What are you creating this week? When I was writing my book, I would encounter what Steven Pressfield referred to in his book The War of Art as “The Resistance”. We all feel it when we are trying something new. We ask, will it work? When will I find the time? If it is something we are passionate about, we will persevere.

So whatever it is..you can do it. If it’s time for a change in your life or career, do some journaling and dreaming about what you want your life to look like. Put yourself in the future and feel what it would be like to be in the situation you have imagined. What are you doing, who are you being?  Let’s have a conversation, I would love to speak with you about your next adventures.  Just click on my calendar here:  www.bit.ly/JoyfulCareer

When was the last time you laughed, danced, or sang?

I feel like life has been so serious lately.

There are a lot of things going on in the world over which we have no control at the moment.

Laughing, dancing and singing can help ease stress and help us relax.

We also have control over:

*Our own home environment

When I feel stressed, I clean the house and organize, (past the normal day to day), more like Marie Kondo.

* Surrounding ourselves with people who can lift us up

Some times a phone call with people we love can be so uplifting.
* Prayer and spiritual practice

Our faith can help us through challenges and we can be thankful for so many blessings.

* The way we talk to ourselves

Being aware of this can help us keep a positive outlook.

* Enjoying nature

There is something refreshing and peaceful about being outdoors. I am a tree lover.

When it comes to thinking about joy in your career, if you would like to have a conversation about reconnecting with your joy and finding out your next career move, here is a link to my calendar, I would love to speak with you!

www.bit.ly/JoyfulCareer

We all tend to be a bit perfectionistic at times, some more than others. When “good enough” is good enough, we can let it be. I think it will save us a lot of time in the long run. What do you think?

1. Take some time to relax this week and think about what you would like to accomplish.  Do some dreaming and let your imagination run wild!
2. Make a list of all the things you want to accomplish.
3. Plan in manageable chunks. For instance, make a quarterly plan for the year and list the main points along with the tasks that you need to get each of them done. Then you will have a plan and know which things you have to do and which you can delegate.
4. If you would like to talk about planning in your personal and professional life, I am always available to help you get it done. You can find a time to talk here at:www.bit.ly/JoyfulCareer 
   

Remember to Choose Joy and Take Action!

Are you ready?  November is here. What do you want your holidays to look like this year?

If you plan now, it will happen.

First, figure out what is most important and go for that. It may be very different from the crowd. You may be alone or with friends or relatives. Maybe you are Skyping or Face Timing or a combination of both gathering in person and online.

Here are some ways to make your holidays easier:

*Prepare as much food ahead of time as possible so you will have more time to visit.

*Decorations can be simple or made with the kids.

*Christmas is a time for gifts but also think about experiences or maybe someone’s favorite magazine so they can have Christmas all year round.

I prefer to go for simplicity during the holidays.
If you are experiencing overwhelm at home or in your career, please get in touch and let’s make a plan to make this your best holiday season ever. You can write to me at maria@marialuchsinger.com or go to www.bit.ly/JoyfulCareer to find a time to talk.

Have a wonderful holiday season! I am thankful for you.

Do you hear nagging voices from people who have been in your life and they are still bothering you?  This could be a family member, a teacher, or friend who may have meant well but really affected you and your everyday functioning over the long term. When you are about to make an important decision, do these memories keep you from doing what you know is the right thing?

Some times people tell us things that make a lasting impact on us. They go on with their lives never realizing that they have made an impression on us that could be affecting our lives in such a profound way. I want to offer you a way to release yourself from the grip of what they may have said to you that is holding you back. When I work with people in my programs, this is one area that we address to get them back in touch with their joy.

If you would like to experience release from sabatoging thoughts and memories, I want to offer you my Joy Restoration Experience for $97.  We will have a conversation and go through a process to release those thoughts that are holding you back once and for all.

Just send me an email at Maria@marialuchsinger.com and we will set up a time for you. Or call me at 206-271-0497. I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Last week I was talking about getting maximum conversion from posting on Social Media. This involved the three steps of engagement, connection, and going offline to have conversations. Once you have made those connections, it is imperative to keep in touch with those leads and customers.

If you don’t, the best way is to organize a follow up system that you enjoy that works for you. Otherwise, you won’t do it. You also might want to refine the one you already have. Whether you are using a Basic Excel Spreadsheet, or one of the many customer management systems out there, it’s a good idea to have a daily list of people to follow up with. As soon as you speak with someone, schedule the next interaction on your calendar.

If they are not available to you now, ask them when a good time in the future would be to have a conversation and put that date on your calendar. If you do this systematically, you will always have people to talk with every day.  Do you need to send them a piece of content that speaks to the issue they are struggling with? This makes you more valuable to your customers as well.

The continual process of following up will bring you more business than you have imagined. People love to see that you care and when they do, you stand out prominently among the many people and situations that are tugging at their attention every day!

There are so many social media platforms that it is hard to keep up with them. Have you heard about the latest one? I get asked that all the time. Do you have time to be on all of the social media platforms? If you have a social media manager, then of course you do! What if you are a small business owner or a solopreneur, how do you become most effective at your social media strategy?

It really comes down to knowing where your ideal clients are and how to deliver content that speaks directly to them. Once you have determined where they are, you need to be a consistent presence on the platform. It is much better to maintain consistency on one or two platforms instead of trying to randomly show up on all of them. You can schedule your posts to the social media platforms you need all in one place for free at Latelysocial.com. If you need more bandwidth, they do have paid plans. I like it because I can post my videos straight to Instagram from there.

In order to reach your client in the best way, I recommend what I call the ECO formula which stands for Engage, Connect, Offline conversation. This makes it easy to remember what stage you are in with your customers.  So engagement involves commenting and carrying on conversation on the platform. Connecting would involve a side conversation with a direct message and that nurture sequence you have after they initially contact you or sign up for your free offer.

Offline conversation is where you decide to meet to further discuss the ideas that you have whether in person or on a virtual platform. That offline conversation can be nurtured further with follow up calls, meetings and even physical cards or gifts depending on the stage of the relationship.

Offline conversations may lead to new partnerships and collaborations as well as new business, so it is a good idea to show up consistently on the platforms where your prospective clients are present. Relationships are the currency of the day, so the better we connect with our tribe, the more we will see results in our business.

If you would like to talk about how to boost your business through social media or other avenues, I invite you to have a conversation here at: www.bit.ly/JoyfulCareer.

Today, I want to pay tribute to those who gave their lives for our country. I also want to say thank you to those who are serving right now in the armed forces along with their families to keep us safe. My father was a young man in the Air Force when he met my mother and that is why I can write this message to you at the end of my birthday week. (I think one day is not enough.)

As we approach the second half of 2021, I want to ask you two questions about your business. Have you reached the income goals you set for yourself? What are you doing to make your business visible to your market? I have answers to these questions.

First, visibility is really key right now when there are even more people working online. I have been so impressed by the Blitzr.com platform that I am moving all networking for my Joyful Career Design Facebook Group there. The great thing is that you can speak in real time with potential clients and then follow up right there on that platform so you don’t have to waste time making notes. You have the opportunity to find clients and collaboration partners.

Next, I am excited to tell you that during the month of May I have been launching my new program called Find Clients Fast. Using my 4M Framework you will get your business aligned with your favorite clients, the ones you love to work with! A bonus called 50 Ways to Find Clients will give you an immediate boost. Three months of laser coaching with me is also included to make sure you do find those clients. Go to FindClientsFast.xyz for all of the details.

How many people you cultivate a relationship with has a direct bearing on your success in whatever kind of business you are in. You never know when you will be able to help someone and they will be able to help you. A good way to be sure you are in the right flow is to give more value than the cash value of your product or service. People pay attention to that little extra amount of attention you give to them.

When you are out making contacts, be sure to use a follow up system that you like so you will continue to use it. Many people have Customer Management Systems. You might only have a spreadsheet. If it works for you, the use it. Keep good notes on your customers for future conversations.

One of the new networking platforms I have tried recently is called Blitzr.com. It has features that allow you to sort the participants according to how interested you are in speaking with them. Then, when you are done, there is a way to have a follow up conversation right on the platform. I want to invite you to look for the Business Networking Adventure for Joyful Career Design on that Platform.

We will be having our first Blitzr meeting  on May 20^th at 6:00 p.m.  Come join in the fun!

The world was very chaotic in 2020 and it is continuing into 2021. How has your career been impacted? Many of us are working from home with our spouses and children all around us. Maybe you have lost your job and are looking for a new one while applying for unemployment benefits. (Another job all by itself.)

Now is a time of much stress but also of opportunity. Take some time to think about what you would do if there were no restrictions on you this very moment. What kind of a career path would you seek? Would it be the same one you had before all of the chaos started? Or, is there something you have been longing to do for a long time that uses your innate strengths and talents?

I would like to talk to you about exploring what that looks like for you. Do you love your traditional 9-to-5 job and you want to start another stream of income? Are you are looking for a way to leave it and need an exit plan? Are you really excited about starting your own business or writing that book you always wanted?

Let’s have a conversation about your next move. I invite you to have a Joyful Career Conversation by going to this link:  bit.ly/JoyfulCareer.

I can’t wait to hear about your plans!