Get Ready To Transform Yourself Into A Millionaire Mom!
I am here to share with you a secret…the real truth about millionaires. How do I know? I am one. I have also personally interviewed over 50 millionaire moms and dozens of business experts. Are you ready? Are you sure you can you handle the truth? They are just like you! They had doubts and were scared. They experienced fear. The difference between these moms and the rest of the world is they pushed forward in spite of it. Timing, trends and offering real value have a good bit to do with success but the overall basic personality traits are consistent. These ladies took massive action and refused to give up on their dreams.
Why Should I Set A Goal To Become A Millionaire?
As an entrepreneur you can bring balance to your family life. You have more flexibility. Work becomes redefined. You are working in an area of your choosing. It should no longer feel like work-at least the majority of the time. You will have your own money and independence. Your kids and husband know that you are available if they need you. You will find fulfillment outside of your role as mother. Motherhood is the only job in the world where if you are good at it you will have worked your way out of a job! Your family won’t take you for granted. You will feel validated and stimulated. Your enthusiasm will be contagious. What is more intoxicating then being around someone who soaks up life and is living it full out? That’s what I want for you.
If that doesn’t motivate you maybe these sobering statistics will: 47% of women over the age of 50 are single. 50% of marriages end in divorce. In the first year of a divorce a woman’s standard of living drops an average of 73%. Of the elderly living in poverty 3 out of 4 are women-and 80% of them were not poor when their husbands were alive. Nearly 7 out of 10 women will at some time live in poverty (statistics from Rich Woman by Kim Kiyosaki). As women we no longer have the luxury of sticking our heads in the sand when it comes to money.
So what does it take?
Don’t be surprised to read that you already possess the skills necessary to succeed. As a mom you already do the critical business functions:
Raising a Family Building a Business
Getting the kids to school on time Meeting deadlines
Breaking up sibling fights Managing employees
Setting up play dates Working with outside corporations
Teaching household chores Outsourcing
Paying allowance for work done Accounts payable
You get the idea!
Let’s assume I have convinced you building your own business is what you want for your life. You may be wondering what the next step is?
Idea Challenge
When it came time to start my own business I started scratching my head. I had no ideas. Here is a little exercise I forced myself to do to generate some. First rule is there are no rules. The object is to write ten ideas down each day for ten days. At the end of the ten days you will have hit on something. Do not try to censor the ideas, write down whatever floats into your mind. It doesn’t matter what how silly they are (and believe me you will come up with some really dumb ones!). I did this and I ended up thinking about the business model I had been exposed to working my way through college. I took the concept and applied it to a different industry. The rest is history.
I am in the business of empowering moms. I make it a point to investigate various opportunities available to them. I have either tried these business models myself or studied them. The fields I have identified as being a good starting point for new mompreneurs are: turning a hobby into a business, internet marketing, eBay, multi-level marketing and real estate. The basis for this recommendation is that they combine some or all of the following: financially rewarding, flexible, low risk entry points. In the case of multi-level marketing it has a vast network of people to support you in your quest to grow your business. They have a vested interest in you.
I even found a card system MLM, SendOutCards where you can sell business to business if you like bypassing friends and family. www.goodhabitcards.com
Surround yourself with Mentors
You can save yourself time, money and aggravation by hanging out with people who are smarter and more sophisticated than yourself. I know, I know…you’re the smartest one in your group but perhaps it’s time to expand that circle? To percolate you must circulate. Hanging around the same mugs day after day is not going to enrich your mind or your bank account. There is a saying I incorporate into my own life-you are the sum total of the five people you hang around the most. Take a look around-is this a good thing or a bad thing for you? The right crowd is where we want you! I am not judging anyone here. I am only pointing out that people like us who have goals, dreams and enthusiasm need to be surrounded by positive influences who believe in our efforts. You want to hang around friends who speak of good things and support you in your efforts. My suggestion is to remove yourself from the influence of the gossipers and pessimist who prefer to point out the negative or infect your mind with doubt. After all, to quote my father’s favorite T-shirt, “How can I fly like an eagle when I’m surrounded by turkey’s?!”
That’s great Joyce but I don’t know any smart or influential people. Oh yes you do. They are as close as the nearest library-check out CD’s on tape or go onto iTunes and download podcasts. I highly suggest creating a Mastermind group. The one I am a member of has catapulted my career to new heights and has created friendships that will last a lifetime. What is a mastermind group? It consists of intelligent, highly motivated individuals that come together for the sole purpose of furthering our careers. We listen to each other struggles and triumphs offering our unique perspective on how to overcome or achieve a problem or accomplishment. If you would like more information feel free to email me.
At www.millionairemoms.com you can sign up to receive a CD and a transcript each month from a millionaire mom who has achieved all that you dream of. You hear straight from the source the best tips and strategies in growing a business. You also hear their struggles and triumphs. Our listeners soon realize they can in fact achieve financial success just like these moms did! I know I come away inspired and renewed each time I finish an interview.
Flow
It has been my experience over the past 12 years having bought and sold roughly thirty businesses the deals that were most profitable and enjoyable seemed to have “flow”. What is flow? It is the right doors opening at the right time. It is getting the job done-a lack of resistance. I am not suggesting there shouldn’t be bumps along the way but they should be surmountable without too much anguish and difficulty. I have been on that side of the table too where every step seemed to lead from one roadblock to another and another. In my experience that is the time to re-evaluate. You may not be on the right track.
Fear
Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go. –T.S. Eliot
Worry is a close cousin of fear and 90% of what we worry about never happens so why bother?
Fear is a real physiological state. You can get physically sick from fear. You must learn to control it. Don’t dwell on fear it will draw whatever it is you least want to have happen directly to you. Focus on what you want. That is a key piece of advice. Think about what you want. It will help you on so many levels both logical and universal.
I consider rejection to be a form of fear. If you are afraid to open your mouth and ask for what you want, need or desire you will never succeed. Force yourself to ask. You are no worse off by asking. Think about it-you are already living the “no” answer because you don’t have what you desire. The difference if you ask and they say yes then you will have what you desire.
Action Plan
You have to jump off cliffs and build your wings on the way down -Ray Bradbury.
Outline your plan but then just start. 80% of success is showing up! It’s not that hard folks. Don’t over think it. Nothing happens until you do. All of these topics are great to discuss but if you don’t take action you are wasting genius.
I had a woman ask me last week why she couldn’t seem to find the motivation to turn off the TV and get busy working on her business. My response was, “You don’t want it bad enough. Your business is not important enough and your dreams not big enough.” If you set some exhilarating goals you will have to force yourself to stop. I worked 12 hours yesterday from 5:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. I could have kept going but I wanted to take my kids bike riding and to the pool. I love what I am doing! It’s a grand adventure not drudgery. I live a life of passion! I want that for you too. Dream big my friend.
What can you do today that can get you one step closer to turning your dreams into reality?
Focus
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit. –Aristotle
It’s easy to get distracted. Write down all you need to do in a day then look at the list. What are the top 3 to do’s that will move your business forward the most? If you are not exactly sure ask yourself, “What on this list will make my cash register ring?” Go to Wikipedia and read up on the Pareto Principle. After you learn about it be sure to apply it.
Children
“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not turn from it”
–Proverbs 22:6
I resigned from a job I held for 8 years to be a stay at home mom. I thought my path had been set at last. I was going to be “Super Mom!” The problem was after a time I realized I was completely bummed out staying home. It wasn’t me. Who knew?! It was then that I realized that life is not black and white but rather a messy shade of gray.
Barbara Carey a millionaire mom inventor inspired her son to start inventing. He invented Water Talkies which is distributed through Toys R Us, Kmart and other stores. He appeared on the David Letterman show. At the age of 13 he received the Ernst & Young “Entrepreneur of the Year” award. Children are keen observers. They know what their mom and dad are up too! Why not teach them independence and self reliance by being entrepreneurial?
My piece of advice-ask your children what is most meaningful to them? Don’t assume it’s that trip to “Build a Bear” where you get the privilege of paying $40 for a stuffed monkey that ends up in the Good Will pile a short time later. My teenage son says it’s the “mom stuff”. You know, running across town in heavy traffic because he grabbed the wrong pair of baseball pants for the big game. My middle son likes it when I take him bike riding or for a picnic by the river in our backyard. My youngest child likes me to lie down and snuggle with him each night. All children have different needs. Ask your children what is most meaningful to them. You might be surprised at the answers!
Fear & Failure
The majority of the millionaires I have interviewed have had at least one traumatic experience growing their business. The founder of eWomenNetwork, Sandra Yancey was near bankruptcy taping up boxes for shipment at 2 a.m. exhausted and disheartened. She figured out she needed to work on her business rather than in it. Today she owns North America’s largest women networking group and is very successful.
“What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?” (unknown)
Failure hurts. There is no denying it. I talked to a millionaire mom yesterday who told me she lost $2 million in a deal and had to lay off 300 employees due to her financiers deciding, against her will, to shut down the company. She had given up control for funding the business and it came back to haunt her. Her reaction? She started a new company the next week and now has a business doing revenues in excess of $10 million annually. It’s important to learn from our mistakes both in business and in life. Ask yourself, “What is this situation trying to teach me?”
Sara Blakely from Spanx said growing up her father asked her at dinner at night, “So how did you fail today?” He would be disappointed if his children had not tried something new. This took the fear of failure out of her at an early age…after all she didn’t want to disappoint her Dad!
If you commit with every ounce of your being, refuse to give up, learn from your mistakes, adjust and continue trying again and again for as long as it takes, how can you possibly fail?
Entrepreneurs are like fishing bobs. You can pull us under but we will always rise back up to the top. Optimism is a key trait for us. Instead of telling yourself, “that can never happen for me. Ask, “Why not me?” Have a positive expectation. The very first thing I do when I open my eyes in the morning (even before my beloved coffee) is to thank God for every good thing in my life (which I name specifically) and for all the good things coming my way.
Never Give In
“Whether you think you can or you think you can’t your right”
-Henry Ford
I saved the best for last. This is the piece that will help you take the action you need to in order to become the superstar that you are! I am going to share with you a little of my background so you can see how I got the ball rolling towards success. I am hoping it will inspire you to do the same.
I was born into a large and loving family. My Dad was strict and didn’t coddle his children. He used to flip the light switch on and off at 6 a.m. announcing “All the good people have been at work for hours. Get up!!” My mom is very loving and selfless. She thought we could do no wrong. I was taught by my Dad that “Money doesn’t grow on trees”. He worked extremely hard to support his wife & six children. I knew better than to ask for any money. I already knew the answer, “No!” If it was meant to be it was up to me became my mantra. I became financially independent at an early age. I paid my way through college. I paid for my car, house, etc. I paid for my wedding. I never ran up credit cards. I intuitively knew that would be a big mistake. My mom believed in tithing 10% of everything we had. She believes God provides. To tell you the truth I didn’t like it. I resented it that my mother saw fit to give away 10% of my Dad’s small paycheck when we were in need? Forget the world! We didn’t have heat in our house for two years because the furnace died. I used to sleep in my clothes so I wouldn’t have to change in the freezing cold or I would get dressed in front of the oven in the kitchen. Our only source of heat. We didn’t have TV for a year because that too broke. In hindsight, I see my mother was right. God did provide in unexpected ways that taught me about community and gratefulness. In the end these tough times I experienced taught me independent and resourceful. I chose to take the best lessons each of my parents taught me and apply them to my own life. I am extremely grateful for the life I live now. I truly believe we can all live abundantly. That is why I created Millionaire Moms. I want you to believe that truth for yourself.
I grew up, got married and had a baby. We went from two incomes to one. We kept saving and tithing. This meant one thing…no extra income, at all. As the stay at home mom the creative stretching of the budget landed on me. It was hard to figure out how to live this way. I didn’t like it. I knew we needed more money but I didn’t want to sacrifice my son being raised at home. One night I saw Tony Robbins touting his 30 Days to Personal Power course on TV. He really seemed to know his stuff. I wanted to order that course in a major way. Unfortunately, it was $250.00 which was an outrageous sum of money to me at that time. How in the world was I going to pay for this course if I couldn’t fit an extra jug of laundry detergent into the budget? I’ve never been a fan of credit card debt so that was not an option. Money doesn’t grow on trees is what I heard myself thinking in that moment. I stopped myself and choose to think with an abundance mentality instead, “Ask & it will be given, seek & you will find, knock & the door will open.” Instead of giving up I reframed the question, “How can I afford the tapes?” Once I did this the answer came to me. It just so happened at the time I was tithing $250.00. The exact amount I needed for the tapes. I decided “charity starts at home” and used that month’s donation to purchase the tapes. I listened to the tapes once and then donated them to the local public library. They were very pleased to receive them. I not only got what I wanted but I knew other like-minded people would get to enjoy them as well: a classic “win-win” as far as I am concerned.
I followed Tony’s instructions to the tee. It was then that I decided to start a business which turned out to be the company I took public and turned me into a millionaire mom. What would my life be like now if I choose to simply say, “I can’t afford it?” I think we know the answer. I’d still be struggling wouldn’t I? I chose to go down the path of abundance. You can too. Will your business be as wildly successful as mine? Who knows? You could just as easily be more successful than me. It will require a real commitment on your part to never ending improvement. If you’re the slacker type that’s not willing to work hard and take your lumps along the way (and believe me you will take some lumps) then my suggestion is you adjust to your current standard of living and be satisfied with your lot in life. Sorry, not trying to be mean here but I made the commitment a long time ago to create the very best life I can. I think people who settle are chicken or plain lazy. You’re not a chicken or lazy are you? It’s ok to be scared. We are genetically programmed with the fight or flight response. We can choose to be courageous and take action in spite of our fear. It’s all about disciplining your mind and your focus.
I am not going to leave you hanging if you read this far. I imagine you signed up for the free stuff because you’re either (a) not sure for some reason and a confused mind always says “no” or (b) you want to sign up but don’t believe that you can afford the monthly membership fee. This is where I can help. I mentioned your inner superstar at the beginning of this. If you have read this far then somewhere deep down inside of you where no one else can see you know in your heart that you are capable and deserving of a better life. This is your turn to figure out how to come up with the cash you need to educate yourself from the best business minds out there-millionaire moms. I know for a fact that even just one tip can save you thousands and thousands of dollars or more. I know because I have utilized them myself and been amazed at the results. The membership price is a steal. However, I understand you very well might not be able to afford it at this moment in your life. I am going to challenge you to start the journey now and start reframing your thoughts to “how” you can make things happen in your life instead of wondering “what happened?!” If you would like to receive the monthly interviews but truly just can’t afford it at the moment I am going to give you the chance to earn it instead. You have to work for it but it’s an excellent exercise in examining how badly you want to change your life for the better. As Coach Manus from Roswell High School taught me in 10th grade economics, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” Your payment will come in the form of you getting 10 of your friends to check out my site and sign up for this free report. I will then send you the mp3 download and transcript of the month for free. All you have to do is email me the list of friends who signed up. I’ll double check it against my records. They are not obligated to buy anything and they get the freebie. A large part of success is being able to develop effective relationships. If you can’t get 10 people to do you a small favor then I suggest you go to the library and check out “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie and get back to me later. “But Joyce my friends are total slackers. They won’t lift a finger to support me.” If this is the case then you need to find a new circle of friend’s then. If you truly don’t have ten friends to sign up then get 5 referrals to do so and write a testimonial for me. Sound fair? I need to grow my business and you need mentoring. Sound fair? I want the best for you. I really do. Yes, I plan to make money off this site but its goes way deeper for me then that. It’d be a whole lot easier on me to just pay for advertising but I want to help you. Change a mom and you change the world. Let’s change the world together!
Joyce Bone, founder of www.millionairemoms.com a web-based resource designed to help entrepreneurial moms find—and achieve—their own versions of success, whether that means launching a new venture or growing an existing business. Joyce speaks for corporations and public audiences, is an author & writes columns for Southern Savvy magazine & Glow magazine. She serves as a coach to top level executives and individuals. To receive her newsletter which offers strategies in achieving greater success at home and at work, subscribe at www.millionairemoms.com. Joyce can be contacted directly through www.joycebone.com or visit her blog at www.millionairemoms.wordpress.com
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