I absolutely adore Finding Nemo AND this article written by Debbie LaChusa, NAHBM Founder & President. It’s fantastic advice for home-based business moms and women in business online too! Enjoy! ~ Gina xo

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Lessons for creating a successful home-based business sometimes come from the most unexpected places. I was watching “Finding Nemo” the other day with my son and husband (yes, we still enjoy Disney movies even though my son is 17 years old!) and I recognized some great success tips I wanted to share.

Finding Nemo Success Tip #1: Adopt a little Short Term Memory Loss

Remember Dory, the little blue fish brought to life by Ellen DeGeneres? Well Dory suffers from short term memory loss and as a result finds herself constantly living in the moment, because she often doesn’t remember what just happened.

We laugh in the movie as Dory keeps repeating herself, however the underlying lesson here is to notice how much fun Dory always seems to be having because she is so present to what is happening NOW. Even when Dory and Marlon are swallowed by the whale, Dory spends her time riding the “waves” and having fun, while Marlon frets about trying to find a way out. In the end Dory “listens” to the whale and they escape easily out of his blow hole. Hmmm, how could you apply this lesson to your life and business?

Finding Nemo Success Tip #2: Just Keep Swimming

I often say the only way to fail is to give up. I believe that “tenacity trumps talent” when it comes to building a successful home-based business, and that those who keep getting back up after they’ve been knocked down are the ones who succeed.

I love the scene in Finding Nemo when Dory in her sing-song voice tells Marlon to “just keep swimming … just keep swimming” because it’s such great advice. No matter what happens, just keep swimming and you will succeed.

Finding Nemo Success #3: The Power of a Team

Does Marlin set out to find Nemo on this own? Well, at first he does, but he quickly teams up with Dory. Then Marlin shares the story of how Nemo was taken by the diver with the other fish in the sea, who pass the word along, until it finally gets to the pelican in Australia. Eventually the pelican is the one who reunites Marlin and Nemo. Could Marlin have found Nemo this quickly on his own – I doubt it!

Remember this the next time you’re playing lone ranger, and ask yourself how would the power of a team (even if right now that means just one more person helping you) enable you to get the job done quicker?

Finding Nemo Success Tip #4: Let Go and Go with the Flow

As home-based business owners, we often work very hard to get results in our business. We think we have to figure out how to do everything, and we just expect that hard work is what it takes to succeed. The reality is, when we learn to let go, and be open to inspired ideas, and then take action on them, success comes much easier and more quickly. But we have to let go for that to happen. We have to be willing to get out of our own way and “go with the flow” so to speak, which can be scary for some of us.

Remember Crush and the sea turtles riding the EAC (Eastern Australian Current)? Not only are they having fun riding the current – going with the flow! – but they get where they’re going quickly and easily. When Squirt, the baby sea turtle, gets a short lesson in letting go and riding on his own, Marlin – who has a lot of mindset issues! – is worried, but Crush encourages Marlin to just let Squirt experience it. The result? Squirt learns how to ride the EAC and he has a blast doing it! In fact, Squirt is the one who tells Marlin and Dory how to escape the EAC (even though they have trouble understanding his instructions!).

What are you working too hard to make happen right now? And how could you let go and go with the flow?

Finding Nemo Success Tip #5: The Power of the Mastermind

Yes, there is a great example of masterminding in Finding Nemo. When Nemo ends up in the fish tank in the dentist office, all the fish put their heads together to find a way to get Nemo out of the tank and back to the sea. They work together toward the common goal of freeing Nemo. And together they succeed. At the very end of the movie, they even succeed at getting themselves out of the tank and into the sea! Although they’re a bit stumped about what to do next! However, I have no doubt, they’ll figure that out too, together.

Just because these success tips come from a cartoon, does not make them any less valid. In fact, these are the very same strategies I’ve used to build successful business after successful business. I encourage you to give them a try. And if you haven’t seen Finding Nemo in a while, fire up the DVD player and enjoy a family movie night. Your kids will enjoy the show, and you’ll be getting some great business advice!

(C) 2009 Debbie LaChusa

Debbie LaChusa is the founder, president and CEM (Chief Entrepreneurial Mom!) of the National Association of Home-Based Business Moms (NAHBM). A former marketing executive, Debbie began her work-at-home journey 20 years ago when her daughter was born. She has run her own home-based business since 1998, has coached thousands how to market their own home-based businesses, and is the author of the book, The Career-at-Home Mom. You can learn more and register for your Free Membership in the National Association of Home-Based Business Moms at http://www.nahbm.com