For Entrepreneurs

Is calm possible in a crisis?

March 30, 2020

Soooo….how about that Covid-19, eh? I don’t know about YOU, but this has got to be the strangest global-emergency-type event that I’ve ever lived through.

And it’s not only strange – let’s face it – it’s scary too. Entire countries are shutting down, provinces and states are scrambling to find the “right” level of new-normal, with shut-downs and shelter-in-place restrictions.

For heaven’s sake, just getting into the liquor or grocery store is as stressful as crossing the border into another country! (Hey, we have to kid about these outrageous but much needed security steps being implemented – but I can assure you – you don’t need your passport – yet!).

Of course, everyone’s asking people how they’re doing? How they’re coping? The kids are home, possibly spouse and/or partner as well, or if the kids are grown maybe there’s elderly parents to worry about. Or maybe you are at home and you’ve never had to work from home before.

It almost feels impossible to have any brain-space left to think about your proactive business or corporate responsibility, right? Add those worries to all the rest – how are my employees, will my clients pay ME so I can pay my freelancers? How will I meet the company’s business development targets? It’s the end of the month and all the bills are coming due – regardless of whether you work for yourself or someone else right now.

I just want you to know – really know – that you’re not alone in all of this. And that there are people out there who can and WILL raise you up, and help you, if you need it.

Like the government. Keep abreast of what aid is being put in place for you.

And your friends and family. Social distancing notwithstanding, find ways to connect with people.

Many people are finding time in their overwhelmed lives to provide value and crisis advisory for free.

From financial professionals, to lawyers, to marketers to coaches.

And I’d like to help too.

As a mindset specialist, relationship counsellor and core beleif engineer for over 2 decades, I want to provide some actionable advice.

Let’s talk about how to deal with some of this stress and pressure.

Because there WILL be a new normal. And we will still all be running our businesses and caring for our loved ones when this is done. But as the old “airplane analogy” makes it oh so clear, if cliched – if YOU don’t put your oxygen mask on first – everything else around you won’t have a chance in H* E* Double* Hockey Sticks*!

Here’s the first thing I want you to tell yourself when you wake up every morning – and before you go to sleep (I hope!) every night.

YOU CAN CONTROL HOW YOU FEEL

Or as I prefer to tell it, you can be in COMMAND of your feelings.

A lot of what is fuelling this feeling of crisis is the fear of the unknown and feeling like you are out of control.

And I’m not going to tell you that what you’re feeling is not real. Of course, it’s real! We’re in the middle of a global pandemic!! BUT, while you can’t control the external chaos, you can learn to control how you REACT to it!

I want you to start by finding your calm within you. I want you to essentially step into a position of leadership to yourself.

And what I mean by that is that right now many of you feel like you’re on a boat on a raging ocean, and the boat’s rocking and the waves are crashing, and you don’t feel like you have a lot of control and you might fall into the boat. So, you start to hold on for dear life. And what happens when we start to white knuckle any part of our lives? They don’t call it “white knuckling” for nothing! You get VERY tense. Your muscles seize up, and blood flow is restricted. But no matter how tense you get – or how tightly you hang on – you just can’t stop that boat from rocking.

STOP WHITE KNUCKLING!

If you were to stop white knuckling it, relax your body, let go of the bed – wait – BED??? Didn’t I tell you that you were in a bed on this boat in the raging storm? No? Well, if your sleeping patterns have been anything like mine lately – trust me – the metaphor is apt, if odd.

Anyhow, you let go of the bed, and you slowly breathe and try to adjust yourself along with the rhythm of the boat. Once you relax yourself and just “go with the flow” there’s a good chance you’ll weather the storm better.

Start there.

Next week, I’ll have some more tips on how to manage your mind.

Tell then if you need to talk, reach out to me at any time, via MeganO’Neill.ca if you need some reassurance. We are all in this together. And I’ve found some time each day in which to help people who need an ear with mindset speciality.

Stay safe.

Megan

Mindset In Times Of Crisis

March 21, 2020

I know so many of your are struggling with your marketing right now. What to say. What not to say.

So I went to one of the experts – Susan Diaz of c+p digital – to get her advice on how to market while in the eye of the storm.

Susan’s a messaging machine and knows marketing inside and out. Especially during times of crisis.

Lots of actionable tips and things you can apply to your own marketing efforts. So give it a listen.

Triggered? What to do when asked, “Do you offer a discount?”

August 29, 2018

A few weeks ago, I had a conversation with someone who asked me to discount my service. This is the first time in a long time this has happened to me. It’s not surprising and I was not insulted, but I know some people may have felt that way. So, I wanted to ask you: how do you feel when someone asks you for a discounted rate or price? And what can you do if you are asked for a discount?

In the “old days” when someone asked me for a discount, I thought it was something I had to do. This was a learning lesson for me in the beginning stages of my business, but as I went along I began to feel insulted when someone would ask for a discount. I was beginning to gain confidence and getting busier and felt insulted when someone would ask for a cheaper rate.

Now, when someone asks for a discount, I feel ambivalent. When this particular person asked me for a discount, I simply told them I do not offer discounts, but that I do offer different payment plans and options.

When someone asks you for a discount it tells you something about them and what they believe. They may believe your services or products are too expensive. This means they may not be your ideal client.

Take, for example, my fourteen-year old daughter. She recently went back to school shopping and upon looking at hundred-dollar jeans said the store was too expensive. Well, for a teen making babysitting money – yes, that is expensive. So, she is not that store’s ideal client. And if she were to ask for a discount, they certainly would not give it to her.

If you are being triggered by someone who is asking for a discount then there is a part of you feeling insecure about how much you are worth and how much you are charging. This speaks to your money blocks and this is an opportunity to look closer at that.

If you feel called to give someone a discount, for whatever the reason, know that there are no rules. If it comes from a place of good versus fear they cannot afford you – that is okay. But if you do not want to discount, then don’t. Instead, try keeping someone on hand who is cheaper than you. This way you have someone you can refer people to. Remember: not everyone is right for you and you don’t have to work with everyone.

The other thing to keep in mind is cultural beliefs. In Canada, we are sticker price people – generally, what is on the sticker is what we pay. But when I used to travel to Southeast Asia it was all about haggling and negotiating the price. So, remember that when someone asks for a discount that it is not about you, but could be about their beliefs.

And as much as it could be about them – don’t forget to look within yourself as well. What do you believe about your products or service? Remember, you are sending out an energy. You can look at your prices if you want to, but you should also look within yourself. If you don’t value what you do or what you are offering people than that is a beacon you are sending out to people.

If this feels familiar to you, then you more than likely have money beliefs that need to be worked on. Book a free 45-minute clarity call and let’s see how we can work together.

How to Conquer Biz Burnout and Get Your Creativity Back

August 15, 2018

In the last little while, I have felt burnt out. I believe this is a result of a busy spring and me doing a lot of new things and being a lot more creative in my business. After being so busy, I hit a wall in July.

I wanted to discuss the feeling of hitting a wall. It comes in all forms. It can be the feeling of being burnt out, not having a lot to give, and maybe even feeling like you’re not in the right line of work.

This is especially true for entrepreneurs who may be wondering if it is all worth it. If maybe working a 9-5 and being able to leave it all at the door when they come home is better than running their own business. This question is always there for entrepreneurs and it’s not wrong to explore that.

When I hit walls or feel powerless, I know that it means I need to do a little more digging and exploration within me. I hit a wall after the spring when I offered my own e-course, a workshop as well as my one-on-one work. I knew I had hit it because I love to communicate and I am an extrovert, yet I found myself not wanting to connect and be out there on social media via video, etc.

I needed to find out what was going on with me.

I was caught up with my beliefs around work. Our beliefs are fairly universal: we need to work to make money and be successful, etc. This is generally inherited from our ancestors, who literally needed to work all the time. Working in the fields, doing laundry by hand, etc. We still run a lot of these beliefs – to the point that it can burn us out. In addition, we are constantly on our screens – constantly connected.

I felt I was only successful if I was working like a dog. This comes from my parents and my husband. Thankfully, I also had a lot of influences letting me know that is okay to take some time off. To take time to do things that bring me pleasure. By doing this, I opened myself up to creating space for other ideas and moments.

Entrepreneurs, especially those who are parents, don’t often take time off for themselves. We don’t allow ourselves time to sit and be quiet. So, upon discovering my own wall and how to move past it, I now invite you to take some time to just be quiet. To let the voices come in that will tell you what you need to do next. The ideas that will take your business to the next level. These voices will only come in if you take the time to be quiet and create the space to allow these voices to come in.

If you allow this space and silence, you will get the inspiration you need to figure out what you have to offer this world, how you can be the most productive, and be in your zone of genius. This is what came to me this summer when I took the time to be quiet.

If you have been working the summer away – stop. Take some time out. Take the time needed to figure out what the best move for you is. Whether it is an hour a day to take a walk or months off – take the time to you need to reconnect with yourself.

If you need some extra help figuring out how to reconnect with yourself, let’s chat about your situation and figure out if I can help.

Three Ways Feminine Energy Will Grow Your Business

June 11, 2018

Three ways feminine energy will grow your business The exploration of feminine energy is a topic that has come up a lot. Men and women can bring in feminine energy to help grow their business, so it is not about being ‘anti-male’ energy. We are a balance of 50/50 male and female energy, but today, I am talking about three ways of embracing your feminine energy so you can grow your business. This applies to both female AND male business owners.

What is Masculine Energy?

Are you living in your masculine energy too much? Most time is spent in masculine energy. Spending time in male energy is more often than not seen as more important than female energy by society. Male energy can be defined as burning the midnight oil to the point of burn out. It has to do with being too goal-oriented, working to the point of exhaustion, being competitive, setting hard goals for ourselves, etc. This could also include feeling as though we have to “suck it up” when experiencing an injury or hurt or spending too much time focusing on the competition.

What is Feminine Energy?

Feminine energy is collaboration, creativity, inclusiveness, listening to ourselves and our bodies, taking time out for ourselves, nurturing, etc. Basically, anything we associate as feminine. Being in touch with your feminine energy can grow your business.

Three ways to pay attention to your female energy

Listening – Listen to your clients and understand what they struggle with and how you can help them. Listening to this and being able to communicate how you can solve their problems will make them want to work with you and keep you in their lives.
Collaboration – whether you are building a business or looking to grow your business, you need to connect with communities and tribes that can support your initiative. Collaborate with other like-minded business people who can support and spread the word about you and your business. This could lead to business partnerships and referrals. It could also mean having a fellow business owner you can rely on for an open ear over coffee to discuss entrepreneurship. Collaboration is all about surrounding yourself with those who understand you.
Intuition – Use your intuition (what you feel) to guide your business. Instead of listening to your male energy that tells you something is logical and therefore you should do it, listen to your intuition. What do your feelings tell you? This is what Oprah Winfrey did in her career. While everyone was telling her to do one thing, she listened to and followed her intuition. She was told her magazine would not make any money and that her television network would not succeed, but she proved them wrong and followed her intuition, which proved prosperous!

Remember, the feminine energy can be applied to both men and women – we are a balance of 50/50 male and female energy. Being in touch with your feminine energy is being in touch with your feelings and with those around you in a way that will help you grow your business.

For more information on how to get in touch with your feminine energy book a free clarity call or join my free Facebook Community. It’s filled with other like-minded business owners who are looking to grow their businesses through a healthy mindset.

Stop fearing what will happen if you raise your prices!

April 19, 2018

Time and time again I hear from people who feel they are over-delivering and under paid. When they look at their numbers at the end of the month they are not seeing the money they wish they had for the work they were doing.

I understand that feeling. For many years, I undercharged for services and before that I negotiated contracts for myself. I sucked at it. And I didn’t have anyone to guide me, until someone I worked with, guided me. When it came to asking people to pay me, I was too concerned with what other people felt and what their money fears and baggage were – instead of focussing on my own. I abdicated my responsibility for my own money mindset. When I realized what I was doing, I decided to start focussing on my money mindset.

By working on my money mindset, I was able to overcome the fears I have about raising my prices. I stopped leaving money on the table!

If you have reached your income ceiling and want to raise that ceiling then you need to work on your money mindset. Whether you are self-employed or working at a career where you know you should be earning more – don’t leave money on the table! Too often entrepreneurs are not charging their worth.

I am running a free webinar specifically on this topic. It’s Wednesday, April 25th at 4 p.m. and if you can’t make it live, still sign up – a replay will be sent to everyone who enrols. Many of us have beliefs about where we ‘should’ be financially, and those beliefs can limit us from really making the money we can make. Join me on the 25th and stop fearing what will happen if you raise your prices or ask your boss for more money!