Think Like an Entrepreneur

Guest post by Deborah A Bailey

If you looking for ways to reinvent your career or make the leap into entrepreneurship, now is the time!  Though there are a lot of people starting businesses these days, using entrepreneurial thinking is not restricted to business owners.  Whether you want to start a business or not, thinking like an entrepreneur will give you the skills to succeed no matter what’s happening in the economy.

Let’s take a look at the traits of successful entrepreneurs.

Having a vision – What do you really want to achieve in your life? What do you enjoy doing? When you have a vision for what you want to accomplish, you can stop running in circles. You can stop following what other people are doing, or listening to well-meaning people who think they know what’s best. Do you want to follow your passion and live your purpose? Start with a vision.

Being creative – Creativity isn’t just about art! It’s also about thinking outside the box in order to solve problems and find new ways of doing things. When you connect with your creativity, you are open to solutions that may come from places you never expected.

Trusting your intuition – How often do you listen to your “inner” voice? It may be hard to do when there’s so much going on around you. When you learn to trust your own judgment, you can trust that you know what’s best for you.

Taking risks – It’s possible that in order to achieve what you want, you may have to try something completely new. Are you ready to step out of your comfort zone? That’s what risk taking is all about.

Taking action – Once you have gathered the information you need, it’s time to take action. When you’re proactive you get to decide the next step, as opposed to having it decided for you. And don’t forget – choosing not to make a decision is also a decision! When you let things happen by default, you can end up being a victim of circumstances instead of being a victor.

Remember, you have to be it before you can do it. Whether you decide to become an entrepreneur or not, you can think like one. Instead of waiting to be chosen you can choose success!

Copyright © 2012 Deborah A. Bailey

Deborah Bailey

Deborah A Bailey is a writer, communications expert, coach, and published author. Her book, “Think Like an Entrepreneur: Transforming Your Career and Taking Charge of Your Life ” is available on Amazon.com and other online booksellers. She’s the creator and host of “Women Entrepreneurs Radio™” a weekly internet radio talk show and was recently named one of the “25 Career and Business     Women Bloggers Worth Reading” by BlogHer. Learn more about Deborah’s services at her website: www.dbaileycoach.com.

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WHO’S RECRUITING YOU?

Guest Post by Suzanne Evans

We are all being recruited all the time. Walk through the airport and you’ll be recruited for credit cards. Visit church with a friend you’ll be recruited to come back. Walk through the mall and Auntie Ann’s will recruit you to have a pretzel sample.

As human beings it is in our nature to recruit. We are not solitary human beings…which is why everyone is born with a natural ability to sale. So stop for a moment and think about who is recruiting you.

I constantly see individuals who don’t show up, want to quit, and don’t ask for help find it easier to recruit other people into believing that a program isn’t working or they will not succeed or “it’s not your fault … it’s the coach, the program, the people, the style”. Misery loves company.

And I get it. When you aren’t getting the results you want you would rather it be someone else’s fault. You would rather it be something outside of yourself than your inaction or own cycle of quitting. We want to feel like we are a part of something bigger. So, when you have that spouse, friend, colleague sharing with you WHY something is not working for you or will not work for you …

Ask these questions:

  1. Is this individual taking 100% responsibility for themselves.
  2. Am I taking 100% responsibility for myself?
  3. If quitting were not an option what would my next step be?
  4. How does this gossip help me?
  5. How can I support this person–people in deep pain recruit others to fail or quit with them.

And then ask where is this person in the cycle of quitting?

We are always being recruited … and it can be fun – pretzel samples are nice, but it can also be “support” disguised as intellectual bullying when someone tries to stop your experience or qualify why it will not work for you. Just ask yourself the questions above, pause, breathe, and reach for support and perspective. As my good friend, Matthew Goldfarb, says all the time –“It’s ok to fit in, but it’s better to stand out.”

About the Author:

Suzanne Evans

Suzanne Evans owner and founder of Suzanne Evans Coaching, LLC, is the tell-it-like-it-is, no fluff boss of business building. She supports, coaches, and teaches over 30,000 women enrolled in her wealth and business building programs. Having surpassed the seven figure mark herself in just over three years, she’s coached her private clients to total revenues exceeding 8 million dollars. In 2011, she launched her Global Impact Project, a not for profit serving women worldwide in education, entrepreneurship, and equality. More About Suzanne

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