Forget Rules and Limitations in Life and Business

The following post was written by Startup Princess, Jamie Bird of Mini Me Baby Gear.

A while back, Startup Princess featured The Secret in a conference call. I had the chance to see it discussed on Oprah. I have to admit that I do not remember much from that episode, but I recall Hal Sparks standing in the audience saying something profound: limitations and rules do not apply to him. They are an illusion. Pushing aside the unwritten rules of society has gotten him exactly what he dreamed of- a successful Hollywood career as an actor/comedian.

I am not sure if my tentativeness to fully live this principle came from lack of confidence, feelings of vulnerability, or fear of rejection, but it did not take me long to “just ask” after that episode. My first experience was approaching someone in the children’s industry I admired, with hundreds of hip Los Angeles boutiques in her arsenal. Part of me hesitated to even ask because she seemed so, well, accomplished. I gathered my courage, introduced myself, and asked away. Not only did I receive some insightful information; she has become a good friend whom I now consult with on many other things.

After that was so easy, I figured why not contact my local new station to see if I could drop a few products by for a “trendy baby segment?” One of my goals was to get the word out locally about my products, and that seemed like a good start. The news anchor said they love featuring items from local momprenuers, but because very few people contacted them, they would rather come to my house to feature my business. One day later, the appointment was set. A week later, it aired. It was a great source of free press, and except for the endless housecleaning it took for my house to be camera-ready, was a lot of fun.

Many times over the course of my business, great things have come about because I simply asked for them.

Here are a few examples of how I ask for what I need in business:

• I never hesitate to e-mail someone with business questions.
• There are so many successful entrepreneurs I admire, and each one of them has a different perspective or something new for me to learn. I have saved time and money by learning what worked for them. I, then, am more than happy to pass it along to others when I am approached.
• Writing specific goals down has helped me remember what to ask for when the opportunity is presented. Press, like most e-tailers, is always on my list.
• After my product was highlighted on a magazine’s blog, I thanked the editor and asked her if there was any way to get in the actual magazine. She said they were thinking about using my product, but it was the wrong color. I sent her a few new samples, and knew it would have been a missed opportunity had I not been so direct.
• Sharing my goals with others- I find that most people are willing to help, but might not be aware of how to unless you ask.

For me, once the results became evident, it became easier to set aside my feelings of vulnerability, visualize what I wanted, and express those goals with others.