Tag Archives: linda yates consulting

Family First

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Norman Joy Family 1983

Being raised in a large family has been a wonderful blessing in my life. I had the opportunity to live a mile from one set of Grandparents and four miles from the other set while growing up. It was engrained in my life early on how important family is.

Fast forward 25 years later. While working for a technology company, my boss promoted the phrase “Family First.” His values impresses me still to this day.

A family may not be your blood relations. It may consist of friends, colleagues or associates. Family units have one thing in common – a bond that ties each member together. What type of family bonds do you have? I would love hearing about them in the comments below.

One of the most treasured blessings I have experienced, while living the life I have been blessed to live, is that of my family. I am married to the man of my dreams. We married six months after my eighteenth birthday. We have been blessed with 3 children. It has been an amazing experience watching them grow, mature and build their lives.

It is easy for me to get swallowed up in work and the different projects I have. The grounding principle in my life that keeps me balanced is valuing family and taking the time I need to build those relationships.

Business Building Tips

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Business Building Tips

Being an entrepreneur has been a fascinating journey and one that has lessons through every turn. Business building is as important if not more so than working in the business. Taking time to focus on what you want will create the pathway to achieve all of your goals and objectives.

In business building it’s okay to change direction just as if you were planning a road trip. There may be several different routes you could take that will all get you to your destination. If you were to get into the car and just start driving with no thought of your destination, or a plan to reach that destination at a certain time, you would find yourself wasting valuable energy and precious resources.

One of the best business building strategies and tips I have found is to set aside a couple of hours each month devoted strictly to reviewing goals and laying out a path to complete them.

These are the things I have to do in order to have a successful business building session:

1. Schedule a time on my calendar
2. Turn off my phone
3. Shut down email alerts
4. Work in a relaxed atmosphere – sometimes I like to go offsite
5. Stay hydrated

Each of these tips has created a positive environment and experience to my business building sessions. After I have spent time working on my business, I feel higher motivation to achieve my goals and the momentum carries me through the next few weeks of doing the business.

Your business deserves your full attention. The focus on building your business, rather than just being in the business, will pave the road to faster and more stable growth. Are you ready to watch your business grow? Then pull your calendar out now and book it!

Goal Setting

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Goal Setting Impossible

What do you really want? What passions drive your actions? Where do you want to be in 5 years? In 10 years? What steps have you taken to get there?

There is a lot of information out there about goal setting. If you haven’t read a book on goal setting I would encourage you to do so. Some individuals in the world have never set a goal in their life. The magic of goal setting is that it gives you a purpose. By having that purpose, you are able to craft the life and business you desire.

The following are five practices I have implemented in my life to accomplish my own goals. I would encourage you to read them and begin applying them to your own aspirations.

1. Write goals down
2. Look at them every day
3. Write the goal in a positive, personal, and present tense.
4. Assign a date to have the goal completed
5. Have an accountability partner

Having goals that inspire you will create a passion and fire to accomplish them. Sometimes it can be easy to fall into the trap of achieving others’ goals instead of your own. Being clear about what you really want to accomplish will open the doorway to achieving more than you ever thought possible.

This has happened to me on numerous occasions. One of the most inspirational goals for me to achieve was to cross every state’s border in the United States and complete a run. Why this was such an amazing goal for me to achieve was it utilized deep strategic planning skills. Being creative financially in order to make that goal happen was challenging and fun at the same time. Pushing myself further and harder than I thought I could was also a great blessing. Lastly the feeling of accomplishment after running in my 50th state. It was exhilarating knowing that I did something hard and achieved a milestone in my life.

One of the ways I kept myself motivated was by tracking my progress on a map. After I ran in each state I would put a pin on the map to mark it off. I ran 40 of those states in 2 ½ years. It was an amazing experience.

What do you really want? Setting goals for what you desire is the next step to achieving success and realizing the potential you hold in your hand.

74% Fear Public Speaking

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Glossophobia is the fear of public speaking. The National Institute of Mental Health found that 74% of the population fear public speaking. That statistic is huge! I would love to hear if you share this fear. If you do, what techniques do you use to manage that fear?

A few months ago, I was hired to consult with a client who suffers from extreme stage fright. I told them that the secret to managing this fear is to work with it rather than fight it.

Here are some tips that I have found useful as I speak:

1. Take the anxiety and turn it into energy. This has been referred to as taking the butterflies and making them fly in formation. They are still there but directing their energy gives you power.

2. Deliver your speech as if it were a gift that you are giving. Visualizing your performance as if it were a present that you have been excited to share turns the focus from your nerves to being excited to share.

3. Practice. Being prepared is critical to managing your fear. The more you practice the more comfortable and conversational your speech will become. Practice giving your speech to your dog or kids.

4. Exercising. Getting your blood flowing is a great way to manage the fear.

5. Visualization. See yourself receiving applause. See your audience smiling at you. See yourself smiling back. Great performances start off in the mind.

It doesn’t matter if this is your first speech or your 50th. These tips will empower you to deliver an engaging presentation. I know that you are more powerful than you can imagine.

If I can assist you in tapping into that power please contact me via our contact form. Glossophobia doesn’t have to hold you back in achieving your dreams!

Image: Big Heart on Fire

Kicking Email Time Management Blues

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email-overload101

Do you feel overwhelmed with your email inbox? Perhaps you have experienced email time management blues. I have! Kicking these blues seems to be a journey rather than a one-time event.

Comments from friends such “Linda, only touch things once.” I know this deep down but putting it into practice is a little difficult from me. My inbox can get up to a 1,000 emails pretty quickly.

One of the practices that I am trying to implement is to NOT look at my email every few minutes. Putting my iphone aside and turning off Outlook when I’m working on other projects helps me cut the distraction of email.

I am a big believer in responding to all email. One of the values I employ is to be responsive to my clients. That is one of the ways I energize my image. Balancing being responsive and productive seems to be the catalyst to effective email time management.

Another trick is setting aside times in the day to deal with email. That one takes discipline. One of my latest practices has been to group emails that are non-essential and delete. Having email folders is a great way to keep organized. Filtering email is also a huge help. Now, if I could only figure out how to do that on my Macbook with Outlook…

I would love to hear your best practices to email time management.

The Image Energizer

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Lhyates Pic Twitter

A few months ago I was meeting with a colleague of mine while at Starbucks and discussing my quest for clarity with regard to my brand. Pretty comical that I coach and consult on branding and yet would struggle to determine my focused message.

She told me at the meeting that it would come to me. I have to admit I am extremely impatient, just ask my kids! I am the type of person that likes to check off my to-do list and get it done. Thinking and wrestling about what my brand should be was a big undertaking and had tears of frustration that accompanied the process.

Then one morning after tossing idea after idea with my husband, children, advisory team and even siblings, the message crystalized to The Image Energizer. This has been such a big AHA for me. Once it came, it felt right and at the end of the day it doesn’t matter if anyone else approves.

I realize that this journey of clarification is a process and embodies my life’s work, passion and opportunity. I will be sharing more about what this means and how you can benefit in the next few months.

Today, I am really grateful for answers to prayers, the path of challenge and an incredible team that supports. The journey creates the fabric of success and opportunity. What is it that you need clarity on? Reach out and let’s explore together.

Linda’s Tips: How Color Influences Us

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Color has more power than we realize. Color influences the way we feel and how others see us and how we see ourselves. There is an energy that is emitted from the various colors all around us.

Have you ever noticed that when you walk into a room that is painted in a light baby blue tone that it feels cooler than walking into a room that is painted yellow. The energy the color puts off is tangible and used in all the marketing around us.

What are the colors you wearing saying about you? What do you want spoken about you? Color has great power and influence. It can recharge your mind, give you clarity or make your heart beat faster.

Take time to visit your closet and your marketing materials today to gage what the colors that are in your wheelhouse saying to the world.

Thanks for watching Linda’s tips. These tips will assist you in uncovering, realizing and accomplishing your potential. Sign up today for our FREE Newsletter! www.LHYatesconsulting.com

Positivity

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If you want more positivity in your life then you can achieve that goal today by turning off the news! Yes it’s good to be informed, but if you get distracted from achieving your winning edge then avoiding the headlines is your key to success.

I realized this years ago. I was a news junkie. What I began to realize though is it was impacting my attitude and profitability. By turning off the news and focusing on positivity I am able to stay clear in my mind and heart. Light attracts light. Just as avoiding negative individuals paves the way to untapped potential. Positive individuals on the other hand should be your quest.

You always have a choice to seek out positivity or negativity. Think about today how negativity has thwarted your growth. Staying in a winning edge mindset will open your world of possibilities without end.

Try it today – turn off the news and let positivity flow freely into your life!

Post by Linda H. Yates Coaching & Consulting Group.

Thanks for watching Linda’s tips. These tips will assist you in uncovering, realizing and accomplishing your potential. Sign up today for our FREE Newsletter. www.LHYatesconsulting.com

Linda’s Tips: Speaking Off the Cuff

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Have you ever been asked a question by your boss and were caught off guard? Speaking off the cuff can be an art that is mastered. Practice makes perfect. The more you push past your comfort zone the better you will become at speaking off the cuff.

The tendency in responding to a question you are not expecting is to use crutch words such as: ah, um and you know. One of the best ways to respond to something that catches you off guard is to pause and collect your thoughts. After doing so and supplying your response it will center you and your thoughts. You will come across more knowledgeable and confident.

Toastmasters is a great organization to practice speaking off the cuff. You get to practice at each meeting through Table Topics. If you don’t have time to join a Toastmasters near you then have a friend or colleague fire questions at you that you are not expecting. Take a moment to pause and then respond.

You will become a pro at speaking off the cuff in no time!

Thanks for watching Linda’s tips. These tips will assist you in uncovering, realizing and accomplishing your potential. Sign up today for our FREE Newsletter. www.LHYatesconsulting.com

Getting your hands dirty

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dirtyhands
In order to be an effective leader, you need to be willing to get your hands dirty. Jordan Zimmerman in his book Leading Fearlessly states “… I don’t have to master every skill; I just need to understand them.”

In leading your team, they need to know your expectations. They need to see that you are not above “getting your hands dirty” if needed to accomplish what is expected. Whatever it takes is the attitude of the top leaders. The top leader isn’t always top management.

Years ago, I worked for a CEO in a small business with 4 employees. This CEO was going through a business transition. While going through this stressful time, he hurt his back. Because I saw his vision for the company and believed in it – I sacrificed my will and put aside the attitude of “that’s not in my job description” and went to work in creating as much value as I possibly could. Still to this day, he credits me with the praise that I was the one who kept his business going.

I knew a job had to be done – the company needed my energy, devotion and loyalty. It was rewarding to put aside my pride and add deep lasting value. A true leader will recognize your sacrifice. A true leader is willing to sacrifice all to reach a goal.

You can lead today in whatever situation you are in. Put aside pride and go to work. You will be respected and more opportunities will come your way. An effective leader understands that when things are going great – it took teamwork to drive success and the leader credits the team. You have the power within you to achieve more than you every thought possible.

Lead out and on!