I’m a big proponent of focusing on your strengths in business. For many of us, that means there are a lot of tasks and roles that we need help with.

I also think that working alone is like entrepreneurial kryptonite. Many of us creative people thrive in the collaborative process, uncovering ideas, resources and leads we could never access alone.

So enter the idea of business partners.

Two or more people who compliment each others strengths and see what’s possible by joining forces.

HOWEVER, before you go jumping at the first person who would love to partner with you to achieve the dream, there is a secret to entering into business partnerships that will actually thrive and not enter into “business divorce court.”

Here are some facts:

• I’ve seen statistics that over 80% of new business partnerships fail.

• After 9 years of coaching entrepreneurs I’ve found that only 1 out of 5 business partnerships are actually thriving.

• Most entrepreneurs enter into the partnership with unrealistic and unspoken expectations that can later sabotage the relationship.

• Over 70% of failed business partnerships end in badly or in court.

Now I’m not saying this to scare you but rather to help you recognize how important it is to learn the secret to creating a thriving, profitable partnership from day one.

That’s why I’ve invited Business Partnership expert, Dorene Lehavi to join me as my Extraordinary Results Academy guest Wealth Mentor on March 17th.

In Dorene’s experience working with hundreds of business partners, she has found that a big part of long-lasting success in a business partnership starts with YOU. So we are going to explore in this training call:

• How to recognize the 7 warning signs of a bad partnership (before you plunge in)

• What makes for good Ongoing Partner Compatibility

• How to Prevent and Manage Conflict that can sabotage even the strongest partners

• A simple technique that helps partners thrive from day one

• What to do if you find yourself in an un-equitable partnership that is draining you or your bank account

You are invited to join Dorene and I for this training call as a trial member at just $9.95 for the first month. For the price of 3 Starbucks latte’s you’ll have the clarity you need to create a six-figure partnership that thrives!

Live training participants get a chance to get coaching and support from myself and the expert. Training is recorded and sent to members who can’t make the call live.

Before you go…what are your questions or challenges around business partnerships? Be sure to post them in the comments below!

Over the last few years I’ve noticed a growing fascination in the business community with “bigger.”

Growing a mailing list of 10,000, 50,000 or even 100,000 followers.

Amassing hundreds and thousands of clients.

Achieving a million (or even a billion) dollars in revenue.

Conquering a niche.

But is bigger really better?

Have you ever stopped to wonder what the cost for achieving bigger is?

What you might have to give up?

What bigger problems you have to deal with?

What your lifestyle will be like (and if you really want it?)

What kind of team or operations you need to pull it off?

How much money it takes (and probably debt too?)

In my 9+ years of coaching entrepreneurs I’ve found that some people will purse their big goals with determination and vigor – like a sword slicing through the jungle – with little worry of the consequences.

Along the way their families, friends, values, and hobbies are cast aside in this limitless pursuit of bigger.

Most of the time they wake up at some point and say…”How Did I Get Here? Why are my kids all grown up and I don’t know them? I haven’t been on a vacation in five years but yet, I’m supposed to be free from a J.O.B.”

For others, the fear of losing something (time, money, people, their identity, etc.) becomes a deterrent to their emerging dream. They are left feeling paralyzed, unmotivated, blocked, stuck, or de-energized, all of which keeps them from playing a bigger game. On some level they rationalize that they’ve achieved enough – even though there is something deep inside calling them forward.

So the question becomes….how big is big ENOUGH?

How do you know you have arrived at the level of “big” that allows you to feel internally satisfied without having to lose what’s important along the way?

I’d like to share with you three different techniques for finding the right level of “big” for you:

1. Suffering

Suffering is the ass-backwards approach — and the one most of us take. As head-strong entrepreneurs we take on our goals at lightening speed, put our head to the grindstone and barrel through the challenges. Some day years later we pick up our head and say, “Ouch.” We land somewhere between bummed and down right depressed with what it cost us to get to bigger.

Most human beings are wired to solve pain more than we pursue pleasure. It’s the boiled frog concept – if we slowly turn up the heat to an unbearable level we just accept it. Then one day reality strikes, pain sets in, and we try to recover what we most wanted to begin with.

Let’s explore the two more effective techniques now.

2. Modeling

No, I don’t mean getting on the cover of Vogue. Modeling is a technique where you identify with someone who seems to have a business you want, then you investigate who they have to be in order to achieve it. When I teach this technique to my clients, it’s pretty in-depth – you have to learn the mindset, habits, skills and environment they create in order to sustain their success.

For instance, if you have a dream to be a world famous expert who conducts trainings all over the world, has countless books and is worth millions, then you’d want to model someone like Tony Robbins. You find out everything about the way they operate — the good AND the bad — then determine if you are willing to have a similar outcome.

3. Vision Alignment

Creating a vision alignment is one of the most powerful techniques you can ever learn. A vision can only be achieved when it is in alignment with your Truth. One of the exercises I give to every person I coach in my Fast Track to 6 Figure Lifestyle Business is to get crystal clear on their Truth – what their core values are, their real priorities in life right now and what the criteria for success means to them.

Believe it or not, more goals are ditched because of the tension from being unaligned. To know how big to grow, we simply look to our Truth – what will it look like so we can enjoy your values, priorities and magic? If you are unaligned in any way, you will sabotage, procrastinate or shelf your big dream.

Which of these approaches are you taking to accomplish BIG? What have you discovered along your journey – where you allow suffering to guide you vs. using one of the two techniques to plan for the right level of big?

I’ll look forward to hearing your comments below!

In 1991 I learned to set goals and do something called “visioning.” For many years I struggled with this process wondering why sometimes my goals worked…and other times I missed the mark greatly.

Over the years of coaching entrepreneurs on creating six and seven figure businesses, I’ve noticed they also have struggled with the traditional principles of setting and achieving their goals.

That’s because one element had been missing. It’s called The Law of Un-Attachment and when you discover how to unleash it in your own life, you’ll realize how this whole manifestation, goal setting and visioning process REALLY works.

Let’s first start with understanding how the Law of Un-attachment works. I put together this quick video cause it was just too hard to explain in works.

Now that you get the basic idea on the Law of Un-Attachment, here is how to apply it to your goal setting.

When you establish goals and dreams, it’s the feeling state that you want. Think about it. When you say you want a million dollars – is it really the money? Or the FEELING it creates to have the freedom to invest that money in experiences?

It’s absolutely the second one.

So here is how to Unleash the Law of Unattachment. Stick with me cause this is a tricky one.

Why many of us “fail” in our pursuit of goals is because we’ve gotten very attached to what we think our success should look like.

It happens with relationships, acquiring possessions, launching programs, hiring people, friendships, business deals, wealth building, etc.

If we get attached to HOW we get it or what it LOOKS like when we get there, you may be very disappointed.

However, if by using the Law of Unattachment we get clear on what we want success to FEEL like, then we will be guided to create an outcome in alignment with what’s truly important to you.

I’ll cover what happens when you create something that is NOT in alignment in a few days. But for now…tell me what your experience is around the Law of Unattachment and how it has shown up in your life in the comments below.

Seriously…how much time do you spend doing what you love?

I read a statistic somewhere recently that over 70% of people spend most of their day doing what they hate.

Wow. That’s just sad.

As entrepreneurs, I find that it’s easy to get caught up in doing what we HAVE to do vs. what we love to do. The overwhelm seeps in. The freedom to do what we want and enjoy our lifestyle disintegrates and we are left with a J.O.B. again.

Overwhelm is a state of mind that shows up when our life seems to be spinning out of control and we don’t know how to stop it.

Well it doesn’t have to be that way.

Seriously…do you know WHY you get overwhelmed? It’s because you have lost track of your real priorities. You got caught up in a whirlwind of should’s and have-to’s and now you are on a crash-course for dismal results.

It’s time to take back your life and start having time for what you love to do — whether its hang out with your family, travel the world or be able to do your “magic” at work.

It all starts with having a crystal-clear vision that is in alignment with your values, priorities and goals.

Then having a strategy that allows you to STAY on track keeps you from slipping back into overwhelm. I’m talking things like a formula to make decisions, resources to hand off projects too and a system to get things done on time.

Sounds good? You betcha! Imagine what you could accomplish if you spend all day totally excited, feeling inspired and clear-headed as you focus on doing what you love?

Through February 16th I’m offering you an opportunity to get your hands on my step-by-step process for eliminating overwhelm called “Get Out of Overwhelm and Create Your Ideal 6 – 7 Figure Business.” This 2 CD set and Guidebook will walk you through my proven approach to simplifying your approach to getting things done while freeing up space for what’s important (aka you’ll find a lot more time and energy for the real money makers!)

Because it’s “Love Week”, I’m giving you 30% off PLUS I’m throwing in a copy of The Power of the Virtual Team Ebook ($47 value) to help you discover how to delegate and outsource like a pro to free up significant time!

To get this special deal, head on over to Get Out of Overwhelm page and use “LOVE” as your coupon when you check out!

This $67 investment is going to get you on the fast track to enjoying your business and life again.

In the mean time…what gets you the most overwhelmed in your life and business? Share it below…I’m sure we can all relate!

I’ve participated in mastermind groups of one form or another for over 20 years. Early on my experience was focused on manifesting houses and marriage partners. Today my mastermind experiences have transformed into business owners helping each other achieve massive growth and wealth. I have even created and launched mastermind programs for other companies and have facilitated high-level masterminds for small groups of entrepreneurs.

I love masterminds. The connection. The bond. The results.

There is something magical that happens in a mastermind group (at least the way I run them) that just doesn’t happen when left to our own devices. It’s even difficult to access in private coaching.

Napoleon Hill in Think & Grow Rich talks about the ability to access a “third mind.” It’s a lot like a think tank – the synergy of different ideas, experiences, business models and knowledge comes together to create an out of the box idea you just can’t connect to on your own.

I’ve witnessed it first hand…one person shares, another builds on top of it, then as the coach I swoop in and put a structure around the idea so the member can be in action.

In my own mastermind experiences I’ve uncovered gems around marketing, leadership and client fulfillment that I never knew existed. I was able to tap into a wealth of marketing experience that would have taken me 20 years or more to uncover on my own.

Not to mention the relationship bond created with mastermind partners.

In my own masterminds, we’ve given to each other what clients pay thousands for. Because we believe in each other and genuinely want to see each other succeed beyond our wildest dreams. Life long friendships, powerful strategic alliances, access to privileged industry secrets – it all comes pouring out.

Another benefit is that often mastermind partners see the opportunities that are in your blind spot. Something you’ve dismissed a thousand times the mastermind will present to you in a way that you see the million dollar pay off right in front of you.

The cherry on top is when you know you can’t play small because your mastermind partners are holding you accountable – they are challenging you to play bigger and get outside your comfort zone.

So here’s the big question for you:

What would you do differently if you knew your mastermind had your back and you couldn’t fail?

I’d love to hear what you would want from a mastermind or even what your experience has been in the comments below.

Do you have all your revenue eggs in one basket? It’s the classic situation many entrepreneurs find themselves in – and it’s a precarious place to operate your business from.

If you have one big client, one main offering or one key industry that provides you most of your revenue, then you have left yourself vulnerable to many forces you can’t control.

Knowing this, many entrepreneurs strive to diversify their income with information products, the “funnel of offerings” or spread themselves to thin into many different industries.

Right idea… but if you swing too far into diversification, you’ll find yourself in the land of Bright Shiny Objects.

That’s when you chase too many ideas and opportunities only to find yourself overwhelmed, stressed and with lackluster results in all areas. Plus, there is that tendency to try to be everything to every body just to make sure you always have enough business – then you just blend in like plain vanilla.

So where is that happy medium where you find the optimum approach to diversification without losing focus? I call it the “Sand Pail Approach.” You’ve probably heard this analogy used for time management. I like to use it for ideas on how to stabilize income.

If you think of your core, high-paying clients as big rocks that fill a pail, you’ll probably notice there is still a lot of empty space around them. I like to think of the different levels of programs and services as different size rocks:

- Big Rocks –
Big rocks are your big anchor clients/projects that pay a lot of money. It could also be a joint venture or partnership that is a big supplier of business. An example of this in my business these are my Private Clients. You probably only have just a few of these kinds of clients as they take up most of your time.

Of course if even one of your big rocks goes away you are in trouble. This actually happened to me a few years back when I over-relied on two very large marketing partners. I got 75% of my referrals from them until they added a similar program – and my referrals dried up immediately!

- Small Rocks -
Think big-ticket product sales, large events or a vendor who makes large purchases from you. The small rocks fit nicely around the bigger rocks filling in big gaps.

I offer small rocks like a two-hour strategic planning session, my CEO Factor System and Virtual Team Building System.

- Sand -
The sand fills in the space around the rocks as it’s quite small. These are clients that have a shorter time requirement and pay you less. They could be short turn around projects, highly leveraged group programs or retainers with very little one on one time. My Fast Track to Six Figure Coaching program fits this model for me.

A key to your sand is setting up opportunities to generate consistent income without having to sell every day. Think recurring payments.

- Water -
Even though your pail seems full, it’s not. The water seeps through the sand, filling your pail to the top. Small fee products or low-cost monthly continuity programs would be your water. I have multiple “water” programs like my Power of the Virtual Team ebook and the Extraordinary Results Academy.

The idea here is to understand how to use this analogy in building your business model. As you explore ways to stabilize your income, and not be overly dependent on one type of revenue stream, make a list of the types of smaller rocks, sand and water that you could either offer to the current industry your serve or to other industry’s with similar needs.

If you need help figuring out how to stabilize your income this year, the Fast Track to Lifestyle Business is perfect for you. Groups are forming now.

I’d love to hear your ideas on how you are diversifying your income to create more stability by sharing in the comments below.

Did you know there are at least four ways to kick start your cash flow?

First Is To Sell More

Now that may seem a bit obvious but for many people selling more feels like trying to build a rocket ship to go to the moon. Many people don’t really know where to look for new leads or how to make sure those new leads actually become a real paying client.

Second Is To Raise Your Prices

No, I’m not smoking anything…it’s true. Actually one of the biggest mistakes many people make when they feel a cash flow crunch coming on is to arbitrarily slash all their prices. Not always the best move and it can actually backfire.

Actually raising prices can attract better, more qualified clients. You need less sales at a higher price too. Raising your prices (or at least holding your current prices steady) works best when you’ve got the right model and positioning for the market you are approaching.

Third Is To Reduce Costs

Warning! Before you even consider doing this you had better have thoroughly reviewed your revenue & cost projections and have a good understanding of what’s going on. (Don’t worry, if you don’t’ know how to do this it’s one of the key components of our Fast Track program. I’ll make sure you get access quickly.)

Here’s why. Over 79% of business owners who cut costs pick the WRONG things to cut back on, leaving you vulnerable and in a state of declining momentum.

Last is Creative Business Financing

I didn’t know how to do this until I was probably in my eighth year of doing business. This is where you explore unique ways to increase your funding up front – factoring and financing are two biggies – to help improve your cash flow. There are a lot of cool tricks in this area that can put you on the fast track to funding your growth this year.

I’ll be sharing more tips like this, plus taking a few live coaching requests to help you get your business out of the rut and back into prosperity.

Join us live Thursday, January 7th at 5:00 pm PST /8:00 pm EST for Kick Your Cash Flow into High Gear Guide, a complimentary training I’m hosting.

In the mean time, what’s your biggest challenge with getting your cash flow on track?