Today is my 14-year business anniversary. I am still here, and I have learned so much. Here are some of my favorite lessons around success, inspired by one of my favorite classic films of all time — The Wizard of Oz.
1. You don’t have to fly over the rainbow to get much of what you want. Most of the new business, media coverage and speaking invitations you seek can be found in your own backyard.
2. Don’t let “blue bird envy” stand in your way. Wishing and hoping doesn’t get the job done. Get into action today to earn the attention and opportunities you seek for your message and your unique brand of brilliance.
3. Urgent problems and big news always ring loud and clear – Ding Dong the Witch is Dead.
4. Don’t be afraid to ask for help to get what you need. Good witches and mentors are everywhere — if you just ask the local munchkins for quality recommendations.
5. Along the yellow brick road to success, don’t settle for Munchkin Land when the Land of Oz is what you really want. Think big about what you want to accomplish. Reach high to attract the perfect premium clients, speaking gigs, joint venture partners, and media opportunities that can advance your message, offer more opportunities to share your expertise, and escalate your revenues and profitability to new heights.
6. Frame your message as a horse of a different color so it stands apart.
7. Choose local color to invite memorable and remarkable photo opportunities.
8. There is no place like home. Start your efforts to attract the premium opportunities you seek close to home.
9. Earn loyal friends, fans and followers with every step you take. That will go a long way to lend strength and momentum to your business building effort here and beyond, today and forever.
10. Put your best dress on and your best face forward before you make your approach.
11. Collaborate with a quality team when making your best impact.
12. Celebrate new media and embrace new tools. If the crystal ball isn’t delivering the solutions and information you need, find alternative ways learn what you need to know to carry your message forward. You are not in Kansas anymore.
13. There will be forks in the road and different paths to take along your journey to take on a bigger platform or reinvent from what you used to do to what you are doing now. Make a choice, put some spring in your step, and have some fun along the way.
14. It takes brains, courage, and heart to make your message stand out and to stay with it.
15. You have to be willing to put up with things that get in your way, like angry apples, flying monkeys, wicked witches, and sleep-inducing poppies.
16. Don’t easily surrender Dorothy. Be willing to fight for the results you want.
17. Never underestimate the power of a sassy pair of shoes to boost your confidence when selling an idea, leading an enrollment conversation, pitching a story or doing anything that really matters in your life or work.
18. “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.” You have more power to make things happen in your business than you ever thought possible. You just have to look in your bag of tricks to find the right tools and resources to the get the mission accomplished. And you have to use them.
Set your course, make your plans, and journey forward with quality effort and the conviction to achieve the success you seek. Just as Dorothy discovered, you can make a lot of magic happen if you just click your heels together and get to work.
In honor of my business anniversary, I created a special “Get Your Client Attracting Story Done Success System” to guide aspiring experts to get that mission accomplished. Read all about it and take action so you can can stand in and on your true value. You can feel even more confident in your offerings, and you can charge more for your expertise. That is the ultimate value of getting this done. The sale is in progress through Friday, February 6, 2014 at midnight.
