I had an interesting discussion with one of my clients recently. She's been in business for six months and is ready to quit. (I have permission to share her story.) She writes, "I give up. Starting a business is so much harder than I thought it would be, so much more time-consuming. I was hoping to be making a profit by now! There are so many …
Are You a Jumper or a Planner?
There appears to be two types of small business owners:Those who jump right into running their business, and marketing their products and services, with little or no planning. And those who plan a strategy -- and a service or product design -- before they ever dream of offering it to the public. Is one better than the other? Yes …
The Imposter Syndrome
Do you feel like a fake? Are you waiting for the day that someone will discover that all your success was brought about by luck? You're not alone. According to an article in Inc. Magazine, as many as 70% of all people feel like a fake at some time. Back in the 1970's, psychologists studied this phenomenon, dubbed "The Imposter Syndrome." The …
Dealing With Overwhelm
As I sit here writing my "to do" list for the upcoming months, I can feel that weird little tingle in the pit of my stomach: Overwhelm. There's so much to do! How will I get it all done? Then I remember all the tricks and tips I've learned over the years of how to manage entrepreneurial overwhelm: 1. Breathe. Stop whatever you're doing, and take …
Pay Close Attention or Your Feet Will Get Wet
Aly and I spent the day at the beach on Sunday. Having been to the NJ Shore many times before, I had a sort of sixth-sense about which waves would come up higher on the beach and soak our feet, and when it was safe to walk on the hard-pack sand near the water's edge. But Aly wasn't used to walking on the Atlantic Coast beach and he couldn't gauge …
The Collapse of Superwoman
Two days after celebrating my mother's 70th birthday in late October, my throat got that tell-tale scratchy feeling. You know the one. It's predicts the advent of the dreaded November Bronchitis season for me. I seemed to be able to fight off this first round in early November before it became full-blown, but the dry cough lingered all month, …