Annena Aikins

Growing a Business In a Bad Economy

I selected to post this article about business opportunities for entrepreneurs in a bad economy because I think that more people need to hear that you can start, grow and sustain a viable business in this economy.  There are still business opportunities out there that can work if done the right way, despite the hard times we are going through in this country.

The article also briefly touches how your personal brand can hurt or help you.  Personal Branding Interview:  Scott Shane by Dan Schawbel, the leading personal branding expert for Gen Y.

Get Comfortable with your personal brand

I thought this article was very informative about really being comfortable with your brand so that you can immediately differentiate yourself from the competition.  Though it primarily talks about how a careerist can get a job, I thinking some of the networking tips are relevant to entrepreneurs as well.  Check it out:  Finding Your Big Comfy Chair to Career Success - Part 1

Do It Yourself

As an entrepreneur, I visit many networking groups to promote my business and to meet other business professionals.  Some of the meetings have been beneficial and I have met some great people.  However, often I would leave these meeting wishing I had more of an opportunity to get to know the people I met a little better. 

For some time now, I have been waiting for a networking group to form in my area where I could do more than chat with other business professionals.  I wanted to find a meeting where I could actually sit down and get to know the people to my right and left.  Maybe bond over salad discussing the highs and lows of business.

After waiting so long for someone else to start my dream networking group, I got tired and decided to form my own group.  Through Meetup.com (which I love) I was able to pick a name and list my vision for my ideal group – of women entrepreneurs who can come together over a meal and bond, grow and support one another in business.  Everyone who joins would want the same thing – to build relationships and really get to know the other professionals around them.

Yesterday was my first meeting and to my delight, I had a great turnout of diverse phenomenal women entrepreneurs that really want to build relationships and form an alliance with other business women. 

I learned that sometimes you have to do things yourself.  By taking a leap of faith and starting my own group, I actually got the group I envisioned and wished for – because I did it myself.  Check us out - http://www.meetup.com/Bay-Area-Phenomenal-Women-Entrepreneur-Alliance

Analyzing the Warrior-Preneur, a Brand Built on Power

   

After meeting Ann Evanston, MA, Social Psychologist, social networking expert and the woman behind the Warrior-Preneur brand, I became curious about the “warrior” and wanted to know who Ann was when not on stage giving a presentation. 

Who is Ann Evanston, the Warrior-Preneur and what does she do?
In a climate where so many companies have lost creditability, Ann teaches people how to use their personality to connect with and attract or “pull” clients to them instead of squeezing clients into buying their products or services. 

“We don’t trust big faceless corporations; we want to know who we are doing business with.”

With her social psychology background and an understanding of human behavior, Ann teaches her clients, whether a small business owner or a person climbing the corporate ladder, how to get results. 

Ann designed her signature teaching methods from combining techniques of great warriors and strategies from great leaders and entrepreneurs.  “I teach how to find the voice that you need to be able to create collaboration, buy-in, ownership, leadership, in order to influence others, to understand intrinsic motivators of others, so you will get the results you desire.”

For more than twenty years, Ann has been teaching her unique methods and developing business and corporate leaders all over the world. 

First impressions are lasting
I remember the first time I saw Ann Evanston, the Warrior-Preneur, was at a local Bay Area meetup group, The Entrepreneur & Small Business Academy, led by Patrick Schwerdtfeger.

At the meetup, there were more than one hundred business owners and entrepreneurs present.    Though, I did not have the opportunity to meet Ann that night, of the fifty+ people who gave brief introductions, Ann was one out of four people, besides the host that I remembered.   

I am not sure whether it was her message about having a “Thrival” mindset, the name “Warrior-Preneur” or both that stuck, I just remember thinking, “there is something about her?” 

Credibility–check!
To my surprise, my second encounter with Ann was at an eWomen Network event in Oakland about a month later.  When I arrived, Ann was one of the first people to greet me.  I instantly recognized her from the meetup and before she could say anything, I said, “Hey, you are the Warrior Woman.”  The Warrior-Preneur had been branded in my head from a 30-second sound bite from a month ago. 

At the luncheon, I witnessed Ann’s effectiveness as a communicator and presenter, when she gave a presentation about online social networking, a phenomenon that is difficult for many people to completely grasp.  With ease, she demonstrated her expertise and knowledge by explaining multilayered web 2.0 online social networking tools and applications that can take a person several months to learn. 

Ann’s credibility as an expert was proved golden by multiple women who testified about her professionalism, wisdom and genuine concern for others.  If Ann never said one word at the luncheon, the testimonials alone were enough to sell you on her value.

A genuine gift
Later, during a telephone interview with Ann, I realized, her energy, was what left me thinking “there is something about her” from an earlier encounter.  I am not a metaphysical, the earth, moon and stars kind of person, but some people have ability to set a charge off in others and Ann’s energy, a genuine gift, is magnetic and it “pulls” you to her. 

After our conversation, I noticed a change in my energy level.  Though she was not coaching me or intentionally trying to pump me up, by the time we finished, I was fired up and ready to take on the world. 

The warrior is within you
Ann Evanston is not a brutish or untouchable warrior, who exists in the confines of her own reality, like those seen on television, but a warrior that rallies the troops and ignites fire and passion among people who need help.

Operating in truth, she meets people on their level and helps them tap into their power, the warrior inside to take charge and produce results. 

I asked Ann what advice she would give a single mother who wants to start a business but is too afraid to do it?  In true warrior fashion, she said:

“You cannot be afraid of fear… if you are waiting because you think there are certain perfect things that have to be in alignment for you to work, it will never happen.  Embrace the entrepreneurial spirit within you and allow that spirit to lead you to success.”  

According to William Arruda, the “guru” of personal branding, “a personal brand is authentic to you, differentiating from your peers and relevant and compelling to those who are making decisions about you…it is your unique promise of value.”   

Undoubtedly, the Warrior-Preneur brand is authentic.   Ann walks her talk and lives what she teaches people.  Not many people can call themselves a warrior and pull it off.  However, for Ann being a warrior is not a contrived, false image but it is who she really is.  After meeting her, talking with her and hearing others speak of her, I discovered that the Warrior-Preneur and Ann Evanston are one and the same and you can’t get any more authentic than that.

To learn more about Ann Evanston, the Warrior-Preneur and to get her new book, The Power of Leadership: On Being the Leader Producing Results, visit www.Warrior-Preneur.com

 

Essential tools for building a personal brand

I have said it and many other branding experts have said that you do have a personal brand, whether you put the effort into or not.  So why not make sure that your personal brand and message are consistent?  Why not flood the web with information about your personal brand so when people Google your name, they will read what you want them to read?

There are many wonderful tools to help you promote your personal brand as Steve Strauss spelled out in this article:  Ask an Expert:  Get personal with your branding efforts.

25 Ways to Tell if You are Mentally Stuck on Stupid

Mentally stuck on stupid is a general way to say someone is full of self-doubt, depressed and lack motivation.  Life is not as rich as it once was and dreams, desires and goals seem unobtainable.  For this person, who moves around with a gray cloud overhead, the easiest tasks are hard to complete. Though he or she does not have any physical problems, they just can’t seem to find the drive to progress in life.  A person, who was once full of life and thriving, just gives up and wastes away.

Sometimes it is hard to realize that you may be stuck, check out some of the signs:

1. Every entry in your diary says the same thing – “I am so miserable.”

2. You and your friends get together to play Top This, competing to see who is worse off – “you think that is bad, well top this – “I did not get out of bed for a week and my family did not know I was at home.”

3. You favorite phrases are, I can’t, I’m confused, I don’t know and I don’t care.

4. Dressing up to you is putting on a clean pair of sweats.

5. Your mattress has a big dent in it that is the perfect mold of your body.

6. You looked in the mirror and did not recognize the person staring back at you.

7. Ben, Jerry and Godiva are your best friends.

8. When people call you in the middle of the day, you pretend that you were not sleep.

9. The last time you appeared in a family photo was three years ago.

10. You always intend to start your job search, tomorrow.

11. You do not have any favorite things – not a favorite song, color, actor, etc.

12. You have tried on more than one occasion to internally combust.

13. You are still mad at your Ex who broke your heart four years ago.

14. Your house is a mess and you have been there all day.

15. You were once the life of the party, but your friends no longer call you to go out.

16. Your list of negative things about yourself is three times longer than the positive list.

17. Your children cook their own meals and check their own homework.

18. Exercise, what? Maybe a walk to the front of the house and back to your room.

19. Sweets and junk food don’t give you a buzz anymore, but you still eat them anyway.

20. Getting out of the house is a trip to Wal-Mart.

21. You spouse just looks at you and shake his or her head.

22. Primetime news makes you cry.

23. Your alcohol receipts exceed your food costs.

24. People see you on the street and don’t recognize you anymore.

25. You don’t know what day it is.

Not Creating a Personal Brand May Be Costing You More Than You Think

If you have not established your personal brand it may be costing you more than you think.  If you have dismissed the ideal of developing your personal brand and do not see the value in it, check out this article by Chad Levitt The Lost Opportunity Cost of Not Creating Your Personal Brand.

Liberate Yourself - the power of intention

If you believe you can achieve.  Start walking towards your goal by taking one step at a time.

So I Quit My Day Job: Dear Boss You're Fired

What are you thankful for?

Every day that you wake is an opportunity to be thankful for something new.  We tend to say that we are thankful for what we have but often take things for granted.  We give a general thanks for our lives, for our loved ones and health but continue to move on with our days without really appreciating the unobvious things that bring us joy and make life easier.

Sometimes we get so accustomed to having certain things, that we really do not value them, until they are taken away.  

When was the last time you looked at the little things that you do or have that makes life a little easier?  I challenge you to take a few moments and look around to see the small things, then say thanks.  Here are a few things on my list:

1. I am thankful that I can take a full cleanse breath in my lungs.
2. I am thankful for having warm water to take a nice bath.
3. I am most thankful that my two fun loving sons are loud and run around tearing up my house (aggravating me).  They jump up and down on my furniture, scream, shout and karate chop each other – thank you!
4. I am thankful that I can see the beautiful flowers outside my door.
5. I am thankful for having a choice between spring, sparkling, or tap water.
6. I am thankful for my mother-in-law who washes the dishes every night, so I do not have to.
7. I am thankful that my mother can make a mean pot of white beans with smoked turkey. 
8. I am thankful for my husband, the workaholic for taking time to sit down with my oldest son to draw and share his collectable comic books.
9. I am thankful for having a wonderful daycare provider and teachers who take good care of my children.
10. I am thankful for being able to run up the stairs without getting winded.
11. I am thankful that I can still do cartwheels and the splits.
12. I am thankful that if I run out of milk, the Super Wal-Mart is less than a mile away.
13. I am thankful for Trader Joe’s Joe Joe’s natural vanilla cream cookies.

What are you thankful for?

Two Sides of the Mind

The mind is a two-sided coin; on one side are endless possibilities of dreams fulfilled and opportunities to reach amazing heights, if you just believe.

A place where words like power, courage and phenomenal live.  There are no constraints on this side of the coin, only life.

Passion for living flows like honey, dripping from of the mouths of those who desire to indulge.  Mountains that stand tall like jolly giants will be defeated and reduced to the size of pebbles by those who just believe.

Every day presents a chance to cross new oceans to reach new plateaus. 

On this side of the coin life is what you make it. 

The other side of the coin is a place of bondage, a dark place where fear, self-doubt and depression exist.  Like cancer they slowly work their way through the mind, killing everything until nothing is left. 

Being trapped in the confines of a mind that is paralyzed with fear creates a slow seeping insanity that eventually overtakes its victim. 

Chants of “I wonder” and “only if” ring over and over again on this side of the mind until it gives in to silence.

Old dreams are overtaken by dust, complacency settles in like morning fog and hope abandons its maker, never to return.

What side of the coin do you live?