I’m thrilled to introduce you to Kimberly Englot of Authentic Self Personal Development.
She’s shared some great advice and wisdom in her blog interview. Enjoy!
Kim, let’s start with a brief description of your business:
a) Who do you love to work with?
I love working with women who are stuck in a rut, know it and are ready to get out of it! I only work with ladies who are serious about changing their lives, getting real and getting focused on what they truly want.
b) what is the #1 greatest benefit they get from working with you?
I am tough. I don’t accept excuses and I have them take responsibility for the energy and momentum they are creating in their lives. Because of this, they get huge results. Changing careers, starting businesses, examining relationships and adding clarity to their entire life are some of the kinds of testimonials I get.
What does being a woman in business online mean to you and what is your favorite thing about it?
Being a woman in business online means freedom. I get to pick my schedule, pick my clients, pick what I focus on and when. I can listen in to calls from any where in the world and participate in coaching programs in different countries. I meet wonderful people I never would have been able to find, and I can do it all from my comfortable coach (or at the lake, or on the beach…anywhere I have an internet connection)!
Who or has been your greatest mentor and how have they impacted your success?
My business coach, Gina Bell. Without strong guidance from someone who has been there and understands, it’s easy to just flail around and waste time and money. Very important to have support on the “inside” that is, someone who knows how stuff works and can help you set up the systems and processes necessary. All of this costs money, but in the end you save a ton, and when you factor in time saved (like YEARS!) there really is no other way if you are truly serious about your business.
What is the one achievement are you most proud of so far and why?
The creation of my Master LIFE CLEANSE: Whole-istic detox and happiness makeover! It’s got a long name, but its a very intuitive program. I launched it with a “co-pilot” last year and it went so well, Gina Bell and I are doing it again. It is so rewarding to guide people to clarity, and help them release years of emotional baggage so that they can feel rejuvenated again. The old ugly energy is gone, and new fresh energy is flowing! Nothing like cleanse to make you feel like a brand-new woman!
What does “authentic in business” mean to you and why is it important?
Authentic in business means that I get to be me. I don’t have to pretend or hide or act like I have a team of assistants running around. My business has 1 employee…me! I have virtual staff, but they are all contracted out. I like being able to be me, I can connect with other people and let my personality shine rather than being sleezy or salesy.
My marketing centers around me and what I’m comfortable with, rather that what I “should” be doing or what others are doing. Authentic in business means that I get to make choices that a best designed for ME and my life vision and my company vision.
What is your favorite & most effective marketing strategy that you use to grow your business?
To date, it was Facebook. Over half the participants of my Master LIFE CLEANSE joined because of Facebook. I’ve just started to use Twitter to it’s full potential, but I love FB for the connections and real relationships I’ve formed with some wonderful people.
How do you achieve work-life balance?
There is no such thing as “balance” and anyone who tried to sell you something to help you gain balance in your life either doesn’t know what they’re talking about or is lying to you. I think that what most people mean, when they refer to “balance” is harmony. It’s the flow of attention from one part of your life to another, and there are times when that flow will be perfect, but not balanced. You’re only balanced when you’re dead, because there’s no flow! Now that I’ve defined harmony, I have perfect harmony in my life. I work when I need to (following inspired action) and I play when I feel like it. I obviously have days where there is more work than play (or even months), but I always attempt harmony. My business life is completely mingled with my personal life, some might say that’s bad, but when your business is being authentic you can’t have it any other way. The people in my life understand, and because I’m exactly the same as a business woman and the girl next door, I don’t even worry about work-life balance.
What is your favorite technology that supports your online business and why?
My auto-responder service. Without it I could not have a business on-line. It allows me the freedom to contact my list when I need to by pre-dating the broadcasts. I can customize messages according to groups and I NEVER worry about someone getting mad for getting and email that they didn’t sign up for. I can rest assured that everyone on my lists, opted in. And that’s important! It adds professional appearance to everything I do. (I RUN in the opposite direction of anyone who volunteers me into email list that they send from their personal email!)
It’s not glitzy, like Instant Teleseminar or You-Tube videos or anything like that, but it’s the very least you can do to get a professional appearance and not go crazy trying to keep up by emailing your customers one at a time. (They’re incredibly inexpensive too.)
What is your best productivity tip? What is the #1 contributor to getting the right things done quickly and with less struggle?
I don’t really struggle with productivity. I might worry a bit, feel a bit overwhelmed, but I never have been late or missed a deadline for anything in my business. It’s MY business, which means it has my name on it. I have a reputation to uphold, so I do. ALSO, it’s MY business so if something doesn’t feel right, I have the power to change it.
The thing that might get me is email. I love my email! But when I really need to get something done, I turn it off.
I’m a list-maker, so that helps me too. And I’m at the point where really big projects that I don’t want to bother learning about (like setting up my affiliate program), I just hand it over to my amazing VA. And the more you grow, the more you can do that.
Best tip: know that you have more than enough time to get everything done (this is really magical and true), and do things in bite-sized pieces, and write a list. That’s my secret.
What has been your biggest breakthrough, mindset shift or top lesson learned so far?
The fact that I am full of fear and limiting beliefs. This empowers me beyond belief because I can easily recognize them now, and proceed from a rational position. I do get the odd panic attack (and that is what a coach is for, to ground me), but they don’t happen as often any more.
I also got out of the mindset of trying to do everything myself. When I first started out, I didn’t think I needed training or coaching or anything at all. I was trying to run a business on a budget of hardly anything. Guess how successful I was…not at all.
It wasn’t until I stopped being so cheap and hired a coach that I really started to expand, and then you couldn’t hold me back.
You have to spend money to make money, that’s just how it is. If you truly want success, have faith in yourself and don’t let that limiting belief of having to do it all yourself (or that you don’t deserve to invest in you) stop you. You are the best investment to make. I tell that to my husband all the time, “Forget RRSPs you want to be rich? Invest in me!” And I plan to prove it in the next couple of years, much better growth than a stock option and not as risky!
What is one way that other women in business online can help you to be more successful in business?
Not so much help me personally, but to help each other. If you need help with something, invest in it. Stop trying to do everything yourself!
If you need help in marketing, invest in a marketing coach. If you need help with your life vision, get a life coach or purchase some life vision sessions. What this does is increase the flow of money to everyone, and we are all better off when that happens! I’m certainly doing my part to learn as much as I can from the various experts out there.
Connect with Kim on the following sites:
Twitter URL: www.twitter.com/kimberlyenglot
Facebook URL: www.facebook.com/kimberlyenglot
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