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Monday Morning Pep Talks

Monday Morning Pep Talks from Shauna Mackenzie, the founder of Best Kept Self, a community of experts who believe in the power of self-care for the self-employed. Start your week right with a dose of productivity, inspiration, and motivation to get you closer to your business goals while maintaining your sanity.

Latest Episodes:

Getting on my "business shaming" soapbox | MMPT Feb 29, 2016

I’ve been witnessing a lot of “business shaming” happening around me lately.
Meaning, one business owner shaming another type of business owner for it being (or not being) a certain type of “entrepreneurship”.
Business shaming comes in the form of:
Tearing someone down because it’s not a high-growth venture (or because it is).Judging someone for starting a business that isn’t scalable (or because it is).Criticizing someone for embarking on their own career of direct sales.Thinking less of a business owner because they provide a service versus developing a product (or vice-versa).
Whatever it may be, there’s not a clear-cut definition of entrepreneurship that I’ve seen everyone agree upon. Ask people how they would define that word and you’ll find several answers. But when it comes down to one person’s version what it means to be an entrepreneur compared to another person’s version, I’ve witnessed far too often judgement being thrown each other’s way.
Now, there’s no doubt that there are different types and structures of self-employment, entrepreneurship, and business ownership – each with their own dynamic and process. There’s no arguing that a high-growth entrepreneur is different, in many ways, from a lifestyle entrepreneur. I certainly have my own definition of entrepreneurship which some people would or would not fit into. Frankly, on this soapbox, I’m not concerned with the actual definition or what is and what isn’t entrepreneurship. That’s not my issue with business shaming.
Find out what I’m ranting about in today's episode

A list-building technique to get clear on priorities | MMPT Feb 22, 2016

Sometimes there's simply not time to get everything you want to get done, done.
It's hard as a business owner to remember: Not everything is as important as we think it is.
I think that realization in and of itself is one of the biggest challenges facing any entrepreneur. With so much we WANT to do, those wants often get confused with "needs to get done". This becomes a problem when it comes time to prioritize and understand what's more important and what can wait if need be.
I've got a strategy that works really well for me and it's a pretty simple one. Find out what it is on today's podcast.

What are you working so hard for | Monday Morning Pep Talk Jan 25, 2016

I figured it only necessary to share with you one of my favorite parables, seeing as how we are closing out the first month of the year already.
As we end January, complete with our goals for 2016, it's worthwhile checking in with yourself to see if you still understand why you're working so hard and what you're hoping to achieve. I share with you one of my favorite parables; the parable of the investment banker and the Mexican fisherman.

I got stung by solicited feedback | Monday Morning Pep Talk Jan 11, 2016

You guys know how important feedback is to our business. Feedback means growth. Feedback means accelerated success.
But sometimes soliciting and receiving feedback can be a tough path to head down (which is why a lot of people simply don't do it - they're afraid of what they are going to hear).
I recently embarked down my own path of solicited feedback and I'm sharing the response I got. Luckily, I was in the privacy of my own office - alone - and could react first, then follow a more normal protocol in terms of putting that feedback to good use.
So what do you do when you get feedback, especially when it stings?
1. Remember that the purpose of soliciting for feedback is not to hear what you want to hear (although it's great when that happens). The purpose is to hear perceptual truth from potential users.
2. Next ask yourself if their truth is your truth. Is it applicable? Or is that a perception that is irrelevant or misaligned with your purpose and your audience (as it was in the feedback I shared with you - she clearly wasn't my target).
3. Don't over-analyze or make changes based on one assessment alone, especially if that assessment seems a bit extreme. Seek more input until you see patterns emerge.
4. Give it some time. Try to get your feedback or at least react to your feedback in isolation. Chances are, you are going to react. Once you can shake away all the emotions, you can truly process from a practical business standpoint.
5. When you make changes, split test the changes with your original to ensure it really makes sense. This is called an A/B split. Find a way to test both and make a comparison. You may find the original really was better aligned.

Go public with your goals | MMPT Jan 04, 2016

You might of guessed it, this week's pep talk is all about new year's resolutions, and the one thing it takes to ensure successful in reaching those goals.
Also, the link to our private Facebook community is right here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bestkeptselfcommunity/
Click on over and request access!

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