Why You Suck at Business and How to Course Correct

Angel Quintana April 13, 2016

WHY YOU SUCK AT BUSINESS
AND HOW TO COURSE CORRECT

Article by Pamela Wills
Photo Credit: Halley Elefante
Magazine: Issue #36

Hint: You have to actually TRY

Lookout, I feel a rant coming on...

Oh man, I talk with far too many Artists who think that creating art is their only responsibility! I mean, can you imagine?? What about the responsibility of bringing the art to the people?? That is a very big, very serious responsibility. Not to be taken lightly. Amiright?? The question always comes down to HOW?? I mean, I'm sure you've noticed by now that it's not like, if you make it, they will come. This ain't no field of dreams, peeps, this is the real life!

Before we start working together, clients often drop little bombshells about how they've had a book published, they're represented at a gallery, they've written songs for major recording Artists, all like it's no big deal. But it's huge! Amazing! Enviable! And thoroughly well-deserved as they are all mega talented Artists.

So then, How are your sales going? I usually ask. Any marketing going on? Any PR or social media? Do you talk about those big wins at parties, ever??

Almost every time, I hear this: No, not really. I don't like talking about it. That's too scary! I'm sure you can guess how many times I say this: If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, well then... Listen, I get that many of us are kind of left high and dry on the learning curve when it comes to technology and social media and all that.

But there is no excuse for hiding behind your art. There is no excuse for refusing to share your gifts with the world. There is no excuse for letting your fear of judgement get the best of you and keep you from talking about your work.

Am I saying you have to bore people with endless diatribes about your creative process? NO, please no! Am I suggesting that you explain at length the many ways that you've been screwed over by this or that agent or gallery? Are you kidding me, have we MET? No. I AM saying that if you want to gain recognition and CASH for your work, you MUST talk about it, put it out there, expose yourself to criticism and praise, accept both, realize the value of your creativity, charge what your work is worth, talk about it talk about it talk about it talk about it (to the rhythm of Funkytown if you please).

Are you with me??

Good. Rant over.

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The Secret to Finding the Best Mentor

Angel Quintana November 6, 2015

THE SECRET TO FINDING THE BEST MENTOR
{The Ultimate Success Strategies}

Article by Marinna Rose
Photo Credit: Dasha & Mari
Magazine: Issue #30

If you have read the book “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill, then you know the importance he places on mentoring. Napoleon’s conclusion was that, if you want to grow beyond where you are presently in any area of your life, mentoring is a must to proceed in a timely fashion.

I cannot stress enough to you how important mentorship is. Once I made the decision to take action and hire a mentor, my life changed tremendously, as if all-of-a-sudden I was in the flow with the Universe for the first time; we were in sync and synchronicities became a norm in my life…Keep reading if you want the secret, it’s not all about the mentor…

There are many factors that Napoleon mentions on importance of mentorship, but I want to address the top 3 Success Strategies:

Success Strategy 1| Always Listen to your IGS
IGS stands for Internal Guidance System. Simply put, your gut instinct or your intuition. This needs to become your #1 mentor before any other mentor in your life. Being able to respect your mentor’s teachings, yet being able to discern what is best for you in the end. Using your IGS is imperative to your success and moving forward. Being able to tap into this innate knowledge of your soul is one of the more important strategies you should use in everything you do.

Success Strategy 2| Hire a Mentor that Values Himself or Herself
Remember you are hiring a mentor to emulate their energy, their values, and their genius. If your mentor is not currently valuing himself or herself by asking what they are worth, then how do you expect to ask for what you are worth? If the person that is guiding you has a hard time doing it, then you might want to ask yourself if they are the right mentor for you.

There are a lot of mentors that are still having a hard time valuing themselves and what they have to offer. This becomes contagious and you may find it hard to value yourself or your work for your mentor will be guiding you from a place of lack.

When you are unable to see your worth than the world does not see it either.

Hire someone that has a good sense of value, self love and self-worth. You can always learn other pieces you need from others, but this one is something that can not be learned it has to be cracked open and only a great mentor can guide your inner self-worth out to shine to the world. After that everything starts falling into place.

Success Strategy 3| Making Authenticity your Mantra
There are a lot of mentors out there that are not authentic. They may put on a face that they are at first, until you find out that their whole program was someone else’s, just tweaked to use as their own.

Do your research on the mentors you want to work with. Start with connecting to your own IGS and see what it tells you- you know your first instinct is usually correct. When you feel that uneasy feeling when someone talks about something… This is your IGS in overdrive screaming run the other way!

Authenticity is key. This will be the key to your own success in life and business and it is key in finding the perfect mentor.

When they are not connecting with you at your level and come off as too perfect, they are inauthentic. They are not confident in what they do, so they can’t be authentic. When a mentor is confident in who they are and what they do there is no need for them to be inauthentic. They simply know that by being their authentic true selves, what needs to be said and created will be.

As you can see, these 3 Success Strategies are not just for hiring a mentor, they are also success strategies to live by on a daily basis.

I want to leave you with one last thought… You are the best mentor that money can by. You know your needs better than anyone else, no matter their education or experience. Always trust your IGS, but be open to mentorship, for it is a must to take you beyond your comfort zone- and this is where the magic happens!

Here’s to YOU, the best mentor you can find and being open to the magic of what unfolds by working with the right mentor.

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3 Keys to Owning Your Niche

Angel Quintana August 10, 2015

3 KEYS TO OWNING YOUR NICHE
{and Being a Badass Entrepreneur}

Article by Marinna Rose
Photo Credit: Nancy Schoenmakers
Magazine: Issue #27

When someone asks me the fastest way to discover his or her Highest Self, I tell them start your own business. Become the biggest badass entrepreneur out there in your niche!

Yes, you heard me, I did not say go work with some Guru, or meditate for two weeks in silence, or do a 30 day cleanse…I said “Become a badass Entrepreneur.” It sounds so simple doesn’t it? Well, it is. Put one foot in front of the other, it’s that simple.

The secret benefit to being a “Badass Entrepreneur” is that it is the fastest express train to your Highest Self! The self-discovery process you will go through is the most life changing experience you will likely ever have.

Below are some Keys to show you how to unlock this Secret!

Key #1- Discover Your Purpose.

What are you passionate about?
What are you so good at it feels like you are not even thinking about it when you’re doing it?
What comes so naturally to you, but to other’s it’s difficult?
Now take some action! How can you turn your passion into your business?

The key to becoming a “Badass Entrepreneur” starts with unleashing the fire burning within. You must love what you do as an entrepreneur or you will fail just out of the gate. Also, that is the whole reason you take this path, to be able to do what you love!

Key #2-When your business is not succeeding, do not look at everyone and everything on the outside …

You must seek within when you are recognizing issues arising in your business. You can try to blame this person, that technology, this copy etc, but until you can look at YOU, your business is going nowhere.
When your business is not succeeding it is the literal mirror of your soul.

Key #3- Resolving issues of Value

When your clients are not willing to pay the value you are asking for your services, you must look within and ask “How do I value myself?”
Look at your life. Evaluate how you treat yourself. Do you treat yourself to extra things, massages, pedicures, house cleaners, yoga class etc… Or are you the type of person that always passes over yourself and allows others to benefit for example: Husbands, children. If you are like so many of us and find yourself saying, “Hmmm yeah, I actually always spend the money on them first because I don’t really need it.” Think about the energy that comes from you doing that…are they are worth more than you? I think not, than why are your actions reinforcing this imbalanced value?
For women especially “value” is the biggest issue I see over and over, like a broken record. As women we were instilled to care for others first and go without. Men suffer much less from this issue because society up until now has supported the value in the masculine. It is just now coming into balance-thank goodness! But we woman still have a lot of layers to peel away first.

When you dive into the big deep ocean of “Entrepreneurship” you will be surrounded by some highly introspective like-minded individuals feeling more supported, more crazy, having more questions about life than you ever imagined!

Think about the result you have from diving into this ocean. Not only do you find yourself on the express train to your highest self, you find yourself helping others at the same time!

I look at it as the best prescription the doctor could ever give you as medicine when you have a visit. You need to be prescribed some “Badass Entrepreneur”, be sure to follow the instructions on the bottle:

Do not stop taking this pill no matter how bad it makes you feel, just give it some time. It will feel bad, sometimes even real bad and you will question why you are continuing. Trust me it gets better if you persevere.
Do not keep adding more pills onto this like more certifications, more skills, just K.I.S.S. Keep it Simple Sweetie. Don’t complicate things or else the prescription won’t work. You must allow it to stand-alone and trust in it’s power!
Don’t start questioning the power of the pill when you start looking around and no one else is taking the same pill as you. This is what you want, you must stand out and be the black sheep in your business or you will not be seen and you need to be seen to have success!
If you know anyone else that can benefit from this pill, please recommend to the best Doctor that will prescribe them the same “Badass Entrepreneur Pills.”

Here’s to getting some “Badass Entrepreneur Pills.”

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3 Success Strategies to Get Your Power Back & Become Present

Angel Quintana June 8, 2015

3 SUCCESS STRATEGIES TO GET YOUR
POWER BACK & BECOME PRESENT

Article by Marinna Rose
Photo Credit: Mariana Garcia
Magazine: Issue #25

Your Power resides within you always in every moment. We sometimes think it can be found from somewhere else, outside of ourselves. The more we seek, the further away we get from our birth given power. The more present we allow ourselves to be the closer we attune back to our power. I have given 3 very powerful, yet simple strategies for you to take this power back and become present.

Success Strategy #1: Become Consciously Aware

Conscious Awareness is the Key that can unlock the door to long lasting change in your life! The pre-step is awareness that allows you to see and feel your consciousness.

Consciousness is omnipresent, which means it is present everywhere, all the time. You are Consciousness and it is up to you to become aware by being here on earth. To what degree you become aware is up to you!

Combining Awareness and Consciousness is when you allow yourself to really feel the sensations that resonate throughout your physical body. Follow these suggestions below:

• To become more aware, try turning off the tv, radio, leave all distractions and go out side. Take in the smell of the air, listen to the beautiful tunes that the birds are singing. Maybe even try to see if you can figure out the kind if bird just from it’s tune. Just take it all in and be one with nature.

• Try the Om Meditation. This is when you say Ommm as you exhale during your meditation. You use your natural voice to vibrate throughout your body. As you continue you will feel your whole body begin to vibrate. Then your ears will pop, this is a sign of your frequency being raised! Talk about tuning in and becoming more present!

“Many of our ideas and beliefs about ourselves, and the world are so deeply ingrained that we are unaware that they are beliefs and take them, without question, for the absolute truth.” - Rupert Spira

Success Strategy #2: Acceptance

Being able to understand to your core that where you are is perfectly where you should be in this moment is the key to Acceptance.

Acceptance for me is finding the sweet spot between Pursuing and Allowing. When we are pursuing, hitting the road hard for what we “want” in the future, we are unable to be happy and find peace in the present moment. The present moment is all that exists, so how are we going to create what we “want” in the future if we are not happy and in acceptance now?

Being in the state of allowing is wonderful and in the rhythm of nature, but you must stay in awareness and take action when the opportunity presents itself.

The perfect harmony here is the keynote between pursuing and allowing!

To arrive in the frequency of Acceptance follow these suggestions below:

• Write down where you are in your life right now, really think about it and use Conscious Awareness. Now, accept it, in your heart, give yourself the acceptance and unconditional love you deserve.

• Everyday write in your journal one thing that you feel you are in total acceptance of. Everyday you must seek and find one more, even if it is something really small. You will create momentum into full blown acceptance!

“By accepting what is, you become bigger than what is.” - Eckhart Tolle

Success Strategy #3: Practicing gratitude

There is nothing more direct to allow you to become present than being in Gratitude! When you are practicing Gratitude you are able to see the blessings in every situation in life. It is one of the highest frequencies that you can resonate to.

We all have something to be grateful for. Try these suggestions and see how quickly your life changes!

• What are you grateful for? Write down 3 things that you are grateful for right now.

• Start a gratitude Journal, a place where every evening you write down the things that you have been grateful for or that have made you happy throughout the day. This practice allows you to be mindful of all of the wonderful things the universe is giving you, and manifest even more in your life.

• Now Create 10 affirmations of what you are grateful for that are very specific to you. Remember, they need to feel real in your body and soul or you won’t believe them, and will be mentally and spiritually resisting the very thing you are trying to create! So if you have to start with very simple affirmations, then that is where you start.

“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” - Melody Beattie

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Taking Control of Your Own Success

Angel Quintana April 6, 2015

TAKING CONTROL OF YOUR OWN SUCCESS

Article by Cinthia Singleton
Photo Credit: Angel Quintana
Magazine: Issue #23

To be an expert in a specific area of study or field. To gain the utmost respect and receive oodles of recognition. We all want it. Well, let’s do it!

1 :: Don’t wait but DO. Actually get that paint, brush, canvas… the still life… and paint. You want to have your own business? What are you good at and what are the steps to take to actually start it. If you’re not doing, research those in the know.

2 :: Expect to try, don’t except to be perfect. The City Ballet dancers didn’t just roll out of bed to amaze us. They struggled, each and every day, to perfect. It’s a verb not an adjective; so much of mastery is.

3 :: Attendance is 90% of the struggle. If you find yourself saying, “I would love to write,” you’re not. 30 minutes of fully engaged writing is far more ‘present’ than 2 hours of talking about it. Outline that novel or short story. Push the words out of your head and onto the page or screen. Be the verb.

4 :: Assume no one but you can really help YOU, i.e. “attend” as in 3. But rest assured that their are others who’ve either 1. been where you are, 2. can inspire you to find your way. Meet those people. Read their books. Listen to their Ted Talks. So much inspiration comes from those who’ve been there and pushed through it.

5 :: The more you learn, the more you learn but the more you combine and blend, the more you learn how creative you truly are. THAT is a master, one who can craft the present gifts and be fluid as new ones evolve. Start out making soaps, discover a product that would be amazing for a body scrub… and a new line is added to your products.

6 :: The element of fluidity IS when we truly become masters of our, well, mastery of whatever it is we work so hard to achieve.

So enjoy the chase. Would you do what you’re doing for free? If yes, you are on the right track. True, money is a vital energy we need to survive, but it’s not the best motivator. See, the energy of MONEY best translates as a tool. We work hard, we get paid. We get paid, we can pay for [rent, clothes, car, food, trips, etc]. If not used as the tool that it is, money creates things that lack soul and are inauthentic to you.

“Success is liking yourself, liking what you do and liking how you do it.” Maya Angelou

You and the gifts you master are the footprint of YOU. Be true. Be brave. Savor it.

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Pitch Your Next Big Idea in 30 Seconds or Less

Angel Quintana February 23, 2015

PITCH YOUR NEXT BIG IDEA IN 30 SECONDS OR LESS

Article by Marlo Wright
Photo Credit: Mike Nguyen
Magazine: Issue #22

A 30 second elevator pitch is a brief introduction about you and your business. It should make people want to know more about your services/products.

It's not about promotion… but it is! There's a way to promote what you're doing without appearing as such. People will forget the first thing you said if you say too much.

Struggling to stay within in 30seconds means you haven't put much thought on how to be concise in talking about your business. Business is short sound bites that attract attention.

Once you've considered all these things, and developed your pitch it's time to PRACTICE!!!!! Time yourself. Practice in the mirror, with expression, inflection in your voice, and gestures you make.

{ If there are multiple things you do, sometimes it can make you sound flighty -- not that there are many people doing multiple things i.e. Richard Branson, but it’s best to use terms like conglomerate, corporation, company etc to talk about the depth of what you do.}

It's for sure not the time to promote events you have going on.

Imagine if you bumped into a potential investor, and just before you got on the elevator they asked what you do… but are on their way to a meeting. What would you say?

Could you captivate them so when the doors open, they hand you a card and say, I want to hear more, call my assistant. Setup a meeting!

Confidence or lack there of, can make or break your business. I recommend a toastmasters group. A lot of people talk to be talking. I learned a lot about concise speaking when I was on the circuit for radio interviews for one of my books. There’s no time to belabor points.

{When I interviewed for the Michael Baisden radio show - a once nationally syndicated radio show, my interview was 2min 30seconds! Could you have done it???}

Are you able to articulate what you do? Or do you just use a bunch of filler words?? We use twice as many words as men. Think about speaking to a man, get to the point. The more you practice, the easier it will come.

Speaking intelligibly about your business is nothing more than knowing what you know. Getting to the point of what you know. And allowing others to hear about what you know. A mini showcase.

Next time the spot light is on you, will you look polished? Or uncertain about your own business? If you're uncertain about your business, then why would I want to do business with you?

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How to Be An Inspirational Mentor

Angel Quintana February 20, 2015

HOW TO BE AN INSPIRATIONAL MENTOR

Article by Darlene Dunn
Photo Credit: Angel Quintana
Magazine: Issue #22

As entrepreneurs we can all point to the one or two main people who we watch to see their business grow, listen to what they say, and gain inspiration. But how many of us actually stop to think that we are ‘those one or two main people’ to someone else?

It doesn’t matter where you are in your entrepreneurial journey, there will always be someone who looks at you and thinks, ‘wow, I would love to be able to do that’ or ‘she’s so successful’. This is why we should all consider having a mentor- someone who stretches us and inspires us to be ‘more’. And also to be a mentor to someone- to be the one who stretches someone else, who inspires someone else!

I am not just speaking about peer to peer but take a minute to think about the young people who follow you on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc. Many of them have aspirations and dreams and they gain inspiration from you. You have a unique opportunity to directly and indirectly influence the lives of young people - let them see:

Someone reaching for their dreams,
Someone standing with integrity
Someone who’s words match their actions
Someone who is a role model

Let them see YOU!

Youth today are so connected via social media that we have many opportunities to encourage and influence them to make a difference, to step out in faith and believe in themselves.

How to Make Your Business Stand Out in a Saturated Market

Angel Quintana February 2, 2015

HOW TO MAKE YOUR BUSINESS STAND OUT IN A SATURATED MARKET

Article by Angel Quintana
Photo Credit: Dasha & Mari
Magazine: Issue #21

Angel, I have been a blogger since 2007. I've had some fun experiences and some financial success but a girl can't live on skin care samples alone. The market is saturated with fashion/beauty blogs now and I am struggling to make a consistent income. I'm not sure which direction to take to make a higher income. I'm not a trained personal stylist or makeup artist, I'm a busy mom who loves to look her best. What service do I offer that is useful and desired by other women? I need to get clear and get this in the works.
Many thanks for your input!
xx,
Tammy Gibson
Nude Member, The Club

Great question Tammy! It’s a question I think a lot of entrepreneurs and bloggers out there would love to know. So here are are some tips to hopefully set you on the right path:

Determine the Urgent Problem You Solve
1| The first thing to consider is what Urgent Problem do you know how to solve? You mentioned you are a busy mom who loves to look her best, I could probably guess there are a zillion of those women out there searching Google right now trying to find a solution to their rut. Embody their pain and figure out in their own language what is keep them up at night.

Create a Niche
2| Finding a niche is neither here nor there. How you really find your niche is to create one. The next thing to determine to find your niche is to figure out what part of the industry do you fit best in. You mentioned fashion/beauty blogs, but perhaps the real problem you solve is much different. I like to refer to this as the “root problem”. Create a niche and go deep with it.

Gateway vs Root
3| Once you know what root problem you solve, it’s time to step into the pain of your ideal client by understanding what “they think” their problem is. Many of those fashion/beauty blogs are selling “gateway problem” solutions, but you and I (and the rest of the Holistic Fashionista villa) know that the real problem is much deeper than anything you wear or put on your skin. It’s imperative you know what “gateway problem” you will lead with to bring them to your front door (aka: your website), but it’s the root problem that will take their pain away.

Develop Stellar Products/Programs
4| Now that you know what urgent problem you solve, you’ve created your niche, and know the gateway problem to bring them to you, and your holistic solution (or your root problem), you’re now ready to put together your products/programs to support your ideal customer. Putting together your products/programs can be tricky, because you’ve got a lot of skills, expertise, and qualifications— it can be tough determining how to cohesively communicate and organize your skill set into a system that solves the problem. Take your time with developing your products/program— it’s paramount to your success.

The bottom line is to forget about your competition and start focusing on what makes you different. Get your audience to trust you by delivering them rich content each week on your blog that gives solutions to the gateway problem, but always encourage them to take the next step to solve that problem for good! That’s where the money is.

Why You Suck at Business and How to Course Correct