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Would the Bare Naked Ladies use Arbonne?
“If I had a million dollars..if I had a million dollars.” You’ve probably already started singing right?
First, this has nothing to do with the BNL really but it’s a catchy tune for sure. I often rework my vision board when a new idea hits about how I will share my millions..and that’s a “when” not an” if” in my life.
I know this from the bottom of my soul, my mission in life is to empower women and, after many years of working hard, and loving it, I have finally found the vehicle that will make this happen. Women are community builders, they support local, they spread their love far and wide and keep looking for ways to empower others.
Since Mother’s Day is just a few days away I want to share this with you. You, yes you, can make all the money you want and need.
Blending and incorporating the years of lessons and practical experience has led me to the health and wellness industry. You know what I know for sure? Your financial state is as important as your health, it’s true. If you aren’t stable financially your life could very easily tip in the wrong direction and that, my friends, is a big hole to climb out of.
I know somebody is going to say something here about health being the most important thing and, yes I agree, it is. I lived with a chronic illness for 6 years and debilitating vertigo for 25 years: I get it. The kicker here is this, if you can’t provide yourself with proper nutrition, with essential, but more costly, foods and vitamins and with the opportunity to enjoy life, the stress is going to make you sicker longer. That is a fact.
So what’s this big thing I’m talking about? Well perhaps the best thing to do is send me a message to start a conversation and get you started on a path of financial empowerment.
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The Circle
Like many of us who run small businesses I wear many hats. one compliments the other and adds to the wardrobe of who I am and how I be.
One of my hats is adjudicatator, applying the law and looking for the grey, at the appeal board for Employment Insurance. http://www.ae-ei.gc.ca/eng/referees.shtml
The people we see are pretty desperate byther time we see them because they have been refused benefits and usually have no income coming in at all.
I really do enjoy this part of my work when we are able to overturn decisions, based on hearing more evidence, and offer out an olive branch of hope.
One of my other hats, it’s a big one, is advocacy work for most anybody. In that capacity, I offered my EI knowledge to the local small business enterprise centre a couple of years ago. “http://www.enterprisecentre.ca/ ”if you ever hear of anybody who may need clarification on their appeal give me a call”
Less than a month later I get a call from a woman who has been told she can’t get benefits because she quit her job. Upon hearing the full story I suggested she appeal. I didn’t hear from her again but hoped she won her appeal.
Fast forward 18 months. I met a woman at the local Chamber of Commerce event. http://www.collingwoodchamber.com/
She had started up a pretty fun business http://upickparties.com/
through a program for people on EI. Today I am going to meet the director of that program so I was going over my files….connecting the dots I realized that the woman on that phone call 18 months ago was the same one I met at the Chamber. She had taken my advice, appealed her decision and won her case. Being on EI allowed her to apply for the BERN http://www.businessenterprise.ca/homepg.shtml program and start her own business….
Full circle moments, I sure do love hearing about them: you never know how your life changes another so take the time folks, just sayin.
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Millionaire musings.
Tomorrow I turn 56. Today my family travelled two hours (one way) to come celebrate with my husband and I. Even my son was able to join in despite the fact that he is smack dab in the middle of exams at university. The weather was great and we enjoyed a nice hike through town on our way back home from the restaurant. We had Thai food. I got to pick where we were going to eat.
You know I just have to say that I am one lucky girl. So many people took the time out of their day to make mine special and I am grateful for that. I am also not without the knowing that what I put out I receive in turn.
My life ( like so many others) has been full of hurdles. There have been times when my behaviour has been less than stellar (ok bitchy is a good word here) and yet people have stuck around. There have also been times when the lives of those I love have been difficult and I have done my best to try and be my best for them. I have tried. Sometimes I failed but not always.
If I could share one thing with you on the eve of my birthday: if I could give you one gift that would make your life so much better: it would be this: love You first.
Love yourself to the deepest recesses of your soul. Love yourself with all the respect and courage and truth that you can muster up and then love yourself deeper than that for it is in this love that you will learn how to love others.
You are amazing. You are fantabulous. You are a marvel and you are remarkable: believe it and accept it.
This is my gift to you on the eve of my 56th birthday. There is no amount of money that can purchase this gift and yet
it is priceless.
Oh and just for the record this is non-refundable.
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Tipping points
I went to yoga class yesterday. I am a new student to this ancient practice and so I accept, with grace and humility,
that my body cannot yet do what some of the students in class are capable of.
This is one of the many blessings of learning to love me: I accept that I make mistakes, I fail, and fall,
forward (sometimes in the same moment.)
If you saw me at yoga you would know what I mean.
The teachers are kind and patient and always tell us to do what we feel our bodies are capable of, no less and no more.
We were working on a few balance practices yesterday.
I am bad at balance, always have been.
I started wearing glasses before I was two and I know the balance issues are somehow related to that.
I have always told myself there are some things I cannot do because I have balance issues, skiing for example is out, as
is walking on a tightrope and flipping on a trampoline.
So when the instructor gave us a balance pose to practice, first with our eyes open and then with
our eyes closed, my mind went immediately to “ Oh I can’t do that, I have balance issues” even before I tried my
mind had made it up that I would not succeed.
The teacher went on to explain why it was important to persist.
She explained that, if you close your eyes, the brain is forced to fire up new neurons to make this happen.
This was especially important to know for the “more mature women” in the class because it would prevent falls.
Apparently just practicing a minute a day will begin to improve the balance.
Wow! I can do that. I can spend a minute a day rewiring my brain.
Here is my take away from that class. The paradox between spending just a few minutes a day practising
my balance to improve my future health is akin to taking a few moments each day to practice personal
balance to improve my mental health.
Both are related to the other, both are essential.
So, now that I am close to done here, I am going to pour myself a cup of hot tea
and turn my brain off. Who knows, I might even spend a minute or two standing on one foot with my eyes closed.
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Saying No to Yes
So most of you probably know of Oprah Winfrey. You probably know of her shows and her new network too. I recently had the chance to go to Harpo studios to preview Miss Representation (www.missrepresentation.org) at the Rosie show. I was invited to the screening by writing an essay about the effects of social media on our girls and boys. It’s an issue I am very passionate about. Going to see Rosie was awesome and I love love love Chicago.
Oprah has been taking her show on the road for a few weeks with the likes of Tony Robbins and Deepak Chopra throughout the United States.
We finally got our chance to see her when ticket sales were announced today to an event in Toronto on April 16.
One of my fabulous clients Shelley sent me a note and asked if I was going and did I want to go with her? Oh yeah baby.
With no time to waste I got on the phone (in between working calls) got out the handy dandy credit card (a brand new one had just arrived in the mail) and got set to wait online to place my order. Bonus #1. I did not have to wait on the phone at all. The service was fast and efficient.
Which section did I want? Um not doing my homework (who had time?) I just ordered them from the closest e’section to the divine Ms. O and her other fabulous guests. Here’s why I did this.
I really don’t know if this will ever happen again. I really love my job and I am always telling people to take the leap: walking the talk here I leapt toward 4 tickets plus Shelley’s. After I got off the phone (yay I got all 5 ) I was able to read some of the stories that were running around online about the event.
“Dear Oprah. I would love to see you but I can’t afford to go. “ “Dear Oprah: I really want to go to see you but my husband won’t let me” ” Dear Oprah: I think you are asking too much money to go to see you. Can I have free tickets?” All legit reasons not to go and of course there are so many people who truly cannot afford to attend an event like this but this is not the case for everybody.
Some could go but they wait: they hesitate: they ponder and the become indecisive. What they’re doing is saying “no” to “yes.” in their life. Saying no means they let fear take over and here’s what happened today if you were one of the folks who decided to wait: sadly: you did not get tickets.
Imagine that..if it is on your wish list to see Oprah and you didn’t go because _______________ (fill in the blank).
I’ve said no to me for a long time. As a child who was abused I learned not to ask for things for myself. I did without a lot of things because I didn’t believe I deserved them. The blessing of my coaches over the years has been that I am now very comfortable saying yes when I really want to say yet. No strings. no problems…just a yes and then a whole lot of anticipation as the date rolls closer.
I’ll keep you updated on a big surprise announcement coming up soon..
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Is it time for an intervention with your business?
I am a sole proprietor of a small business, essentially a one woman show, for all intents and purposes. Does that mean I do everything by myself? Not on your life. My better half is quick to ensure our dogs get out for the daily runs if he sees that my day is full of client calls. My friends help me out with errands or dog sitting or even just meeting up for coffee to make sure I get the hell out of the house and see the sky.
Working on your own is exhilarating and fun and lonely and frustrating and so much more than all of that.
I know that many women who are small business owners struggle with “work, life, balance” issues. They are of the belief that they can’t take time out for themselves, they find it hard to give themselves permission to step away from the work, just in case something happens.
Have you ever watched a gambling addict at a casino? You know the one: they can’t step away from the machine even for a second because they know the next big win is just waiting for them.
One time I visited a new casino in Florida because we had coupons to eat there. As I walked past the line of telephones a woman collapsed on the floor, bam, right in front of me. She didn’t even have time to hang up the phone. I learned later that she had been inside at the casino for more than 24 hours straight! I don’t think I have ever done anything for 24 hours, except breathe. She was pasty and exhausted and dehydrated and apparently used Depends so she didn’t even have to leave to go to the washroom! Yikes!
I see lots of people who seem to be addicted to their businesses. They cannot leave, they cannot take any time off even when they are not well. They give me lots of good reasons for their behavior but, truth, the bottom line is that this is a choice. We all have choice in our lives about who we want to be and how we want to be.
Since I am not perfect, I know that probably shocks some of you, I do over extend myself some days. I may try to accommodate a client by changing an appointment for them when I already have several calls that day. I am learning though because I know this for sure: if I do not take care of me then my clients are not cared for properly, my family is not cared for and my two lovely dogs are not properly cared for.
Some days it’s hard to let the phone ring and take me time but I am taking my lesson from the woman at the casino ” you have to know when to hold ‘em and know when to fold ‘em” and if you don’t, at some point you’re probably going to fall flat on your face, bam, just like that.
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Did you know I got held up?
I was on a radio show today sharing the message about my movement Helping Millions Make Millions. Thanks to Bev Mahone of the Boomer Beat radio show for letting that happen. You can listen to the full broadcast right here!
You know that song These Eyes, by the Guess Who? I love that song…it was really popular when I was in my teens and it still is a favourite amongst several generations. The words of the song came to mind today when I was thinking about writing this story. As you sing along consider changing the words to These Arms…
When I was thinking about what I wanted to say this message came to my mind: women use money differently than men, we support our causes, our communities, our kids. Women do not, generally speaking, see war as the answer to complex issues. We are pacifists when it comes time for resolution.
Well here’s something to consider. Women make up 53% of the population and earn 1% of the wealth! We are the 99%! Doesn’t that make you mad? It infuriates me and partly because we seem to have accepted that as a way of life and choose not to change our circumstance..
I have a solution..we should have an arms race. Men do it all the time, governments are always saying it’s a good idea…look how much power arms races instill. The next superpower is usually determined by the country with the most arms, right?
However, since I ascribe to the pacifist solution, my take on the arms race is very “out of the box.” I say women should join together in unity and raise each other up. Offer a hand up not a hand out. Take a look at this amazing Ted Talk about women and biz in war torn countries. It speaks volumes about the power of women in my humble opinion.
Look at your arms and marvel at their strength, Honour that they have soothed and saved and loved all your life.
These arms, your arms, hugged children when they needed soothing, these arms reached out to touch the hand of a lost soul and bring them back, these arms hugged a human in their most excruciating time of need, these arms comforted and cared for and caressed people you loved. These arms, your arms, scratched the ears of your favourite puppy, stroked the belly of a furry kitten, combed the fine soft hair of a baby child, pushed the hair out of the eyes of your mother as she rested and your son as he recovered from the flu. These arms will hold you up, lift you up, push you up and, with a circle of women in your life, the world will be changed.
I got held up and you know what, it was the best thing that ever happened to me.
Are you ready to join in the arms race? Ae you ready to start turning your passion into profit and offer a hand up to other women?
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Martin Luther King Jr did not write this.
We who are in our fifties, the movement begins
I hope you take the time to watch this video, it is my personal plea to all of us..
Today is the birthdate of Martin Luther King Jr. If ever there was a person that believes in his dream, “I have a dream” it was he.
If ever there was a man who could not, would not,take any other path toward equality it was him.
Today I am inspired to continue with my dream of teaching a million women how to make a million dollars by turning their passion into profit. No over night gimmicks, no make money fast shtick. This is a program that will challenge your beliefs, turn you upside down and inside out and give you the opportunity, finally,to live a truthful life.
Today, as I remember the great and never failing Martin Luther King Jr, I give thanks for his tenacity, his persistence, his commitment to his bigger picture and I am pressed to move on despite all the naysayers and non believers.
I too have adream…I wish for all women to be empowered, to be equal, to be included in the financial conversations around the world. Money is power, no doubt, let’s take it back…
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Life coach gone psycho!
Today is the day I launch my new coaching contest and it’s an exciting day for many reasons.
Today is the day you learn about my movement Helping Millions Make Millions.
Why do you care? What difference will any of this make to me Jan? What’s so special about what you’re doing and how the hell is it going to
make any difference in my life? There’s no way this is going to do anything for me so I’m not reading one more word…
Wait! Just wait! Before you leave this page and go look for some other way to get yourself distracted consider this:
Women make up 53% of the population in the world. That’s pretty awesome.
Women earn 1% of the wealth in the world. That’s not so awesome.
“Personal factories” aka small business owners are going to be the game changers in the global economy.
Women 55 and older have the most success with running a small business: staying in business and being financially
sound with their businesses. That’s YOU!
By the time we reach 80 (assuming we will) most women live in poverty: that’s not so awesome and that’s in North America only. In the rest of the world women live in poverty at a much younger age: some forever.
So what does this have to do with you? Well the good news is this: My movement Helping Millions Make Millions is designed to teach a million women how to turn their passion into profit and earn a million dollars. No it’s not a “sham wow” program: you will have to work and you will have to take responsibility for your finances (I know eeeek!) and you won’t make the million overnight (well you might but the goal is to do this over a few years.)
Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to do something you love instead of working at a JOB? Wouldn’t it be nice to stop worrying about your retirement and whether you’ll have enough money? Wouldn’t it be nice to share out your success with your family and your community? Women don’t hoard our money we share it out and we ensure our communities are thriving. Wouldn’t you love to be part of a movement like that?
I have to tell you I am really super excited about this. I picture a million women all in a room and each one of them has begun their own path of financial freedom.
Each one has turned their passion (dogs/kids/gardening/writing/cleaning/horses/technology/cars etc) into a profitable business. I picutre each of those million women sharing their knowledge with at least two other women: with their families: with their neighbours…
Imagine what the world would be like if women held the financial purse strings. Do you think there would be less bullying? Do you think there would be less aggression?
Do you think there would be an emphasis on taking care of the beloved Mother of Mothers Mama Earth? I do and that’s why this gets my juices flowing like Niagara Falls. I am so psyched up about this I can’t even tell you…
And so the details:
I am limiting this to 60 women for 2012
You must be 45 or older
You must sign up for the platinum level coaching at http://www.tobeyourbest.net/coach-html.
You must sign up for three months.
Each of the 60 women will be entered in a draw. One will win $10000.00 Canadian! (yes you read that right it is 4 zeros as in ten thousand)
Each of the 60 women will be invited to my live conference in Collingwood and you’ll also receive an extra ticket to bring a friend
Each of the 60 women will be given $500 at the conference to do whatever you want: pay your hotel bill or pay for your flight or give it away…whatever.
Each of the 60 women will be interviewed at the conference and included in a special promotion.
Each of the 60 women will be part of a production that will air at a later date: a series of success stories that you can share and use to inspire others.
Each of the 60 women will have a chance to get up and speak at the conference: to share your story and to inspire others to join the movement.
Each of the 60 women will receive a percentage of future sales if they have friends who sign on for this coaching.
Good grief I’m psyched…some think I’m psycho but really I’m just psyched…
Whatcha waiting for? Go sign up. You have absolutely nothing to lose (well actually that’s not true. You will lose your fear of being shiny and brilliant and wonderful and amazing!)
And just for fun: let’s make it a mob flash at the conference. A millionaire mob flash. You in?
Hey you never know perhaps we’ll get enough pr to have Oprah or Suze Orman show up…
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Learning how to be an extraordinary woman
