Finding solutions is all about mindset…

I have a terrible suspicion. My clients aren’t hiring me (a branding coach) to teach them how to brand or how to market themselves. I doubt they even suspect the real reason…I’m beginning to think that I am hired because I offer a single shining thing….I offer hope. Signing that 6 month contract with me is investing in the future, it’s putting a concrete step forward in good faith that things will work out and get better than they are now.
Just 6 months ago, I left my full-time job to launch my practice. When I think about how many times I’ve lost hope, I can really appreciate what other small business owners go through. A single rejection can send you reeling. Silent phones and lack of emails have you projecting starvation. So what’s the antidote to losing your hope?

Relief – is it within your grasp?

How do I get back on the horse? I think about people who have overcome horrible circumstances. Circumstances that are a million times worse than my phone not ringing.
Here’s an example. I’ve had 4 miscarriages. So when I was finally pregnant with Logan and had enforced bed rest for the first trimester, I read the most awful and horrible biographies I could find written by survivors of the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Every day as I read about women, who were lined up as a deliberate act of war to be raped in front of their entire families, I would reflect about my own fears. How did this strategy work out? I ended up giving birth to a 10 pound cutie pie and adopting a Rwandan sister through the Women for Women International organization for life.
Mindset is everything when it comes to small business growth. If you, the heart of that entity have lost hope, I urge you to stop everything you’re doing and just think for a minute about what you’re grateful for.
I guarantee you’ll feel better for it.
If you need help finding horribly inspiring stories, here are a few resources that work for me:
http://www.dancaro.com/
http://www.immaculee.com/
http://www.viktorfrankl.org/
http://www.peacepilgrim.com/
Need more chicken soup for your biz? Follow me on Twitter, friend me on Facebook or connect with me on LinkedIn –and let’s talk!

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