Video of the Week on .. Procrastination

Happy Saturday evening!

Here is a video recap of the blog entries and emails sent out this week Procrastination and Coming out of the Closet.  

Hope you enjoy and don't forget your gift below!

Here is the link to the book that can change your life. Go get it! Now. Don't procrastinate.

Persistence is one of the most important keys to success. Rome was not built in a day! Never give up, ever!

XO Aymee aka Cookiepreneur

Coming Out of The Closet

I have been chomping at the bit to let you in on this huge secret. If you have read all of my blog posts, followed me for some time, or know me personally, I have dropped many hints about it.

In all fairness I feel that I must come clean about the success I have experienced in my cookie business, and how I have pulled through the really hard times in my life (Like the past two years of illness that had me wondering when,  I would be able to come back). Hint: It’s not just hard work!

Sure, a business takes lots of work, but that does not guarantee success. Let’s be honest, most people work really hard their entire lives and they don’t get very far, but you know that, I’m sure you see it every day.

What about you? Are you working really hard, burning the midnight oil and just barely surviving? Are you undercharging for your work because you lack confidence? Do you feel fear when you get a big order, are you just scraping by, or maybe you just want to take your business to a new level ?

I have been though all of that and then some, only to rise like a phoenix from the ashes. I attribute everything I have accomplished to two things aside from all of my work.

1. Having a Mentor
2. Being a Soul/ Heart Centered Entrepreneur( Does that sound a bit New Age-y or Idealistic? Yup, that's me. My business must benefit people other than ME! That's my Credo in a nutshell..More about that later)

I’m only going to get into the first one today because this is WAY too much information to hit you with all at once.

Remember how I told you I had lost everything back in 2007 ?  So how did I recover from all of that?  I would be lying if I told you I did it on my own.

You probably know by now that I am a lifelong student of Human Potential and  Personal Development. Without growth you are not living, you are merely existing. That is my philosophy.

Right after my "Dark Night of my Soul" as I call it,  I attended a seminar in Austin, at which I happened to have the good fortune of sitting next to a lady at dinner, who happened to be a catalyst for a huge change in my life.

During the course of the evening, we spoke for a bit.  In spite of my circumstances ( Your current circumstances do not define you) she saw the greatness in me and did not hesitate to let me know.

She knew instantly, that I had the potential to not only come back, but come back stronger and better than ever. 

Being a Heart-Centered entrepreneur means I don't believe in keeping these kinds of secrets to myself , so I promise to introduce her to you tomorrow.

For now I will tell you that she was so genuine, giving and inspiring that she sparked something in me and I found a way to invest in myself and she in turn used her gifts to help me climb out of the dark hole I was in.

The truth is I’ve had many teachers over the years, however, some just stand out. I have always been a student of  Human Potential, that’s why I love helping people and that is why I am HERE, now sharing with you.

While I have been busy working behind the scenes preparing a really comprehensive and accurate pricing guide that you will only find here  ( more to come on that too) , my friend, and coach has put together a host of information that will help you jump start your business.

All the information needed to help you lay the ground work will be at your fingertips.  We want to make sure we help you remove any and  ALL of those pesky blocks that might keep you from succeeding no matter how hard you work.

So, over the next few days, I am going to share some REALLY valuable information with you that not everyone has access to. I truly mean this so PLEASE pay attention.

Some people just block their own success by turning away from new ideas, but I know you are a creative being, and you are in a creative business. What that means to me is that you are more open by nature.  

All you have to do is keep an open mind and an open heart. You have EVERYTHING to gain by just listening and paying attention. The best part is it’s FREE!

Look for an email from me tomorrow with all the details of how you can get your business started or how you can breathe new life into it!

By the way, for those of you reading this directly on the blog. In order to receive that information, you need to sign up in the box above as this information will exclusively be shared with those of you on my list for goodies and freebies and committed members of the Cookiepreneur community. 

In the meantime, if you have any questions at all , email me at Cookiepreneur@gmail.com . I love you and I want to see you succeed beyond your wildest dreams.

The greatest key to success is persistence, never give up, EVER!

XO Aymee aka Cookiepreneur. 

A Winning Formula For Success - Clarity, Focus and Goals

Running your business without having a clear vision or an end goal in mind  is like sailing a ship without a destination.  In order to create a successful business you must know where you are going , create an action plan and strategy , create clear and precise goals and take daily action steps that consistently move you toward your end goal.

While nothing in life is absolutely guaranteed, success is a formula and if you follow certain steps (You may have to tweak some here and there along the way)  you are sure to get it right eventually, so here are three common sense tips that are sure to stack the odds in your favor.

Tip #1 - Create a Clear Big Picture With an End Result in Mind.    

Create a crystal clear  mental picture of where you want to take your business and why. What is your Vision? Where do you plan to take this business? Write it down.

Are you looking to bake out of your home as a simple Cottage Food Operation, Licensed Home Bakery, Storefront or are you looking to be the Sylvia Weinstock of  Cookies?  Start with the big picture in mind. Don’t worry if what you truly want in your heart seems impossible at the moment.

Write it down, put it on paper and give yourself a time line. Don’t worry about whether or not you will be able to achieve it in that time frame or not, just get going.  Do not allow the Nazi in your head to stop you, so this is what I want you to do.

Take a piece of paper , preferably a notebook where you keep all your ideas and plans for your business and write this out.

Example:
My vision : To build a cookie EMPIRE that spans the entire east coast of the United States and 20+ franchises in Europe by December 2023.

Why do you want the big goal?  What is it that drives you? Why do you want this success?

It’s very important that you be just as clear about why you want your goal. What compels you to want this ?

Example:
Why: Because I LOVE baking and decorating cookies. That is my gift and and through my gift , I will build my cookie empire which will  provide a secure future for my family, a college education for my son, I will employ talented people and help them to reach their goals and help their families succeed. Through my success as an entrepreneur I will be able to contribute financially to those causes that are close to my heart and I will be able to assist others, hence leaving the earth, having done my part to fulfill my highest potential, which is to contribute to mankind in a positive way.

Note: Make sure your reason, is not just about you.  Make sure you reach out beyond yourself and  include those things that are important to you such as your family, causes you may support . This should be aligned with your life's purpose.  Financial success, without contribution or anyone to share it with is the ultimate failure. The only way to truly feel fulfilled in life is to give back , during and after you have achieved success for yourself.

TIP # 2 - If You Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail.

Merely wanting something is not enough, you must first map out your goals and then put plans and a strategy in place to attain them. Set up your goals and add intended dates for achievement.   I don’t like to use the word deadline. I am a strong believer in the power of words and I don’t like using anything having to do with dead in my business .

Example:

• ( 10 years out) Long term goal: By 2023 my goal is to have 30 Wacky Cookie Store locations, all over the East coast of the United States, and 20 + franchises all over The European Union.          
• (5 years out) By 2018 my goal is to have 10+ Wacky Cookies Store locations to have a storefront operation each with three part time employees, a full time baking assistant and a full time decorating assistant.  
• (3 years out) List goals here
• (1 year out) List goals here

You get the idea, right?  Always work back from the bigger picture. Use the backwards planning technique.

Click Here for a good article on Backwards Planning 

TIP # 3-  Set Clear Goals for Consistent Improvement. 

Regularly check to make sure those goals are in direct alignment with your big picture.  

Utilize the Cookiepreneur formula for success M^2-  Mechanics x Mindset ( Creates the synergy for success)

Mechanics

Set up a practical step by step plan, take daily action toward your big goal by breaking it down into smaller daily goals. This can be as small as a single phone call per day, but the key is to do something, each and every day that will move you closer to your goal.

Mindset

If you ever want to achieve success you must  utilize positive thinking and visualization techniques and exercises to see your outcome (If you can see it you can be it! It’s not just a saying, it’s true) The world's most successful entrepreneurs, CEO's, athletes and performers use visualization techniques often to achieve their goals, and as Cookiepreneurs we are no different in our ambition to manifest a desired result for ourselves.

You must have the psychological element in place in order to reach your goals, I cannot emphasize that strongly enough.

A great book to help you with visualization exercises and to cultivate a Wealth Mindset in general with practical exercises is The Wealth Diet by Kathy Zant . 

The Wealth Diet

I love this book , because it is written from the heart by a real person.  I know Kathy, I am proud to call her my friend and she is an amazing entrepreneur, mother and someone just like you and me and is genuine in her message to help others succeed in life.

You may see yourself in this book, as I did.  Remember that I told you , when we first started this journey that I am a very strong believer in the inner game to success.  I believe that your outer world is merely a reflection of your inner landscape, so for many of you what that means is that you need to start working on success from the inside out.

Before you become a successful Cookiepreneur, first you must see yourself in that role. 

You must see yourself at the finish line before you get there and this book is a wonderful and indispensable tool, full of nuggets of wisdom and a-ha moment provoking passages that will help get you there.

I promised you that we would have lots of goodies and freebies here so make sure you click on the book below in order to secure your  your chance to win an autographed copy of The Wealth Diet.

Click HERE for your chance to win an autographed copy of The Wealth Diet,  The Proven, 4-Week Program that Realigns Your Mindset to Greater Wealth, Abundance and Happiness Giveaway  

I told  Kathy about this project and my journey to help you uncover and cultivate those wonderful gifts you have and she generously offered a copy of her book to one lucky winner, that could be you!

We will also touch on these subjects during our free teleconferences.  Sign up here  if you have not already and we will be sure to let you know as soon as we start offering these in July.

If you want to take it a step further, and are really serious about getting this down to a science , I will be offering  this as part of the curriculum in our  M² Elite Series Webinars starting in late summer / early fall . We are going to open pre-registration in a few weeks. These will be small group online classes I will teach you the step by step fool proof way to Create a compelling vision for your business based upon your life's purpose and how  to construct a comprehensive plan to get there.

For those of you who really wish to Go big or go home as I often do,  I have also decided to open up a few spaces for one on one Personal Business Coaching. This is the ultimate coaching program.  This is a series of  meetings ( Online  if you are in another state) where  you and me will work together directly in order to help you reach all of your business goals.  I bring every bit of knowledge, experience and resources that I have to the table in order to assist you in setting  up your vision , breaking it down  into manageable bite sized chunks, and helping you see it come into fruition..

I am so excited  to offer this to only a select number of people who are really serious about this process. Due to the number of requests this will be an invitation only type program and we will begin taking applications for this program the first week of August.

So in summing up this week, you already know that in order to create a successful business you need to have  

• Absolute clarity about what you want, and know why.
• Create a plan to get there.
• Set clear goals that are aligned with your big picture. 
• Take daily steps toward your goal, it doesn't matter how small, the key is consistency!

As always, I leave you with what I believe to be the absolute truth

Persistence is the key to success, never give up, Never!

Wishing you a wonderful and prosperous week.

Aymee