Archives July 2014

Start paying yourself first.

profit-first

 

“Profit First,” the new book by one of my favorite mentors Mike Michalowicz, makes a stunning suggestion. The longer you have been an entrepreneur, the more stunned you will be. Also, the more it will change your life.

Sales – Expenses = Profit creates a Frankenstein monster that will kill your business, livelihood, social life, sex life, and maybe your dog. It’s that insidious of a monster. It’s caused by getting into a cycle of robbing Peter to pay Paul, racking up debt, borrowing from income tax to keep the business a float, taking on unsuitable clients or projects just to fill the money hole, and other fun and damaging habits.

Here’s the new formula.

Sales – Profit = Expenses which creates a wave effect of happiness. You work with the money you have. Eating from a smaller plate, you make business work on less and you tame the ego beast that wants to spend profits on things that cost the business money. You also are able to put aside money that will assure a tidy quarterly bonus for you.

Sound nice? It is. 

It’s so nice, in fact that we are making “Profit First” our book of choice for our Twitter book club. Just search #LiveBookClub and you’ll be plugged right into it. I spend all day reading the first five chapters and pulling nuggets out for you. I even snagged some page graphics.

When you join my community (the sign up is in the side bar) you will get the first five chapters of “Profit First” for free. I’m sure you will want to join me in the book club after you read it. It’s already changing the way I look at profitability, how I run What Works Coaching, and what my bank accounts could look like… scratch that… WILL look like.

JOIN ME!

Your life is a blank canvas. Paint it!

abstract skyline

This week, I finished painting a little project I started about a year ago. I drew the outline and then I just put it back in the case. I went about my life. What I realized, when I picked that canvas up again, is that I really feel peaceful when I paint. It’s not about doing it right. It’s about putting brush to canvas and seeing what materializes. Often, it’s not what I expected. As I paint, I get inspired to do different things, use different colors, and express myself in new ways. I have come to realize this is a great approach to apply to life as well.

Blank canvases are filled with possibility. When you can quiet your mind and listen to what inspires you, it’s amazing where life leads. You can dip your brush in a color, fill a pre-conceived drawing, but you never really know exactly how it’s going to come together until it has. Life often imitates art in this way. I love it when someone asks an artist, “what was your inspiration?” Some artists have a very clear direction. In art classes, the students learn according to a very specific plan. There may be room for color interpretation. However, if the class is centered around painting a horse, everyone is going to walk out the door with a horse.

Art also imitates life.

You can walk through life with yourself, your higher power (whatever that may be), trust and faith. Or, you can find a living mentor and follow a base set of instructions. You can use a mixture of the two. However, one thing is constant. You start with a blank canvas.

To achieve a blank canvas, clear your mind of pre-conceived notions of how things should be or will be. Choose a path and walk down it. Artistic blocks happen when your will and the will of the universe clash. Give in to full inspiration and you will be inspired.

Today’s Exercise: What inspires you today? What can you clear away to create a blank canvas to express that inspiration?

This week, I reinforced my rediscovered love of peace and painting by purchasing a meditation pillow and some new art supplies. I can’t wait to see what I create with them! What will you create? What hobbies will you indulge in? What projects will you complete? How will you paint on the blank canvas that is your life? Share by commenting below.