Objectives Outcomes

Objectives + Outcomes

January 26, 2015Nina KovnerGROW

“Every journey begins with the first step of articulating the intention, and then becoming the intention.”  Bryant McGill

Here is the audio version of this post. Thank you for listening.

Each day, I find myself asking two questions with my one on one clients and A School Group and felt compelled to share them;

  • What is your objective?

  • What outcome are you seeking?

Let’s begin with the first question.
If you ask me about a strategy or tactic for your business, and I am not clear on your objectives, then I cannot answer your question until I know your objective. Otherwise, I am giving you the wrong answer; it’s simply a guess. And does you no service.

Example:
Your Q.
Nina, should I be spending more time on Facebook, Email, YELP or Instagram?

My A.
I don’t know. What is your objective?

Your A.
My objective is to increase word of mouth and referrals, and I have 2 new stylists who need to get their hands busy. I have very limited resources and I do not yet understand how to engage effectively on social platforms.

My A.
My answer is YELP. This platform is proven, if used effectively, to generate more immediate referrals than any other platform for a service business. That is only if the business is delivering an awesome experience of course.

See how this works? If I simply answered after the first question, I would send you off into the abyss of wheel spinning and most likely you would not get any significant results. If you don’t know why you are doing something, how can anyone really coach you?

Now lets move to the second question.
If you ask me about a program, a challenge, and shift in strategy, a discussion you need to have with a business partner, team member or client, and ask my thoughts on your approach, dialogue, plan, I will most likely respond with… What outcome are you seeking? Again, any answer would most likely not mean anything, as our intentions are the power behind our tactics.

Example:
Your Q.
Nina, I am in a very sticky situation with a client, they said XYZ, what should I do?

My A.
What outcome are you seeking?

Your A.
I would like them to understand the situation and I would like to keep them as a client.

My A.
Ah, OK, here is how I would approach that.

You see, the outcome you are seeking matters. If you want to retain a client, getting into a shouting match of he said she said makes no sense. It’s just hurtful. When in reality, you simply want to communicate the issue, and create resolution.

Outcome matters. It can completely change how we approach situations, decisions, communications and relationships.

Objectives and outcomes. Start there.

Love + Awesomeness-

Nina

PS: A School, my group-coaching program, is designed to empower you, your business, and your life. A School helps keep you on a track to creating awesome. Click here to see if  A School is a good fit for you.

Just Add Awesome blog header

Just Add Awesome

January 19, 2015Nina KovnerGROW, MY TRUTH

“When I get sad, I stop being sad and be awesome instead.” Barney Stinson

Here is the audio version of this post. Thank you so much for listening.

Awesome. It’s not just a word to me. It’s a state of being. And a state of serving. And a state of living a purpose filled life.

Awesome is about standing up for ourselves. It’s about self-love and confidence. It’s about accepting responsibility for pushing ourselves to be the best we can be. It’s about action. It’s about consistency. It’s about courage. And commitment. It’s about communication, and clarity.

If you have ever watched Valley Girl or Fast Times At Ridgemont High, or heard the song Valley Girl by Moon Zappa, you experienced my upbringing. I was born in Encino and raised in the San Fernando Valley in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, and there was a language we spoke. And the foundation of that language was the word AWESOME. Along with OMG, totally freaking out, and many more hilarious parts of the slang hall of fame.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHf089jl9H4

Memories of those days are sweet, and even sweeter, the crystal clear memory of my Father, perplexed and a bit mortified at my language. The language of awesome. I cherish those moments, even more now that he is in Heaven.

In a conversation with a bunch of suits several months ago, I was asked about my title, Chief Awesomeness Empowerer. The suits laughed at the title, but at the same time were so envious. They asked, “How do we get a title like that?” My answer; just add awesome.

You see, we are only limited by the beliefs we set upon ourselves or that are set upon us from society. When the truth is, we are the authors of our own story. When we truly believe that, in our guts, our hearts and our souls, that is when an awesome business + life begin to unfold.

Looking to learn how to create more awesome in your business and life, check out A School, a sacred space of growth and love for creative small business owners.

Love + Awesomeness-

Nina

 

Unmasking Life

Unmasking Life

January 12, 2015Nina KovnerGROW, GUEST BLOGS

Here is the audio version of this post. Thank you so much for listening.

“We have to dare to be ourselves, however frightening or strange that self may prove to be.”  May Sarton

As a child we are immersed into a world of feelings both physically and emotionally. Two predominant feelings are love and pain. Like little sponges, we all absorb these into our body and mind.

Feelings of healthy love create security, safety and being centered. Repeated emotional or physical pain creates fear, sadness, and insecurity.

As children, it doesn’t feel safe enough to heal the pain, so it quietly gets buried in the body. Ultimately as an adult it shows up as:

  • Self- loathing
  • Deep anger
  • Depression
  • Self-sabotage
  • Self-abuse
  • Passivity

You can imagine how difficult it is to live with emotions like these on a daily basis, so over time a survival mask is created. This way, it appears to our co-workers, friends and family that we’re thriving on the outside, but on the inside we’re in pain which can also show up as physical ailments. This altered self-reality to mask the pain looks like:

  • Controlling and blaming others
  • Neediness
  • Busyness
  • Grandiosity
  • Manipulation
  • Emotional highs and lows
  • Addictions
  • Unhealthy boundaries

In business this mask ultimately creates lack of focus, blame, difficulty managing others, stagnant growth and self-sabotage. In personal life it creates unhappiness.

But the joy of living is choosing to free ourselves from our mask to then discover, be delighted by and then share our true self.

It’s a journey from darkness to light that most everyone is now experiencing. It involves challenges, real honesty, creative breakthroughs, setbacks, awareness, guidance, clarity and love.

It’s a beautiful journey we’re all on together as business owners and owners of our life.

Ultimately it’s about practicing being our true unmasked self.

-Nigel Sampson, CEO Whole Body Method and my personal Energy Healer
Nigel Sampson CEO Whole Body Method

To learn more from Nigel and to discover your path to healing and how it can enrich both your business and life, join us at Whole Body Whole Business, March 1 in Los Angeles. Click here to learn more and reserve your space.

(Any opinions expressed by the author are from personal discovery only are not meant to be construed as advice or scientific fact.)

My Three Words 2015

January 5, 2015Nina KovnerGROW, MY TRUTH

“Powerful words come with powerful intent. Where you have passion, strength, courage, and determination you can accomplish anything!”

 K.L. Toth

My-Three-Words-2015

 

Here is the audio version of this post. Thank you so much for listening.

So here we are…. 20 frickin 15! One of my coolest and smartest biz heroes Chris Brogan has been doing a My Three Words practice since 2006. This is where I discovered this awesome intention setting exercise.

Goals to me are just set ups for failure and crushing self worth, so I prefer to set intentions, visions and my three words. We move towards what we focus on, and I firmly believe that if we keep our mind right, the results come. It’s what has worked for me year after year.

My three words for 2015…

Focus
On how I can create and deliver the most value to those I have the honor of serving

Clarity
Seek clarity around what makes my heart sing and do more of that

Action
Take action on the stuff that matters for my body, heart and business

While I would like to think I am pretty good in those areas, I, like many others, get distracted easily. My head plays tricks on me, and taking action on all things of importance is not always my strong suit, particularly in the body department.

So here it is. Simple. No need for more words, they only distract.

What will your three words be for 2015? Wanna share? Click here, I’m listening.

A big shout out to Chris Brogan again for continuing to push and inspire.

Love+Awesomeness-
Nina

Can You Hear Me?

December 8, 2014Nina KovnerGROW, MY TRUTH

“The art of conversation is the art of hearing as well as of being heard.”

William Hazlitt

 

Bed In via Wikipedia

(image via Wikipedia)

Here is the audio version of this post. Thank you so much for listening.

The fifth Chakra, known as the throat Chakra, is associated with speaking and expression.

Now you might be thinking, what the hell is Nina doing talking Chakras? Good question. Not even close to my expertise. Stay with me…

On Saturday, I was in an intense session with a massage therapist who is working with my Chiropractor to figure out why my neck, shoulder and upper back are in so much pain. In fact, I have not really slept in two weeks. Yes I have disc issues, but they are easily treated with through my Chiro, Energy Healer, Therapist and Pilates.

During the session, my awesome massage therapist Peter said… “Something is up with your fifth Chakra.” You are struggling with being heard, or speaking your truth. I’m like, me? Seriously?

And then it hit me, not only have I been struggling with some situations in relation to expression, but my heart has also been so heavy witnessing the injustices of the world, and in particular the intense negativity on social platforms. And I have not spoken up enough about how I feel. As the great Martin Luther King so brilliantly said… “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

What was so interesting about this session, is the evening before, I was awakened at 12:30AM, to passionate protesters marching down my street, for the 5 or 6th time in the last two weeks. I went to the window, and began to weep. The weeping quickly turned to straight up balling me eyes out.

Now it’s beginning to all make sense. My heart is aching for words I have left unsaid, but even more, for the fact that these beautiful and passionate young people, are up at 12:30AM, marching in solidarity, chanting what sadly have become recent trending hashtags #handsupdontshoot and #icantbreathe. I was both sad and inspired. Needless to say, it moved me beyond words.

It also happened to be World Aids Day on December 1st, which brought up a lot of emotion for me, as I thought about marching in protest on Washington DC with ACT UP in the late 80’s, early 90’s. And we were angry. Our chant was “Silence equals death.” A life changing time indeed. And almost a bit eerie that the messages are not all that different. Being seen and heard. Wow.

As humans, we all have a core need to be seen and feel heard. And when we are not, we begin to crumble. This can be expressed with anger, resentment, physical alignments or simply withdrawing from society. If protesters felt seen and heard would things be different? My heart thinks so.

We can take this same thought, and apply it to businesses, as business is life. Do we feel seen and heard? Does our team really feel seen and heard? Do our clients really feel seen and heard?

I can tell you from experience, team members and clients leave our businesses because the answer is no.

So now I have some intense work to do on getting to the bottom of my pain, and maybe you do too.

Love + Awesomeness-
Nina