Taxes - Extra Expenses at the Holidays for Meals and Entertainment

I get asked this every year...

"Can I claim the cost of my office party?"

Generally speaking there is a limit of 50% that you're allowed to claim for meals and expenses. But there are a few exceptions and at this time of year this exception comes into play.

Keeping in mind that there is always the expectation that the expense will be reasonable, the rule for claiming that holiday shindig is a resounding "yes" you can claim 100% of your holiday party.

The caveat is that it has to be open to all employees and can include clients. The other bit that is worth noting is that you're not limited to claiming this expense once a year - you can host a party and claim 100% of meals and entertainment up to 6 times a year. Conditions apply.

....and yes, you can host the party in a restaurant or at your business location.

There are other times when you can claim more than the 50% - if you're uncertain, keep receipts and ask your tax specialist.

Debbie Adams is a Certified Tax Preparer specializing in Sole Proprietors.

It isn't enough to dream of a better life, you have to believe it's going to happen. That's how you create a better life.

The title of this post is kind of telling - it isn't your ability to dream that helps you to create a better life. It's your ability to dream and expect the things that you desire. That's been my learning curve and the lesson that I needed so desperately to embrace. I had the dreaming down pat long before I learned to manage my expectations.

At the worse point in my life, someone spoke those words at a seminar - the life that you have is the life that you are expecting. To say I was pissed was an understatement. I was in the midst of one of the worse days of my life. My home that I cherished had been on the market 8 months - I was behind on payments and even though I had equity in the home, I had no way of accessing the equity because my income was too low. I was living on a fixed income disability pension. (Some might say I didn't know the right broker - topic for another day) :).

One day someone knocked at the door and when I answered the door - there was a gentleman standing there with registered mail. I had to sign for the dreaded letter - it was a notice from the lawyers informing me that they were going to foreclose on the mortgage. It was a soft landing - I hadn't run from my debt. I knew that this was the next step for me. Every day I hoped that the home would sell.

That same day, I got a call from the realtor that we had an offer on the house. Needless to say, we stalled the foreclosure and went ahead with the sale - I took a big hit on that sale because I was vulnerable and not making decisions from a position of strength. It would take a long time to realise the blessing hidden in this mess - many months later, I did eventually go bankrupt but there was no house included in the bankruptcy and for anyone who understands that industry, that makes a world of difference.

I landed in a pretty scary place - no home, no job and no prospects. I was literally dependent on someone's kind heart to help me out. It was a very low point in my life. At a seminar I was given tickets to, I heard this powerful message that really annoyed me at the time. The life you have is the one you believe you can have. Grrrrrrrrr - really?

It took me quite some time before I could appreciate this lesson. I've put enough distance between me and that terrible time to be able to reflect and I can see the wisdom in that statement now. I was struggling with high anxiety at the time - a real fear that I was going to be living in a cardboard box somewhere or dependent on others to get by in life. It was bad enough that I was visually impaired but I really didn't believe that I could create a better life. I was feeling about as low as I had ever been. Like they say - I had nowhere to go but up and I had tough lessons yet to learn.

I spent a lot of time working on the skills that it takes to unleash the creative powers that we all have. It's not an easy task - I took every course imaginable. If there was even a hint that I was creating this mess - someone please show me the way out. I begged the universe to show me how to become a believer when everything around me was not affirming the life I wanted.

The law of attraction depends on three things that have to be in alignment - our thoughts (dream a big dream) and our feelings (this is where belief comes in after all you're not getting fired up if you don't belief your dream can come true) and actions (in alignment with the dreams).

I had a vision board back then with some pretty impressive images on there but I didn't get excited when I looked at that board. Actually, more often than not, the thought that came up was "how do you go from here to there?" I wanted to know "how" but every book I read and every lesson I learned told me that I didn't need to know how. I just needed to get fired up about the good life.

Back them my EXPECTATIONS were low - I was stuck in this pity party but I kept going. If there was a lesson to learn I was going to learn it and I am so glad I did. Now I don't need to know how. I still have days where I stress but once we get rid of bad habits like complaining, it's hard to go back there for extended periods. I also have an accountability partner, a network of people who operate like I do, someone to kick me in the arse on the bad days - oh yes, there will be bad days.

What are you expecting in life? I don't mean what do you dream about - what are you expecting to happen? Really? Deep down? When you expect something to happen it gets you fired up with a knowing that it's coming toward you as quickly as you take action toward it. Don't lie to yourself if you're expectation is not there yet. Work on the skill of a disciplined mind - letting go of the how and working on the things that you need to work on to become the person who can sustain that dream.

It isn't enough to dream of a better life, you have to believe it will happen and only then take the right action.

Suspend Your Disbelief Until You Can See Your Way Clear - Dreaming is Not For Sissies.

Photo by Christian Holzinger

"I can't see my way clear." Sometimes the way that we speak in our Newfoundland vernacular can be a little confusing. But let's take a look at this one statement - when you "can't see your way clear", you're struggling to see how you can manage to find the resources to achieve a particular objective. I like to take bold action toward a goal even when "I can't see my way clear".

I once considered myself a "rookie dreamer". But fear ye not, dreaming is a skill and like most skills, it can be learned.

The first step is to learn to suspend your disbelief. How the heck do you "suspend" your disbelief?

When I first get students to dream of living their big dream - whether it be living in the perfect home or homestead, taking vacations more than once a year or enjoying a retirement life that is beyond magical, their first remark is usually...."where am I getting the money to do this?"

I call this type of resistance "only allowing yourself to dream to the capacity of your present resources".

Anyone can create a good life if you have the means to make it happen. What I want people to realise is that you can indeed create a better life for yourself without having a road map laid out in front of you and without having the resources at present to do so.

You're not going to be able to "see your way clear" to making it happen in the very beginning.

Are you starting to get it?  Dreaming a better life into existence takes faith - so in order to get started you will need to suspend your disbelief if  you fall into the rookie dreamer category referred to above. By now, I'm hoping you are at least mildly curious.  If so, let's read on.

Your attempt at dreaming probably goes something like this.

You start to dream of driving a fancy and expensive car or opening that next business or quitting your job and suddenly a little voice reminds you that you've got more month than money, your student loan is in arrears and you are 30 days away from Christmas and you haven't even started your shopping. That's reality thinking. If you want to be stuck in the life you have, you will stop reading right now - after all it has been working for you so far. Yes, you have been very efficient - the practice that you presently have in place has been allowing you to create the life you have.

You've attracted what you've allowed yourself to dream of.

It takes strength of character and mind to dream of a bigger life long before you can "see your way clear". Dreaming is only the first step - I'm not going to touch on the "right action" here because the reality is, in order to muster the activation energy that is required to take that first step out in faith - you're going to have to buy into the part about dreams.

You can read more about achieving goals here. After all, creating an awesome life is a real art form. I would also suggest that you sign up for my blog and remain involved in the dialogue.

I come form a long line of realists - folks who are "sensible" about dreaming. Most of this law of attraction stuff would be hocus pocus and a crock of crap. But I've learned that this type of thinking keeps a person stuck. I have migrated over to the other camp of practitioners. After all, things could only get better. Learning to "suspend my disbelief" was one of the first things I needed to do.

When I set about trying to create a dream, I would have the same resistance "Not possible, seems like nonsense." But I would let the thought float away. If a thought like "I can't afford that" came up. I wouldn't engage or meander down that path. I would just release the thought and get back to dreaming. I dreamt myself off the couch into a new training facility where I could teach people simple skills. I even dreamt of teaching people who didn't have the resources to pay me. After all, if you're going to dream, you may as well make it a good one. I knew they would find the resources if they wanted the information - and they have.

There are many more steps to achieving a goal than dreaming. Some of those include having the right network, taking bold action and stepping out of your comfort zone. There is also a need to understand and avoid self sabotage which is apt to come along more often if you're not buying into the process or have underlying core beliefs that are counter productive to what you are trying to achieve. I can always spot a person who is a naysayer - they are full of "ya buts".

I  believe my law school experience came about as a result of me not quite getting it (I quit in 2nd year). I didn't feel comfortable with the decision - I felt like an impostor. I don't feel that now. I feel that I do have things to learn but I'm on my way to building a very productive life, a place where people come when they want to build a better life. I'm also very aware that there are things I need to learn and that there will be more turns in my road.

It all starts with a dream - even if you can't see yourself clear. Can you dream a little dream? I'd love to hear more.

When does it make sense to barter?

Sometimes I barter but when I do, there have to be certain conditions met.

- I won't barter if what I need is cash. The bills have to be paid before I will trade consulting for head shots. After all, I wouldn't purchase that product if the bills were not paid. So someones reluctance to pay for my services is not a good reason to barter.

- I must be getting the same value in return. If I give $200.00 worth of value (ie consulting or taxes) I expect to get $200.00 worth of value in return. I wouldn't give an hour of business coaching in return for a $60.00 manicure for example.

Listen to your instinct. If you feel like you got the bad end of the stick, you likely did.

Networks - no one makes it to that next level without asking for help from the people around them who can open doors. Get used to asking for help in business.

Privilege is defined as "a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group of people".  Having a network is an advantage.

A stark example would be to use President Barack Obama's children. Even though the President and first lady may not have come from privilege, there is no doubt that their children are now privileged. Let's say that those children decided to become entrepreneurs, the networks alone have the potential to be phenomenal.

Networks are important - growing one has been my biggest challenge in life and it has been my biggest disadvantage as well. When I think back on the tight places I have been in my life, the biggest challenge has been not having the network to get through it.

When you don't have that edge, you have to ask for help. It is key that you get comfortable with asking for the big ask. It only feels big to you when you are uncomfortable asking. Successful people ask all the time.

A Few Words to Support You When Your Mind is Made Up About Leaving

It's never an easy decision to leave a bad situation. Whether it's a job you hate, a career that saps the life out of you, a business partnership or a marriage, it takes a tremendous amount of courage to walk away. 

In all likelihood, you have invested a lot into trying to make this work. You've put your heart and soul into building this thing only to get to this point. I have been where you are and I know it's not an easy decision. I suspect you have gotten this point before but chickened out at the last minute. That's your truth isn't it? 

But this time it's different. This time, you're not turning back. You're going to let your feet take you where your heart already is. Now that you've made the decision - run as fast as you can. There's nothing more energetic than a mind made up. 

Women don't make these decisions flippantly. Putting our needs first is not something we have done well. I know you have thought long and real hard about how everyone will be impacted by this decision and you've decided that staying will be worse. Is that where you are? 

Here's the deal - if the present state of affairs is not life affirming,  you need to go. If your inner spiritual resources are depleted with every day that you wake up in this same job, same relationship or same boat, it's time to go.  If you believe you have done all that you can do and something must change then....

BE THE CHANGE

You have wings to fly. We are born to live a joyful life!!! We all have an opportunity to live a rich and rewarding life that inspires us. You know when it's time to take the leap. You thought you would save a bit of money and leave when you were in a better position but when the extra money comes along, you spend it. By the time the kids are grown or your responsibility lightens, you'll be so used to pushing your yearning down, that you won't even feel the need. The time has come. 

You're not alone - many of us have taken that leap and never looked back. Once you start caring about you, magic happens. 

Breathe........

Why mirrors are important if you want a successful business.

Are you serious about creating a successful and profitable business? If you really are, then you need to be able to take a long hard look in the mirror over and over again. Once you buy into the benefits of mirror then you will no longer avoid them. A good way to know when to look in a mirror is to look at what annoys you in other people. One of the things we have a tendency to do is see in other people what we can't see in ourselves. If you have trusted friends and colleagues, you can ask them "when have I been like that? There was talk of a 360 evaluation at one time. It's not an easy thing to do. I can remember the first time that I heard so and so speak about the 360 evaluation, I had to sit for a while and think - whose opinion would I trust to give me that information? Who would I turn to to let me know the truth? Who is going to have my back?That's a tough one. I actually found that I didn't trust a lot of people to care for me in that way. But I really needed to.

Entrepreneurship is an option for EVERYONE - only people with a fixed mindset would believe otherwise

I have had two identities in life that speak to my soul - mother and soldier. They're two core identities that I hold dear. I'll always be a mother but my career as a soldier was taken away from me and when it was, I was shaken to the core. After all, being a soldier wasn't a "job" I held, it was an identity I embraced.

Life landed me in a place where there was a title assigned to me - "disabled person living on a pension who had no purpose and who would never again find joy". Circumstances in life landed me in this place but I could not embrace the identity the way that I did with mother and soldier. After all, those roles brought me profound joy, the latter brought me anger and depression.

I'm getting excited here.....

I now wear a new title that is quickly becoming "who I am" as opposed to "what I do". I am an entrepreneur. I am in the business of educating people and more particularly I help people change their minds. After all, I have a bit of experience changing minds - I have changed my own.

I have read thousands of books since I started school at age 40. In each book, I had an ah ha moment that was core shattering.  Literally, I could see the world open up with each new lesson.

Dozen's of books have had an impact on my life but Carol Dweck's book called Mindset has become a staple. The reason I was able to move from the defeatist attitude I had in my late thirties to the attitude I hold today has to do with a change in mindset.

When the student is ready, the teacher will come.

I do wish I had known sooner the distinction between growth and fixed mindset but the teacher really does show up when you are ready. The knowledge found in this book brings hope and provides the explanation I needed for why I had made many of the choices I had made along the way; why I believed what I believed.

In the early days, I was sceptic that I would find a purpose in life but over time I came to believe that we have so much control over our lives and it all starts with our beliefs. People with growth mindsets live productive lives in spite of what happens to them.

If you're sitting there disgruntled with life - pick up this book and see if it helps you to look at things differently. I never would have believed that Entrepreneurship was for me - BUT I DO NOW!!!

Join me in Cape Breton on Nov 21 where I will be delivering my Reluctant Entrepreneur; Life Made Me Do It 

I will tell my story - perfectionism

Perfectionists do not tolerate flaws in their own work and we are very self critical and we care way too much about what others think. 

One of the benefits of being a perfectionist is that we are highly motivated to reach our goals. One of the shortcomings is that we give our power away, letting other people's opinion of us mean more than it should. 

I am a recovering perfectionist - what exactly does that mean? It means I took a big hit in life that resulted in me challenging my own assumptions about me, about my beliefs and about my own self worth - it was life altering and freeing. 

On November 12th, I will speak about this important and delicious topic. Contact me for details. 

debbie.adams08@gmail.com

Image Sofia Carvalho (Flickr.com)

Take time for play!!!

We laughed at ourselves as a group of 50+ women jumped on the trampoline and the kids looked at us like we were nuts. Can't believe how much fun we had.

When you have done all that you can do. When the last stone is turned. When you have knocked on every door possible. You have choices.

You can choose to worry or you can dance in the rain, take a hike, head to the beach. Point is, the solution won't show up until you carve out room for it. The way to make that happen is PLAY.

Make play a business strategy.

Jump in - learn as your go!!!

We both started laughing at the same time. Did you really just say that?

"I couldn't do that - I don't know how to do that."

Ya, she said it and then we started laughing because at the same time we both realized that this was a bold faced lie.

My friend and I have much in common including the habit of jumping with both feet into unfamiliar territory including jobs that are way above our pay grade. You see, we have figured out that successful people aren't afraid to do that - jump in and learn while you're going along. It's become a way of life. I encourage you to try it sometime. You'll impress yourself with your ability to learn on the fly.

I learned to swim by being thrown in the deep end - yep, that's the way my teacher liked to do it. Granted, my father was never far away but he had no qualms about being unconventional. We all jump into parenting without a frickin clue what we're doing but we manage to wing it until we get it right. That's a big job don't you think?

If you reverse engineered most jobs, they're broken down into the next step to be taken. Most often there are folks who can help you out. Sooooo, get out there and get her done. Done is better than perfect - you can learn as you go.

Not heart surgery though, if you're thinking of tackling that, maybe get that down pat first. But the rest - get crackin' - in the deep end.

The Social Media Challenge Packed a Lot of Punch

I absolutely love working with Sherri-Lee Woycik. She is that Canadian gal who manages the Badass Facebook Marketing group. I can't say enough about her challenge. It was a little tough to fit it all in what with running my own programming all week but I did manage to get most of it done.

As adult learners, we have a tendency to take away that nugget that we're ready to use next. This program had something for everyone. The more advanced FB marketing tips as well as tons of tips for beginners. She's an absolute master in her industry.

I am especially stoked because my name was drawn to attend a 6 hour boot camp intensive next week. I know that I will learn so much from that challenge.

So thanks SherriLee and if you're wanting to know more about her programs, check out her page above.

Got a Storefront? Don't network? Think again.

There was a time when you could hang up the "shingle" and wait for clients to come in by the droves. OK not quite droves but you get the drift. Hanging up your shingle was enough - people could find you now. 

A while back my daughter's car needed a bit of work. I didn't pull out the yellow pages. I didn't phone the local garage. Nope, I went on Facebook and asked my friends who they were using. That's how we shop these days. Relationship  marketing is king. 

Truth is, we're overwhelmed with the number of signs that are on the road these days. We are becoming immune to signage. We block most of them out. 

But if signs aren't working, how can we sell our products and services? We need to build relationships. Getting out and meeting people is essential to business success these days. Look for places in your community where people are gathering and go make some new friends. 

A few  years back, a group of us came together and started a business network called Plugged Into Sackville Business Network. We felt that the community needed a resource where like minded business people could come together to get to know one another. We have built amazing friendships in that little group. Not everyone who has walked through our doors have stayed - some folks didn't feel that their target market was in that group - but I beg to differ. You see even if your direct market isn't in that room, the folks who are there may know someone who is seeking just what you are selling.  

Keep in mind that if no one can find you, you don't exist  - it's as simple as that. 

After all, we do business with people we know and trust. 

Lessons I have learned this past year - there's no room for a doormat in business.

In a little over a month I will celebrate my first anniversary in my business and what a year it has been. A year filled with hard work, tough lessons and many rewards. Nothing has been more rewarding than the people who have come alongside to help make my first year pretty frickin' awesome.

Over the next month, I will share some of those lessons starting with a lesson about our own core beliefs.

Long before I opened my business I had accepted that "The things that are showing up in my life are things that are in alignment with what I believe." That can be a hard pill to swallow. When the nice things are showing up we happily take responsibility and it feels good. But when the not so nice things are showing up - we may not want to admit that we are responsible. Our core beliefs are producing the life that we are experiencing.

Keep in mind that I'm a recovering doormat and the journey to healthy relationships has been messy. Relationships are key to success in any business. Changing core beliefs is not a one time thing - it takes a tremendous amount of effort to uncover those beliefs and challenge your own assumptions.

Each time I take on a new venture, I have to deal with the residual effects of  those old doormat tendencies. These old tendencies show up like scattered dust bunnies. This past year in business has been an example of this. I really am a work in progress - it pays to be self aware.

I know that some people are into reading self help books to break cycles but I believe in fast tracking so I have enlisted the help of professionals to help me process and deal effectively with my challenges. I come from a cycle ---  generations of women doormats ----  breaking that cycle won't happen overnight. I am doing the work one day at a time.

Here's how it manifested in my life this past year. People were coming alongside of me in business which I took as a good sign. They were often looking for information of a business nature but it became evident pretty quickly that they were not willing to pay for that information.

Coaches everywhere will get this - the.lessons that we teach are a culmination of our experience, our education in a particular area as well as our coaching certification and adult education certificates that allow us to work in that field. (Some of you may not have those credentials and still be coaching but I believe in certifications. I became a much more effective coach and trainer after I was taught the proper way to educate and coach adults -- that's a topic for another day). This specialised knowledge has value and it usually unlocks potential in people. The return on investment for coaching can be in the hundreds of thousands. My own investment in coaching has impacted my business revenues in amazing ways.

When I sat down with my sage and told him about what was happening - he asked what I thought was really going on here? I love him because he knows me and the beauty of being a coach who is receiving coaching is that we cut to the chase pretty quickly.

My immediate response was "I am attracting this into my life because of something I believe." From that statement we were able to do the work that led me to unearth a core belief that was causing me to attract people who did not value my service. The reality was, I had some residual beliefs about the value that I was bringing. Isn't it funny how that works?  Thank goodness that I do not profess to have all the answers and I am big on execution - I take my business seriously and I don't mind doing the work.

Fast forward  a year and I have different people showing up - people who treat me like a professional and who are quite willing to pay. I wonder what is going on there. Could it have something to do with what I believe about me?

What is showing up in your life that could be indicative of a core belief at work? Have you given it any thought? I would love to hear your success stories on this topic.

3 Benefits of a Marketing Plan

"This little piggy went to market and this little piggy stayed home."

Why do you think that this particular little piggy was the only one that got to go to market? Was he the only one that was ready? Was there an issue with the supply chain? Were the others not quite ready? Or, was it because he was the only vegetarian in the bunch -roast beef? Yuk.

Maybe the farmer had a 'marketing plan'?? It is quite possible especially if he was a successful farmer.

There came a time when I had to admit that I liked a certain amount of control in my life. Change is never like the flicking of a switch - control feels normal to me. There There's not much to life if you're a control freak - it takes the fun out of it I believe. I've worked on that. But I'm not an all or nothing kind of gal.

There is one area where I will maintain control and that is when it comes to my business. I control the numbers - knowing how close I am to my targets at any given time. I also control my marketing. I have a marketing plan and I believe that there is a correlation between your revenues and your plan to get the goods to market. I'm a firm believer that regardless of the size of your business, investt the time (and money if that's not your thing) in a smashing marketing plan - you won't regret it.

There are many benefits in having a marketing plan. Here are my top three.

1. It saves time and time is money.  Time is precious in business especially in the early days when you are wearing so many hats. A marketing plan lets you make a plan and work the plan. Won't it take precious time to make a plan? Well ya, but the time you spend planning will give you time to work on your business later on. Without a plan, we use more valuable time. Time is money.

2. A marketing plan is a good test of how viable your business is. Usually a marketing plan goes hand in hand with your projections. If you plan to make X (revenue) and you need to sell Y (# of units) then you will need to know where you will sell those. A marketing plan maps that out for you and let's you know if you're nuts in your projections.

3. This is my favourite. The universe loves clarity. When you make a plan, you're committed. You're going for the goal. You've not only called it by name. You've made a plan to make it happen. The universe loves that kind of clarity.

And you're waiting for what? Get crackin' -- make the plan and work the plan. BAM!!!

The eBook Experience - A Great Tool for Freelance Trainers and Coaches

Why write an eBook at all? 

Lots of reasons especially if you're in the training world. It really helps to get your name out there to establish credibility. It is an excellent way to reach people and share what we know with them.

The thing is that most of us get it. There is a ton of value in an eBook but we don't want to do the work. This past month I set out to do the work.

I wrote an eBook in 30 days. It will be on Amazon in the next week or so. Definitely in time for the course that I will be teaching in Sackville at the end of August. There are a few spots left yet.

Register for the program today. Seats are limited.

I have learned a few things in the process. You need an editor who really understands the technical side of wordsmithing (is that even a word?). It is not enough to just throw some words on paper. Don't mess it all up by going cheap on this important part.

It costs money to publish an eBook but it's worth it. If you're in it for the money - not sure I'd bother. The real benefit is in expanding the list and establishing cred with potential clients.

We have a ton of information to share as trainers. Learn how on August 26th in Sackville. Hope to see you there.

How Attending University in my 40s Helped Me to Become a Better Entrepreneur

One of the things that I noticed when I arrived at university aside from the fact that I was twice the age of some of my classmates was that I had to be careful with the opinions I expressed.

The benefit of attending when I was 40 was that I had learned a ton of lessons where the rubber hits the road and for me it was while twisting wrenches in the army. No one in my social circle had ever attended university.

I pissed off my professor one day when he shared a bit of information and I honestly and naively commented that "I don't see things that way."

I got the "HOW DARE YOU" stare. Rightly so I supposed, he had been extrapolating from data for more than 11 years. I had merely been living life or acquiring data in a different way for 40.

Yes, I say that now with tongue in cheek. Some of the best gifts I have ever been given have been by people who have pissed me off. I hope he feels the same.

The university experience is not one that I would trade in a million years. It has value beyond what I could have imagined.. I feel it was a real supplement to the lessons I had learned. It helped me to make sense of my life experiences. this resulted in me doing much better in life. University is a blessing - not the only route to a job but a real benefit to me in my business. It also helped me to understand people better.

I meet people who are out there without the benefit of education and people with biases against people with degrees. I have a foot in both canoes so to speak - a tradeswoman with a degree helps me to connect to a broader range of people. It also helps me to build bridges between people where the lack of information each has is a barrier to connection.

You see, learning where the rubber hits the road has a ton of value that is often undervalued in academia. That's sad because they could be rocking if they waited to get a degree after they had a little "experiential learning" under their belts. Just sayin'

I would recommend getting a degree to anyone - I can't explain the benefit of a broader mind, a more curious mind, a mind that has been trained to look at things from a new perspective - that's the real benefit of my university degree and I would indeed do it again. It's likely I will - I do consider myself a knowledge addict with an opinion.

From the perspective of business - the S T R E T C H I N G of the mind that took place by learning a substantial amount of information in my 40s complimented by the school of hard knocks experiences have been.....words escape me - it's da bomb.

Joint Ventures With a Friend - Contract Writing - Tips From a Recovering Doormat

I believe in being generous but not to a fault. I love the concept of win/win and common sense is....well common sense.

If you're thinking of going into a joint venture with a friend, take the time to construct a contract. I'm not saying that you have a contract for a day at the beach. I'm suggesting that you have a contract where there is a certain amount of risk and you want a plan in place so that you do not get caught holding the bag.

If you feel kind of icky about the thought of a contract, you probably need one.

Yes, these are lessons I have learned the hard way. Once burnt, twice shy. It's not fun to take anyone to smalls claim court - it's downright painful.

Get the contract out of the way in the early days when you're excited and feeling good about the relationship. It's the best time for communication. After all when things go wrong, we will be feeling hurt and it's tougher to have tough communications. .

Difficult conversations are ten times more difficult for some of us.

When you have it in writing, you have thought about what  could go wrong when you are in your very generous frame of mind. What I have found when I collaborate with other generous minded folks is that we have a tendency to think of ways to protect one another when we do this exercise.

If you can't think of what can go wrong, ask other people. Sometimes they are more objective. Always choose folks you can trust. You will be so glad you did.

Pic Deep Shurchan

Want to have a great day? Try this simple morning routine that will increase the chances of that happening!!.

We all have mornings where we wake up in a funk. This is especially true when things aren't going well and even more than true we suffer from depression and anxiety. We all have our little nuances and reasons for not waking up in a great mood.

A wise sage suggested this morning routine to me and I have modified it to meet my needs. I credit that sage. It is a simple process.

As a person who loves to work, I have a tendency to want to jump out of bed and get at 'er. But I work smarter when I follow this simple but effective morning routine to kickstart my day.


10 Minutes of Movement

Be creative. Moving is such a subjective term. For some it may mean running, for you it may mean a free style dance. The idea is to move with intention and to be present.

You will find it much more beneficial if you are mindful when you move. Feel each part of the body as you engage that muscle. Follow the flow of your fingers as they move. Enjoy the release of energy as you connect with your vitality. You're about to begin a magical day - act like you appreciate that even if you're not quite there yet. Move with purpose and grace.

10 Minutes of Writing

Get a pen and paper and write. Not just any writing. Be purposeful in your writing. When I first started writing about 15 years ago, I would actually write about my worries and about the things that went wrong in my life. I don't do that any more although there is something to be said for the cathartic value.

Instead I write about the "what if". What would the world look like if what I was going through right now were solved. What will my day look like if things go the way that I want them to? Write about a best case scenario for a complicated problem you are solving.

This isn't an official document that you're going to hand in to some senior official. This is your "kickstart my day" writing. If you're not into the written work, purchase a voice recorder and vocalise your ideas.

On Fridays' I'm making my writing a blog post - like today.

10 Minutes of Reading

I keep a book handy and when I hop out of bed in the morning, it's right there ready to go. Have a bok ready for this particular purpose. I don't pick it up at any other time. It's my morning "kickstart my day" read.

Read something inspiring. Learn something new. Make it relevant, Be engaged. Maybe reading before you write is a better option for you. You choose!!!

Choose the right book - learn something new. Not sure what to read - ask around. People who live with intention can always recommend something wonderful.

Try this for a week and then let me know what happens. I really do want to hear!!!

Would you like to be profitable sooner?

The journey for PeopleCan was a journey filled with painful  moments - I kid you not. Along the way as I was morphing into what I have become (I know that I am not done morphing) I would often get asked what I did.

I'd answer with the usual  - speaker, trainer coach - provide trainng, blah, blah blah.

Recently I did an exercise with a coach and had that "ah ha moment" I help people become profitable sooner. That's it - point blank. The rest is the "how or the logic" of what I do.

When people ask what you do? How do you respond? Do you respond with a lot of useless jargon or a nice clear statement of what you actually do?  

When you figure it out - you'll become profitable sooner!!!