The Letter C

March 17, 2014Nina KovnerENGAGE, GROW

It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives. It’s what we do consistently.  -Anthony Robbins

 

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

So what does it take to create awesome? Over the last couple years, and really, over my entire career I have studied many businesses, including my own. I am one for keeping things real, and simple. While there are several ways to create awesome and people are doing it every day, it is the following traits and actions that I see which are some of the most important, and conveniently enough, they all begin with the letter C, so I call this the Creating Awesome Recipe.

Confidence

Believing your awesome and learning to love yourself and believe in you. This is absolutely the biggest roadblock to awesomeness in the professional beauty + wellness industries in my experience. You can have all the education and motivation in the world, BUT, if you do not feel deserving of success and happiness, another class or workshop will not help you. Truth.

Courage

Turning your fears into creative fuel. Learning to say YES, and more importantly, NO! It’s a decision. It’s a choice. Make it.

Clarity

Discovering your awesome and finding your purpose, promise and passion for yourself and your business. When you have clarity, those around you will too. If you want people to buy into your vision, seek clarity first, and then share it.

Consistency

Living your awesome and creating systems, processes and plans for growing your business, consistently.  This holds true in business and in life.

Commitment

Are you prepared to make it happen, even on the days you don’t feel like it? Enough said.

Connections

Sharing your awesomeness by engaging and marketing online and off to grow yourself, your team and your business.  Creating deep connections with the world around you brings so much more meaning to owning and leading a business.

Communication

George Bernard Shaw once said,” The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”  Truer words have never been spoken. Communicate with your team, clients and community. They will be grateful, and you will be a much happier owner, leader and awesomeness creator.

So there you have it. Pick one, work on it, then move to the next. Rome was not built in a day… and neither are our businesses or lives.

(shared with LOVE from Nina)

Another Brick In The Wall

January 13, 2014Nina KovnerGROW, MY TRUTH

The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. – Randy Pausch

Starting, creating, owning and running a small business is not for the faint of heart. It seems almost everyday I witness hopeful, bright-eyed future entrepreneurs “start” a business. And sadly, I see almost as many crash and burn, give up or walk away.

We have all heard the saying, if it was easy, everyone would be doing it. Truer words have never been spoken.

The last few years have been some of the most difficult of my life, yet some of the happiest and most rewarding.  It seems everyday, there are more bricks, or what seems like boulders in my way.

If you are thinking about becoming a small business owner, of living your dream, here are some of my AHAS the last couple years that may be helpful for you to decide whether you want to venture into ownership.

This is not a list of how to determine if you are meant to be a biz owner, that is a different blog, I am talking about deep in your heart and soul, are you ready to do whatever it takes.

1. Are you courageous enough to stick it through, even in the worst times?

2. Are you comfortable with being insanely uncomfortable?

3. What are you willing to sacrifice?

4. Are you strong enough to bust through the bricks and obstacles that will be placed in your way?

5. Are you committed to consistently, day after day, building your dream, and not just when you feel like it?

Why am I sharing this with you? I work with small business owners every day. I am a small business owner and many times I am accused of being overly positive and optimistic.

I do choose to see the best in everything. It is a daily choice. However, that does not mean I do not have struggles. I do. Every single day.

On any given day during the week, this is what happens in my world…

“OMG what the hell am I doing” pops into my head, more often than I care to admit, but am now.
I cry. A lot.
I get stuck.
I stare into space.
I get scared.
I get insecure.
I am overly critical about my work, this blog included.

And what I have come to learn is that all of that is normal. Well, normal for someone who is passionate and ballsy enough to take the road less traveled.

The bricks are there for a reason. We can either see them as an obstacle or a gift. The gift being, each time we break through, we become stronger and more courageous.

And that is the gift. Courage. To live our purpose. Because when we do, we are giving the world and ourselves the greatest gift of all. Our happiness.

(shared with LOVE from Nina)

Be All In

The Awesomest of 2013

December 30, 2013Nina KovnerGROW

“Work is love made visible.”

Khalil Gibran

 

Be All In

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

So here we are, the last couple days of 2013, a year that may have been your awesomest or not-so-awesomest. Which gets me to thinking about how we determine awesome. Is it based on numbers, milestones, happiness, bank balances, relationships, resolutions kept, or broken?

For me, awesomeness is how I helped empower the people who I love. How I showed up for my family, friends and community. But what is important to remember is we all define it differently.

To be able to attain awesomeness, it requires courage, commitment and consistency. A great example of that is this blog. Blogging is new to me, I wrote my first blog in March of 2012 and have blogged either every day, week or month since.

It took courage to put myself out there, not being concerned about haters, but being driven by the value I was hoping to deliver, it took commitment to be “all-in”, no matter what was happening in my life, I made a commitment and stuck with it. And lastly, it took consistency, which is one of the greatest opportunities I see for so many small businesses.

Many of us get an idea, and start strong, then over time, for whatever reason, begin to fade. Consistency is what is gonna keep us in the game. I had the courage to make a commitment to be consistent, that is how I have built Passion Squared to be the awesome business it is today.

With that, I will share with you the Awesomest Blog Posts of 2013, awesomest defined, in this case, by the most unique views.

1. Gary Vee Cares

Gary Vee Cares

2. So Much Education, So Little Change

So Much Education, So Little Change

3. I Can See You

I Can See You

4. 8 Ways To Create Awesome On Your Website

8 Ways To Create Awesome On Your Website

5. 5 Steps To Increase Engagement on Facebook

5 Steps To Increase Engagement On FacebookMany of these are my faves, which tells me that what I am creating is adding value and resonating with you. And that my friends, is the awesomest of all and I am so grateful to be able to serve you.

As we move into 2014, I want you to begin asking yourself what awesomeness means to you, your customers and your business. If it is not crystal clear in your mind, take a moment to get quiet and think. We move towards what we focus on, and my wish for you is to continue to move towards your awesomeness, however you define it.

(shared with LOVE from Nina)

Awesome businesses

The Execution Dilemma

July 29, 2013Nina KovnerGROW

“It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives. It’s what we do consistently.”

Anthony Robbins

Awesome businesses

Here is the audio version of this post. Thank you for listening. Enjoy.
The Execution Dilemma

While doing the research for this post, I came across some very different takes on the concept of consistency in business. So let me start off by saying this is not about stifling creativity, but crafting a system of thinking, creating and doing that awesome businesses have in common.

When I think about awesome businesses, and I am passionate about studying them and working with them, they all share one thing in common; they are passionate about executing the fundamentals consistently. So what the heck does that mean?

Here are some examples…
Zappos is passionate about consistently executing awesome service and delivering happiness.

Apple is passionate about consistently delivering solutions through design and innovation. They are passionate about thinking different.

Facebook is passionate about consistently executing ways for us to be more connected.

Starbucks is passionate about consistently executing an experience.

Hairbrained is passionate about consistently executing a platform that allows us to share our art (and passion).

Passion Squared is passionate about consistently executing ideas and tools that empower people + businesses.

So what are some fundamentals in the salon biz that we can passionately execute consistently? Here are a few in the marketing, client care and leadership areas…

  • Sharing our brand story & our why

  • Greeting clients at the door

  • Answering the phone (and email)

  • Pre-booking

  • Asking for referrals

  • Professional hair care recommendations

  • Recognition of team members and clients

  • Responding to team members and clients

  • Team meetings

  • Menu’s and brochures

  • Website design and updates

  • Inbox marketing (email)

  • Facebook (or any other social platform) posts, reply’s, responses, design

  • Pricing strategy (products & services)

  • Merchandising and promotion

The list above is certainly not complete, but the point is are you consistently executing your fundamentals?

One of the greatest opportunities I see in our industry is executing the fundamentals consistently. Not stifling creativity, actually quite the opposite. If we can commit ourselves to execution, our creative ideas may actually see the light of day. Small business may actually thrive instead of the continued struggling I see each and every day, wondering why they are not making it happen.

I consistently execute my blog every Monday. While the content (the creativity) changes each week, the fact that I do not miss a week is the point. I consistently execute. And by doing that, I deliver value, meet or exceed expectations of the community and in turn grow my business.

Think about it like fitness and health. If the outcome you desire is having a healthy mind and body, you make a decision to consistently execute the fundamentals; make good food choices and move. While the food and activities change, the fact that you make good food choices and move daily does not.

If you know you are not consistent in executing the fundamentals, then find someone who is and engage them to help you. Whether it’s a coach, a mentor, a friend, a co-worker, a team member, whoever, just get honest and clear as to what you need to make it happen.

There is no secret. If someone is telling you there is, save your time and money and walk away. It’s a lie.

Today I challenge you to take a look at your business fundamentals. How are you doing on the consistency and execution side of things? Can you do better? Think about it. Do you need help? It’s available.

(shared with LOVE from Nina)