One of my clients came across this site, which forces you to describe a hard idea using only the thousand most used words in the English language. It's quite hard to do, but I found it really worthwhile to help me explain what it is I do, in really simple language: https://splasho.com/upgoer5/

Here is my attempt at explaining what I do. I am only three non-permitted words away from the goal... arrrrhhhhggg... so hard. Apparently, I can't use (OWNERS, CHOICES, VALUES). But hey, not bad, right?

"I help people who run their own businesses get better at what they do by staying true to themselves. I show them how to tell their stories in a way that makes sense and feels right. This helps them understand what makes their work stand out and how to share that with others. I also bring together groups of business owners to learn from each other. I help them see a clear direction, make good choices, and stay true to their values while growing their business."@everyone I highly recommend you give this game a try!

Highly recommend, especially if you're working on your answer to the "What do you do?" question.

I am planning for my third year of walking a week along the French route of the Camino de Santiago (in French, the Chemin de Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle) the first week of June 2024, and am again offering to take any Prayer Intentions or Personal Requests with me. These are all shared anonymously, and I welcome anybody to share anything they want me to bring along with me. An anonymous form is here for anybody (within or outside our community here) to use.  

For transparency, this week of walking has been a focus of my year, as I so crave the contemplative silence and opportunity to commune with Nature and the spirits that are so present along this rural path I am taking.

I do not really have other free coaching offers or the like to share with our ABC Masterheart community, and I thought this may be of some help or interest to some of us here. 

I'm learning so much about the power of creating and sharing from my 100 YouTube Videos Challenge and the content that's naturally emerging through the creation of my courses called, no coincidence, CREATE and SHARE.

When I point myself in the direction of seeing something more deeply, it shows up everywhere!

The other day, Spotify’s Discover playlist introduced me to a song by an artist I’d never heard of before.

It was the perfect song for that moment, and it moved me to tears.

“Who is this artist?” I thought. 

I found his website and a blog post where he describes how he makes $800 a month with Spotify, working a “regular” job and making music in the evenings. 

I sent the link to a musician friend with the words, “I believe in your music.”

If I hadn’t discovered that first random song, my message of encouragement wouldn’t have been sent.

This musician is a Tiny Creator. (Maybe like you and me.)

We don’t have agents and million dollar ad budgets or even 1,000 true fans.

But our Tiny Creations are mighty ones, too. 💪

Our job isn't to convince people to watch our videos, join our email list, or even to buy from us.

Our job is so much simpler.

Be you. CREATE and SHARE.

✨ Create what inspires you, because it can’t exist without you.

👫 Share so it’s there to be discovered by those who don’t even know they’re looking for you.

You never know who will find it and how it might touch them, and which message will be the one to make a difference. All that required is showing up in the game of creation for long enough because it's rigged for us to WIN. 🎲🎲

So when it comes to creating…

…it all matters and none of it matters. 😉

P.S. I made this one minute YouTube video sharing these thoughts as part of my challenge, in case you want to watch. 👁‍🗨

P.P.S. And I commented on the musician's YouTube video, thanking him for making the song that has already sparked so much inspiration and encouragement. He commented right back in gratitude. 😁 See? We are making a difference in ways we can never track.

Whoever is working on growing their Instagram reach and followers this year, please comment "yes" below! Thank you so much!

Thank you all for commenting. I was thinking what if we all help each other increase our reach and growth on Instagram? What I'm proposing is I'll create a list of everyone's instagram handles and timezones. We all follow each other (if the accounts authentically interests us) and agree on a time that we will all post every day. As soon as we post, then each person will go down the list I've provided and like/comment/share/save the posts that speak to them to help each other amplify our reach. From what I understand, early engagement will boost organic visibility. This will also help hold us accountable to show up and post consistently. 

What are your thoughts? If you're interested, please add your timezone and Instagram handle to the comments.

Hey everyone, I’m excited to give 111 an honest try this year! I can’t believe it’s already mid January and I’d love to book market research calls. I’m wondering if any of you lovely folks would be interested in a market research trade. 

I’m thinking a 1 hour call: approximately 25 minutes each to ask each other questions. Then any leftover time we can use for netcaring and supportive feedback about the process. Totally flexible with this! 

Here’s a little bit more about me (a snippet from my ABC intro):

I’m an evolutionary astrologer (with an MA in Jungian Depth psych, and many years working in the mental health field) who works with creative women who want to feel more authentically aligned with their purpose and unique strengths. 

I love using astrology and depth psychology to connect with their innate gifts, express their creativity authentically, and follow the threads of purpose within them – all while offering practical uses of their birth chart to get unstuck, find clarity and empower themselves through life’s ups and downs.

If interested, let me know and I can send a scheduling link :)

We all belong here.  I belong here just as much as the sun does, and so do you.  The same energy (God, universe, Source) that created the sun and all the stars created each and every one of us.  So you may stand tall, align yourself with your origins, your celestial ancestors, and you can allow yourself to shine brightly and lightly. 🌠

W0D6: During a recent training session with future solopreneurs, they identified the "money talk" as the one aspect of their future business that made them anxious. Below I offer some questions that might help make the talk go more smoothly and become more productive.

The Money Talk: Questions to help the “money talk” be more productive for you and your client

It’s natural for a client to have questions–and even objections–about your fees before purchasing a service or product. Don't take it personally. It’s important to establish trust, value, and the benefits of your products and services before expecting a client to purchase them.

During your conversation, use the following questions to better understand your client’s or customer’s objections and concerns regarding the fees:

1. Can you tell me about your specific budget constraints?

2. What are your primary concerns when it comes to investing in my services?

3. Are there any particular elements of the proposed package or service that you feel unsure about?

4. Have you had any previous experiences with [your services] or similar services that might be influencing your decision-making process now?

5. What results or outcomes are you expecting from my services, and how do you think my services can help you achieve those goals?

6. Are there any aspects of the pricing or payment structure that you would like to discuss or negotiate further? [If you’re willing to negotiate your fees, know your terms and conditions before continuing this conversation. The client shouldn’t determine your fees; you should.]

7. How do you see my services aligning with your long-term objectives?

8. Have you considered other similar solutions, and if so, how do they compare with my proposed package?

9. Are there any specific risks or challenges you anticipate, and how do you think we can address them?

10. What information or data would be most helpful to you in making an informed decision about moving forward with my services?

These questions will allow you to gain insights into your client's or customer’s concerns, objections, and priorities. By actively listening to their responses, you can tailor your explanations and address specific points of concern, leading to a more productive and reassuring conversation about the fees and the overall value of your services.

Note: I copied this post into the Soul Gym Lounge.

@Ginny Branden @Heather Tobin

Two nights ago, I watched George's video with Tad Hargrave coaching people on their niches. I found it incredibly generative. Here's some possibilities I'm playing with now: 

1. Tad suggests "your deepest wound is your truest niche." What I immediately recollected was a despair in me saying, "Will I ever figure this work thing out?"

*To be clear, I don't feel so much despair in this moment, but over the past year, I've become aware that it's there. 

2. Tad talks about talking someone from Island A to Island B. One framing, in line with the work focus, was Island A (stressful work) and Island B (work lightly, ease). 

3. Tad asks, "Are you selling the boat or the journey?" The boat is often modalities (e.g. for me, Internal Family Systems, Somatic Experiencing, Somatic Coaching broadly), and the journey is the end destination (e.g. for me, it could be transforming the way you work or inside out transformation broadly). 

Tad says either can work, but it depends on who you're targeting. For example, if I put doing IFS or SE front-and-center, then I'm best positioning myself to speak to those who already know what IFS, SE or "somatics" even really is, and they're actively seeking a practitioner; whereas, if I focus on stressful work to more easeful work, and then I take the "point of view" that somatics (and perhaps, other tools like an energy audit) can support that transition, then I can be speaking towards someone very different (e.g. someone in their 20s working at a startup who wants to work differently but doesn't know how). 

What's emerging for me is a real curiosity again about the latter, i.e. focusing on work life in this way. It feels personally truthful to me; fits into others' conceptions of a "coach" (e.g. usually more work-related) vs. therapist; can also fit into a context of what someone would buy (e.g. $150/hr coaching, often compensated by the company, to support personal development); and can give an arc of transformation (i.e. stressful work to working lightly) that is clearer all-around, from at the outset being an "easily referrable issue" that someone identifies within themselves and seeks help for, to framing the journey throughout and providing a framing for "clear and obvious benefit" at the end. 

This is the niche soup I'm swimming in right now!

A very simple technique that takes minutes to do is the Quick Coherence technique. A technique that has been researched and studied for many years with the Heart Math Institute. 

You imagine your breath is flowing in and out of your heart or chest area. You slow down your breath and breathe a little deeper. (If I am finding things a little tougher then I will place my hand or finger tips near the heart area. This is not a part of the Coherence Technique but  when I am finding it tough it heps to keep me focused.) The next step is to bring a regenerative feeling of appreciation or care for something in your life. 

Imagine if we could all do this on a regular basis the impact it could have for so many.