Clear Voice Branding - Heather Poduska

Are you Churning Butter?

In his book The Slight Edge author Jeff Olson tells the parable to two frogs who get stuck in a bucket of cream. Once in the bucket they realize they are in literally over their heads and have no way to get out. The first frog resigns himself to his fate and gives up voluntarily sinking to the bottom of the bucket to drawn. The second frog says, no way, not me. He paddles his little heart out going in circles until he is too tired to continue. Just as he is about to allow himself to sink to his death his foot touches something hard and he is able to push against it to jump out of the bucket.  Unknowingly, the little frog has turned the cream into butter with all his paddling.

When we first decide to pursue entrepreneurship we often feel like we've hit pay dirt. We've maybe left an unfulfilling job to follow our dream or maybe we are enticed by the idea of financial freedom. We jump in feet first to the big luscious bucket of entrepreneurial cream and feel drunk with possibilities, but when the reality of our choice starts to sink in we panic. What at first seems like a windfall, now seems like a trap. We are flooded with "what if" and "how on earth." How are we going to make a profit when all our money is spent on collateral? How are we going to keep a solid connection with our kids when we are now need to work on weekends? How on earth are we going to get every damn thing done!!

Sometimes in those moments we're tempted to give up and gracefully bow out, but that would mean giving up on our dream and on ourselves. As entrepreneurs we wear so many hats and if you are in start-up mode the number of different tasks you need to accomplish can be daunting. As the saying goes, however, a journey of a thousand miles start with a single step, and then the next step and the next. Each single step can feel insignificant compared to the distance you still have to cover, but don't be fooled. Each step is important and each step, not matter how small, is bringing you closer and closer to your goal.

If you are feeling frustrated and on the brink of sinking to the bottom of the bucket, here are some tips to keep you going.

1. Celebrate the little things. I get excited every time I figure out a new technological feature. Will it bring me massive amounts of income? Maybe not immediately, but it is another piece of the puzzle.

2. Remember there have been millions of others who have gone before you. Everybody who is an entrepreneur deals with overwhelm and distraction to some degree. Just keep your head down and keep working.

3. Pay attention to your priorities. What is your most important project? What, if you did it right away would have the biggest impact on your success? Do that thing first.

4. Have faith in the process. Just like the cream that's turned to into butter, there are many processes that take place under the surface. We plant bulbs in the fall having faith beautiful tulips will shoot up in the spring. You may not see the immediate results of your labors, but you are progressing.

In all honesty, sometimes it's a royal pain to feel like you are working, working, working and nothing seems to be happening, but really what's the alternative? Are you going to sink limply to the bottom of the bucket?  If you want to be successful that's not the answer. Instead, take a deep breath, jump in and start paddling. Sooner or later your foot will hit something solid. Only this time it's not going to be butter, but rather the solid foundation on which you have built your business.

You talkin' to me?

I recently heard an example of great branding on the radio. It was for a local auto repair shop that specializes in repairing European motors. The announcer got on and pointed out how they were different from their competitors who had lower prices, but less experienced technicians and also from their competitors who offered fancy chairs and lattes while you wait, but who had prices to match these extra luxuries. Their niche was a fair price and a good job for the regular guy.

You may think that everyone thinks of themselves as the regular guy, but that's not true. I for one would be willing to spend a little extra money to sit in a nice clean room, with a comfortable chair sipping a frothy drink while someone worked on my car. And there are people who always want or need the lowest possible price. What this auto shop did so well was effectively target their ideal client. They did not try to appeal to each end of the spectrum and everything in between. As a result, they did not waste time and money reaching out to the wrong audience.

How about you? Do you know who your ideal client is? Do you know what their likes and dislikes are? Do you know what separates them from other groups or types? Do you know how to effectively communicate your message so it compels your ideal client to action? If you don't, you are probably not being as effective as you could be with your marketing. It takes time and thought to get clear on your ideal client, but any time spent up front is well worth the effort.

Great brands make a habit of excluding some groups of people in order to provide the best, most customized services and products to their target audience. It may feel strange to you to leave some people behind, but just remember there will always be someone else out there catering to the needs and wants of your rejected demographic. When you focus your message on those you best serve, you get more ideal clients and your clients get more of what they are looking for with greater ease and satisfaction. It's a win-win situation. So next time you start a marketing campaign think carefully about who your ideal client is and start speaking their language.

It's such a pain...

It is now the 4th week of January. How are you doing with your New Year's resolutions? How are you doing with moving forward with your goals for 2012? Are you still riding high on the energy of your intentions, or have you started bumping up against resistance and challenges that have slowed you down? Do you feel like you are zipping along your way, or are you waking up to the reality that time is moving on and you not?

Why is it that we are so often stymied in our efforts to grow or change our lives or businesses for the better? The answer is simple, we do not like feeling uncomfortable. Would you rather sit by the fire drinking hot cocoa or shovel the driveway? Would you rather sip margaritas on the beach or go to the gym? No brainer, right? However, you need to consider your bigger goal. Do you want a ripped body when you hit the beach, then you better hit the gym and sweat your fanny off. Do you want to go skiing with your family on the weekend? Then you better put on your ugly snow boots and start shoveling out your car.

There is no getting around the fact that you must do things you are uncomfortable doing to get what you want most out of life and business. You may not like getting up at 5:00am, but if you want to start making some good connections, you may need to in order to make it to your local breakfast networking group. You may not like organizing your books, but if you don't you will not have a strong financial basis for you business.

No one likes feeling uncomfortable and it is human nature to avoid discomfort. So how to we motivate ourselves to do the things we don't want to do? Here are some helpful tips.

1. Keep your big picture goal front and center. Write down your goals AND the reasons and motivations behind your goals. Put reminders of your goals where you will see them often. Make it visual. Write out or print out your goal, cut out pictures that represent your goal, put your goal on your screen saver, just keep it front and center in your awareness.

2. Know that you can tolerate discomfort. Sometimes just the idea of feeling uncomfortable stops us from moving forward. We imagine how bad something is going to be before we even start. Often the discomfort we fear is far less than reality once we actually BEGIN a task.

3. Practice. Practice. Practice. The more you practice and experience your discomfort, the more comfortable you get! It's not that the discomfort goes away or even gets less, you just get used to it and learn how to manage it. One of my least and most favorite exercises is push-ups. They are great because they are so efficient and maximize lots of muscle groups, but as you know they are killer. However, I've been doing them long enough now to know what it's going to feel like by the time I hit 25 or 30 in a set. It's still a lot of effort, but I know what to expect and know how to manage the discomfort because I have practiced doing it.

4. Tap into your maturity. There are a lot of things that aren't so fun about being a grown up, but one of the great benefits is maturity. We know there are certain things we must do to live successful, healthy and prosperous lives. We know we must brush our teeth in order to avoid cavaties, so we do it. We know we need to wear mittens when it's cold outside to keep our hands warm, so we do it. Unlike children who do not or cannot always grasp the implications of their choices, we can. It takes a certain level of maturity to do those things which are uncomfortable, but you are an adult, you CAN do it.

5. Remember, you are not alone. EVERYONE has their battles to fight. Sometimes we look to the left or to the right and think other people have it easier than we do. "Oh, she's just a whiz at marketing." No, she probably spent a lot of time learning about marketing. "Oh, she's just naturally thin." No, she probably watches what she's eats and works out regularly.

6. If you fall down, get back up. Ok, so you've screwed up. You blew off your blog post for the week, you didn't follow up on an important lead, you spent the money that was suppose to go towards your next training class on a spa day. Fix it if you can and move on. It is not the end of the world to take a step or two in the wrong direction. What matters more is your ability to get back on track quickly.  Otherwise, that one time absence from your networking group could turn into two or three and the next thing you know, you are not going at all.

Finally, the biggest tip I can give you for facing your challenges is to GET SUPPORT. Whether you just need a girlfriend who will listen to you moan and groan and then tell you to get on with things, or you need something more. A great source of support is an accountabilty buddy, someone who is trying to do the same kinds of things you are, who can empathize, chear you on and, of course, keep you accountable. This is especially true for women as we are such social and interactive creatures.

Whether your dream is to have a thriving business or buns of steel, don't let a silly little thing like discomfort get in your way.  You CAN achieve your goals, but you need to learn to do the things you don't want to do so you can have the things you want to have. Good luck out there. I am signing off now to shovel my drive way so I can take my kids sledding.

The Courage to Brand

My five year old daughter came home from school crying the other day. It turns out they had been learning about Martin Luther King Jr. and she was upset he had been shot. After consoling her, we talked about how courageous King had been. Of course, my daughter was too young to understand why it took courage for King to speak his mind. However, as adults we know the huge amount of courage King had to possess to espouse his dream of hope and equality for all people. 

Courage can be defined as “the ability to face danger, difficulty, uncertainty, or pain without being overcome by fear or being deflected from a chosen course of action.” I love the part about “without being deflected from a chosen course of action.” King knew the danger he was in by continuing his vocal campaign, but he kept on because he believed in the power of his message. He knew there were people who needed him to be their voice.

Having a strong personal brand also takes courage. When you brand, you take a stand. You do not endorse all things, all ways of thinking and all courses of action. You are discriminating, choosing only those things which have meaning and value to YOU. As result, there may be people who feel left out or even threatened by your brand. This can be a scary feeling. However, the one thing you must remember is there is a specific group of people who want and NEED what you have to offer.

Think about this quote “Even a 4^th grader is a god to a 3^rd grader.”  If you have knowledge or expertise in a certain area, there are people who need you. Whether they want advice on how to discipline their kids, how to lose weight, or how to get their finances in order, people are all looking for someone to lead and guide them.  The key is to remember everyone is different. Some people want a gentle, nurturing approach and others want a firm push. Some people respond to fringe philosophies and others want traditional methods.  However, they will never find the help you are uniquely qualified to give if they cannot FIND OR HEAR YOUR MESSAGE. You must have a STRONG VOICE AND PRESENCE in the marketplace.

Where would we be now without Martin Luther King Jr.? What if he had kept his message to himself? The world needs your message too. So be bold and find your courage. Take a stand and be your brand!

Can you pass the Kleenex test?

As it is winter now, it is also cold and flu season so there is a lot of coughing, sneezing and sniffling going on out there. One thing you will probably need to stock up on is your supply of Kleenex. Notice I did not say tissues. I said Kleenex. I have to confess that I didn't even know tissues were called tissues until I was an adult. My whole life growing up I thought those things you blew your nose into were Kneenex. I had no idea Kleenex was a brand name. I thought it was a noun. In my mind Kleenex is synonymous with tissues, they are one in the same. Now that is some powerful branding!

Another example of this pheneomon is Coke. There are many places in the country where people call all cola drinks Coke whether they are actually drinking a Coke or a Pepsi or anything else. Coke is coke. It almost makes you feel sorry for the other guys. Their brands don't even really exist in those circumstances.

As a brand, you do not want to be lost in the shadow of another brand either. You want to stand out and be recognized. YOU want to be the Kleenex or Coke of your field. In order to do so, you must be so strongly associated with your brand that when a customer is in the market for your product or service type, the most obvious choice would HAVE to be YOU. How do you achieve that status?

First, you must have CLARITY. You must be very clear about what it is you stand for, what it is you have to offer and what it is that makes you unique. And then you must let everyone out there know those things as well. You cannot be your own best kept secret!

Secondly, you must have FOCUS. As a brand, breadth is not your friend. You do not want to be known for copying writing, accounting and graphic design. Coke is known for basically two things, Coke and Diet Coke, period. Any time they have tried to veer from those two main products, they have met with resistance. Even changing the look of their can or bottle slightly has not gone over well.

Finally, you must have CONSTANCY. You must become like Old Faithful. You must consistently and constantly put your message and your service out there for your audience to remember you and rely on you. We live in a very busy, distracted world. If you do not have a constant presence in the eye of your ideal clients, you will quickly be forgotten no matter how good your offerings are.

The goal is to become like Kleenex. You want to be so strongly associated with the product or service you offer that your brand becomes one and the same with that service. Coke=coke, Kleenex=tissue, Your Name=Your Service. Even though it can be cold out there, you can be warmed by the idea of connecting with your target audience.  So ask yourself, how strong is my brand presence today? Am I a tissue or am I a Kleenex?

If you'd like more information about how to find CLARITY and FOCUS with your personal branding to attract more of your ideal clients, you can call me, Heather, at (781) 369-5063  or email me at heather@clearvoicebranding.com to set up a FREE Brand Discovery Call to see how we can make your personal brand take center stage.

I love feedback. If you have any thoughts or comments please share them.  You can also connect with me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ClearVoiceBranding or Twitter at www.twitter.com/HeatherPoduska for more branding and business building tips and information.

Plan for success

As the new year starts, our heads are full with resolutions of looking better, feeling better and being better. Imagining how we are going to look when we drop those nagging 20 pounds or how great we will feel when we finally get our home office cleaned out and organized, we are filled with energy and enthusiasm. However, come March we look back at the previous two months and wonder what happened? We are still hanging on to our not-so-beloved love handles and our home offices still look like a tornado passed through. What happened to all our good intentions?

Now I am a tried and true believer in the power of intentions, but having a clear intention is only half the equation to reaching your goals. Most of us have very clear ideas of what we'd like to see happen in the new year (usually, that clarity has something to do with a size 6 dress!), but something gets lost in the actual manifesting of the vision. The problem usually lies in not having a clearly laid out PLAN to follow outlining all the necessary steps to actually achieve your goal.

When I was singing with the opera company, before every show we would have a tech rehearsal. This was a rehearsal with little to no singing. Instead it was meant to walk through the entire opera, practicing the blocking, making sure the lighting cues were right and generally working out all the technical bits so that opening night would run smoothly. In all honestly, I don't think most singers like tech rehearsals. We'd rather be singing! However, without careful planning things can go very wrong.

Just like singers who'd rather be singing, passionate entrepreneurs would rather be jumping into their work rather than planning and practicing. However, do not underestimate the power of proper planning. With a good plan in place you know exactly what you should be doing and when you should be doing it. Having a plan keeps you on track and more importantly, keeps you accountable. Here are a few tips to creating a winning plan:

1. Put your goals in writing. There is a big difference between thinking in your head that you are going to do something and seeing your goal down on paper. When you write it, it becomes much more concrete.

2. Define your tasks. You must know what you need to DO to achieve your goal. If your goal is to lose 20 pounds, your tasks might include buying new sneakers, clearing out the junk food from your pantry or picking up the class schedule from your local gym.

3. Schedule everything! I know for some people the idea of scheduling everything seems very confining, but if you do, you will find you actually have MORE time instead of less. You will procrastinate less and use your time more efficiently if you have specific, set times to do your tasks. You will also use up less psychic energy as you will not find yourself  wondering what do to at a given moment. You will know because it is on your calendar.

4. Set smaller milestones. If your home office truly is a disaster it may seem overwhelming to imagine trying to clean the whole thing. Instead, you can break your efforts into chunks. Perhaps one milestone would be cleaning out one file drawer or clearing your desk top. Once you complete these smaller milestone you will feel more motivated to continue.

As you look at the year ahead and you heart and mind are full of good intentions, give yourself a jump start with a good plan. If you do, when December rolls around again you will be enjoying the fruits of your efforts instead of regretting the time you wasted. Remember, planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.--Alan Lakein.

 

Rest, Reflect, Rebrand

As I'm sitting here on my sofa after much celebrating, visiting, baking, eating, and gift giving I am feeling fat, happy, relaxed and exhausted. It has been a wonderful time for our family and I feel incredibly blessed. I also feel super tired. When I asked my friends what they were doing for their holiday vacation, many were heading to the slopes for some family ski time. While the idea of heading to the slopes with my crew seems like fun in theory, the reality is I just don't have the energy. I could rally to do something more ambitious, but I know that would be a mistake. I know it's important for me and my family to rest and regroup no matter what everyone else is doing.

This is something I have learned over time. In the past I would have pushed myself to do something more. After all, other people are doing more, or so it seems from the outside. However, I've learned at this point that in order for me to enjoy my life and my work I have to respect my own boundaries. If I don't take the time to recharge my batteries I know my mood and creativity will plummet and ultimately, so will my productivity.

If you work out at all, you know one of the best and most efficient ways to get a great work out is to do interval training. This is where you mix moderate activity with spurts of intense output. It's actually way more efficient than a constant steady state of excursion. The same is true for working. If you just constantly push yourself without refilling your well, you actually are less efficient than if you can alternate your high intensity efforts with rest.

In addition to recharging your energy, it's important to take the time to reconnect with yourself. If you are not operating from your core or your center, you can also start to lose your feeling of being grounded. I know for myself this manifests as a feeling of being on edge. I lose a sense of calm and focus. In terms of branding, when you lose touch with yourself your brand also suffers. What is at your core is what makes you and your brand unique. If you are depleted, more than likely you are not expressing your personal brand in the strongest, more effective and authentic way.

So, in this holiday no-man's-land before New Years, take a little time to rest, relax, recharge, and re-brand, not to change your brand, but to revisit and strengthen your existing personal brand. If you do, you will start the New Year with vigor and a strong platform from which to spring into your next adventure. As for me, I know my couch time is valuable and the slopes will be waiting for me when I'm ready.

 

 

Take the Leap

During this busy holiday season it is easy to start feeling stressed and tired. We are running around here and there shopping, going to parties, wrapping presents and sending out cards to our friends and family. Although it is a joyous season, it is easy to get overwhelmed. There are just so many things to do and places to go. Inspite of the hustle and bustle though, I don't actually find the activity to be the thing that wears me out the most. Instead it is all the decision making that goes into the preparation for the season that really feels taxing. If someone just handed me a pre-made list of everything I need to buy and do before Christmas I could go on autopilot and get it done, but that's not how things work.

If you want to have a satisfying experience, you need to put some thought into what you are doing. You need to think about the people you are shopping for, what they would like and what you can afford. You need to plan the outfits for the parties you will attend. Will they be formal and require a gown or will they be hip, casual affairs where you can wear a sparkly tank top? And what about the big Christmas feast? What should you serve? Do you go with a traditional turkey or try something new? Should you serve trifle or pie for dessert? It's enough to drive a girl crazy all this decision making. The longer you sit with these questions, the heavier the load feels. The only antidote is to simply make some decisions. Once you do, you immediately start to feel lighter. The question is how do you decide?

So far I have only been talking about Christmas, but what about all the other, more important decisions you need to make in business and in life? Perhaps you are trying to decide on the right niche for your business or which new logo to put on your letterhead. Or maybe you are trying to figure out the best way to spend your marketing budget. You may go around and around in your head about the right thing to do and still end up not making a decision. Or worse, you may jump and just make a decision to get rid of the discomfort or anxiety that is welling up inside not knowing which way to go.

Here are some tips to help you with those decisions big and small:

Tip the scales. You need to weigh the pro's and con's of you decision. Take a out of piece of paper and draw a line down the middle. Put all the positive benefits of your decision on one side and all the possible negative results on the other. Then look at your paper and see which list is longer and you'll probably have your answer. One caveat to this approach, however, is that one pro or con may have a much bigger significance that will effect your decision. If, for example, you are trying to decide whether or not to wear a funky little outfit to the office holiday party, you may have lots of things in your pro column like, "It'll be more fun than a cocktail dress. I'll feel more comfortable than in high heels." However, a con might be "It may effect my professional image" which obviously carries more weight.

Look into the future, the lesson of 3's. Another great way of decision making is imagining how you will feel about your decision in the future. Take a look at the choice you are trying to make and imagine how you will feel about that decision in 3 days, 3 months or 3 years. Maybe you are trying to decide whether or not to accept a speaking engagement that conflicts with a commitment you made to volunteer at you child's school. Ask yourself, "How will I feel about that decision in 3 days, 3 months or 3 years?" What will have the bigger positive or negative impact on how you feel at those 3 time increments?  Perhaps you will feel badly about missing the volunteering for a few days, but 3 months or 3 years from now it may seem insignificant compared to the benefit of following through with the speaking gig. Or, conversely, you may wish 3 years from now that you had kept your commitment to volunteer because of how it made you feel about yourself as a parent.  Trying those times on for size can sometimes help bring those fuzzy emotions into greater clarity.

Who done it? Look to a role model. Wouldn't it be nice if someone just told us what to do? Well, sometimes that's the case. There are people who have already gone where you want to go and have done what you want to do. What choices did they make? Ask them! People love to share advice, it makes them feel good to help other people. And it can save you tons of time and money by following their lead. Are you struggling with how to handle a difficult client? Ask someone who's been in business a while how they do it? Are you unsure about the best time to hire an assistant? Ask someone who has an assistant. You can learn from other people's successes and mistakes.

LEAP! Or as Nike says, just do it. We'd all like have a crystal ball and know ahead of time just how things will turn out, but that's not possible. You can list all the pro's and con's, you can do the 3, 3, 3 exercise, you can ask for advice, but you cannot control every variable that effects the result of a  decision. Still, at some point you need to just dive in and decide. You can do your market research, but there are no guarantees. Instead of moving forward with a probable successful choice, you can end up wasting a lot of time and possible income by not really making a clear decision. Often times if you commit to a decision you can make adjustments along the way even if it was not a perfect match to start with. However, you must leap for results!

Of course, we'd all like to avoid mistakes, but if you do your due diligence your mistakes will mostly likely not be catastrophic. I heard a speaker recently referring to mistakes as "falling up." The idea is that your mistakes are gifts that teach you on your upward spiral. You learn from them and actually accelerate your success instead of being slowed down by indecision.

With the New Year just around the corner one of the best decisions I've made is to learn more and get the help and support I need to take my own business to the next level. I've made the decision and I am committed to doing it. Now I feel light, focused, energized and excited about the future. If you'd like to feel that way too, I can help. Why not make the decision to get the support you need to grow your business in the New Year? Together we can identify what makes you most profitable, identify your ideal niche and create crystal clear and compelling marketing messages. To schedule a FREE Brand Discovery Call to explore what's best for you, call me, Heather at (781) 369-5063 or email at heather@clearvoicebranding.com. You can have another year of indecision, or a year of fast growth and learning. The choice is up to you!

To learn more about Clear Voice Branding and some of my branding services, please visit the website at http://www.clearvoicebranding.com/business-services.html. You can also get lots of branding and business tips by connecting with me on Facebook www.facebook.com/ClearVoiceBranding or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/HeatherPoduska.

Regret Minimization

I recently heard this term and I love it. "Regret Minimization" It doesn't mean we won't make mistakes along the way, it means trying to make the best decisions to minimize regret. It's a little more forgiving than living without regret which I think is impossible if you are human, or at least if you are Heather Poduska, because I put my foot in my mouth more often than I'd care to think about.

However, I'd like you to think about this phrase when it comes to your business. If you are an entrepreneur, you are going to make mistakes. You are traversing new territory. Even if you are diligent and thorough there will be times when you zig when you should have zagged. It's OK! Although we'd all like to avoid those situations, the fact remains they will occur. The question is how are you going to deal with it?

When you live with regret, you live in the past. You live in a world of would-a, could-a, should-a. It is a vicious cycle. You beat yourself up, you lose confidence and you get scared about moving forward lest you make the same mistake again and risk the fear of humiliation. Even though it does sting when we have those fallible moments, and we do feel regret, it is not productive to live in that space. So how do you break the cycle?

The first thing you need to do is see your mistake as an opportunity. When you make mistakes it opens your eyes to the things you still need to learn. Sometimes you think you've conquered something and you don't even realize you are not as proficient at it as you need to be until an unexpected challenge comes your way and calls you to the mat. The mistake gives you the opportunity to take the action you need to do better the next time. This often happens with technology. There have been many times where I thought I knew what I was doing and then ended up deleting something important or accidentally sending something unfinished out into the netherworld of the web unintentionally. Live and learn.

Another thing to minimize regret is to show remorse and take action to repair the damage when you do make a mistake. We all screw up in our business sometimes, but many times those mistakes can actually be fixed or forgiven. First, you must acknowledge your error and then take real and speedy action to minimize or fix the damage. Most clients will respond well if call you own bad and take real steps towards reparation.

Most importantly, you need to forgive yourself. I know it's hard because we all want to be kind and on top of our game, but one way that helps is by vowing to do better next time. Sometimes you cannot go back and undo the deed, but you can use the knowledge from lessons learned to create better circumstances in the future. If for example, you create an unfavorable circumstance with a client and they leave, you may not be able to get that client back on good terms, but you can learn from your error and make sure you have a better experience with following clients. You pay forward your lessons.

There is no such thing as perfection when it comes to people or business. However, there is such a thing as integrity. Having integrity with yourself first and foremost makes regret minimization much easier. Living and working with integrity means knowing you are doing your best, learning from your mistakes and doing what you can to minimize or fix your mistakes so you can get on with things and start having fun again. Not having fun in you business would be something to truly regret!

 

Pop-Pop Part II-What's my Purpose?

 

 Last week I blogged about our beloved Pop-Pop who has recently suffered a heart attack. I am happy to report Pop-Pop is doing much better. He really is the miracle man. In my last blog I talked about what a good connector Pop-Pop is, how he reaches out to people and stays in touch and how we would all benefit from following his example. Actually, Pop-Pop is an incredible role model for many reasons.

As I mentioned before, Pop-Pop had to be revived three times when he had his heart attack. That means he actually died and came back three times! Afterwards the doctors had to put him in a forced coma for several days to protect his brain. I guess all that rest gave Pop-Pop a chance to think because when he finally gained consciousness one of the first things he said was "You know, I think I came back for a reason. There must be something more I need to do. I'm not sure what it is yet, but I feel like I have something left to accomplish." WOW! This is a 93 year old man who has traveled the world, met thousands of people, had a career and has had a wonderful family who cherishes him. Yet, there is still a sense that he has more do to, more to give. He still has a purpose. Pop-Pop is not yet clear what his mission at this point will be, but that's ok, we'll cut him some slack since he's just come out of a coma and all.

I feel we are all here for a purpose. Our job is to figure out what that purpose is. We all come into the world with certain gifts and abilities. Living a life of purpose means using what we are given so that we can be of the best service to others. Our job is to identify, cultivate and optimize those gifts so that we can contribute. The result of contributing your unique gifts is that you start to feel significant. And there are few things as satisfying as knowing you have lived a life of significance, that you matter, that you've made a difference by participating fully in this world.

When you start to  lead a life of purpose, really cool things start to happen. Not only to you get the joy that comes from helping others, but great things start coming your way as well. In her book, The Compass of the Soul, Lynn Robinson says, "When you know your life purpose, you tap into a source of power that enables you to achieve your goals more easily and effectively. As your purpose in life evolves, you'll find yourself with more clarity, energy and abundance." I can personally attest to that. When I discovered personal branding and started helping other people grow their businesses, it felt like a huge power switch had been turned on inside of me. I started feeling very focused and had way more energy. Now I can't wait to wake up in the morning to see what the new day will bring.  And everyday I am drawing more wonderful people and events into my life just by doing things I already love.

You may feel that finding your life purpose is this mystical, grandiose thing that only some people achieve, but that's not true. Anyone can find their purpose. Although it does takes some work, it is not something that is out of reach for anyone. Your purpose is you. It is wrapped up in all the things that make you unique. It is not a mystical mystery,it is a process of discovery. Here are a few questions to think about to help you get started:

1. What or who do I care about?

2. What unique gifts or skills do I have?

3. How can I use my talents and experiences to touch, change, help or improve those things about which I care most deeply?

When you really reflect on those questions you will start to get your answers. Sometimes the answers come in a flash, but more often they simmer up to your awareness like slow boil. Things percolate inside you and then bubble up to the surface until one day you feel like you are really cooking. When your purpose starts to reveal itself to you, it will feel like a big "yes." Remember the "Warmer-Colder" game you played as a kid? We did it with finding our Easter baskets as kids. If one of us spied the other's basket we would give clues by saying "warmer" if our sib got closer to the basket or "colder" if they moved further away. When you are moving toward your purpose you will have a warmer feeling, it will feel right and good.  When you move away, it will feel cooler. You have a natural, internal tracking system to help you.

You don't have to have a near death experience to discover your purpose. You can wake up from your own personal coma right now and start living a life of significance.  You just have to start paying attention to and using your unique gifts. As for Pop-Pop we are all so very grateful he is still with us. He is a bright shiny light to all who know him. I can't wait to see what he does next!