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Category: Inspiration

4 steps to change someone’s day

  1. Think of someone you admire or care for.
  2. Choose the medium: email, letter, message, text, napkin. It doesn’t have to be long, but write from your heart.
  3. Share how this person inspires you or what you appreciate about them. Consider including a fond memory.
  4. Close your note with something you’re thankful for.

Your message could change someone’s day (your own, too). I’m curious! Tell me what happens @redheadlefthand.

Honor the quirk

With all the filters and editing software, it seems we are trying to do away with imperfections. Yet quirks are magnetic. Quirky elements are relatable and endearing — what stops a scroll and captures attention.

This post is an ode to the quirk. A reminder that something is worth doing even if it isn’t exceptional. That art can be created without the goal of perfection. That the greatest entrepreneurial attempts are often imperfect and messy when they begin.

Quirks can be fun and inspiring and a platform for something great.

Just for today, follow the quirks. Embrace them, and look for ways to use quirks in your favor.

Prompt: What quirks have unexpectedly served you? Tweet me @redheadlefthand.

Go on an Inspiration Walk

  1. Set a timer or alarm for ten minutes. Carry this with you.
  2. Start walking in one direction. Resist the urge to check your phone. Instead, pay attention to your senses: What do you feel, see, hear, smell, taste?
  3. If you struggle to focus, concentrate on your footsteps and notice your feet on the ground. What does the ground feel like? What do you hear as your foot strikes the surface?
  4. When your alarm goes off, return along the same route. See if you notice anything different from your initial journey.
  5. Upon returning to your starting point, set your timer for another ten minutes and write about your experience.

This is an Inspiration Walk.

Note: You’re not walking to solve a problem or cultivate inspiration (though either may occur); you’re walking to walk. Often by focusing on the present, the greatest sources of magic are found…

Tell me what you notice @redheadlefthand.

3 reasons to hire a professional coach

A good coach can help you level up, get inspired, and set goals you’ve been putting off for way too long. Yet “coaching” has become a saturated industry with a range of providers, from academically-trained professionals to Instagram influencers charging fees anywhere between $40 to $3,500 per session. How can you determine if a coach can help you and what should you be prepared for when you begin?

I’ve listed three ways in which the right coach can add value to your work and life:

  1. Confidence. A focused coach-client relationship can build confidence over time through task achievement, heightened goal setting behaviors, and improved self awareness. Confidence comes through accomplishment; the simple act of showing up to a coach session can boost esteem and feelings of productivity.
  2. Performance. Targeted questions can encourage even the most experienced professionals to measure and analyze their own performance. This, in turn, can maximize professional development and catalyze personal growth. Just as sports coaches help players succeed, business coaches can help clients “see the field” within specific industries and relevant verticals.
  3. Progress. From business to personal settings, stagnation can occur for a variety of reasons — boredom, lack of inspiration, the absence of motivation, ineffective routine. A coach can motivate clients to set and change patterns so progress can take place. Whether you’re trying to write a book or grow your business, use a coach to help you identify areas of opportunity and make plans to stay on track.

I take on a limited number of coaching clients. Send a message if you’d like to learn more.

Own your story

Your value proposition may change.

Your origin story will not.

While small businesses may not have the resources needed to build huge international brands, we HAVE STORIES.

Use those stories. Own them.

Stories connect. They can rally communities, encourage investment, and help people remember who you are and why you’re doing what you’re doing.

Remember: YOU are the secret ingredient as you build your business. Why? Because no one is creating the way you create.

No one builds as you build.

Your uniqueness is an asset.

Want help understanding your story? Reach out.

Small business owners have heart

Small business owners have a lot of heart. This can make decisions — especially when it comes to business particularly challenging.

Whether you’re thinking about scaling, setting up processes, or building a sustainable community, remember to consider what works for you. Your business is a diamond, and each aspect is a facet: content marketing, hiring, planning, YOU. Nurture yourself just as much as the business you’re building and creating and growing.

Entrepreneurship is a long road, and the destination isn’t always certain.

Feeling exposed is okay. Sit in those moments long enough to see if you can find opportunity.

Feeling overwhelmed is normal. Reach out for help or look for ways to make your life easier.

How can I support you? Reach out.