NOTE: This article was written for a magazine in the fall of 2008, but it is timeless information. I will be sharing more of each of these interviews including some of the audio clips on my blog over the coming months.

What is Success?

Four Entrepreneurs Share Their Secrets

I had the opportunity to connect with four successful women entrepreneurs and talk about their stories of success and some insights to how they define success, trials and tribulations they experienced along the way as moms, wives and women, and advice they have for others on their own journey to entrepreneurial success.

Here are the women that I interviewed. These interviews were candid and open, and we discussed some things they had never shared before.

Kendall Summerhawk, was the Horse-Whisperer for Business Owners and has evolved into the Million Dollar Marketing Coach where she teaches money, marketing and soul for the women entrepreneur who is ready to charge what she is worth and get it!

Sheri McConnell, Founder of Sheri McConnell Companies and owner of more than a 1/2 dozen companies. Her mission is to empower women to achieve financial independence by learning how to leverage their time, money, and expertise exponentially.She believes that when a woman is financially independent, she makes decisions from a healthier place on behalf of herself and her family. She also believes that when you teach a woman how to achieve financial independence, you empower many generations to come.

Michele DeKinder-Smith, President & Owner of Linkage Research and Founder of Jane Out of the Box, is a seasoned researcher having specialized in marketing, consumer and business research for over 20 years. She has interviewed thousands of business owners and is an entrepreneur herself, who’s taken her business over the million-dollar mark! She understands the needs of large corporations, government agencies and the female entrepreneur. Through her research, publications, consulting and training Michele helps each of these audiences achieve their goals.

Mari Smith, www.MariSmith.com, is one of the world’s foremost experts on using Facebook as a marketing channel. She is the coauthor of Facebook Marketing: An Hour A Day and the lead author of The Relationship Age. Dubbed “the Pied Piper of the Online World” by FastCompany.com, Mari is a popular Social Media Keynote Speaker, Trainer and Thought Leader.

If I had to capture the common thread between these women, it could be summed up in these three words:  persistent, focused, and genuine. It was truly my honor to be able to connect with these women and share this information!

To start off this series, here are some highlights from my interview with Kendall SummerHawk:

Kendall SummerHawk, the Horse-Whisperer for Business (www.KendallSummerHawk.com) says the key to success is PASSION! Kendall’s story begins as a young girl with a mother who was successful in her own business.  Kendall’s mom believed that entrepreneurs have more control and freedom to create happiness.

What is your definition of success?

Success is happy, loving what I do even when it is mundane; I make great/fantastic money and have a lifestyle PLUS a business!

What sacrifices did you make to achieve your success?

I let go of things I DON”T like to do-grocery shopping, wrapping presents…I don’t believe I have sacrificed much when you look at what I have!

What is life balance?

Feeling alive and excited about what I am doing because I am passionate. I outsource many tasks and only spend time on quality activities that add benefits to my life.

How has being a woman affected your success?

I count on my intuition as a vital voice in running my business! My intuition keeps me authentic. Also, the ability to connect and build relationships is more natural to women.

Advice to share:

Success is built on both marketing and business as well as stepping into who you are!

Stay tuned to this series as I share audio clips from this interview as well as advice from our other amazing experts!

Happy St. Paddy’s Day!

I’ll make this quick so you can get back to celebrating this great holiday!

I have a special I want to share with you, but first I thought I would share some of my favorite Irish sayings:

This quote explains my life…

“In Ireland the inevitable never happens and the unexpected constantly occurs.”
– Sir John Pentland Mahaff

I like this because it reminds me to appreciate what is.
“The most beautiful music of all is the music of what happens.”
– Irish Proverb

I always thought that since my Irish grandfather was 6 feet tall, that I had a chance…but alas, I just didn’t make it that far in height.
You’ve got to do your own growing, no matter how tall your grandfather was.” – Irish Proverb

“St. Patrick’s Day is an enchanted time — a day to begin transforming winter’s dreams into summer’s magic.”
– Adrienne Cook
I LOVE this quote–there is so much possibility here!

And in honor of this holiday (which was 2nd only to Christmas in my family growing up), I am also offering you a lucky St. Paddy’s Day offer:

Register for the Jumpstart Your JV’s program before midnight tomorrow, Friday, March 18th, and get this new and improved 2 day program for only $77!

http://queenofconnections.com/jumpstartyourjvs.html

This program is for you if:

• You have tried social media and it takes up more time than it is worth.
• You network regularly but you are tired of sifting through the masses to find that gem.
• If speed dating is sounding more fun than making new, often scary connections.
• If you have connected with some people who make you think you “picked them up in the wrong side of town”.

If any of these sound familiar, then this is the program for you!

I will teach you the specifics of what you need to do to start ATTRACTING the right people into your “hood”. There are some simple and quick things that most people just don’t know about that can make the difference between ATTRACTING the “scaries” and attracting some really cool, amazing people who know you, follow you and rave about what you do to their friends!

Check out this page and make sure you get registered now  to SAVE!

http://queenofconnections.com/jumpstartyourjvs.html

Let me know if you have questions!

Lastly, here is my favorite Irish blessing that hangs on a linen on my wall:

May the road rise to meet you…
May the wind be always at your back…
May the sunshine warm upon your face…
May the rains fall soft upon your fields…
And, until we meet again…
May God hold you in the hollow of his hand

To your JV & REALationship-Building success!

MaryPat Kavanagh
Queen of Connections

P.S. Don’t miss this opportunity to save! Get registered now and as my dad always says: “The Luck ‘O the Irish to ya!”

Guest Post by Evelyn Kalinosky Blog Post

I held a teleseminar recently that explored the concept of redefining financial success as a spiritual journey. This redefinition is about becoming professionally and personally “fulfilled,” which involves a spiritual quest of recapturing  or discovering, sometimes  for the first time, your dreams, and money is the higher purpose that helps you foster this fuller, more balanced life.  Money is the by-product of values-based ambition, which is all about living out your authentic values and beliefs. It’s what I refer to as “Wealth of the Self” and what moves you from success to significance.

My guest, online visibility expert Nancy Marmolejo of Viva Visibility, and I covered a lot of information in 45 minutes, but nothing in what we discussed was more important than when we talked about the one key thing that needs to happen before you can move from success to significance. This one key thing is non-negotiable. There’s no way around it. Think of it as the foundation that must be poured before you can build a house. It’s what anchors you to the life you want to live.

That one key thing is becoming empowered.  It’s giving yourself permission to take the risks and make the changes you want and need to make.

I know that sounds really simple.  And you’re probably thinking: “You’ve got to be kidding me? That’s it?!”  But the reality is that for so many women - including women in high-level positions and women who own their own businesses - there are places in our lives where we don’t stand in our own power.

Whether it’s being afraid to speak up, doubting our capabilities or denying the things we long for, allowing ourselves to be mistreated, feeling like an imposter or fraud in our professional life, resisting the truth, or acting in ways that go against our values - disempowerment is at the root of the problem.

When we feel powerless:

• We think of ourselves as small and ineffective, more like victims of circumstance than the strong, capable women we are.
• We find it difficult to make positive, lasting change. We vacillate. We’re ambivalent.
• We spend too much time needing acceptance and validation from others rather than trusting that we know the answers that are best for us.

When we’re empowered, however:

• We’re able to access our own abilities, strengths and gifts.
• We’re able to draw upon the host of internal and external resources that are available to us, and we know how to put these resources to our best use.
• We’re able to say “Yes!” to change and welcome transition because we trust ourselves to be able to handle any challenge that comes along.

Take a moment and think about those times in your life when you felt truly empowered - what kind of decisions were you able to make?  How did they impact your life and your choices?

Now compare that to those times when you felt powerless - how were the decisions you made different?  How did they impact your life and your choices?

A critical part of redefining your life means going from breakdown to breakthrough in terms of discovering your authentic power.  Not “perceived” power that can often feel aggressive, and is largely situational and transitory, but true power that is strong without being forceful, and that doesn’t come and go depending on the moment.

When you stand firm in your own true power in both your professional and your personal life it’s like you are a tree with its roots firmly, deeply embedded in the earth.  It’s from this base of knowledge that your life branches out to embrace infinite possibilities.

Part of your journey in going from breakdown to breakthrough includes working to uncover the hidden landscape of habits, beliefs and patterns that underlie and sometimes subvert how you live your life and how you own your power.

I’m pretty sure you know what I’m talking about. Have you found yourself at one time or another:

• Hanging on to a job that is physically, emotionally and psychologically draining because it provided you with a substantial amount of money, good health benefits and a retirement plan?
• Holding on to a personal or business relationship because it provided you with financial security, even though it was clear to you that separation would be best for your emotional and spiritual well-being?
• Being surrounded by all kinds of information, advice and resources, and yet something stopped you from using any of it?

As a “breakthrough” woman, you must be willing to do the things you sometimes don’t want to do.  There are many things that keep women in business from making changes, especially if we’re making a healthy income. The promise of money, or the threat of losing it, induces us to tolerate or make concessions. I say this without the slightest hint of judgment or reproach, because I am a woman who tolerated things at different points in my life that my more actualized self would never allow now.

Refusing to make changes when you know in your core that you’re doing yourself a disservice is a clear sign you’re not empowered. Give yourself permission. Say “Yes!” to what it is you truly want. That’s your first step on your journey to living a life of significance.

~~~

As Founder & CEO of Evelyn Kalinosky LLC, Evelyn specializes in helping women executives, professional women and women entrepreneurs who want to achieve a more sacred kind of success.
She is a consultant, speaker, published author and poet, and is currently writing a book about women navigating through midlife. Visit her at: www.evelynkalinosky.com.

Can people hear you?

I mean, can “your people” hear your message that you are trying to get into this world?

My very good friend, Shannon Cherry, is an activist for people who want to be heard. And in her amazing marketing wisdom and passion, she created a holiday called National BeHeard Day.

“I created Be Heard Day six years ago to celebrate entrepreneurs like you who find their voice, tell their story and be heard by using low-cost marketing and business building techniques.” -Shannon Cherry

In celebration of this perfect entrepreneurial holiday, she has gathered together some incredibly smart entrepreneurs (including yours truly). Together, we are sharing some of our most valued resources.

Actually, most of us have created special products and services to share with you today that our clients, customers, friends and family have not ever seen before. AND these are all specially designed to help YOU, the aspiring entrepreneur, in your business and your life!

And the best part? We have all DONATED these tools to this campaign! Yes, that means they are FREE!

Simply go to this website and gather your tools now!

www.BeHeardDay.com

You’re getting this all for free. Unlike many of these types of giveaways, you’re not going to have to view numerous sales pages in order to get the great low-cost marketing tips and tactics. There’s no catch; no strings attached. And you’ll be getting some great stuff! Here are some of the items that Shannon herself is sharing:

• A free PR Newswire membership
• A free fill-in-the-blank press release
• an e-book on visibility tactics
• And much, much more

My gift to you is a special audio & workbook that I created to show you Where REALationships Meet Revenue!

And that’s not all! Here is a list of the other contributors/supporters of this National holiday!

• Shawn Driscoll
• Mary Pat Kavanagh (me :-))
• Nancy Marmolejo
• Sandra Martini
• Maruxa Murphy
• Michele PW
• Therese Skelly
• Felicia Slattery

Don’t miss this once-a-year opportunity to boost your business and connect with some of the smartest business owners I know!

www.BeHeardDay.com