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Author: Kathleen Caldwell

Categories
Entrepreneurship Growth Personal Development

Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ For Business Or Career?

“You’re trying hard not to show it.
But baby, baby I know it. You lost that lovin’ feelin’.
Whoa that lovin’ feelin’. You’ve lost that lovin’ feelin’,
Now it’s gone, gone, gone whoao- hoh.”

You know the song, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin” performed by the Righteous Brothers and immortalized in the movie “Top Gun” where Tom Cruise sings it to woo Kelly McGillis. You’re probably humming the tune right now.

Lately, have you been finding it difficult to feel the love about your coaching or consulting business or career? “Love,” you say? “Well, I love my spouse, my kids, my favorite sports teams, French vanilla ice cream, but love my business? I am way too busy to love my business. I’ve got emails to answer!”

Loving your business and the work you do is the most important strategic advantage in business today. When people love their work, they are inspired, passionate and committed to excellence. In spite of a turbulent economy, employee and employer dissatisfaction is commonplace. We have all read the studies that less than half of the global workforce feels valued by their employer and a large percentage of employees intend to look for a new job within a year. These people at all levels of an organization dread going to work, are resigned that nothing will change and are livin’ for the weekend. If this describes you or a client of yours, it is possible to start feelin’ the love again and recapture the excitement in your business and career.

Your “Love Your Business Challenge” to feel the love is a three-step process:

Step 1: Take a trip down memory lane and remember when you first loved your work. You felt motivated and excited about going to work. Somewhere along the way, you started pressing the snooze button. Think back to the times when you were bright-eyed and enthusiastic about the massive learning curve that consumed you. Recall when you spent hours immersed in creating a new process or product and not even realized it; when you were energetic, passionate and having fun using your natural strengths and talents.
Remember the first days at your business and how much you enjoyed your clients or coworkers before you had them all “figured out.” You were naturally engaged in conversations about the limitless possibilities of your work, the team’s creative capacities and the company’s future. As corny as it sounds, love was present and palpable.
Write down your loving recollections, feelings and experiences. Remember the old saying, “A short pencil is better than a long memory!”

Step 2: Admit it. Like the song says, “You’ve lost that lovin’ feeling.”
Acknowledge what you’re feeling and do an analysis of where or when this happened. Were you ever tempted to chuck it all and start over in a new business or another company? Take a long, hard and honest look at the decisions you made then about your business, career, clients, co-workers and partners and your future career path. Who was wrong or right in the process (yourself included)? Are you holding on to old beliefs or behaviors that are no longer serving you?

Step 3: Change yourself and your circumstances will change. Begin to think and act as though you actually LOVE your business and career. Behave like a person deep in the throes of passion, follow the love in your business. Give up any resentments, disappointments, hopes or promises about how it was “supposed” to be?
Short pencil in hand; list what you are willing to start/stop/continue doing in order to get the love back again. Make the tough decisions; fire the clients that you are tolerating and don’t love. Leave the job you aren’t lovin’ or courageously reinvent the career that you have written off.
When love is present, there is compassion, forgiveness, appreciation and action. Finding renewed purpose and commitment will widen your view about your work and make a positive impact on your company, community, nation and the world. Yes, the world.

Create an environment that will support you in bringing the excitement back. Engage your mind, body, soul and feet; get moving and take action. Actively seek out com­ munities of other business lovers. Watch out for the naysayers, cynics, doomsayers and the people that are “just getting by” in their professional lives. Study the most successful organizations and people in and out of your industry and see how they love the work they are doing. Construct a new Business Love Manifesto to declare your love to your employees, partners, clients and prospects. Remember that new eyes, ears and moving feet will guide you to new opportunities.

Declare your Business Love Woman or Manifesto and share your experiences of renewed love, passion, admiration, puppy love about your business and career.
The positive effects of loving your business will transform the way you approach your daily living and the results you enjoy. My clients report that when they are more loving at work, they naturally have a more loving and rewarding family life.

Loving the work you do and being proud about the contributions you make will transform your life and your business. By engaging in the Love Your Business Challenge, you will create new and rewarding opportunities and have more fun along the way!

About:
Kathleen Caldwell is CEO of Caldwell Consulting Group, founder of the Women’s Success Accelerator ™ and C-Suite Network’s Women’s Coaching & Consulting Council. Kathleen is the author of the soon to be released book, “Success Mindpower: Use Your Powerful Mind To Play And Win YOUR Game Of Success.”

Ms. Caldwell is a philanthropist, credentialed success coach, professional speaker and author who has mentored and advised thousands of entrepreneurs, executives, leaders and business teams around the world to greater success and profitability.

Kathleen has received numerous awards and honors including the designation of “Woman of Distinction” and “Influential Woman in Business” and was recently honored as a GEM – Generous, Enthusiastic and Motivated leader in her community.

Awards, aside, Ms. Caldwell is known best as a connector and is excited to share her alliances and new business strategies to support leaders and organizations in their business and career success.
In her spare time, Kathleen is a certified Zumba instructor, health coach, and success hypnotherapist and has a passion for international travel and ballroom dancing with her sweetheart and husband, Michael.

Categories
Growth Personal Development

OWN IT: Own Your Power, Presence, Profits, and Success As A Global Thought Leader – Celebrating International Women’s Day And Week!

OWN IT: Own Your Power, Presence, Profits, and Success As A Global Thought Leader™.
By Kathleen Caldwell, Founder, C-Suite Network Women’s Coaching & Consulting Council and Caldwell Consulting Group, LLC

Celebrate International Women’s Day and Week in March 2023 with C-Suite Network Women’s Coaching & Consulting Council to OWN IT: Own Your Power, Presence, Profits, and Success As A Global Thought Leader™.”

C-Suite Network Women’s Coaching & Consulting Council is excited to announce a four-session Women’s Success Summit™ on Tuesday, March 7 – Friday, March 10 at 1PM ET to celebrate International Women’s Day and Week. Our 2nd Annual Success Summit is designed to empower you, as a woman coach, consultant, trusted advisor, or thought leader, to “OWN IT: Own Your Power, Presence, Profits, and Success As A Global Thought Leader™.”

We invite you to attend our Women’s Success Summit and take advantage of a unique opportunity to learn world class strategies and gain the tools and confidence needed to grow your thought leadership business. You’ll gain valuable insights to help you achieve your goals and OWN your success!

Our summit will feature esteemed faculty members of the C-Suite Network Women’s Coaching & Consulting Council, who will inspire and prepare you to cultivate your power and create a strong personal brand that enhances your profitability, presence, and authority.

Throughout the summit, you will learn how to break through the “Profit Ceiling,” and maximize your income, confidence and power. You will also gain insights on what is working now to be Seen, Heard, and Richly Rewarded™ in a crowded and noisy world. Our summit will provide actionable steps to help you tell powerful and engaging success stories with authenticity and engage a global community of fans and clients.

The Women’s Success Summit is not just about acquiring knowledge and information; it is also an opportunity to build relationships with like-minded and committed women. You will have the chance to share your insights and experiences, receive feedback, and Co-Accelerate™ with a supportive community. By the end of the four sessions, you will have a clear vision of your next level of success, the skills and tools to achieve it, and the confidence and business sisterhood to make it happen.

The Women’s Success Summit presented by C-Suite Network Women’s Coaching & Consulting Council is a thrilling way to celebrate International Women’s Day and Week. We invite you to join us and celebrate the progress that women have made and continue to make. Together, we will “OWN IT: Own Your Power, Presence, Profits, and Success As A Global Thought Leader™!” Register and receive the replays at: https://tinyurl.com/C-SuiteWCCCMarch72023

Questions? Contact Kathleen Caldwell, founder, C-Suite Network’s Women’s Coaching & Consulting Council and Caldwell Consulting Group, LLC through a DM on LinkedIn at: https:/tinyurl.com/KathleenCaldwellLinkedIn or at: https://tinyurl.com/C-SuiteNetworkWCCCLinkedIn

About: 

Kathleen Caldwell is CEO of Caldwell Consulting Group, founder of the Women’s Success Accelerator ™ and C-Suite Network’s Women’s Coaching & Consulting Council. Kathleen is the author of the soon to be released book, “Success Mindpower: Use Your Powerful Mind To Play And Win YOUR Game Of Success.”

Ms. Caldwell is a philanthropist, credentialed success coach, professional speaker and author who has mentored and advised thousands of entrepreneurs, executives, leaders and business teams around the world to greater success and profitability.

Kathleen has received numerous awards and honors including the designation of “Woman of Distinction” and “Influential Woman in Business” and was recently honored as a GEM – Generous, Enthusiastic and Motivated leader in her community.

Awards, aside, Ms. Caldwell is known best as a connector and is excited to share her alliances and new business strategies to support leaders and organizations in their business and career success.

In her spare time, Kathleen is a certified Zumba instructor, health coach, and success hypnotherapist and has a passion for international travel and ballroom dancing with her sweetheart and husband, Michael.

Categories
Growth Personal Development Women In Business

Predictions for 2022 – Women Claim Business Success As Free Agents!

The pandemic has provided women with a special opportunity to step back and reevaluate their priorities and commitments. As a global business mentor to successful women, my clients tell me every day about their urgent need for more professional freedom, income, flexibility, and fulfillment. These are powerful women who will not surrender their dreams and are actively claiming success as business free agents!

In its 2021 “Women in the Workplace” report, Lean In and McKinsey & Company found that 1 in 3 women have considered changing or leaving their jobs in the past year. Furthermore, Deloitte’s 2021 Women @ Work study found that 59% of women feel less optimistic about their career prospects today than before the pandemic. Surveys and statistics point to a major transformation occurring with women and work. Women want more agency, sovereignty, and freedom and are relentless in this pursuit.

Instead of committing decades of their lives to climb the traditional corporate ladder, millions of women are making the bold choice to become CEOs in their own C-Suite. They want more control and more opportunities to choose and scale their own ladders of success!

2022 is the year for women to be courageous and claim success as business free agents!

Free Agency has historically been associated with athletes and sports teams instead of executives and entrepreneurs. Free agents are generally considered to be self-determined and are free to sign a contract with any team or organization that meets their criteria for success. This is also true in the business world. Business free agents are entrepreneurs who can determine who, what, where, why, and how they conduct business. They are not bound by geographical, time zone, and location constraints. Free agents know that business success is created by executing solid strategic plans, delivering value, and transforming problems into positive solutions. The bigger the problems; the bigger the paycheck!

Typically, women pursue business free agency as entrepreneurs because they are managing work and family responsibilities and want more freedom and options. Later in life, women executives are seeking to transition out of corporate life and start a successful business on their terms. These “encore entrepreneurs” create thought leadership businesses to capitalize on their years of knowledge, experience, and relationships while converting these assets into financial equity and impact. Women are natural problem solvers and transformation agents, so they have a unique ability to start, grow and scale successful multi six-figure (annually, monthly or weekly) businesses.

To be a successful free agent, women need to become “A players” in their field of expertise. Leadership skills and confident competence are the “table stakes” of successful free agency as an entrepreneur. Every business owner needs to provide value to their clients while at the same time creating a profit for herself. Women owners do not have to be on the journey alone. Free-agent entrepreneurs can and must build a team to attract, retain and fulfill on their business brand and mission.

Being a solopreneur can be the first stop on the free-agent journey, but it does not have to be the destination. Growing a successful business means achieving more through a leveraged business model supported by a community of mentors, supporters, and advocates.

Women Are Claiming Business Success as Free Agents – Now!

What impact is the women’s free-agent entrepreneurial movement having on the US economy now? According to the Census Bureau’s Annual Business Survey (ABS), women now own 12.3 million businesses, approximately 42% of all US companies.

Women started 1,821 net new businesses every day in 2021 and generated $1.8 trillion this year in sales. To put things in perspective, there were around 402,000 female-owned businesses in 1972. The good news is that the number of women free agent entrepreneurs will grow in the coming years, according to business ownership statistics.

Why is this important for you? Essentially, it comes down to more opportunities. More women free-agent entrepreneurs translates to increased prospects for collaboration, partnership, new clients, innovation, and increased participation in the global economy. As it is often said, “With all women in the game and off the sidelines, we’ve got the “A players” on the field.” So, let’s play ball!

To support the ambitious growth of women free agents, I created C-Suite Network’s Women’s Success Council ™ (WSC) and Women’s Success School ™ (WSS). The WSC and WSS are innovative online communities dedicated to increasing our members’ success and free agency as business owners, CEOs, coaches, consultants, authors, speakers, and visionary leaders. We guide and mentor women to start, grow and scale successful businesses. We operate by the principles of collaboration over competition and “growing the pie, not just splitting it.”

We welcome you to learn more about the Women’s Success Council and the Women’s Success School at http://tinyurl.com/KathleenCaldwellLinkedIn or by contacting the founder, Kathleen Caldwell at 773.562.1061.

 

Categories
Best Practices Entrepreneurship Health and Wellness Human Resources Investing Management Marketing Mergers & Acquisition Negotiations News and Politics Sales Skills Women In Business

Women Leaders: Break Through Your Upper Limits!

Why are some women in business more successful than others? Is it their skills, education, genetics, good looks, hard work, luck, or one of a thousand other reasons? Nope, while these can be contributing factors, beliefs about yourself and what is possible are the fundamental determinants of your success. Your beliefs are your continuous thought processes that dictate your attitudes, actions, and ultimately your outcomes.

If you believe that you can create a successful global business or career, have a happy, fulfilling family life and ideal health you will marshal the resources and opportunities to fulfill those beliefs.

In contrast, if you believe that it is impossible or unrealistic that you could ever write a bestselling book, run a 26.2-mile marathon, make a successful career change or do anything audacious and important to you, you will probably not achieve these grand desires.

However, positive achievements will only happen if you commit and act on those empowering beliefs; even without seeing immediate results. Acting with courage and confidence, you will move beyond the upper limits of what you think is possible and probable into the zone of the unknown and uncomfortable.

Are Your Beliefs Really Serving You?

Some of your beliefs have served you well; however, if there is an area of your life that is not working as you desire, examine what you REALLY believe about it. You may have conscious or unconscious beliefs such as “I’m not good with money”, “If I pursue my interests, I’m being selfish”, “I’m not smart enough, disciplined, connected, or you, the reader can fill in the blanks” that are sabotaging your success.

Break Through Your Upper Limits!

Your “Upper Limits Success Strategy ™” goes beyond “positive thinking” to a new dimension of generating consistent and positive results. As it’s often said, “Success leaves clues.” Model the patterns of what works and what doesn’t work – if you are willing to look carefully. Everyone has their own scotomas or ‘blind spots’; areas where we cannot see all of the opportunities, options, and choices due to rigid, preconceived ways of thinking and viewing the world. Ask yourself, “If there wasn’t an upper limit to my success and happiness, what would I be thinking and doing?” Then think those thoughts and take those actions. Repeat. Get a coach or mentor to help you construct a constellation of empowering beliefs with new habits and an upward spiral of positive momentum will begin to form.

Mastery and Courage Strengthen Your Resolve.

Practice and reinforce your new beliefs and strengthened courage that you can handle anything that comes your way. Learn from your past failures (yes, everyone has them). Do not let them hinder or define you. You now have knowledge about what has not worked for you. New levels of success can change the dynamics in your career, relationships, and your old, preconceived notions of what you can achieve. Yes, there will be unintended consequences and often there is a downside when you get what you want. There may be a loss of privacy if you would like to pursue a political career or extensive travel to build a global business. It is common to avoid being on the world stage for fear of being criticized or risk failing in a public way.

Put yourself on the upward path to success. Be bold and confidently develop strategies and plans to overcome the roadblocks and limits in the way. The world needs for you to succeed, pay it forward and model the way for greatness!

Kathleen Caldwell is the CEO of Caldwell Consulting Group, a business strategist, success hypnotherapist, and founder of the C-Suite Network Women’s Leadership Council ™. Kathleen can be reached at 773.562.1061,  https://c-suitenetwork.com/councils/womens-leadership-council/

https://tinyurl.com/KathleenCaldwellLinkedIn

Copyright 2021. Caldwell Consulting Group, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Categories
Best Practices Entrepreneurship Health and Wellness Human Resources Management Marketing Skills Women In Business

Too Much of A Good Thing? New Strategies to Enjoy Real Work-Life Harmony in the C-Suite

Early morning board meetings, late evening client dinners, conference calls, international travel, a jam-packed family and personal schedule. It’s all good, but it may seem like constant non-stop busyness all the time. Are you doing more, but feeling less satisfied and more frustrated?

Fortunately, there are strategies to increase the real goodness and harmony in your life. Your ability to prioritize and optimize all the abundance you enjoy comes from making the right decisions about what is “important to do” rather than what is simply “nice to do.”

Evaluate and set your criteria. Determine the key professional and personal priorities, causes and activities that are truly aligned with your core values and highest intentions for the short and longer term. Turn inward and evaluate where you are accomplishing the most good and receiving the most personal satisfaction. Are you saying “Yes” more often and “No” less frequently because you are afraid of being left out? Learn to say “No” to the ordinary to be able to say “Yes” to the outstanding. Take a stand for what you really want!

Plan and prioritize. Look at your week and month and list your intentions and commitments. Sort the important from the merely workable. Think of your life in three pillars: career/business, health/family, faith/education/renewal and consider adopting the 8-8-8 model for your daily schedule. Designate eight hours for work and business, eight hours for yourself and your family priorities and eight hours for rest.

Make time for yourself every day. Part of your personal pillar should include some “me time” for peace, quiet, reflection and rejuvenation. Consider rising thirty minutes earlier and starting the day off with some movement, stretching, meditation, self-hypnosis or quiet contemplation. You will feel more successful and grounded versus feeling scattered and off balance.

Be consistent. Make regular deposits into your body’s energy savings and reserves account by eating whole, real food and engaging in regular physical activity and prioritizing restorative sleep. Inevitably you will need to make energy withdrawals when you are involved in challenging projects or are working long hours. With enough reserves, you have enough goodness to draw upon and your energy account will be charged and healthy!

Real work-life harmony takes courage and awareness. Model these traits for yourself, your family and your organization. Your life will be better for it!

Kathleen Caldwell, is CEO of Caldwell Consulting Group, an Advanced Clinical Hypnotherapist, a C-Suite Network Advisor, Women Who Dare Council Member and the founder of the WHEE Leadership Institute ® (Wealthy, Healthy, Energetic Edge) of Woodstock, Illinois. She works with leaders and teams to energetically and enjoyably produce record breaking results. For more information, Caldwell can be reached at www.caldwellconsulting.biz, Kathleen@caldwellconsulting.biz or by phone at 773-562-1061.

Copyright © 2018. Caldwell Consulting Group, LLC. All rights reserved.