Woman Owned: The Growth Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs

In line with the "Women and Risks" theme from last week's episodes, today I am joined by the wonderful business and career coach, Sarah Vermunt. Sarah's journey started while working toward obtaining her Ph.D. in human resources management and organizational behavior. After devoting four years of her life, and investing a lot of money into developing her career, Sarah began to realize that this career choice was not what she dreamed about after all. After spending two years dedicating her time to her previous career dreams, she went on a mission to find the work she loves – being a coach and teacher for entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, and new graduates.

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Sarah is the founder of CareerGasm and works primarily with aspiring entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, and college graduates to help them figure out what they want from their careers and businesses. She is the author of an up-and-coming book and has written several articles for leading business publications such as Forbes, Entrepreneur, Inc., the Huffington Post, and U.S. News & World Report. Today, Sarah shares her insights and tips for our wonderful listeners to help them gain some clarity into what they really want from their careers or businesses, and what they need to do to achieve that dream.

Here's a Breakdown of Today's Show:

• Sarah explains how she came up with the unique name for her business: CareerGasm.
• We talk about the turning point in her career that caused her to change career paths and begin building her thriving coaching business.
• Sarah explains why she "stuck it out" for two years in a field she hated – instead of shifting gears and starting her coaching business sooner.
• She shares some of the most common fears and apprehension that many of her clients often experience when they are considering a career change.
• She explains some of her key developments as an entrepreneur – both past and current achievements and developments.
• We talk about her new book: CareerGasm: Find Your Way to Feel Good Work, which is due to hit the bookstores in March 2017.
• How Sarah arrived at the point of clarity; knowing who she wanted to serve, the problem she wanted to solve, and how she wanted to help her clients achieve their dreams.
• Sarah shares her thoughts on branding as a differentiator and how she markets her business.

"People don't quit their jobs on a whim. They quit when they just 'effing can't do it anymore." – Sarah Vermunt

5 Common Fears That Keep People From Leaving a Job They Hate to Follow Their Dream Careers:

1. Afraid that their skills are not transferable or applicable in other career
2. Afraid that they will not be valued.
3. Afraid of being rejected.
4. Afraid of what other people will think
5. Afraid that they will not make enough money – maybe lose their house, their car, etc.

"Ask yourself: Is this fear really true? Look at your fears alongside some facts when deciding to make a career change." – Sarah Vermunt

Sarah's Advice for Professionals That Want To Start Their Own Business:

Build your business slowly, while you are still working at your full-time job. Use this time as your "trial and error" period while also creating a financial safety net. Hash out your business ideas to learn what will work and what won't work for you, your clients, and your business.

"Whether it comes to career or business, it's not just about logic. Intuition plays a large part in career and business planning. Very often, we use logic to discredit the things we know intuitively. Lean into your intuition – it can help you make some really good decisions." – Sarah Vermunt

Learn more about Sarah and her coaching business:

• careergasm.com

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At the end of each month, one lucky reviewer will win a free private coaching session with me! Are you feeling lucky? Head on over to iTunes, subscribe to the show and leave your honest feedback to enter your name into the contest!

Competition in the workforce over the years has become a "taboo topic." Many women do not want to talk about having a competitive edge in their field. We keep saying "It's not about competition, it's about collaboration." Ladies, competition is a healthy aspect of building your career and business. It allows us to push ourselves past our comfort zones, and while being open to collaboration is important, having a strong competitive edge is also essential.

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In our last episode, I spoke with internationally best-selling author, Linda Davies. Some interesting points came up in that episode regarding women taking risks and why it's necessary for career growth and development. In today's episode, I talk with you about taking risks, and how taking risks can help you "out hustle" your competition. Taking risks is critical to personal, business, and career growth. Without risks, our businesses cannot flourish. So, what are some ways that you can take a risk to continue developing your business or career?

9 Practical Ways to Take Risks in your Life, Business, and Career:

1. Make a career or business shift. Interview people who have your dream job, dream business, or work at your dream organization.
2. Making the commitment to quit your job on a specific date to start a new business.
3. Launching a new product or service
4. Taking time away from your business – perhaps for a vacation, holiday, or personal time.
5. Working with a new mentor.
6. Investing in learning a new skill, or honing a skill that you already have.
7. Applying to be a speaker at an upcoming conference.
8. Raising your hand for a stretch assignment.
9. Introducing yourself to a "key player" at a networking event.

Your ability to mitigate risk is directly linked to your willingness to hustle." – Eleanor Beaton

My Challenge to You:

• Ask yourself: Is there an opportunity for you to take more risks?
• Ask yourself: What would it mean to you to take a risk that can open the door to more rewards in your life, your business, or your career?
• Take a risk, and lean into the work to out-hustle your competition.

Win a Free Signed Copy of "Longbow Girl."

How would you like to receive a free, signed copy of Linda Davies' latest novel, Longbow Girl?

I am excited to announce that Linda has agreed to give away one free copy of her latest book, Longbow Girl to one lucky Fierce Feminine Leadership podcast reviewer!

To participate, head over to iTunes, subscribe to and review the show, then take a picture of your review and email it to [email protected] to enter your name in the contest!

Welcome back, my Fierce Feminine Leaders! I am incredibly excited about today's episode and our guest on the show today.

Today we talk about women and risks. Many successful women are afraid to take risks in their business or career, but do not realize that taking risks – stepping out of their comfort zone – often leads to personal and professional growth.

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Our lovely guest today, Linda Davies, knows all-too-well the advantages and feelings associated with risk. Linda is a former investment banker who left the corporate world to follow her dream – to take the risk – of making it as a successful writer. She is an Oxford University graduate with a degree in politics, philosophy, and economics and has worked for one of the largest U.S. investment banks in the country. She was the first woman to work in their European Corporate Finance Division. After seven years, she "escaped" the investment banking world to write fiction novels, having published several books, of which, her first was published in over 30 countries and sold over 2-million copies.

Linda has lived in Peru for three years, as well as eight years in the Middle East, where she was kidnapped and held hostage by Iranian government forces for two weeks. Following her rescue, she wrote her memoir – "Hostage: Kidnapped on the High Seas."

Linda shares her incredible story of how she became a successful author, what happened during her kidnapping and detention in the Middle East, and how this experience has changed her views of the world and the things she considers most important in her life. Her story and the experiences and tips that she shares with us in this episode are nothing short of inspirational.

Thank you, Linda, for sharing your experience with us today.

Here's a Breakdown of the Topics We Covered:

• Linda's story – how she went from being an investment banker to a best-selling author.
• How Linda balances writing and family life.
• Why Linda feels that taking risks is important to growth and development – both personally and professionally.
• What happened to Linda while living in the Middle East – and how it changed her perspective on life and values.
• Why Linda believes that writing your story – your speech – helps capture what your story

"If you don't have the confidence to take risks, you won't grow." – Linda Davies

Linda's Suggestion to Professional Women & Women in Business

• Go for what you want.
• "Self-belief and the idea that you can change the odds in your favor is key. Plan, plot your dream. Take that risk."

Check Out These Books by Linda:

• Nest of Vipers
• Hostage: Kidnapped on the High Seas
• Ark Storm
• The Djinn Quintet Series
• Longbow Girl

Win a Free Signed Copy of "Longbow Girl"

How would you like to receive a free, signed copy of Linda Davies' latest novel, "Longbow Girl?"

I am excited to announce that Linda has agreed to give away one free copy of her latest book, Longbow Girl" to one lucky Fierce Feminine Leadership podcast reviewer!

To participate, head over to iTunes, subscribe to and review the show, then take a picture of your review and email it to [email protected] to enter your name in the contest!

Welcome back, my Fierce Feminine Leaders! If part of your business consists of public speaking or giving public presentations, then this Is an episode you do not want to miss! Today is all about public speaking. Are you making the most of it? Are you ensuring that your message is delivered the way you intend it – strong, powerful, and making a positive impact on your listeners?

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Many women put a strong focus on their visual appearances when they are about to give a speech or present for a room full of engaged professionals, but we often fall short in one critical area. An area that can have just as much of an impact on our message and the way our listeners perceive us. Our voice. Your voice is a crucial element in delivering a powerful speech that resonates with your audiences. It ensures that the message you want to convey gets through to your audience, making them want to seek you out for your expert opinion or buy your product or service. In today's episode, I will share with you five tips to improve your voice before you get on stage at your next presentation.

5 Tips to Help You Embrace Your Voice:

1. Stand Up Straight.

• Stand up straight with your shoulders back. Stand proud. A great voice originates from deep within your core.

1. Slow Down.

• Speak slowly and with purpose. Let people absorb your words, your message – don't try to rush through your speech.

1. Allow Yourself to be Seen.

• Don't be a 'wallflower'. Embrace your moment in the spotlight – your '15 minutes of fame'. Enjoy it. You earned it!
• If you choose to speak and be seen, be 100% committed to it. Let your audience adore you!

1. Speak from your Stomach.

• Speak with authority and end on a down note. It punctuates your sentences and allows you to deliver them with more authority.

1. Lose the Modifiers.

• Eliminate these words from your vocabulary: "I think," "kind of," "maybe," etc. They are all weak words that detract from the point you are trying to make and make you seem uncertain.

"People have a natural respect for a good, strong voice." – Eleanor Beaton

Want instant access to these tips? Click here to download the "5 Tips to Help You Embrace Your Voice Checklist" pdf.

Exciting News!

I am excited to announce this special, exclusive offer with all you Fierce Feminine Leaders!

Mindy Weinstein, SEO and internet marketing expert and founder of Market Mindshift has agreed to conduct a 1-hour training webinar exclusively for the Fierce Feminine Leadership tribe! This webinar specifically targets women entrepreneurs wanting to learn how to significantly improve their online marketing and SEO strategies.

To register for the webinar, click here.

Subscribe to and Review the Fierce Feminine Leadership Podcast for a Chance to Win This Month's Contest!

At the end of each month, one lucky reviewer will win a free private coaching session with me! Are you feeling lucky? Head on over to iTunes, subscribe to the show and leave your honest feedback to enter your name into the contest!

Have you ever felt conflicted in your success? Felt confused, uncertain, or even felt like an imposter? Have you recently made a monumental change only to hear a negative voice in your head saying, "Who do you think you are to do something like this?" Thousands of highly successful women go through these feelings each and every day. They feel like they're crazy. They feel like a "hot mess."

Rest assured, my Fierce Feminine Leader – you are not crazy. You are upleveling.

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In today's episode, I explain to you what it means to uplevel as well as many familiar feelings – or "symptoms" – that women feel during this great transition.

Here's a Breakdown of Today's Show:

• What is "upleveling," anyway?
• You're not crazy. You're not an imposter. There are millions of professionals, CEOs feeling the same way you do. It's called growth – and it hurts.
• Feeling this way is normal.

"The bigger the uplevel – the hotter the mess."

When you uplevel, you're thrown into what's called "Liminal Space." You're not the 'same ol' you,' but you're not quite settled into the 'new you.' You're somewhere in the middle, and learning to step into the new you.

"Darkness, confusion, and uncertainty is the starting point for major growth and transformation. It's the necessary ingredient for change."

My Challenge to You:

Stop thinking you're crazy. Buckle up and enjoy the ride. Step into your brilliance, your power, and enjoy your success.

Exciting News!

I am excited to announce this special, exclusive offer with all you Fierce Feminine Leaders!

Mindy Weinstein, SEO and internet marketing expert and founder of Market Mindshift has agreed to conduct a 1-hour training webinar exclusively for the Fierce Feminine Leadership tribe! This webinar specifically targets women entrepreneurs wanting to learn how to significantly improve their online marketing and SEO strategies.

To register for the webinar, click here.

Subscribe to and Review the Fierce Feminine Leadership Podcast for a Chance to Win This Month's Contest!

At the end of each month, one lucky reviewer will win a free private coaching session with me! Are you feeling lucky? Head on over to iTunes, subscribe to the show and leave your honest feedback to enter your name into the contest!

Mindy Weinstein is the "expert to the experts" when it comes to SEO and internet marketing strategies. She is the President and Founder of the digital marketing firm, Market Mindshift, as well as a digital marketing strategist, public speaker, trainer, and a published author. She has taught dozens of large companies and major brands how to market their online products and services using digital marketing, social media, and SEO strategies. Mindy has had media appearances and has been interviewed and quoted in countless publications including FOX, NBC, ABC, the Huffington Post, and Bloomberg Radio. She has an MBA from Arizona State University and is currently working on her Ph.D. in Psychology with a special focus on technology.

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Get Discovered: A Smart Women's Guide to SEO with Mindy Weinstein

In today's episode, Mindy shares her story on how she got started in the digital marketing industry as well as several actionable tips on how you can improve your visibility and discoverability online.

Thank you for joining me on the show today, Mindy.

Here's a Breakdown of the Topics We Covered:

• Mindy's story – how she got started in the internet marketing and SEO field
• Things you need to be doing and thinking about to make sure your website is working hard and creating results.
• Mindy explains what "discoverability" is and why it is important.
• Ways you can become more visible online – and why it's
• Universal traits and behaviors you want to have to kick start your career and get promoted fast.
• What prompted Mindy to leave the corporate world and start her own business?
• Internet marketing trends Mindy has noticed and you should be using.
• Valuable tips for fierce feminine entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs to increase their online visibility, discoverability, and market themselves online.
• Mindy tells us what Market Mindshift is, and shares her business model and revenue streams.
• The difference between personal branding and corporate branding, and why Mindy chose to brand her business as a corporate entity.

"If you don't ask for what you want, you won't get the opportunities." – Mindy Weinstein

Mindy's Advice for Women in Organizations and Ready to "Go It Alone."

• Plan how you will get clients. Plan out what the bare minimum income you need each month to pay your bills and live comfortably. Plan what steps you want to take immediately once you're on your own.

Mindy's Top 3 Tips for Entrepreneurs Trying to Market Themselves Online

1. Work on your website. "Your website is your central hub. You have to make sure what's under your hood is working correctly. If you can't get your website indexed by search engines, you're never going to rank for anything. Make sure you have the right technical structure for your website."
2. Work on your website's "Your message is what is on your homepage, landing pages, blog posts. Showcase your expertise. Build trust and authority.
3. Work on your social media message. "Make sure you are on the major social networks. Know where your audience is and make sure you are there, too, and engaged. Stay socially involved."

How to Make "Becoming Your Own Publishing Company" Easier for Entrepreneurs

• Create an editorial calendar for yourself and your blog.
• Schedule out blog posts, video/audio publications, and social media posts. Stay Engaged.

Tips for Professional Women Within Organizations for Improving Their Online Presence

• Take a hard look at your social profiles.
• If you have your own website – do a technical review of it.

Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

• Anchor – Audio Social Media App
• Help a Reporter Out
• Mindy's digital book – Rich and Thin: How to Slim Down, Shrink Debt, and Turn Calories Into Cash
• Mindy's Website (Sign up for her Free Digital Marketing Guide, which is packed with free tools and tips to help you improve your internet marketing strategy.)

Connect with Mindy:

• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Google+

Exciting News!

I am really excited to share this news with the Fierce Feminine Leadership "tribe!"

Mindy Weinstein has agreed to conduct an exclusive 1-hour training webinar for all you fierce feminine leaders in July! This webinar specifically targets women entrepreneur wanting to learn how to significantly improve their online marketing and SEO strategies.

Subscribe to and Review the Fierce Feminine Leadership Podcast for a Chance to Win This Month's Contest!

At the end of each month, one lucky reviewer will win a free private coaching session with me! Are you feeling lucky? Head on over to iTunes, subscribe to the show and leave your honest feedback to enter your name into the contest!

Ambitious women in business, especially those in high-energy careers, often struggle through many obstacles and dilemmas. Probably one of the most common dilemma that high-achieving women face are those that are internalized – feeling as though you are "not up to snuff" in your career, despite having a glowing resume, awards, or fantastic recommendations. This dilemma is what I call "Ambitious Woman's Dilemma, and it is the most common condition affecting ambitious, high-achieving women in business.

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Click to get a copy of AWD Worksheet

In today's episode, I share with you 6 of the most common symptoms of Ambitious Woman's Dilemma (AWD), and what you need to do to overcome this condition.

Here's a Breakdown of Today's Show:

• What is Ambitious Woman's Dilemma?
• How common is AWD?
• Is there a way to "cure" the AWD condition – and if so, how?
• Why highly ambitious women begin feeling the effects of AWD?

What Is Ambitious Woman's Dilemma?

AWD is a common condition among smart, ambitious women who want to make a difference in the world while genuinely being present for their families and being financially secure but tend to feel like their "not up to snuff" or should be further ahead in their career or personal life than they are currently.

"You know you have Ambitious Woman's Dilemma if you feel like the rope in a real-life tug-o-war game." – Eleanor Beaton

6 Common Symptoms of Ambitious Woman's Dilemma

1. You feel you are only as good as your last deal, sale, or project.

• You feel like you have to do things to be awesome and feel safe in the world.

1. Your ratio of thinking about exercise and your health versus actually doing it is greater than 7 to 1

1. You do not have any hobbies

• AWD sufferers do not have any hobbies because, at the end of the work day, they are too busy sleeping, eating, driving, cleaning, or feeding someone.

1. You sometimes have the feeling that you have lost the sense of play and wonder, that the creative part of you is somehow "dying."

1. You can't slow down.

• AWD sufferers often think, "Slow down? That's what losers do!"

1. You know you're a confident person, but you don't understand why you feel insecure at times.

• Understand the difference between confidence and worthiness.

"When you truly embrace your sense of inner worthiness, you begin to approach your work & your life with a rested edge." – Eleanor Beaton

Subscribe to and Review the Fierce Feminine Leadership Podcast for a Chance to Win This Month's Contest!

At the end of each month, one lucky reviewer will win a free private coaching session with me! Are you feeling lucky? Head on over to iTunes, subscribe to the show and leave your honest feedback to enter your name into the contest!

In our last episode, I spoke with Joan Michelson of Green Connections Radio. She brought up a fascinating topic about the differences between how women support other women in business compared to the ways men support other people in business. This discussion led me to evaluate how the women within my own network have supported me through various business ventures, as well as how the men in my network have shown their support. One thing that I have found interesting during this evaluation was that women typically demonstrate their support through emotional support while men will often support you through practical support.

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In this episode, I share with you the reasons why many women in business often tend to stick with emotional support, and why they need to step out of their comfort zone, step into their power, and help other women in business through practical support strategies.

Here's a Breakdown of Today's Show:

• Women are more likely to offer emotional support to other women in business while men often offer practical support.
• Women need more than just emotional support to help us step into our economic power. We need practical support and access to professional networks.
• One of the main reasons women do not offer practical support to other women is often because they do not realize their power. The first step to stepping into your power is to understand that you have it and realize that your biggest source of power is the relationships you have built.

"Business & success are like a river – they've gotta flow. If you treat your success like a pond, it will just get stuck." – Eleanor Beaton

My Challenge to You:

It's time to start "walking the talk," ladies. Continue to offer emotional support to the women in business, but step it up a notch and also offer practical support! Here are two tips that you can use to offer practical support to other women in business:

1. Find ways to make powerful introductions to key business partners, clients, and customers.
2. Identify people in your network that would be a good supplier to someone else, then introduce them.

Subscribe to and Review the Fierce Feminine Leadership Podcast for a Chance to Win This Month's Contest!

At the end of each month, one lucky reviewer will win a free private coaching session with me! Are you feeling lucky? Head on over to iTunes, subscribe to the show and leave your honest feedback to enter your name into the contest!

Today, I am joined by a fabulously fierce feminine leader, advocate for female leaders throughout the corporate and entrepreneurial world, and owner of Green Connections Radio, Joan Michelson. Joan has made a huge impact in the corporate world and helping women "claim their power" in their industries. Her very specific, unique niche in the business community is in the Clean Tech area, also known as the "green space." She joins us today to share her story about how the "green space" niche fell in her lap and provide some insight and tips to other women in leadership roles on ways they can find their voice within their organization.

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Here's a Breakdown of the Topics We Covered:

• Joan's story – how she dived into the Clean Tech space, the struggles she has endured, and how she overcame those struggles and how she empowers other women to do the same.
• Statistics show that women tend to get promoted on performance while men get promoted on potential.
• Women walk into a discussion or decision with a laundry list of assumptions.
• How Joan felt "held back" in her previous career goals, and what she did to overcome this common obstacle.
• Women have permission to change the rules in the corporate world, even though many feel as though they don't.
• Using relationship building skills and deal closing skills at the same time produces results. Everyone in business – entrepreneurial or corporate – needs to do both.
• What is Joan's business model?

"Women tend to limit their choices by – unknowingly or unintentionally – setting boundaries."

Joan's Advice for Women Who Are Looking to Build their Voice:

• Confidence
• Self-talk – listen to yourself, how you talk to others and yourself, to learn a lot about what your voice is and how you are, in your own way, making assumptions that may or may not be true.
• Network
• Be visible
• Ask for what you want
• Be willing to hear voices that are different from yours so you can stretch your knowledge. Be willing to learn new things and ask for help.

Joan's Advice for People Working Within a Corporate Entity and Want to Elevate Their Personal Brand:

• Go to your company's communications team and ask to cover the public speaking engagements that the CEO cannot attend. Approach them with specific opportunities that will also benefit the company.

Connect with Joan:

• greenconnectionsradio.com
• iTunes
• Joan's blog on the Huffington Post
• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Email – [email protected]

Subscribe to and Review the Fierce Feminine Leadership Podcast for a Chance to Win This Month's Contest!

At the end of each month, one lucky reviewer will win a free private coaching session with me! Are you feeling lucky? Head on over to iTunes, subscribe to the show and leave your honest feedback to enter your name into the contest!

An interesting point was mentioned during my last episode while interviewing Vicki Saunders, the founder of SheEO. She said that women are not asking for help in their businesses – that many women feel they need to do everything on their own in order to be, or feel, successful and accomplished. In reality, though, it is incredibly hard to do everything on your own without asking for help and developing a team.

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In this episode, I want to share some tips with you on five ways you can ask for help, and three ways you can ask in the right way.

5 Ways You Can Ask for Help:

1. Ask for Introductions

• An introduction is a powerful pre-framing technique in terms of positioning and allowing you to gain access to that person's network.

1. Ask People to Spread the Word Through Their Social Media Networks

• Ninja Move Tip: When asking people to spread the word through their social media platforms, give them an image and some text they can use to promote.

1. Ask for Advice

• A wise woman once said, "When you ask for money, you get advice. When you ask for advice, you get money."

1. Have a Focus Group or Advisory Board
2. Interview People

3 Tips on How To Ask for Help In the Right Way

1. Be Mindful of a Person's Time

• Follow the 10-minute rule: "Hey, can we chat for about 10 minutes on the phone? I really need some advice."

1. Know What You Want

• Having a clear picture of what you want and how it fits into your business' "bigger picture" will help others help and collaborate with you easier and more efficiently.

1. Have a Beginner's Mindset

• Maintain a balance between being open to information and closing down the information so you can implement.

"The most dangerous thing that can happen to a leader is that she begins to cut herself off from information" – Eleanor Beaton

Subscribe to and Review the Fierce Feminine Leadership Podcast for a Chance to Win this month's contest!

At the end of each month, one lucky reviewer will win a free private coaching session with me! Are you feeling lucky? Head on over to iTunes, subscribe to the show and leave your honest feedback to enter your name into the contest!