How to Leverage Your Services

I have been speaking a LOT lately and the message from my audiences is clear.                                                                                         

There are a lot of tired people working hard to try to keep their businesses and careers afloat, and it's exhausting. Here's the problem: The more you work to succeed, the more success you achieve and the more work there is to do, and the less time you have. Anyone experience this? Sometimes its seems like an impossible cycle.

The idea of working less but making more money may seem like a pipe dream, but it's not if you are using the right business models and tools.

For most of us, the solution is in re-structuring and leveraging. I've had to do it myself and will have to do it some more. You probably need to do it too.

But, what on earth does "leveraging" really mean?

Leverage is the art of doing less while multiplying your results with roughly the same resources you already have. If this seems vague, I am dedicating the next 3 months of First Mondays to introduce you to some outstanding examples of solo-entrepreneurs who are "leveraging" very effectively! This is not pie in the sky; these are real people with real results and you can use some of their great ideas for your own ventures!

I am so excited that my first guest is Helen Hodgson, my friend and Premiere Mastermind member who has given me permission to grill her on what took her from being burned out as a massage therapist to running her massage therapy empire here in Southern California!!

Helen Hodgson started her own mobile spa business www.servethegoddess.com in 2000 after working for many prestigious salons & spas in Beverly Hills, California. She was voted one of the best massage therapists by Allure magazine and was featured in Massage magazine, Vibe Vixen, & Chill Out LA. Her TV & radio appearances include NBC, The Benefits of Massage, E Channel Prepping your skin for summer with sunless tanning, Discovery Channel -Relationship make over-Couples massage instruction, MTV -The X effect couples massage instruction, and more!

Helen is a licensed massage therapist in State of California, a Registered Nurse, Fitness Trainer and a member of the Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals. Helen is a certified trainer and the California state coordinator of the Emergency Response Massage International Team responsible for sending out massage therapists for First Responders at disaster sites.

Helen & her team of 50 consisting of massage therapists, estheticians and nail technicians, provide massage & spa services in homes, offices and at special events for individuals, couples & groups.

In our conversation you are going to:

• Learn the strategy of serving increasing your income by as much as 300-500% with the same work hours.
• The very first steps you need to take to begin your leveraging process that will begin increasing your income immediately.
• Why this is perfect for the small business/solo-entrepreneur.
• Why leveraging is almost cost free with a huge payback.
• And, wait til you hear what she's doing to upleve her own leveraging NEXT!!

Yep, once you get the hang of it, it's the gift that keeps on giving!

PS: This is the audio link to our teleclass.  Enjoy!   http://www.audioacrobat.com/play/WJrd5tyS

I'm excited to share some cool pictures from the outing my Premiere Mastermind and I took last week! (Thank you, Vanessa, for the great photography!)

We decided to "get out of Dodge" and get a fresh environment for our monthly live Mastermind meeting. You can see what a stellar group we are! (missing Elaine Schneider who was between cities). But, we had a conversation about how at first some of us actually resisted going because It was hard to let go and spend a day being "non-productive." Once there, all that changed. Surrounded by amazing architecture, beautiful weather and breathtaking exhibits, our perspectives opened and creativity kicked in. "I am so glad I came," one member said. "My TO DO list will be waiting for me. I wouldn't ever want to miss this!" (Neither did Leslie below who found her ideal Louis XIV gold gilded bedroom below.)

Letting go of our work and routine to let in new experiences or be spontaneous is difficult for many of us swamped with the detail of life. Here are some thoughts that could improve the quality of your life:

1) Stop waiting for the right time to relax. Once engaged in work, the work compulsion takes over. There will never seem like a good time to get away ....until you get away. Once on break, you will wonder why it took you so long to do it.


2) Plan a mid-week getaway or "day trip" to a local museum or amusement park. You need more than an hour to let go; take most of the day and do something that totally takes you away from the routine of your life and work.

3) Make a list of things you want to do but never get around to....and start making plans to do them. We all have our bucket list. Don't wait until you're old; start doing something now.


4) Treat your break away commitments as sacredly as your income goals; they are probably more important. One is a commitment to your work; the second is a commitment to yourself. Be sure you keep it. This is WHY you are working - it's always good to remember that!!



PS: People ask me how they get to be a part of the Premiere Mastermind.

There is no sales page because it's a limited group, but there is an opening right now. It is my coaching focus so I have to keep it small. You get my undivided attention when you're in this group. But you can read a little more on the sidebar, and I will be happy to send you a sheet with the incredible benefits. Just ONE of the benefits is membership in the Fired Up Mastermind Network which can be found at http://www.firedupforsuccess.com/mastermind.html. Feel free to write me with questions at mlm@firedupforsuccess.com

Are We Having Fun Yet?

As I did my own visioning for this year and had to come to a startling realization: I haven’t been having as much fun as I could – and I am a FUN girl!

But like most many service provider/entrepreneurs, my priorities have been servicing my clients, attracting new clients, and learning more about expanding my business. I have carefully scheduled in my family, working out, personal development, and those things which will seemingly give me a higher quality of life.

Despite my best efforts, I admit something has been missing. As we look at the different areas of our lives, where is the slot that says “Giggling, spontaneity, joy with no goal, creative expression, silliness, new unexpected experiences, escape, and side-splitting laughter?” THAT’S what’s been missing!!

Here is what I have discovered has blocked me, and my commitment to changing it. (Wow! I’m saying this in public!) Maybe you can join me!

1) I have been thinking I need to schedule “fun” events for “when I have time.”

I expressed that I needed more fun to the attendees of my Vision Workshop last week, and, lo and behold, I received a couple of amazing fun invitations from people I absolutely love! But, at first I could feel myself resisting it. What!! I could feel myself fearing it would interfere with my work commitments; that it might (hear this) take too much time! But joy energizes so won’t it only enhance my work time? If I wait until I have time – well, I won’t have much time. New Commitment: I can schedule work around my opportunities for fun and joy.

2) I think I need to be an adult; sometimes I need to act like a child

Being an adult can be stressful. Children – icons of play and fun – do almost everything in the moment. When they tire of an activity, they stop and go to something new. But, for me, the adult, the suggestion of an unexpected invitation to lunch, a surprise mid-day walk on the beach, or an unplanned stop at the park strikes a chord of overwhelm, rather than the source of re-vitalizing one’s life. I think: “Don’t these people know I have a schedule? I can’t just drop everything!” But, I have been changing this in the past 6 months, and am now finding these surprise adventures some of my most enjoyable times. No one has had a crisis because I went on a walk or shopped for art, but I returned a more energized, passionate entrepreneur.

3) Not everything achieves a goal; pointless activity is good.

As a vision and goals coach, I tend to be activity focused, so I am better at “fun” if it comes with meeting a goal. The doctor says to relax because it’s good for my heart; I attend a fun event where I can also network; and so forth. But, here’s the truth. My adorable husband is the most grounded person in the Universe, and we experience the most laughter and silliness going to Costco or Home Depot. We have always been a somewhat Seinfeld-like couple where our best times are doing absolutely nothing. Yes, we do travel and do some exotic things, but we don't need to. In fact, we seem to gravitate toward large wholesale stores for our best times – we don’t usually buy much – but the walking around the store watching the people and playing with the shopping cart has brought us hours of amusement. We love Palm Desert – and their Wal-Mart! I have learned that most of what I experience as joyful is in the moment, and often entirely pointless….and incredibly rewarding.

My conclusions are that I need to be more spontaneous, say yes more, and be in the flow more. The resulting passion, energy and varied experiences will bond me to the people around me, and actually cause me to be a more effective service provider and business woman.

Well, now that I have confessed, what about you? I’d love to hear about some of your thoughts about fun in your life and what kind of role it plays. I have no workshop on it and no offer here – just my personal thoughts to start of the New Year!!

Love to hear yours.