Embracing the overwhelm?!

I know, I know…it sounds off the wall but I hear so many people say they’re feeling “overwhelmed” these days and then tend to stay there. Consider that the energy of overwhelm is really that of EXCITEMENT of what’s to come as you reach a crossroad during your journey! What’s coming up are all the choices you have & the decisions that need to be made. The anticipation mingled with fear may not feel exciting in the moment but you can easily shift it to raise your vibration. I suggest when you feel this way, acknowledge the feelings that are coming up and know they are perfectly fine. Acknowledge the exciting crossroad you have arrived at and know that you’ll always make the right decision. Regardless of what may seem like confusion or chaos in front of you, just take a moment to be still and ask what your heart wants right now. Listen for an answer… it will be clear in the stillness.
Take action only after you feel you’ve received your answer and you feel confident in making choices that totally support you. When I regularly practice this technique, I glide through making business & life decisions at a much higher vibration, and not out of fear.

7 Practical Steps To Create The Business of Your Dreams, Part 1

Planning and launching a successful business calls for many elements to be aligned including, vision, planning commitment, etc. There’s a sequence of events that lends itself to success in our Free Enterprise system and if you follow them, you can dramatically improve your chances of success. Businesses that get stuck or lose momentum are usually out of sequence and you merely need to refer back to the model to get back on track.

I’ve put together 7 very practical core steps to launch a business successfully. These strategies apply primarily to an offline business and when I use them for online projects, they help me accelerate.

1. Clarify your VISION.
Take some time to understand what you want YOUR life to look like and are you passionate about what you’re doing? Does this new concept fit the lifestyle you desire? Check in with experts to help initially validate your idea. It’s critical that you’re personally aligned with your business otherwise you’ll lose steam or possibly sabotage efforts along the way. Could be a great idea but if you don’t love it you won’t follow through. You may absolutely love your idea but if the risks outweigh the rewards or the market isn’t big enough, it may not be worth the effort. If you’re in business now but losing steam, go back and find your purpose for it again to renew your passion!

2. PLAN for success.
You may opt to do this in stages but some business planning is essential for success. As with any journey, a roadmap is necessary in order to quickly and safely get to your destination. Same premise applies for your business. It’s also much easier to test your concepts on paper first before investing too much time and money. The planning stage is a great time to detail your markets, the products & services you’ll be offering, how you’ll serve your customers and how much it will cost to accomplish all of the above. This is where I would also perform beta testing or achieve local sales to “test the waters” so to speak. Validate along the way before launching full out! I have worked with many clients who thought their business would look one way but when we worked it out on paper, they realized another expression would be best.

3. Build a TEAM.
The sooner the better! Start looking for people who can assist with industry expertise, business development, those who represent your market, support you emotionally, mastermind your concepts, etc. Those who will fill in the gaps of your plan--- will you be a retail store, an online entity, print catalog?? These people will work ON your business. You’ll also want to attract operational, sales and marketing support when the time is right--- plan for it so that you can activate a wonderful manifestation cascade! When we work through this process with our clients, they inevitably come to realize that the people they most needed in their business were already in their life. They just hadn’t properly defined the support they needed. This was the case for Cathy who realized, after working through this step, a high level contact she needed to a sports organization was someone she actually knew and had access to!


4. Plan for and access Funding Resources.
There are literally DOZENS of ways to fund your business so it’s not necessary to struggle without having the proper resources. Unless you’re completely capable of self-funding, skipping this step could result in sluggish starts, lots of stress and a general failure to launch. Establish a funding plan early on and start accessing the resources BEFORE you need them so that you’ll have what you need for salaries, product development and to execute a proper sales and marketing plan. HINT: “create a viral marketing campaign through word of mouth” isn’t necessarily without costs. Funding could include pre-selling strategies, corporate sponsors, business lines of credit and private investors.

In our next issue I’ll share Part II and the remaining 3 strategies. Maria Simone helps those who want to transform their talents to create 6 and 7 figure businesses. Learn more at http://www.passion2prosperity.com

Build your business without working harder?

I have to tell you I was brought up with the notion that financial success = HARD work & struggle.
Even though my family was financially comfortable growing up, I hardly saw my father as he managed his busy law firm.
I also don't recall many people in my life expressing passion for the work they were doing... mostly working to make a living.
I do remember a fun-loving cousin who was the only real entrepreneur of the family yet who was regularly laughed at for having "pipe dreams".
Ah, such is life! I'm sure I wasn't alone.

Needless to say, I worked very hard for all of my past professional and financial successes but 7 years ago that started to change as I immersed myself in spiritual transformation and personal growth.
I was absolutely committed to creating abundance with more ease and flow!

Today, I've learned to infuse more CONSCIOUS business building strategies into everything I do and it has had a dramatic impact on my professional advances, relationships, opportunities presented, flow of income, and so much more.

Tuesday, May 19th, is our next monthly "Abundance Mastermind Group" Coaching call and I'll be presenting :
"Creating Prosperity with Conscious Business Building Strategies"

You've heard about the Universal Laws but do you know how they specifically apply to your business?
I've found out many people either don't know or just get think it's all about Law of Attraction.
On Tuesday, I'll share my secret recipes with you. I specifically focus in on the areas of money flow, productivity, joy, & relationship.
This is where they've had the greatest impact in my life and business. Believe me, we're going BEYOND Law of Attraction.

How would YOU like to join us and receive 2 months FR*EE in my Abundance Mastermind coaching group?
Simply go to http://passion2prosperitybook.com/ and when you purchase my ebook & audio program at the discounted price, you'll receive your complimentary membership.(Existing Members in good standing will receive specific details soon...you're invited to simply share this with others.)

Without working HARDER in your business, on our call I'll show you how to:

*Dramatically increase productivity
*Improve your business relationships so people are really supporting you
*Gain more respect & support from your peers as well as mentors
*Attract more customers, investors and contracts for accelerated growth
*Quickly increase your revenue to move into ease and flow

I've done it for myself, I've been showing my clients how to do it and now I'm sharing it with you----for FR*EE.
http://passion2prosperitybook.com/ <---- click to purchase & teleclass details will be emailed immediately.

If after our call you feel that the strategies I share have no bearing on YOUR life, I would be HAPPY to issue you a refund. I know this call will change your perception of how you do business AND life so don't miss out!

To your SUCCESS!
Maria Simone

PS Want more step-by-step support? There's still room in our Protégé Program http://passion2prosperity.com/program

Marketing Strategies I Learned Studying Epidemics

During my years training to be become a pharmacist, I studied epidemiology ---the study of disease origin & spread--- and subsequently did a rotation at the New York City Poison Control Center & Bellevue Hospital. Not exactly cocktail party conversation! Studying the history of epidemics taught me a lot about marketing although I didn’t realize it until years later. Most of us have seen the media hype about the swine flu but what you don’t see is the behind the scenes activities of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), WHO (World Health Organization) and other agencies involved. There are very controlled, predictable, scientific and highly measurable methods being applied to quickly isolate the origin of the illness, know ideal conditions for infection, ID the organism markers to create a vaccine, and ultimately prevent the spread of it. So while the media was questioning whether or not this would prove to be a devastating pandemic, I had 100% confidence that it would be contained sooner than later (with prayers going out to those who have been affected).

The nature of an epidemic is predictable once you understand what to look for and while the world is working on activities to PREVENT the spread of the illness, some of these same activities can be applied BACKWARDS in marketing to achieve “epidemic” results (or “viral” results as it’s more commonly called). I apply these strategies when marketing for new customers, meeting ideal investor candidates, or attracting perfect Joint Venture candidates.


1. Identify the point of origin.
Every epidemic has a first encounter--- the first infected--- and it’s important to know who that person is to better understand the inherent characteristics that activated the spread of the disease. In marketing, those would be your IDEAL clients. What conditions must be present for them to not only have a sense of urgency working with you or buying from you but also cause them to TALK about you? Who benefits the most from what you do? Who has the most to gain? Experiencing the biggest results? It’s not necessarily a demographic but a physical person --- especially if you want to recreate the same conditions in others!


2. How is it specifically transmitted?
As it relates to the Swine Flu epidemic, the method is close airborne transmission. Therefore people are encouraged to wear masks, avoid contact with eyes and wash their hands frequently. When you understand who your ideal client is, then it’s important to understand how to enable them to quickly spread the word about you. Word of mouth, video, some type of collateral material? You’ll want to do what it takes to make it very easy for your client to carry out this activity. Study their patterns and then completely enable and simplify the process. Don’t make it complicated!

3. Follow the formation of clusters.
You’ll inevitably have isolated clusters of individuals being infected. From a marketing perspective you want to study and recreate those conditions to increase the frequency of clusters until all the clusters are ultimately connecting. You could start out simply by following in the footsteps of your ideal client by going where they go, know who they know, etc., until you connect with others with the same characteristics.

4. Focus your efforts on those most “susceptible”.
The entire population could be at risk for infection but realistically there’s always a smaller subset that is most susceptible and that’s usually where resources are allocated. If the risks are dramatically reduced with that smaller group, then the larger population will most likely be safe. So in marketing, it’s wise to allocate your resources on a subset of the population—your niche. You’ll be able to penetrate that market quickly with laser focus and then will be able to spill over to the rest of the population.

5. Watch for mutation and respond according.
It is expected that the infecting agent will change and mutate as time goes on--- that’s precisely why a new flu vaccine is released once each year in August and then destroyed after May. Accepting that “change is constant” in your market will help you stay on top of your game and prepare accordingly. Stay in touch with your ideal clients, make sure you’re regularly meeting their needs.

6. Gather all your data and formulate a vaccine.
Ideally there will be enough initial epidemiology data to immediately start working on a cure (if none is available) and a vaccine for prevention. As part of your marketing campaign, you’ll want to carefully study what’s working and package that into a process that can easily be duplicated over and over. That’s a key to automation and quickly getting your message out to the masses.

7. Be bold, communicate big, make a lot of noise!
The agencies involved with any epidemic have a very defined emergency response program in place to reach the general population with warnings and instructions. They depend on the coordinated support of others to help them in this regard. Includes reverse 911, daily reports to the media outlets (newspapers, TV and radio), schools texting students, and much more. Your marketing (in the form of education, instruction, relationship building, etc) should also include big and bold communication with the help of others so people will listen to YOUR message and take action.

You can actually watch these events being played out during the current Swine Flu epidemic. ~~ Maria Simone helps those who want to transform their talents to create 6 and 7 figure businesses. Learn more at http://www.passion2prosperity.com/

Seriously, is that what you're wearing?

I'm not a makeover specialist but I do know that intuitively, how you present yourself can make a big difference on how you energetically feel as well as how others perceive you. If you maintain impeccable grooming and dress at least one notch more formally than everyone around you, you will immediately be placed in a subtle position of authority, safety and trust with those around you. If that's you're desire, than go for it. Also, beware of clothing that's too restrictive, no matter how fashionable it is. Others may actually feel that way around you and not know why. So be conscious of how you want to be perceived and the scenario you'd like to create in any situation, then dress accordingly.

9 Ways to Keep Yourself Motivated and Moving Forward in Business

Part of the excitement of being an entrepreneur is often in the creation mode of having a brilliant idea, getting the thumbs up from those you admire, and seeing your concept take on a life of its own. Right? A benchmark of "success" could be in seeing that idea fully expressed with products and services being sold at a profit. However, it's how and if you make the journey from CONCEPT to FULL EXPRESSION which really makes all the difference of whether you succeed or not. It's not necessarily about how great your idea is. With that said it's no wonder that many great ideas never make it out there in a big way. Looking back it's often because the entrepreneur just gave up.

So if you have a great idea and you're passionate about what you're doing, here are some strategies you can use to maintain a high vibration around your project and help keep you motivated and moving forward:

1. Celebrate after each milestone is achieved.
Don't think you have to wait for the end of the journey to celebrate as success will occur at many points along the way. So take the time to acknowledge and celebrate these milestones and you'll stay motivated for longer periods of time. Could be that you've finished building your team, prototype being ready, first investor check has arrived, first order, etc.

2. Stay focused on what's driving you.
Keep constant reminders around of why you're doing what you're doing to help you stay motivated. It's easy to lose site of why you're in business during the rough patches. Also, it helps to have a vision that is much bigger than just making money such as helping the community or healing the planet.

3. Surround yourself with incredible people---ditch the downers!
Gracefully let go of relationships with people who do not know how to support you on your journey. Replace them with people who know how to lift you up, have traveled a similar path and can alleviate your fears, will open doors for you and generally make your life easier.

4. Create a routine that fosters creativity, accomplishments, & manageable tasks.
I find my productivity is maximized and I can keep my vibration high if I break my day down into 2 hour activity increments as well as create a priority list that is reasonable. Part of my time is spent in creative activities with no interruptions, specific revenue generating activities as well as operational tasks. I also include daily breaks and quiet time in the mix. Keeps me engaged and motivated throughout the day!

5. Give yourself permission to do the tasks that you love and delegate what you don't.
Entrepreneurs think they have to wear ALL the hats in their business and work on everything all at once. If you're consistently doing activities you don't enjoy, you'll quickly lose your passion and motivation to see it all the way through. Give yourself permission to focus on those activities you enjoy and are good at and commit to attracting the right people who can do the rest.

6. Respect the learning curve.
Chances are you're traveling down a path you haven't traveled before so in addition to having to make the best decisions for your business, you'll also need to set aside some time to learn about the resources so you can make the best informed decision. It's important to add your learning curve into the equation otherwise you'll always feel you're lagging behind and this could be very de-motivating. Another way to overcome this is to make sure you have people around you who possess the very skills you may be lacking.

7. Take time out for self-care no matter what.
No, you won't necessarily get there any faster if you work nonstop. You'll probably burn out first. Even just taking 15 minutes a day to be still, meditate or just process your day can make a world of difference. This is also a good time to maintain a daily exercise regimen and healthy diet. It's also important to have some down time once a week, no less than once a month. Stepping away will keep you fresh, rested, motivated and more productive.

8. Stay connected, avoid isolation.
It's important to immerse yourself in your industry and to network with peers and mentors. This can be accomplished by "showing up" at various events for direct contact to these people and other prospective resources. Besides the relationships, the exposure to people in similar situations will help you stay connected and motivated. This can also be accomplished with the use of social networking tools. I love Twitter for this reason!

9. Take time to acquire the resources you need.
Struggling for long periods at a time on a "shoe-string" can be tiring and will quickly lead to lack of motivation. Take the time to acquire the proper funding, equipment, etc., before you put yourself too far out there on a limb.

Application of these strategies will help you stay motivated and experience more joy as you're ramping up your business! Maria Simone helps those who are in various stages of planning, packaging, and launching their businesses acquire the resources they need AND STAY MOTIVATED at http://www.passion2prosperity.com

7 Strategies To Help You Quickly ATTRACT Investors

This week's article is about positioning yourself to become more attractive to capital. If you're not raising capital however, just substitute any comparable resource you desire to have. It still works since the emphasis is on attracting what you need next!

Prospective investors are all around you ---there is no shortage of money. The key is, the more prepared you are, the more compelling your investment opportunity becomes. Raising capital from investors or acquiring the proper resources you need is a right of any entrepreneur and one of the best ways a growing business can assure its success. Learn how to compel others to invest rather than you "chasing" the money. Here are the top 7 things you can do right from the beginning to build value in your business and help you become more ATTRACTIVE to the money. This list is only a guideline and it should not be implied that all these are absolutely necessary to be successful in this process...it just helps to accelerate your efforts.

1. Develop a healthy relationship with money and know that you deserve to have it.
Money is just energy and capital is just one of the many resources necessary to grow your business. If you become too attached to this process or have a sense that your self-worth is tied to how much money you have, you may actually repel investors.

2. People invest in PEOPLE.
Make sure you've taken the time to attract the right mentors and advisors to support you during this process to help you attract the resources you need. There are others who have made this journey successfully before you so find out who they are and attach them to your project somehow. Investors and sponsors are more inclined to put their money into a project with a management and advisory team that has a proven track record. If they've done it once, they are more likely to re-create their success.

3. Do what you can to prove out or VALIDATE your concept.
Includes developing your markets, monetizing some aspect of your business, building a database of prospective customers, forming strategic Alliances and Joint Ventures, and/or obtaining purchase orders and letters of interest whenever possible. Bottom line, investors and sponsors are more inclined to take notice if you can show that there really is interest in your products and services.

4. Develop a Business Plan.
One that illustrates the market you're serving, describes your products and services and details how you plan to get them in the hands of your customers. A plan is also a great visual representation of what you desire to have and that alone will help you begin manifesting whatever you need to make it happen.

5. Obtain as much protection for your Intellectual Property (IP) as possible.
Having a patent, or the opportunity to patent your IP, is generally the most attractive IP opportunity to an investor. If not a patent, make sure you have the opportunity to create future IP such as trademarks and copyrights to show that your products and services will not become obsolete. Protect what you can up front to assure interest from investors but if that's not possible now, make sure you have a plan to do so in the near future.

6. Get connected!
Investors will have a higher degree of confidence and interest in an entrepreneur who knows how to network and easily connect to the resources he or she needs. Join groups that support your agenda, connect with your community, show up at industry related events, tap into the power of social networking.

7. Make sure you are passionate and invested in this process yourself and be able to clearly articulate that to investors. Investors want to know how much time and money YOU'VE invested, how passionate YOU are, how far YOU'RE willing to go with it and how stable YOU are emotionally and financially so that they know you'll have staying power. The more committed you are to making the "journey", the more attractive you will become to investors.

Application of these items will help you become super-attractive to money and other resources! Maria Simone helps those who are in various stages of planning, packaging, and launching their businesses acquire the resources they need at http://www.passion2prosperity.com