Lynn Bardowski's Blog, page 5

Visionista of the Week Recap: Mommy Master® Ellie Hirsch

I was so excited to be named Visionista of the Week by speaker, writer, mentor and founder of Million Dollar Party Girl, Lynn Bardowski.  Lynn defines Visionista as ‘a woman who knows who she is, where she's going and guides her tribe of leading ladies to the top’.  Wow…this title is definitely an honor!  I was even more excited to talk with Lynn and her listeners on her radio talk show Thursday, 6/20.  My hope was to inspire women and provide them with confidence and the tools to reach their dreams by sharing my journey with Mommy Masters®.  Here is a re-cap of my interview, including a summary of the tips I shared.

I founded Mommy Masters® as a resource for parents looking to create flourishing family environments.  I offer tips, tricks, tools, reassurance and confidence in overall parental decision making.  One of my tools is “Music is Magical, Children’s Songs with Ellie”.

With Mommy Master of the Month, my goal is to encourage women and provide a platform for those who have an idea, a concept or a product that they believe will change the world.  I wanted to give back and help other women, as so many have helped me along my journey.  July submissions are now being accepted!

My vision is to provide women with the tools and confidence to master motherhood and to let moms know that they are not alone.  What I’ve learned and what I share with others:

Stop making excuses.
Be willing to work really hard.
Don’t regret the things you do, regret the things you don’t do.
Lead by example.
Don’t be afraid to fail.  If you try and fail, you have succeeded.
Have confidence.  You can do this!
Believe in yourself.
Don’t worry if you are a beginner; you have to start somewhere.
Don’t compare yourself to anyone else.
Create a support system for yourself.
Share your journey with friends and family so they can share in your success.
Don’t try and be a superhero; get a sitter or mother’s helper to lighten your load.  
Ask for help when you feel overwhelmed, tired and ready to give up.
Enjoy your journey.  Celebrate your successes.
Extend your journey; don’t stop just because you have reached your destination.

Take advantage of all my tips and listen to the full interview here.

For more great tips, tricks and tools, head to MommyMasters.com. 

Twitter: @MommyMasters

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MommyMasters

EMPOWERING YOUR INNER VISIONISTA

Interview: The Million$ Party Girl Talks on Succeeding In Business, Lighting Candles & Empowering Your Inner Visionista

republished with permission from Consumption Conversations

There is only one Million$ Party Girl…and it's Lynn Bardowski! You can meet Lynn, if you do not know her already (shocking!) at her site, www.milliondollarpartygirl.com. Lynn is an energized person who literally shines! One of Lynn's sayings that she adores is, "A candle loses none of its light by lighting another candle" and, in Lynn's case, she is certainly the embodiment of that expression. Lynn motivates. She inspires. She leads by example – with no excuses or exceptions! Who is Lynn Bardowski? Lynn is a mother. Lynn is a friend. Lynn is an award-winning author. Lynn is a motivational and inspirational speakers at scores of business events and networking galas. Lynn is a mentor. Lynn is one of the South Jersey Biz Magazine Top Women To Watch! Lynn is an entrepreneur…And she is the Million$ Party Girl!

How would you describe yourself, if you had one minute?

I describe myself as a Visionista. (Visionista is defined in my book is “A woman who knows who she is, where she’s going, and guides her tribe of leading ladies to the top.) By the way, I’m a Maxxinista too.

What is your philosophy for marketing and branding…yourself?

My philosophy is you can’t build a million dollar brand with a $10 Vision. Start with your vision, create a brand that communicates your vision and “show up” as your brand. Then, market the crap out of it.

What mistakes do you feel most people make when it comes to telling the world about their superpowers?

Ego is our kryptonite. Men are very good at telling the world about their superpowers, but make big mistakes when they use their superpowers to feed their ego. Tiger Woods and Lance Armstrong come to mind. For women, our egos work in reverse, feeding our limiting beliefs. We tend to feel pushy and see sharing our superpowers as bragging, and feel guilty about tooting our own horn. The biggest mistake women make is not letting the world know what their superpowers are. I’m on a mission to change that.

 

Now what do you feel are the biggest mistakes most BUSINESSES make when telling the world about their superpowers?

Not delivering on what is promised. If your superpower is leaping tall buildings in a single bound, you better be able to leap really high, and look good doing it. If you don’t, say you’re sorry and work hard to make it right. As a result of social media, consumers want brands to speak directly to them in “social-speak” vs. salesy marketing lingo. Domino's Pizza is a great example of this. They built a brand on fast pizza delivery. It turns out their superpower tasted pretty bad. After listening to customer feedback Dominos basically said, “My bad. Our pizza stinks.” To fix it they created an ad campaign called Pizza Turnaround that was a huge success. Consumers love it when brands share their faults and keep it real.

What is your greatest achievement as an entrepreneur?

I’m thankful and grateful I had the courage to act on my passion, follow my dreams, and more importantly, help others build theirs. That feels really great.

What is the biggest mistake you ever made as an entrepreneur?

My biggest mistake was letting my ego get in the way. When I failed, I took it personally, and let failure define my value and self-worth. It was as if failing was something that happened to me. It took me a long time to learn failing doesn’t make you a failure. Now I embrace failing as part of the success process. You can’t have one without the other.

What are the marketing and branding tips you feel are most important for entrepreneurs today, in terms of defining who they are and what they do – and making sure potential clients realize all they have to offer?

I could write a book about this. Here’s a thumbnail version. It starts with creating and communicating your vision. Vision inspires you, and others, to act. Find your niche and start to build your tribe by launching with a live event. Not everyone will “get you” or want/need what you have to offer. That’s ok. You can’t be all things, to all people. Branding is not about getting potential customers to pick you over the competition, it’s about being perceived as the only one that can solve your clients problem. Avoid the logo-in-a-box trap (no free biz cards from vistaprint please) and hire experts that will help you get your message out. When I created the Million Dollar Party Girl brand I hired a branding expert to create my logo, a lawyer to trademark it, a web designer to create my website, a PR rep to send out a press release, an editor for my book and a professional photog for a branding photo shoot.  Within a year of that process I became a #1 best-selling author, radio host, blogger, created LynnTV and Visionista U, won 3 entrepreneurship awards and I’m a sought-after speaker. If you’re the best kept secret in your field, you’re playing too small. If you need help, class is in session at Visionista U.

What is one of your favorite quotes by someone that inspired you in some way?

Amelia Earhart is one of my role models. Did you know that in addition to being an Aviator she was a professor, author and clothing designer? Amelia Earhart said, “The only way to do it, is to do it.”

What is one of your quotes that you hope inspires others?

I have to go with the title of the first chapter of my book: “You’re not who everyone thinks you are.” I hope that inspires women to connect to their passion and purpose, and step into their power.

Lynn Bardowski is an award-winning entrepreneur, best selling author, national speaker, mentor and radio show host.  For insights on entrepreneurship, leadership and vision, read her book, listen to her radio show, follow her blog and "LIKE" her Facebook page.

Salmon Fishing In The Yemen, And Other Crazy Ideas, Spawn New Biz

As my husband and I perused the on-demand movie offerings last weekend, one of the titles caught my attention – Salmon Fishing in the Yemen.  The movie, starring two Golden Globe nominated actors (Emily Blunt and Ewan McGregor), looked worthy of watching; even if salmon fishing did not particularly excite me.  I clicked purchase and found myself immersed in a story about a crazy Sheikh with a vision to bring his passion for fly fishing, which he likened to a spiritual experience, to the Yemen.  The movie, a lesson in vision, faith and perseverance – with a little PR and marketing thrown in – is an education in entrepreneurship.

Here’s why:

Vision inspires you, and others, to act. It makes the impossible, possible.  If we can put a man on the moon, surely we can find a way to bring salmon to the Middle East. Inspired by the Sheik's vision, solutions to obstacles were found by looking at unlikely answers.  When the British government said no to raiding their lakes and streams to supply the Salmon, inspiration was discovered in the freezer by the PR rep hired to sell “a good news story from the Middle East".  Salmon dinner never looked so good, and became the obvious answer to finding 10,000 ready-to-buy farm raised fish (live, of course).

Entrepreneurs need faith.  It takes a lot of faith, and a little craziness, to see what others can’t.  When asked if farm-raised salmon would swim upstream to spawn, fisheries expert Alfred Jones (Ewan McGregor), who claims to be a “numbers man” with no religion or faith, believes they will.  Why? He knows it in his gut. Having faith in your crazy idea is key to spawning new business.

Persevere, even if it means starting over.  At one point in the movie (I don’t want to ruin it in case you haven’t seen it yet), the key players are faced with a failure so great that they have to start over.  For many entrepreneurs, failure is a “throw in the towel” moment.  Do you throw in the towel and give up, or re-commit to your vision and do things differently to get a different result?  When you’re able to persevere, you’ll look at your biz with a fresh perspective and be ready to start again.  Of course you’re human, so give yourself a one-day pity party.  Then start over.  

Whether your vision is to bring salmon fishing to the Middle East, invent an electric light bulb or become a catalyst for change, embrace your crazy idea and have the faith to make it a reality.  

Lynn Bardowski is an award-winning entrepreneur, best selling author, national speaker, mentor and radio show host.  For insights on entrepreneurship, leadership and vision, read her book, listen to her radio show, follow her blog and "LIKE" her Facebook page. You may republish this article in full, as long as you list this paragraph and provide a link.

What Do Salmon Fishing, The Yemen, and Vision All Have In Common? Crazy Ideas.

As my husband and I perused the on-demand movie offerings last weekend, one of the titles caught my attention – Salmon Fishing in the Yemen.  The movie, starring two Golden Globe nominated actors (Emily Blunt and Ewan McGregor), looked worthy of watching; even if salmon fishing did not particularly excite me.  I clicked purchase and found myself immersed in a story about a crazy Sheikh with a vision to bring his passion for fly fishing, which he likened to a spiritual experience, to the Yemen.  The movie, a lesson in vision, faith and perseverance – with a little PR and marketing thrown in – is an education in entrepreneurship.

Here’s why:

Vision inspires you, and others, to act. It makes the impossible, possible.  If we can put a man on the moon, surely we can find a way to bring salmon to the Middle East. Inspired by the Sheik's vision, solutions to obstacles were found by looking at unlikely answers.  When the British government said no to raiding their lakes and streams to supply the Salmon, inspiration was discovered in the freezer by the PR rep hired to sell “a good news story from the Middle East".  Salmon dinner never looked so good, and became the obvious answer to finding 10,000 ready-to-buy farm raised fish (live, of course).

Entrepreneurs need faith.  It takes a lot of faith, and a little craziness, to see what others can’t.  When asked if farm-raised salmon would swim upstream to spawn, fisheries expert Alfred Jones (Ewan McGregor), who claims to be a “numbers man” with no religion or faith, believes they will.  Why?  He knows it in his gut.  Sounds like faith to me.

Persevere, even if it means starting over.  At one point in the movie (I don’t want to ruin it in case you haven’t seen it yet), the key players are faced with a failure so great that they have to start over.  For many entrepreneurs, failure is a “throw in the towel” moment.  Do you throw in the towel and give up, or re-commit to your vision and do things differently to get a different result?  When you’re able to persevere, you’ll look at your biz with a fresh perspective and be ready to start again.  Of course you’re human, so give yourself a one-day pity party.  Then start over.  

Whether your vision is to bring salmon fishing to the Middle East, invent an electric light bulb or become a catalyst for change, embrace your crazy idea and have the faith to make it a reality.  

Lynn Bardowski is an award-winning entrepreneur, best selling author, national speaker, mentor and radio show host.  For insights on entrepreneurship, leadership and vision, read her book, listen to her radio show, follow her blog and "LIKE" her Facebook page. You may republish this article in full, as long as you list this paragraph and provide a link.

Almost Famous: Confessions Of A Proud Self-Promoter

I overheard someone say they couldn’t stay after The Tenors show to use a back stage pass, so I jumped right in to grab the photo op. And tweeted it to The Tenors. We’re BFF’s now!

With a name like Million Dollar Party Girl it was destined to happen. I've become famous. In South Jersey. Or, at least in my own backyard. Everywhere I go, people have heard of the M$PG. They don’t even know my real name, and that’s OK with me. It all happened because I’m a proud self-promoter. You see, one of my key messages for women entrepreneurs is to get your name out there, toot your own horn, and do some biz bragging. I kind of feel a responsibility to lead the way. I probably shouldn't reveal all my “secrets” but here’s a few true confessions of how I proudly promote the M$PG brand. Rinse and repeat with your brand, and you’ll be famous too. And, if you tell anyone my secrets, I’ll deny it all.

True Confession #1: I take advantage of every photo op. You might have heard that perception is reality. Thanks to social media, this has never been more true. Your pictures tell your brand story to thousands of people on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more. Are you maximizing social media? The truth is, whenever I do a book signing I make sure someone is on hand to capture the shot. Be prepared to take pics of your brands proudest moments to post, tweet, instagram and pin. When you see a fellow Visionista sharing her brand moments share the love and RT, Like, Comment and Share. Each women's success inspires another.

Success Secrets of a Million Dollar Party Girl book signing

True Confession #2: I look for opportunities to send out a press release, and ask friends to help spread the word. When the Somers Point Diner contacted me to kick off their new Literary Lunch series I said yes, and immediately got to work on a press release. “Jersey girl, and best-selling author, comes home to support the shore community” sounded newsworthy. Especially after Super Storm Sandy. It was a slam dunk. Thanks to the press release, and a "plug" from Go Jane News founder Janet Garraty, the story was featured in 3 local newspapers, as well as the Patch news outlets. The word got out, which helped the Literary Lunch sell out, launch with rave reviews and connect with local authors to book dates for the rest of the year. When you toot your own horn you'll not only build your brand, you'll bring other businesses along for the ride. Good Karma.

True Confession #3: I create my own buzz. I shared this proud FB post (with a photo of a champagne bottle) when I found out I was going to be one of Top 25 Women to Watch: “OMG! Just got an email from a local news reporter. Super excited! Reveal is coming……”  When my friend nominated me to be the Most Happening Author I shared this post: “I’m kicking up my heels! Someone thinks I’m the most Happening Author in SJ! Vote for me and make it so.”  Don't be afraid to let the world know you're excited about your accomplishements. If you did something great, tell us about it. We need more postive images of women rising, and achieving success, on their terms. As the saying goes, "If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?"

Lynn Bardowski is an award-winning entrepreneur, best selling author, national speaker, mentor and radio show host.  For insights on entrepreneurship, leadership and vision, read her book, listen to her radio show, follow her blog and "LIKE" her Facebook page. You may republish this article in full, as long as you list this paragraph and provide a link.

Almost Famous: Confessions Of A Shameless Self -Promoter

I overheard someone say they couldn’t stay after The Tenors show to use a back stage pass, so I jumped right in to grab the photo op. And tweeted it to The Tenors. We’re BFF’s now!

With a name like Million Dollar Party Girl it was destined to happen. I've become famous. In South Jersey. Or, at least in my own backyard. Everywhere I go, people have heard of the M$PG. They don’t even know my real name, and that’s OK with me. It all happened because I’m a shameless self-promoter. You see, one of my key messages for women entrepreneurs is to get your name out there, toot your own horn, and do some biz bragging. I kind of feel a responsibility to lead the way. I probably shouldn't reveal all my “secrets” but here’s a few true confessions of how I shamelessly promote the M$PG brand. Rinse and repeat with your brand, and you’ll be famous too! And, if you tell anyone my secrets, I’ll deny it all.

True Confession #1: I create my own photo ops. You might have heard that perception is reality. Thanks to social media, this has never been more true. Your pictures tell your brand story to thousands of people on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more. Are you maximizing your PR opportunities? The truth is, whenever I do a book signing I have everyone line up (even the store employees) to create a “line out the door.” It’s shameless, I know. But it makes me look super-famous to my thousands of FB friends. Apparently, it’s working.

My bad. I totally staged this picture at my book signing!

True Confession #2: I’m always on the lookout for PR opportunities. When the Somers Point Diner contacted me to kick off their new Literary Lunch series I said yes, and immediately got to work on a press release. “Jersey girl, and best-selling author, comes home to support the shore community” sounded like a PR opportunity made in heaven. Especially after Super Storm Sandy. Might as well throw that in there too. “Jersey girl, and best-selling author, comes home to support the shore after Sandy.” It was a slam dunk. The story was featured in 3 local newspapers, as well as the Patch news outlets. Which I then posted on all my social media sites.

True Confession #3: I create my own buzz. I posted this gem (with a photo of a champagne bottle) when I found out I was going to be one of Top 25 Women to Watch: “OMG! Just got an email from a local news reporter. Super excited! Reveal is coming……” When my friend nominated me to be the Most Happening Author (if she hadn't, I would have asked someone else to) I shared this shameless post: “I’m kicking up my heels! Someone thinks I’m the most Happening Author in SJ! Vote for me and make it so.” But wait, there’s more. When I keynoted a conference, I asked the 200 attendees to hold up my book and took a picture of them from the stage, which I posted on FB & Instagram. Most of the time, I post as if I’m totally surprised I’m getting all this attention, even though I’m creating it. (Let’s keep that one a secret.)

I got 200 attendees to wave my book in the air. Shameless Plug.

Lynn Bardowski is an award-winning entrepreneur, best selling author, national speaker, mentor and radio show host.  For insights on entrepreneurship, leadership and vision, read her book, listen to her radio show, follow her blog and "LIKE" her Facebook page. You may republish this article in full, as long as you list this paragraph and provide a link.

From Legally Blond to Million Dollar Party Girl, 5 Tips To Playing A Starring Role In Your Biz

Have you ever wondered who would play you in your life movie?  I’ve always pictured Reese Witherspoon playing me, starring in the Million Dollar Party Girl Movie.  From Elle Woods to June Carter, Reese is an Oscar winner who’s played fun, strong, smart women, AND she knows how to look classy on the red carpet.  She’s my kind of girl!  While we all wait for our life movie to be made, here’s five tips to playing a starring role in your biz.

Show Up On Set.  Have you always been eager to show up, on time and ready to work, for your employers?  When was the last time you showed up for your business?  Most entrepreneurs I know have no problem building someone else’s dream, but hold back when it comes to their own.  I frequently hear, “If I can’t make this business work, I’ll have to get a full time job.”  Before you dedicate 40+ hours a week to someone else’s dream, do it for yourself, consistently, for a full year.  I have a feeling you won’t be needing that day job.

Hire a Winning Team.  Every star has a winning support team so they can focus on what they do best – Stardom!  From stylists, to PR, to agents, an Oscar winner can’t get there alone.  Neither can you.  Your time is valuable; if you’re spending it on “task” activities, you’re losing money and customers.  Focus your efforts on business building activities that will elevate you to “super stardom” and dump or delegate the rest.

Get an Entourage.  Who you roll with is a key ingredient to your success.  Your entourage is the people who influence you on a daily basis, and who create a perception about you and your business.  Reach out to like-minded entrepreneurs and customers who play big and are dream builders like you.  Social media and local networking groups are great places to start.

Be Ready for Your Close Up.  Whether you’re presenting yourself in person or via your social media profiles, be ready for your “close up.”  Smile, show up as your brand, and give an Oscar-winning performance.  As the saying goes, you have only seconds to make a first impression.  I never post, link or tweet about politics, religion or even illness.  Did you know I fractured my knee last year?  No.  The world has enough pain, they don’t need to hear about mine.  Choose to inspire, before you expire.

Practice Your Oscar Speech.  “I’d like to thank the Academy, my fellow actors, and especially my husband….” Don’t wait for your Oscar moment to thank the people in your business who helped get you there.  That includes your customers, family, sales team, networking friends, and even the person who cleans your house.  A thank you can be a kind word, handwritten note, FB shout-out or small gift.  It goes a long way in life.  Timely Manner Consulting, who publishes my blog, recently sent me a thank you note that included a pack of post-it notes with a fun saying on them.  Make people feel special, and your performance will always be memorable.

Lynn Bardowski is an award-winning entrepreneur, best selling author, national speaker, mentor and radio show host.  For insights on entrepreneurship, leadership and vision, read her book, listen to her radio show, follow her blog and "LIKE" her Facebook page. You may republish this article in full, as long as you list this paragraph and provide a link.

Why Don’t Women Like To Sell? 3 Tips for Women Entrepreneurs

Well, actually, we do.  We’re selling our favorite shoes, purses, movies, books and restaurants all the time.  We just don’t get paid for it.  When it comes to selling for ourselves, and getting paid, we don’t like it.  We feel pushy and salesy, as if getting paid for our product or service was a bad thing.  I’ve even heard women apologize for it.  Enough already!

Here’s 3 Tips To Increase Sales

1. Stop Using the Word Sell.  If you’re not comfortable with the “S” word, stop saying it.  Use words that are more authentic and true to your core, like the word Invite.  Invite is one my favorite words.  Invite people to look at your product, become a customer, refer your business and join your team.

2. Stop Talking, Start Listening.  Women love to talk and share; it’s what we do best.  Our passion for our business can sometimes give us what my Mother called diarrhea of the mouth.  The cure is not Imodium, it’s listening.  My rule is, if I’m talking more than my customer, I will always get a no.  Let your customer sell themselves by sharing how much they want or need your product or service.  A great question to get the conversation started is, “What interests you most about ______?”  Oohhh, tell me more!

3. Stop Hanging Out With People Who Don’t Want Or Need Your Product. If you’re getting lots of no’s and feel you have no one left to call, you’re hanging out with the wrong people.  Take time out to identify who your ideal client is by answering a few questions: 1) Who’s attracted to your message? 2) What do you and your ideal client have in common, and 3) Who are you called to serve?  Get started by making a list of 100 contacts that fit into this profile.  If you don’t know anyone, get out and network with groups where your ideal client is hanging out.  Start off by sharing how you can help them; give and you will receive.  Then, after you build a relationship, invite your new connections to look at your product, listen in, and increase sales.

Lynn Bardowski is an award-winning entrepreneur, best selling author, national speaker, mentor and radio show host.  For insights on entrepreneurship, leadership and vision, read her book, listen to her radio show, follow her blog and "LIKE" her Facebook page. You may republish this article in full, as long as you list this paragraph and provide a link.

EVERYTHING I LEARNED ABOUT SALES, I LEARNED FROM WATCHING QVC

When QVC first launched in 1986, I was just beginning to hit my stride in corporate sales. By 1990, I decided to give up my full-time career to become an entrepreneur. Even though I had sales experience, selling to homeowners was a whole new thing for me. I turned to QVC, an innovative new business model, to get my “MBA” in sales and marketing. Here’s a few things I learned from watching the experts:

Use a Limiter: QVC is the queen (or king) of limited offers.  They used to have a clock showing how much time a customer had to purchase the product before it would be sold out.  We all rushed to the phones (that was before computers) to “Buy Now!”  A limiter influences your client to act – and say yes – so you can “seal the deal.”  Limited offers can be based on the number of people (1st 10 to buy!), a specific date (one day only!) or a time period (April special). I tuned in while I was writing this blog (research) and the Germack Berry Nut jars are only going to be available ‘til Sunday and they won’t be back ‘til Fathers Day. Darn! Now I have to stop writing to order them.

Sell the Sizzle, Not the Steak: You can literally hear Kansas City Sirloins sizzling on QVC, “A great value when you buy today!”  I learned the “sell the sizzle” expression early in my corporate sales days.  It means to sell the benefits, not the features.  Today, we call this “emotional selling.”  Focus on how your product or service makes people feel.  If you’re not sure, ask your customers.  A survey is a great place to start.  If you need more ideas, tune in to QVC anytime.

Use Testimonials: Let your customers sell for you. The most compelling sales tool is a client sharing why they hired you, how your product makes them feel and how they benefited.  As soon as I hear “Sarah from Greenville” calling in to QVC to share how the (fill in the blank) has changed her life, I have to have one.  Add client testimonials via quotes and video to your website/marketing materials and let them do the talking - and selling - for you.  Make client testimonials part of your follow-up system by asking 3 simple questions after the sale: 1) What attracted to you my product (or service)? 2) How did it benefit you? and 3) How would you describe my product or service?  You can glean a lot from watching TV.  Infomercials, QVC, and those “As Seen On TV” commercials all offer valuable sales and marketing tips.  Instead of shopping, have your pen and paper ready to take notes.  Today’s Special Value is more revenue.  Act Now!

Lynn Bardowski is an award-winning entrepreneur, best selling author, national speaker, mentor and radio show host.  For insights on entrepreneurship, leadership and vision, read her book, listen to her radio show, follow her blog and "LIKE" her Facebook page. You may republish this article in full, as long as you list this paragraph and provide a link.

photo credit: wblj via photopin cc

Spread Your Feathers and Get Attention

Yesterday I keynoted an Authors’ Conference to share some of the juicy details on how I became a best-selling author.  As I held up my book, I told the attendees that the day to start promoting their book is, well, today – in other words, as soon as they decide to write a book.  A woman in the audience asked, “…how do I tell everyone about my book without sounding like I’m bragging? I don’t want to be seen as pushy?”  That’s one I’ve heard, and blogged about, before.  Men biz-brag all the time.  It’s time the ladies pulled up our big girl panties and got over our fear of being pushy.  Trust me, pushy people are not worrying, or even thinking about, being pushy.  If you’re worried about it, it’s not in your DNA.  I’ve heard it so many times; I call it The Pushy Myth.  You’re creating a story to justify a limiting belief.  When a woman wants to get a man’s attention, out come the red dress and stilettos. Yet, we don’t know how to do that with our businesses.  Here’s how to strut your stuff and get your message out to the world.  Not just for you, but for the people you serve.

Get Real: Tune in to what limiting belief is holding you back and face your fear head-on.  Or maybe it’s feather-on, like a peacock.  Those birds really know how to get someone’s attention!  Go figure, it’s the males who know how to work it.  Peacock feathers are so beautiful they’re used for everything from art to fashion to home decor.  It’s a great example of the impact you can have on the world when you put yourself out there.

Start Today: Whether you’re marketing a book, or marketing a biz, you need clients (or readers) to be successful.  Don’t get all dressed up with no place to go.  Your #1 activity while you’re getting ready to launch a book (or business) is building your client base.  One of my friend’s husbands said it best on a recent couples dinner date, “…network or perish.”  I laughed when he said it.  Partly because the statement sounded so alarmist it caught me off guard.  It has a lot of truth in it.

Avoid the Words, “I don’t do (fill in the blank with any social media platform)”.  Social media is not going away.  If you want to build your list, start sharing, tweeting, pinning, posting and videoing.  Remember, it’s called social media for a reason.  Leave the salesy rhetoric for the advertisers.  If you don’t know how to use posts to generate revenue, click on over to my training page.  I’ll teach you how to be a savvy social media maven.

I finished my speech by sharing, tongue in cheek, that I’m successful because I’m a shameless self-promoter.  That got a chuckle because most of the time I don’t take myself too seriously.  But, I do take my message seriously.  Be passionate enough that you want to spread your feathers and attract attention.

Lynn Bardowski is an award-winning entrepreneur, best selling author, national speaker, mentor and radio show host.  For insights on entrepreneurship, leadership and vision, read her book, listen to her radio show, follow her blog and "LIKE" her Facebook page. You may republish this article in full, as long as you list this paragraph and provide a link.

photo credit: Laurence & Annie via photopin cc