Here are four key areas to focus on, which can help anyone to develop their own effective leadership style and to inspire bold leadership culture in their organisations.

SELF: Developing Conscious Identity

Bold leadership culture starts with being kind to yourself, recognising your true self in your work, and engaging your entire purpose in what you bring as a leader. But there is no leadership without learning.

To truly understand our strengths and limitations as leaders, we need to develop our conscious identity, and this requires constant learning. If we can commit to this evolutionary framework, we can learn to expand our ability to take risks, and perform at the top of our game.

When faced with challenges or in critical transition moments, we need to ask ourselves important questions: What are the beliefs that drive our behaviours? What can I live without and what are the habits that are getting in the way of being my best self?  Who am I being whilst I’m on that path? When we reflect and find different perspectives and question how we can be better, we can develop more self-awareness, understand the impact we have in our communities and un-tap our potential to create bold leadership culture. This self-awareness will allow us to lead by example to delegate, motivate, inspire, and confront the challenges we face head-on.

But we cannot do it alone!

OTHER: Creating Relationship Agility  

Building a culture of bold leadership depends heavily on flexing our trust muscles and empowering others to be their best, reflective, learning selves as well. Creating relationship agility means co-creating with other people, learning how to show our humanness, being approachable and practising authenticity in our relationships.

This does not happen in isolation. We work with other people every day and these people are all different and bring different things to the equation. They have different ideas, approaches, weaknesses and strengths, and bold leadership culture means navigating these and using them to optimise results. We must be ready to find different ways of doing things together, as a team, and should avoid imposing our way exclusively.

We can’t know everything, be everywhere or do everything on our own, so bold leadership culture also means trusting that other people’s greatness is part of the equation and having the ability to let go of some of the control to work together.

This letting go requires trust, vulnerability, and intimacy. If we surround ourselves with trusted people who can call each other fourth, we can grow through our relationships, and success becomes unequivocally tied to other people, our interactions and collaborations.

UNIVERSE: Unlocking Collective Intelligence

Bold leadership culture involves learning how to listen to basic patterns of thought and behaviour within the workplace and noticing what the organisation needs and how to contribute to those needs.

If we listen to work culture, the environment, what’s happening in the organisation, and the patterns that are informing us we can better understand what’s needed in the hive. Unlocking this collective intelligence is also about speaking up, noticing what is needed and delivering, to honour shared consciousness and the role it has in informing decision-making.

We also need to be aware of our impact in a wider, global sense. How are we a part of the world around us? What is our contribution? How are we shaping culture? How are we building the future? What is the bigger picture?

Bold leadership culture means recognising everything that concerns us and everything that shapes the world. If we can think more universally and be actively part of a whole, our engagement will become less about self-preservation and so less self-defensive. Instead, we can become empowered and proactive with a greater sense of shared purpose, accountability, and positivity for the world.

LEGACY: Demonstrating Purposeful Achievement

A bold leadership culture requires us to think about our legacy and the impact we want to create.

If we create a platform for meaningful, value-based work and entrepreneurial passion rather than just simply executing tasks, a culture of bold leadership can be established. Values of intimacy, compassion, and getting to know our teams enough to understand individuals’ values and potentials, are essential foundations in the building of a bold leadership culture.

Leadership models that appreciate these individual values and strengths in the workplace will allow for more meaningful work and enable teams to be engaged and motivated to contribute.

If we are to leave the legacy we wish for, we have to act in the present and be aware that everything matters. How are we honouring our purpose right now? Am I fulfilling my purpose in life? Am I in the right place to do that? What difference can I make in the world? What is the best impact I can make? What will my legacy be? Am I working from a place of self-preservation or a place of growth, togetherness and optimism?

If we can stand up, and take risks based on our values and purpose, we can dare to swim upstream and create cultures of bold leadership, which will make the world and our organisations better places.

Zana Goic Petricevic is an internationally certified leadership coach and consultant. She is the founder of Bold Leadership Culture, and the author of Bold Reinvented: Next level leading with Courage, Consciousness and Conviction.

The post Four Steps To Creating A Bold Leadership Culture appeared first on CEO Medium.

As an artist, her work includes acting, stunts, musicals, and voice-overs all across the globe. As a dancer, her talents put her front and center with artists like Katy Perry, Rihanna, Lou Bega, and New Kids On The Block on their world tours and award shows.

At the age of 17, Jul moved to Amsterdam and studied at The Theater School, now known as The Academy of Theatre and Dance, then went on to dance in Germany and Europe as a musical theatre performer and a dancer for several European artists. 

A decade ago her expansive talent led her to Los Angeles to continue exploring her craft. She’s continued to tour the world as a performer while also lending her talents as an actor on TV shows and films. 

Not one to be outdone, her latest role is also behind the camera as a writer and producer for multiple projects; several of which are currently being developed. 

Her female-driven Western short film BURY ME NOT is currently circling multiple film festivals. It had its World Premiere at the Mammoth Film Festival and screened this year at LA Shorts, Newport Beach Film Festival, HollyShorts, and Nightmares Film Festival. 

Jul aspires to inspire with her voice as a writer and filmmaker by creating from the heart while empowering women by telling their side of the story, however complex and layered those stories may be. She is drawn to dark and edgy stories that explore empathy and compassion. Together with one of her writing partners she wrote a dark psychological thriller – CHRYSALIS this year that she is currently crowdfunding.

Tell us about who you are and what you do.

Hi, My name is Jul Kohler and I’m a former professional dancer turned actress and filmmaker. More specifically I love creating, writing, and producing my content: TV shows, short films, and movies. Naturally, I’m drawn to dark and edgy stories. I like to dig deeper to find out what lies beneath the surface, exploring the darkness within us. I was born and raised in Berlin, Germany, and moved to the states to fulfill my dream as an entertainer in 2007. I am trilingual in German, Dutch, and English. I also love animals and have two big dogs. A German Shepherd named Rusty and a Husky Shepherd mix named Stella. 

Tell us how you created this brand and what was the sole idea behind it.

My inspiration came from actresses like Greta Garbo and Ingrid Bergman. I grew up with their movies and was surrounded by strong women, like my mom and 5 Aunt’s, that grew up in the post-war era of World War Two. In my childhood, I never saw those tough women that I grew up on the screen in contemporary shows or movies. And I always wanted to know how did they become so tough but yet are so loving? I wanted to watch movies and shows about them, Of course, it has now changed in the industry, but I believe we can still dig deeper and even tell stories about what women went through women during World War Two.

What I’m currently working on:

–  A limited World War Two series that is based on a true story, and is currently being passed around in Hollywood. 

– An occult tale of supernatural horror: A Limited series about witches in Germany

– A dark action series, about a female Grim Reaper.

– A psychological Thriller that my writing partner Karola Raimond and I are currently crowdfunding on Indiegogo:

www.indiegogo.com/projects/chrysalis–13/x/25389865#

What is your giveaway idea through this interview?

 Create your content! Whatever it is just do it. Yes, you can! Stop overthinking. Whatever it is make a schedule and promise yourself to get at least one thing done a day. One page, one email, etc. And celebrate your successes even if they’re small.

Explain the challenges you went through while you were working on brand creation. What are the challenges you go through on an everyday basis?

The tenacity to keep going, to keep believing in myself, and to trust my gut and my passion. Also even when I think: Well this is a bunch of shit I wrote, nothing is ever perfect and through reaching out for help, you might find that others like it or give amazing notes that help you to move forward. For the people that like to overwork themselves like me: Listen to your body when it needs rest. When you’re overworked nothing good will come of it. It’s okay to rest! Sometimes a break is all you need to find where you are stuck, and I meditate daily. That’s when I download stories and ideas that come to me.

How do you manage your finances through the services you offer. Any fundings etc received?

I did successfully crowdfund my female-driven Western Thriller BURY ME NOT and am currently crowdfunding my psychological Thriller CHRYSALIS. Otherwise, I’ve been very lucky this year with many Voice Over jobs, and I booked a pilot for 4 weeks. 

Tell us your future vision about the brand. How far do you want to take it? What is your dream about taking it to the next level?

My dream is to find a home for my shows and movies, together with a team that is just as passionate as me, and share them with the world to inspire others. I want to learn how to become a showrunner for my shows. I would love to find a female mentor that can guide me and share her wisdom. 

What message would you like to give to anybody who has a plan of creating something of their own and making a living through it?

-GO FOR IT!!! Just do it. I think we often overthink things and want perfection. Well, perfection doesn’t exist! 

-Ask for help. You’ll be surprised at how many people want to help you. But if you don’t ask you’ll never know. 

-Take it one step a day. Don’t overwhelm yourself. One page a day, one task a day, you’ll be surprised what can happen within a month. 

For more information visit: www.julkohler.com

The post Inspiring Backstory of International Filmmaker, Actress, & Storyteller Jul Kohler appeared first on CEO Medium.

Known as a Key Opinion Leader, Tastemaker, and Experience Curator, Andrew’s androgynous look without any labels, and his impeccable taste have gained him great attention and reputation among the social scene around the world. He launched a global thought platform, My Inspire Project, with Co-Founder Henry Hu in 2018 as online luxury travel and lifestyle media that connects clients with the desired audience. The project was nominated as the finalists for the 1st International Influencer Award presented in Monaco in 2018. He currently resides between New York, London, and Taiwan.

Tell us about who you are and what you do.

My Inspire Project is an award-nominated online media platform focusing on luxury travel, cultural experience, and curated lifestyle. I established my career in the luxury and fashion industry for over a decade and founded the project with my business partner Henry Hu in 2018. We are known for our trendsetting, storytelling, and content generating skills that connect businesses with a desired global audience. Through the curated eyes and journeys, My Inspire Project generates unique and high-quality content for business units creates exclusive events and unique tours for high-end individuals and corporate groups. The platform has worked with various tourism boards, hospitality groups, LGBT communities, art organizations, and fashion houses across the world.https://ceomedium.com/media/03d8b2c2933d3d62e672071eabea45d0

Tell us how you created this brand and what was the sole idea behind it.

I have been in the luxury and fashion industry for more than a decade and I traveled extensively around the globe creating and executing VIP events, fashion shows, and special experiences for the clients. These experiences have allowed me to obtain in-depth knowledge of local cultures and destinations. As the retail business has evolved in recent years, I decided to take a break from corporate jobs and started as a consultant helping other designers and brands to build their presence on social media. During that time, I registered the name My Inspire Project and shared my journeys and discoveries on social media platforms. It began to gain positive feedback and attract followers. Many requests from brands to collaborate for digital content and promotions came in as there was a surge in Influencer marketing trends. In early 2018, I decided to ride the wave and establish My Inspire Project platform through Instagram and YouTube channel. I invited my dear friend Henry Hu to join me with his business skills as a business partner, taking the media platform to the next level with more in-depth content and our travel films. In the same year, we received the recognition as being nominated for the 1st International Influencer Award in Monaco and attended the award ceremony as one of the top 20 finalists.

Since then, the project has grown from a one-man show to a full lifestyle channel and we could not ask for more rewarding and fruitful progress so far. My Inspire Project shares the discovery about positive living, creativity, and inspiration with a unique point of view. We believe in Authenticity, Exclusivity, and Individuality as the core values of the new luxury experience.

We are launching our new social media platform on RED in China in January 2020 and are also about to launch our new travel film for Suzhou in China. The Chinese market is a big focus for us for the new year and we certainly have a great advantage of knowing the market, culture, and language. It has been challenging for many people to conduct an insightful destination feature and soon we will be able to connect the East and West audiences through our media content and services.

Go in detail and tell us about how your brand works. You may keep this from the audience’s perspective.

We aim to be a credible inspiration source for our audience. The audience could trust our taste and save a great amount of time on the research for their travel and lifestyle tips. When doing trip research on big travel search engines such as TripAdvisor, it could be overwhelming and energy-consuming. We offer a detailed and curated experience for all destinations and lifestyle products we cover, and the audience could visualize the experience easy and be able to save the information and book directly through us. In the future, the audience could subscribe to our mailing list and be updated directly with our travel tips and deals that could be purchased directly. And we would love to grow with our audience.

What is your giveaway idea through this interview?

By following our social media channels on YouTube, Instagram, and Red, you will be the first to know of the global hottest spots, exclusive insights of the destination, and travel tips through our curated travel experiences. We also offer exclusive deals, promotions, and free trips through our giveaways. We also provide one-of-a-kind tours for our audiences to sign up and travel with us. Ultimately we want our audience to be inspired and motivated by the experience we curate and design, and we hope they invite more people to join our discovery. Please stay tuned for our upcoming website and become a member of our community.

Explain the challenges you went through while you were working on brand creation. What are the challenges you go through on an everyday basis?

In order to maintain our standards, creative vision, and luxury aesthetics, we have to turn down many inquiries and requests for unsuitable projects. We know who we are and what our audience and clients are looking for and therefore, we would only commit and cover the projects or topics that would best fit our interests and needs. In the meantime, we also have to be cautious about maintaining our revenue growth and building a bigger and wider audience.

Another big challenge we have is the algorithm transparency issue with Instagram and other social media platforms. So far we have been depending on these platforms to gain traction and publish our stories, but as the algorithm keeps changing, it greatly affects the exposure and reach of our content. This also put risks on the results and relationship with our clients. In addition, as Social Media and Influencer Marketing is a brand new industry, we are constantly adapting our content and directions to new regulations and guidelines.

How do you manage your finances through the services you offer. Any fundings etc received?

Our revenue stream mainly comes from content generation, collaboration with brands and businesses, sponsorship, and the service we offer such as design exclusive tours and commission from the bookings through our content and promotions. Most of the trips, media content, film production, and future expansion into real estate and lifestyle brands are most self-funded in order to maintain the quality of our work and vision.

Tell us your future vision about the brand. How far do you want to take it? What is your dream about taking it to the next level?

We would like to take our vision and experiences into a full lifestyle brand. Aside from our established online media channel, we are setting up a parent company, Gloren, that would further expand our offerings and help us realize the unique experience we have created. We have been seeing the market and audience shifting from buying things to own experiences in recent and coming years, we would like to create different divisions under our private label including real estate, lodging & hospitality, fashion & lifestyle products, and exclusive tours and journeys that could all be incorporated as a living experience as a whole. In the future, our clients would be able to pursue and purchase the experience directly through our inspiring and alluring content and we could build up our own eco-system with our partners and suppliers to realize the dream for our audience.

What message would you like to give to anybody who has a plan of creating something of their own and making a living through it?

Like many other businesses, there is no shortcut to building a personal brand. It takes time, resources, and efforts to come up with rounded ideas, content, and promotions. Our industry is based on a balance between going viral and traditional word of mouth. Many people only see the over-night fame or success but overlook the work behind people like us. We always recommend people to be patient, consistent, and true to themselves. You have to have your own voice and vision to differentiate yourself from others and show the best part of yourself. You define your own image and you have to provide value to your audience and customers. Everything starts with a passion and it may take a long run to see the results. You don’t give up your main job for the perks and freebies unless you have clear paths and ideas for your next move. At the end of the day, it is your own business and your personal brand, you cannot dilute your own value and fail on being your own!

You may share a few testimonials of the clients who have worked with you.

It’s short notice to receive testimonials from our clients but here’s a list of our proud partners for your reference: tourism boards such as Jordan, Amsterdam, Porto, Copenhagen, Boston, and San Diego; and businesses from Empire State Building, Google Local Guides, Equinox Hotels, Hudson Yards, Encore Resorts, W Hotels, Edition Hotels, Iberostar Group, and Armani Hotel Milan; Art and cultural institutes such as La Biennale in Venice, Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, Longine Masters, Intersect by Lexus and Azulik SFER IK. We also work with numerous brands from luxury, fashion, lifestyle to wine, spirits, and wellness sectors. Our works have been featured in various publications such as Afar, Town & Country, Culture Trip, Athens Voice & The Venue Report.

Our successful case studies:

We featured Armani Hotel Milan as one of our top picks in Milan and we received a reservation request for the suite from one of our followers and secured the booking within one week after our story being published.

We have also had another successful case after we featured the new Iberostar Cancun Star Prestige in Cancun and Casa Malca in Tulum, a client from Dubai wanted to book seven rooms for both properties for his bachelor party trip.

Follow Andrew Chen & My Inspire Project on :

Instagram

Youtube

The post Exclusive Interview with Founder of My Inspire Project on Trending Travel and Luxury Escapes appeared first on CEO Medium.

Can you tell us more about yourself and what you do? 

I am a business strategist and the founder and president of Rebel Office Inc. I work with female founders who are looking for a fresh perspective on their business. They may feel stuck, like they’ve plateaued, or their business is no longer giving them what they want in life. 

I am a giant advocate for finding freedom through entrepreneurship and really redefining the definition of “business as usual.” This whole idea that there is only one way to do business and it’s this way is totally absurd to me. Instead, I help women break through all of the noise and comparison to build their businesses so that they work for them. 

How did you create your brand? What inspired you? 

In 2015, I began Rebel Office from a volunteer house in Peru. I’d just quit my marketing job at a consulting firm straight out of university, and decided to travel around South America for two months. While there, I kept being called to launch this idea I had. 

Looking back now, I realize I was strongly motivated to create a company that was unlike the past employment I’d had. I kept thinking “there has to be a better way of doing business, a more collaborative and ethical way.” 

To this day, one of Rebel Office’s values is “dare to redefine the definition of business as usual.” And even though Rebel Office has evolved and grown into what it is today, from graphic design freelancing to Integrator and Business Management services to Business Strategy & Systems, we have kept our values strong and focused. 

How does your brand work?  

Rebel Office’s values are: 

• Dare to defy business as usual
• Dare to connect and show up with compassion
• Dare to prioritize profit, planet and people equally
• …and dare to find freedom through entrepreneurship

All of our products and services reflect these values in some way. Our membership, The Founders Collective, gives founders access to our 3 resource libraries (training, templates and brand assets) as well as a 24/7 virtual coworking room and monthly connection events.

Our libraries contain resources that promote customization and adaptation so that they can work with our members businesses. We will never tell our members or clients that they HAVE to do one thing to reach success. 

Our connection opportunities and coworking rooms fosters a safe space to always have somewhere to connect and collaborate. 

Our hybrid program, The Abundance Accelerator, works with founders to find freedom through their businesses by giving them the community of group coaching, guidance of workshops and individual sessions, hands-on support with the asset development of lead magnets, brand refresh services and more. And of course, the mindset support which helps build the mental tools and skills to grow with them as their income scales. 

We are also preparing for the launch of the Good Business Grant, aligning with our value of “dare to prioritize profit, planet and people equally.” We believe that businesses prioritizing ethical business practices and community-based impact are the real champions redefining the definition of “business as usual.” With that, we are working with other businesses and partners to build a fund to support and give back to business doing good things. 

Do you have a giveaway thought or idea to help our readers?

If you find yourself waking up in the morning dreading working on your business — because yes, it does happen and no, you’re not alone — and you want to love running your business again, I recommend the following steps: 

1. Go back to the drawing board. Literally. Grab a pen and paper, and write out ALL of the moving parts of your business. 
2. Simplify it. Now that you’ve braindumped ALL of the things you’re doing, go over it all and highlight what still feels good. Highlight what still feels ALIGNED. Everything else needs to go. 

If you’re still feeling lost and disconnected, try: 

1. Writing out your values statements. First, brainstorm your personal values. Then, thinking of your business as its own, separate identity. What are its values? What does your business stand for?
2. Refine them. Bring your values down to 3-5 strong statements. Expand on them if you can. It’s okay to take a step back and come back to it a few times to make sure they feel right. 
3. Journal your Why. If you’re not into journaling, you’re probably rolling your eyes at me right now, but trust me. I’ve been here and this ALWAYS realigns me with a stronger vision and stronger connection to my business.  Ask yourself: 
   1. Why did I start my business in the first place? 
   2. Why does this matter to me? 
   3. Why am I doing this? 

And when you’re feeling refreshed, realigned, back on track and ready to take things up a notch, it’s time to elevate. If you don’t know where to start, but you’re ready to take ACTION for building your business better, grab Rebel Office’s free Guide: 5 Ways to Elevate your Business To Attract High Ticket Clients (and Hit Those Dreamy Income Goals): https://rebeloffice.ca/guide-elevate 

What challenges did you face when creating your brand? What daily challenges do you face? 

It is so easy to compare yourself to others. Unfortunately, while I may be at Square 10, I may be looking at someone on their Square 50. And someone may be looking at me while on their Square 1. 

Since starting Rebel Office in 2015, the biggest challenge I’ve overcome is learning how to stay aligned with my vision. I’ve learned how to keep my blinders on. In the online space, it is SO easy to get distracted and look at what someone else is doing and say, “Oh wow, that looks cool! And it works for them so it can totally work for me!” For me, it’s taken YEARS of learning how to check back in with our values FIRST and use them as a guiding compass for us to move forward stronger, more clearly and more quickly. 

A daily struggle is definitely conquering mindset. With Rebel Office growing so quickly over the past year, having to check in with myself daily and reset any sort of limiting or fear-based beliefs (and leaving them at the door when I start my work day) is a real thing. But the more you do it, the better you get. I’ve slowly learned to lean into the fear and make the big moves anyway.  

How do you manage your business finances? 

Rebel Office’s primary income comes from our membership, The Founders Collective, and our group business strategy program The Abundance Accelerator. 

For our Good Business Grant, we are in the process of launching a fundraising campaign to crowdfund and gain sponsorships for the grant fund to support women building ethical, impactful businesses. 

What’s your future vision for your brand? What’s your next level dream or goal?

While we are well on our way with members from all over the world, I envision our membership, The Founders Collective, to be a strong, global network of female founders coworking and collaborating together while leveraging the incredible and growing collection of video training, templates, and assets inside our resource libraries. 

I envision Rebel Office running The Abundance Accelerator multiple times per year to meet demand and to support our Abundance Attractors (what we call our clients in the Accelerator!) as they scale their businesses, currently only make between $20,000 and $100,000 per year to $250,000 + per year.

Our Good Business Grant is a fund of over $100,000 to support various levels and stages of ethical business. While our grant currently has four categories: Community Impact, Diversity & Inclusion, Environmental Impact, and Ethical Supply Chain, the larger our fund and the more partners we have, the more businesses we can support at varying levels of financial requirement.

What message would you like to give to those who have a plan of creating something of their own and making a living through it?

Do it. Make it happen. Get outrageously clear on what your life will look like when it works out for you (and is working well), and don’t quit until you’ve made it your new reality. Whatever your idea is, it’s not too crazy, it’s not too big, and it’s not too “out there”. You are in the driver’s seat of your life, not anyone else, so you get to choose what matters, what’s possible for you, and what impact you can have in this world.

Rebel Office Inc

Website : rebeloffice.ca

Instagram URL : instagram.com/rebeloffice 

The post Streamline your Business Growth with Sarah Williams and Rebel Office Inc. appeared first on CEO Medium.

Mollie Lyst didn’t first jump into Mermaids Waves with the intent of being seen. It was an opportunity for her to express herself freely without everybody watching. What she found though, was that being true to who she was and sharing messages about self-love, it resonated with something inside of her.

She knew there was potential to impact other people and help them grow in their journey as well. With that in mind, she grew Mermaids Waves as a place that offered a sense of community while helping people find their authentic selves. By helping people connect to their natural leadership abilities and empower them with grace and self-love, she’s found her calling.

As a coach who spreads a message of inner strength and self-healing, she’s helping others connect to their authentic confidence, so they can lead and reach out to others in return. She does this by helping clients connect to their physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. In return, it helps them tap into their creative and intuitive gifts.

Through her program, Rise in Love, she empowers others to focus on their inner work, so they can thrive and finally come into their authentic selves. She sees a future where the impact of one person reaches many, as each person thrives, they can in turn impact more people.

Sometimes it comes down to trusting that you can transform, and with the right gentle nudge, you can find your true self.

She also works 1:1 with clients to help them find their fierceness, which helps them see their potential. Feel Fierce offers deep inner work that will help you find your inner fire. It’s so easy to get caught up in pleasing others and ignoring the things that are important to you. We often put ourselves on the backburner. Feel Fierce allows you the chance to put your own needs and feelings upfront, so you can connect with your true desires.

With a solid plan and smart strategies, you can achieve your goals, transform your life, and finally live the life that fills your soul. Live in alignment with who you are and what you value, rather than what you think others expect of you. If you’d like to learn more about Mollie Lyst and Mermaids Waves, be sure to visit her at MermaidsWaves.com.

The post Join Coach Mollie Lyst on a Journey of Self-Love and Renewal appeared first on CEO Medium.

This Yoga teacher didn’t know she’d pivot into becoming a virtual assistant, but once she started, she knew it was her future. She loved it so much, she created her own company, and Soulshine Business Management Team was born.

Each person has a set number of hours in the day, and when you can spend those hours working on the most important parts of your business, parts that only you can do, it’s easier to grow your bottom line.

So, how can a team of virtual assistants empower and help female entrepreneurs? Maddie’s team creates systems and handles the busy work so business owners don’t have to. That means tackling things like email, graphics, marketing, and so many other tasks that drain you of your time. By allowing a team to step in and pick up those other pieces of your business for you, you’re then able to focus on the parts of your business that you want. No more distractions, because the Soulshine Business Management Team will do the heavy lifting for you and take those headaches off your hands.

After a consult, a plan is created with strategies and methods that can help run your business more efficiently, so owners can then put their laser-targeted energy to use where they most want to.

As for the biggest benefit? She says, “It creates a vast circle of women supporting other women. This in turn empowers them. Our team supports and empowers our clients. In turn, our clients support and empower the team via stable job opportunities.” It’s a win-win, and a sustainable business that everybody benefits from.

Virtual assistants can do a wide range of tasks and can make a big difference in the day-to-day life of a business owner. By providing the resources they need to lighten their load, they not only help them build systems to create better flows and ease of task management, but they also become cheerleaders for the business, enthusiastically supporting their endeavors. If you’d like to learn more about Soulshine Business Management Team, be sure to check them out at SoulshineBusiness.co.

Soulshine Business Management Team

Website: www.soulshinebusiness.co

Instagram: www.instagram.com/soulshinebusiness

The post Soulshine Business Management Team is Empowering Women to Get Ahead in Business appeared first on CEO Medium.

Khafeeon is a believer that love is the answer to many of the world’s problems. She uses art to embody this energy. Her goal is to remind the world that love is an action, not just a feeling. Love is not exclusive to romance or familial relationships. It exists all around us, in all aspects of our lives.

We’d love to learn more about you.

I consider myself a multimedia artist. I blend the practices of love into everything I do and into my exploration of self. With art: I cook, I paint, I dance, and create based on my heart’s desires.

I believe Love can take humanity far. That’s who I am. Whatever way that expression comes out, I allow it to flow. I don’t give myself a singular title. There are so many different ways to create and express one’s self—it’s not possible to reduce myself to one thing.

Tell us more about your brand.

Fun Fact: My brand A Bitch in Healing started as a finsta. I was creeping on my ex and his GF (they’re a beautiful couple!) and the girl (as we always do) figured it out. So, I figured why not make this into something positive. I already had an idea to have a private art page and set everything up and then release it, but since I’d been caught red-handed, I decided to just go for it.

All the time I was going to therapy, and I wanted to shift the connotation of the word “bitch” in my personal life, so I gave it an acronym: Black Girl in the Cosmic Hues. I call my room the cosmos, so that’s how I came up with A Bitch in Healing.

With that, I found new ways to express my feelings. Many people think vulnerability is weak, and sharing so much is too much. A good sharer knows how to share enough to connect with people while keeping some things private. It’s the duality of life. I feel like I do a great job balancing this aspect while showing others that it’s okay to be human, while still having boundaries. I’m currently working on my performance art that shows my range of creativity.

How does your brand work?

My brand is me. My brand works however I live and work it. My main goal is to remind people it’s okay to be human like I said before. I just turned 22, so I’m still growing and learning, but then I share what I learn and my experiences. It balances out.

The more I go through and endure, the more I share. Whether it’s words or pictures, financial information, a project that involves collaboration, it doesn’t matter…I’m all about sharing and connecting. The message is love and demonstrating how to show love on a consistent and daily basis.

What else would you like to share?

 I’m in school studying to become a sexologist. That is something that opens people’s ears.  It’s basically what it sounds like. I’m more focused on singles than couples. In a relationship, it’s very easy to become codependent on each other for pleasure, and people fall into the belief that the only time you can or need to explore sex is when you’re with another person.

Many people don’t explore self-sex and self-pleasure, so I need to help teach those people that self sex is freaking awesome and worth exploring! You cannot have a fulfilling sexual life with another person without having a fulfilling relationship with yourself first.

That’s why I study sexology, and my last name is Love. I would be a fool to not become Dr. Love and be the coolest sex doctor, God willing. I want to go into the world sharing my tips and tools for people to reach and obtain sexual liberation, making people cum with my knowledge and whatnot.

How did you find your voice for such a unique platform?

Finding my voice has been very difficult because finding my voice means other people being upset. And, finding my voice means stepping into a different light that I’ve never been in before—a spotlight. It’s bright, and that light comes with facing a lot of hard truths and heat. And you know, if you can’t take the heat, stay out of the kitchen. Thank God I can take the heat and have the strength mentally to keep going.

A lot of people take things personally, and I had to learn that it’s okay to share my experiences. Just because other people may not tell their stories as openly as I do, does not mean that I should silence myself and my experiences, my truths, just to keep someone else comfortable. That would be a disservice to myself and dishonor to my heart and being. I’m a caring person. I have a lot of compassion. I understand that other people have feelings too, but I also had to find and accept the truth of my feelings, no matter how difficult they may be. It comes with accepting yourself.

How do you handle your business finances?

I don’t! I’m not going to lie LOL! I try not to count the dollars because I feel like it’s fear of not having. I’m never afraid to share or be without because I know I am blessed. I don’t like logistics in that way. I don’t like technicalities because it gets in the way of my goal: to expand love. If I think about how much I’m giving or how much I’m spending, that’s all I’m going to think about. I like to shift my focus to the abundance that comes from that. Whether it be abundance in joy or making someone feel like “oh my gosh thank you for sharing your experience.”

What is your goal for the future of your brand? Your next level dream?

 My next level would be executing my next creative idea. Right now, I’m working with a couture designer, Alex Yarally, and choreographer/creative director Crea Terr. Alex and I have a custom piece being debuted soon. Those are my next steps. I can’t tell you too much, then it wouldn’t be a surprise!

I’m a student again! I’m in the stages of being the full expression of myself through my art. I got caught up in unimportant things and needed to redirect my energy and thoughts. I know this is cliché, but traditional scheduled jobs just really aren’t for me! Capitalism can take over your mind—don’t allow it. So that’s my goal. Breaking my art free from capitalistic views, learning how to maneuver in this world, and going into my creative side. I’m birthing myself as an artist all over again.

What would you tell somebody who was thinking of starting a creative business and living off of it?

Talk to someone about it to make it real, because the only thing you can do is believe in yourself and do your part. I had to learn how to believe in myself again. Get out of your mind and into your body. I’m a Gemini, so naturally, I spend a lot of time in my head. I’m working on my over-thinking tendencies because I like to pay attention to and think about every little detail. That can get in the way of you physically doing what you need to do.

Excuse my language, but just get that shit done. You have an idea, do it. You have a thought, share it. Just go for it. The worst that can happen is you don’t get it right and need to try again. Persistence is a key virtue of success. Go hard for you, because nobody will ever go hard for you like yourself. Respectfully, people have to give their energy to themselves, so they can too be great. You need to do the same to truly build strong connections. You deserve your success!

A Bitch in Healing

Website: www.patreon.com/KWEENKHAF

Instagram: www.instagram.com/kweenthegoddess

Youtube: www.youtube.com/KhafeeonLove 

The post Khafeeon is Sharing Love and Herself Through her Art and Expression appeared first on CEO Medium.

Her proven methodology helps outstanding health & wellness practitioners stand out with modernized marketing and messaging. She believes running the business side of your clinic should be just as rewarding as helping your patients. She does this by helping clients build simple systems and strategies to instantly give time freedom back, so they can enjoy life outside of the office.

It’s difficult to stand out in a crowd of competitors. Thankfully, early in her career, she realized what it takes to get ahead and get noticed. As a practicing ND, running two six-figure clinics, Dr. Andre Maxim recognizes the importance of taking the right steps–in the right order. 

She wrote a book titled, “MAXIMized Health: A New, Intelligent System for Optimal Digestion and Hormones”, and has been interviewed by people like Sean Croxton, Danny Lennon, and Mike Mutzel. She’s also been featured in multiple online summits, been on local television shows, and has been written about in multiple publications.  In 2014, Dr. Andrea won the coveted Top 40 Under 40 award as well as the Female Entrepreneur Award.

Tell us about who you are and what you do.

My name is Dr. Andrea Maxim, a naturopathic doctor and I am the founder of MAXIMized Business and the creator of the MAXIMized Practitioner Method, and the host of the Profitable Practice Podcast.

I help health and wellness practitioners learn to create simple strategies and systems which help free up time in their business, so they don’t get bogged down in only working. It’s important to enjoy life outside of the office as well. 

How did you create your brand? What was the inspiration behind it? 

When I first started in practice, I had zero business skills. And, after 10-years in school, I was not about to get an MBA, so instead, I immersed myself in business and marketing from the get-go.

It was an absolute grind with very little growth and even lower profits to show for it, which is a defeating feeling, especially when helping people get better is your #1 goal, but acquiring those consistent new patients is always a struggle.

After 5 years of doing it alone, I quickly became a wife and mother of 2 girls. The time I selfishly put towards my business was no longer available. Then that moment happened… that moment when you know that things need to change.

My eldest was 3yo at the time. She tapped me on the shoulder to ask me a question. I snapped back at her, “Mommy’s busy! Can’t you see that!” .. and that was the last time I did that.  

I was a one-woman show–thinking that I needed to do it all and that no one could do what I could do. So I’d go to the office all day, come home, open the laptop right away at the dining table, and continue working into the night. I was stressed and feeling a lot of pressure. I started to hate my business.

Aria went over to my husband and quietly asked him, “When do you think I can ask mom a question where she won’t yell at me??” When Scott told me what she had asked, at that moment, my priorities changed.

I sought out my first business coach. With the clarity I received, I created the MAXIMized Practitioner Method. It’s a 3-Step framework which shows health and wellness practitioners, mislead to believe that “it will be ok after graduation” and yet graduating without any business knowledge, how to build their Foundational Experience attract their ideal patients, create Business Essentials to establish time freedom, and how to stand out with Modernized Marketing, the type of marketing most practitioners are afraid to do.

How does your brand work?

Throughout my journey, I could see what the online gurus and business influencers were preaching to their tribe, but it doesn’t translate to the brick and mortar owner. So the MAXIMized Practitioner Method was born!

The MAXIMized Practitioner Method is a 3-Step framework showing health and wellness practitioners, misled to believe that “it will be ok after graduation” and yet graduating without any business knowledge, how to properly build a brick and mortar practice on an unwavering foundation. More importantly, one that isn’t built on antiquated principles is still taught in school. 

This methodology easily bridges the gap between offline and online, broadening the reach of a single practitioner as well as creating multiple streams of income, like an online course or curriculum, for example.

The principles were built to stop the overwhelm and sheer panic of a new practitioner literally being thrust into the “real world” after being sheltered for 4+ years.

Pillar 1: Foundational Experience (Build)

This pillar is probably the most important, but easily the one that most practitioners skip over because it requires patience. When you graduate, your skills amongst your peers and colleagues are NOT the skills that your potential patients/clients need from you. 

You learned everything you needed to NOT, harm someone, but the art and skill of messaging and reframing, and articulating your value IS NOT part of the school curriculum. Post-grad, most practitioners still talk to people in “doctor speak” and think that the letters after your name are all you need to convince someone to start to work with you. Nowadays, anyone with a big mouth and an iPhone can claim to be a health expert, and because they understand the game of marketing and messaging, us experts with a 6-figure education are the ones struggling.

Foundational experience is about getting in front of as many humans as possible, in as short a time frame as possible, to really gather the confidence to speak to them. To mirror their words back to them. To position yourself as a “real person” who just happens to have a degree, and as someone with the knowledge who can help them get the health results they dream of. 

This doesn’t happen from filling out an Ideal Client Avatar PDF!!

This doesn’t happen from building a beautiful website that speaks to no one!

Foundational experience is earned by DOING, not by reading or filling out forms. In doing so, you will attract your 100 ideal clients and THEN you build that into your Business Essentials.

Pillar 2: Business Essentials (Systemize)

This pillar is where we take everything we learned from Pillar 1 and NOW we create the practitioner brand (website, logo, etc). And this branding will actually work because it speaks directly to your target audience. Then we systemize and automate everything. Your Welcome sequence, onboarding sequence, online bookings, scripts for the reception, etc. Everything is linked together in a simplified business funnel from lead to conversion to delivery to upselling. No holes. No revenue is left on the table.

Here is where we leverage online tech tools to help create a consistently growing practice that is mostly hands-off. The more hands-off the practitioner, the more you get to do what you love — not the day-to-day admin… but the healing and transforming of patients/clients.

Pillar 3: Modernized Marketing (Grow)

Now that we have systems in place for growth and the audience who already knows, likes, and trusts us, we crank up the dial. 

Most practitioners hate social media. Hate video. Hate Facebook advertising… but as MAXIMized Practitioners, we lean into the spaces that others won’t go. It helps us stand out amongst the crowd. 

We develop your specific brand, your methodology, your keywords that only relate to you, and start scripting them and using them everywhere. Just like Paleo and Keto and Bulletproof were made up words, and now global phenomenons, we also turn our students from run-of-the-mill practitioners into stand-out personal brands. Then we use an inexpensive system of online marketing (I’m talking less than $0.05 per result) to start attracting more and more of the people you already love to work with.

What can the reader take away from this interview? Highlight something you think is worth them knowing.

Now more than ever, practitioners need to wake up and realize that medical school did NOT set you up for success. They mislead all of us to think that health and wellness education is in the same league as the conventional medical profession. We’re not. In fact, we’re being lumped in with all of the ‘health expert’ noise, and instead, it’s causing us to develop practitioner animosity, where we feel apathy towards our patients and clients.

I’m here to tell you that you CAN be successful, but you need to let go of the antiquated teachings from school and step into the real world. A world where you need to explain what you do at a grade 4 level, at all times. One where you recognize that you are an entrepreneur FIRST, who just happens to have a medical degree/certification.

The first shut down was your wake up call. To wake you up to the fact that the in-person time for dollars is NOT good enough.

However, I’m the first to put my stake in the ground and say that the brick and mortar business is here to stay. Regardless, it’s crucial to understand that you must merge your business online if you want to still be in business in the next 3-5 years. That’s why I created the MAXIMized Practitioner Method, to help you soar during a pandemic and be just fine on the other side.

Explain the challenges you went through while you were working on your brand creation. What are the challenges you go through on an everyday basis?

As an entrepreneur, you can never turn it off. Business is always on your mind.

With two small girls at home, and a supportive husband, and even my 4-ft long German Shepherd fur baby (King), I have a lot of people in my life who need me.

I am in a constant struggle between my identity as a strong, independent businesswoman going selfishly after my goals and being present as a wife & mother. I have always rebelled against the traditional role of homemaker, but as a woman, it’s easy to want to nurture and do everything for my family… which inevitably means I can’t be fully present for my business.

How do you manage your business finances through the services you offer?

I am self-funded.

Tell us about your future vision of your brand. How far do you want to take it? What is your dream about taking it to the next level?

Our mission is to help 1000 practitioners become MAXIMized CEO’s of their business so they can impact 500,000 lives each year.

Their practices are operating well into the black, allowing them to take home a decent income, and grow it to six-figures and beyond, all while helping the patients they were meant to serve.

We want less of our industry’s practitioners suffering in practice poverty and having to close their doors, and more of us creating and enjoying the financial freedom we deserve. We believe that running our business should come with as much excitement and confidence as helping our patients does.

What is your giveaway idea through this interview? 

Free business tools and mini-trainings: https://www.maximizedbusiness.ca/resources/

Free Video Training on how to Merge Your Practice Online: https://event.webinarjam.com/register/6/lqxr2fq

What message would you like to give to anybody who has a plan of creating something of their own and making a living through it?

Understand that you’re entering into a marathon, not a sprint. The first 5 years are about testing, trying, grinding, hustling. The next 5 years are refining, niching, systemizing, automating, and leveraging. After that, you should have a business that essentially runs on autopilot and provides you the comforts that you can continue to live off of.

There is nothing more personally challenging than entrepreneurship. The faster you drop the ego. The faster you ask for help. The faster you become coachable. The faster you implement. The faster you execute. The EASIER the journey will be, but there will never be a point where your business is “perfect”.

And while it is challenging, it is also the most rewarding career choice.

MAXIMized Business

Website:          www.maximizedbusiness.ca

Instagram:     @andreamaximnd

Podcast:        Profitable Practice Podcast (iTunes, Podbean, Stitcher)

The post Dr. Andrea Maxim: Systems and Strategies Can Give You Back Your Freedom appeared first on CEO Medium.

As a speaker, Nik has trained thousands of entrepreneurs across the nation on how to establish, grow, and maintain their personal brands.  As a consultant, she’s worked 1:1 with local politicians, non-profit leaders, corporate executives, and small business owners to position themselves as authorities in their niche.  Just as she’s done as a speaker and consultant, it is her mission to teach you how to leverage the power of your personal brand in order to establish your credibility, amplify your expertise and increase awareness for your business.

Hi Nik, can you tell us more about you, and what you do? 

My name is Nik Scott. Through online courses, training, and resources, I help women entrepreneurs grow their personal brand. I do this to help them establish their credibility, amplify their expertise, and increase awareness for their business.

Tell us how you created your brand and what the inspiration was behind it.

I’m passionate about helping women discover their unique qualities, so they can use them to differentiate themselves from everyone else in their industries. 

The fact of the matter is everyone has a personal brand, but when it comes to personal branding (the conscious and intentional effort to influence public perception of themselves) women often find it challenging.  Let’s face it, personal branding can have a bad rep.  When it’s done incorrectly and for the wrong reasons, personal branding comes off as selfish, pretentious, or even conceited.  That’s why I’m a firm believer in Selfless Self-promotion™.  This is a concept I developed to help my clients embrace personal branding as a service to others instead of self-serving.  I teach this philosophy extensively in my group coaching program FABB Public Speaking.

Go in detail and tell us about how your brand works.

FABB Public Speaking is a 6-week accelerator that teaches women how to kickstart their speaking business utilizing my FABB Framework™.  I take my clients through a journey where each week they complete very specific milestones. By the end of our time together, they have everything they need to get booked and paid to speak.

In addition to being one of the best ways to optimize your personal brand, public speaking has many amazing benefits.  Public speaking boosts your confidence, helps you stand out in the workforce, heightens your level of influence, positions you as an expert and thought leader, builds self-awareness and improves your knowledge.  Not to mention public speaking increases your chances of getting a promotion by 85% and can 10X sales for your business.

Explain the challenges you went through while you were working on brand creation. What are the challenges you go through on an everyday basis?

Without challenge, there can be no progress. Simple and plain.

The biggest challenge for me has been learning to balance all that I’m doing professionally with what I have to do personally. When you work in the digital space, there are no set work hours. Social media and the Internet are always open for business, so finding that right balance between when to work and when not to is an area of growth.

When I started my business back in 2008, social media was not what it is today. Not many people had a smartphone. If I wanted to connect back then, I had to make time to do it. I couldn’t just whip out my phone and work. So, when laptops got smaller and phones got smarter, I had to become more aware of my time. It was easy to call everything work, because, well, everything WAS work! But all work and no play is not good for anyone.

For me, what works is just that–being present and aware. When your business is based on the Internet, it’s easy to get distracted and miss out on moments because you’re trying to curate the perfect piece of content.

I’ve found it valuable to hold myself accountable. While it’s pretty much accepted that everyone at dinner is taking photos of their food, I’ve learned when to say when. Too much of anything can potentially harm you–even if it IS “work.” I refuse to sacrifice human-to-human connections by being buried in my phone 24/7.

My growth has happened at its own pace. I’ve trusted the process and timing. I savor every moment.

How do you manage your business finances?

At this point, my business is 100% online and 100% self-funded.  All of our payments for products and services are handled through an online payment gateway/processor.

Tell us your future vision about the brand. How far do you want to take it? What is your dream about taking it to the next level?

It is my mission to help 288 women grow their personal brands over the next year.  My group coaching program FABB Public Speaking is just one of the vehicles that will help me accomplish this goal.

What message would you like to give to anybody who has a plan of creating something of their own and making a living through it?

The #1 message I have for anyone planning to create something of their own and make a living through it is to embrace the fact that it will be a marathon, not a sprint. 

When you’re just starting out everything is exciting and you’re eager to work endless hours, go live on Facebook three times a day and schedule a month’s worth of blog posts.  But that momentum can only last so long before you’re exhausted and burnt out—which oftentimes leads to less attraction and attention given to your business. 

Many people begin as solopreneurs, meaning they are a one-person show.  That means they are doing things that may or may not come naturally to them, things they may or may not like to do, or things they may or may not be good at.  And the truth of the matter is many of these things aren’t as income-generating as they might have thought before they got started!

The lack of consistent income combined with exhaustion (not to mention the FOMO environment social media creates) could leave someone starting out feeling like they’ve failed.  But I’d encourage them to flip the narrative. Embrace right away that it’s okay to start where you start so that you can grow into the Super CEO that you will ultimately be—if you keep pushing at a STEADY (not fast) pace.

The post Establish and Grow Your Brand with Nik Scott appeared first on CEO Medium.

Her book, “Finding your FIT” (a #1 new release for Teens and Young Adults) is available on Amazon and speaks on self-development.

Tell us about how you started your business and a little more about yourself. 

I am a full-time student at DePaul University, and currently, a Junior majoring in Marketing. On the side, I started my own business where I currently help other entrepreneurs, influencers, startups, small business owners evolve with branding, organic marketing, and of course mindset help. I offer services for 1-on-1 coaching or consulting for the business owner and team members

What inspired you to create your brand? What is the idea behind it?

I started as a fitness coach. I always wanted to help people feel confident and make an impact on their lives. After some time, I started to lose my passion for fitness. It stopped being fun for me.

Throughout the couple of years that I coached fitness clients, I shared my story of growing my brand/business with tons of strategies I’d learned. I spoke of experience and utilizing social media to make money. 

People started coming to me and asked how‘d made money online. They were surprised that being this young, I still was able to do so well. I thought about it and realized I could literally help others do what I did–and even better and faster. 

I always loved entrepreneurship and the business side of things, because I was surrounded by entrepreneurs and business owners my entire life. It was in my blood. I wanted to become just like them and change lives.

 I was able to do that with fitness coaching but I didn’t want to stop there. I needed more to fulfill me. I knew that the #1 struggle for people is starting. because being a beginner is never easy. It doesn’t matter whether you’re in fitness or any other business, it’s hard.  

I didn’t have anyone to guide me, so I want to be able to do that for others showing them how to properly build something for themselves. With that in mind, I started business coaching and consulting to help others build their business up and create an impact just like I wanted. 

How does your brand work?

All my clients go through a process when they want to work with me.  I don’t want to take a client that I can’t help or doesn’t align with my vision. I hop on multiple phone calls and we figure out if the client is a good fit for me, and if I am a good fit for the client. If it feels right, we start working together. 

For 1-on-1 coaching, I offer different levels via a month by month program. I offer mentorship as well. In these levels, I offer brand strategy sessions that help brands and entrepreneurs with goal setting. We create a 90-day roadmap that shows you exactly how to break down your goals into actionable tasks/steps so you’re moving the needle every day. It includes content creation brainstorming to help you create a solid content calendar each month, as well as how to acquire clients through strategies like copywriting, offer creation, sales, mindset, and more. 

When I consult, the business owner, team, and I meet up and have multiple sessions on basically the same things, but more specific and in detail. Both services have received excellent feedback and have gotten positive results thus far. 

Do you do a giveaway? 

All my clients from now on will receive a free book personally from me with a note inside. 

Explain the challenges you went through while you were working on brand creation. What are the challenges you go through on an everyday basis?

There are so many challenges. Switching from a “fitness” chick to a “business” woman took a lot of change. It was challenging because I’d already built my brand as a fitness person. 

As I transitioned it was hard to get people to take me seriously at first, but once I started taking on clients it was a game-changer. I still struggle with being so young and owning my own business helping people who are older than me with their business. But, I have lots to offer and once they hire me, their business will flourish. 

How do you manage your business finances?  

My pricing is currently quite affordable due to COVID circumstances. I try to be fair with everyone looking to grow and better themselves. I do offer payment plans if that is needed. 

Tell us about your future vision. What is your dream about taking your brand to the next level?

My future vision is being a full-time coach/consultant and helping all sorts of businesses and entrepreneurs grow and scale. I want to be able to help as many people as possible because I know that there are so many great ideas out there.

It’s just action and a little push they need to get started. I want to be the one to help change lives and make the world a better place with fair coaching and consulting. I want to build an empire at a young age, and being a middle eastern woman, I want to show everyone that it’s possible. 

What message do you have for those looking to start a creative business and make a living through it? 

I want to tell them that it is not easy. It takes a lot of discipline to create something of your own and make a living through it, but it is definitely worth it. It gives you freedom, and you feel more fulfilled in the end. If you want help, let me know and we’ll get you started. 

  Amber Farooqui Coaching and Consulting 

Website:                 www.amberfarooqui.com

Instagram:              www.instagram.com/amberfarooqui

The post Amber Transitioned from Fitness to Business Coaching to Help Other Beginning Businesses appeared first on CEO Medium.