Who is in YOUR Support Tribe?

Fairy Godmother Laura West shares the following insights:

Have you heard the saying, “You are as successful as the 5 people closest to you?” Many business owners wonder why they aren’t more financially successful or are having a tough time keeping a positive mindset when it comes to growing their business. Ask yourself, Do you have the right “Support Tribe” to champion you and your vision? If not, it’s no wonder you are frustrated or feeling alone with your dreams and business vision.

In order to flourish with ease, grace and fun ..and a whole lot quicker…you need to have “Support Tribes” in several areas:

• Positive mindset
• Lifestyle
• Business
• Money & wealth

Notice those people closest to you in your business and among your family and friends. Do they support a positive and creative mindset? I hear from creative entrepreneurs, especially women business owners, that those closest to them don’t always support their view on life. It can be very frustrating and even depressing if you are focused on possibilities and creating a positive impact on the world through your business and those around you are coming from scarcity and dash your dreams! In the first couple of years in my business my dad consistently asked me every time he saw me, “Are you making any money yet”? No questions about my marketing strategies, my systems, my teams, or how the creation of my new product was coming along. He just focused on the money because that is what he knew to ask…and he didn’t realize that comes after you get some of the other pieces in place.

I am asked frequently – “do I have to ditch my friends and family? That’s not what I want to do!” Of course not. What you want to do is put your focus on what you want more of…people who are supporting your dreams and looking at the world from a “yes” perspective! You will start to attract more of them into your life. And, remember you don’t have to share your most sacred dreams with those who may not understand and be able to support them – that’s why you consciously want to attract a positive Support Tribe.

What about a Support Tribe for your lifestyle choices and values? Who are those 5 closest people who you share your lifestyle with? This is about who you are being in your life and what you are doing with your time. Have you grown out of some of your friends? Maybe as you’ve grown, matured, or your life has changed you no longer want to live your life like you used to and want to make some changes. It could be anything from how you spend your time, wanting to party less or “partying” looks different than 10 years ago, wanting to travel more often, the way you choose to raise your children, or it could be making healthy choices. You want people to support you in those choices and not pull you back into your “old ways” of living. Again, this isn’t about judging others…it’s about being conscious of who is around you impacting your energy and dreams.

Who is in your circle of business girlfriends? (or guy friends) I find I rely heavily on my close business girlfriends to talk over marketing strategies, building a team, making decisions and most of all, I need their support as I step into my vision in a bigger, and more visible way. Not many people at the bus stop or the gym might understand this, so you want to look for a mastermind group or a community of like-minded entrepreneurs who understand how exciting it is when you make a big sale or get a big client and they get what it means to put your first video on YouTube! They will celebrate with you and be there to help you move to the next level. So much more is possible with business girlfriends who get you!

Next, look at your Money & Wealth Support Tribe. Among the 5 people closest to you – do you ever talk about money? Is it from an abundance perspective or is it with an edge of scarcity and the sky is always getting ready to fall? If you have hit a ceiling in your financial growth in your business then you need to purposely surround yourself with people who will help you grow in the areas of abundance, success mindset, and tangible business strategies and revenue models. This is one of the biggest areas that most women entrepreneurs lack – any real conversation about money, sales, revenue and profit. If you aren’t having these conversations regularly and openly then it’s time to find a community where you can and do! It will do more to open your mind, shift your intentions and support inspired actions that will directly impact your bottom line.

One last note, your Support Tribes are not just about what you get from them. The circle of life is about “giving and receiving.” The most supportive and powerful tribes are those where you can give freely and without attachment and you are expected to receive. You need the flow of both energies to really have a tribe that is sustainable and successful. If one person is always giving and never receiving then it makes the energy & flow of the tribe unbalanced and it will fall apart soon. And vice versa…

Now, what are you noticing in your life and business as far as your Support Tribes? What type of supportive tribe member would you like to attract? Write down one intention for who you want to attract and in what area. Then note what would be possible for you – what would be different. Notice who comes into your life!

Laura West, Center for Joyful Business, Laura West is a certified professional coach, writer, speaker and the President and Chief Creative Officer of The Center for Joyful Business. She is the creator of the Joyful Business Guide, a business attraction system blending law of attraction principles with smart business designed for solo-entrepreneurs and business owners. Laura is also a contributing author to the book, Spirit of Women Entrepreneurs, and has been a contributing writer for Motto magazine, Inside Gwinnett newspaper, and Connections, a publication for image consultants. Laura also publishes an award winning blog, Cafe Entrepreneur, and a bi-monthly ezine, Joyful Business.

How to Create a Sales Page – Powerfully, Easily and Authentically

Fairy Godmother Laura West of Center for Joyful Business shares the following sales tips:

Sales page creation is both an art and a science. It can be very creative and artistic, and at the same time, there is a science to getting people to make purchases online. With an online sales page, you really are presenting a story.

Your page should be visually interesting. Not so interesting that potential clients are confused and there’s too much to digest or look at. But appealing enough that they feel they know you. That they would love to go to coffee with you and pick your brain. Since they can’t do that, they’ll do the next best thing… buy your product, program or service.

So, how do you create a sales page that presents your story and connects you to your future buyers?

#1 Connect to your joy and align your energy for creative flow. It’s so much harder to write from a standstill or when you are staring at a blank page. You want to tap into inspiration, creativity and flow… even when you are getting ready to write something serious and practical like a sales page. However, you can “cheat” and get yourself into the flow!

First of all, it’s highly unusual to sit down and create an entire sales page at one time. So, relax. When you relax, you open your mind, body, spirit and cells to more creativity, more ideas and more inspiration.

A Business Goddess opens her mind, her heart and her spirit, even when or especially when it comes to something as practical-minded as writing and creating sales pages.

#2 Get clear about who you are writing to. Who is your ideal client for this sales page?

This is one of the biggest secrets for being able to create a sales page that really connects and is engaging and compelling. Hopefully, you’re clear on who your ideal client is in general, but you may have to narrow that down for the specific program, product, or service you’re creating your sales page for.

#3 Start noting ideas for your sales page. A sales page has different sections (the science piece of a sales page). Think about what you want to say in each section. Make notes about the first things, ideas and inspirations that come up for you. Keep your focus on one product or service for your sales page and on one ideal client

#4 Gather other items for your sales page. Start gathering the other items you’ll need for your sales page: photos, clip art, graphics, etc.

#5 Write your first rough draft Start putting everything together in a Word document. Take your notes and let yourself write a rough draft. It doesn’t have to be perfect; in fact, it won’t be. Let it be messy. Just get it flowing. If a section feels too hard or you can’t think of what to write, just make notes. You don’t have to create a sales page in order. Much of the time, you’ll get clearer once you have created the easy stuff like listing the product details and bonuses.

#6 Fill in specific holes and items that are missing Now you come back and fill in the holes. Which pieces do you need more information on? Where can you find it? Who can you ask?

#7 Create sales page online or send it to a team member Now it’s time to put your sales page online. You can do this yourself or work with someone who knows how to do this easily like a web master or virtual assistant.

#8 Revise and edit Once you see it up online, then you’ll want to revise it again. Make sure it flows, and tighten up words and phrases. Check that you are inviting your specific ideal client and coming from a confident place vs. a desperate place.

• Determine what’s missing.
• Is it compelling?
• Will they want to buy NOW?
• What is the ONE action that it’s obvious you want them to do?

#9 Have a fresh set of eyes review Have someone review the page for typos and necessary edits. After you’ve worked on this for so long, it will be hard to spot those. Ideally, have someone who successfully markets online review it as well. It might be your virtual assistant, a colleague or your business coach. Proofread. Test your links. (Always test all links!)

#10 Test and tweak Time to let her go! Your sales page is ready to be seen by your list. Pay attention to comments, feedback and results. One of the great things about marketing online is that you can change headlines and copy in a flash!

#11 Keep updating and make it fresh You are going to want to make sure your page stays up to date. You don’t want a year to go by, and then people see your page and think you aren’t very professional or committed. You’ll also be getting new results and new feedback about your product or program, so you’ll want to tweak your page to keep it compelling.

Once you have a system (again, that science piece), you’ll be able to tap into the creative, artistic side of designing a sales page, one that allows you to bring your brilliance out into the world. You’re not just selling something; you’re making the world a better place with your product, program or service. Remember that as you create your sales page from that place.

Laura West is an award-winning entrepreneur, and president and founder of the Center for Joyful Business. As a certified business coach, author and speaker, she helps thousands of women entrepreneurs create successful businesses filled with passion, purpose and prosperity. She is known for making marketing simple and fun for passion-based business owners. She is also the author and creator of Joyful Business Guide™ Home Study System, and she is author of the upcoming book, Awakening Your Inner Business Goddess. She is also the Fresh Entrepreneur Expert atLadies Who Launch.com and creator of their Fresh Entrepreneur workshop and workbook program.

If you are interested in having Ms. West speak for your organization, membership club, teleseminar, or Internet radio show, please contact her Media and Marketing Manager, Dawn Goldberg, at dawn@joyfulbusiness.com. For more media information, please visit:www.centerforjoyfulbusiness.com/media.html.

Where You Focus Your Attention Is What You Get!

Cheryl Richardson, a favorite author and fellow coach, has written a new book called Stand Up for Your Life. In this book she talks about how our society tends to “bond over stress instead of success”. I see this in action every day in my own life and in the lives of my clients. Read more