Lately, I’ve had a lot of opportunities present themselves that were somewhat unexpected. Normally, they were things I would say “no” to; because at face value they weren’t in alignment with what I’m doing. But, I’ve noticed that when I take the time to properly evaluate unexpected opportunities some of them are in perfect alignment. I just recently had the opportunity to evaluate something and when I took the time to dig deep, I realized it was a perfect fit for me. My initial gut reaction was, no…that’s not for me.

With time being a factor for most of us, I’m not suggesting saying yes to everything that shows up. Rather, just taking some time to ask yourself why it showed up when it did and if there is a possible connection to the bigger picture for you. You never know, it might just be perfect timing.

One of the hardest thing about being an entrepreneur is knowing when to stop and take a break. For many of the entrepreneurs I’ve spoken with, keeping some sort of balance in their lives is very hard. I’ve definitely struggled with it from time to time. Recently, I was having dinner with someone who was really worn out and run down because so much good stuff was happening it was hard to slow down. When we have a lot of good opportunities coming our way, we get excited and sometimes take on too much. Then we’re at risk for burnout.

The key for me is taking time every day to exercise and do my morning meditation. I think these two things keep me sane and somewhat in balance. I also take time off for dinner every night, I cook a lot because I enjoy it and it’s relaxing for me. When I start feeling frazzled, I know it’s time to examine what I’m doing for myself on a daily basis.

Last week, Joe and I went on a cruise to the Caribbean and had a fabulous time! We went on the Celebrity Cruise line and this is the second time we’ve taken a trip with them. They are fantastic at branding and service all the way around. Their website is great and the booking experience is seamless. When we arrived, boarding the ship was a breeze compared with other lines we’ve been on. They greeted us with champagne and fresh flowers in our stateroom and every service person was professional, courteous and willing to go the extra mile. It made me think how important it is to incorporate that in my own business.

I think that all touch points someone has with a business should be outstanding no matter how small your business is. Branding and service go a long way towards that end by setting a standard for how people interact with your company: the look and feel of your website, collateral, office experience, and interaction with you or your employees. I know it’s important because it’s how I choose who to do business with, I realized it with Celebrity last week. Good food for thought….

We had our first webcast this morning with Robin Wilson, founder of Robin Wilson Home. Robin founded her company 8 years ago after a successful executive recruiting career. What amazes me about Robin is how much she’s accomplished in this short period of time. She’s managed to continually evolve her company from a home renovation project management company to a focus on interior design and now includes a new product line of eco-friendly and eco-healthy products. Check out her new product line at The Nest Store.

I’ve gotten to know Robin over the last few months and she continues to inspire me with all of the things she has going plus her amazing insights into being an entrepreneur.

Today, she talked about the importance of setting micro and macro goals and then celebrating when you reach the goal. I think that’s a really important point that many of us forget. I’ve been learning to celebrate reaching my micro goals by having a glass of champagne (sometimes two), while Robin used to indulge in McDonald’s french fries to celebrate hers (many media requests later, she decided to scale back on the fries). A micro goal is a small goal that is in alignment with your big goals. They’re really important because it’s these small steps and goals that build the momentum for reaching your big goals.

An advisory board of family, friends and colleagues has also played a role in her success. She said it helps her to run things past this group to get valuable, honest feedback. I agree; it’s important to have people around you who support what you’re doing and believe in you, but will give you honest feedback. I have several people in my life like this and sometimes the most valuable feedback they give me is the hardest to hear, but I always know they support me and what I’m doing. Surrounding yourself with these type of people – and, most importantly, weeding out people who aren’t constructive and supportive of your ambition – can make or break you.

Robin also spent some time and energy early in her business to put a personal brand in place. Her business was originally called something else - I can’t remember what it was, but that goes to show you that it was…well, not very memorable. Someone advised her to make her brand more personable, hence Robin Wilson Home. That change made a big difference to her business in the early stages and probably has played a big role in her success.

She had a strong platform to build on and that’s a great way to get started. I can’t tell you how important it is to take branding and marketing seriously. This is something I started doing from the very beginning and that effort is justified every time I get an email from someone I don’t know that says “I love what you’re doing and what it’s all about.” That’s the value of having a well-honed message and a brand that can be understood quickly and easily by the public.

Robin mentioned some things that have helped her along the way being an entrepreneur, here’s her list:

BOOKS
The Dream Giver by Bruce Wilkinson
Basic Black by Cathie Black
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

MAGAZINES
Entrepreneur
Inc.
Pink

RESOURCES
NextDay Flyers.com (marketing materials)
WEBEX.com (virtual computer)
GoDaddy.com (email)
ASoundStrategy.com (website)
Regus-HQ Offices (mail meeting rooms and receptionist)
Bank of America (payroll and small business loans)

I really enjoyed the call today – it re-energized me in areas in my business that I would like to focus on. Thanks Robin!