Happy Summer!

I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend!

It's now official....summer has begun. Schools out, the grill is hot, lawn mowers are humming, gardens are growing, pools are splashing, kids are playing.

Ahhh! The beginning of a whole new schedule - just sayin'!

Enjoy it! Remember it won't be long until fall.

Have a safe and awesome summer.

 

Read more...

A little haitus...sort of

Summer is here and that means busy schedules, holidays and family vacations. With that in mind, Women Encouraged is taking a little break.

Sort of.

While Brown Bag Marketing will continue to hold its regular monthly meetings, many of the other activities like Book Club, Creative Corner and SOAR are taking the summer off. 

Be sure to check back with us on Facebook or the website (www.womenencouraged.org) for dates and times once we get started back up in the Fall. And continue to check back here on the blog for Linda's posts of encouragement.

Have a wonderful summer!

Read more...

Priorities = Focus

Business consultant and author Michael LeBoef says,"Devoting a little of yourself to everything means committing a great deal of yourself to nothing."

We've all been there done that. As Dr. Phil would ask, "How's that workin for ya?" 

We all know it doesn't work at all. Women are especially known to brag about all the multi-tasking we do. Songs have been written about our multi-tasking. Most days multi-tasking is essential to get everything done there is to do. But somewhere along the line it will catch up with us. At the end of the day what did you have to omit to get other things done? Most of the time we omit the very things that should be number one on our list.

Time is our most precious commodity. Your priorities determine how you spend it.

Next week we will delve a little deeper into using our time wisely by focusing on our priorities.

Read more...

My Nesting Place

I think spring has finally come to stay.

It's been touch and go for a few weeks, and summer is definitely trying to interrupt. As I was cleaning and preparing my front porch for all the flowers I had spent most of the morning carefully picking out, I realized what I love about spring is the new areas I find to nest. Places that call to me to come sit awhile. It becomes an extension of my home, and besides preparing it is half the fun.

This year we had to buy new furniture since the old was beginning to look a little shall we say used. New area rug...check, new furniture...check, new fire pit...check, new top for the gazebo...check, new netting...check, throw in some pillows, last but not least hang the chandelier.

After hours of sweat and lots of hard work and the sun beginning to set, I sat in my new chair, snuggled in and looked around. To my surprise many of my neighbors were nesting too.

Spring opens up a whole new world, so don't forget to take time out of your busy schedule to build your nesting place.

Read more...

Summer break...sort of

Now that summer is here with all of its busy schedules, holidays and family vacations, Women Encouraged is taking a little break.

Sort of.

While Brown Bag Marketing will continue to hold its regular monthly meetings, many of the activities like Book Club, Creative Corner and SOAR are taking the summer off. Be sure to check back with us on Facebook or the website ( www.womenencouraged.org) for dates and times once we get started back up in the Fall.

And continue to check back here on the blog for Linda's posts of encouragement.

Have a wonderful summer!

Read more...

Watch your attitude!

Last month at the Brown Bag Strategy Session we talked about your marketing mindset. This month we discussed your marketing attitude.
What's the difference? I'm glad you asked.

Your mindset is a habit - something you do.

Your attitude is your posture - how you feel.

The good news is a mindset can be learned and developed. Here are some things you can do to acquire a strong marketing mindset:

1. Develop a sensible attitude toward marketing
2. Have an attitude based on your beliefs
3. What you believe determines how you behave
4. A positive attitude helps to build enthusiasm
5. A positive attitude motivates you to create the time to develop new skills
6. A positive attitude helps you to set realistic marketing expectations.
7. A marketing attitude combines optimism with energy
8. With a marketing attitude marketing tasks are handled with enthusiasm and passion.

There are several practical ways to develop your marketing mindset. Some examples are to look around you, which signs or billboards catch your eye, which commercials stick in your mind, which mail pieces do you throw away, read books on marketing, seek help from experts and of course get involved in Brown Bag Marketing.
If you're interested in learning more about brown bag marketing, and if you're a home-based business owners, entrepreneurs, IDEA entrepreneurs or business woman, join us for two jam-packed hours of Brown Bag Marketing and learn ways to help you grow your business.

     When: June 14, (2nd Tues. of the month)
     Time: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
     Place: emPowerU Bldg., 518 S. 6th St., St. Joseph
     Room: Imagine Cafe'
     Lunch: Bring your brown bag and drink
     Sign in: 11 to 11:30 a.m.
     *In addition to your membership fee, there will be an additional charge of $10 for this session.

Hope to see you there!

Read more...

Are We There Yet?

There are two sides to this question.

If you're a child, it probably means your bored. You're tired of being in the car, gotta do something besides sit and just can't take one more second of the car ride.

If your the parent, it means...'If I hear that question one more time I will scream,' 'We can't get there fast enough,' 'Who thought this would be fun,' and 'I'll never do this again.'

Even though there are two sides, the outcome is the same. Both sides just want to get it over with right now.

Let me say that we have been redoing our kitchen for the last month (is that all ?) and I gotta ask... 'ARE WE THERE YET?'

((FOR MORE CLICK ON TITLE))

Read more...

Get Together Saturday - Creating that loving feeling

Courtship--a thing of the past? Not if you want to live with a King instead of a fool! Come discuss the principles of courtship and how to create that "loving feeling"...This month Carla Keith will be leading the discussion group on Marriage an Family. Come, meet new friends in a wonderful warm atmosphere, share with friends you know. Each month a different topic of discussion. Fun and laughter are up to you.

What: Get Together Saturday

Date: May 7 (First Saturday of the month)

Time: 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Where: The Gothic House Tea & Eatery, 720 South 10th, St. Joseph, Mo. (in the garden, weather permitting)

(In addition to your membership fee, you are monetarily responsible for a charge of $6.50 to the Gothic House, which will include tax and tip.)

Hope to see you there!

 

Read more...

Are you complacent with your marketing?

It's easy to get complacent when thinking about the marketing aspect of your business. It is especially hard to keep that excitement for marketing attitude if you work out of your home or office alone.

Complacency is your number one enemy. To be complacent means the quality or state of being self satisfied. There are several reasons complacency happens:

1. Fear - Just thinking about the term marketing sends shivers up and down your spine.
2. Lack of knowledge - Marketing takes in a lot of areas..it takes time to learn and take advantage of all the resources available to get you up to speed.
3. Just-get-by attitude (laziness) - Too much to learn, too much to do...I just hope this all works out.
4. Action too late - Many times action comes too late and there is too much to recover from.

If you find yourself stuck in complacency, there is good news - you don't have to stay there. One of the key ways to fight complacency is to get involved in a good networking group. Brown Bag Marketing's goal is to help motivate you to market your business without wasting your time or money. For more information please see our website - womenencouraged.org.

Read more...

How's your lawn looking?

Don't you love the smell and the look of freshly mowed grass?  

The color, the sound of the humming lawnmowers,but wait, why does your neighbors yard look so much thicker, almost like  carpet.  

Wait! Look how much greener their green is than your pale green. No matter how our life is,  the grass always looks greener on the otherside....everyone has heard or said that line...and most of the time we think its true. 

I mean when we compare our lives to others we never have the green, evenly cut, flowing in the wind, thick like carpet grass. We see our ruts, the worn spots, weeds, not to mention the POO! 

((FOR MORE CLICK ON TITLE))

Read more...