You Can Never Have Too Many Friends!

There’s a well-known saying that it takes a village to raise a child. AND it is the same about building a business.  Being an entrepreneur comes with a strong desire for independence, freedom, and individuality. However, no truly successful person EVER got there on their own!

The first time I looked to my network for something I was young.  How young! Like 10 years old.  I was the babysitter for the neighbourhood and I was concerned about how fast cars were speeding down the lane where I and all the kids lived.  I had always been told (and taught), that if you want to change something, go to the people that can make a difference.  

So off I went - to the City of White Rock’s City Counsel.
Needless to say - they had a LOT of requirements that they didn’t think a 10 year old kid would be able to manage.  I had to get the signature and alignment of every home owner in a 3 block radius, I had to get the engineering department to create speed bumps that would work for the fire trucks, I had to get the alignment of all the city planners, and so on, and so on…Could I have done all that, freakin’ sure. But what I discovered through networking with others is that groups of people are REALLY creative.

When I went in front of City Counsel and my request for speed bumps (after all the work they wanted done was done) was STILL declined.  We quickly moved into plan B.  With the help of all the people living on the lane, we strategically placed cement imbedded in the ground posts all along the lane, such that all the muscle and sports cars HAD to SLOW DOWN or risk hitting the posts.  Brilliant!

My Network Came Through!

This is a picture of me with one of my business partners, Tim Luu.  Someone that has been there for me and my family through celebrations and tragedies.  When my husband was in a head on car crash while I was away earlier this year - it was Tim that went to the hospital and made sure that he got the attention and help that he needed, that he got home okay etc.

I wanted the whole world to know how grateful I am to have partners, and friends that make my life easier.  Thank you Tim Luu!

Take on the Acknowledgment Game!  Acknowledge someone in your life for the difference they make.

Upcoming Events

Creating a Million Dollar Network Part 1 & 2

Date: Part 1: Monday, September 19th, 2016

Date: Part 2: Wednesday, September 21st, 2016 

Time: 7:00 p.m to 8:30 p.m. (doors open 6:30) 

Place: #401-68 Water St. Gastown

This event is being sponsored by Shawn Bearman of INeedCoaching.comand Robert Klein, Founder of HIPPO Contact Newsletters (no payment required)

How many people have you met in your lifetime that could be your clients or customers but you lost contact with them? Just imagine if you had kept in touch with every single one of them, I bet they would be your customers now.

RSVP on Event Brite Here

Mastering Your Business for Maximum Profit & Success

Colin Sprake

November 14 - Vancouver

I still have 2 Complimentary tickets - so if you want one please send me an email ASAP shawn@ineedcoaching.com  I also have tickets for Toronto and Tampa, so if you are close to one of these cities, please let me know.

RTN Tricities - Every Friday

Join us for networking in Tricities

RTN Calendar to RSVP

Otherly Speed Helping - A Whole New Way of Networking - Getting What You Need When YOU Need It! RIGHT Now! - Happening in Cities all across North America.

http://bit.ly/29t3BTr

Chambers & Major Venue Events:
Burnaby Board of Trade
Surrey Board of Trade
New Westminster Chamber of Commerce
Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce
Vancouver Board of Trade
Delta Chamber of Trade
North Vancouver Chamber of Commerce
Richmond Chamber of Commerce
Ridge Meadows Chamber of Commerce
Langley Chamber of Commerce
Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce
Mission Chamber of Commerce
Chilliwack Chamber of Commerce
BC Place Stadium
Rogers Arena
Tradex Centre

World's Best Carbon Offset Program

As I sat with my niece not too long ago I was thinking about her future.  She is 10 years old and the possibilities are endless.  AND I was thinking about what it would take financially to give her the most choices.  And then it HIT ME!  I have a 10 year window to cause something spectacular.  AND I found the perfect avenue.  

One that will offset the carbon footprint of my entire family for our Lifetime.  Talk about being lit up.  I get to make her dreams come true AND make a difference for the environment.  Win Win.

Why Your Carbon Footprint Matters
We all have a carbon footprint. Our homes, businesses, cars, travel and appliances all use energy. When fossil fuels are burned to create that energy they emit carbon dioxide, along with other greenhouse gases, which contribute directly to global warming.

There are webinars to find out more... Tell them Shawn sent you!

http://worldtreecop.com/webinars/

Negative Body Language? - do you have it?

Quite naturally our friends are unlikely to provide negative feedback when our body language does not work for them. As a professional trainer in the area of corporate communications I have learned that providing people with accurate, useful and supportive feedback is a better choice.

One of the key concepts is reminding people that all body language is a manifestation of what we think and feel about ourselves, other people and our business. If we consider how we feel about critical functions in our business we can begin to identify areas that negatively affect our body language and our ability to communicate about our products or services. Identifying body language that undermines our effectiveness creates the opportunity for change.

However, trying to manipulate our body language is not a successful strategy over the longer-term. As I said in my previous article, surprise questions catch us off-guard at which point our non-conscious body language speaks for us. If you want to improve your body language then you might want to try the following:

BODY LANGUAGE EXERCISE: Consider the circle above. The centre of the circle represent zero and the outside edge represents plus 10. In this exercise, for each piece of the pie put a point in the appropriate spot that reflects how you feel about your ability in that area. Once done, connect the points.

If we want to increase our level of success, we have to accept that if, for instance, we love the sales process but doubt the quality of the product we are selling, we will communicate this doubt and people will not buy. Similarly, if we love the product but are concerned about our level of success, we will have trouble selling. Or, if you love the product but not the work environment people may not buy from us. Our body language communicates everything and where there is a conflict between body language and our words, people believe the body language over our words. So the first step is to identify our weak areas and the second step is to find ways of addressing this weakness.

If you own the business you might want to hire a business coach. Just make sure your hire a certified coach. Let them observe your communications and then suggest ways of addressing your challenges.

If you have employees, have them complete the exercise and then work with them to address their challenges. There is nothing more disastrous than having an employee who has little commitment to your business or who does not believe in the product or service you are offering.

In my 35 years of experience it is better to support your employees than simply fire them. They may be a critical source of information that will help you in identifying a major weakness in your product or in your communications process. For instance, if they have a negative attitude to your product but have not wanted to say so it may be true that some of your potential customers feel the same way. Now is a chance to fix that. Or, you might find that educating your staff changes their attitude to your business.

Our thanks to the Fabulous Corrine Ropp for this article.  Check out more on her website here: http://www.empowerment-seminars.ca/

The First Step to Living an Inspired Life

Thank you to Darren Jacklin - World-Class Professional Speaker, Corporate Trainer, Angel Investor for the following:

Map out the most interesting places on the planet that you could possibly go and visit.  Because when you surround yourself with things that inspire you, then you will live an inspired life.

Suspend all disbelief right now, and be like a little kid.  Be creative and use your wild imagination.  What lakes, rivers, waterfalls, historical sites, religious sites, national parks, art galleries, museums, resorts, private islands, game parks, safari tours, deep sea diving trips, fishing trips, shopping trips, musical concerts, space travel, hiking trips, mediation sites would you like to go to and explore?

Start writing down where you would like to go and what you would like to see, hear and experience on your adventures across the planet.  Trust the process and allow yourself to be open to the possibilities and be open to receiving.

You can do lists for things you’d like to do, people you’d like to meet, things you’d like for your home, and any other ideas that appeal to you.  Be creative, without limitations.

You may want to set up some online vision boards with Pinterest, a pinboard-styled social photo sharing website where users can create and manage themed collections of images or things you find interesting.

http://darrenjacklin.com/the-first-step-to-living-an-inspired-life/

Volume 3 Newsletter Challenge

 Anyone who knows me, knows how competitive I am.  I can make anything into a game.  I decided to share my joy of playing games with YOU!  So here is my challenge.  Anyone who sends an email to shawn@ineedcoaching.com with the right answers will go into a draw for an awesome prize.  I will try not try not to make the questions too difficult.

Feel free to ask others if you don’t know the answer - plagiarizing is acceptable in this case.  

1.  Name the person most known for “Ranting” in Rapid Time Networks

2.  Name at least one program/seminar that I lead to make a difference with people

3.  Name at least one networking group that has brought you business in the last year

Upcoming Events

RTNB - Building a Golden Reputation in Networking June 8 - 7-9 pm RSVP: http://bit.ly/1NMSOnj

BC Highland Games and Scottish FestivalJune 18 New Attraction: QUIDDITCH demonstration matchon the in-field following the opening/welcoming ceremony http://bchighlandgames.com/

Financial Management Workshop for Small Business Owners  June 25 + 26 www.profitmastery.ca to register on line or Call Tom Lewis @ 778-846-1554 make sure Profit Mastery is a good fit for your company.

Mastering Your Business for Maximum Profit & Success  Colin Sprake July 13-15   I have 3 Complimentary tickets - so if you want one please send me an email ASAP shawn@ineedcoaching.com

Annual RTN Family Summer Barbeque - July 20Join us for our biggest summer event of the year RSVP:  http://bit.ly/1RTf1Lg

A Blast From The Past

So present to the whole world of family this month.  Given that we just had Mother's Day not long ago, I thought I would share with you my Motherly Mentors.  This is a picture of my sisters, I, my mum, my grandma (we call her Tutu) and my Great Grandma who has since passed away. 

I come from a long line of powerful women out to make a difference!

Can you see me?

Vacation – victory or disappointment?

Have you ever been disappointed that a holiday didn’t turn out the way you had hoped?

This happened to me a number of years ago when I returned from a vacation – less than satisfied.

Debriefing after the fact, I found out a few things that – had I communicated more beforehand, could have made a huge difference.

There are two very simple things you can do to up your chances of having vacation victory vs disappointment

Be sure to prepare well in advance by:

1. Asking the people you will be with what they are expecting2. Letting them know what you are expecting

It’s amazing how much conflict and disappointment can be avoided by doing these two simple things.

And be sure you know what they really mean by what they say.

For example, if their answer is “lots of time spent relaxing” – you might want to find out what they mean by “lots of time”, and what is their idea of “relaxing”? What exactly are they picturing when they say this? Have them describe to you their dreams of an “ideal vacation”, and then be sure to share with them yours.

The more specific everyone is – the less the chance of surprise, disappointment, and upset.

And are each person’s expectations achievable? Do they conflict with each other? If so, what can you do now to come up with plans that work for everyone?

Gift giving can also lead to less than satisfying outcomes.

It took me many of our 30 years of marriage to finally catch on that the gifts we had been giving each other were the kinds of gifts we each wanted to get (and they aren’t the same!)

Understanding what is important to someone else is a skill and because we each see the world in our own unique way, we can often assume that what we care about also matters to the people around us.

Not the case!

Set yourself up for successful gift-giving, and vacation time – by really paying attention to finding out what matters most to the people around you. You may be quite surprised by what you learn.

For more information about how our different views on the world impact our relationships, especially with that significant other – stay tuned! I will be announcing a new program designed specifically to empower couples to have their relationships be less conflict ridden and more fun filled.

About the Author, Vicki Fenn:

"My passion is your success.

I love seeing people win at whatever game they take on. Whether it is leading a team to improved effectiveness and efficiency, advancing your career, growing your business, improving your relationships, or achieving your personal goals – I partner with you to clarify what you want, create a plan, and follow through successfully.

My happiest ‘customers’ are often the people around the people I coach. As the client becomes more effective at achieving their goals, their confidence, energy, happiness and fulfillment affect their co-workers, friends, and families.

As a professional coach for over 25 years with a deep commitment to on-going learning and development, I bring a wide range of education and training, and a depth of life experience to my clients. With customers who return to my services at various career and life stages, I have the privilege of seeing them bring the lasting impact of coaching to make real their achievement of ever more challenging and exciting goals."

https://www.vickifenn.com

Are Your Prepared for an Emergency?

No matter how much I want to deny it, Winter is on its way.  An emergency kit is something I don't, but should have.  

Here's an awesome list to help you make yours (bonus points if you can get it all into this box like the pic... )

Build your survival kit