Ok, this is a strange blog post I know, but hey- sometimes it happens – and this year – boy did it ever happen to me.  So I’m figuring that you may have had a similar bad start to the year – maybe not this year, but at least once in your life – and if you did – please share it with me and if there were any lessons learned.  And I tell you what –  the best 3 stories will get a special prize!  But – hey I may win my own prize.

But I figure if my first day was this bad in the New Year, then the rest of the year should be GREAT!  Just getting it all out in the beginning.

So here’s what happened…

December office was busy, trying to shut down for the holiday plans, the “holidays “(really we need another word here) were also at a fast pace as my family chose to split up the festivities this year, so it was 3 days of prep and 5 days of different cities and celebrating (not including new years).  But I love the holidays, giving presents and feeling all the warm vibes of the season, so I was tired but enjoyed it.  But I did feel I was trying to make everyone else happy and exhausted myself in the process. That’s sign #1.

But then I came down with a 2 week sinus affection that didn’t allow me to sleep, eat or breathe properly.  I had black eyes from this infection. And I am the person who doesn’t get colds even when I have sick people around me, so it was surprising.  Perhaps a sign to slow down.

During this time I also found out that a good friend of mine died and I attended the funeral and Shiva.  So that was a hard reminder that love and friendships are precious.  It was also a reminder that we’re all on a silent egg timer and we never know when the bell will ring for us.

A few days later I return to work and a business deal and relationship I am deeply involved in (and really enjoy) seems to have gone to hell in a hand basket (who made up this expression, it’s really good).  I am hoping this will end on a positive note, but the journey to get there is really horribly difficult, time costly and dragged me down emotionally for 3 days where I couldn’t even move – which is weird as I am typically the girl you call in any traumatic experience.  I am a rock and a strong guide in tough situations.  I was a crisis manager for pete-sake!  I can handle pressure.

But I must have been so sick, so exhausted and overwhelmed by the feeling of being let down, that it contributed to my emotional state.   In fact I almost missed New Years over it because I was so devastated by their actions.  Mostly because when they were really making big mistakes and I covered for them and was as forgiving as Mother Theresa.  Why don’t people appreciate or remember those things?  Do we have to be feared in business to get respect and appreciation?   I should be furious but I mostly feel disappointed.  I rationalize it thinking that even good people can do strange actions when they are emotionally or financially struggling, it helps people act from fear and lash out at others.

That same day (my first day back to work), my staff accidentally erased 3 of my main business websites.  Thank god for back-ups!!  This has created a few days of me trying not to panic, but it is slowly being resolved as we speak. But I couldn’t get mad because who can get upset at someone who is more upset at themselves, than I could ever be?  Mistakes can happen.

Then for some strange reason my outlook refused to open, so I had no way of looking at past, present or future emails.  Weird.  It later repaired itself.  It may have been a sign to walk away.

Did I mention that my grandmother is ill?

Seriously, I’m not sure you can top 8 years of work being wiped out in 1 day, a death of a friend, a possible end to a part of a business I enjoyed, computer failures and feeling like crap? – but hey you can try.  Be my guest.

So what do I take from all this????  Well you may have more enlightening answers (and if you do please send them my way).

Here was my thought process:

Ok, someone cursed me.

Ok, everyone but me is crazy.

Ok, I must suck at business.

Ok, I must be the crazy one and don’t see it.  Well, I am talking to myself here.

Jeez, I am dehydrated from crying.  Can someone get dehydrated from tears? 

Ok, maybe a possible (hopefully not) end to a partnership deal, my business being deleted is a signal for me to become a vet.  I love animals – but no, can’t operate on them.  Vet is out – plus I don’t look good in white, I need more color. 

Hmmm, Ok, I should go back to bed, and hide under the covers until I can smell tulips in March.  Hopefully my husband will remember to keep feeding our dog.  He probably won’t. Damn!  I have to get out of bed.

Ok, am I going to let this get me down???       Hell yes! 

……Ok, try again, am I going to let this get me down and quit?      Well, maybe I can look at the positives; maybe SOME people still love me.  Maybe I shouldn’t take this one weird week as the representative of my 8 years of doing good work on the planet and helping so many people find their way and reach for more.    Ok, feeling better.

Getting Proper Perspective Back
Why is it I pay more attention to negative actions of a few, than the many more positives?  I know why, because I try so hard to please everyone, and it just doesn’t work all the time.

Maybe the world has better things to do than single me out for a take-down, after all, I’m not one of the bad guys – just an imperfect woman trying to be perfect 24/7 and make the lives of others a better place.  Bound to make some errors, maybe I have.  Maybe I should forgive others and forgive myself.  Hmm, good start.  That feels better.

Next – look at the bright side:  Ok, I have my health back, which is so important.  My personal relationships are great right now.  My dog is super cute and definitely still loves me.

I have incredible circle of people in my group this year – really top notch and include some of my favorite people.  I am also looking forward to seeing my new MIT members change & grow and helping them along the way like a proud mum.

I may have lost 3 pounds from my cold, which makes up for the chocolate binge on the 3 days I was feeling sorry for myself and not getting off my sofa.  Ok, I’m on to caramels now – and I am currently accepting chocolate or caramel donations.

I am also reminded of an email my good friend, our fabulous MIT coach and circle member Nat said to me last year.  He said his computer froze, and at first he panicked – but then he sought to see the beauty and positive in his situation.  He realized that all he needed to do was do a “de-fragmentation” repair on his computer – this also mirrored his office.  So he took this spare time to clean up all the bits of paper and stuff cluttering up his office and felt a weight lift.  Both he and his computer got a clean-up that day.

So taking Nat’s advice (after all not only is he a rocking MIT Coach, but he is also a Buddhist monk and entrepreneur.  That’s a strong combination) I reflected …

… And thought- if my whole business disappeared (which it did temporarily) – would I be ok?   Yes, I can rebuild.  I would find a way.  Or maybe this is a wake-up call that I should look at changing the program and starting with a fresh perspective.  I have been meaning to do updates.  Or maybe start something totally new.  Is there something else I have been meaning to do?  Is there a new path?

Regarding the deal and partnership that I so treasured… I will keep in my thoughts that both my partner and I will be very happy with whatever the outcome or resolution may be and remain friends and still send each other business.  Perhaps letting go is good – even though it scares me and fills me with unanswered questions about the future.

This also made me realize – when things went – poof! Gone!  That we have a CHOICE to be here.  We have a choice to keep offering the same programs or start again from scratch or even change what we do every day. No one is forcing you to stay at your job, even though it may feel like that sometimes.   We always have a CHOICE to look for new solutions or not. 

It made me remember that in ANY industry you will meet villains, saints and people who do things you just don’t understand (out of fear, jealousy, negative belief systems or desperation), so accept that.  There will be people you help who may resent you for your help later.  I think dogs are the only animals that won’t bite you after you feed them.  People unfortunately can sometimes.  What’s with the dog theme here?

Letting Go Of My Maps
I don’t have everything planned to perfection as I typically do at this time of year.  I choose to not feel panicked about that.  Ok, I repeat, I choose not to feel panicked (I feel like Dorothy clicking her heels and deeply concentrating here – this is hard).   After all I think if there is one life lesson Stefanie Hartman is supposed to learn it’s that you can TRUST life more.  Life has a way of working out.  Life has its own map & timeline.   I hate not having full direction by now, not seeing what is to come.  I can adjust plans, but I typically need to have some direction.  I love maps!  So I’m easing up on that somewhat.  Yes I will identify a few goals, but if I don’t know where my next income is going to be made I will TRUST more that it will (back to the shoes clicking).

Letting Go & Taking a Stand for Me
I will not compare myself or my progress to others as that only ends badly.  I just realized that when I compare myself to others, I never compare to those ‘below’ me, just ‘above’ me (basically whoever has something I would also like to have)?   Really this is not a fair comparison without the two perspectives.   While there will be people smarter, more successful, “luckier”, prettier, taller, whatever, there will also be people whose life you would never trade for.  Many people have greater challenges and discomfort or pain.  I will remember the bigger picture and be grateful every day. 

There are very successful people who can feel like failures because they hold themselves to ridiculous standards or ‘fail’ their own self-imposed timelines.  I do not want to be one of them.

I will also retain my own successes in my mind and heart with personal pride and not let my achievements diminish as soon as they are accomplished for fear of being egotistical.  Being happy for myself is not a negative thing, especially when I am genuinely happy for those around me too.  I will no longer put my own happiness in second, third or fourth place.

I will continue to run my business in a way I am proud of, even if others are “getting ahead” faster through not so pleasant methods. 

I will be proud of myself and TRUST that my life has its own timeline and I cannot plan everything.

I will stretch time and spend 8 hours a month connecting with a business & personal relationships – out of the blue.  Telling them how much I care for them.

I will not hold onto what I think ‘should happen’ with a tight grip, even if I am sad or have fear – as I will trust that if it is not meant to work out (no matter what it is), gripping it will only give me a hand cramp and waste time and energy.   Letting things fall where they may, makes room for something better that I may never have even imagined.

It is possible that the plan I have is not as great as the plan the universe has.  I am betting on you universe – so now’s your chance. 

I will do more things in love of life and in spite of fear.

Humanity has gotten me down a bit this past year, so maybe I should add a project that will show the charitable and unexpected sides of people, or do something to help rescue distressed animals.  I will meditate on this.  Having a positive project may be good for me.

I will learn how to meditate.

I will continue to take the risk of opening myself up to the world (and who ever reads this, thank you), keep being transparent, VULNERABLE and real – and hope that I don’t need to be ‘perfect’ and a shark for others to see that while I have vulnerable moments I have many more moments of great strength, that in fact being vulnerable, not putting on a persona in public takes great courage and strength. 

I will try not to take to heart the 1 or 2 negative emails I get from people every so often.  I will instead put more weight on the hundreds of positive ones.

I will let myself be wrong occasionally and forgive myself.  I will forgive others as well.

Whenever I feel fear, I will remember its ‘made up’, not real, and I will trust more.

I will work on getting my body into a gym, and getting my mind/soul into some fun activities as well as some soul searching.

I will go and get some more chocolate caramels because I just missed lunch.

I will not be so hard on myself.

I will keep my sense of humor…it may be the last thing I take with me on earth.

Foreshadow: I‘m thinking my next year’s blog post may be about visiting the dentist from all these milk duds I am eating.  Ok I’m done with eating chocolate – free milk dud boxes for those who think they can top this!

Maybe if I keep saying MILK DUDS the company will sponsor my blog, milk duds, milk duds, and no calls yet…I will keep trying later.

Thanks for listening…..

Your friend, mentor (hopefully still after this crazy blog post) and person who may be YOUR biggest fan and cheerleader,

Stefanie Hartman

PS – Please post your proper email address as will will be contacting the winners!

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Wishing you happy holidays for this season!

You are probably running to the shops, getting cookies out of the oven, or finalizing your preparations. I understand as every year I celebrate Christmas with my Catholic family, then travel the next day to spend Hanukah with my Jewish in-laws, then it’s my aunt’s birthday, then my mom’s birthday – whew! That’s a lot of prep work, traveling, gift wrapping, eating & family. But all worth it in the end.

You are a big part of my Business FAMILY and I am so appreciative of just knowing each and every one of you, so I wanted to send you a little holiday cheer! Just so you know I am thinking of you – you truly are my Xmas gifts! My sister & husband will tell you how much I really do cherish you.

There is no greater pleasure then the opportunity to express to you and your family, season’s greetings and good wishes. Thank you for all the joy and warmth you bring to my life and to the lives of everyone you touch, as your life brings great meaning and value to the world. Don’t ever doubt that.

I hope you get a chance to enjoy life’s simple pleasures, whether it’s fresh baking, the smell of the tree, or spending time with loved ones.

May your holidays and New Year be filled with health, happiness and prosperity!

See you in the NEW YEAR!

Wishing you all the BEST for the 2010 – you simply ARE the BEST!

Stefanie Hartman

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There was a time, not so long ago, when consumers relied heavily on expensive paid advertising to make their spending decisions.  Remember this?

Before seeing that commercial, viewers may not even have known that their husbands were suffering disdain and mockery due to the rings around their collars.  Luckily, the commercial not only educated them about the dreadful plight of grey-collared office workers, but it also offered them a solution — Wisk Detergent.  They would be spared the shame that the poor woman on the commercial suffered.  Their washers wouldn’t taunt them each time they opened the door.

With the advent of the internet, consumers make their decisions a little differently now.  As a heart-based entrepreneur, this is a great thing for you.   When your potential clients are confronted with pricey ads from mega-corporations, it takes them minutes to do more research.  They click on their favorite  sites to check reviews on the company.  They listen to podcasts.  They Google the product and look for product reviews.  They might even hit up WikiAnswers.com:  “Is ring around the collar even a big deal?”

You may not have a massive advertising budget, but you have a global marketplace right at your fingertips, and consumers are talking to each other.  The MarketingGuy tells us that according to a survey from 1&1 Internet, 89% of shoppers say they purposely stay away from small online retailers with negative customer reviews on the web.  Referrals and recommendations are important.  So how can you make this trend work to your advantage?

• Make sure you deserve your good reputation. Determine what your clients need, and deliver it.
• Build incentives for referrals into your processes from the beginning. Referrals are extremely effective, but your clients may not think of it if you don’t suggest it.
• Follow up with your clients to make sure they’re satisfied, then ask for referrals. Make sure you hand out at least three business cards

If you’re taking the time to know what your customers need and giving it to them with a true service attitude, you don’t have to worry if you have a small or no advertising budget.  Clients who are referred to you will trust you more, and research shows that they are willing to spend more as well.  What are you doing to earn referrals for your business?  I’d love to see your comments below.

To learn more about the changing face of marketing and how to take advantage of it, download your free copy of The Hartman Report now.

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“Are you ready to become the big fish in a small pond?” asks Scott Gerber of Entrepreneur Magazine. “From aquatic sporting goods for dogs to Michelle Obama-inspired fashion websites, niche products and services have the potential to generate big bucks if they capture the hearts, minds and wallets of a dedicated consumer base.”

As you know, I’m a huge believer in setting aside that “get the numbers -beat the competition” approach to business.   As our population ages — people aged forty and older now make up the largest adult population in North America — more and more entrepreneurs are looking for opportunities that are not only profitable, but meaningful.  This often leads to niche businesses — businesses that are tailored to specific markets that are often overlooked by the large franchises.

Mr. Gerber’s article, “Five Steps to Building a Successful Niche Business,” gives a terrific example of how the internet has changed the world, creating endless possibilities for entrepreneurs who are following their passion instead of the dollars.  He mentioned Google as an example of how niche businesses can find tremendous success by providing a simple service — a search engine ranked by backlinks — and doing it well.

So how can you profit by serving your specific niche?  Mr. Gerber says:

• Create a Simple Service. Rather than trying to be all things to all people, choose a specific market that has a specific, unmet need and meet that need.
• Become the leading expert of your niche.
• Be Specific, Distinctive and Relevant.
• Copy, Past and Repeat. Keep hammering that message home.

It’s a new era in business.  Consumers have lost interest in corporations that treat them as numbers or a prize to be won.  If you know what your customers want and set about delivering it with a customer service attitude, they will be drawn to you.  If you approach other entrepreneurs with an eye toward finding win-win ideas, you’ll both grow your business.  Thanks to the internet, you can do both of these in a way that hasn’t been possible before.

If you still wonder whether putting people above profit will dampen your success, remember Google’s declared Code of Conduct:  “Don’t be evil.”  The Google prospectus notes:  “We believe strongly that in the long term, we will be better served — as shareholders and in all other ways — by a company that does good things for the world even if we forgo some short term gains.”

Empower yourself and grow your business by learning more about the changing landscape of business.  Download your FREE copy of The Hartman Report now.

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In the U.S. in July, employers cut 250,000 jobs and retailers saw a decline in sales for the eleventh straight month.    Wall Street is withering in the economic drought, and optimism for recovery anytime soon is low.  If you’re thinking about starting a small business right now, you might be thinking twice.  If you’ve already started your business, you might be listening to all the bleak predictions on the business news and wondering if you’re doomed before you even get started.

Does your business stand a chance?    Continue Reading

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You can mail out the most riveting email showcasing your product, but if you don’t target it to the right audience, you won’t get results.

Check out this funny video to see what I’m talking about!

Need help targeting your email newsletters for maximum impact and profit?  Check out our Get it Done series.  Let us concentrate on your marketing needs, so you’re free to take care of business.

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Sorry - the computer fairy's probably not going to stop by today - but wouldn't it be nice?

I just read a great post from Marc Goldman on the importance of having a great affiliate system set-up for your Joint Venture partners.

I know there are a lot of entrepreneurs out there who really don’t like having to pay attention to these ‘technical’ details in their online advertising techniques and partnerships – I think sometimes we all kind of just hope that the IT fairy will come down and take care of it all for us – or that if problems arise, they’ll just go away!

But there are some things that you just can’t leave to the good will of your partners, clients, and customers – and money is one of them. Continue Reading

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Gone Are the Days of the Faceless Corporation

According to a Yale psychology department study, there are ten words you should be using in your advertising techniques to get the most powerful responses:

New, Save, Safety, Proven, Love, Discover, Guarantee, Health, Results, and You (which was listed as the most powerful above all!)

As a marketer, knowing these types of things always interests me, but as one who’s interested in the ‘heart’ of business, I’m just fascinated as the feelings behind why these words are so powerful in advertising.

It can be all too easy for any marketer to fall into the trap of making it ‘about me’. I think a lot of that is simply ingrained in us from the older days of advertising – the lack mentality and desperation to say ‘Look at me! Look at me!’ where the one who shows the most glitter gets ahead.

It can be very difficult to trust your marketing on the strength of who you are and the foundation of quality that you provide when you’re living on the fear that someone else may get ahead!

But think about it – if you can provide something unique and novel, your product or service is going to shout ‘NEW’ and ‘DISCOVER’ louder than any of your copy will. If you can offer testimonials and give your honest word to stand behind your product or service, ‘PROVEN’, ‘RESULTS’, ‘SAFETY’ and ‘GUARANTEE’ are spoken out for you.

If your true desire is to make honest money with something you know your audience can afford and pay happily, they’re going to know that they’re SAVING, and while not everything has to do with HEALTH, any product or service you create that contributes to overall balance is going to have an affect there too.

LOVE, of course, can literally show through everything you do – and the more you love what you’re doing and who you’re doing it for, the greater the power of that word will pervade throughout every aspect of your business.

And YOU, of course – your client or customer – they’ll know right away if it’s all about them or not as soon as they stumble across your marketing efforts!

Does this mean you should never use these words in your copy or advertising techniques, simply letting your product or service speak for itself? Continue Reading

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The beautiful city of Vancouver

WOW – What an amazing response I’ve been getting for publishing names! Thank you SO much – and keep them rolling in!

I’m actually heading off to Europe in a few days (I know – tough life!), but I’ll be checking in throughout my trip and I’m keeping track of those name suggestions to choose one when I get back – I’m loving seeing what’s coming in so far!

You know, in spite of all the traveling I’ve been doing lately, it sure seems like the city of Vancouver is the place to be this summer! I have friends that are very excited to take over my house for a mini-vacation while I’m away.

I was excited to see that my house was actually on The Bachelorette the other night! You’ll have to see if you can spot it if you catch the show again – it was seen in the exterior shot of the Granville Island.

And of course, we have the Olympics coming this summer – I’m even thinking about renting my house during the games – if you’re interested at all, leave a comment for me!

With so much going on here I almost hate to leave the city of Vancouver again – but I know Europe is going to be amazing! And you know I can’t wait to check in at the office to find out who got in as one of the 75 in the Get It Done Today Series!

Let me tell you, this series has been a long time coming – and everywhere I look I see people who are just READY for it!

For me, being able to travel and work on my publishing house and my book and teaching classes and all of these other things I have to do for my business (and life!) are the entire reason I wanted to create this series – I’ve come to realize you just can’t be everything!

I decided I really needed help with all of this stuff – podcasting, social marketing, etc. – and I figured, “I can’t be the only one!” Continue Reading

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RICK FRISHMAN - Author 101

New York News! Need your input…

It has just been a whirlwind of crazy excitement around Hartman Enterprises lately – there is SO much going on – hopefully a lot of it exciting for you!

It’s hard to know where to start but I want to tell you more about my New York trip that was so amazing!

If you didn’t hear about it yet, I went to New York to meet with my publishers and attend Rick Frishman’s Author 101 conference and Book Expo America. It was so great to meet up with all of these people like Rick Frishman and David Hancock – I’ve been friends with them for years now, but this was the first chance to actually meet up in person.

STEFANIE and MARK VICTOR HANSEN

It’s actually one of my favourite things about starting an online business and being in groups like the Private JV Club – when you finally get to meet up with people, you almost don’t even realize that you’ve never met them! I love being part of business that allows you to create these deep, global relationships with people!

I got the chance to catch up with old friends (that I have met) too – some speaker buddies, Mark Victor Hansen – I got a HUGE hug and kiss when I met up with him again!

Meeting up with all of these people seemed to make the connection we’d created over the years even deeper – it’s something I really recommend that if you get the chance to go to a conference or an event somewhere,  be sure to jump on it! Besides getting the chance to learn some great things, the ability to actually meet up with people in person is always priceless.

Just because you’re starting an online business, it doesn’t mean you don’t create awesome relationships both over the Internet and in person!

Even cooler was the chance to meet up with some of the Private JV Club members and even some of the folks from my Mastermind Group – it was like a big reunion! Continue Reading

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