Happy New Decade! Sounds good doesn’t it, but it depends on what it means to you. Perhaps it means a fresh start or just another ten years gone from your life. It’s all a matter of perspective and considering that our emotional responses can significantly warp the accuracy of said perspectives, taking an objective inventory could bring a surprise, albeit a very pleasant surprise, or two. You have accomplished and know more than you may realize.

Last year was the year to end all years for many fraught with change, loss, disaster, and even some joy with a miracle or two. The whole world seemed to stand still for a moment and take a deep breath before plunging forward into the unknown. And here we are on the threshold of a brand new decade. Think of the possibilities, the second chances! Most people I’ve spoken with have reinvented their lives or are in the process of figuring out what their next step is. The recession has indeed impacted how many of us see our lives and the need for change, to rewrite our scripts so-to-speak.

Yes, it is true that nothing will ever be the same, but isn’t that a blessing in itself? Horizons need to be expanded, core beliefs need to be examined, and fears need to be addressed and understood. Most people truly abhor change and some become frozen in the headlights, unable to take action. Stepping out of the comfort zone, no matter how mundane and stifling, can strike terror to even the stoutest heart. But we are now living in a time when to not take action is the greatest waste.

As the world continues to shrink, social thinking seems to be harking back to the 60’s and the 70’s when political, sexual, environmental, biological, and economic revolutions were the theme. The concept of green; recycled materials, biodegradable products, environmentally friendly is far from new. It all just got shoved under the carpet for a few decades. Advocacy is also on the rise along with community involvement. For a lot of us, particularly over 50 baby boomers, this mindset has stayed with us throughout the years to one degree or another.

Advertising has grabbed on hard to this ‘what’s old is new again’ message. Companies, those who are surviving, are stepping up to the green plate and moving right along. What does this all mean to the solo-preneur and small business owner of today? If your business growth has been based on referrals, and it’s few that aren’t, your phone may not be ringing as much lately. Marketing strategies need to be evolved, new niche markets targeted and networking honed down to a fine skill. We all need to be consummate trend-trackers. What is your message for 2010? It all starts with who you are now. And just who is that?  Here are a few questions to ask your self.

• What would be your biggest accomplishment or dream come true?
• What advice would you give yourself if you were on the other side of the table?
• What is your plan to improve your financial forecast?
• What major experience is just waiting for you to indulge in?
• What would you most like to change about your self?
• What are you looking to learn?
• What will be your biggest risk moving forward, besides moving forward?
• What are you willing to change about your work?
• What is one undeveloped talent that you are willing to explore?
• What has brought you the most joy? How are you going to get more of that feeling?
• Who or what are you willing to love other than yourself?
• What one word best describes your theme?
• And lastly….do you have the courage to step outside of your box and create new, uncharted territory?

I realize that this article will mean different things to different people. However, the basic premise is universally the same for all. It hasn’t really changed but the recession has brought it home once again. Simply, the key to a successful business is to first of all be successful at your life, to give more and consume less. Recently I had the great pleasure of hearing a respected associate speak at a meeting. The line that stuck with me the most is that we want what we want, but it’s the feeling rather than the actual thing that we get from what we want that propels us to buy it. How do you make your clients or customers feel? As long as the feeling is a positive one, the money will follow.

About Jude L. Gorgopa

Jude L. Gorgopa is a licensed insurance agent, field manager, and award- winning trainer representing Atlantis Health Plan of New York for over four years. She is currently serving on the board of directors for the 23^rd Street Association and is also the president and founder of Clout Et Cetera, Inc., since 2001, including an online image and lifestyle resource, The Fundamentals of Clout. Clout is available for speaking engagements and acts as a business referral. www.cloutetcetera.com Questions? 917-833-5677 or jude@cloutetc.com.

No one has to tell you that it’s a different world out there. The market is going through drastic changes, and you may think you need a scorecard to keep up.  Just overhearing snippets of conversations from passersby on cell phones or people sitting next to you in a coffee shop can be eye opening. Different people are experiencing different things. Even the super-wealthy are having their problems.  And it seems to be getting worse everyday. The repercussions are, and will remain, immense for an unspecified period of time. It’s akin to throwing a large rock into a pond and watching the rings span out over the surface. Eventually they will all just disappear.  And yet, the overall mood across America isn’t as depressed as you would think.

Yes, there are long-term and far-reaching effects on an international level, but guess what? Right now is the best time you may ever have for amazing opportunity and fulfilling change, not only in your career, but in your personal life as well. Most people seem to be in re-evaluation mode these days.  Just look at the very notable increase in self-help books flooding the stores lately. Suddenly everyone is an expert on how to have a perfect life, particularly during a recession. So much advice, so little time.

Guidance is actually a good thing. It can jumpstart us to enthusiastic action, but in order to create meaningful change we must first of all recognize that change is needed and then change the thought patterns and beliefs that years of conditioning have taught us. Without that, any amount of desire will never make the change stick over the long run.  Most people want to change their lives, but at the same time, they want everything to remain the same. Fear is the great enabler and we often let it control our actions even if the fear is unfounded in the present.

The Buddhist religion dictates that if you want to change the world, you must know yourself completely and separately from who you are in it. Once you know yourself your job is done. Getting to know your authentic self is usually a life-long and oft times difficult road, but everything you do, every action and word spoken, will leave a mark, a hopefully positive influence, even if it’s only one person at a time. A journey of a thousand miles starts with only one step. You have more power than you realize to make a significant difference by just being yourself.

“Recently there has been a lot of research on what creates happiness in people, and people have even come up with a happiness formula… The happy people, when they look at a situation, they see an opportunity. The unhappy people look at the same situation and see a problem. Your conditions of living, which means how much money you make, has very little to do with happiness…The happiest people are those who focus on relationships, and when they focus on relationships they are happy.” ~ Deepak Chopra on CNN’s Larry King, May 2009

Are you incorporating your own core values, integrity, and beliefs into your life and your business model? Do you know what they are? Everyone, if they’re smart, is taking stock and making changes, from the largest corporations on down to the sole prop. Relationships, more important than ever, are the key to survival in today’s business world. What does this mean to you?  Are you doing everything you can to produce results for your clients or is it all about you and how you feel?  What you project, fear, anxiety, frustration, even boredom, will come through loud and clear. If your agenda is on a different timeline or schedule than the people you are doing business with because you have bills to pay there will be friction. Timing is the maker and breaker of success. 

Getting your basics back is simply a matter of being proactive, identifying what you believe in, right now, and acting on it.  Here are a few steps to get you there:

• Take a personal inventory of your accomplishments, what you are currently working on, and what you would like to do. How do you feel about them? Separate your negative and positive reactions. When or where are you at your happiest?

• Have you outgrown your situation? If it’s something that you were once passionate about perhaps all that’s needed is a new perspective, a step back to observe without emotion. Giving up doesn’t have to be an option. Change is always possible if desired.

• Unfulfilled by the same old routines, places, whatever? Knowing when it’s time to let go, albeit painful, is the first step to somewhere else. We tend to hold on to situations and objects long after their due date because we identify ourselves, particularly our self worth with them. Understanding why we hold on to patterns of behavior that produce negative results, such as in personal relationships or careers, is a tremendous step on the road to authenticity. What do you want? What do you have to do to get it?

Getting organized, clearing out the clutter, and stream lining can lend a sense of instant wellbeing and newness to your world. It also helps you to focus, curb needless worry, and conquer your fears. Taking action is empowering! You have more options than you may realize. It’s a matter of re-discovering your wonderful self and taking that first step.

RESOURCES:

www.Robkaye.com                                             The Law of Success by Napolean Hill

www.Smileandmove.com                                 The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

www.Cloutetcetera.com

How you answer these questions has everything to do with your current level of success! Has your business fallen off? With a recession looming, it’s time to take a long, hard look at how you can better attract new clients and keep the referrals coming in. It’s also crucial to keep reinventing your own wheel and be constantly expressing the value of your product and services above the price. With the economy in trouble, people are much more particular now about what they’re getting for their hard earned dollar. A low price won’t be the only factor to making the sale or gaining a new client.

On the other side of the fence, you must not cut your fees so much that you lose quality clients and referrals along with revenue. Trim back where you can, but don’t lose your professional credibility by doing so. It may also be a good time to become more specialized and pare down your offerings to the most profitable.

Remember that your clients are essentially buying you first and will then remain loyal in the long run because of you. The product or service is actually secondary. How does your own image come across? You are your business. It might be time for a makeover. First impressions, whether in person or on the phone, can make or break potential business connections. People want to do business with successful looking, and sounding, professionals. Are you confident, upbeat? Is there anything distracting about you? A coach could be a great investment to help increase your revenue by reinventing your personal and business image, along with your employees, if you need a detached yet critical eye to do so.

Sometimes we don’t know how we’re coming across to others. Something as simple as an attitude adjustment can make a huge difference to how we are perceived.

Now is the time to think less is more. A male recruit recently commented to me he noticed that the most successful agents at a regional meeting had a sleek look. That’s a perfect description in itself. Your business materials, from stationary to business cards, should reflect your new image. This can be done quite inexpensively. I am a big fan of Vista Print for providing everything you need, even simple websites, at a reasonable price. Big, bright, flashy, splashy, or gimmicky just doesn’t cut it anymore. If you want to stand out in the crowd, go for understated classic. Cool, calming colors and messages. Now is the time when quiet can attract more than loud. People need soothing; someone to listen, and, above all, impeccable service. Developing relationships with your clients and forming strategic and supportive alliances is more important than ever. Do that and you’ll be certain to succeed! 

The dictionary defines proactivate as acting in anticipation of future problems, needs, or changes. Well, we have definitely arrived there! The question is, how proactive have you been with your life and your business and the choices that have led you up to this point? Are you standing in the rubble counting your losses or embracing new and exciting opportunities? What have you learned in the past weeks?

The article that I wrote for the previous issue of Women and Biz Magazine was about staying the course. If you’ve made up your mind to do so the main consideration now, particularly with all the changes occurring in the market place, is taking complete control of your actions, your finances, and putting your new business plan into effect. Now is not the time to panic, but to sharpen your pencil and expand your circle of clients, contacts, and, more importantly, beliefs. There’s going to be a whole new set of rules for success on every level and only the savviest, and most well-informed, will prosper.

Some of us have been hit harder than others. I  have no personal losses due to  having pulled all my money out of the stock market years ago after a really big slide. Real estate works for me. But I know what it feels like to lose major assets virtually overnight and I have recovered without going bankrupt. I’ve pretty much been self-employed my whole working life and have had more than a few ups & downs! But that’s just one side of the story. Other people’s economic crises can and will affect our business in the short run no matter what shape we may be in right now.

It’s time to analyze and question every aspect of your expenses and if you are truly getting the best service, product, advice, etc., for the least amount of money as possible without jeopardizing quality. Even things like your health insurance, credit agreements, leases, mortgages, your accountant, your lawyer, should be closely scrutinized and adjusted if necessary. Trust and need are mighty emotions, but can blindside even the most powerful of professionals. We are mortals dealing with other mortals. We all make mistakes. But ultimately you need to trust yourself and the decisions that you need to make without handing over the steering wheel to a complete stranger just because they came highly recommended. Take control!

Being in the insurance business, and based in the Wall Street area, I have already gone through and witnessed significant changes in the past month or so. I have been privy to information and the new problems that the self-employed individual and small business owner are just beginning to encounter. I will continue to work closely with brokers and have partnered with professionals in such areas as wealth management and disability to better serve my own health insurance clientele. There is indeed strength in numbers and teaming up in strategic alliances for referrals, informative seminars, and networking events can get you far without much of a cash outlay, if any. There are whole new markets out there that will really need your help. Become known as a go-to expert in your field. The referrals will start to pour in!

Your best source of information for forming a new marketing plan is on the street. Talk to people. Listen to your clients’ concerns and watch what’s going on around you. Gather as much information and as many opinions as you can. Trust your instincts when you carefully weigh them out. Base your decisions on your personal business situation, not someone elses. You already have what it takes to make the changes to continue on your road to success. Just remember that steady and sure wins the race and it’s the journey and not the destination. Just ask any tortoise.

Whatever we do, we need to pay the bills. Money does come into play and can become a major consideration as to whether we continue or not. There are several sectors that are already being hit by the recession and many of my clients are not in the same financial position that they were in a year ago. But this should not become the focus of staying the course. Helping others should still remain the top priority. You will be rewarded for the good that you do. In the meantime, put together a new business plan and start cutting back wherever you need to.  Notice I didn’t say ‘want to’. Get rid of the credit card debt. You can still have a quality of life without spending piles of money. Change is always good and we can learn new lessons and perspectives that we wouldn’t have otherwise considered. Yes, it can be scary, but let go of the steering wheel and let the universe drive. Trust yourself. We can’t control other people’s actions or decisions.We can only influence them. You’ve already come this far and the journey’s hardly begun!

Are you getting ready to get ready? Most people run on the belief that they can only go on that dream vacation, buy a home or have children when the time is financially or emotionally right. Well, if you wait for that you’ll never have anything! If you do what you love, the money will most certainly come. Living a full life is about taking big risks, like you did when you went off on your own. The time is now. You are perfect now. Your life is good now. Not in 5 years or 10. NOW!  Make a list of all the reasons why you became self-employed to begin with. Remember how many times you wanted to quit your full time job? How stifling it was?  Financially limiting? You may not realize how successful you truly are particularly if you are trying to measure up to some antiquated and inaccurate yard stick that you’ve been carrying around for years. Throw it away and stop beating yourself up with it!

It’s time to reinvent your attitude and take action. Time to infuse some new energy and enthusiasm into what you’re doing. If the same old marketing isn’t working anymore, if the same old networking groups or advertising venues aren’t cutting it, it’s time to branch out. There is a huge, untapped demographic just waiting out there at little, or no cost, to you.  And how can you do that?

1. Write articles for newsletters on areas of your expertise. Start your own newletter with regular contributors. Attract a new audience. Create a website.
2. Referrals are where it’s at. If you are tired of getting little or no results from your current collection, start a whole new one. I’m personally starting a referral network in NYC this September and have begun listing clients on the resource page of my website. I also designed and printed separate business cards to hand out and drive traffic to the site. Vista print online has great options for marketing materials, along with websites, at low-cost and high quality with no hassles.
3. Sponsor events. Back a charity. Speak in front of groups and company meetings on a monthly basis. People really want to hear about the value of your services first and foremost. Stay in front of them.
4. If you have employees, get them involved in the process. I often bonus top producers every month and offer little tokens like Starbucks & Metro cards along with continual training to help them be successful in every area of their lives. They can be your best advocates and the return in loyalty and revenue is worth the investment.
5. Have  a tough-love coach. A friend, colleague, mentor, or spouse that won’t take any self-pity, but will allow you to vent. Bitching up is always preferable to revealing negativity in the workplace. It’s poison and needs to be placated or removed asap.
6. Join associations and groups that are strong on referrals or at least have the potential to be such. Networking takes time and effort. One-on-one meetings over cofee are much more productive, and powerful, than drinks after a hard day.
7. Remember that ‘no’ usually means ‘maybe’. Situations do change over time. And timing is everything.
8. Keep in touch with prospects on a regular basis even if they don’t need your services. It’s the relationship that counts and that will get you referrals. Strategic alliances are like free advertising.
9. Don’t keep yourself a secret! Get in front of people. Tell everyone what you do and have business cards handy at all times. You are a walking infomercial.
10. You must have purpose and belief to be successful at anything.
11. Success is not about money.

In closing, enjoy your journey and don’t stress over the destination. Reward yourself. It’s who you are and how you feel about yourself, not what you do, that ultimately counts. It’s the power of attraction and without negative influences blocking your way, you’ll attract whatever you want. Here’s to a fabulous Fall and many wonderful new places and people to discover.

Reading List: Perennial Favorites of Very Successful People.

• Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. Get the revised and updated version.
• The Power of Now & Practicing the Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

Getting your business to the next level or creating a new level all together really means getting yourself there first. And that takes a positive, impartial attitude, no beating yourself up, along with some kind of plan. There are several factors to consider here, but start with a thorough and brutally honest analysis of how your business is operating and how you feel about it. Amazing? Frustrated? Excited? Hit a wall? Or just feel plain sick of it?

Time to change your perspective. However you feel there’s always room for improvement. Even if we think we know it all, guess what, that’s when we don’t. Having just reached the two year mark as a health insurance agent with the added responsibility of field manager and trainer with my own team of agents, I truly have learned just what it means to use internal changes effectively in my business. No matter how daunting or frustrating there’s always a way to turn a situation around. The following are some tips that my colleagues, clients, and I have put to the test for utilizing change to reinvent our businesses. If nothing else, they could fire up your enthusiasm!

• Don’t get stuck on the gerbal wheel. You know the feeling. Your pipeline has dried up. You keep calling the same leads or referrals over and over again with little or no results. Put that list away and get some new numbers to call. And how do you find those?…
• Call your existing clients, associates, friends, neighbors, and family members. Ask them whom they know who might benefit from your services. Go to a business library and load up on free, targeted leads. And after you do that….
• Get yourself out there! Attend networking events. If you’ve had no success in the past with certain groups, try several different ones then pick 2 or 3 that you really like and keep showing up. Make sure to followup immediately by email after the event. Set up one-on-one coffee meetings. You could even sponsor an event or start your own networking group.
• Go for quality instead of quantity. Less is more when it comes to marketing! Instead of purchasing mailing lists and the like, target your campaign to a group that really would use your services. It does take some extra research, but you’ll be hitting a more receptive audience.
• Join associations and advertise or write articles for their newsletter. Write your own newsletter!
• If you haven’t got a website consider having one. If you already do, how long has it been since you’ve updated it? Is it interesting and eye-catching? Are you driving people to it? Is a link to your site on other quality websites?
• Start a reciprocal referral program for your clients. You could post it as a resource page on your website.
• Form strategic alliances with relevant industries.
• What image are you projecting to the business world? First impressions can make or break a deal. That goes for your marketing materials. Again, less is more, particularly in the text. Do your materials accurately represent you and your business?
• Create a powerful pitch. If you can’t tell people what you do in 15 seconds or less, you’ve got a problem. BNI groups allow their members to speak for 45 seconds and some people go past that without ever getting to the point! It’s not what you say, but how long it takes you to say it that counts.

And, last, but not least, don’t project yourself into the future with all sorts of depressing, made-up scary scenarios or look back longingly into the past. Be here now. Now is all that matters. Have fun. It might sound corny to some, but it’s the journey and not the destination that thrills. So true! But that’s another article. Here’s to change and all the wonderful places it can take you this year.

You see, the past few months have been rich with remarkable change and achievement for me, not only in my business activity, but in my personal growth as well. Opportunities have seemingly been falling into my lap, things that I would have only dreamed about in the past. Life is truly good!

Of course, it wasn’t always so. In spite of all the good stuff I suddenly felt like I was glued to the spot. Frustrated, exhausted, and short fused, I found it difficult to enjoy my own success. If anyone would have asked me what was wrong I would have said… everything and nothing! The strangest thing was that I couldn’t figure out how to get back in the groove although I’ve coached many individuals over the years in similar situations.

I decided to apply a few of my own tips and after several discussions on being stuck vs getting unstuck with some close friends and colleagues was able to pinpoint the problem and get the momentum to move forward. One very pleasant surprise was that my focus and attitude had readjusted themselves in a whole new and unexpected way.

There are many ways to get stuck: stuck in a relationship, a job, a lifestyle, the past, a mood, or a mindset. It’s actually the same thing. It’s how we think that gets us stuck and how we think that will get us unstuck. First of all, consider that getting stuck is an inevitable step in our personal and career growth. It seems to come out of nowhere and can stop just as quickly. The trick to understanding why it occurs and what to do about it is the key. Our reactions and how we choose to deal-or not deal-with what is thrown in our paths can totally influence the outcome of the situation.

Most of you probably know what it feels like to be in a state of flow; to be so focused on a task, project, or performance that nothing else exists, but what is in the moment. It is a heady, energizing, and empowering place to be and hard to be away from for long. The feeling can be akin to falling in love. When we are constantly being distracted or over-extended we lose our focus and, if we’re not pacing ourselves, can become mentally and even physically exhausted. Life could still be brilliant, but our very negative attitudes can create feelings of dread, anxiety, and resentment toward what we used to truly enjoy.

So stop here for a moment and think about everything that you currently have on your big plate. What makes you feel anxious, pressed for time, or just plain tired? Make a reality checklist and start to get your balance back by paring down your activities. It not only should be done, but it’s a necessity to getting unstuck. Refine your busy mixture of priorities into something less exhausting and more manageable.

You must also be willing to cut your losses in certain areas. You’ve probably overcommitted yourself anyway so freeing up some time will be a welcome relief! I recently did the old heave-ho to several longer-term commitments, like teaching, along with saying no to new ones if they don’t fit my new strict criteria. I also restructured my original business so it practically runs itself. My personal life is now essentially uncomplicated and I know and accept that ‘unpredictable’ will always be the byword of most of my days.

Life is about ups and downs and riding the wave. It’s also about the joy of everyday; of simple things and recognizing them when they come along, but sometimes you need to feel angry to see things as they really are. That’s when real change can happen. Emotion can be a very empowering catalyst as long as you are doing what is right for you. Otherwise you’re just stuck.

It doesn’t necessarily matter what culture an individual stems from. Essentially, the message is that all people have opinions, dreams, and memories that govern how they respond to something at any given moment. Age, personal perceptions, and life experiences probably have more to do with emotional diversity than any other factor. Not a new concept, but one that is having more and more impact as the population ages. Baby boomers are being hit the hardest with nostalgic messages in ads and television commercials. Music and fashion labels from the 60’s, 70’s, and the 80’s are being re-invented by the younger generations and retro every thing is being reworked with a modern twist. There are even emotional intelligence certification programs available. The past is very much with us, but are the emotions and attitudes from these decades the same? Hardly.

Perceptions of image and the emotions that they invoke are very highly personalized and subject to mood. Put a mixed variety of people in a room, ask them to access each other based solely on first impressions, and you’ll most likely get a controversial and perhaps extreme description of each person that varies greatly based on such pre-conceived ideas of image, personality, race, sex, and personal preferences. If we are in an off mood, we respond to certain situations or stimuli in a negative way or if something simply reminds us of an unpleasant memory the response can be the same. Not everyone is going to feel the same way about the same thing at the same time and, knowing this, it really is impossible to please everyone. So how can such a broad reaching subject be translated into business success?

When planning a marketing strategy, considering how certain individuals or groups may respond to a message is a given, but being too general can be a mistake. Apart from the usual demographics, there are many niche markets popping up that are just begging to be catered to. Take, for instance, a growing number of 50-something women starting their lives and careers over again, childless-by-choice couples, the green movement, and so on. Anything considered renegade behavior is emotionally charged. You may be in the middle of a niche market in the making! Knowing how to recognize opportunity early is a valuable plus in any business. So is the knowing when to back away.

Ask yourself this question: What makes people buy a product or service? Is their motivation based on intellect or emotion? Need or want? Consider impulse buying and how retailers set up products right by the check out or how the new merchandise is always placed at the front of the store or department. There is also a strong emerging trend toward buying experiences over material goods, but the rule of thumb is that people will usually buy what they want over what they need. A good example of this is a couple owning a home with two expensive automobiles in the garage, a huge wide-screen TV along with all the latest household gadgets, but no health insurance or a woman owning a hundred pairs of shoes. In reality, however, the emotional basis for most people’s behavior is not a simple equation. It’s a bit more complex than that.

Advertising, in all its mediums, is usually geared to feeding on the populations’ insecurities. Lose weight, wear expensive clothes, have a big house, a glamorous career, etc. and life will be perfect. Emotional buttons get pushed and desire sets in. There are also large segments of individuals that, at the same time, are not influenced by these messages and some who are more logical than emotional in their choices. Being able to communicate with some or ideally all of these types of individuals, particularly at their level, means a more successful, and diverse, business with the ability to grow and evolve with the changing times.

In closing, an important observation to consider is a proven fact that people are more apt to be loyal to a product or service, not necessarily the best mind you, that consistently delivers the same level and quality of experience. The same thought goes for customer service. The most successful sales people deliver positive emotions to their clients along with the sales. Sometimes it’s not even that important what they’re buying. It’s the feeling they get that really counts and that keeps them coming back. Think about places that you frequent and the reasons why. What keeps you coming back for more? What positive feelings do you equate with the product or business? Ask clients what they want and they will more than likely say, first and foremost, a good experience. It’s worth your future success to give it to them.

Small businesses are the backbone of this country’s workforce and women-owned businesses are growing by leaps and bounds. In light of the fact that women are still being paid less than men for the same position in most companies this is a very good thing. For instance, four years ago, in one of my first trend classes for FIT, I reported that coaches and consultants were becoming a significant wave of the future and now we seem to be inundated with them in every sector.

What’s the reason behind this big switch from corporate structure to independence even if it means a much lower salary for some? Besides the obvious more-time-for-the-family, the consensus with many baby-boomers, specifically 50+ women, is to fulfill a highly personal need for meaningful work and accomplishments in a more level playing field. Along with another growing trend for the desire to buy experience instead of the latest handbag, there are major changes in the winds of advertising and the way that businesses are catering to their public.

Personal priorities are also obviously shifting as women become a certain age and no longer feel the need to have to prove themselves in the world of work. But there is also the matter of downsizing and restructuring to consider. Many are being forced to not only reinvent their sources of income, but their work ethic and core values as well.

Hence, the self-employed emerge and are hatching whole new niche markets in their wake. The home office can be a veritable incubator for marketing ideas and an incomparable networking haven right at our fingertips. We all know that referrals are the best way to build our businesses, better than any advertising could ever hope to be, but they are not always easy to collect.

I recently started a second business as an insurance agent. Working with my clients has opened up a whole new level of consciousness that carries over to my first business and has frankly enhanced it in ways that I had never imagined before. It’s like a magnet for opportunity. I have also learned a lot from discussions with other agents and women that I meet in their own home offices. The consensus from most is that it’s important to set priorities and focus individually on each task at hand. Multi-tasking has recently been proven to be counter-productive in many ways and a real drain on energy. Less can be truly more on the road to success.

On the flipside, some essential tasks these same people especially don’t like are cold calling and networking. Preparing a script ahead of time to use on phone calls and bringing a pal to networking events can help build confidence and technique while getting used to working without a net. Having a mentor, coach, or support group can also be beneficial.

Working from home can be liberating and fruitful, but it can also be scary and stressful without positive guidance and support. With more and more women eschewing the boardroom for the converted bedroom, or closet for that matter, expect to see more big changes along the way as the female face of business continues to reinvent itself.

Some excellent sources, and just a few of many for tips, networking, and referrals, can be found in publications such as Crains, Women for Hire, and The New York Enterprise Report. You can also google websites for Downtown Women’s Club, Savvy Ladies, and Bernardo’s List.

Last summer, while on an international flight, I had one of those experiences that started a major domino effect of change in my life. My message came from a simple line spoken by an actor in the featured movie that some of you readers might recognize and went something like, “There’s a miracle in fighting for a dream that no one else can see but you.” Those few words had a huge impact on me and helped me to see and believe in my dream in a revised way. That’s inner vision.

Having inner vision is like owning an extra sense. It goes beyond the obvious, beyond understanding and, sometimes, beyond reason. It is the ability to visualize your dream as a reality and the will and tenacity to make it so. Ask any truly successful person what their secret is and they’ll tell you that they have inner vision, particularly if there were the inevitable rough spots along the way that caused them to question what they were doing and where they were going.

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You know the feeling. Everything can be going along just fine when suddenly, out of nowhere, those feelings of self-doubt start shadowing you. Your inner vision becomes blurred or you may loose sight of your dream altogether. Sometimes just everyday life and not only personal tragedies can knock you off course. Perhaps it’s simply time for a new re-invented version. There is such a thing as out-growing a dream, particularly if you’ve gone through a significant amount of change. This can produce feelings of loss and perhaps failure because it’s never easy letting go of anything that you’ve dedicated your whole being to for a significant amount of time.

The question here is when should you keep holding on and when should you finally let go? Perhaps because of extenuating circumstances—finances, location, obligations, or bad timing—you may need to simply put your dream on hold. This doesn’t mean that you have to give up your inner vision to keep it nurtured and alive for the future. To help spark and ignite your waning inner vision, focus on all the positive aspects of your dream and list how it fits into your ideal of how you would like your life to be in one year, three years, and in five years and beyond. Has your dream grown and changed with you? What adjustments need to be made to achieve your goals? Have you remained open to new ideas and resources? Sometimes fear of change, failure, and the unknown is enough to blind you to the endless possibilities that are waiting ahead or the comfort of familiarity may be causing you to cling to an outmoded idea or attitude that has passed it’s due date. It is unfortunate how some people just refuse to believe that their lives could possibly be any better or different because they firmly think that time and opportunity has passed them by. They impose age limits and barriers on their success and hardly dare to dream at all.

Inner vision is a deeply personal and unique aspect that needs a constant diet of inspiration, imagination, courage, and hope. It can create and keep your dreams alive through controversy and disappointment. It can also provide focus, greatly simplifying your life in the process. People who have accomplished amazing things in their lives could tell you many stories about how many times they felt like failures, had to start over again, shouldered painful criticism or wanted to pitch the whole thing and run away. We may not be born to greatness, but when we have inner vision we can most certainly achieve it to some degree if not the whole. Discovering your dream is the first step. The miracle is in making it real when only you can see it.