Escaping Mediocrity

If you are waiting for conditions to be perfect, you will be waiting a very long time.

You can see my launch here: http://bit.ly/BlogPlaybook

Launching in the Time of Cholera Pt. 2

It’s been a crazy year, no doubt about it.

And I’m not counting that we brought the mini-turk home from Russia last August.

I was prepping for an interview and one of the questions asked me to hit the highlights of the past year. I had to stop and think about it. So much of my life happens in the present moment that I don’t have room to store a ton of historical information.

When I pulled out my date book and did an actual review of everything that has happened over the past twelve months in my professional life, I was sort of startled by what I discovered. Some of the highlights include

• Ranking No. 47 on Dun & Bradstreet’s list of the Most Influential Small Business Experts on Twitter.

• Being selected to be part of Seth Godin’s Domino Project Street Team.

• Curating a month-long blog series that tripled my traffic, doubled my list size and strengthened my relationships with my tribe and with some pretty amazing experts (who are now friends)

• Selling out my Summer Mastermind in less than two weeks.

• Building a 5 person team who are, at times, even more invested in the success of my business than I am!

• Hosting an incredible, energetic, life-changing live event in Atlanta.

• Working with the most amazing group of  private clients ever.

I really can’t believe that list is MY list.

I’m betting you’ve done some pretty amazing stuff. And I’m REALLY hoping you’ll share some of it in the comments.

I emceed Elizabeth Marshall’s and Janet Goldstein’s Book Breakthrough event in NYC last week. They masterfully guided aspiring writers through the maze of writing a book and bringing it to market. I could write a whole post about everything that happened there. But not today.

Today I’m going to give you the short and sweet on the cliff I jumped off of while I was there.

See, people often ask me “Where’s your book?” “When are you going to write a book?” “Do you have a book?” And I always mumble some semi-intelligible answer hoping to change the subject.

I want to write a book. I’ve tried to write a book. And the same thing happens every time. I get bogged down and confused, so I throw in the towel.

Which brings me to last Thursday.  I sat there staring at the opening exercise of “7 Questions About Your Book Idea” (or something like that). These were pretty basic questions like “What do you want to write about?” “Who do you want to write it for?”, stuff like that.

I couldn’t answer any of them. That familiar feeling of stifling overwhelm began to creep over me and I wanted to cry.

I made a decision then and there. When Janet and Elizabeth announced their mastermind program, I was signing up for the top level. Yes, it’s a huge commitment  - both time-wise and money-wise – but it’s what I know I need to do.

Then I did something even scarier. I told the whole room what I was doing and why. Here’s the recap:

- I could bumble around and maybe put a book together on my own.

- I know a lot of authors I could get advice from.

- I could try to piece together all the marketing myself.

- I need to find the sharp edges of my message or my blog and business are doomed.

But I don’t want to figure this all out by myself. And I know, in my heart of hearts, that I do not have the skill set to do it alone.

I want expert help and expert guidance from people who know infinitely more than I do about writing and publishing. And no one knows more about that than Elizabeth and Janet.

Am I scared? You bet! I’ve declared in front of God and everybody that I’m going to actually work on a book. And I know Elizabeth and Janet well enough to know that they are not going to let me slack off now that I’ve committed.  I’ve got nowhere to hide, as they say.

Here’s the other thing I know: to get where I want to go, I’ve got to get really good at jumping off bigger and bigger cliffs. And being scared to jump is simply no excuse not to make the leap.

So I jumped.

What about you? What cliff could you jump off of? What are you tired of trying to figure out alone? What expert help could you get to help you get where you want to go?

If you suddenly had the undivided attention of your perfect, right tribe, what would you say to them?

Earlier today, I posed this question on Twitter, Facebook and Google+. As always, I got some incredible responses. I love it when the wisdom of a group far exceeds my own.

I’m sharing some of them below. After you read them, I hope you will add your answer in the comments

 MizFitOnline Know you are enough. Right in this moment. Rt as u r. & help each other. There’s rm enough for us all to shine.

 andrewghayes @SarahRobinson I love you. (er, in answer to your question.)

 sumnermusolf @SarahRobinson: I would tell them that listening has exponentially more value than speaking. And accountability is the measure of a career.

 MarkHeartofBiz  @SarahRobinson ”Uh… hi… is this thing on?”

 greghartle @SarahRobinson Don’t tell, show. Don’t talk, take action. Not tomorrow, today.

ConstantCrowd @SarahRobinson To the right tribe: what are the issues that keep you up at night? & what do you wish would magically happen for your brand?

 swagclub @SarahRobinson I’d say, ‘thanks for doing that thing you do….now go do more if what’s working & dream bigger dreams.’ & I often do say it.

 cloudspark @SarahRobinson i’d start with thank you and then move into how we’re working for them, to help them.

 Judi Knight I would ask them how I could best serve them.

Nicole Boyce I want to tell them how much I love and appreciate them in *my* life!

Al Smith I would say Thank You !

 Catherine Altman Morgan Having the opportunity to support them (and be supported by them) energizes and inspires me.

Lori Shea Finnigan I would want to tell them how much I enjoyed them.

 Michael Grosheim - Thank you for you loyalty and support. And, Happy New Year!

 Rachael Acklin - Hello, sweethearts. I love you.

 Mary Klaebel - Thank you.

 Tori Deaux - I believe in you. Even when you don’t.

Carrie Wilkerson - agreed with all of the above…I would also add… ‘you are enough. you are worthy. you can do this’

 Kathy Sprinkle - What do you want and need most from me?

So what are you now inspired to say or to ask to the tribe you currently have? even if it isn’t the perfect tribe, say it anyway.

Oh – and don’t forget to share in the comments!!

I have something really fun to share with you! I’m creating and deploying a Street Team for my live event,Creating Irresistible Presence (CIP).  The CIP Street Team will be comprised of smart, vocal, passionate and connected people who are ready to engage their communities about something they find truly valuable.

You’re a good fit for the CIP Street Team if:
- you love connecting on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+.

- you are a creative risk taker, ready to try new ways of promoting something you believe in.

- you immediately start sharing something you discover when that something resonates with you.

- you know you are something much, much more than mediocre.

Today, I am guest blogger for Judi Knight’s Big Dogs blog series. In my post I share the best strategy I know for getting laser sharp clarity about your blog, your brand, your business or even your life.

You can read all about it here:

http://www.newtricks.me/how-to-develop-laser-sharp-clarity-like-the-big-dogs-day-three-of-big-dog-series/

I am thrilled to announce ANOTHER amazing speaker for my live event, Creating Irresistible Presence!  Mark Silver is one of my very favorite people on the planet and he will bringing his expertise on Revenue Models to the table for all CIP attendees. W00t!  His blog post below will give you just a glimpse of what a treat you are in for!

Money Models and the Spirituality of Business Structure

One of my students in the Heart of Money Transformational Journey asked about how to handle a lack of confidence in her pricing when she wanted to serve the nonprofit community. “I don’t believe they can afford it,” she asked. She was struggling to trust her pricing, even though she used our resonant pricing exercise to get guidance.

As a designated master teacher in my Sufi spiritual lineage, I’m always supporting our students to have the clarity of love in their heart when taking business actions, so the confidence they feel isn’t forced.

However, sometimes the issue isn’t spiritual. At least not in that internal, belief sense. Sometimes the problem is external.

So let’s talk about the spirituality of structures and how it relates to how you bring revenue into your business.

The Spirituality of Structures

Maybe you’ve had the same experience I’ve had in a yoga class. I’ll be attempting a pose, I’m such a noob with it, and since we have 2 1/2 year-old twin toddlers it’s been about 2 1/2 years since I’ve been in a yoga class, but anyway, where was I? Oh yeah…

So you’re in class attempting a pose, and the teacher comes over behind you and adjusts you slightly. It’s the same pose, it’s not a major shift. Yet suddenly everything clicks. Your body relaxes, you feel energy flowing through. The position comes alive.

That’s an example of an external structure supporting internal, spiritual Divine connection.

It’s the same in your business. There are structures your business can take on that support your connection to both Source and to your clients. If those structures are out of alignment with your clients or Source then there’s static in the system, and things don’t flow easily.

Sometimes you need major adjustments, and sometimes you just need to shift a little bit.

An Example

A client was wanting to support moms. She had, as part of what she learned, a standard life-coaching model of hour-long sessions two to three times a month.

She wasn’t getting a lot of takers. While it’s true that she had some internal beliefs to clean up, and she could also have done better reaching a larger audience, there was also a reality of the money model, the offer she was making.

When the twins came along, in our family we made the decision that Holly would be the full-time mom, and I would be a very-involved dad, but still full-time in the business. Or what passes for full-time, what with taking time off to read a book or play with a puzzle every time I go upstairs to go to the bathroom.

My wife doesn’t have time for two or three hour-long coaching sessions a month. If she has that much time, she’s taking a nap. Or sitting in a cafe staring at a wall. We have twin toddler boys. And by “twin toddler boys” I mean “two 3-foot tornadoes in constant motion throughout the house.” We’re treading water here, folks.

Any mom can relate. What does she really need?

Our client changed her approach. Dropped the price, created a group experience/course, and made the time commitment shorter, focusing on quick, implementable strategies for moms with young kids, and creating a community of support for the participants.

She changed the money model. She ended up making a similar amount per hour, but the delivery was different. And yes, she did end up with some individual clients as well.

What’s So Spiritual About That?

It’s about surrendering what you think you know to being in alignment with what is being asked of you. There’s a Sufi teaching that attributes this quote to the Divine: “I love those of My servants best who are of most use to My creation.”

What this means is that when we are in service to the world around us, there is a flow of love available that is hard to access if you are only focused on yourself and what you need. While the standard thinking about money models has to do with questions like, “What’s most profitable?” or “What leverages your time the most?” those aren’t the first questions we’re asking.

The first question is, for the people you want to serve, how can you be most useful to them?

There’s a four-step process I teach which I call “Crafting Your Offer” which is about creating a Divinely-inspired structure for your work in the world. And the question of how much to charge is the last step, not the first consideration as many would have you think.

The Essence of the Four Steps

Although I dial the process in with more detail and nuance, here are two questions you can ask to get started with this process.

1. Where are your clients trying to get to?
2. Given who they are and the situation they are in, what do they need to get to that destination?

Then craft your offer, your Divinely-inspired money model, around those two questions, from an intention of wanting to be useful and supportive to your people.

One Last Bonus

In my spiritual lineage of Sufism, we talk about the essential qualities of the Divine, things like Love, Compassion, Friendship, Strength, Wisdom, etc.

One of the qualities is The Divine Designer, in Arabic “Al Musawwir.” This quality carries the message that everything that exists has received the Divine word “Be!” and with that existence, each thing has also received a unique form for its expression.

I recommend meditating/praying/Remembering using the Divine quality Al Musawwir The Designer, to help receive inspiration around the unique Divine form that supports your business in expressing itself and being most useful to both you (in terms of profit) and to the people you are meant to serve.

I’m curious, what do you notice about the design and structure of your money model if you take even a few moments to look at it from a Divine perspective?

—

bio:
Mark Silver (@markheartofbiz)  is a fourth-generation entrepreneur and a designated Master Teacher in his Sufi Spiritual lineage, which has earned him the title of “Business Tenderizer.” As the founder of Heart of Business, he heads up a team of practitioners that support heart-centered business owners who want to make a difference and need to make a profit. His approach of integrating a Sufi perspective on universal spiritual teachings with nitty-gritty business practices means that your every act of business can be an act of love. You can find free resources at http://www.heartofbusiness.com

If you ready to stop hesitating and make the leap to the other side, I invite you to apply for my Creating Irresistible Presence Internship Program. I’m looking for TWO interns who will work directly with me and gaine exposure and connections with my network. It’s a fantastic opportunity for those who are ready to create their own Big Break.

You can check out the details and apply here: http://bit.ly/CIPInterns

‘

The Creating Irresistible Presence Talent Search is ON!

Applications Due by 11:59 pm EST, Wednesday June 8

(I’m looking for TWO amazing performers.)

I’m scouring the country (and even the world) for two heretofore unknowns to cast as my Corporate Sponsorship Coordinator and my Affiliate/Strategic Partners Coordinator for my upcoming blockbuster event, Creating Irresistible Presence.

Are you:

An incredibly talented and innovative copywriter, communicator, marketer and relationship-builder, accustomed to stepping boldly into a challenge?

Building your own business but really want to work with high-quality, high-profile clients because you know that’s what you’re meant for?

Ready, willing and able to grab an opportunity by the horns and turn it into your Big Break?

If you answered yes, Yes, YES! to the above, then I’d like to invite you to apply for the Creating Irresistible Presence Internship Program. Applications are due by 11:59 pm EST, Wednesday, June 8.

What’s In It For You:

1. Experience behind the scenes of a successful live event, involving high-profile thought leaders and New York Times best-selling authors.

2. The opportunity to work with and receive coaching from me, Sarah Robinson. (You can read what that’s like below.)

3. A complimentary ticket to Creating Irresistible Presence (a $1597 value).

4. Written testimonials about the quality of your work that you can post on your website and use in your marketing materials.

5. Connections to people in my network.

6. Referrals to potential clients.

What It’s Like to Work With Me:

“With razor-sharp accuracy, Sarah knows how to find the ONE THING that’s holding you back from growing your business or brand in a bigger way.

Which is significant…because until you uncover that ONE THING, you’ll spend enormous amounts of time, energy and money on strategies or tools that won’t produce the results you want. Don’t do that.

Instead, hire Sarah to help you SHIFT your business in atangible, results-driven way and light the path to more followers, more clients and more impact.

With Sarah’s help, I experienced a major breakthrough for my business and I’m confident she can help you do the same.” ~Elizabeth Marshall, Author Teleseminars

When it comes to social media – Sarah is by far the best in teaching people how to truly build meaningful (and profitable!) relationships online. I was so impressed with her work that I actually hired her to privately train my entire team. They’ve been rocking it online and focusing on creating key connections ever since. ~Chelsea Moser – chelseamoser.com

Sarah is not only a great role model, she has talked me through the process of building solid online relationships that have helped me to grow my business. I’ve learned to use Twitter to get on the radar of A -List bloggers in a non sketchy way, and then to develop my relationships with them to the point where I had the nerve to ask them to do a project with me. I even had one of them ask me to do a big event for him – which I rocked. ~Judi Knight -www.newtricks.me

So……what am I looking for?

A commitment of 5 – 10 hours per week during the run of the internship – June 15 – Oct. 15.
Creative and bold initiative.
Incredible written communication skills
A relaxed comfort interacting with high-level executives, decision makers, authors and thought leaders.
A cooperative, team-focused spirit.
Outstanding problem-solving skills.
The drive and determination to turn in nothing short of top level work.

Specific Job Descriptions:

Internship #1 – Corporate Sponsorship Coordinator:
Responsible for seeking out(with Sarah’s help) and securing sponsors/corporate partners for Creating Irresistible Presence (both cash and in-kind).
Set and meet sponsorship revenue goals.
Coordinate all aspects of Sponsorship Program including serving as on-site liason during the CIP event.
Experience in the field of corporate sponsorship – either for-profit or non-profit – a plus but not required.

Internship #2 – Affiliate/Strategic Partnerships Coordinator
Work with a small, select group (pre-identified by Sarah) of CIP Affiliates.
Coordinate all aspects of Affiliate Program, including mapping out and implementing the affiliate promotional calendar.
Craft fun, innovative and compelling email, tweet and facebook update copy that is easy for affiliates to use.
Coordinate blog posts, interviews and other additional promotional collateral from Sarah as requested by affiliates.
Set and meet affiliate revenue goals.

As you can see, these aren’t your “phone it in” kind of internships. But then again, neither is experience you will gain.

H0w to apply:

Simply click on this link and answer the questions. Remember, applications are due by 11:59 pm EST, Wednesday June 8 – no exceptions.
http://bit.ly/CIPInternship

If these internship opportunities call to you, please apply. Resist the temptation to talk yourself out of it. This is your chance to gain the experience and the connections you know you want.

Break a leg!
Sarah

P.S. If you want to go back to the event home page, simply click here.

P.P.S. I would love it if you would help me spread the word about these internship opportunities. You can share this page with your twitter community by clicking here.

Last week I was lucky enough to be interviewed by Dana Reeves of Daily Success Deals about my mentor, Martha Beck, life coach columnist for O Magazine and best-selling author. Martha trained me as a life coach over 5 years ago and without her I would not be the person I am today.

You can read more about my thoughts and experiences in my interview here.