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Browse every published article connected to Julie Johnson, with exact attribution and full-archive search.
Articles
Browse every published article connected to Julie Johnson, or search within this exact expert archive.
One of the biggest challenges I see with women entrepreneurs is how to find people willing to pay for your services, and more specifically how to find people willing to pay more – higher end clients – those who see the value in what you offer and who don’t end their conversations with you saying “I’m interested but I can’t afford it” or “I need to think about it!”
What Are You Willing to Do? Let’s face it, running a successful business takes effort and a lot of hard work (although probably no more than running an unsuccessful business or hobby!) Running a home and a career also takes effort. And I know that many of you are willing to work hard to make a success of your business, your career and your life. But here’s what I see and hear on a regular basis
There seem to be 2 schools of thought on holiday productivity. 1.Productivity goes down during the summer (and Christmas) months because people are winding down and taking holiday 2.Holidays are good for productivity because they give you a break, allow you to re-energise and be more productive on your retu Now I actually believe there is a middle view – that BECAUSE you take holiday in those months you can be super productive all year long! Why do I say this?
So many women entrepreneurs I speak to and work with have fallen into the trap of believing that having the right information and knowledge and getting your strategy right is the key to guaranteeing a successful business. But for the majority of women in business this just isn’t the case. I say this because of my own personal experience, and the experience of many of the women I’ve coached. So what’s really going on here?
Celebrations, Challenge & Achievement Do you get so caught up in moving from one goal to the next that you never stop to enjoy your wins and successes along the way? If so read on, because all of your achievements, however small, are part of your success story. But what story do you tell yourself about yourself? • Is it kind or judgemental? • Realistic or unrealistic? Because your success story is a direct result of this...... If you recognise your success story is not serving you. That what you’re telling yourself about yourself is damaging or non-productive, what can you do?r
I was reminded of my own learning and how this mirrors the experience of many other women in business, during my recent experience of running a dancing competition and the different approaches taken by different dancers on the day. Some dancers focus purely on the job in hand – on winning. Others focus on getting it right – on not making mistakes, not falling over, not looking foolish, or not letting anyone down. And yet others just seem to enjoy the process, by which I mean they love dancing and they don’t appear to be too attached to the results they get.
What amazing women we are! I've been inspired this week by the creative and courageous women I’ve met who want to develop their business and are prepared to do whatever it takes to do that. Are you one of them? Really? What are you prepared to do? Are you willing to let go of your story? The things you tell yourself about why you're where you are, about how things are in your world, about why it's different or difficult for you?
Reaching a milestone birthday has a way of focusing the mind! And what I’ve been focusing on as a result is the wonderful people I have in my life – the people who support me on an intellectual, emotional, physical, and spiritual level. But showing appreciation for those who share in and enhance your life journey – your dance – is a worthwhile exercise at any time. And one that you can cultivate so that it becomes a habit that serves you and others well on an on-going basis. You don’t have to leave it till you hit a milestone birthday!
1.Focus on others I’ve fallen into this trap myself – trying to motivate and inspire my team when not fully motivated and engaged myself. The starting point to this is to recognise this in ourselves. A coach can help with this; but you might want to first try being more aware of the effect you’re having when you interact with others! 2.Focus on exte al factors and challenges
As a success coach I often get asked variations on the theme Is there a recipe for success? Are there sure-fire strategies to get me there? Are there certain steps that will guarantee my success? A simple key? And my answer to all of these is yes – there most certainly are. However knowing the right ones for you can often be difficult! Because when you do what everyone else does, when you look at what appears to work for a particular expert or business and operate on the assumption that it will automatically work for you too, then you can be left sorely disappointed.
This might seem like a strange title for a business success article, particularly for women entrepreneurs. But it’s actually very appropriate. Indeed a woman just this week described to me how she felt like she’s “being going 10 rounds with Mike Tyson!” And I know she’s not alone, because other women have described their business like a marathon. Some say it just feels like a hard slog, others that they’ve hit the pain barrier, and they’re trying to push through and keep going, but they’re wondering whether it’s worth it? This highlights a number of things to me
‘TRUST and HAVE FUN’ has long been a motto of mine yet it's sometimes necessary to remind myself of this! To remind myself that if I’m not feeling good or having fun and trusting in myself to do the right things, I’m sabotaging myself – worrying about all the things that aren’t getting done instead of focusing on the doing!
Do you feel you’re so busy being busy you don’t have time to get yourself feeling energetic and full of life? You hope a good night’s sleep will do it, or a session at the gym, or maybe a luxurious bath once in a while? Now I’m not saying these aren’t good things and that they won’t help in the short-term, but what I am saying is that that’s exactly what they are – short-term fixes.
Here’s a quick and easy quiz, based on my own experiences of leading – myself, my family, team members and others, as well as working with hundreds of other business leaders and managers over recent years. Leadership is particularly appropriate in the current climate, when so many people are actually abdicating responsibility for themselves and many political and business leaders are not trusted!
Throw out the Measuring Tool! If you’re measuring your success currently, then can I suggest you take a moment and explore how you’re going about it? Because in my experience the majority use other people’s yardsticks, others’ measurement criteria as their own. Now that would be fine if we were all equal and similar in every way, but of course we’re not – we’re unique! And that means that what we want and how we measure progress and achievement must also be unique for it to have real meaning for us as individuals. Success is not a one size fits all subject!
In previous articles I explored passion and leadership. I want to continue this theme today to answer the questions I received from some of you who are struggling in this area and from some who find that passion is something that you display some but not most of the time. As you read through these tips, pick 1 or 2 that appeal most and start to implement them.
I was asked recently by a leader in education what 3 things I’d teach teenagers for Leadership and Success in Life. This is an absolutely great question and goes to the heart of what I’m passionate about – leadership and success in their broadest context i.e. leading the life you want – a successful life that makes you feel happy and fulfilled. It’s also about developing successful leaders for the future – people who will be good at leading themselves as well as others. My first thoughts were that they should lea • how to become extremely self-aware
“The purpose of man is in action, not thought" Thomas Carlyle One of the main thing's I've learned over the past 6 years since I handed my notice in, stopped being an employed manager and first thought seriously about developing my own business is that taking action is even more important than having a fully formed plan. Now as someone who is fairly reflective by nature, and a perfectionist who has spent a lot of her life planning, this was a difficult lesson to learn!
I got an email this week from one of my subscribers who in response to a recent questio I posed about what you’re doing to keep motivated and growing, said “reading books and information that give me a chance to develop my skills as a business leader. Is this sufficient? And if it is not what are your suggestions?” In my reply I indicated that this was a good start but in itself was not enough – you need to invest more effort into your development to reap the benefits of your initial reading. It takes a real investment in yourself, a smart investment, for you to really grow.
I originally sourced these success quotes to motivate and inspire the wonderful businesswomen in our Success Club and realised they’re too good to keep to ourselves! I’ve added questions to challenge you to really internalize and take on board the specific learning in each. I suggest you choose those that resonate most with you, answer the questions and take action on what you learn. Enjoy, and do let me know how you get on...
Question raised during a recent success survey: Why are there fewer women than men in leadership and management positions? My perception is that this is changing, as women throughout the world are now better educated and make up a greater proportion of the working population than ever before.
Here’s a quick and easy quiz, based on my own experiences of leading – myself, my family, team members and others, as well as working with hundreds of other business leaders and managers over recent years. Leadership is particularly appropriate in the current climate, when so many people are actually abdicating responsibility for themselves, and many political and business leaders are not trusted!
Success, to many modern women (and men), is something to aspire to – to attain by stepping up, changing up a gear, or up-levelling. It’s something to strive for, something to chase. But do we really think about what success means to us? Well let’s do that now…… • What is a successful life to you? Your successful life? • What is a successful business or career? Your successful business? • What do they look like, feel like, and sound like?
In my previous article we considered what it means to leap and whether you’re ready for a leap, and today I want to explore how you can get ready. This is important to women business owners if you’re not happy with the status quo, if your current business or life is causing you anxiety or worry; if you know you’re cruising; or if you’re bored. If this is you, then instead of justifying why you are where you are, and explaining how difficult it would be for you to leap. Instead of operating from a place of fear, lack or worry – I have a suggestion. Follow my top tips to get yourself ready!r
In a previous article I explored the myth that all you need to succeed is the strategy and know how. The myth I’m exploring today is that of the Lone Ranger woman in business – thinking you should be able to do everything yourself; that the way to succeed is to rely on no-one but yourself. Now this is understandable in the sense that many of us are brought up to be independent women, but it can leave us feeling inadequate.
I have some questions for you..... • How's your business going? • What do your staff or associates think of you as a leader? • How would you rate yourself? • How many 10 out of 10 moments do you get (when you feel fantastic and have a real sense of achievement)? • How many of these ‘magic moments’ do your team get? If you're struggling to answer these questions, then maybe it's because you're a little too comfortable with the status quo and are operating from within your comfort zone.
There seems to be a myth amongst women in particular, that caring for yourself, by which I mean consistently taking time to attend to your own needs so that you stay energised and feeling good most of the time, is somehow selfish. But let’s just take a moment to examine the implications of this: • You don’t stop very often, because when you do it makes you feel guilty or you just can’t relax because you’re thinking about all the things you could be doing, or should be doing.
If you’re not satisfied with your business results or with any part of your life then you need to clear the way. It’s important that you tackle this rather than leaving it, ignoring it or suppressing it, because tackling it brings it to your conscious awareness, it allows you to discover what it really is and what it really means to your life. And, it allows you to actively do something – to take responsibility for making the changes necessary to improve your situation.
Writing this put me in mind of the Tina Turner song ‘What’s love got to do with it?’ And I’m imagining many of you might be thinking the same, particularly in relation to business? Well, my immediate response to that is ‘everything’. Love is the be-all-and-end-all of everything........in life, health, wealth, growth and yes, even in work and business!
There are 3 Steps to Presenting with Confidence and in this article we’ll be exploring step 2 - Improving your approach. Improving your approach is about ensuring you do everything possible to fully plan, prepare and practise what you’re going to say and how you’re going to say it, so that you say it with confidence. When planning you need to ask yourself the following questions: What? Who? When? Where? Why? How?
In my previous article we explored what it means to be ‘in the zone.’ We considered ‘magic moments’ and stretching the boundaries of your comfort zone. In this article we’ll explore what to avoid when stretching yourself and the actions you can take to get “in the zone.” Panic Zone A word of warning here - stretch is good, panic is not!
It’s important in life when you’re feeling low, have an illness, or when a close family member is ill, to have a network of supportive family, friends and neighbours you know you can call on when you need them. And it’s the same in your business.
How do you tend to make decisions? From your head? Or from your gut? If right now you’re thinking I usually avoid making decisions altogether, or my strategy tends to be to wait and see what others do first, then you’re fooling yourself, because deferring a decision is a decision in itself! When you make decisions from your head you weigh up the pros and cons, you evaluate all sides, the different aspects, as well as the impact and consequences of your options and possible choices.
Those of you who’ve heard me speak or know a little about my work know that I’ve created a DANCE system for business women to get you clear and focused on how to create a profitable business that serves you and allows you to live the life you truly desire. A system that helps you get out of your own way and instills in you the confidence to make this happen so that you achieve success on your own terms. This system is a step by step approach to making success predictable and hugely enjoyable and it’s also a metaphor for how you live your life and how you set up and run your business.
These success quotes have all challenged my thinking, opened up a new perspective or inspired and motivated me to keep going at one time or another in my dance (in my life and business journey.) I hope they can do the same for you! 1.The last of the human freedoms is to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances.Viktor Frankl 2.Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts.A old Bennet
It’s true. Although I’ve worked with lots of men as well as women over the years and although everyone suffers from self-doubt to some degree, it’s definitely women who ‘take the biscuit’ (come out on top) when it comes to worrying about whether you’re doing the right thing, whether you really can do it, and what others will think of you if and when you do ‘do your thing’! And I want to say loud and clear girls – IT’S TIME TO STOP!!
These success quotes have inspired and motivated me to keep going at one time or another in my dance (in my life and business journey) as they challenge my thinking, open up new perspectives or remind me of who I really am, what I’m capable of, and what’s important to me. I hope they can do the same for you! Quote 1 You cannot change your destination ove ight, but you can change your direction ove ight. Jim Rohn Quote 2 Abundance is not something we acquire. It’s something we tune into. Wayne Dyer Quote 3 If you’re too busy to enjoy life, you’re too busy. Jeff Davidson
My recent experiences of vendors selling in the streets of Egypt has inspired me to write today’s article. Because the approach taken by these market traders is very different to the more traditional western business approach.
Forget setting New Year Resolutions – a one off activity at the start of each year that often feels forced and hurried, and leaves you feeling guilty and inadequate when they’re inevitably broken or discarded a short while later. Why not resolve (make a firm decision) at another time of year, or better still at various points throughout the year! How radical is that? Even I’m fed up with the hype of resolutions, intentions, and goal setting for this year, and I’m in an industry that usually promotes them!
Have you fallen into the trap of chasing after “success”? Success as defined by other people - by the media, society, business colleagues, your partner, family, or friends? If you have then you’re not alone. Many of us have adopted the “we can have it all” mantra without really considering what this means to us as a woman, a wife, mother, daughter, or business owner.
Many managers and business leaders unwittingly take responsibility for upward leaping monkeys. These are taken from your staff, often when they approach you with a problem but you don’t have sufficient time to explore and you say something like…. “I can see this is important but I don’t have time to discuss it right now. Let me think about it and get back to you.” These upward leaping monkeys can very soon create sideways leaping and downward leaping monkeys as you procrastinate and put people off.
I want you to be honest with yourself here. As a woman in business are you on your stage or waiting in the wings? You know exactly what I mean by this and you also know what is true for you at the moment. This is about whether you’re playing small or full out, whether you’re the understudy or principal dancer, whether you’re hiding your light or allowing it to shine. Whether you’re feeling anxious or disconnected, or whether you feel fully alive and connected. Because if you’re not ‘out there’ right now – what are you waiting for?
This equation is actually really simple, yet many of us persist in making it complicated. ‘We only change when the cost of changing is less than the cost of staying where we are.’ Now this makes perfect sense at an intellectual level, but at an emotional level we just don’t seem to get it. We play tricks on ourselves. We deny or ignore the current costs by telling ourselves ‘it’s really not that bad,’ ‘other people have it much worse than me’ or ‘it’s not really costing me much.’
Feeling overwhelmed? Like there’s never enough hours in the day to get everything done you need to get done? At work you’re trying to get new clients, serving current clients, chasing payments, networking, using or getting to grips with social media. And if it’s not work, it’s the children, it’s the shopping, it’s your house, your partner, your friend, your mum, the dog, the babysitter, and so on and so on and so on!!!
Before we explore your readiness to leap I want to ensure you understand what I mean by the words ‘step’ and ‘leap’. The difference between a step and a leap. A step is a small change where you’re fairly certain of the outcome, and as a consequence it holds little risk. It’s a decision that comes from your head. A leap on the other hand is a large shift with more risk because the outcome’s unknown or at least not guaranteed. Deciding to leap comes from deep inside you – from your heart and soul – your true and highest self. How they each make you feel.
The 3 step process to presenting with confidence is: 1. Harness your attitude 2. Improve your approach 3. Work authentically through your own personality In this article, we’ll explore the third and final step – Working authentically through your own Personality. This step also includes using your appearance to your advantage. By appearance I mean more than the way you’re turned out, (although it is important to dress appropriately) rather I mean that you should think about what you’re doing with your face. For example, are you smiling or frowning?
As a business leader or a manager of people, presenting information to groups of staff, to customers, suppliers or prospects may very well take up a large portion of your time. Communicating in this way takes practise and a willingness to share information in a way that people will easily understand.
Stephen Covey’s 2nd habit from his 7 Habits of Highly Effective people is “Begin with the End in Mind.” By this he means that all things are created twice – they must first be created in your mind, before they can become a physical reality. So if you want to lead a more successful and balanced life, become an inspirational and exceptional leader, or develop your team or business, you must do the mental work first.
I have a confession to make. I’m so passionate about getting my message into the world, sharing my secrets to success and helping as many women in business as possible become the star dancer they’re born to be, that I’ve not told the whole story. Without intending to I’ve been keeping this secret and it’s time to tell all……. • Yes it’s true that you can be a Star • Yes it’s true that you can dance centre stage and in your spotlightr
How many times do you say ‘I need to manage my time better?’ or ‘If only I had more time?’ or ‘Time just seems to disappear?’ If it’s quite often then you’re not alone – the vast majority of the clients I work with and the women I come across every single day say time is their biggest issue – not being able to manage it, not enough of it, or just not using it wisely.