Discovering Your Inner Samurai Blog

Have a Cool Yule

Tonight . . . as you are out and about with family and friends, take a moment to pause, in gratitude and appreciation for all that came your way this year.

HAVE A COOL YULE!

It Takes a Village to Publicize a Book

They say that once your book is written you are only 5% done.

Let me tell you folks, after doing one month of publicity for my book, whoever "they" are, are right! There is so much more that goes into your book after you publish it -- mainly publicity -- that takes almost as much time and energy as writing the book did in the first place.

It does take a village to publicize a book, and this is where I could use your help.

As a new author, I have no readership following. There's no one hanging around ready to scoop up my next best seller. That's why reviews of my book are so important . . . and that's where you come in. 

If you have read my book, I would be so appreciative if you would head over to Amazon.com to review it. Just click on the "create your own review" button and write your review. 

Discovering Your Inner Samurai: The Entrepreneurial Woman's Journey to Business Success is now available from WME Books, Amazon.com and directly from me, if you would like a signed copy.

Thank you!

Happy reading,

Let's Go Shopping

Today . . . I am thinking about shopping. After all, this is the day to join the throng of other happy holiday shoppers standing in long return lines at shopping malls all across America.

Sound like fun?

No? Well, then consider shopping at the Alkamae store ;)

Here you will find all kinds of practical and fun gifts for your home and office, without needing to step one little high-heeled foot in a shopping mall.

You'll find mouse pads, note cards, tote bags and other accessories for your office, as well as a gift for Fido, a cap for Uncle John, and a thong for Mary. The Alkamae store is great fun. Check it out!

Inner Samurai Christmas Story

This is a true story from one of my clients who has been practicing going within for guidance from her Inner Samurai and staying in the flow. I think it's a perfect Inner Samurai Christmas Story.

After writing the checks for the mortgage, the property tax, and two of the largest bills for my startup . . . I was feeling a bit in a panic again about finances.

But, I remembered from reading your book that panic is a sign of being out of the flow. So I went within and asked the Inner Samurai question, "What is in my highest good and greatest well being to allow, now?" and heard in response, "money flowing toward me." It seemed easy enough to find that answer! And I knew it was right, so I let it all go and went about my day.

Throughout the day, whenever I felt that bubble of fear rise up again about money, all I did was reconnect with the feeling of allowing money to flow to me, then got on with my day.

Last night when I talked with my Mom, she told me there was a loan she had taken out from my grandmother's estate that she was ready to pay back . . . and that my brother and I were going to be the recipient of that loan repayment! I had not mentioned to her that I was strapped for money. In fact, I didn't even recall that she had ever taken out a loan from my grandmother's estate. Instead, what I felt was, "yes" from deep within.

Mom's announcement came at a perfect time -- as it always does -- for my brother because he is closing on a home and needed an extra infusion of cash. And for me. My mom's repayment of that loan will more than meet my remaining start up obligations with plenty left over!

I am so grateful for my Inner Samurai guidance system. My Inner Samurai truly is my inner knowing. It's a place I can go, every time, for guidance. Next time I'm stressed out about anything, I'm going within.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

The Gift of You

'Tis the season to be thinking about gifts and gift giving. No, I'm not talking about presents that go under the Christmas tree. I'm talking about the golden gifts that you and only you give each day, in so many ways, to the people around you.

• You give these gifts to your family and to your friends with your kind words, warm hugs, soft touch, and well wishes.
• You give them to your colleagues, clients, and associates with your helpfulness, support, and guidance.
• You give them to people you meet, people you greet, even people you don't know with a friendly wave of your hand, ready smile, and helping hand.

Wherever you have gone this year, whatever you have done, whomever you have met, however you have thought about someone, you gave your golden gift. Each word, each action, each touch was a golden gift from you.

How awesome it is, at this time of the year, to look back over 2007 and think about the trillions of golden gifts you have given to others and the bazillion plus golden gifts they have given to you.

What golden gift do you have yet to give?

It Takes a Village to Publicize a Book

They say that once your book is written you are only 5% done.

Let me tell you folks, after doing one month of publicity for my book, whoever "they" are, are right! There is so much more that goes into your book after you publish it -- mainly publicity -- that takes almost as much time and energy as writing the book did in the first place.

It does take a village to publicize a book, and this is where I could use your help.

As a new author, I have no readership following. There's no one hanging around ready to scoop up my next best seller. That's why reviews of my book are so important . . . and that's where you come in. 

If you have read my book, I would be so appreciative if you would head over to Amazon.com to review it. Just click on the "create your own review" button and write your review. 

Discovering Your Inner Samurai: The Entrepreneurial Woman's Journey to Business Success is now available from WME Books, Amazon.com and directly from me, if you would like a signed copy.

Thank you!

Happy reading,

Do You Have What It Takes To Be An Entrepreneur?

Today . . . I am thinking about what it takes to be an entrepreneur.

Have you ever thought about what qualities and characteristics are distinctive of an entrepreneur? Ever wondered if you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur?

Fortunately, psychologists, sociologists, and historians have been studying the behavior characteristics and traits of successful entrepreneurs for long enough to have come up with a composite list of attributes and characteristics. Read the list and mentally keep count of how many times you said, “Yes, that’s me!” At the end, you'll tally up the score and see if you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur.

Top 10 Characteristics of Entrepreneurs

1. You have a strong desire for autonomy, to be your own boss, and live life on your own terms.
2. You are an independent self-starter, not needing or wanting others to tell you what to do.
3. You have a powerful drive to make money and accumulate wealth.
4. You are a calculated risk-taker with a higher-than-normal tolerance for failure and consider failure a non-issue.
5. You like to be in control and call the shots. 
6. You are highly self-motivated and are indefatigably fearless when it comes to getting the job done.
7. You had childhood experiences as a budding entrepreneur and/or entrepreneurial parents, grand parents, or relatives.
8. You have a high level of energy that is sustainable over a long period of time.
9. You are creative and innovative, a strong decision maker, and able to think quickly on your feet, and set things in motion.
10. You are a big-picture thinker capable of seeing how everything relates to each other.

So, How’d You Do?
How many "yes, that’s me!'' answers did you have?

1-3:  Don't quit your day job.
4-7:  Call a coach, start saving start-up money, get the gears in motion!
8-10:  Watch out, Donald Trump!

The Secret to Building Your Business Inner Samurai Style

As a woman entrepreneur, have you ever wondered what the secret is for building business success?

Sure, it’s important to have a mission statement, a business plan, and a product or service that meets the needs of your niche market. It’s also essential that you have funding to back your venture, a support system in place to guide and mentor you along your journey, and savvy business acumen.

What is the key to business success for women? The secret is to build your business from the inside out. From a place inside that you as a woman intuitively know and understand. From your Inner Samurai. The key to your business success is to connect with your Inner Samurai.

Connect with my Inner Samurai? What’s that? Connecting to your Inner Samurai means connecting to your inner knower. This will empower you with the strength you will need on your journey as you build a successful business.

All You Need to Know about Your Inner Samurai

• Who? Your Inner Samurai is known by many names. It has been called the voice within, the inner knower, the still small voice, God Self, Soul, God Within, and Spirit, to name a few.
• What? Your Inner Samurai is best defined by describing its opposite — the voice inside the head, the monkey mind, the ego. By contrast, your Inner Samurai is the inner voice, the voice within. It is the quiet, sure, confident, strong, vast, and powerful voice of inner knowing.
• Where? Your Inner Samurai is aptly named because it is the voice within. Inner because the voice is deep within your being (to distinguish it from the voice inside your head) and Samurai because of how strong and powerful it is.
• Why? Everyone has an inner voice. It is that part of us that is the repository of all our life experiences, hopes, and dreams. It’s so important to get in touch with our Inner Samurai because it is our greatest source of strength and knowing. It is the seat of our wisdom. It is the place of our extraordinary uniqueness. It exists to remind us of who we are.
• How? The most challenging part of connecting with your Inner Samurai is realizing how it communicates with you. Your Inner Samurai has a gentle, yet very recognizable, way of doing so — I like to call it “pulsing.” When you go inward and ask your Inner Samurai a question, you will feel a pulse answering you. This pulse will have one of two distinct qualities. It will feel like either a yes or a no.
• When? Once you know who, what, where, why, and how, the last thing you need to know is when. When is the best time to tune in and feel for the pulse of your Inner Samurai? The answer is: always. Make your Inner Samurai the primary voice you listen to. Turn to others for support. Turn inward for guidance. When in doubt between your feelings and thoughts, go with the pulse. Your Inner Samurai will never lead you astray, do you wrong, or leave you hanging. Your Inner Samurai pulse is right 100% of the time.

So, enjoy writing your mission statement and your business plan. Get creative making your product or service the best it can be. Develop positive relationships with your investors and supporters. And don’t forget the most important relationship of all — the relationship with your Inner Samurai.

What do you think? As a woman, do you think that the key to building your business success is getting in touch with your Inner Samurai? Or, not?

Thinking About Names for your Business? Avoid These!

What's in a business name? You want it to be everything. Sadly, many business names are nothing. Deciding on a great business name takes time. It takes thought. Moreover, getting it wrong could spell disaster for your business. Getting it right, however, will give customers a reason to hire you, connect you to your niche market, and save you thousands of marketing dollars.

Last week, I blogged about the "Five Top Characteristics of a Great Business Name." Today, I'll tell you what to avoid.

Five Popular Business Naming Trends to Avoid

1. Don’t abbreviate your business name. Though it may make communication and correspondence easier, acronyms are sterile.
2. Avoid anything that ends in “global”, “enterprise”, or “Inc.” They’re passé.
3. Avoid using your own name. Build your brand on your company, not on your name. That way, if you decide to sell your company one day, it will be easier to sell.
4. Don’t hyphenate your business name. It makes remembering and writing it difficult. Plus, a hyphenated web name is hard to read.
5. Avoid geographical names unless you're trying to create a strong local affinity. The name “Willow Oak Center for Arts and Learning at Robertson County” works because this is a business targeted specifically for Robertson County in Tennessee.

There is more to naming your business than just coming up with something that sounds good, is clever, or you just happen to like. Naming your business is a serious matter. Your business name reflects your image, your brand, and your position in the marketplace. Because your business name is crucial to your overall branding success and marketing efforts, make your business name count. Make it great!

What do you think about the five trends to avoid? Can you think of some others that we should know about? If so, do let us know!

Discovering Your Inner Samurai at Amazon.com

Let me tell you folks, the biggest unstopable grin in the world spread across my face when I typed in "Discovering Your Inner Samurai" and saw my book pop up on Amazon!

It's rather like seeing a picture of your baby for the first time. Sure, you know you have a baby. You've been cooing over it, loving on it, and holding it close for several months. Though, there is something really amazing that happens when you actually get to see a picture of your baby for the first time. -- Your baby becomes real, in an externally validated way.

Seeing my baby's picture at Amazon.com was like having the world shout back to me, "Yes! You are here! Welcome!"

Discovering Your Inner Samurai: The Entrepreneurial Woman's Journey to Business Success is now available from WME Books, Amazon.com and directly from me, if you would like a signed copy.

Take you pick!

Happy reading,

Panera's Ron Shaich Success Story

Today . . . I am, reading an article in Fortune Small Business about Ron Shaich, Panera Bread company's founder, order taker, and sometimes dish washer. Brandi Stewart does a nice job telling the story of this entrepreneurial hero.

He started college thinking he would end up working in politics. But after he was falsely accused of shoplifting and then kicked out of a convenience store while still a student, Shaich launched a rival shop - and his business career. Twenty years later, Shaich made a name for himself as the owner of Au Bon Pain, an East Coast bakery chain he grew from three stores into a $200 million a year company.

Many thought Shaich was crazy when, in 1999, he sold Au Bon Pain to concentrate on developing Panera (Charts), its small bakery division. But today Panera is the country's 17th-largest food-service company, boasting some 1,115 U.S. locations and annual revenue of $1.9 billion.

Want to read more? Click here. What I want to focus on is the three main ingredients that Shaich focuses on in his business. Whether you are an Accidental Pren-her just starting out in business or an entrepreneurial woman who's owned a business for many years, these three ingredients (the most often over looked) are important for small business owners to keep in mind.

How Shaich Bakes Rising Profits

• Never stop talking to customers.
  To understand what sells best at his shops; Shaich visits them regularly, mans the registers, and waits on buyers.
• Retain good employees by earning their respect.
  On more than one occasion, short-handed store managers have found Shaich in the back, washing dishes and mopping floors.
• Pick a good name.
  After he bought the St. Louis Bread Co., Shaich changes its name to Panera, which resonates better with folks outside the Midwest -- see my article on the "Five Characteristics of Great Business Names and Five Popular Trends to Avoid."

So, what do you think about Shaich's three main ingredients to business success? Agree? Disagree? Let us know!

Praise from TUT

I'm a big fan of Mike Dooley, the originator of TUT. Are you?

Each weekday I receive Mike Dooley's daily email Notes From the Universe. In it, are daily reminders about living life from an inner perspective -- Inner Samurai style.

Here's a great Inner Samurai reminder from a recent TUT email:

Little else you say can change so much in the life of another than words of praise, compliments, or encouragement. ~ The Universe

You know, It's a really simple quotation. Nothing really complex about it. Nothing to discern. Nothing to chew on or noodle about. It's so simple and so easy. Just compliment someone. Give them a pat on the back. Let them know when they have done something well. Thank them for what they have done for you. Let them know they have made a difference in your world.

Mike Dooley's quotation dovetails nicely with my "Gratitude Attitude" post that generated a lot of great comments last month.

What do you think? Is praise, gratitude, and giving people compliments just a lot of hype? Is it meaningless dribble or powerful portent? Weigh in. Let us know your thoughts.

Top Five Characteristics of a Great Business Name

Deciding on a name is one of the most exciting parts of starting up a business for the Accidental Pren-her. The only problem with choosing the name of your business is that so much rides on your business name.

What's the key? One of my clients asked me this question, so I did the research and wrote an article on it: "Five Characteristics of Great Business Names and Five Popular Trends to Avoid." Below, I've listed the top five characteristics that make a business name great -- really great. Next Monday, I'll list the trends to avoid.

Top Five Characteristics of a Great Business Name

1. It’s short.
2. It’s specific and reflects a specialized business: Jiffy Lube, Home Depot.
3. It’s unique. Consider using words that are not in the dictionary: Alkamae, Google, Squidoo.
4. It’s creative. Don’t copy, borrow, or modify existing famous brand names. Got Milk? has its own branding. Leave Victoria’s Secret to Victoria.
5. It’s an easy name to say, spell, and remember. Use proper English construction so that when put in a sentence, it will work: “I just purchased a book from Amazon.”

The key to picking a great name for your business is to make it memorable. Make it distinctive. Don’t make it silly or cute. Your name should reflect your market niche and identity and be able to reach your customer base easily. So don’t mess it up!

How about your business name? Is your business name a great business name? How many of the top five characteristics of a great business name does it reflect? Let us know.

Discovering Your Inner Samurai at Amazon.com

Let me tell you folks, the biggest unstopable grin in the world spread across my face when I typed in "Discovering Your Inner Samurai" and saw my book pop up on Amazon!

It's rather like seeing a picture of your baby for the first time. Sure, you know you have a baby. You've been cooing over it, loving on it, and holding it close for several months. Though, there is something really amazing that happens when you actually get to see a picture of your baby for the first time. -- Your baby becomes real, in an externally validated way.

Seeing my baby's picture at Amazon.com was like having the world shout back to me, "Yes! You are here! Welcome!"

Discovering Your Inner Samurai: The Entrepreneurial Woman's Journey to Business Success is now available from WME Books, Amazon.com and directly from me, if you would like a signed copy.

Take you pick!

Happy reading,

Build Your Relationships from the Heart Up

Today . . . I am reading The Trump Blog. I'm a fan of Donald Trump, don't you know? He is a business man who walks his talk, knows what he wants, has the courage and conviction to go after it, and, best of all . . .  is in touch with his Inner Samurai.

Here is an excerpt from his "Know Your Audience" post that reminded me, once again, of how important it is for entrepreneurial women to connect with the person, not the product. To find  the common common ground, not go for the juggler. To build a relationship from the heart up, instead of the head down.

Whether you're involved in negotiations, war, public speaking, or merely socializing, learn about the person across from you and find out what he or she wants so that you can build a better relationship.

At every level, relationships are built on listening, connections, common interests, and experiences. It is essential to be able to read your audience, whether that audience consists of a couple of people in your office or 40,000 in an amphitheater listening to you speak. The challenge is to find common ground.

For example, I was once involved in a very difficult negotiation and found myself disliking my adversary. My feelings placed a wall between us; my dislike made our dealings strained and unproductive. Our deal was on the verge of collapsing, when I discovered that my adversary was an avid golfer like myself. When we began our next session, I mentioned that I had heard he was a golfer. We started talking about golf, which eased the tension. When we resumed our business, we were more at ease, communicated more easily, and closed the deal.

What do you think about the concept of building a business from the heart up? From a place of connection first? Can building a business from the heart be as financially successful as building a business from the head down? Weight in. Tell us what you think.

How did you Become a Blogger?

Blogging is one of the most liberating things I have done for my Inner Samurai and ranks up there with one of the most powerfully expressive things I’ve ever done for myself. Besides being wildly easy and fun, blogging creates a wonderful sense of community.

How did you first become a blogger?

I first became a blogger seven months ago when I signed-up for Andy Wibbel's (author of Blogwild!) Write Your Book in 45 Days teleseminar. It was one of those marathon writing seminars where a bunch of crazed writers all got together for a weekly call, then went off on their own to write in isolation. Some of us rented cabins in the mountains for weeks at a time, others of us took a month off from work, and still others of us hammered it out between 3-5a each morning before going off to our day job. The one thing, though, that all of us had in common was our sacred writer’s blog space, created specifically for our class.

Here, from an absolutely impoverished place of writer’s isolation, too many days spent staring glassy-eyed at the computer screen, and a week’s worth of half-eaten take out in my ‘fridge, I began my blogging career. Driven from the need to connect, and with absolutely no prior instruction and a great amount of intrepidation, I wrote “Alkamae” in the ‘post a comment’ name box. “So far so good,” I thought as I typed something scholarly in the body of the post like, “help, anyone out there?” Then, I warily clicked ‘post’ and . . . eureka, our community of book writers was born!

Seven months later, I had my own blog site and have been blogging steadily ever since.

So, what's your blogging story? When did you begin blogging? What the experience been like for you? Let us know . . . we'd love to hear.

Interview with Accidental Pren-hers Carol Satterlee and Lisa Morelli

Today's special guests on The Accidental Pren-her Show, Stories of the Unexpected are Accidental Pren-hers Carol Satterlee & Lisa Morelli.

This 12 minute interview talks about Carol & Lisa's transition from the traditional work force to forming a partnership and co-founding Family on the Edge, a coaching service that offers support and resources to empower people and strengthen their relationships to others in the face of adversity and major life transitions.

You can listen to Lisa & Carol's interview from your computer by clicking on the play button, download the MP3 file and listening on your iPod or other MP3 listening device, or read it in full below.

Enjoy!

The original Accidental Pren-her™

Author of Discovering Your Inner Samurai: The Entrepreneurial Woman's Journey to Business Success