Women Entrepreneurs Setting the Pace

Women today, have a much more entrepreneurial, gutsy spirit, than they did 40-50 years ago. I have been a successful entrepreneur since 1986, and I have seen for myself the number of women that take bold step into the world of entrepreneurship, often driven by the desire to spend more time with their families, and these women are setting the pace for what is possible, for women and men alike.

When we were having our children, many years ago, that is precisely what led me to this wonderful world of being an entrepreneur! I wanted to be home with our children, but needed to make some extra income to do so. So, like many young mom's, I looked for a way to do that and entered the wonderful world of being an entrepreneur. Looking back over my 23+ years I wouldn't have it any other way!

There are so many benefits to being an entrepreneur, especially when you work from a home office.

-set your own schedule
-work around your family commitments
-volunteer at your children's schools and extra events
-take the time off during your children's school holidays and really be present with them
-be home with your children if they have a sick day
-no day care fees
-life balance
-less stress

As we progress in age from having small children to becoming empty nesters, the benefits are even greater! Many of the same benefits apply but there are some extras:

-time to travel for extended periods of time
-spend more time with your partner
-being available for your grandchildren
-volunteer work
-total freedom - time & financial

In today's world, there are so many opportunities to be able to create a business from home and with the support of technology today, you can literally do business all around the world, while being at home with the people you love most. As I write this blog article, I am amazed still at how incredible it is to be able to sit here in front of my fireplace, with a cup of coffee - my little dog resting on my knee, while typing on my 8" laptop, listening to some beautiful background music.

There is no need to run around like a mad women, through rush hour, jumping to every order that the corporate world dishes out, just to make a living. I have learned that we work to make our family life better so that we can do the things we want to do, with the people we love most. Many people in society have this backwards - many people are working so long and so hard, that they have lost touch with their family - they are working to survive. Many people have literally lost touch with why they are even working - they are in survival mode. Put your family first - find a way to make your family life better and a business that supports that - there are SO many options available today!

I encourage every women reading this post that has the desire within them to take that next step - Do not let fear, past conditioning or limiting beliefs hold you back. Do not be swayed by family or friends that might give you "their best advice" to stay in your "secure" job. Follow your heart, that is your guiding light! When you are following your own guiding light, you can never go wrong. Becoming an entrepreneur has been and continues to be one of the most rewarding things I have ever done - I am grateful to my children - for if it wasn't for them coming into our lives, and being inspired to be home with them, I may not have discovered that there are other options than working a job your entire life.


In Your Service,

Debbie Ruston
1-800-576-2917 or 1-519-342-4050

Leadership Is The Most Powerful Commodity On The Planet!

Leadership Is The Most Powerful Commodity On The Planet, but unfortunately, most people have been conditioned in our society to follow the herd - do what is safe. It can be compared to cows in a pasture….cows spend every day of their lives doing the same thing, eating grass, and doing what all the other cows do. Cows don’t think for themselves, they do what they are led to do – they would never consider going outside the pasture, it is safe there – within the pasture - and has everything they believe they need. Unfortunately, many people go through most of their lives like the “cow in the pasture”, living a “conditioned” life. This conditioning contributes to a lot of negativity in life and affects every area of our lives:

- Settling – working a job you hate, but stay there because you have been conditioned to believe you should stay where you are because - it is a “good job” and it is “secure”, and some people don’t even have a job so you should hold onto it. Leaders do not settle. Leaders go out and find what they want and if they can’t find it, they create it. Leaders do not stay stuck doing something they do not want to do.

- Not reaching your full potential – this goes hand in hand with settling – when you are in a job you hate, chances are that you would like to accomplish more, but there is a ceiling on your income and advancement potential. We are not meant to stay the same – if you are not learning and growing, you are regressing. Leaders are always striving to reach their full potential, knowing that when you have made an achievement, it is time to stretch for something new, something bigger. Leaders compete against themselves to continually take their lives to the next level.

- Unhappiness – if you are unfulfilled in your work or in your personal life, you cannot possibly be happy – and, you cannot make anyone else happy. Leaders understand that their happiness is up to them to create. It is not dependant on a good boss, good job, good relationship, good family, good government, etc to make you happy. Leaders find and create their own happiness.

- Fear – the media feeds us all kinds of fear, one of the latest being the H1N1 and the “need” to get the shot. Because the government marketed this shot, and instilled fear through the media, people lined up for hours to get their shot because they were so fearful, and they were “told” to do so by the media, the medical community, friends, family, and co-workers who all bought into the fear. I just got back from a weekend conference, and there was even a booth set up in the airport for people to get their “shot”. As a leader in my own life I made a decision that I was not buying into this fear – I will not have that shot no matter who around me does – I take responsibility for my own health, I can make my own informed decisions. I am not at all swayed by seeing people standing in the “herd” line on the sidewalk, at community centers, and airports – that does not at all make me think that I too must “line up” and buy into this fear. A leader trusts their own decisions.

- Stress, even illness – it has been proven that stress leads to illness, and much of the stress people experience is within their control – but most don’t realize that they have choices in their lives. So, they keep following the herd, and many do not know that they can make different choices and by doing so will eliminate much of the stress they experience. Leaders understand that they do have choices. If life isn’t going in the direction they want – leaders understand that they must make different choices to course correct and get better results – this eliminates stress when you are in positive action.

So, how do you leave the herd, and become a leader in your own life? How do you stop buying into the “norm” which is really complacency and mediocrity.

It starts with learning to think for yourself. This is not something that most people are accustomed to doing. People follow leadership. But, most people are the followers and don’t have the knowledge or courage to be a leader in their own life. Most people get up in the morning, go to a job they don’t really like, come home, watch TV and go to bed – and do this over and over, every day. If you ask someone in this pattern, why they are doing this every day, most wouldn’t have an answer because they haven’t really thought about why they keep doing it. When asked, most would say, “they have to pay the bills”, or “what else would I do”, or “that’s what everyone does”. Go for a walk at night, and just observe how many people are sitting, staring at their TV – for hours – being brainwashed into believing what they hear and see. It is time to get out of the trance that most of society is in - to be a leader in your own life and start directing the way you want it to go. You can do something as simple as turning off the TV or stop reading the news. Will that seem odd to everyone around you? Most likely! What would you do with your life? – read something educational, learn something new, start a business of your own, go to the gym, go for a walk, visit friends or family, live your life, rather than watching other people on TV living theirs! This is a really basic way to make dramatic change in your life. When you are not being fed all the nonsense and fear from these negative media sources, you learn to create your own results and start thinking for yourself. New and interesting things start to happen. You learn more, you grow more, you have new experiences, you feel better, have less stress and start seeing things in a different light. The walls of the “cow pasture” start coming down, and you start to realize that you can actually go into another field and there are new things to experience there. You learn that you can be more like a “rhino” and not wait for all the cows to follow you – you can venture out, do new things, learn and grow and live into your potential, into your own leadership.

People are hungry for excitement, adventure, fulfillment, and change. Leaders take a stand for what they want in their lives and then make powerful decisions that lead them towards their goals and take bold actions to get there. Leaders do not settle. Leaders do not limit their potential, they create it. Leaders still experience fear but in a much different way – when fear shows up, they push through it, make powerful and bold decisions. Leaders show people what is truly possible. Leaders inspire others. Leaders create new opportunities. Leaders are needed. Everyone is looking for leaders. It is the most powerful commodity on the planet – YOU have the choice – are you going to be the leader or the follower?

In Your Service,

Debbie Ruston

1-800-576-2917 or 1-519-342-4050

Why Work From Home? It Creates a Green Workplace!

When you are a successful entrepreneur working from home, a side benefit that many of us don't think of, when we start, is how much better for the environment it is!

There are so many benefits that are obvious to entrepreneurs that choose to work from home: - flexible work hours
- own boss
- more time with and around family
- increased income
- less stress
These are a few of the obvious benefits. But there are environmental benefits that many people don't realize.

-Since there is no commute to work - home business owners commute is typically from the kitchen to the home office - think of the gas this is saving! If you live in a winter climate this can be substantial, since cold climates, require car warm up time, ice scraping, extra windshield solution, etc. - none of this is required when you work in a home office.

- You really don't need a huge wardrobe when you work from home, and will also
save on dry cleaning, so no chemicals! I can't remember the last time I had something dry cleaned!

-Email, EFax, Instant Messaging, have all allowed us to use far less paper - save messages in files online and open them when required, rather than printing everything off. When printing is required, using recycled paper is a great option.

-The option to work outside in warm climates is something that saves a ton of energy - lights & air conditioning don't need to be turned on, when you are outside working on a cordless phone. The months of May-Sept are typically months that I spend every day outside working from my lawnchair. Not only does this mean I don't have to turn on the lights, but what a treat to be out in the sunshine all day! It is good for the soul!

-Something we often don't realize is that when you are working a typical job, most people take their lunch. When you work from home, you walk out to the kitchen, eat something fresh and don't have to use plastic bags, wrap, paper cups, etc. You can even use the same coffee cup all day, something that you wouldn't do if you had to buy your coffee from a machine or a vendor at an outside job.

-In the summer months you can also hang your laundry outside to dry, rather than using the dryer. People that work a full time job outside the home with long hours and commuting, typically don't have the time to do this - it is easier and quicker to throw the clothes in the dryer.

With changes to the economy, more and more people are starting to work from home, and these are all benefits to the environment that many people don't realize when they start a home business. Isn't it great to identify all of these additional benefits on top of the obvious ones!

In your Service,

Debbie Ruston
1-800-576-2917 or 1-519-342-4050

Successful Entrepreneurs - Set Powerful Goals, AND Keep Their Focus All Year!

Successful Entrepreneurs understand the importance of setting powerful goals and keeping their focus, no matter what. This is a skill that serves well in every area of our lives.

Going into 2010, it is time to step away from the pak, and take on a real leadership role in your own life, if you are truly serious about creating dramatically different results. This little picture is a great visual....it is time to stop thinking like you have always thought, doing what you have always done, and getting stuck in masses thinking. You must be willing to leave all of this behind you to take the next step in creating dramatically different results than you have had up to this point. This is going to be the decade of massive change - you will either be a part of it, by being the leader in your own life, or you will be left behind.

Ask yourself - did YOU reach your goals last year? Think back to this time last year....bring to mind the goals you set and the resolutions you made. Did you keep those resolutions and reach the goals you set? For most people that answer is no. So, how can YOU go into 2010, set powerful goals, make firm resolutions, and stay committed?

It starts with sitting down and allowing yourself to gain FULL clarity on what you really want to accomplish this year. I'm not talking about "It would be nice to lose 10 lbs" or "I want to make more money". These are wishy washy goals with no "teeth" in them. It is imperative that you spend time and get 100% clarity on what you want, why you want it, develop a plan of action, and then add the "emotional" connection to the goal. If you are not 100% totally committed to your goal, you will let some distraction, challenge, or excuse get in the way. That leads to disappointment in yourself, destroys your belief system, and attacks your self confidence and self esteem.

Let's take 1 basic example of how this looks. Keep in mind once you know "how" this works, you can implement this same strategy into any goal you have for yourself.

Let's say your goal is, "I want to double my salary this year". Now, dig deeper. First, is it possible to double your salary doing what you are doing right now? If not, something has got to change - either you have to get a promotion, change jobs, start a business for yourself, or if you are a business owner - you will have to change something in your existing business or perhaps change businesses. Understand you will NOT double your salary by doing exactly the same thing as you did last year. Something will have to be different. This is where most people get off track, they set the goal, keep doing the same things as they have always done, and wonder why nothing changes. You MUST understand that something has to change - and it is usually your THINKING that must change to get better results.

Understand also that doubling your salary is a "requirement" to reach your goal, but that is not really your goal. There is a powerful reason underneath that statement, THAT reason is what you must uncover. This is why you really have to get crystal clear on what you want. What is YOUR powerful reason? What do you really want in your life? You must have clarity on that, or you will be sitting in the same spot next year at this time wondering what happened to the great goal you set.

Perhaps you are struggling at the income level you are at right now, and you are working long hours to earn some extra money, which means you don't spend enough time with your family. Look at THAT statement: because you are struggling financially, you are working long hours, and therefore do not spend enough time with your family. THERE IT IS - what you REALLY want is more time with your family! Now, go further. What does that look like for you? Do you want to volunteer at your kids school functions. Do you want to be there when your new born does all the first things and see those first things with your own eyes? Do you want to be able to help your aging parents more? Do you want to home school your children? Do more volunteer work, travel, do you want to eat breakfast every single morning with your family? Do you want to tuck your kids into bed every night? Allow yourself to actually FEEL what it would be like to do any of these things that would be important to you and picture in your mind it actually happening. If I said to you "I want to make a movie of YOUR perfect life -only YOU know EXACTLY what that looks like, so I want you to be as descriptive as possible...." Close your eyes and picture this perfect life for you - what are you doing, what are you wearing, who are you with - FEEL it with every fibre of your being. Now, ask yourself, am I committed to this goal? Yes or no. If the answer is no, go back to the first step and get absolutely clear on what you are committed to. If you are not 100% committed to it, you will get off track and any excuse will do.

If the answer is "Yes", then you move on to getting more authentic with yourself. Now ask yourself, is what I am doing right now bringing me closer or further away from this goal? So, if the job you are working requires you to work long hours away from your family, that is taking you further away from your goal. Consider changing jobs, becoming more efficient with your time. Can some of your work be eliminated? Are you doing tasks that are not really necessary, but you are doing out of past habits? Maybe starting your own business is a solution? Or if you are already a business owner, ask yourself what do you need to change in your current business that will give you more free time? Do you need to add or change some of your products or services? Do you need to train more people? Are you doing everything yourself (you can outsource work that can be done inexpensively by someone else to free you to do what can only be done by you)? It is easy to keep doing the same things over and over and think because we are working "hard" that this is the solution. It is not about how hard you work. You must learn to make decisions that bring you closer to what your heart wants.

Now that you have the emotional connection on how it "feels" to spend more time with your family, start visualizing your new goal as if it has already happened. Remember to add gratitude into the affirmations and visualization. Example: I am so happy & grateful, I spend a ton of time with my family. We eat breakfast together every morning, we home school our kids, I coach Johnny's soccar team, I am working less and have doubled my previous salary....my life is so good and I am so grateful!

When you read that statement, I'm sure you will agree, it sure FEELS different than the statement "I want to double my salary". Just close your eyes and FEEL the difference: When you put your heart and emotion into your goal is it like magic that will push you in the right direction.

Next, write the new powerful affirmation on a goal card, take a picture of you and your family and put it everywhere...on your bathroom mirror, by your computer, on your fridge, in your car, at your office, put it EVERYWHERE you can see it several times a day. Continue to visualize and meditate on that goal as if it has already happened. You are already the person that IS living this life.

Now, this is where a lot of people steer wrong, so really get this: Every time you make a decision, ask yourself, "Will THIS decision bring me closer or further away from my goal"? So, in this example, |"Will this decision bring me closer or further away from spending the time I deserve and want with my family?" If the decision you are going to make is going to take you further away, it is gut check time. Now it is time to get authentic with yourself - again - ARE YOU COMMITTED TO THE GOAL? Yes or no? It is either yes OR no, not "I'd like to but", or "I will but", or "I was but" - these are the excuses that are stopping you. And most people live their entire lives like this! That is why most people set goals and give up on them.

If your answer is "no", you must go back to the beginning and set a goal you are 100% committed to, make the emotional connection to it, and go back to how it "feels" to reach that goal.

If your answer is, "yes I am committed to this goal" then you will likely find that you are going to have to make different decisions than you used to, perhaps make tougher decisions than you have in the past, and, step out of your comfort zone. Don't be afraid to do this. Do NOT let fear stop you - push through it? THIS is the difference that will help you get there. By just keeping the visual picture of what the powerful decision is going to do in front of you and in your mind by making powerful decisions that only take you towards your goal, you will accelerate your results and start taking more control in your life.

It is important to note that although you don't have to know EXACTLY how you will reach it, you must be willing to take the actions steps consistently. You must eliminate doubt, fear, and frustration. Just KNOW that if you are willing to do the work and make the RIGHT decisions, you will get the result you want; just may not come exactly the way you thought it would. That is the beauty of the universe. It has a bigger picture in mind for us than we can even see. Trust in that, be willing to do what it takes to reach your goal, and know you will get there!

In Your Service

Debbie Ruston
1-800-576-2917 or 1-519-342-4050

What Does Being A Successful Entrepreneur Have To Do With Going To The Gym?

Last April I joined a gym for the first time in my life! At the time I didn't realize how my entrepreneurial skills would help me reach my fitness goals. One may wonder, what does being a successful entrepreneur have to do with going to the gym?

To the average person, there would be no connection. But to be successful at the gym, just like anything new, we have to push ourselves to do activities that we are not good at, don't know how to do, and in many cases, just don't "feel" like doing. When I started this fitness commitment I signed a 1 year contract.....and to me it was exactly THAT....a COMMITMENT I was making to myself.

When I started I was clumsy in the classes, I was probably the weakest in the class in terms of physical strength, I had no stamina, and I even showed up for my first cardio dance class in sandles and didn't even own a pair of sneakers....much to the eyebrow raising of the instructor! So this was not an area I had expertise in or was a born natural at!

This can be comparable to becoming an entrepreneur for the first time. Many people are like this "fish out of water" scenario. But, like the new gym member, there are some specific strategies I have learned being a successful entrepreneur that I have applied to the gym as well...

-I put all my class commitments in my daytimer prior to each week and I work around them.

-If I have to miss a class due to a commitment, I find a replacement time to get an extra workout in to replace it

-When I was new and felt clumsy when all the class knew the routine - they were going left when I was going right - I just kept with it until I got the routine

-When I started I literally could not lift my body weight off the yoga mat, I was too weak - but I pushed myself to do what I COULD do - today, I held my body up in a push up position on ONE HAND AND ONE LEG! The strength has come because I keep showing up and doing what I can do to the best of my ability.....I have learned in business - this leads to breakthroughs!

-I push myself to keep doing better each time I go - I don't worry about what others are doing, I compete against myself.

-I had a committed attitude right from the start - not "I'll try this for a month or two and see how it goes" This was a commitment I was making to myself.

Here I am 8 months later..... I have never felt better or healthier, I lost a ton of weight, have more energy, and have really taken control of my body, instead of letting "aging" take control of my body. What an empowering feeling this is!

I recognize the growth I have experienced in my physical fitness and how connected this is to the disciplines I have applied to become a successful entrepreneur. It all comes down to the power of our minds, and removing the limitations and past conditioning we have around our thoughts. When you learn to do that in any area of your life, it will transfer great results into other areas of your life as well....

In Your Service,

Debbie Ruston
1-800-576-2917 or 1-519-342-4050

Successful Entrepreneurs - Walk Their Walk AND Talk Their Talk!

Credibility is an absolutely HUGE part of being successful and every truly successful entrepreneur knows to walk their walk and definitely be a person of credibility in every area of their life. You cannot "promote" one way of thinking and being and DO the exact opposite if you want people to believe anything you say!

Today I was going through one of the social networking sites I belong to and came across a "post" from a person that has a yoga practice.... here is that person's post: "Is hating life this morning opening the gym on 2 hours of sleep lying awake dreading how I'm going to feel like crap today" I found this quite fascinating because it was like a red flashing light in the wrong direction! This person's bio goes on to say: "A Yoga mat is a place to turn when talk and antidepressants don't work." When I visited their blog, it is full of positive advice, wonderful suggestions and quotes....but how can you believe any of it, if the first introduction you see is a post about hating life, feeling like crap and dreading the day!

When we are in business for ourselves, it SO important to walk our walk! I had a ladies wear business for 18 years, and while I was in that business I wore the clothes that I sold....I did not shop anywhere else, I was a walking billboard for what I was offering my clients. I felt if I expected anyone to become a committed client to my clothing line, then I better be committed by wearing it myself!

Credibility is something I believe many individuals overlook in their own businesses....but it really is common sense and you can see indications of this in your own every day life to confirm to yourself how important it really is.....

-would you hire a personal trainer that was overweight or not in shape?
-would you buy clothes from a sales person with a poor self image in sloppy clothes?
-would you go to a yoga class with an instructor that is overweight and negative?
-would you hire a decorator that lives in a dump?
-would you go to a hairdresser that hasn't updated her own look in 20 years?
-would you hire a financial planner that is in huge debt and struggling?

I was recently at a networking group and was talking with a lovely woman I have known for years. She and her husband have a thriving decorating store they started themselves. They have grown to about 14 employees and take absolute pride in their employees, the products and services they offer, they have a beautiful home, and it is a priority to them to have staff that people love and can talk to for great advice. They actually look more for great people rather than prior experience, because when you have great people, they can be trained. They know the importance of this because when you have happy, great employees they are adding value to your customers.

It really is common sense, but many individuals just don't realize how important it is to be a person of absolute credibility. When you commit to being a successful entrepreneur, and you absolutely believe in what you do, and what you offer your client, you must also commit to being a "stand" for what you say you believe in - or no one will believe anything you say...and THAT will cost you much lost business. Remember, your actions must match your words....

In Your Service

Debbie Ruston
1-800-576-2917 or 1-519-342-4050

Successful Entrepreneurs Know Their Purpose & Have A VISION Bigger Than Themsevles

I have had the opportunity to learn from and observe many successful entrepreneurs over the years and I realize that every one of them has a commonality....they all know WHY they do what they do, or put more simply - they have a sense of purpose and are completely passionate about their vision!

Why is this important? Well, there will be times that we are challenged....this could be in personal life or in business. It is really interesting to observe how differently people react in the face of challenge or adversity, or even change. Many people will totally give into fear, abandon their original vision and jump ship on what they said they were totally committed to. This happens every day in basic every day things like physical fitness as an example.

Many people go through life jumping from one job to another, from one business to another and from one relationship to another. Always thinking the grass is greener over "there" somewhere. And as soon as the grass needs watering, or there is a draught, or bugs eat their grass, they move somewhere else. Always wondering, always searching, always coming up short. These people can be referred to as "opportunists". In life and in business, opportunists are just looking for that next "big" win....and as soon as they are challenged in any way, they are on to find the "next big win". If these individuals spent time getting absolute clarity on their purpose and committing to it fully, they would learn to ride out the draught, or the bugs or whatever challenge because they would KNOW that they are going in the direction of their purpose...they would KNOW they are absolutely steering their ship in the direction of their own North Star.

True success comes from really knowing what your true vision is and staying committed to it. In relationships and in business, it doesn't matter if there are challenges - when you have made a total commitment to what you stand for, nothing gets in the way of that.

True success comes from this success principle...having that knowingness of what your purpose is gives stability, and successful individuals use this assurance to keep a steady pace, ride out whatever "storm" may be happening around them, because they have a "North Star" they are following. They KNOW the desired outcome....they KNOW what they believe in and NOTHING can shake their confidence, belief or vision. This is one major difference between successful entrepreneurs and opportunists.