Ok, I admit a bit of a controversial post this one, but I do have to say that I am not a fan of labels -Although I must confess to using them.

It all started when my middle daughter was seven and had just moved to junior school. She’d struggled with her reading. The words on the page in front of her just weren’t making any sense. Thankfully the school was very supportive and aware of this – until that is, she came home one day to inform me she’d been put in the ‘sexy’ group.

I still laugh each time I remind myself of this story, what she was referring to was a group set up for those children requiring extra support. The Dyslexia group. The word dyslexia had not previously been in her vocabulary. Anyway, it needed explaining and herein lies the problem. Being labelled doesn’t honour all of someone’s gifts, just a part of them and in certain circumstances the label can be so detrimental there is no honour at all but comes with a long lasting negative impact.

I can totally understand why you may like to give yourself a label

1. As a method of recognition/differentiation
2.  To communicate your message
3. To be perceived as an authority or expert

But here is the downside of pinning a label on yourself and why I much prefer to be known in business as Allison Marlowe.

• The label can restrict you by defining what you do not who you are and prevents a full expression of your individuality. No-one is just one thing.
• As business grows and evolves you may become stuck with this label. What happens if you want to re-brand?
• When you put a label on yourself you are at risk of striving to live up to that label all the time
• Society typically rewards people for fitting in yet, you are born to stand out, to express your unique self – not be put in a box.
• Limits your offering
• Restricts how you are perceived
• Can hamper your creativity and prevent you from growing

Society typically rewards people for fitting in and I agree not all labels are negative ones. However as a leader, a trail blazer, an expert in your field you will be defined by your actions not your title.  With so much pressure to conform and fit in running your own business gives you the opportunity to do things on your own terms.If you do what everyone else is doing in business you won’t get very far.

My daughter is now doing much better at school, as a late July baby she missed a whole academic year at pre-school. Can you imagine the potential damage that could have been inflicted upon her if she’d remained in the ‘sexy’ group.

I ran a little survey a couple of weeks ago – asking many of you ‘What are your BIGGEST challenges around time, energy and money?’

One theme that I noticed over and over is ‘Am I worth it?’

The answer is simple.

YES you are!

But you know this saddens me to think that in this day and age we are still fearful of our own power. A power that if we were to fully embrace would make our world a better place.

The good news is more and more women are starting to step up and run with the baton.

The not so good news is, many are only prepared to go so far …. and then the brakes go on HARD!

If only they knew that success was hiding around the corner. If only they could have seen it coming. If only they had the belief to push through their perceived barriers and allow themselves to have the success they desire.

I believe that much of this behaviour limits how much money we allow ourselves to make  -  I’ll be discussing the womenpreneurs income plateau and how it is connected to your self worth on my free teleclass on March 20th

If you want to see your business through different eyes then you can get all the details by registering HERE:

(I’ll send you a recording if you can’t join the call live – but you do need to register)

‘See’ you on the call!

Allison 

So I’m sure you know by now today is International Women’s Day and this year the theme is ‘Connecting Girls Inspiring Futures’.

I couldn’t help but to pen this short article as I’m feeling frustrated with myself, for missing an opportunity to take action and if the truth be known even more frustrated with many people I meet who are leading such superficial lives, with little or no meaning. There is little I can do about that, other than lead by example, but I do hope they wake up soon and realise not only that life is short but if they want the world to change they need to play their part in this too.

And that’s why I am feeling frustrated with myself. Last year I landed a BIG dream, a mission I so want to fulfil yet I have not done anything about it!

From an early age I’ve always been a leader of sorts, either the first of my group of peers to experience a significant milestone, or I was the one who was setting up a group or campaign.

But I digress, regardless of what you read in the papers or watch on the news we are extremely fortunate to be living in these times, what with the advancement of technology, science and medicine, yet in other parts of the world there are 100,000’s of women and young girls who are suffering. Suffering in the hands of sex traffickers, from poor education, family discrimination, poor malnutrition, bride burning, genital mutilation and the list goes on.

And that’s why I’m writing this today, because I cannot sit back knowing this is happening any longer. It’s about time, in fact NOW is the time for the world to wake up, to stop feeling sorry for ourselves, stop blaming other people for our misfortunes and to go out and do something that will make a positive change in the world.

Several years ago I came across vision boarding. One of the first boards I ever created had images of India, I have no idea why I cut out those pictures. I was simply just inspired to do so. So when this mission landed last year it all started to make perfect sense, to support women into entrepreneurship in developing countries

Today I am committing to take this a step further, there are winning women all over the world and I am determined to do whatever it takes to bring this dream alive. We have so much we can offer these women and I also believe this is reciprocal.

Isn’t it time we collaborated more with our sisters to learn together, to expand and to make the world a happier place?

I had no idea when I set out in business 6 short years I’d be where I am today.

Business has certainly evolved, that’s for sure.

Setting out, I had a clear intention of where I wanted to be, what I wanted to do and achieve. Back then I didn’t have the slightest hint of an idea that my niche would change dramatically and the notion that I was even capable of creating a business at the level I am at now – supporting women with big dreams, women looking to expand, to make a difference in the world, women who are standing tall and are proud to say they are successful, wasn’t even in my consciousness. If you had told me that back then I would have laughed at the absurdity of the suggestion.

So what happened?

I guess I’ve dispelled many of the myths shared by women in business.

And oh boy have my beliefs changed over the years! If you are willing I’d like to share a handful of these limitations with you today. I’m certain you will resonate with many of them too.

I never once thought I’d be so well supported as I am today with a loyal team supporting me in both life and business. Previously, I thought to achieve success I had to ‘do’ everything myself.

“People won’t pay that price!” I thought selling was hard and only the elite few could master this tricky skill. Actually, I’ve discovered it’s actually easier to sell higher end programmes than it is to sell anything else.

“I can’t charge that much!” I undervalued my expertise. Don’t underestimate your worth, there are people out there right now who need your service and are willing to pay the price that will enable them to get to where they want to go. Don’t do these people a disservice, they need your support.

Feeling frustrated, overwhelmed and full of guilt, I didn’t see how you could be a great mother to 4 children and run a successful business? Now I know you can have the best of both worlds. It doesn’t need to be a choice between one or the other. You can have both.

I thought success equalled damn hard work, and no play. Yet I’ve taken most of August off to spend with family and had my best month ever!

“No-one will like me if I am my true self.” Actually, people can see right through you when you are not being authentic. I quickly learned that you can’t please all the people all of the time, so stop trying – instead be willing to show and share your vulnerability at times.

I’d spend hours doing anything but the activities that focused on bringing in more money – surely that’s the point of being in business? So why on earth would I want to spend hours responding to emails, reading everyone else’s ezines, tidying my desk etc,

I thought I had to be perfect. In fact imperfect action I learned is much better than no action at all. At least it gets you moving in the right direction. Success likes speed so make mistakes fast.

I thought I had to have a website, business cards and other marketing material in place before I could be successful. For the large part of the last year my website has been no more than a holding page. I do NOT recommend this as a strategy, rather to point out that it is not essential to your success.

“People will know all about me when I have my website” – how come the phone didn’t ring? There’s more to marketing and making yourself visible than a website. Learn and practice all you can about marketing yourself effectively. This doesn’t mean you need to gather more certificates to demonstrate your worth!

“If I just do this extra course and get that additional qualification, people will know I am good.” Sorry, people aren’t interested in how many qualifications you have, they simply want to know that you can help them.

“Who am I to think people will want to buy from me when there is so much competition? How can I differentiate myself from the crowd?” I find it amusing now, but I really did struggle with this one for so long – years in fact. The funny thing is the answer is so simple – be yourself.

I’d better not……. ( insert your own idea of taking a risk)…… what if it all goes wrong? Actually what if it all works out well!

I thought I needed to earn lots of money before I could invest in myself, or have the money in a savings account. Not so. So much better to invest in yourself than a website, marking material etc only to discover your message isn’t clear, or like me your niche no longer excites you.

Here’s the thing, the one belief that I’ve always maintained, is that a mentor or coach, or both even are instrumental to my success, Instrumental to everyone’s success including yours. I could write a separate article about this, in fact I think I will but for now, believe me, if you want to play bigger, you need people around you to support you in your quest, to challenge you, to champion you, to keep you going when the going gets tough and of course to celebrate your successes with.

If you take just one thing from this article, please let it be, Stop Limiting Yourself.

Here’s to your Success,

Allison x

Want to explore taking your business further?

I’m offering a complimentary consultation to help you take the next step.

All you need to do to apply is to follow these 3 simple steps

• email me at allison@allisonmarlowe.com
• Let me know why you think now is a good time to step up to the next level
• Make sure you act fast. I can only fit in a 5 of these consultations around my client work so make sure act right away.

Make sure you act fast. I can only fit in a 5 of these consultations around my client work so make sure you act right away.

I recall someone approaching me at a networking event, we got talking about her business and she explained she was feeling fed up because she consistently seemed to attract difficult clients – late payers, cancelled appointments, quibbling with fees, lack of commitment etc. So I asked a simple question, “Who is your ideal client?”

“Anyone really” was her reply.

Immediately I knew there was an opportunity for us to work together – she was my ideal client.

How did I know? Because I know exactly the kind of client I want to work with.

If you feel you are spending a lot of time marketing and networking but not attracting the ‘right’ clients then it’s either down to one of two things. Your selling skills or more probably you aren’t clear on who you are ideally selling too.

So now is a good time to get clear. Go on grab a piece of paper and do this exercise right now as you are reading this article. I know you’ve got good intentions but unless you pick up that pen and take action now, you will probably become distracted by something else.

Ok got that pen and paper? Then let’s meet your ideal client.

Here are a few prompts to stimulate your thoughts. Write down whatever comes to mind, your first thoughts are usually right and you can always make alterations later on.

Ideal age/generation, gender, location, home ownership, marital status, education, career, hobbies or interests, values, lifestyle -are they active in community events, clubs or professional groups? health status, where they shop, books/magazines they buy, where they socialise, where they typically turn when they need help. Are they computer literate? What online activities do they participate in? What makes them tick? Are they willing to invest? Are they open to new ideas? Describe your ideal client – how do they dress, what do they say, what are their attributes?

Don’t you think carrying out this simple exercise will make it more easy for you to start building relationships with the right clients?

For a start communicating with them will be more effective as you will be able to use their language. It will improve your conversion rate, because you will no longer be trying to sell meat to a vegetarian and you will also increase the lifetime value of your clients and develop lasting relationships rather than having lots of one time sales.

One last tip to leave you with, why not use your profile in your marketing material, in your bio or FAQ’s. e.g The clients who receive the maximum benefits from working with me are……………

Now go and pin your ideal client profile somewhere you can see it on a regular basis to ensure you no longer work with difficult clients.

“The ideal client is the wealthy man in great trouble”

- John Sterling

From time to time I will be sharing articles from guest bloggers, if you enjoy writing and have an article you think would be of interest please contact my VA at myva@allisonmarlowe.com

This post was written by Shuri Morgan – Radford

THE WORLD NEEDS TO CHANGE

I think just about everyone would agree with that statement. We can all feel it, can’t we? The world is stretched like an elastic band which is threatening to snap. Many people are suffering from an inordinate amount of stress; we are under a cloak of fear from politicians and the media and we are being held to ransom by a list of rules and regulations which no-one can keep up with, even the people making them! Society is generally showing all of the signs of breaking down whether it is our monetary system, education, health or everyday way of life.

LOCKED INTO OLD WAYS

One of the main reasons that all of this is happening is because we are locked into old ideas and old ways of doing things. Mankind has moved on but our structures have not. Those who hold the power have not yet caught up with this undercurrent of energy for change and live in fear of losing everything. As a result there is a culture of ‘dressing the same man in different clothes’ rather than changing the man entirely. So we remain stuck in out-moded ideas such as work and pleasure being totally unconnected; of education being the accumulation of external knowledge rather than the development of internal wisdom; of money as being the driving energy of the world rather than people’s basic needs and so on.

AMAZING NEW DISCOVERIES

The accepted understanding of the effect our minds have on the world around us has now been largely discredited. Science and quantum physics are making new discoveries about how we interact with our world, every day. Research is showing over and over again that many of the most basic ideas that we have about consciousness and our relationship to things around us are wrong! In fact, out of ignorance in the first instance, we have been led to believe all sorts of things which aren’t actually true!

ROCKING THE STATUS QUO

The challenge for us now is to integrate these new ideas; to make them part of our everyday way of being. However, despite knowing these new findings, those in power are afraid of what might happen if we rock the status quo so rather than moving into the new ideas everything is kept in cobwebs much like Miss Haversham in Great Expectations! But remember, at one time everyone believed the world was flat! And I I’m pretty sure that you don’t believe that now do you?

TURNING OUR IDEAS UPSIDE-DOWN

More and more people recognize the need for change but many feel utterly impotent. Changing a life-time of rigid structures of consciousness is difficult but the irony is that the more that we learn, the easier the changes will be. Turning some basic concepts about the world upside-down is now vital. It might seem strange at first but the benefit is extraordinary!

A NEW TIME

A new era is emerging and it is becoming tangible to many people. Those who already have a deeper awareness are starting to create groups and societies to address how best to move humanity into this new way of being. The realization is dawning that we now need to change the very way in which we think. For example, we can no longer separate our thoughts and feelings from our bodies; we can no longer treat our bodies as a machine which can simply be ‘fixed’ with some drug. There is a need now to reverse some of the most basic concepts that we hold dear and there is also the awareness that this cannot remain a cerebral activity. Committed actions must follow if the change is to have any power.

SO WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR YOU?

We can no longer depend on governments to make the required changes. It is now up to us as individuals to step up to the mark and I have created HARMONIC CONSCIOUSNESS as a means of giving people access to these new ideas. By adopting more creative ways of thinking, you will live a more authentic life. Your personal everyday existence will be happier, stronger, more confident and less stressful. The new ways of thinking will also automatically bring you greater peace of mind. But the most amazing thing is that the more people that step into this new consciousness, the better the world will become. Your personal movement forward will affect not just you and those close to you but the whole of humanity. How great is that? With this new understanding each of us has the chance to make the world a better place. Wouldn’t you love to make that happen?

MY PASSION

I have a deep passion to help people to understand that there is a different way of living and to show them how it can be done. I believe that the world can be a better place and that if each individual learns how to live in a greater sense of contentment and in an authentic way, a better world can be achieved. By adopting a new and exciting way of thinking each one of us can make the vital changes which will lead to a better way of living both for us as individuals and for the world in general. It is to that end that I invite you to attend the launch of HARMONIC CONSCIOUSNESS, a creative new way of thinking in an old world.

The launch of HARMONIC CONSCIOUSNESS

(A creative new way of thinking in an old world)

 Shuri Morgan-Radford, The Consciousness Architect and Author of ‘Authentically Yours’ invites you to share her enthusiasm for a new way of being. Join her for a gathering of INSPIRATION, LAUGHTER AND SONG at The launch of HARMONIC CONSCIOUSNESS

An intriguing and compelling talk from Shuri which will challenge your views on the way the mind works and what we all need to do NOW to bring about changes to significantly improve the quality of our own lives and the world around us.

Also:- Bucks Fizz on arrival, Guest speakers, A Goody bag for each person, Buffet and bar and singing from the fabulous voice of professional vocalist Rachel Hawnt!

7-10pm 24 March 2012 at the Hilton Hotel, Farlington, Portsmouth (Car parking free)

Tickets £25.00 through Eventbrite

I’ve just had a big purge and unsubscribed to quite a few e-newsletters. It’s part of my twice yearly de-cluttering and space clearing regime to allow for new and exciting opportunities to come my way.

And you know what?  – It feels so liberating.

I’m always amazed by just how many ‘lists’ I manage to subscribe to. No wonder my inbox was becoming disordered and slowing me down.

What about you – do you get ‘hooked’ to subscribing to copious amounts of newsletters? Do you spend hours poring over facebook,  (sorry Sam Russell), Google + or other social media sites, or constantly checking emails?

It seems to me, that there is an ever increasing obsession we have created for ourselves exacerbated by technology.  Fear Of Missing Out, (FOMO).

What if I miss an interesting article that will propel my business forward?

If I don’t check my face book account I may miss an exciting opportunity or event.

FOMO  can be a dangerous addiction,  here’s why:

• It  encourages you to look outside of yourself for answers
• Can lead to feelings of inadequacy  or ‘the grass is always greener’ syndrome
• Prevents us from making decisions
• Keeps us in procrastination
• Prevents us from committing
• Puts unnecessary pressure on our most valuable asset time

Not great then if we are want to feel more successful in our lives.

I’m not suggesting for one moment you go cold turkey, like all things in life there is a positive aspect to FOMO.  It can be a great motivator, IF respected and taken in moderate doses.

But for those of you who are recognising FOMO as a bit of an addiction here are two quick antidotes.

Instead of spending time on your lap top, mobile phone etc take a screen break and

• Spend 5 minutes every day enjoying the here and now, experience the moment and really appreciate what it offers
• Get out of your head and spent some quiet time tuning into and learning to trust your intuition.

Do this and you will be sure to bring some harmony back into your life.

Wherever you look at the moment from blog posts to newsletters from social media to promotions people are talking about ‘Making 2012 Your Best Year Yet!

Of course it’s January and customarily this is where our attention lies, but why oh why can’t we start to appreciate that we are okay as we are? Don’t get me wrong – I love that people want to improve themselves, BUT where does this longing for ‘better’ end?

Over time I’ve observed many women setting themselves unrealistic expectations and then wondering why they feel totally exhausted, drained and in some cases burnt out and unable to enjoy the fun aspects of life because they are simply just too tired. Believe me I’ve fallen foul to this on numerous occasions and still learning the lesson, so if you resonate with this you are not alone! J As children we are taught to  ‘do your best’, that we must improve, and so … we always feel a little inadequate.

So we have been long conditioned to keep striving, improving, perfecting. However I believe there are a couple of detrimental flaws with this.

• If everyone is striving for excellence then excellence becomes the norm – we all have to up our game and push ourselves harder and harder until it becomes difficult to feel truly proud of our achievements because we are continually expecting more and more and more…..
• When we ‘feel’ we aren’t up to scratch, or aren’t able to achieve perfection, we have a tendency to do nothing at all. Eeek!

 With this kind of behaviour, at what point does anyone ever become content with who they are?

Alternatively, at the beginning of this new calendar year how would it be if you were to centre your thoughts and decide to believe you are good enough- exactly as you are?

If we allowed ourselves to be content just as we are and didn’t need to ‘better’ ourselves every minute of every week – would that be such a terrible thing?

My wish for you in 2012 is to stop trying to be everything to everyone, stop beating yourself up for weakening and appreciate yourself for what you already are. You will find you are a lot kinder to those around you and more gentle to yourself.

This is the question I am asking myself today.

I don’t know about you but for the last few years I’ve identified a theme meandering its way through both my life and business.

‘Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable’ is just one that I recall from recent years and for 2012 I’ll be focusing on the theme of simplicity.

The holiday period has provided me with a super opportunity to get out of autopilot and become really clear on what simplicity means to me – it could well signify something quite different for you, but for me, this means finding a more effective way of doing things, a better way or an easier way where I can eliminate all but the essentials and spend more time doing what’s vitally important to me, my family and my business. It means living in alignment with my values – ( side note – do you know I didn’t even have ‘fun’ as one of my top 5 values until a couple of years ago!).

It’s not as easy as it seems though. It often feels like there is too much going on – believe me there is never a dull moment when you have four children, I can tell you and that’s just in my personal life!  On the other hand, life is short and there is so much I want to do and experience and it all takes up our most precious commodity, time.

So I’ve decided that instead of wanting more I first need to ask is there a better or easier way to do what I’m already doing.

Imagine if you were to ask yourself that question prior to each action you take. I wonder how much more free time you could create for yourself if you were to simplify your life and business?

I’m so excited right now! You probably have seen the buzz on face book but in case you haven’t seen or heard, I wanted to share my wonderful news with you.

On Sunday evening I won ‘Woman’s Coach of the Year’ at the Association of Professional Coaches, Trainers and Consultants Awards Dinner in London. An amazing personal feat (I’m usually the one presenting the awards) and a stupendous end to what I can only describe as the most remarkable year.

But……

I couldn’t have achieved this without you, so please accept my heartfelt thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to nominate me and /or place your vote.

You know, 2012 is going to see many big changes in the ways women manage and run their businesses. I’m predicting that we will see many women creating massive results and taking their business and life from mediocre to absolutely magnificent.

My wish for you is that you will allow yourself to be one of those women