missed the "spider web" closing activity with my team -- under the delusion that I could catch a midday direct flight back to New York. Yes, I know that leaders have to make the tough decisions based on the info they have available at the moment. It didn't make me feel any better, though.

I know that I'm a bit sensitive to this -- perhaps it's because my travel debacles have become one of the jokes amongst my PLA trainers and colleagues. I'm OK with the ribbing and teasing -- that's what friends do. I was concerned on Tuesday afternoon as my flight was further and further delayed that I'd miss our opening reception -- I really felt like I was on my way to a family reunion.

Well, on Sunday, I'm heading up to Bolton Landing, NY (outside Albany) -- on Amtrak! I figure that spending 2.5 hours on a train shouldn't be as bad as having another 1-hour flight delayed for a bunch of hours. Wish me luck! Our next two leadership training events are being held at the Sagamore Hotel. It will be great to meet some librarians and supporters from my home state!

View from Annapolis Marina

Have You Had a WOW! Exchange Lately?

I thought I'd pose this question after today's teleclass with Diane and other Downtown Women's Club members on Discovering Your WOW! Factor. On the call, we discussed two components of the Competent Advantage TM model that I believe are at the heart of the WOW! Factor: Leveraging Your Strengths and Creating a Buzz.

As is common when discussing the "buzz" or self-marketing, someone mentioned the fact that it can often feel like bragging. [BTW, if you can create compelling stories about your accomplishments, I don't believe it is bragging.] However, I suggested that having a team of champions (people who are familiar with your work and talents) can be helpful in promoting your accomplishments -- i.e., they can do some of the WOW! Factor storytelling for you; especially when you're not in the room.

Then, someone asked about how to stay motivated and excited by our WOW! Factors if we haven't found a way to fully incorporate them into our work. That's how the WOW! Exchange came up. I have in my core group a few people with whom I can exchange ideas, successess and challenges. We all do -- the people you can call on for a "pick-me-up" when the gremlins are wreaking havoc on your plans. One of my core Right Energy People, Lynne, is great at pointing out myWOW! Factors when we get together for our brainstorming meetings -- especially if I get caught in the trap of "Well, I didn't get to do everyhing I wanted to do last quarter.."

As of today, those brainstorming sessions will now be our WOW! Exchanges; in which we'll each start our conversation sharing things we're proud of since we last spoke or met. I'd encourage you to have similar exchanges with your trusted friends and advisors. In fact, I had the idea that InStep Consulting should have a 10th Anniversary WOW! Exchange sometime this year. Keep an eye out for more info ... would also love suggestions for a great venue to hold it ...

Finding "Me Time" in Salt Lake City

Greetings from Salt Lake City! I'm here conducting leadership training as part of my exciting new project with the Public Library Association. Over the next several weeks, I'll be helping public librarians and trustees across the country build their confidence and enthusiasm for advocacy to help fuel their efforts to increase local library funding . The event, Turning the Page: Building Your Library Community is a unique leadership development program created by PLA.

My goal is to share with you insights and ideas I gather from participants in my various sessions on enhancing project leadership; creating compelling stories; and making impactful presentations.

Some of you may remember that this isn't my first visit to Salt Lake. Back in February 2006, I visited the area on another business trip. In that post, I talked about how a change in scenery can be motivating. While I haven't had as much time to wander the city, I did feel a sense of calm as I entered the region on the plane -- the view of the mountains really has a calming effect on me.

In a recent enhancing project leadership session, we discussed the characteristics of effective leaders. After we'd developed a very comprehensive list of qualities and traits on the flipchart, one participant raised her hand and said "time for self." When I prompted her to share more, she reminded us all of how important it is for leaders to find time when we're not representing or speaking on behalf of anyone or any organization. It reminded me of our ongoing challenge to "unplug" and relax in our ever-connected world. By nature, librarians are so giving and helpful. I'm glad she was able to give herself permission to create some space for me-time.

I'm excited to share more tidbits and nuggets I gather from the library leaders and their supporters. The energy and participation levels have been great! Next week, I'll be visiting Wichita, Kansas for the first time! Until then, take care and find some me-time this weekend!

InStep Consulting is on Facebook!

Hey there! I thought I'd let you all know that I've jumped head-first into the Web 2.0, social networking sphere and launched the InStep Consulting Facebook page. It will be another way for us to connect and share stories about our personal and professional accomplishments.

It's a new world for me. But, yesterday I did a walkthrough of the page with my newest associate, Natasha, who will be helping me get things set up. I've already become a "fan" of my partner groups -- Downtown Women's Club and the JI Group and will be looking out for my other partner organizations. We'll also be posting some photos from our seminars and programs.

As with any other interactive, social networking site, the InStep Consulting Facebook page will be what you make of it! So, stop by to start a conversation on the discussion board about a career development or work-life balance issue you're facing; or post your photo and become a "fan" if you're so inclined! There's also a "share this on Facebook" link on this blog; so, you can post articles you read here for more discussion amongst your friends and colleagues.

It may be a bit of a challenge to manage all of my online sites; but, I'm hoping that the feeds from this blog will soon appear on Facebook. So, I can write to you while I'm on the road on my NEW project with the Public Library Association (more to come ...) See you on Facebook!

Discover Your WOW! Factor on March 27

Happy Saturday! I wanted to let you know that I'll be leading a teleclass on Thursday, March 27 at 12:00 noon EST for Downtown Women's Club members and friends. The focus of Discover Your WOW! Factor, will be on how to leverage your strengths and "create a buzz" about your accomplishments.

Why are these things important to your career advancement? The more you know about what you do well, the better you can position yourself for new opportunities. Tune into this teleclass to learn how to create and manage the brand called "you," an integral component to achieving your goals.

This teleclass is free to paid DWC Faces Online members. Or, to invest just $29.99 in your professional development -- register HERE. Registration for this teleclass will end on March 24th.

If you're interested in becoming a DWC Faces Online member, visit: www.downtownwomensclub.com.

I'm looking forward to chatting with you on March 27th!

Take a LEAP: Shop for InStep Tools Online!

Sorry for stretching the leap year analogy there, but I'm excited to report that the InStep Consulting Online Shop is OPEN FOR BUSINESS!

This means you can now purchase the assessments and eBook for our Career Development and Stress Management programs; and, you can book coaching sessions online too!

It's wonderful to have achieved this milestone in our anniversary year! When you have a chance, please visit: http://www.instepconsulting.com/shop.html

Take care and have a wonderful weekend! :)

We're All Connected

Hi there! My apologies for being incommunicado here for almost a month. February has been a whirlwind of meetings, events and travel -- about which I'll share in a moment.

I knew that 2008 was going to be my year of technology -- much of my hardware will need to be upgraded, and we'll be adding some e-commerce features to the InStep website soon. So, the coach has jumped on the BlackBerry bandwagon! As so many of you know, there are distinct pros and cons of being virtually accessible 24-7 (can you really unplug?). However, here are some additional quirks ...

Last week was the first trip I took without leaving an "out-of-office" message on my email server. With that came the stress of wondering whether clients expected instantaneous responses, even though I didn't want to resort to rude-BlackBerry behaviors such as checking email during meetings! [And, because I couldn't see the somewhat comforting "Sent from my BlackBerry wireless" message at the bottom of my outgoing emails -- which I hoped would convey my "on-the-road" status.]

Then, there was the BlackBerry outage they announced on the news that made me wonder whether or not there were hundreds more messages out in the ether waiting for me -- since it didn't appear that my service had been impacted.

Luckily, I was able to put aside my concerns and take advantage of my trip to Nashville and experience some of the Music City. One rewarding stop was to the Nashville Public Library -- in addition to being a fabulous high-tech facility, they are hosting several exhibits about the Civil Rights movement. Two things that struck me were the photos of Harold Lowe and an installation in one of their halls.

The second exhibit was an artistic rendition of a lunch counter (that would have been segregated) -- if you can, picture a half moon structure, with stools surrounding it. On top of the "counter" was frosted glass, and etched inside were quotes from the nonviolent training "instructions" the participants would have received (e.g., not to provoke others, not to respond to rude comments, etc.). It really brought the reality of our past into focus for me, especially as I heard an excerpt of one of Dr. King's speeches playing in the background. Could I have been so committed as to not have responded to the taunts of the agitators? Not to mention, would I have even had the courage to participate?

We are all connected, by our experiences, by our his/her stories. Let's continue to share and learn from each other!