The Successful Dilettante
June 20, 2007 - Issue 24 - ISSN 1935-4886
Editor: Susan Henderson, coach@susanhenderson.com
Visit our website at: www.susanhenderson.com
In This Issue
1) Greetings/News
2) Susan's Musings - Puppy Love
3) Featured guest: Alicia M. Forest
Known as the Multiple Streams Queen, Alicia is an author, entrepreneur, and expert marketing coach to solo professionals in over 40 countries. Read how this successful dilettante has styled her satisfying life to include plenty of quality time with her family.
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Greetings/News
Hello everybody! I welcome you all, both old subscribers and new. My, but we have been growing lately and I am always thrilled to discover there are so many fascinating people of multiple interests making this world go round.
If you haven't already heard about Paul Potts and watched his astounding try-out performance in front of an audience and the daunting judges--including Simon Cowell--for Britain's You've Got Talent show, see it here at the link below. I was moved to tears and I wasn't alone. Dream big folks. http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21904047-2,00.html
If you haven't had a chance yet to sign up for my new ecourse, Five Secrets to Making a Living as a Creative Multipreneur, hop on over to www.creativemultipreneurs.com to learn more.
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Susan's Musings - Puppy Love
Okay folks, I admit unashamedly, I am an animal lover. I always have been and I always will be. Currently, I am owned by two dogs and a cat. They adore me and I them. Alright, they are not actually puppies, but entering their senior years and the cat is middle aged.
So as I sat down at my computer to write my article for you today, or offer some resources, or a book review--I never know until I start writing--my bigger dog, a 103 lb. golden retriever/husky mix named Lily needed an emergency visit to the veterinarian because she quite suddenly had a bleeding wound of some sort on her back. It turns out she has a tumor that has become infected, broke open and it is pretty horrifying to see. It looks like she will have to have surgery.
I am suddenly very aware of the much shorter life span of our animal companions. Please hold this big sweet dog gently in your thoughts. She's about nine and a half years old, but still has a lot of puppy love yet to give.
Hugs,
Susan
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Featured Guest: Alicia Forest
I only met today's guest about ten weeks ago, but I feel like I have known her forever. I just completed her ten week coaching group based on her best-selling program 21 Easy & Essential Steps to Online Success System(TM). Our group met weekly and I am amazed at all I learned and put into action. As the founder of Client Abundance, Alicia teaches solopreneurs how to attract more clients, create profit-making products and services, make more sales, and ultimately live the life they desire and deserve through her 1:1 VIP mentoring and group coaching programs. She recently finished writing her first print book, 6 Steps to 6 Figures for the Solo Professional, which is slated for publication in 2007.
SH: Alicia, how have you come to enjoy the successful multipreneur life you live today?
AF: Wow, where to start? It seems like it was a long and broken road to get to where I am now, but in hindsight; of course, no other path would have led me to be the person I am and to enjoy the life I do now.
As a kid, I always had a multitude of interests – ranging from athletics to the arts. I took lessons for everything you can name, which was great for my get-bored-quickly spirit, but it also meant that I never got really good at any one thing. But it didn’t matter; I’ve always just loved learning new things, which is one of the reasons why I always loved school.
My dilettante ways worked well for me up until I graduated from college and went out into the ‘real world’ of 9-5 work. Now some of what I’m about to say may sound familiar to other multipreneurs out there. You see, I hated my first job out of college… and my second.. and my third… and well, you get the picture. I knew I just wanted to work for myself, but I had student loans to pay and my credit cards were maxed. So everyday I grudgingly got on the train and went to work - for someone else.
I remember vividly looking at the clear blue sky from my seat on the train day after day and fervently wishing I could be anywhere but there, wishing I was either very rich or my own boss so I could potentially become very rich.
And I wanted to do something meaningful each day, something that fed my spirit as well as made an impact. I wanted to be able to use my creative spirit in pursuit of things that I was passionate about. And I wanted to make money, good money.
And so, after a fortuitous turn of events at my very last job as the PR and Marketing director at a private university, I jumped into my own business with a complete leap of faith and exactly one client…. And I’ve never looked back.
SH: What skills, or systems, do you have that enable you to live the life of a creative multipreneur?
AF: Systems have played a huge part in making it all work for me, especially once my daughter arrived. One of the main reasons I wanted to own my own business was so I could be home to raise my future children, and because I know myself well enough to know that I wouldn’t be happy solely in the role of mom and wife. As much as those fill my soul, I needed to be doing something to feed my creative spirit that also contributed financially to my family and our life.
Before Chloe was born, I actually wasn’t that great about focusing my time or efforts. I’d start one project, get side-tracked on another, then have a great idea and start working on that, etc. But her schedule really has designed how I balance (if there is such a thing) my work and my family.
I think the biggest thing I’ve put into practice that has really moved my business and thus our life forward has been truly committing to seeing a project through on a timetable. Once I did that once and reaped the rewards, it was so much easier to do it again and again.
Another is asking for help – whether it’s from my husband, my mom, or hiring an assistant for my business. It’s taken me awhile to get into this practice, but it’s made a huge difference for me, both personally and professionally.
SH: How do you manage your time? Do you make a plan?
AF: It’s funny – I never thought of myself as someone who liked to plan things, but when I was planning my wedding, more than a few friends mentioned how organized and well-thought-out I do things. It surprised me, but then I realized that for me, it was more about maintaining some level of control and being able to be an active participant in the outcome of anything I wanted in my life.
So I stepped up that particular personality trait and it’s done wonders for helping to make things happen with much more ease and much less effort.
So, yes, I do make a plan. I have a yearly, monthly, weekly and daily plan. In addition to that, I’ve gotten really into strategic planning, which has made a huge difference in the bottom line of my business.
As for my time, I ‘manage’ it around Chloe at the moment. I work when she sleeps, more or less. Otherwise, my attention is on her. Some days that’s hard, because my mind is reeling with ideas and thoughts of things I want to do, but I’ve learned that multi-tasking with a 2-year-old really doesn’t work!
SH: What books or people have influenced you in your life?
AF: Oh yes, many people. My first mentor was Tony Robbins. I bought his Personal Power program when they only sold it in cassettes! I thought his life and his message was so amazing – look at all the things he gets to be, do, and have–-he makes great money AND he gets to help people. I was 19 then, and I decided that’s what I wanted to do with my life, too.
I started ‘officially’ coaching with Chris Barrow, and now my mentors include Andrea Lee and Ali Brown. As Chris says, “I’m standing on the shoulders of giants” to do what I do now.
As for books, the list could be endless, but the ones that stick out for me at the moment are Wishcraft by Barbara Sher, The Practical Dreamers Handbook by Paul and Sarah Edwards, Multiple Streams of Coaching Income by Andrea Lee, many of the Dan Kennedy NO BS series, and Jack Canfield’s The Success Principles. I just finished The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss, which was fantastic in leading me onto the next level of my business.
SH: What advice would you share with our readers in their quest to become successful dilettantes?
AF: Two mantras:
“Done is better than perfect.” Just get it done (whatever it is) so that it’s good enough and get it out there. Then tweak. If you do this, you’ll actually have more time to dedicate to your other pursuits.
“It’s never all done.” When the to-do list is endless and there never seems to be enough time to do all the things you want to do, relax. It’s never all going to be done anyway, so enjoy where you’re at right now!
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Alicia M Forest, MBA, Multiple Streams Queen & Coach, is an author, entrepreneur, and expert marketing coach to solo professionals in over 40 countries. To learn more about her services and programs visit: http://www.ClientAbundance.com
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2006-07 Susan Henderson, All rights reserved.
