Amy Collette's Blog: Positively Powered with Amy Collette, page 11
September 30, 2015
Conscious Millionaire JV Crum III
"Intense is my middle name" is how JV Crum describes himself, and it fits him perfectly. His positive energy is infectious, and he loves to share his ideas and systems for success. In this interview, JV describes how to discover your purpose as well as how to switch your perspective from lack to abundance.
His transformation began at the age of five when he decided to be a millionaire when he grew up and he never gave up on that vision. Listen in to JV's compelling life story and how he started Conscious Millionaire to help other heart-centered entrepreneurs build a successful business while making a difference.
Listen now >
Takeaways
Quotes:
Personal motto: "Trust perfect timing."
"When you are present and being authentic, the people come into your life that you're supposed to connect to."
"Hold on to what you believe is true - don't let anybody talk you out of it. Don't give up the dream that you were born to have."
"When you're in big service in a way that your market wants, that's when you make your millions of dollars
Links:
Website: ConsciousMillionaire.com
Download a free chapter from JV's best-selling book. 60 pages of content based on conscious, focused action: Formula For Creating Wealth
September 23, 2015
Transformed by Columbine with Michelle Rahn
Michelle Rahn suffered a heart attack when she learned of the Columbine shootings. Because of her close associations with the Columbine community, the shock sent her to the Intensive Care Unit for the next six days.
Michelle had taught one of the killers, and her family knew the teacher, Dave Sanders, who was killed. “I thought I knew Dylan Klebold, I really did. But obviously, nobody did.” Lying in ICU after her heart attack, Michelle asked God, “What do you want me to do now?”
She survived and recovered, with a new sense of purpose, volunteering with Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPs). “My thought was, if I can nurture just one mom who is going through a tough time, then I’m doing something good.”
Listen to the interview >
Takeaways
Michelle and some friends decided that they would fulfill life-long dreams by the time they were 60. Michelle’s was to enter a beauty pageant. When she won both the state and national titles, she instantly became a speaker, talking to many different groups around the country.
Quotes
“My legacy is to be a prismatic woman – that means that to be like a prism – the light comes through.”
“Make a great choice today. I want my legacy to be an example of making good choices.”
“Tragedy can lead to bitterness, anger, and depression. Or it can be a catalyst for greatness – that is our choice.”
Attitude
Michelle believes these four things are crucial to a positive attitude:
A task with a purposeParticipation – something outside your comfort zone Relationships – people make us toxic or make us better - Laughter is keyServiceLinksEvent: Oct. 3rd – Speaking at: Real Women, Real Issues, and Real Solutions Conference
Website: Michellearahn.com
Phone: 720-289-8398
September 16, 2015
Around the world with Polly Letofsky
Your jaw might drop as you listen to Polly Letofsky's story of her five-year walk around the world, including her time in Malaysia during 9-11. Through dealing with the extreme heat, earthquakes, dangerous and "dodgy" parts of the world, she kept the women she was walking for, women with breast cancer, in her mind as constant inspiration.
Her story starts when she was inspired by fellow Minnesotan, Dave Koontz, who completed his walk around the world in 1974. Polly says, "He was putting one seemingly insignificant step in front of the other, but when those steps are chained together, they become so powerful that they can serve as your transportation around the world."
Even then, she realized she was thinking "pretty out of the box for a 12-year old from Minnesota." Her idea sat idle until many years later when several women in her life were diagnosed with breast cancer. Polly's dream was sparked again by dedicating the walk to raise global awareness of this devastating disease.
Polly was fascinated by the cultures she was walking through and was very aware of how they affected her. She's now starting to wonder how she affected the people she met. Maybe her walk kindled an idea in a young kid somewhere to do something out of the box, too..
Listen now >
Takeaways
Quote: We are the CEOs of our own lives, but we never have to do it alone. Here's the big lesson I learned in five years in two words: Reach out."
Milestone moments: Ghandi's granddaughter greeted her as she completed her trek through India
Connections: But smaller, everyday moments like the one in Australia where she was invited into a family reunion party, and the guy she met on a park bench while she was waiting for someone else, and the man who told her about what happened in America on 9-11 while she was walking through Malaysia . "I'm in touch with those people to this day."
Impact: The Lions Club got involved with her walk and connected her to clubs all over the world. She credits them with taking care of her and boosting her impact. "With their help, it went a thousand times bigger than I had ever envisioned." Especially in Malaysia, they got newspaper coverage and hosted big fundraising events. "Crowds of people were out there walking with me every day. I was like Forrest Gump out there in Malaysia."
Staying motivated and positive: Listen in to Polly's commitment to her cause and the contract that she held with herself.
Tough times: "Things will not go smoothly 100% of the time, so accept and expect tough times."
Balance: "If you're too cluttered and can't think straight, I say you're doing too much. Go for a walk."
Links
3mph: The Adventures of One Woman's Walk Around the World
By Polly Letofsky
Polly's website: http://www.pollyletofsky.com/
September 9, 2015
Three Keys To Unleashing Your Inner Author
In this podcast, I talk about the demons that creep into your head when you step up to write your book and decide to put yourself out there in the world in a bigger way.
The demons I'm talking about are the doubts and insecurities we're dragging around. Like: What makes you think you can write a book? Am I smart enough? Do I know enough? I'm not as good as those other experts, am I? Is my writing good enough? Would anyone read it? Would anyone care?
I have those doubts, you have them, and all the authors I work with have them, too.
But when you let those doubts take over, you really let yourself down. There's no one else in the world with your experience and insight. You give your power away when you compare yourself with other people. Your contribution is unique.
The people you really let down are the readers who are missing out on what they could learn from you.
So - how do you get over these doubts? I wish I could tell you that they all go away once you start writing, or when you're done writing, or when your book is published. But they don't. Not totally. A little creeping doubt may always be there. Maybe that's what keeps us humble. But it should not keep you from writing your book and unleashing your wisdom on the world.
So listen in to the podcast for my three key tips to help conquer your fears and get you going on the path to becoming an author:
Listen now >
As an aspiring author, I invite you to explore my upcoming eight-week workshop called Unleash Your Inner Author: How to finally write and publish your world-changing book. The next workshop starts September 15, so there's not much time, and I have about 3 spots left. The workshop has a unique format. For each of the classes, an expert in each area teaches a power-packed hour of content, and then we discuss our projects and how we can help and how we can help and support each other through this amazing process. Participants also receive discounted coaching sessions with me, and bonuses from our expert guests.
To find out more and to register for the workshop, Unleash Your Inner Author.
Listeners of Positively Powered get a $100.00 discount by using the coupon code writemybook at registration checkout.
Thank you for listening to the podcast today! Please connect with me at amycollette.com, and keep spreading the positive until next time on Positively Powered!
August 19, 2015
Three Proven Ways Gratitude Leads to Greater Sales
I got to talk with Connie Kadansky, The Sales Call Reluctance Coach, about how gratitude can help business and sales people build relationships and make them more successful.
Listen in to her BlogTalk radio show to hear the interview!
August 5, 2015
What Being a Bad Date Taught Me About Business
I was panicked: I had just lost my two biggest clients. One company's venture funding ran out, and the other one was sold and changed its business model. I was out of business myself unless I got some new clients - soon.
So, I got busy! Calling old friends, cold-calling potential clients, making LinkedIn contacts all over the place. But still, the phone wasn’t ringing. The weeks went on and my panic was growing, but something told me to sit and get quiet and figure this out. So I put down the phone for a minute, took a deep breath and asked: what’s going on? What am I doing wrong?
And the answer came back: Amy, you’re being a bad date. That made me laugh, but I knew exactly what it meant. We’ve all had “bad date” moments with an over-eager salesperson, pushing a product whether it’s a good fit or not. You can’t get away from them fast enough.
Just like that bad date, I felt needy and was desperate for my new “dates” to like me. I was focused on what I needed (new business) and not on what they needed - solutions to their problems. No wonder they weren’t calling me back!
I knew then that I had to change, but how? I was so stressed out that I didn’t know where to start.
So I began with something I’d lost - a sense of gratitude. At night before bed, and in the morning when I woke up, I meditated on the things that I felt grateful for. And I felt a little calmer. I breathed a little easier. I glimpsed a sense of peace through the tunnel of stress and anxiety.
Instead of thinking of my list as calls to make, I thought about how I had connected with those people in the first place. I could get on the phone and relate a funny story about a mutual friend or an old project. I thanked people for work we had done in the past and for staying in touch. Finally, I asked how I could connect them with someone I knew or how I could help them with what’s going on now.
Then a miracle happened - the phone started ringing! Within just a few days, my fortunes changed and I was back in the flow of business again with no lasting damage. There was even a gift from living through all that stress: sharing the lessons I learned about stress, worry, and the gifts of gratitude.
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My "secret" mission is to help raise the positive vibration of the planet! We can all make this happen if we let our light shine and help others do the same. Here are some places to start:
The Gratitude Connection is full of simple stress-reduction methods and other positive practices to increase your happiness and success.Positively Powered - the podcast for people using their powers for good! Subscribe to hear authors, artists, and entrepreneurs discuss their tips and tricks for happiness and success. Check out my free resources, meditations, classes, and coaching programs at AmyCollette.com(This article was originally published on Amy's page on LinkedIn.)
July 3, 2015
Happy Bonus Day!
It’s so fun to wake up on the Friday before Fourth of July and realize you have the day off - to play, relax, catch up on life and maybe on sleep, too. It makes you grateful for freedom in every sense of the word.
Wouldn’t it be great to feel like that every day? There’s a chapter in my book, The Gratitude Connection, called “Counting Up.” That means approaching life with the idea that every day is a bonus, rather than a countdown to the end. If we could see each day like that, we would feel that three-day-holiday feeling every morning.
Enjoy your bonus day today - and every one after.
Save 20% off the cover price of The Gratitude Connection! Use coupon code grateful at checkout
May 28, 2015
You look fabulous!
Method One: The Trash
Overheard conversation between two women:
Blondie: I love that blouse on you - you look gorgeous!
Brunette (after rolling her eyes): Ugh - I’m so fat, it’s the only thing that fits! I look like hell.
Blondie: (speechless)
Blondie gave her friend the precious gift of a compliment, and Brunette cast it back like a piece of trash. Did Brunette mean to make her friend feel bad? Probably not. It’s just that she couldn’t take a compliment. But the results are the same. Brunette’s harsh remarks about herself shut down Blondie and stopped the flow of energy and conversation between them.
Self-deprecation can be funny, but it’s not funny when people cut themselves down so much that they can’t receive a compliment.
Method Two: The Distraction
Guy 1: Dude, your yard looks great! You must have put a lot of work into it.
Guy 2: Hey, I can’t take any credit, it’s this new lawn mower I got. It does all the work.
Sometimes people are embarrassed by a compliment, and feel like they would be flaunting a big ego to accept it. In this case, Guy 2 deflected the compliment onto an inanimate object so he wouldn't have to admit to happily spending hours every week on the yard he’s so proud of.
Method Three: The Tossback
At the gallery: Artist A: I love your work! The show is really beautiful.
Artist B: OMG! You are so talented, your paintings look like they belong next to Van Gogh!
It’s great to admire our fellow humans, but in this exchange something got lost. That something is a simple “thank you.” That’s all it takes to graciously receive a compliment.
A compliment is a gift. When we refuse to accept it, we stop the flow of that positive power in its tracks. Receive it and then pass it on to keep that energy going.
By the way, you look fabulous!
May 7, 2015
Thursday Thanks - Is Once a Week Enough?
Is once a week enough? For what, you're thinking...
Practicing gratitude! What did you think I was talking about?
Once a week is a good start, if you're not ready to commit to a daily practice. Make Thursday your "Thanks Day" and write down what you're grateful for. People in your life, a smile or a kindness that you shared, things that happened, a beautiful sunrise, rain, flowers, beauty of any kind. There are a million things to be grateful for - just focus on anything that pops into your head when you think about gratitude.
Take it a step further and think about the things you'll be grateful for in the coming week. Then you'll be sure to be on the lookout. Gratitude fosters a positive perspective, so notice if it works for you.
What are you grateful for this week?
May 6, 2015
Is writing a book on your bucket list?
It's time to write your book
Seems like a lot of people have “write a book” on the list to do “someday.” If you have a great idea, a great story, or expertise in some area that would help people, why are you holding back?
Your book helps you shine as the expert voice in your field and can lead to greater recognition and more business. Plus - it's great fun to hold that finished book in your hands and be able to share your message. You may think that you don’t have time to write, or you’re too unorganized, or you just don’t know where to begin.
You’re not alone. And you don’t have to do it alone. Book writing is by nature a collaborative venture. At the very least, you’ll want input from reviewers (friends and colleagues, your partner) and the help of a professional editor and a designer. And just like great athletes and leaders who have coaches and mentors, working with a book consultant or a ghostwriter can help you accomplish your goal faster and with more professional results.
Consider how their books made these people into well-known names:
Wayne Dyer - Numerous books from Your Erroneous Zones to The Power of IntentionGretchen Rubin - The Happiness ProjectJack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen - The Chicken Soup for the Soul seriesBusiness people also make an impact in their industries or niches, such as financial advisors, lawyers, travel professionals, coaches, consultants, and CEOs. My book has helped me connect with incredible people and new business ventures that I couldn't have imagined before I published.
What impact do you want to make?
If you’re curious about how to get started, give me a call and we’ll figure out what it would take to get you started. If you're local (Denver/Boulder area), please come to my "lunch and learn" class on May 14th - Power of the Pen: 5 Reasons You Should Write Your Book Now
It's time for your book to be unleashed on the world! And then you can check this one off your bucket list - until your next great book idea...
