Wow, it’s been a while. I’ve been up to some really cool stuff since we last connected here on my newsletter. I’m really excited to share what I’ve been up to and how my network helped me meet these major goals. Yes, you, my network, are all part of this!
First things first… (drum roll please!)
As you may or may not know, I am on the home stretch of having my book, 30 Second Success, published. We are shooting for a January 2020 launch to help you kick of the New Year with a great tool to help you grow your network and your business. No one should ever struggle to find the words to express who they are and what they do and this book will help anyone overcome that struggle. The book is also filled with great networking tips and insight to help you make better connections, develop key relationships, and change your approach in order to reach your audience. Want more business in 2020? Then get the book! Watch for the pre-launch announcements.
The second fun thing I am working on is my keynote speech. I get requests to present to organizations and associations often and even though I have a great workshop presentation, I want to button up my keynote for the bigger stage. Yes, that’s me…I like the energy I get from the crowd when I can deliver a message from stage that will help change how they connect with their ideal clients. I am super excited to be working with the team at Heroic Public Speaking and I love my Speech Writing Coach who totally gets me!
Sharing this takes me to the message I want to share with all of you…
Knowing when it’s time to seek “professional” help. Yes, I love working with all of my amazing friends who are more than happy to help me out by reading, reviewing, and providing feedback, and I am super grateful for all of them, but I found that I was getting stuck in the muck over stuff I could not figure out, or didn’t have the time to invest in getting it done, or frankly…didn’t want to do.
Sometimes we just need to bite the bullet and hire people who know how and to trust the process. This isn’t to say that I didn’t ask my tribe for help along the way with some feedback and insights, but for the real work to get done I had to go and hire the right people. Scary thought, right? That means spending money you may or may not have, it means trusting someone you may or may not know, it ultimately means handing over control! EEK!!
I finally got to the point of being tired of seeing my book and my keynote on my to do list month after month and not seeing any progress. I know it may seem like a lot to do at one time, and it is, but I was very methodical about how I decided who to hire and when (Ha! believe that and I’ll tell you another one.) I really have to give credit to the women in my accountability group who really do push me to move forward when I get stuck on things like this. I’d also have to say it took me putting it out there, for me to actually take action.
You see, I told a client, the owner of a direct sales company, that I was working on my book and what it would do for all of his members. He promptly told me he would buy 3000 copies for everyone in his organization for their upcoming conference if I could have it done by October. This is the exact response I was hoping for because I knew it was time to put it out there and make it happen. Well, that lit a fire under me and I went to work. I had the content but it stalled there and I missed the deadline for his event (yes, he still wants the books).
My problem was that the editing, publishing, marketing, launching and all of the other parts associated with creating a book are not my forte and I was struggling. My dear friend (yes, she’s part of my network) and favorite photographer, Brenda Jankowski of BrenPhotography, introduced me to one of her clients who is launching her own publishing company and she offers soup to nuts services with her team of professionals. This is networking at work and this is why I love it so much! It’s about people getting to know people, so they can tell other people about their people! (Do you get me?)
Not only did my network helped me that major goal, my network helped me find Heroic Public Speaking too, but I think I will save that story along with the timing of these two major events for another day.
I love networking, it has truly changed my life and how I do business. I really do rely on my network to help make things happen and it’s why I love connecting here with you so much. I encourage you to consider hiring help if you are stuck on a project. If you aren’t quite sure who to hire, ask your network. If they can’t help you, call me…I bet I’ve got someone who can help you. And if you need someone to help you get clarity on your message…you can find me HERE.
Wishing you much success as always,
Laura
