How to Cope with Life’s Challenges while Running a Startup Business

Everyone knows someone who is hurting. This person might even be you… if so, my heart goes out to you and the many others who are struggling with challenging life circumstances. And many of you are not only dealing with your own pain, but are also raising a family and running a startup!!! I get how very hard this must be for you.

I am not a therapist but I love to help others succeed and am passionate about supporting our community. There are many who are seeking help and it is my hope that a few of the following ideas and insights will give you strength and healing. I have had my share of financial, health, and family challenges so I feel that I can relate to the pain and experiences that many of you may be facing right now. I remember days when I couldn’t afford gas, diapers, or food. I remember days when taking a shower was an accomplishment. I remember days when I felt so very alone and scared about what our future would be. Life has now shifted and we are in a good place, but those times were not that long ago and I remember what helped me through them and I want to share them with you. These are things that I do often and when I have a hard day I go back to this list and make sure I’m trying to do them.

First of all, you need a friend. Everyone needs a real friend, and if you don’t have one, seek for and pray for someone to show up in your life who you can talk to and share your struggles with who will be uplifting and supportive. This friend should be in a stable life situation, so they can be a mentor and offer good feedback. Ideally this is someone who you could call on a weekly basis or even text on a daily basis when things are very dark and hard. When identifying who your ‘friend’ is make sure they are willing to be this person in your life right now, you might need to be clear that you need to be the receiver of their friendship for a time but that you will try to also be available for them as they need you.

Self-nuturing, rest and good nutrition are very key for thinking more clearly and for managing the overwhelming circumstances. Be peaceful about decreasing your work load and increasing your rest. Take time to eat well and if you can’t manage it, ask for others to help make sure you’re eating healthy (avoid fast food, processed, refined, and canned food). Increase your water! Learn to love naps, 15 minutes can make a huge difference!

Create routines that give you some consistency. Just as children thrive with routines, so can we. The goal is to find routines that will help cheer you up when you’re having a hard week. Think of what will get you out of bed, get you moving, connecting with others and help you smile more often. Give yourself permission to create something you want to do for yourself. Consider one of the following… reading for 15 min each night before bed, weekly library day, walk to the park after dinner with your family once a week, enroll in a class you’ve always wanted to take, schedule a monthly massage, or whatever else you feel YOU want to do for YOU.

Try a Pains/Gains worksheet- This is excellent free therapy! Take a piece of paper and fold it vertically and on the left side write ‘PAINS’ and on the right write ‘GAINS’. Simply write down EVERY single pain you have on the left column, anything that is bothering you in any degree physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually. Write until you can’t think of another thing, take a break, reread it and add anything else. Then on the right side under ‘GAINS’ write down one thing per item that you can benefit from this particular pain. For example, if the pain is ‘headaches’ the gain can be ‘chance to rest more often’. While the headache isn’t great to deal with, the rest does have some benefit, forcing you to slow down and take time for healing.

Uplifting music can be an excellent mood booster. I memorized the lyrics of many songs that give me emotional and spiritual strength. I remember many times singing out loud the words of inspiring songs while I went on walks, showered, or drove my car. This very powerful, don’t underestimate the high vibration and energy music can offer you.

Mantras offer support when our spirits are low and we are feeling negative and or when we want to shift into a higher thought process and create something better for ourselves. Mantras or affirmations should be short and easy to memorize and repeat. For years I’ve used a very simple one when running or working out, “I am strong, I am fit, I am free, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” or I just shorten it to “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me”. Regardless of where you find inspiration and help, find what works for you, write it down and etch it into your heart and mind and whenever you have a moment when you’re feeling sad or need encouragement, turn to it.  Reading anything uplifting can help when done repeatedly and when you see examples of people using faith and humility to overcome challenges.

Journaling is an effective form of release that is under used by busy women! Keep a small journal in your bag and another by your bedside to write down thoughts or feelings, express yourself freely and without restraint… burn it if necessary! Get out those feelings of pain and overwhelm. Write down all the things you’re grateful for often, make a list of 100 things and add to it daily.

Aromatherapy is a personal favorite for managing emotions. Are you aware of the power of smell? Do you have a diffuser? if not, get one here. I am a distributor and use the doTERRA essential oils brand. They are so powerful because they are better than organic (tested 3rd party, every liter) you can take them internally, topically, or use them in a diffuser. Excellent oils for emotional support are Citrus Bliss, Balance, Elevation, and Serenity. I use them over my heart and mind, put them in my bath water too. If you want to know more about these and how they work feel free to text me at 801-856-4765.

Remember that Touch is one of the most healing gifts we have been given. Give hugs, receive them, snuggle up with a child or loved one, get a massage, give one!

Connect to Nature! Whenever I go for a walk or look at our amazing mountains I’m uplifted and feel encouraged… the more time I’m off technology and into nature I’m feeling better about myself and the life that is mine to live.

Praying isn’t just for the church going types, its for everyone who believes in a higher being, in a Creator. Have you ever reached out and gave thanks for your life and blessings? Ever asked questions? Even if you’re new to prayer or its been a long time since you’ve prayed, I highly recommend you give it a try. There are many ways to pray, find what works for you. I believe in God the Father and in His son, Jesus Christ so this is how I do it: I start by saying, “Heavenly Father, Thank thee for….. I ask thee for …….. in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. Then I wait and pause to listen to what I feel and any ideas or inspiration that comes to the questions or concerns I discussed and I write them down. I believe that when you take time to write down the inspiration you receive and then act on those things then your relationship with God and Christ increases. I especially recommend praying out loud and when possible in nature, it’s amazing. I love to pray because I feel connected, supported, and comforted.

Lastly, do you have a Vision Board or a Bucket List? If not, make one today! Dream, dream, dream, then put that dream into action little by little.

Keep the faith and hope alive that your challenges are temporary. Ask, ‘What am I supposed to learn from this so I can move forward?’ Listen, pay attention so the lesson can be complete.

Consider- How do you want to react to your situation? I invite you to do it with gratitude, love and peace. Choose to live daily with faith and I promise you that with a cheerful outlook life will improve every moment.

I hope you try some of these ideas and that they help you to feel more peace and more joy in your current situation and beyond, I feel honored to share them with you.

What ideas do you have to add? What helps you? We would love to hear from you!

This post was written by Kelly King Anderson, the Founder of Startup Princess.

Wish Granted: My Opportunity to Serve in Paradise

Friends, I’ve been so anxious to share our family’s exciting news. My husband and I have been called to serve a mission for a year at Brigham Young University Hawaii!

Here are the details and background on why it is so significant to us. Thanks for reading this- it’s quite long and I appreciate you allowing me to share it with you.

When my husband, Matt and I first met in 1994 we were missionaries for our church, learning our respective languages in the Provo, Utah Mission Training Center – he was learning Spanish and I was learning Bulgarian. We were friends and soccer buddies in our PE class. Fast forward 2 years of wonderful missions, we ran into each other on the first day back to college at BYU. We enjoyed reconnecting and after a few months started dating. Once we were engaged, I remembered feeling uneasy about what Matt might choose as a career path- would he be an entrepreneur!? I seriously hope NOT!  At the time, I thought anything would be better than having the uncertainty that entrepreneurship would bring. He assured me that he would to be a professor, so while I wasn’t excited about the average income, I felt more peaceful with that answer than the alternative- business owner seemed so scary and daunting.  But when asked what Matt really wanted to be, his answer was always, ‘I just want to be a missionary’. There’s no career in the world that Matt would rather do than serve God but in our faith missionaries are volunteers (so I knew we couldn’t consider that as an option until we retired).

As we started graduate school in 1997, Matt got creative with supporting our growing family and started to buy and sell computers and electronics. He is a genius at anything electronic and knows how to get the best deals, how to get them cheap and fix them up to resell and turned a very nice profit running multiple businesses through eBay and owned a cellphone store. It was almost so natural I didn’t even realize it until one day that I was married to an entrepreneur! Whenever I would start to hyperventilate over it I would remind myself that he was making a very amazing income — and it wasn’t such a bad thing that I got an Audi for Valentine’s day and closed on a brand new house on our fifth anniversary. Then things got more competitive in the industry and there were some major financial challenges… lots of them for several years, and I wasn’t so sold on the whole concept anymore.  Matt had a partner who embezzled and ended up in prison and there were a lot of days when I cried. I cried so much about money and not having enough for gas that one Summer I had 3 garage sales so I could cover basics. We were barely surviving and had to borrow money from family and get help from our church to pay bills. Then after a few months I had an idea: why don’t I create a business…I can do something and shift our circumstances. While I didn’t really know a lot about business, I was experienced in marketing and had good, solid ideas.  The BYU Center for Entrepreneurship validated these ideas and encouraged me to compete in business plan competitions. I was in my final year of Theatre grad school and the mom of 2 young kids, and I decided to go for it. I could just win — that was my hope.

So, in 2005, I entered the business plan competitions and did very well… in fact, I won 2nd place nationally at Wake Forest and 12th at the global competition at Rice. I got a lot of great recognition for the idea and enough to cover expenses, but not the big money prizes that I desired to launch my startup.  I was introduced to a new passion and community I adored. I had to eat a lot of humble pie because I was officially calling myself an entrepreneur and I couldn’t be more thrilled with the title. This win did a lot for my confidence and I completely hungered after all conversations regarding startups. Things shifted yet again — Matt’s business picked up and we had our 3rd baby.  I didn’t launch that business, but I did launch this site- Startup Princess, in 2006. We’ve had a wonderful ride here sharing experiences, hearing yours, producing amazing events, and received wonderful press, receiving awards and above all — making incredible friends. This company has always been mostly a break-even venture… so while I love it, there comes a time when you have to realize that your hobby business should keep hobby hours and if you want revenue you should seek it.

That’s when I noticed the earning potential with doTERRA Essential Oils in the Fall of 2009. I started as a distributor because I loved the products so much, my friend was earning a great income with it and my neighbor was one of the owners. So, there you go…now here we are in 2012 and I’m now earning significant income and growing a team worldwide that I love. I never in a million years thought that I’d be both entrepreneur and distributor of a direct sales company, but it’s a perfect fit for me, Startup Princess keeps me creative and in touch with women in startups and doTERRA gives me a chance to be compensated for my talents and coaching which I love. Meanwhile while I’ve been growing my businesses, Matt’s been thriving too with his. He’s completely soared in his industry with his Wholesale Consumer Electronics business and has gained a wonderful reputation for having the best deals anywhere. Regardless of Matt’s successes in business, we’ve decided that the residual income and earning potential with doTERRA is such a great opportunity that we’ve made plans for that to be our main income source, as it will free us up to live anywhere in the world and create a life that we want to for our family without being tied to operating a business 9-5.

Side story: About the same time I began on my doTERRA path I had the prompting that a ‘mission call’ was coming to our family and that we needed to be prepared to move and accept it, that the resources would be available so we could do it but that we needed to move and be ready. I dejunked the house for a couple months and then just kind of let the busy-ness of life get in the way; then a year later I was again nudged even more strongly by God to take the prompting seriously and prepare to move so I listened. Last August we sold our home, most of our belongings and moved into this beautiful furnished rental, a total dream that we’ve loved so much. We hoped we could stay here but kept things open and tried to surrender to what was right for us to do. We planned a 3 month trip to Europe to explore if maybe we would like to live abroad, we will be going in May to do that. We thought that after that trip we’d return back to Utah and resume living in this lovely home in Alpine. But God had different plans…

In December while attending a friend’s wedding in Hawaii I became acquainted with the BYU Hawaii (Laie, Oahu) Center for Entrepreneurship and the church missionaries there teaching classes in entrepreneurship to students who are mostly Pacific Islanders. I was so intrigued by the concept of serving a mission and teaching students about startups that I peppered the professors with questions about how you get such a gig as they had. I thought it would be fantastic to serve a mission such as theirs in the future. Then that’s when things shifted:  they started to ask me lots of questions and they asked Matt and I to apply to be considered and to interview. We didn’t really know if we were ready for such a commitment but went forward with it and trusted if it would be right that we’d feel peaceful about it. We interviewed in January and had a very beautiful meeting where we felt the Spirit of God confirming to us that it was a good thing for our family and that we should go. They had others to interview so we didn’t know if we would be selected, but we were willing…and hopeful. We received an official invitation a few weeks later to serve as teaching missionaries at the BYU Hawaii Center for Entrepreneurship. We’ve been finishing up paper work and preparing for what lies ahead. We’re thrilled and honored and happy to serve and it’s been so delightful to see God’s hand in our lives.  We have been given the opportunity to serve as we have always wanted, in a dreamy place with great people.

So that’s our big news- we’re heading to Europe for 3 months May 15th then report to BYU Hawaii Sept 1 to serve there until June 15, 2013 at the Center for Entrepreneurship. I am delighted that Matt’s wish to be a missionary is happening before we’re 40 and that everything has lined up so beautifully. We will team-teach courses and help them with their programs, business plan competition, business clubs, and anywhere they need. We will work as volunteer missionaries, so that means we are required to cover all expenses related for our family to live there. We will be able to run our doTERRA business at the same time and also I’ll be still involved with Startup Princess in a limited capacity. We are grateful to have this privilege and our kids are so excited that they screamed with joy when we told them. They will do a home school program while we’re gone and are anxious to experience the culture.

Life is filled with miracles — so grateful!

I have always loved our Startup Princess tagline:  Make a Wish, Make it Happen, and after writing this story it feels even more relevant.  If this post has inspired you to do something brave, something out of the ordinary to make a difference, I encourage you to do it. You are here to do something powerful- seek after it and once you know what it is, act on it. 

-Kelly King Anderson, Startup Princess Founder

 

Shift Summit Giveaway! Win an Apple TV or Cricut Machine

Our #StartupChat this week features a conversation about creative social media marketing sponsored by Shift Summit.

Shift Summit is a company dedicated to social media and online marketing education.

Next week on October 4th at 12pm MST I’ll be doing a class on “How to be a Rockstar on Twitter” – to sign up click here

We are excited to announce that Shift Summit is sponsoring a giveaway for an Apple TV or a Cricut Machine. The deadline for entering the giveaway is October 4th midnight.

To enter the contest CLICK HERE

For an additional entry follow Shift Summit on Twitter and leave a comment here letting us you know that you did.

What is #StartupChat and How Do I Participate?

#StartupChat is a relatively new program we’re hosting on Twitter each Wednesday from 12-1pm MDT/2pm EST.

The aim of #StartupChat is to provide additional resources, support, tips, strategies, inspiration for Startup Princesses in our community (and beyond!) We feature experts as guests from a variety of industries and have a set of questions we ask them so we can gain their insights and share their wisdom. The wonderful thing about #StartupChat is that it’s FREE, it’s mobile and global! It’s amazing to be participating on your phone wherever you are or at your office.

To participate you need a twitter account. Then search the hashtag #startupchat in your search bar or here: search.twitter.com and then you’ll be set to follow the conversation. You can see the questions from @startupprincess account, they show up like “Q1: what is your best tip…” and then the guests typically answer “A1: my best tip….”

Enjoy getting to know like-minded people and be sure that when you tweet yourself you use the same hashtag #startupchat at the end or within your tweets.

Also Tweetgrid.com might be a helpful resource for you to manage/follow the conversation. That’s what we use!

See you on the chat!

Highlights of #StartupChat “How to Rock Video Marketing”

The latest Startup Princess #Startupchat on Twitter featured Video Marketing. Join us next time: Wednesdays at 12pm MDT/2pm EST. Follow the conversation on Twitter by searching #startupchat

We are currently hosting our Startup Princess Video Marketing Competition so we thought it would be a great idea to hear from experts to share tips & strategies with you!

Our guests included pros in video production & women who use video as a marketing tool. The video experts were @beonscene and @thinksocreative Startup Princesses who use video included @marieforleo and  @boccesbakery . @jrhamel represents Votigo a Video Contest website.

Here’s highlights of the conversation. There were over 300 tweets so this is just a quick snapshot of the Q&A that we had with guests and others who offered their insights.

 

Question 1: What do you love MOST about Video & why?

Be On Scene: Video provides a great medium for storytelling. Facts are validating, stories are memorable.

Startup Princesss: Love video because I can experience the personality of the product/company/service

JR Hamel: It gives your customers/clients the power to tell the story of your brand for you.

Marie Forleo: Video is the closest thing to real life.

Marie Forleo: Video creates the know, like + trust factor for your biz FAST.

Startup Princess: I feel that video gives us insights to the passion behind company words can’t express

 

Question 2: Who does great biz videos?

JRHamel: @kickstarter offers some great inspirational videos/ideas from start-ups

ThinkSo Creative: It is important to create content. Video marketing is a good way to break up the monotony of blogs, pictures, and posts

BoccesBakery: When vid mktg is done well, it can provide a face to ur brand and company.

Be On Scene: @startupprincess that’s a subjective question. I think style is an important component to picking the right production co.

thinkso creative: It’s all relative to ur goals. Are your videos informational? educational? promotional? That affects style.

 

Question 3: What tools or software have been the most helpful in producing your videos?

BoccesBakery: Imovie! I would encourage small biz to take a stab at making ur own movie – u know your brand best! Imovie is easy to use

Marie Forleo:  Best tools: your mac, iMovie, Flip Camera, basic lighting and a glass of wine never hurts!

JRHamel: In the contest/promotional world it’s not as much about the technology/tools as it about the content

 

Question 4: #1 tip to get people to view videos?

Startup Princess: To get more views for video I suggest using your blog, twitter, FB, email list

JR Hamel: In the contest realm: an incentive. Simply speaking of videos: an exciting first 10 seconds – a hook.

Be On Scene: Build your brand advocates first, in private groups, those with strong networks for initial distribution.

Marie Forleo: Best tip to get people to view ur vids is write a killer headline

 

Question 5: What types of “Call to Action” work on video?

Marie Forleo: Getting someone to CLICK on your video often comes down to copy/headlines

Thinkso Creative: In terms of vid mktg, it doesn’t have to be perfect or polished! The homemade feel will still drive traffic.

Marie Forleo:  simple CTAS work – share, subscribe, comment – but make it SPECIFIC #startupchat

BoccesBakery: big lesson learned with 1st video http://t.co/eyFY8Ks was to make the call to action clear! Viewers want to know what to do

 

Question 6: What results have happened for you or your clients as a result of a good video?

JR Hamel: Clients who run video contests see an increase in FB fans & engagement & have material to use in future marketing efforts

Marie Forleo: increase in list, less “selling” needed (what u see is what u get media requests to name a few

Be On Scene: For us – Quality video production = more business. For our clients – credibility, relatability, trust.

 

Question 7: How do you gain more confidence in front of the camera?

Marie Forleo: To gain more confidence: speak to 1 person. don’t try to be confident. it’s ok to flub (I do it all the time)

Marie Forleo:  focus on message, not urself. do a lot of videos. look into the camera.

 

Question 8: What teachers, books, etc. help beginners with video?

Be On Scene: dig up your local DSLR video guys/gals and hang with them, best tool for development is real world experience.

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Great advice everyone!! Thank you!!

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Now that you’ve heard from the pro’s – be sure to check out our Video Marketing Competition, deadline is August 25th

At our 5th Annual Conference http://www.startupprincess.com/touchpoint we’ll talk MORE Video! Carley Knobloch of Digitwirl will be with us, can’t wait!

 

 

 

Highlights of #StartupChat with Daily CandyPR “Being Ready for Media at Any Moment”

Have you heard the good news? We’re doing live weekly chats on Twitter! It’s called #startupchat and it’s every Wednesday at 12pm MDT/2pm EST. Follow the conversation on Twitter by searching #startupchat.

This week we featured a conversation with the talented Daily Candy team. The topic was, “Being Ready for Media at Any Moment” and we had a great time discussing tips and strategies for startups. Plus! We shared the amazing contest Daily Candy is sponsoring right now called Start Small Go Big. Their contest is taking entries until August 5th so go check it out and see how you could be ‘discovered’ by Daily Candy and win all sorts of opportunities, including a trip to NYC and a day mentoring with top industry experts!

Here’s highlights of the conversation. There were over 400 tweets so this is just a quick snapshot of the Q&A that we had with Daily Candy and others who chimed in to offer their insights.

How important is branding to deciding who to feature or not?

DailyCandyPR: Good branding is so important, because that’s the first impression you give.

When choosing a company to feature, what are you looking for with their website?

DailyCandyPR: It needs to be uncluttered and easy to navigate and have a fresh, new design. Also, no spelling errors. (You’d be surprised!)

MichelleDoodads: In my experience, websites provide legitimacy and to see if their branding matches their message.

Lambybiscuits: To understand a great logo read about Paul Rand – father of logos/branding. Simplicity & Readability

TaraHolling: Good content is equally important – validates expertise and credibility

Daily Candy: Yes! spending time on CONSISTENT branding, is just as important as as a clear brand.

Photo Tips?

StartupPrincess: Regarding photos, I’d always hire a pro for your product images ideally who has published their work

DailyCandyPR: For a great example of great packaging and photography, look @boccesbakery. So clean!

DailyCandyPR: Make sure photos are centered on the page and without a lot of clutter and text

What kind of media training do you recommend for a business owner?

DailyCandyPR: Volunteer speaking engagements are a great way to practice- embody your brand. Try it out w/ friends & fam.

StartupPrincess: I recommend stylist, speaking coach, great headshots

StartupPrincess: Learning to speak (and tweet!) in sound bytes is very helpful for being quoted by press

MichelleDoodads: Soundbites are the language of the media. Be able to tell your story in one or two exciting sentences.

LibbyDowd: don’t ever say you dont know…thats 101….I will check into that etc…..

DailyCandyPR:  Make sure you research who you’re interviewing with. If you want them to do their homework, you should do yours too.

DailyCandyPR: Also, when we write about people we’ve often crashed websites! Another tip: make sure your bandwidth is up to snuff.

How do you choose which companies to feature?

DailyCandyPR: what we feature has to be new. It has to be original,& our editors have to want to own & use it themselves.

DailyCandyPR: we have always been a launching pad for new small businesses. Start Small Go Big Contest takes that step further

DailyCandyPR: Some of the insiders we have on-board are @jonathanadler @SPANXinc @alice_olivia @freshfounder & @KateSomerville

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Thank you Daily Candy for joining us for #StartupChat and for empowering small biz owners to make their dreams a reality. If you have more questions on how to be on Daily Candy, you will love this clever video:

How NOT to get into @dailycandy video (clever!) http://www.dailycandy.com/startsmallgobig/videos.html

Be sure to enter Start Small Go Big! Deadline August 5th.

The Most Liberating Thing I’ve Ever Done – Selling Most of Our Belongings & Renting a Furnished House

Friends, I’m in the middle of a major move only it doesn’t feel so major because many of my belongings aren’t coming with us- they are being sold because we’re moving into a beautiful furnished home. Stuff I’m keeping include antique dishes, journals, books, photos, a box of Christmas decorations, clothes, camping gear, a box of toys for each child and some other essentials. I have a few favorite pieces of furniture that my friend is going to babysit for me if I ever want them back. I feel so freed up by our decision- completely liberated! Even though I completely adored our home and all of the beauty we created, it feels great to share and let go…and do something completely new and different. Here’s my current living room.

Why are we doing this? We decided earlier this year to move 45 minutes north and put our kids in a special private school. To make this happen we had to sell our house which fortunately closes this week. We thought initially we’d buy another house in the area but then as life began to unfold more options and possibilities revealed themselves and now we’re feeling like being super flexible and unattached to a home mortgage.

We are putting trust and faith in God and asking a lot of questions right now such as, “Where do you want us to be?” “What’s possible for our family?” “What type of home do we want to live in?” “What lifestyle do we want?” We will not be tied to a city, a home, a school, etc. We’re playing life day by day and asking what’s next.

I love that Startup Princess and the work I do with doTERRA as a distributor can be done worldwide and there are real possibilities to enjoy and create outside of Utah- our home for the last 14 years. I would love to give my children experiences abroad or in another state. So this year is the year of dreaming and planning…and taking action on what we feel will be best for our family. In the meantime, I love that we are adventurous enough to let go of the control and embrace the beauty of the unknowns and letting God fill in the details.

Because we made this decision to move forward on a rental, an amazing home became available that is beyond my dreams in an upscale neighborhood close to the private school where my kids will attend – furnished by my favorite store even called GateHouse in Utah. The talented owner is an interior designer and has impeccable taste. She too wanted to create something different this year for her family and they are going somewhere special for the school year.  It’s amazing how like-minded people with similar style and needs found each other through a classified ad and we both couldn’t be happier. Not to mention their home backs up to open space, home to deer. It’s super nurturing and lovely. Here’s a photo of their beautiful house.

Since letting go of what I thought was expected or next for us (buying a house) then this blessing came forward and we get to experience something so much more than we would have created otherwise. I feel God’s lining up all the details and can’t wait to see how this will influence all of our experiences as a family and business owners. Already just seeing the tender mercies I’m feeling more confident that living abroad could happen and life will continue to be a gift of wonder and miracles.

Question for you.. Have you ever done something courageous? What impact did it have on your life and business? Please leave a comment on this post. Thanks!

Kelly King Anderson, Startup Princess Founder/Managing Director

Startup Princess Giveaway- Attraction Branding Package for Entrepreneurs

Great news! Rebecca Servoss of Persnickety Graphics (who happens to do all our Startup Princess graphics and design work) and Quinn Curtis (long time Startup Princess friend), serial entrepreneur and amazing branding expert (see here and here and here for a couple of her recent gigs) have recently joined forces to launch a new company, Attraction Branding, an innovative consulting firm to support entrepreneurs with their branding efforts. These ladies pack a lot of talent and experience into their new venture and we’re excited to feature them this week with a giveaway and as guests on our #startupchat (Wednesdays at 1

2pm MDT on Twitter).

Attraction Branding focuses on consulting however they offer something for every budget- ideal for a true startup! I love that they have a home study course too. We’re delighted to share they are giving away an amazing package to a lucky small business owner!

Enter to Win the Attraction Branding Giveaway:

Branding Identity Course & Consultation

5-week home-study course complete with 70-page branding workbook

Clarity Consultation featuring in-depth review of branding workbook results and expert advise for implementing those results

Value: $249

Entry Requirements: (Deadline is Saturday July 23, midnight MDT)

Leave a comment on this post and tell us what branding questions you have

Tweet one of the following:

RT @startupprincess Enter to Win #branding package for your business http://bit.ly/nU3JYm

RT @startupprincess Giveaway! Get Free Branding Consulting http://bit.ly/nU3JYm

Optional Entries:

Here’s some additional ways to enter that are completely optional and will earn you one extra entry for each item. Leave a separate comment on this post for each completed optional entry.

Like Startup Princess on Facebook

Like Attraction Branding on Facebook

Sign up for their Branding Your Business, Irrestistably

Deadline to enter is Saturday July 23, midnight MDT.

 

Startup Princess Giveaway – Touchpoint Conference Ticket!

We’re excited to kick off early bird registration for Touchpoint- our 5th Annual Conference for Women Entrepreneurs!

The conference will be Sept 15-16 in Salt Lake City, Utah and will feature top industry experts in media, fashion, sales, marketing, finance, and more! You won’t want to miss out on the incredible networking and fun, including the Sparkle & Shine Spa Party!  Check out the speakers, and see the  full agenda and details here.

To share our enthusiasm for the event we’re going to giveaway a ticket this week. The deadline will be July 16th, midnight.

Prize:

2 day conference pass to Touchpoint valued at $199 (Early Bird Price).

Entry Requirements:

Answer the following question on this post. Which session are you most looking forward to at Touchpoint?

Tweet the following:

RT @startupprincess #Touchpoint Early Bird Registration is now available http://bit.ly/b4AnE3

RT @startupprincess GIVEAWAY! Win a Ticket to #Touchpoint Conf for Women Entrepreneurs http://bit.ly/nZ76Lq

I’m excited about @startupprincess #Touchpoint Conf for Women Entrepreneurs http://bit.ly/b4AnE3

Optional Entries:

Here’s some additional ways to enter that are completely optional and will earn you one extra entry for each item. Leave a separate comment on this post for each completed optional entry.

Like Startup Princess on Facebook

Follow Startup Princess on Twitter

Vote for Now I Can Organization to Win $10,000 to help children with neuromuscular challenges.

 

Winners will be selected randomly through http://random.org. No purchase necessary to enter. Giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. ET Saturday, July 16. This giveaway is available to U.S. residents only.

A Belated Invitation to Spring Clean – Your Life

Summer is here, but it’s never too late to spring clean…your life. Just as our spaces accumulate clutter over time so do the nooks and crannies of lives.  I dare say that if it’s important to occasionally de-junk your garage and clear out your closets and drawers that it would be well worth doing the same for your life. Here are a few suggestions to get your started.

1. Clear the cobwebs from you head. Throw out the negative, self-defeating, fear-driven dialogue and open the windows of your mind to fresh ideas and a bright perspective. Are you struggling with self-esteem, challenged in your marriage or in your role as a mother or entrepreneur?  Change your thoughts. We create our reality from the inside out so as you seek to fill your mind with the positive and uplifting, you will begin to attract all that is good into your life.

2. Toss out habits, behaviors, and activities that are dirtying and cluttering your days. Life is too short to spend our precious time on the trivial and unfulfilling.  So what needs to go? Do you need to reduce screen time (e.g. phone, computer, and TV) so you can spend more time on self-care or with your family? Do you need to make clearer boundaries and say “no” to some of the lesser important activities that aren’t consistent with what your truly value? As you align your schedule with your highest priorities, you will find yourself accomplishing more, stressing less and finding fulfillment in your days.

3. Polish tarnished relationships. The essence of a happy life is found in healthy, loving relationships. When we are struggling with a friend or loved one, clearing the air with honest, open communication is the first step to rebuilding trust.  Apologizing and forgiving past hurts can be like healing balm to a gaping wound. Better yet, look for opportunities to sincerely praise and serve those who are difficult to get along with. Praise and service will change behavior faster than anything negative or punitive.

4. Sort out your finances. Money trouble is without question one of the leading causes of stress and anxiety in our lives.  Rather than taking a reactive approach to your finances, be proactive and create a working budget. Make sure it is realistic and allows enough flexibility so you can stick to it. As a part of your budget, create a plan of action around paying off debt and be sure to invest. Building wealth doesn’t require a big income so much as requires discipline and consistency.

Make spring cleaning your life a part of your regular routine. As you do, balance and success will come to you with ease. You only have one life to live. Live it well!

This post was written by Tara McCausland, Success Coach. Tara has been in the business of teaching, training, and coaching for nearly 6 years.  Tara is a natural teacher and motivator. She helps her clients find the balance, prosperity and fulfillment they are seeking by being their accountability expert, trusted sounding board, and their biggest fan throughout the coaching process. Check out her free download ’4 Tips to make T.I.M.E. Work for You’.

 

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