Hear me roar

A much needed reminder...

2012-01-11T13:06:00.001-07:00

Today I received and important phone call and an equally important email connecting me back to my past. Both came from women with whom I had significant relationships not so long ago. Last year however - like it has been for many others - was a devastating year for me. Gladly - I have left 2011 and jumped eagerly into new opportunities in 2012. Oh what a difference a day can make in terms of

Lessons from my brown furry business partner

2012-01-07T10:42:00.002-07:00

It seems that 90% of all things good that I have learned in the last three years about balance in my business - I learned from my dog. Time off - the need for encouragement and non-judgmental acceptance are only a few of the lessons Finnegan has taught me. I realized it this week - when at 6 am I was up and working on some things to get caught up. He walked up to me and with a sleepy look in

HAHA - what were you selling again?

2011-11-28T11:55:00.004-07:00

Every once in a while I sit back and take a critical look at other businesses' marketing efforts - just to see what works for me - and what methods quite frankly seem ludicrous and ineffective. And I wonder - WHO are these people paying to do their marketing? I would cite a case in point - but there are too many to mention. All I know is that when I watch a commercial, before it is completed

White knights - the disempowering fairy tale.

2011-10-28T16:18:00.004-06:00

I can't tell you how I have longed over the years to learn how to feel better about who I am. And I have always wanted someone to rescue me - from myself and my self loathing and self criticism. (and other self destructive behaviours) I have taken many courses in my quest to find my holy grail. (self esteem) I have achieved many great things. But at the end of the day - it has never been

The Ultimate JV Partner

2011-09-22T11:00:00.004-06:00

Joint Ventures. Partnering with like minded people and people you trust to cross promote products is a fantastic way to build relationships and business at the same time - all the while offering great value to customers. I have not always partnered with others to promote products and services - simply because I like to try out their products or services before I pass them along to people I know.

The awakening of a new 'business' world.

2011-09-12T09:46:00.003-06:00

I was recently re-reading Ekhart Tolle's book, "A New Earth" and was prompted to think about the changing of human consciousness. - as it related to business. Photo courtesy of http://www.freefoto.com Tolle speaks of the ego and greed and the madness that is humanity - and how the world is awakening to a more enlightened state. I think of how this has affected business. One of the key

Permissions - are you a super-user?

2011-09-08T19:03:00.001-06:00

I have spent the last 2 years building web sites that allowed more than one person to edit it - when it was finally posted. In the web world - it is often called 'permissions' or users. For someone to be able to access all the levels of editing - they are often called a super user - and they have unlimited permission to edit pages within the site. And so I talk about 'permissions' and 'allowing

Courage - a new perspective

2011-08-25T10:33:00.001-06:00

Courage doesn't always ROAR. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day that says "I will try again tomorrow". - Mary Anne Radmacher I love that quote. Someone recently sent it to me when I was having 'one of those days'. You know the kind. The kind of day when you just want to pack it all in and walk away. It takes courage to run a business. And not everyone can 'keep the

I'd rather be a whale!

2011-06-30T09:39:00.001-06:00

As much as I love the colour pink, (oh yes all who know me know I love pink), I have decided I would never want to be a salmon - pink or otherwise! In fact I would rather be a whale! ( I can just hear Simon and Garfunkel singing - "Not a salmon but a whale") Let me explain. I have spent my entire life acting like a salmon. Swimming upstream. Working myself to death - just like salmon

Ready, set..... stuck?

2011-01-14T15:08:00.003-07:00

There I stood - not budging. I pushed harder and harder. Leaning forward on a 20 degree slope downhill, two boards strapped to my boots and the most awesome powdery conditions - and I was stuck. Other skiers breezed by me, screaming "yahooooo" - and rejoicing in the abundance of powder below and the huge flakes falling from above. But I just stood still. I lifted my one foot then the other

A roaring woman - coming clean...

2010-10-02T08:56:00.003-06:00

Ok so as I near fifty - maybe the time has arrived to come clean. I always thought I said it like it was - but there were some things I just did not dare talk about - for fear of unleashing the tiger - or shall I say lioness within. Until yesterday - I always believed in the kinder gentler way. In fact in a recent conversation with my husband I remarked that perhaps he did not know me well -

The lottery of limiting beliefs

2010-09-23T20:22:00.003-06:00

The scene was of a woman woman waking up to a brilliant sunshine. She rolls out of bed and wanders up a set of stairs with a brass hand rail - and steps out onto the deck of a beautiful sailboat. You know how the scene plays out after that. And of course the commercial is a promotion for a lottery. She was living her dream after winning a lottery! At first I was intrigued at the scene -

Can we really change the 'mood' of mother earth and her children?

2010-08-25T11:00:00.001-06:00

With great curiosity I have watched what I call the ‘global mood’ over the last year – wondering at the feelings and moods of one person and the effect it has on the world at large. We have all heard the saying “when momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!” But it is interesting how this can be a principle that is far more powerful than we realize. Sure, I could use this moment (and am tempted

Where will we all be - five years from now?

2010-08-12T17:45:00.001-06:00

I remember a mentor once telling me to look around at the people I was spending time with – because that is where I would be in five years time. I often wondered at the logic behind this. I mean – I have never wanted to be a ‘snob’ - and I believe that everyone has value – so why would I stay away from one person because they did not make a lot of money, or they were not ‘brainiacs’!But there

The connecting tree

2010-06-26T12:45:00.001-06:00

Before the great rains ( if you live in Alberta right now you know what I mean) I was out with my husband and the dog walking on some trails at the base of China Man's Peak. We came upon several trees what had the bark rubbed clean and with bits if hair and fur on the bark surrounding the areas rubbed clean. (My first thought was OH NO! BEAR!) Surprisingly after we returned home I found an

The door bell rings - and there goes Fido!

2010-05-31T17:12:00.002-06:00

Over the winter I got several good laughs when a certain commercial came on the television where the doorbell rang. My chocolate lab - then bout 15 months old jumped up and ran to the the door ready to greet whoever was there! (there was no one of course) The fun part about this was that we never have anyone come to our door - and to be truthful - I am not even sure that the doorbell works.

Going where only the brave dare to go.. an “Avatar” moment.

2010-05-10T13:21:00.001-06:00

Not many people are brave enough to face the truth about things – or to tell the full truth for that matter. Our legislated political correctness – which really just replaces the common decency and respect we used to have for each other, has only encouraged us to avoid the truth of many things. But the world is changing. I was pleasantly surprised today by a lady who understood the value of

My new career as a painter....

2010-04-23T10:32:00.001-06:00

When I die – bury me with this paint brush.” OK – go ahead and laugh but the Egyptians were buried with their treasured objects! ( I know, many of you thought I might want to be buried with my computer) When there is a job to do – there is nothing better than having the right tools to do the job – and for that matter – the best tools to do the job. This past month we were spending all of our

Raising my arms in "Rocky - like" fashion!

2010-04-07T12:11:00.001-06:00

Being in business is the best self development tool one could ever ask for. I cannot tell you how much fun ( and some days not so fun) that personal growth has been for me. And to think we can get paid for it! When I think about personal growth I am often reminded of the old Wide World of Sports commercial that featured skiers that t showed the joy of success – and the AGONY of defeat! For

An adventure in bread making

2010-03-04T15:59:00.001-07:00

Ah – another “be in the moment” lesson teaching me to live in the here and now! As many of you know, last fall I was notified that I was nominated and had won Calgary Business Woman of the Year 2010. As surprised as I was – I also refused to acknowledge the significance and wanted to ignore or bury the excitement I felt about it. (Yes, I avoid feelings like the plague. I would rather think

Ground hog Day - a lesson finally learned

2010-02-13T10:51:00.000-07:00

Groundhog day – the movie I mean – recently taught me something. Amusing as it may seem to some – it took me over 20 years to learn the lesson that the movie was trying to get across. I realize now what the movie was about – and I am wondering if perhaps I had ‘got it’ earlier – I might have had an easier life! For those of you who never saw the movie – Bill Murray wakes up day after day with

The four magic words of business

2010-01-26T14:35:00.003-07:00

Really - Four Magic Words. When I was small, I clearly remember my parents asking me for the ‘magic word’. I am sure as I raised my children that I too asked them for the magic word when they asked me for something. And the word was magic – because you knew if Mom asked you for the magic word, her answer to your question was likely yes. So 'please' became a natural part of our vocabulary.

Easy... easy like Sunday morning...

2010-01-11T20:17:00.002-07:00

I may be giving away my age - but the song "Easy like Sunday morning" by Lionel has been playing over and over in my head when I think of the last phone call I had with a supplier. But first let me begin with.... I am not always easy! Although I try to be fairly mellow about most things - I know that I am a tough customer. I do my very best to be polite but I expect to be treated with respect

Creating Massive change - all by my little lonesome self!

2010-01-04T17:55:00.001-07:00

At some point over the last several months, massive change occurred in my life. I cannot tell you what day or what time it was that this happened. In fact, I can honestly say that at no time did I come to the huge realization that I wanted to make things different in my life. There was no tear jerking movie, no speaker with a killer keynote and no tragedy that sparked the realization and

A different kind of “Games”.

2009-12-28T21:33:00.003-07:00

I recently watched a documentary on the Vancouver 2010 Olympics and the construction that has taken place in and around Vancouver. As opposed as I am to spending billions of dollars on pomp and ceremony at the cost of cutting funding to seniors residences and other social programs, (and yes, this has indeed happened) I was pleased to see some of the positive results that have taken place in

The gift of time - for me!

2009-12-21T19:35:00.009-07:00

One of the greatest gifts that I have received lately was that of recognizingthe value of time.Oh yeah sure, I get a lot done. In fact I am one of those chronic ‘schedule too much’ people who makes a list three pages long and then when I look at it become overwhelmed with all that I have to do and the sets out feverishly to get it all done – only to start again tomorrow. When I said I had

He created a living out of two little numbers!

2009-11-29T06:19:00.006-07:00

He built a business out of zero's and one's? (Hint, hint - the binary system added to a bunch of electronics.) And he loved every minute of it! Do what you love and you will never work a day in your life. We hear it everywhere! But every day I hear people mock that saying, or if not mock it, they simply find a dozen excuses about why is absolutely impossible. It's almost like they enjoy

Things my dog taught me…

2009-11-23T21:23:00.007-07:00

Everyday I see events happening that make me think about the metaphors that teach us life lessons a little more easily than if we experience them ourselves. Take for instance my dog – who often teaches me new tricks. Like how to dig up my peonies if they are not thriving where I planted them two years ago. Or how to leave food in a bowl all day long but snack on everything from underwear to

No One Climbs Everest Alone - And Lives To Tell About It

2009-11-17T11:34:00.003-07:00

That's right. Oh I am sure there are a few stories of some body who did not need any body - and who set out to scale the toughest mountain ever to climb - alone. But if you can give me an example of anyone who did so without the help of anyone at all - I will award them the 'super-hero' award - along with all the others who were awarded posthumously for dying to do something alone. That's

Knock, knock. Hellooooo! Is anybody home?

2009-11-10T09:19:00.002-07:00

We all live very busy lives - and most of us agree - it is often too busy! And so it is very common to call someone at home or work and get an answering machine. ...." Press 1 .... Press 2...to access the company directory, Press 3...to leave a number you can be reached at ..enter it now.." In fact in this high tech world - we even have our emails send direct messages letting others know we

Gratitude - the only choice

2009-11-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

Just recently I began keeping a gratitude journal. Until them I never realized how important a role gratitude played in our well being. It's funny, when we focus on what we do have - and not what is missing - our entire outlook changes. For example, I began to focus on how great a mood my husband was in and how kind he had been lately. It had been a long time since I had seen him smile so

Have you ever looked in the mirror and said.....

2009-10-22T17:48:00.007-06:00

Have you ever just looked into the mirror and spoken to yourself? Oh yeah - we all do it at one time or another. It doesn't mean we are "nuts", (ok, maybe just a little) it just shows though, that we are constantly communicating with ourselves. (Some more often than others!) Some of us may sing or dance - but often we use the mirror to find the little imperfections. We go looking for a stray

Welcome to the future!

2009-10-07T09:20:00.001-06:00

When I was a child I was shocked to hear my teachers explain that we only used 10% of our brains for cognitive thought. Where would we store any more information if we filled it up? Then, several years ago I learned that information that used to take years to change is now becoming obsolete in less than 3 months - and that is a conservative estimate. Many experts are now saying information of

I am so tired of make believe business owners

2009-09-30T08:42:00.005-06:00

Maybe it's middle age - but I seem to be doing a lot of ranting lately. But the amount of 'junk' I hear daily from business owners has me wanting to stir the pot a little - maybe just be honest about how I feel about it. I mean really - can't anyone be honest any more? "$200.00 to attend the weekend event? Oohhh I can't afford that". "$45.00 for a meal and a speaker - ohhhh - that's too

Nickle and diming ourselves to death - Shrinking thinking!

2009-09-17T19:11:00.004-06:00

When I was a little girl, I remember my Dad using the expression "nickle and diming ourselves to death". The Beatles were becoming popular, Twiggy was in vogue, my allowance was ten cents a week and I still had a pixie cut! Over the years I heard that expression may times when my mother and father were shopping, or talking about finances. My understanding was that pinching pennies could put

HYPE without substance - how I hate it!

2009-09-04T12:01:00.004-06:00

OK, time for a bit of a rant and a lesson for all of us... As many of you know - my hubby has been managing a campground this summer, while I play catch up with Roaring Women. I have been blessed with gorgeous mountains and fresh air. But I got a bit cranked earlier in the week. We have always prided ourselves in being 'green' - or as green as we can. We are careful of our water, electricity

A lesson from nature..

2009-08-07T08:59:00.004-06:00

I have always thought the desert to be a beautiful place. Recently my husband returned from a trip to Tucson Arizona, bringing some beautiful pictures with him. Several of his pictures featured Saguaro Cactus, the cactus that bears the state flower of Arizona. This cactus grows about an inch a year from what seems to be infertile soil. That means it takes 50 years to grow is just

Business Lessons From My Motorcycle

2009-07-06T12:22:00.006-06:00

People say I tell lots of stories. I do this because, for me – a lesson is better remembered (and sometimes learned) if there is a story or anecdote attached to it. This brings me to a couple of motorcycle stories that upon reflection taught me some valuable lessons about my business. Let me begin by saying that I have been terrified of dropping my motorcycle. At a whopping 857 pounds, I

Do Blogs work? Update on DELL

2009-06-05T22:50:00.004-06:00

I have always wondered - do BLOGs really work. I mean how many of us have time to read everyone elses opinions or rants? Secondly, how many companies really pay any attention to one person's blogplaint? Well here is an update. After posting the blog last Monday about the problems with the DELL return policy or shall I call it their inability to admit that there may be a problem with a product

Customer service - polite - but to no avail. I will never buy a DELL again

2009-06-01T11:22:00.007-06:00

Ok, so I admit it. I was seduced by the advertising. Despite warnings not to buy a Dell computer, I decided to purchase one 3 years ago. Now let me begin by saying, I love technology, and feel almost as attached to my laptop as I do to my puppy. Unfortunately computers do not have the longevity of a dog. ( I think one computer year is equal to 7 dog years) I have owned several Toshiba

Why will some small businesses not survive the recession?

2009-05-23T12:09:00.002-06:00

Ok – so I admit it. There appears to be a recession. Yes, the media has mentioned it a few times. Yes, it seems to be a little too quiet around the office. And yes, I have seen the going out of business signs being posted on what seems like every corner. Most of them are smaller businesses. So, why will some small businesses not survive the recession? I recently did some research on how to

He knows the founding principles behind a great business

2009-05-14T19:40:00.006-06:00

This past week we several adventures while on a trip to Winnipeg. (Note to self: Not all adventures are fun at the time - but always funny later!) We left on Sunday morning with the Coaching Coach and headed to Winnipeg to deliver a Small Business Seminar for Grand and Toy. After driving several hours we approached a small town in Saskatchewan (Assiniboia) that had a camping symbol by the

Plagiarism in a blog? NO Way?

2009-01-24T15:58:00.001-07:00

There is a whole new trend that has been going on for several years with social networking. Businesses are participating, writing blogs, using twitter, linkedin and facebook. In fact there are so many people who are doing this that it now becomes imperative to update and write daily in order to have anyone follow you. And it is race to see who becomes most popular! This of course takes time.

VISION - An interview with the 'Vision' expert, John Assaraf!

2008-11-28T14:09:00.004-07:00

Have you ever had a destination that you went to on a regular basis. Many of us have had 'jobs' where we have had to drive to the same location over and over again. Sometimes we arrive at our destination and wonder how in the world we got there. We do not remember the majority of the journey, but we still arrived there. In fact, when a road is often traveled, it will develop 'tracks' where the

Bubble gum before 7 am can make your day a little brighter!

2008-11-22T14:15:00.006-07:00

People have often asked me how I can jump out of bed and race to work every day. It is because I have these great little rituals that I do that make me smile! Most days I get up by 5:00 a.m and get ready, have a scrambled egg and pour coffee into my favorite pink coffee thermos and jump into my 'Roaring Van' and head to the office. I am in the office and firing up the computer by 6:20 a.m. at

A personal GPS

2008-01-21T13:34:00.000-07:00

Today I was driving – headed out to the mountains – just to rejuvenate and get a sense of perspective about life. It had been several months since I had made the trip and I knew I desperately needed the break. I was riding and about to pull out my laptop to do a little work while on the road when I was interrupted by a British woman’s voice reminding the driver to turn right in 300 meters. A

Can you really believe in advertising?

2008-01-09T08:19:00.000-07:00

While browsing the newspaper this morning, (which I try not to do too often for fear of starting the day discouraged) I saw the strangest ad. In the bottom left of a full two page news spread was a 2 inch square advertisement. The headlines read: "Why you can believe in advertising". The content directed me to a website - Advertising Standards Council of Canada, and also stated that this

Are you a woman of influence?

2007-11-08T18:27:00.000-07:00

Perhaps the question is better worded by asking 'who have you influenced today?". In the late 1920's did Emily Murphy, Henrietta Muir Edwards, Louise McKinney, Irene Parlby, and Nellie McClung have any understanding of how they would influence the leaders of the day and in fact CHANGE the world? Did Senator Elaine McCoy know when she graduated from the University of Alberta with a BA and LLB

An interview with success

2007-01-20T11:21:00.000-07:00

I discovered this interview while pouring myself a cup of coffee. I was plugging along on Saturday morning - my favorite day of the week. I always get so much done on a Saturday because few know I am working. And I can allow myself to be creative. And so into my head and out my fingertips flew the following interview with success. The reason I wrote it was mostly for me - as I have been

And we wonder why we have no credibility?

2006-10-20T09:53:00.000-06:00

It's not just me! I have recently spoken with many other SERIOUS business women who are becoming more and more dis-illusioned with how women conduct themselves in the business arena. I have been quite disgusted with Belinda Stronach and her actions over the last several years - displaying no loyalty and in fact behaving in ways we criticize men for! Where is the integrity? Recently, I ran a

Separating the 'Women' from the 'Girls'

2006-07-01T10:40:00.000-06:00

If there is one thing I have noticed about women in business is that they can be very petty. In fact it is often what separates the women from the girls - and the ones who treat their businesses professionally vs the ones who feel that gossip and involving others in disputes is necessary. Unfortunately some of the petty behaviours that some women display when angry about a situation in business

No Service - Full Service

2006-06-17T09:45:00.000-06:00

Just when I thought customer service mattered at one of the places I shop I realized I had been duped! After all if a company has a good customer service policy you would think that at least at that location that all areas would practice the same stratgegy. I have touted the benefits of 'being somebody' at my local grocery store. Part of an established chain, this store has concentrated on

What happened to "Have a nice day"?

2006-04-10T21:54:00.000-06:00

I just came home from the famous big W store. You know the giant - rah-rah- we are the greatest privately owned super department store with happy faces posted on all of our price tags store. And when you leave- the greeter makes sure to tell you - "have a nice day". As I went to pay for my purchases, and was standing at the check out with several items that added up to just under one humdred

Tired of mousy attempts at business

2006-04-09T04:52:00.000-06:00

Maybe it's just me, but I am tired of these half hearted, half assed attempts at running businesses. They say that women are starting businesses at twice the rate of men, but my question is - if this is true - where are they? As a business owner, striving for excellence in what I do, I run into women daily who also have their own businesses. The problem is with many of them is that they do not