I was catching up on my blogs (and boy howdy do I read a lot of blogs lately – but I’m learning a LOT from it) and came across not one, but two interesting, just-what-I-needed sort of messages.  Leave it to Seth Godin – this guy really is pretty amazing.

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First a couple days ago I came across this peach of an idea about the shortage of digital coaches.  I really think it could be something I could do and do well.  Hell, I’m always telling someone about SEOs and how useful blogging can be to build a clientele, the best email and other online resources that are available and blah, blah.  And it would be a great match for desire to help women starting out in business and whatnot.  Definitely something to consider…

Here are three things that are true:
1. Digital technology, especially computers and cell phones, can dramatically increase productivity.
2. More and more users of digital technology are small firms or individuals.
3. The vast majority of users of digital technology are totally lame in getting the most out of the investment of their time and money.

Here’s what I haven’t found: people who charge $100 an hour to hear what you do and how you do it and then show you how to do it better. People who organize data and put it in the right place. People who overhaul the way small groups use technology so they can use it dramatically better. More examples: Teach people to back up. Show them how to check their email on the road. Help them understand how to use online networking when it’s appropriate (and warn them when it’s not). Show a restaurant how to use OpenTable to keep the place full, or to use a blog (with an RSS feed) to easily communicate with loyal customers. Teach a company to keep tabs on itself with Technorati.

This is a growth area. The tools are finally in place to market yourself, and even better, the productivity increases you can produce for $500 or $1,000 are not just valuable, they’re actually priceless.

Then yesterday he had this gem of a message for me regarding bad judgement…

Try this on: “If I believed what you believe, I’d probably be acting exactly the same way you are right now.” (Better thought than said, probably).

You know what, that’s almost certainly true… if I believed what you said when you wrote that angry blog post*, I probably would have written the same thing.

Once we realize that it’s not a matter of judgment, but a matter of belief, everything changes.

* or whatever random rant can be inserted here

Okay, better late then never, right?

Last week’s ongoing homework assignment you might recall was to take notice of forward movement (still more amazing things happening with this), taking time to do nice things for ourselves (this is actually quite easy for me, but surprisingly, some gals in my group had challenges with this), and lastly, to keep cleaning up that junk to allow for more to flow into our life (this I’m still working on).  The big assignment was to write Grand Visions for each other.

I had fun writing these visions for others, but I was a little afraid of how it would go reading and allowing the ones written for me.  I was mostly afraid because I wasn’t sure I presented myself all that well or clearly (since my head was in a strange place).  But really, I should have known it would all work out.  I was thrilled and motivated by the visions that were created for me.

Since receiving my visions I have taken quite a few forward moving steps…first and foremost, finding someone to run my previous business for me; I’ve got an author interview set up for next Monday for my site’s blog; finally wrote a batch of heartfelt thank you’s for my friends that have supported me through some recent stuff; contacted someone regarding their web design (I’m loving that simple, elegant look; and thanks to this week’s homework (outlined below) I’ve got a list of women to contact regarding writing for my site’s blog and products for giveaways.  Overall, not bad movement for a Wednesday!

So for this week’s assignments, we have to do the following:

• Inform 5 people (strangers, friends, biz relations, etc) about our new launching business – I’ve told a few folk, but I really need to hunker down and throw some intention and purpose behind it.
• Create a list of 4 needs (can be related to the launch – mine were) and 2 secret weapons to share with our group and answer each and every need for each member – I loved this exercise!  Just actually sitting down and asking for something and getting suggestions and answers instead of just trudging along as is and getting nowhere. Again, just putting it out there has already brought me some returns – I was contacted today by someone that would like to blog for me – yay!
• Create my elevator speech – you know, that 15 or so second response to “so, what do you do?” I still have to work on mine.  I’m a little stuck though as I’m not sure if I want to focus on my site’s blog (so that can start working on it’s own) or my launch biz so I can start feeling like I’m doing some fulfilling work – well gee, when I put it that way, I guess I’ll be focusing on the launch project 😉  I love that it’s supposed to short, sweet and tot he point…1) I am ___.  2) I do ___  3) for ___ .4) I need ___.  You can’t go wrong with that model to follow.  Here’s what I’ve got “I am LABG and I work with women to help them rediscover joy in their lives.  I need women who want to make changes in their life and live joyfully.”  Okay, that was off the top of my head, it could probably be better, but it’s a start.
• And lastly, create a description of each person in the group – this piggy-backs on last week’s shared visions a bit.  We can use adjectives, a slogan or zippy saying or whatever creative expression comes our way. I still need to work on this one as well.

I’m sure you can see how this incubator just pumps you up and motivates you each week.  It’s fun.  It’s focused.  And it gives you just the kick you need to get moving and get stuff done.  I really look forward to each session.  I wonder what happens when our four weeks are up??

I’m not really a shy person, per se.  I’ll go basically anywhere alone – shopping, dining out, the movies, special events, meetings, a party, you name it.  But sometimes, I just don’t have it in me to just put myself out there in a whole new situation where I don’t know a soul.  I mean, why feel awkward out in public when you can just stay at home snuggled up with a good book (though my current choice is more mediocre than good) or some really cheesy TV (when will this strike end?).

Today is one of those days.  As I mentioned yesterday, I recently started the Incubator program with Ladies Who Launch.  We’ve had one meeting thus far.  This evening there’s a large LWL group meeting (with some media specialist gal) out in Santa Monica.  Part of me really wants to go as I’m so psyched about meeting new people, especially new motivated, entrepreneurial women.  For all I know, I might meet my next business contact, or someone that would love to advertise on my site, or become an “expert” or who knows what.

Thing is, I’m just not feeling it today.  Mostly, I’m just not up for a rush-hour drive on the 405 to get my ass into Santa Monica on time.  To be honest, I don’t think that I’ve ever made the commute to Santa Monica solo before. *yikes*  But also, I’m just not really up for hanging out with mass amounts of women (and doing the whole nine yards – hair, make-up, clothes) all while knowing no one.  I just don’t feel like being sociable tonight.  I did reach out to two of my other LWL incubatorees out here on the other side of the hill, but I don’t think they plan on going tonight either (one has other plans, the other hasn’t yet responded).

So while I’d never consider myself a shy person, I do have moments of shyness that can sometimes seem to leave me a bit frozen and stagnant, if not actually a bit fearful of meeting new people.  As they like to tell us, you only get one shot to make a first impression, and call me silly, but I just don’t see me making a great first impression tonight.  I just don’t seem to feel it.

So this being the first week with the Ladies Who Launch Incubator program, we of course, have some homework.  Aside from writing a Best Biz Ever sort of vision for our fellow incubator-ees, we have some personal things to focus on…

First: We need to work on cleaning up the junk.  By organizing, cleaning and clearing up the things that junk up our lives, we’re able to create a space for new things to come into our lives.   I’ve been gung-ho on this.  I cleaned the kitchen yesterday (my stove top was a Mess!).  I also finally got around to throwing out the box chuck-full of Christmas wrapping paper – in my defense, we only have small trash bins and my landlord hates to bring out anything that isn’t full so I had to wait my turn (or in this case MAKE my turn).  I also cleared off my monster of a desktop.  Amazingly, I can see things on my desk now and I have plenty of room to move around without any fear of knocking piles over.

Today I plan on focusing on cleaning out the rest of this office.  We have stacks of magazines that need to be filed and believe it or not, cases of wine that need to be relocated and stored.   With luck, I can also get to some bedroom organizing as well.  I’m one of those that hates to put away folded laundry.  Instead, I stack.  And stack.  And stack some more until well, I’m seasons (and sizes) behind in my available wardrobe and there’s no room for anything.

Second:  We need to do something good for ourselves daily.  While I’d love for that to mean daily massages, facials, manis & pedis, well, it just can’t be.  Instead, I’ve been spending time reading and finding time to watch my favorite (often cheesy) TV shows. I’ve also decided to get back into blogging (I was really missing it).  Yesterday, while getting this blog up and running, I just out and out decided to treat myself to a Venti Caramel Macchiato – sometimes it just tastes so good to have something a little sweet. I’ve also decided to focus more on cooking good meals in instead of eating crap meals out.  It’s all a start right?

Third: We need to acknowledge the forward movement and accept what comes into our lives.  By following through with steps 1 and 2, new things can’t help but come on in. I mean, we’ve gone through all that energy to create a space for it, right?  The biggest (and right now, most important) thing that I’ve noticed these past two days is that we once again have ad revenue coming in.  It seemed like things were blocked there for a bit, but once again, we’re flowing.

I’ve also noticed that I just feel better.   I’m no longer anxious (it was a challenging past couple of weeks) and amazingly, I’m no longer craving junk.  I’m actually wanting to eat well and grab fruit instead of tearing up the apartment looking for chocolate.  Interestingly, I also have some blogging friends that I had lost touch with shooting me emails asking how things are going and wondering where I had disappeared to.  What a great feeling.

I’m really excited to see what else will be coming my way.