Leadership matters. Heart-centered leaders are needed now, more than ever. As business owners, our decisions and actions have impact on people’s lives and our communities.

Do you set aside time regularly to plan what you want to do in your business? If not, I strongly encourage you to embrace it for this year as well as going forward. Setting aside time to plan out what you want to do and more importantly the people you want to serve and the growth you want to have is crucial to your success. This month, I want to share with you what I’ve learned and what I’ve found helpful.

Let’s start off by taking a look at why business planning is “one significant secret” to success. There are a few different factors that come up. The first is efficiency. When you start off the year with a clear plan, you can focus on priorities and what’s most important. Instead of spending time trying to...

What Oprah and DiCaprio have in common...

Have you ever wondered why so many high achievers seem to get much more done than “everyone else?”

I don’t just mean Oprah and DiCaprio, but successful people in all industries over the course of their lives:

Serena Williams - Athlete
Brene Brown - Researcher
Meryl Streep - Actress
Deepak Chopra - Author
Denzel Washington - Actor
Sheila C. Johnson - Entrepreneur

What’s their secret to success?

They face the same (and sometimes more) struggles as everyone else, but how do they quickly overcome them and rise to the top?

The secret is…they constantly reinvest in support and frameworks...

which help them nail and scale their personal and professional aspirations!

This is the hallmark of any great leader - continuous education and self-development.

They seek out people who have already achieved the results they’re looking for to...

Mentors have a way of giving us the nudge we need to accomplish what we thought was impossible.

Think back to a time when someone inspired you.

Perhaps they spoke at an event you attended.

Maybe you connected with them through family and friends.

What was it about that person that was inspirational?

Was it the way they spoke or was it the message they shared?

Whatever your memory, they could be thought of as a mentor.

You don’t need a face-to-face relationship for someone to be considered a mentor.

In fact, you could read about someone’s life story or significant accomplishments.

And, their message, essence and energy moves you.

Sometimes, a TEDx talk or podcast touches your heart and soul. When you correspond with them through comments, posts or a conversation, you can make a great connection that may last for a reason, season or lifetime.

There might be times when you simply...

We’re 21 days into 2022. Let’s talk about forming new habits.

We all have times in our lives where we intentionally want to change our behavior for the better and create new habits for ourselves.

This could be getting into the habit of eating healthier and drinking more water.

Or it could be spending more quality time with loved ones and growing our business.

Or it could be work related, or spiritual, or…

There are so many areas in our lives that could be improved and made easier when we create new habits.

Getting into the habit of doing something is often easier said than done.

We seem to acquire not-so-good habits without any effort, but getting into a “good” habit can be a little more challenging.

Let’s break down new habits into a three-step process that makes it easy to follow until we’ve internalized the new behavior and made it a true habit – something we do...

Every weekday, I workout.

This time last year, I couldn't even do one sit up.

Now, I crush 200 sit ups every weekday (Monday through Friday) along with a 30 or 45 minute workout.

The funny thing is...that I didn't wake up one day and say to myself "Self...let's do 200 sit ups today."

However, I did wake up one day at the beginning of this year with a desire to look and feel better and get physically stronger.

You see...my husband, Ty, exercises consistently.

One day, I heard him watching a video (on YouTube) while working out.

I noticed the video had intense, more challenging exercises along with beginner modifications. Some workouts were short while others were longer.

I was intrigued and decided to try it.

And, I really liked it!

I started working out with my husband every weekday. We created a habit of exercising, encouraging each other, supporting one...

We all experience stress at one point or another.

I’d be surprised if you didn’t.

Between the growing daily demands of our work, careers or business, caring for our family, and the increasing need to stay connected all day, every day, most of us feel stressed out more often than we would like to admit.

When you add to this a chronic lack of sleep and exercise, then, you have a recipe for disaster.

Stress can significantly impact your life and business.

When I took a look at several definitions of stress, this one stood out:

Stress is the body's reaction to harmful situations -- whether they’re real or perceived.

When you feel threatened, a chemical reaction occurs in your body that allows you to act in a way to prevent injury (according to an article called “What is Stress” on WebMD on 8/21/19).

The article goes on to share that “what causes stress in one person may be of little concern to...

Life isn’t always the way we want it to be.

All we have to do is to glance at the headlines to see that we live in very uncertain times. The job we thought was safe might not be there tomorrow. There seems to be a disruption or natural disaster somewhere. And, there are people who choose to be more callous than kind.

It’s easy to get caught up in a negative spiral of doubt and anxiety.

How do you stay hopeful and positive, when you see negative messages and fear all around you?

Here are 3 ways to stay hopeful during tough times:

Be here now

By focusing on the present, you will find it easier to take a step back and act as an observer. By practicing mindfulness, you can enjoy the simple things in life, no matter how bad things may seem. Worries and fears of the unknown can dissipate if you focus on the present.  Look for things in your life for which you're grateful.

Look for ways to show compassion

Spreading hope...

 If you’ve been wondering how to continue making pivots in your business (and do it in a weekend), then, you’re gonna love hearing from my special guest.

In March, she planned to host a live event in Atlanta that she cancelled two weeks beforehand as the global pandemic took the stage.

Natolie Warren is an International Speaker, Author, and Visibility & Mindset Coach who realized a bigger vision in the midst of having to make a shift in hosting her annual summit.

She went from kicking and screaming (can you relate??) to adjusting and pivoting to create a virtual event for her audience. She noticed a need for conference attendees to deeply connect with each other and implement their learning while they are in the room getting support.

In my candid conversation with Natolie, I asked about her experience and how we can up level our businesses in a weekend.

Natolie has authored two...

Welcome to our guest blogger this week, Cassie Howard.

It's a crazy season right now - everyone is at home, the kids aren't in school, and you just may feel like pulling your hair out from all of the demands they make every day.

You want to enjoy your kids while they are little, but you also want to be able to run a successful business while working from home. Here are some ideas to keep you working while you've got a child at home for awhile.

1. Work early in the morning or late at night - and during nap time if you’re lucky enough that naps still exist in your life.

2. Set a work-from-home schedule and try to stick with it. Establishing a schedule (as best you can) while they are still little will help them to understand what you do, as they get older, and are more likely to give you the time you need. 

3. Schedule in time for interruptions and play-breaks so you can manage your stress levels and not feel guilty about not working or not playing enough with your...

Passive income can benefit absolutely everyone, no matter what type of business you have or profession you’re in. The key is to make the digital product creation process as simple and inexpensive as possible. This doesn’t mean your digital product will be cheap; it means you should focus on your area of expertise and solve a common problem among your audience.

In 2015, I created my first digital product, which is still being purchased today. Most people regret not creating passive income sooner.

Also, the term “digital product” refers to information typically offered on the internet in a digital format.

Let’s review why you need to create a stream of passive income:

1. Supplement your income at any time (especially in uncertain times). No one wants to think about losing income, but it happens. Instead of panicking at the idea of finding a new way to bring in money, you can approach the task calmly, knowing you have passive...