Discovering Your Inner Samurai Blog

What the Heck is an Inner Samurai?

Have you ever wondered what the heck an Inner Samurai Is?

Here you go . . .

The Who, What, Where, Why, How, and When 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? 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.

That's it in a nutshell!

Susan L. Reid
The original Accidental Pren-her™
Award-winning author of Discovering Your Inner Samurai: The Entrepreneurial Woman's Journey to Business Success

What's Your Decision Making Process? Tortoise or Hare?

I'm a tortoise. I admit it. When it comes to new business ideas, I'm not generally a fast adopter. While other small business owners are quick to implement and incorporate ideas, I like to hang back and consider them.

In some ways, however, I'm more hare than tortoise. For instance, once the big decisions about my business are made I make ancillary decisions with the speed and precision of hare.

When it comes to adopting new ideas and making decisions for your business, are you more like Aesop's the tortoise or the hare? Are you speedy out of the gate or slow and steady to the end?

You're a Tortoise if . . .

•    When you say you're going to do something, you do.
•    You're steady and know how to pace yourself.
•    You have tons of sustainable energy and can see things through.
•    You like looking at things from different angles.
•    Having to make a quick decision makes you feel pressured.
•    Windows of opportunity sometimes pass you by because you wait too long to make up your mind.
•    You do things when they both “feel right" and “think right." Not before.
•    Hares bug you.

You're a Hare if . . .

•    You're flexible and can maneuver nimbly in changing environments.
•    You're  spontaneous, adventurous, and like lots of variety in your life.
•    You are great at generating ideas.
•    Like starting up something.
•    Having to stay focused on one thing makes you feel pressured.
•    Have difficulty completing a project because you lose interest half way through.
•    You implicitly trust your gut instincts and do things when they feel "right" to you.
•    Tortoises bore you.

In today's business environment, we see evidence of both tortoise and hare decision-making processes going on -- Some business owners jump at anything while others are slow to consider. Nevertheless, given our current economic conditions, it will take the winning characteristics of both the tortoise and the hare to get things done this year.

We'll all be at our best when we find ways to combine the thoughtfulness, sustainability, and commitment of the tortoise with the adaptability, flexibility, and maneuverability of the hare.

Agree? Disagree? Let us know!

Susan L. Reid
The original Accidental Pren-her™
Award-winning author of Discovering Your Inner Samurai: The Entrepreneurial Woman's Journey to Business Success

How to Write a Great Mission Statement Video

Here's our latest 5-minute "how-to" instructional video on mission statements.

Every business needs a mission statement. To make sure you've written a great one, follow these guidelines and answer the three key questions in this article. When you do, you will have created a mission statement that definitively and succinctly states your purpose, what activities you'll do to accomplish that purpose, and what principals and beliefs will guide your work.

When you're done watching, let us know how helpful this was to you.

Coaching Letter of Agreement vs Contract

Today . . . I am thinking about this question that came in from one of our readers. Terry (not her real name) just signed up for coaching services with a new coach, and her coach sent her a Letter of Agreement to sign. Our reader wonders about this practice, and wanted to know the difference between an agreement and a contract. Good question!

If you have a small business question that you'd like for me to answer, let me know.

Q: "My coach just sent me a Letter of Agreement to sign before coaching services begin. Is this standard practice? What's the difference between a Letter of Agreement and a Contract?"   

A: Yes, a Letter of Agreement is standard practice in the coaching/mentoring industry. It is designed to lay the groundwork for a productive working relationship, and sets the tone for your upcoming work together.

The biggest difference between an agreement and a contact is that the courts will enforce a contract, whereas an agreement is just an arrangement between the parties. Sometimes, however, an agreement is included in a contract.

Here's the difference:

•    An agreement is based on an offer. In this case, your coach made you an offer for coaching services. If you sign the agreement, that means you have agreed to it. This is why it is called an agreement.

•    A contract, on the other hand, comes after there is an offer and an agreement. For example, a contract is signed between a publisher and a writer - after an offer has been accepted and terms agreed upon.

For most coaching/mentor relationships there is just an offer and an agreement. No contract will follow.

Disclaimer: I am neither an attorney nor an accountant and am not qualified to give you financial or legal advice. If you are starting up a business, it is important for you to contact qualified law and tax experts and seek their advice.

If you have a small business question that you'd like for me to answer, let me know.

Susan L. Reid
The original Accidental Pren-her™
Award-winning author of Discovering Your Inner Samurai: The Entrepreneurial Woman's Journey to Business Success

How to Connect Your Business to Your Inner Samurai

This question came in from on of our readers. She asked:

I appreciate your advice to start a small business from 'the inside out.' However, I have been working for myself for years without ever having done any of the preparatory work you talk about. I’m sure I’d be further along and more established if I had. What are the most important things for me to do now that I’ve already gotten my business going “from the outside in?

A: Not everyone gets the opportunity to be intentional about starting their business from the inside out, or, as I like to put it, from your Inner Samurai. So the next best thing is to grow your business from the inside out.

Here are the top five things you can do now to more deeply connect your business to your inner knowing:

1. Review your vision and mission statements. Make sure they reveal your best inner vision and inner-inspired action.
2. Remain nimble in your thinking. Make sure you have not become so attached to any one belief that you cannot see past it to another possibility.
3. Affirm that your business is safe, that your business needs are always taken care of, and that you trust the process of life.
4. Imagine what you want your business to be like. See your business and your life through the eyes of Source. 
5. Focus on prosperity. Take your mind off sales.

Have a pressing business startup question?

I'll be glad to answer it or find someone who can. Ask a Question.

Susan L. Reid
The original Accidental Pren-her™
Award-winning author of Discovering Your Inner Samurai: The Entrepreneurial Woman's Journey to Business Success

Top 5 Mistakes Women Make in Business

As a woman entrepreneur, I've made my share of mistakes in business. And, as a business coach and author of Discovering Your Inner Samurai, a book about women's business success, I've thought a lot about the common mistakes that women make in business.

Here are my top five. What are yours?

1. Letting them see you sweat.

Too many times I've seen women, when they aren't feeling confident about themselves or their abilities, disclose their lack of confidence. They do this by peppering their clients and colleagues with lots of questions before they delve into a project, hedging when it comes to making a commitment, as well as breaking eye contact and fidgeting.

Showing lack of confidence, either by word or action, is a self-defeating behavior. Never let them see you sweat! Say yes. Then figure out how to deliver.

2. Displaying negative emotions.

Displaying anger, bitterness, or spite is never attractive. Turning into the victim or martyr when things don't go your way by whining, complaining, or blaming is counterproductive. Don't defend yourself, argue, or yell at your clients or colleagues. And, for heaven's sake, don't cry!

You can deal with every challenge in business without being negative. Instead, take action. Offer a solution.

3. Making excuses.

Women seem to think that, if they explain why they didn't return a call, answer an email, show up on time, or meet a deadline, everyone will understand and it will be okay. Not so.

Excuses say that what you were doing was more important than what someone else wanted you to do. An explanation means you are asking permission to be excused for what you did not do.

Instead, be impeccable with your word. Do as you say.

4. Being bitchy.

Take your cue from Cesar Millan, The Dog Whisperer: Stay calm and assertive. You do not have to be tough or come across aggressively in business. Instead, stay calm, be assertive, and develop a cooperative model when dealing with others.

5. Making decisions from a “lack mentality.”

Too many women have a mindset of scarcity when it comes to their businesses. They believe they lack time, money is scarce, and there aren’t enough customers. They don’t understand that near-term lack infects long-term prosperity. Therefore, make decisions for your business based on the far-term vision of expansion and growth.

Agree? Disagree? What's the biggest mistake that you see women entrepreneurs make?

Susan L. Reid
The original Accidental Pren-her™
Award-winning author of Discovering Your Inner Samurai: The Entrepreneurial Woman's Journey to Business Success

7 Things You May Not Know About Me

I’ve succumbed to the “7 things you don’t know about me” meme, thanks to Anita Campbell at Small Business Trends blog. 

Today's Friday. Nice way to end out the week and connect with folks.

So, here are 7 things about me. After reading them, I'd like to find out something about you. You can share in the comments section. 

Also, at the end of the post I’ve also tagged 7 fun women entrepreneurs to share seven things about themselves.

7 Things You May Not Know About Me

• I celebrated Jerusalem 3000 in Israel. It was a fabulous experience.
• At the age of 50, I decided to stop saying, "next lifetime I'm coming back as an artist" and signed up for an acrylics class. Four months later, I began taking oil lessons and have been painting ever since. Never say you're too old to begin anything!
• I was a Rotary Fellow in England. Spent a fantastic year at the University of Surrey getting my MMus in Orchestra Conducting.
• My first entrepreneurial experience was when I was 8 years old. My baby brother had just been born and I frequently took him for buggy strolls through our Mt. Lebanon, PA neighborhood. I quickly realized that a baby in a buggy was a big draw. So, when relatives came for a visit bringing fresh produce with them from their farm, I loaded up the baby buggy with the extra produce and went door-to-door selling heads of cabbage for 5 cents a piece.
• I'm a lacto-ovo vegetarian and have been so for 30 years. My "last meal" was lobster that I, myself, dove for in Bar Harbor, ME.
• I am an ID in the DiSC assessment.I find the DiSC to be an invaluable tool for understanding behavior styles and how we interact with others in the workplace and life.
• Finally, after 32 years, my 1906 Knabe Grand Piano is home. It now sits beautifully restored in the only room in my house that has cathedral ceilings, ready to be played. 

That's it! Did anything on my list surprise you?

Now let’s hear from you. In the comments section below, share one fact about yourself — the more obscure the better. That way we can get to know you a little better! 

Here are the 7 fun women entrepreneurs I've tagged to write their own “7 things” post: 

Yvonne DiVita, Lip-Sticking, (Twitter: @y2vonne)

Carol McClelland, Green Career Central, (Twitter: @CarolMcClelland)

Dana Weekley, of Nine Tomatoes, (Twitter: @NineTomatoes)

Dori Luthy-Harrison, of DAL Designs

Donna Gunter, of Online Biz University, (Twitter: @donnagunter)

Samantha Hartley, of Enlightened Marketing, (Twitter: @samanthahartley)

Holly Buchanan, of Marketing to Women Online, (Twitter: @hollybuchanan)

The rules are simple. Link to your original tagger and list these rules in your post.  Simply share seven facts about yourself in the post. Tag seven people at the end of your post and let them know they’ve been tagged.

Susan L. Reid
The original Accidental Pren-her™
Award-winning author of Discovering Your Inner Samurai: The Entrepreneurial Woman's Journey to Business Success

How to Write a Great Business Vision Statement Video

Here's our latest 5-minute "how-to" instructional video on vision statements. Follow these easy guidelines and use the vision statement formula at the end of the video to perfectly articulate your dream, your passion, and the direction you envision for your business.

When you're done watching, let us know how helpful this was to you.

How to Fail Proof your Idea: The Ultimate Way to Test

Today . . . I am thinking about this question that came in from one of our readers. Samantha (not her real name) is just starting out in business and has lots of great ideas. The problem is, she really isn't all that keen about doing the research necessary to find out if she actually has an idea that's going to make her money. She wants to know, now. Before spending additional time and money on research.

If you have a small business question that you'd like for me to answer, let me know.

Q: "I have this great idea for a product, and wonder if there is a quick way to find out if other people are interested in my idea? I don't want to go and spend lots of time and money on researching my idea before knowing if people are interested." 

A: It's a good idea to check out your great idea for a product before you actually put it out in the market. No need, as you say, to spend time and money in product development if you really don't have a product that people are interested in. And by interested in, I mean willing to buy.

Online Marketing Expert Shama Hyder over at Shama.TV put together this 2 minute video that offers a fail proof way to test out your product idea:

How to Fail Proof your Idea: The Ultimate Way to Test

If you have a small business question that you'd like for me to answer, let me know.

Susan L. Reid
The original Accidental Pren-her™
Award-winning author of Discovering Your Inner Samurai: The Entrepreneurial Woman's Journey to Business Success

Seven Lucky Affirmations for St. Patrick's Day

Today is St. Patrick's Day and a perfect day to consider luck.

What is luck? According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, luck is, "A force that brings good fortune or adversity; the events or circumstances that operate for or against an individual."

According to this general definition, luck seems to be something outside of one's self. Success or failure is therefore apparently brought about by chance, rather than one's own actions.

If you agree that luck is something outside your control, read no further.

If, however, you'd like to think you have some say in what you actually attract into your life, then consider what lucky people do to create luck in their lives.

Lucky people (aka successful people) think and behave in ways that create good fortune in their lives. Specifically, these two ways:

• They are eagerly open to possibilities.
  

• They expect good fortune to come their way. 

The ability to consistently attract luck into your life is a way of life for successful people. A pattern of thinking that you will need to adopt for yourself if you, too, want to attract a greater amount of fortune and happiness into your life.

Want to think more like a lucky person? Below are seven powerful affirmations you can use to bring good luck and fortune into your life.

7 Powerful Affirmations for St. Patrick's Day

• I am always in the right place at the right time.
• I expect the best and I get it NOW!
• I am divinely guided in all I do.
• I deserve the best and it comes to me easily and effortlessly.
• I expect good fortune every moment of my life.
• I am open to receive the abundant good that the Universe/God/Source has for me.
• My highest good is manifesting in my life right now.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Susan L. Reid
The original Accidental Pren-her™
Award-winning author of Discovering Your Inner Samurai: The Entrepreneurial Woman's Journey to Business Success

Wendy Krepak on Accidental Pren-her Podcast

Business podcast with Wendy Krepak – subscribe now via iTunes.

Today’s guest is Wendy Krepak, inventor of the Card Cubby. In this interview, Wendy shares her journey from accidental inventor, to successful entrepreneur. Listen and learn about her process through inventing, patenting, manufacturing and distributing. 

• Listen to the interview. (If needed, click here to access easy download instructions page.)
• Read the transcript.

This episode of Accidental Pren-her: Stories of the Unexpected podcast is brought to you by Green Career Central. A one-stop career site to help you identify your green niche, research the green economy, and find your place whether you want to land a green job or start a green business.

How to Write a Great Business Vision Statement Video

Here's our latest 5-minute "how-to" instructional video on vision statements. Follow these easy guidelines and use the vision statement formula at the end of the video to perfectly articulate your dream, your passion, and the direction you envision for your business.

When you're done watching, let us know how helpful this was to you.

Women Entrepreneurs - Want to Succeed in Business?

Today . . . I am thinking about this question that came in from one of our readers. She's been in business for four years. Done okay for herself. However, she has not really been as successful as she wants to be. Her question was an interesting question.

If you have a small business question that you'd like for me to answer, let me know.

Q: If you had to narrow it down, what one or two things do you think are essential to succeed in business, at this time?"

A: What a great question! Let's see . . . if I had to narrow it down, here would be my top two:

1. Be an expert at what you do.

We are living in a time of unprecedented opportunity. Opportunity in every field, in every industry, in all parts of the world. To be successful in business, you need to become a leading authority in your field.

Not only do you need to become a leading authority, you also need to be seen as adding value to the marketplace. Adding value either directly to people by means of the services that you offer or in people's lives by the products you supply.

Experts get more attention. They get the lion's share of the market. They get noticed, approached, and followed by the media. Being an expert means your cash flow will increase, you can command more for what you do, and more people will be willing to buy from you.

Ralph Lauren, American fashion designer and business executive, started working after school to earn money to buy suits for himself. In high school, he was know for selling ties to his fellow students that he had designed himself. His first store was a necktie store.

From the beginning, Lauren was interested in suits that were tailored in classic men's style. He became an expert in this style and went on to tailor women's suits in the very same style. Lauren became an expert at what he did and a leading authority in his field.

2. Be good at what you do.

Right now, we are witnessing a time of great hope and excitement, the likes of which we have not seen in a very long time. While we are in the midst of the worst recession many of us have every experienced, people everywhere understand that, "this too shall pass." And it is this thought that's keeping our spirits alive and our beliefs buoyed for a brighter future.

For the business owner, talents and skills, above all else, will define your true value in the business world. Now more than ever, you have to be good at what you do and focused in on what you do best. You have to take charge of where your business is going and align with the resources of the world to make it happen.

Louise Hay, best selling author and founder of Hay House publishing company did just that. By focusing on what she did best, Hay changed the spiritual landscape in America. Although she had an unstable and impoverished childhood, was pregnant at 15 and ran away from home, Hay took what she did best and made it into a prosperous corporation that has sold millions of books and tapes worldwide.

That's it! These are the two most quintessential ingredients to business success. 

If you have a small business question that you'd like for me to answer, let me know.

Susan L. Reid
The original Accidental Pren-her™
Award-winning author of Discovering Your Inner Samurai: The Entrepreneurial Woman's Journey to Business Success

The Head Does Not Hear Until the Heart Has Listened

Twentieth century Irish poet and storyteller James Stephens really gets it. He knows the value and importance of listening to your heart, to your inner voice . . . to what I call, your Inner Samurai.

The head does not hear anything until the heart has listened, and what the heart knows today the head will understand tomorrow.   

What do you think about this quotation? Agree? Disagree? Does it resonate within you?

Susan L. Reid
The original Accidental Pren-her™

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

Are You Entrepreneur Material?

What does 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.

Scoring:

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, Martha Stewart!

Take the Accidental Pren-her Quiz!

Susan L. Reid
The original Accidental Pren-her™
Two-time award-winning author of Discovering Your Inner Samurai: The Entrepreneurial Woman's Journey to Business Success

How-to Write a Great Business Vision Statement

Here's our latest 5-minute "how-to" instructional video on vision statements. Follow these easy guidelines and use the vision statement formula at the end of the video to perfectly articulate your dream, your passion, and the direction you envision for your business.

When you're done watching, let us know how helpful this was to you.

First 10 Steps to Starting up Your Home-Based Business

Today . . . I am thinking about this question that came in from one of our readers. She just got her DBA and is all excited about starting up her business. Understandably, she wants to make sure she starts up right, and wants to know what the first steps are to starting up a business, and in what order she should go.

If you have a small business question that you'd like for me to answer, let me know.

Q: "What are the first steps to starting up a home-based business? Is there a certain sequence I should follow?"

A: First 10 Steps to Starting Up a Business

1. Get help. First things first. Don’t try to go it alone. Hire a home business coach, contact SCORE and partner with a mentor, or join a mastermind group focused on starting up a business.

2. Gather your people. A lot of fears may surface during this time. Make sure you have a group of people around you who understand what you are doing and know how to offer support without telling you what to do.

3. Decide what it is you want to do. This is no small task. You must be absolutely sure about the focus of your business and be passionate about it. It is this passion and conviction that will sustain you through the dark moments of doubt and confusion when no one believes in you but yourself.

4. Figure out who your niche market is. One of the best ways to do this is by creating a persona of your perfect client or customer. Figure out what they like, what keeps them up at night, and where they turn for help. Then develop an action plan for connecting with them.

5. Develop a viable product or service. First, make sure that your passion in business is a perfect match to the solutions you intend to provide to your niche market’s biggest challenges. Then, create 2-3 products at different price points that will entice website visitors to buy.

6. Put together a business plan. This is one of the most frequently skipped steps. The most important reason to have a business plan is to clarify where you are taking your business, what you are focusing on, and how you plan to get there.

7. Hire a professional to design and implement your website. Unless you have the design chops to put a website together, don’t try to skimp on money here by doing it yourself. You want a website that looks professional and is optimized with the actual keyword phrases that your niche market is using to find solutions to their challenges.

8. Begin building your mailing list. Rarely do people buy, right off, when they come to your home page. So create a special report, PDF, audio CD, or video that you will give away for free when website visitors opt-in to your mailing list. Do not ask them to sign up for your free e-Zine. No one needs another free e-Zine.

9. Put up a business blog. Make it an extension of your business that further connects you to your niche market. Plan to post 4-5 times a week and put into place an editorial calendar that focuses on four main subjects each week.

10. Brand your business. Branding means increasing the public’s awareness of your business name and logo and creating an image that inspires loyalty and trust in your niche market.

That's it! Follow these ten steps to starting up a business and you will be well on your way to business success.

If you have a small business question that you'd like for me to answer, let me know.

Susan L. Reid
The original Accidental Pren-her™
Award-winning author of Discovering Your Inner Samurai: The Entrepreneurial Woman's Journey to Business Success

Live Today with Gusto

"Today is life - the only life you are sure of.

Make the most of today . . . .

Shake yourself awake.

Let the winds of enthusiasm sweep through you.

Live today with gusto."

Dale Carnegie

Mary Kay Russell on Accidental Pren-her Podcast

Business podcast with Mary Kay Russell – subscribe now via iTunes.

Today’s guest is Mary Kay Russell, president of KuBit2me, and creator of the award winning, ultimate “Toss It To Me” games. In this interview, Mary Kay emphasizes the importance of research and explains her research process. She also shares the challenges she and her family had in integrating her “mom and wife” role with her “business” role.

• Listen to the interview. (If needed, click here to access easy download instructions page.)
• Read the transcript.

This episode of Accidental Pren-her: Stories of the Unexpected podcast is brought to you by Green Career Central. A one-stop career site to help you identify your green niche, research the green economy, and find your place whether you want to land a green job or start a green business.