The Successful Dilettante
October 5, 2007 - Issue 31 - ISSN 1935-48866
Editor: Susan Henderson, coach@susanhenderson.com
Visit our website at: www.susanhenderson.com
In This Issue
1) Greetings/News
2) Susan's Musings - Happy Feet
3) Featured guest: Stephanie Chandler
When today's guest developed an ulcer before her 30th birthday, she fled the fast-paced corporate culture of Silicon Valley for a total lifestyle change and has never looked back. She shares her inspiring story below and is an amazing resource for entrepreneurs through her books and her website.
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Greetings/News
A huge welcome to both old and new subscribers. I appreciate you allowing me space in your inbox. If you know of anyone who might enjoy reading about successful dilettantes aka creative multipreneurs, please share this ezine with them. It's always good to affirm that having a grand interest in many things is a blessing not a curse. Don't you agree?
Like a good scout, it's good to be prepared. In a separate announcement two days ago, I invited you to take me up on an special October offering to subscribers of this ezine only of a no-cost 1-on-1 planning and goal setting session: Start Now to Sky Rocket Your Business in 2008. But I forgot to say that you may invite friends or family who might be interested in this offer to contact me, too. Best bet would be to forward that email so they can read about it, and click reply to answer the questions and let me know they are ready to take their business to the next level or launch a brand new business.
Isn't it time you quit working in isolation? Nothing beats the support, accountibility, and brain-storming you get in a small mastermind group. Do yourself a favor and act now. Take the assessment and download an application to see if a Power of Five Mastermind Group is right for you. Groups forming now. http://www.susanhenderson.com/mastermind.html
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Susan's Musings - Happy Feet
Not long ago I received this link in Michael Losier's Law of Attraction newsletter and I immediately had to share it with friends, family, colleagues and clients. You cannot watch this video clip without a big smile on your face and the urge to get up and shuffle your happy feet.
Enjoy the Gratitude Dance!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9z2ELaBVJY
Hugs,
Susan
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Featured Guest: Stephanie Chandler
I found today's guest when I bought and read her book From Entrepreneur to Infopreneur a few months ago. When only three paragraphs into it, I read: "I have invested thousands of dollars in books, ebooks, audio recordings, seminars, classes, and workshops over the years. I love this stuff! I seek out smart people to teach me something because if I'm not learning something new, quite frankly, I get bored."
I knew I had found a kindred spirit and eagerly gobbled up her book, signed up for her newsletter, and checked out her website. She is an entrepreneur's best friend. Check this out.
SH: Stephanie, how have you come to enjoy your life as a creative multipreneur?
SC: After spending 11 years in corporate America and developing an ulcer, I knew it was time for a lifestyle change. I did a lot of soul searching and knew that I wanted to be a writer, but since I didn’t know how to make a living doing that fresh out of corporate America, I decided to open a bookstore in Sacramento. Almost everyone I knew thought that I had lost my mind! My plan was to put a staff in place and turn it into a passive income business so that I would have time to write novels and articles for Cosmopolitan magazine (I laugh about that goal now!).
In the process of starting the business, many people were saying, “I wish I had the courage to do what you did.” I realized that I had an opportunity to help others discover that there could be life after corporate America. The result came in my first book: “The Business Startup Checklist and Planning Guide, a directory of resources for entrepreneurs.
I started building a freelance portfolio by specializing in business articles. I couldn’t believe how much I loved learning and writing about business and marketing topics! As my website traffic grew, I decided to sell e-books, special reports and other information products. When I discovered that there wasn’t yet a book available on the subject, I got to work on my next book: “From Entrepreneur to Infopreneur: Make Money with Books, eBooks and Information Products.”
All of this led to starting yet another business. Pro Publishing Services is the culmination of a dream fully realized. My company provides professional writing services for newsletters, websites, brochures, etc., and allows me to revel in my passion for writing. I knew that I wanted to be a writer, but I thought that meant writing novels. I had no idea that I would find my niche in business topics and that I could love it even more than writing fiction.
I ended up selling the bookstore in May 2007. The truth is that after the first six months in business, I was too busy with my other projects to really give the store the attention it deserved. It was a difficult decision but it also freed up time for me to better focus on my other interests. I realized that I would rather sell my own books than other people’s books!
SH: When did you realize you would be happiest engaged in a multitude of interests?
SC: I recently had the realization that by following my heart and listening to my gut instincts, my dream career found me. If I hadn’t been open to change or been willing to try new adventures, I would probably be holed up in the back of my bookstore and painfully trying to write novels! That is no easy task and I’m pretty sure now that I wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much as I had planned.
SH: What systems, tools, or practices work best for you in juggling your life as a creative multipreneur?
SC: Without question, I could not function without a To Do list. Every single day begins by assessing my list of activities and prioritizing them. Nothing feels better than scratching off many items in one day!
SH: How do you manage your time? Do you make a plan?
SC: I have learned to schedule time on my calendar for virtually everything: going to the gym, shopping, spending extra “fun” time with my son and even checking e-mail. I also plan just two days during the week when I will meet with clients outside of the office. If those days don’t work for the client, I schedule them for another week. This allows me to have full “BIC” days (Butt in Chair) so I can focus on writing projects. It also makes life much more manageable and helps me feel like I’m in control.
SH: Have you had any mentors, books or people, who have influenced you?
SC: Where would we be without books? I try to read one per week and there are several that I would list as favorites:
“Damn, Why Didn’t I Write That?” by Marc McCutcheon shares the wonders and advantages of writing non-fiction books. This book was partly responsibly for shifting my focus from fiction to business books.
“Book Yourself Solid” by Michael Port helped me better define my business and my goals and to grow my writing business very quickly.
“The Four-Hour Workweek” by Timothy Ferris is one I read recently. The whole premise is that you should outsource as much of your business as possible. This concept helped me develop some new ideas for time management (like having groceries delivered and hiring a laundry service) and has also helped me improve my business since I now hire subcontractors for all kinds of activities.
“Speak and Grow Rich” by Dottie Walters is another of my favorites. Speaking is a great way to promote a business or a book and this book covers all of the bases.
“Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill has been a best-seller for several decades because it is full of powerful, insightful advice.
SH: What advice or tips would you share with our readers in their quest to become successful dilettantes?
SC: Follow your gut and your heart and remember that things happen for a reason. I thought I would own my bookstore forever, but life took me down another path that was even better than the one I was on. I’ve heard about many similar experiences from the successful business owners that I know.
Also, never stop learning. You will have better chances for growing your business and growing as a person if you read books, subscribe to industry newsletters and publications, and network with like-minded people. It’s amazing how much opportunity opens up when you just start looking for it.
Lastly, life is so much more rewarding when you love what you do. Write down your goals every year and commit to making them happen. This truly works!
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Stephanie Chandler is a small business expert and the author of From Entrepreneur To Infopreneur: Make Money With Books, e-Books And Information Products. She is the founder of http://BusinessInfoGuide.com, a directory of resources for entrepreneurs and http://ProPublishingServices.com, a custom writing business specializing in electronic newsletters, information marketing, and sales copy for websites and brochures. A frequent speaker at business events and on the radio, Stephanie is a prolific writer whose articles have been seen in dozens of publications. She has also been featured in Entrepreneur Magazine, Business Week, and the LA Times.
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2006-07 Susan Henderson, All rights reserved.
