Downsizing

While companies are downsizing, so are their laid off employees, especially us baby boomers.  We seem to be the group that is left to find our way and to seek solutions.

<===== The photo to your left is a storage unit of all the personal belongings that I have left.  As you can see,  I have very little left from the furnishing that were in my home.

When I rented my house, I decided that my possessions were holding me down and preventing me from moving forward.  I really wanted to build my business  to help other baby boomers who were looking for solutions.  In order to do that, I had to make some very difficult decisions, such as selling most of what I had to get what I want.

For the past week I have been staying with family members while I set up a temporary office in another location.  As hard as this is for me, I realize that many of us,  who have been affected by the economic downturn,  are not as fortunate and don’t have options.

I can only hope that we all come together and help each other in this journey of changing times.   It’s not about possessions as much as connections, our health, our attitudes and our drive to find a solution that will move us forward.

What are your thoughts on this?  I love comments and sharing so please pass this along if you think it will help others and please leave a comment in the section below.

Until next time, have a wonderful day,

Cindy

Your Solutions Coach

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Are you looking for help but are not sure where to turn?  Not sure if you want someone to just listen to you?

Or are you looking for someone to walk you through the steps to show you how to do something?

Sometimes it’s hard to know what you want at first.  So First, you need to ask yourself, do you need coaching or consulting?  There is a difference!

When I first got started building my business, I needed help with technology challenges as well seeking someone to listen to me, I mean REALLY listen.

As I was going through the beginning stages of understanding where to begin, I realize now that consulting meant finding someone who could “teach” me what I needed to know and do it quickly.  Someone who could walk me through the setup process step by step.

Consulting is a faster approach to get quicker results.  Coaching takes longer to reach the goals based on the clients needs and the coach/client relationship.

Below I have broken down the difference in easy to understand terms:

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Consulting occurs when the client is looking for an expert in a particular field and is seeking their expertise to show then exactly how to do something.

For example, let’s say you are needing help with your blog or website and want to outsource someone’s services.  You hire someone to lead you step by step through the set up process and then that consultant has done what they are hired to do.

A consultant builds their business on their expertise on one or a few skills. From their skills, they help you find quick  solutions for getting the task done.

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Coaching, on the other hand, allows the client to do the talking and for the coach to listen. I mean REALLY listen.  The client is the expert and the coach is there to help the client reach their goals.

No judgements and no consulting, (telling you what to do and how to do it)

Instead, a coach is there to give you support and to help YOU clarify your goals and strengths through active listening and asking the right questions.  It is a safe and confidential relationship that builds trust and helps the client with less overwhelm and more clarity.

Now that you have a brief overview of the difference between coaching and consulting, which one do you need?  Coaching or Consulting?

Not Sure? You can get a FREE 15 minute session with me and find out which one you need.   Click here to get started.

Until next time, here’s to your success.

Cindy Murphy

Your Solutions Coach

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Are you looking for clients for your new business or do you want to find more clients to help grow your business?  How would you like to have your ideal clients find you vs. having to chase after them? And imagine if they came to you already convinced that you’re the perfect person to help them. And what if you could generate a steady flow of referrals and have strategic alliance partners clamoring to partner with you and promote you?

Cindy and Cindy in California - 2010

I have a perfect solution for you.  Have you heard of Cindy Schulson, a Niche Expert?  I had the pleasure of meeting her this year at a Live Event in California and I can tell you personally, she is amazing.  I have taken several of her courses when I was first considering a home based business, and I can tell you first hand, she offers amazing results.

Does this sound too good to be true?

Well, it’s entirely possible, and even probable, when you discover how to create your clear path to ideal clients that my friend and colleague, Cindy Schulson, is going to share on an upcoming free webinar called.  “Create Your Clear Path to Ideal Clients” on Thursday, February 17, 2011 at 1pm PST (4pm EST)

Learn more and register here:

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On this complimentary webinar, Cindy is going to provide you with a foolproof formula that includes:

• One simple change that will completely change how you market yourself.

• How to quickly and easily add hundreds of prospects to your list.

• The best way to outshine the competition.

• How to attract a steady flow of referrals and strategic alliance partners who are clamoring to work with you.

• The easiest way to know which programs, products and services to create and sell

I know Cindy personally and her calls are always very content rich and chock full of valuable information. So be sure to bring a pen and paper to take lots of notes!

P.S. Even if you can’t make the LIVE webinar, make sure to sign-up so Cindy can send you the recorded call.

Until next time, have a wonderful day.

Cindy

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Are you a baby boomer wanting to start your own business?  Are you stuck by making excuses instead of finding solutions?  These excuses will stop you dead in your tracks, just like a red light at a stop light.  But the green signal suggests you are good to go and can keep moving.

This post will discuss some of the most common excuses that I hear when my clients tell me they want to start a business.  After we explore those excuses, we discuss ways to  find solutions to move you forward.

Excuse - “I don’t have time to start a business.” Ask yourself What are you doing on your “off-time” that is preventing you from taking the first steps to start your own business?   Are you watching TV or vegging on the sofa?  Are you to tired?

Solution – Keep a time journal - Make a list of those times when you aren’t committed to a responsibility or a “must do” task where you could have been spending time researching, training or working with a coach to move you forward.  I suggest keeping a small memo pad with you so you can use it all day long.  When you start monitoring your off times, you will see that there are lots of opportunities in your day that you can take time to build your business.  Remember, if you want something bad enough, there are solutions.

Excuse - “I don’t have anything to offer.”  – As baby boomers, we have lots to offer.  Think about a hobby or a skill that you have that you can teach others.  Maybe you spent many years in one career but you always had a dream to turn a passion into profit.

Solution – My friend, Cindy Schulson, is a Niche expert who offers a FREE report called “10 Steps to Finding and Attracting Your Ideal Niche“  I highly recommend you request her report and learn the techniques and tips to help you identify your niche.  So go ahead and request your copy here ==> “10 Steps to Finding and Attracting Your Ideal Niche.”

Excuse - “I’m To Old.” – This one astounds me.  I was 55 years old when I got laid off twice in one year.  I had no money, very little savings and got rejected over and over again from job interviews.  If I had used this excuse, I would have hidden under a rock and just not come out.  Instead I found a solution.

Solution – Turn to Social Media and start your Facebook profile, a Twitter Profile and find other baby boomers who are just like you who are starting their own businesses.  Google key word phrases about baby boomers and baby boomer entrepreneurs and see what you come up with.  I bet you will be amazed at the number of baby boomers finding solutions to their retirement by starting their own business.

Excuse - “I don’t know where to begin.”  There are so many places to research and sometimes that can lead to information overload, making it harder to focus and get started.

Solution – Hire a Solutions Coach – When you hire a solutions coach, you have the opportunity to work one on one with a mentor who will hold you accountable for your goals and success.  Someone who will take you through the journey in a step by step process leading you to accomplish your goals to help you avoid overwhelm and gain confidence.

I hope these tips helped you see that baby boomers have so much to offer through their years of expertise and experience.  So take some of these solutions and get started.

What excuses do you have for not getting started in building your own business?

Until next time,

Have a great day and please leave a comment below.  I love hearing from my readers.

Cindy

Your Marketing Solutions Coach

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Have you considered a coaching career? Do you know what coaching is?   One of the best decisions I made in 2010 was taking a coaching course.   I knew I was looking for a new career path and coaching not only helped me with my decision to become a coach myself but it also helped me in my personal and professional life.  It was through Coaching Cognition that I got my coaching career started and I highly recommend their training for you as well.

There are several great reasons why you should consider a coaching careeer.  Below, I will list some important reasons to help you determine if coaching would be a good fit for you.

• Are you a good listener?  Can you sit back, take a deep breath and not give opinions or tell someone what you think they should do?
• With the internet becoming a viral place to hang out and with so many ways to connect such as Skype, Facebook, teleseminars and other platforms, you can build a coaching business globally.  When I took my coaching course, I had peer coaches from Australia and Germany and it was awesome.
• With the economy in turmoil and people all stressed out with so many issues, a coach can help their client stay focused and make goals to help them reach their visions and dreams.  There are coaches for business, lifestyle coaches, marketing coaches, divorce coaches, and the list goes on and on.
• The role of the coach is to take the client from where they currently are to where they want to go in their lives.
• A coaching career can help you gain your skills and give you access to a coaching accredidation that will look great on your resume and to your potential clients.

If you have considered a coaching career and need more information, Lisa Holcomb, with Coaching Cognition,  is holding a special webinar on Wednesday, January 26th at 6:30 PM. to explain the benefits of a coaching career.   To sign up, click here.

Until next time….

Here’s to your success,

Cindy

Your Marketing Solutions Coach

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Have you heard of Coaching Cognition?  It’s for students who are looking to find a coaching course and it’s for coaches who want to connect with other coaches.

A year ago I began my journey with Coaching Cognition.  Not as a coach, but as a student.  When I started my business last year, I wanted to take a coaching course to enhance both my business and my personal life.  As it turns out,  I loved the course so much and learned so much from Barbara Silva and my peer coaches that I ended up adding coaching as a service I offer my clients.

Here’s why:

1. When I first started the course,  I wasn’t quite sure what coaching would do for me but I did know I needed to connect with a group of like minded professionals who were looking for a way to enhance their lives.  I found such a group with Coaching Cognition.
2. I was fortunate to have worked closely with what Barbara Silva called “Peer Coaches”  Peer Coaches were other students who were required to work one on one with at least one other Coaching student.  For me, I chose 5 peer coaches.   I remember Barbara telling us early in the course that our peer coaches would become life long friends.   Boy was she ever correct!   A year later, I am still working with them and we are helping each other in the growth of our businesses.  Many of us have branched off into the coaching world while others of us used the courses to enhance our personal growth without the intention of adding coaching into their businesses.
3. I am now a coach with Coaching Cognition.  As I progress into the next phase of training and education with Coaching Cognition,  I will have the support and encouragement of a tight knit community of other coaches and students all under one roof.
4. Coaching Cognition is getting ready to launch their new website and I am glad to be part of that journey.  And  Coaching Cognition will be offering another training course,  similar to the class I took last year, for those of you who are interested in taking a coaching course.  So there is no better time than now to get connected and to stay in the loop.

How do you find Coaching Cognition?  There are two ways to connect as they prepare for the launch of their new website.

1. Join us on Facebook.
2. Sign up for  notification of the new website launch.

Hope to see you on the inside.

Til next time,

Have a great day and please let me know if you joined us by adding a comment below.  I love hearing from others and getting feedback.

Cindy

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It’s almost a week into the new year of 2011.  How are you doing with your New Years resolutions?   Are they dreams gone by or did they become goals that you will achieve and maintain?

Are you dreaming about your goals or are you making S.M.A.R.T. goals your priority?  Do you make resolutions at the beginning of a new year and then they go unmet?  At the end of each year, I dream about my goals for the new year.  But what I have realized as I focus on the S.M.A.R.T. goals, it that my resolucions actually were my dreams because half way into the month of January, those resolutions became faded memories instead of goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time sensitive, such as the SMART goals. .

So let’s break down dreams vs goals:

Dreams:

• Dreams are those resolutions that are made in a new year that never resolve.  They are vague.
• Dreams are not goals.  You can dream from anywhere and anyplace.  You can dream about winning the lottery or about losing weight but the dreams do not become a reality.
• Dreams unmet become wishes
• Dreams are vague without a commitment or a written plan.

Goals:

• Goals are active and require action and effort
• Goals are the steps you take to make your dream come true
• Goals are specific. You identify them, you write them down, and you achieve them.
• Goals are the stepping stones that help you reach your dreams that require work, commitment and concentration.

So I ask you again.  Are you dreaming or setting S.M.A.R.T. goals?  Remember that goals are not wishes, dreams or resolutions.  They are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time sensitive.

Until next time, have a great day,

Cindy Murphy
Your Marketing Solutions Coach
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Have you ever wanted to find a mentor who will listen to you, guide you and help you with your personal or business goals?   Someone who isn’t critical or judgmental and will support you in your journey?

You will get that when you hire a coach.  A coach can help you both personally and professionally as they guide you through your goals to get you to your end result.

When you are new to online marketing and growing your online business, it is great to seek out a coach who will provide the support and encouragement without giving advice.

When you are having some personal struggles or want to get help with decisions or conflicts that are going on in your family or with you personally,  hiring a coach can be like having your own safe place to confide in someone.

Below I have listed a sampling of 10 areas of coaching,  just to give you some ideas of how coaching can help you.

1. Business Coaching
2. Financial Coaching
3. Career Coaching
4. Marketing Coaching
5. Wedding Coaching
6. Family Coaching
7. Life Coaching
8. Spiritual Coaching
9. Relationship Coaching
10. Health and Wellness Coaching

As a Solutions Coach, I help my clients find solutions to their new businesses while helping them lessen their overwhelm to allow them to gain more confidence.

So as you can see, coaching is for everyone.

In my next post, I will go into more detail when I explain what a coach can do for you.

Until next time, have a wonderful day,

Cindy

Your Solutions Coach

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Are you new to the online world when it comes to starting your business?  Do you want to start an online business but not sure where to begin?

The training I got in the beginning of my journey from Renegade Professional has been invaluable.  The greatest part for those of you who are visual learners, is the ability to get step by step and click by click guidance all in one place.

The other great perk with this membership is the ability to reach out to the community through coaching, training and having access to the trainers in the back office guiding you every step of the way.  You will begin to learn about the leaders, reach out to them, connect with them on Facebook, Twitter and other social sites.  Before you know it, you are now connected to a huge community to give you support and guidance.  Of course, you have me too.

As a member, you begin learning the basics and then you can move into the more intermediate and advanced trainings as you are ready.   While this membership requires a monthly fee, it is very affordable and helpful.  For example, just getting all the trainings for WordPress is a bargain in itself.

NOTE – I am an affiliate with this membership.  If you join you can work with me and also refer the training to others.

To get more information you can listen to my video series here.

Until next post, have a great day.

Cindy

Your Solutions Coach

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Again, to listen to my Renegade Professional videos, Click Here

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Click the Arrow to Hear the Interview

[audio: http://cindymurphyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Interviewing-Morris-Fisher-on-6-29-10.mp3]

I had the pleasure of meeting Morris Fisher last year in Portland, Oregon when we both went to a Live Event with our Renegade Professional community.

It was there that we both connected through our coaching course at Coaching Cognition and our connection has grown since that event.

Morris just completed his class with Coaching Cognition and is now starting his Life Coaching business from his home.  As you listen to this interview, you will learn more about Morris and his coaching business.

If you want more information about Morris, or want to contact him, you can reach him at www.morrisfisherblog.com

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