I was looking at our perception of marketing last time, and I promised you some ideas: here you go!

One proven method to reach the people who are looking for you is to offer some sort of “try before you buy” …

When I started my own business I had no idea what marketing was. I had no idea what I should be doing to attract the people who were ALREADY looking for me!

I was talking previously about how you may feel - for all sorts of endless reasons! - that you’re not ready to follow your dream and embark on the life you really want for yourself.

The fact is - as I will show you! That you ARE ready! really and all you have to do is

I can understand why you may think you’re not ready.

✓ There are always more courses to take.

✓ There are always more exams to pass.

✓ There’s always stuff you don’t yet know.

Working from home!

This is a DREAM for many of us! And being based at home has so many advantages! Can you think of them?

Having learnt all that it meant I was better able to focus on my client rather than be worrying about what to do next! Worrying whether I was good enough!

 These feelings of insufficiency are crippling and unnecessary!

Why waste so much time when you could be out there doing the thing you love?

Helping others with their problems by showing them how to solve them. Feeling satisfied with your life spending time with the thing you’re passionate about!

Having thought I wasn’t good enough, and harbouring guilty feelings about it, I doubled down on learning.

I put my head down and studied.

“I’ll never actually TEACH anyone,” I said to myself, but I do want to know more …

I can remember, back in the day, when I lived and breathed dog training. ALL the time!

I couldn’t get enough.

I competed at a high level with my dogs, got loads of rosettes, certificates, titles.

I went to every seminar available, I read all the books.

“I don’t know where to start!” I hear this all the time.

People with the greatest intentions, the greatest plans, fantastic ideas! And they stop themselves because … “I don’t know where to start.”

Now these people aren’t stupid! Of course they’re not. They’re capable, able people. People who’ve usually been earning their own crust for many years …

We start our new business idea with such great enthusiasm!

We KNOW this is going to be the best thing ever.

We have an irresistible offer,

We have all the knowledge we need,

We KNOW we’re good at what we do.

I have a confession to make.

I was interested in training dogs for years.

I competed at a high level with my dogs for years.

I even made up a couple of Champions.

Is that True or False?

I floated this question in the my private group Creativity Central recently and got ZERO response.

Now either I worded it too obscurely for it to be understood or nobody agreed with me,Or could see any sense in the statement.

We were looking at the kind of nonsense we take seriously when we’re deciding to follow our passion.

Thoughts of insufficiency, and worse - implied criticism or disrespect from those who should be supporting us!

So what should we be saying instead of “I’m a failure”?

I am eternally curious. Think of the 4 year old child who drives everyone mad with endless WHYs. whywhywhy, but Mummy WHY? And somehow I never grew out of that! Whywhywhy is a constant cry of mine.

If all the people who’ve invented things discovered things made our lives better had listened to their inner voice telling them they couldn’t do it we’d still be living in caves! So challenge those thoughts they are NOT gospel! They’re there to hold you back keep you safe - who knows what dangers are out there?

Nothing ever stands still and - as the saying goes nature abhors a vacuum. So if a gap in the market appears the canny folk have been quick to jump in.

Like all the companies who made hay when the pandemic hit, like online conferencing and the like - an essential and much-needed service!

We believe we are limited by the world around us.

We believe that we have been short-changed!

Everyone else seems to have what they need - and we don’t! And you know what? If that’s what you believe, that’s just how you’ll stay.

Imagine how the game would go if there weren’t any!

22 people, running about aimlessly, kicking a ball here or there. Nothing happening. No drama. No joy. No regret.

Just running about kicking a ball.

Like all of us - I made mistakes in my life, whether getting in with the wrong crowd, pursuing the wrong goals, or just not having any direction at all! When I think of what my poor parents had to put up with … 😢

And yet … how many of us are caught up in some sort of Puritan work ethic that means we must not enjoy ourselves?

That enjoying ourselves is somehow self-serving?