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When people ask me to explain coaching, often the best analogy I give them is that working with a coach is like working with a personal trainer.

Let's say you want to get healthy. You know you need to exercise, eat right, stretch, rest and remove as much stress as possible from your life to achieve your goals. Chances are good, you can do this on your own.

But so many of us don't. We start and we stop. We give lip service to our goals, but we don't follow through.

And often times, we simply give up.

And we remain unhealthy.

And unhappy.

And that's where personal trainers come in.

Once we decide we're truly ready to make a change and once we ASK FOR HELP, we're so much more likely to succeed with our goals.

The initial decision is what's most important but the follow up decision of asking for help is what sets the wheels in motion toward a healthy life style.

Same goes for coaching. You know what you  need to do to grow your business and to live a balanced life, right?

So why aren't you doing it?!

We all need a little help every now and then and when we've got big goals and big dreams, a collaborative partner can make all the difference in helping to shepherd us on the road to success.

When I ask my clients what are the top benefits they get from coaching, accountability always ranks near the top of the list.

If you hire a coach to help you achieve your goals, you're going to SHOW UP for yourself on a regular basis.

And if you enroll in a coaching group, (there's one starting in Tallahassee March 2nd) you're going to SHOW UP not only for yourself and for your coach, but for all the other members of the program.

There's a reason why Weight Watchers is one of the most successful weight loss programs in our country.

There's a reason why group coaching programs work.

Accountability.

Committment.

Showing Up.

Resources.

Inspiration.

Community.

If you're ready to shift your life and your business from tired to inspired, I invite you to join me for the next 4 months and see what an impact coaching can have on your life!

I guarantee it will transform you in powerful ways!

One week ago today, we were wrapping up another powerful, intentional, transformational retreat weekend. The New Year Solitude Retreat was the second weekend retreat that I have co-facilitated with my new business partner Geralyn Russell who is a gifted yoga and meditation instructor. 

The women who joined us came for a variety of reasons:

- to get a good night's sleep (the mom of a 5-month old)

- to de-stress (a busy professional woman navigating the early stages of a divorce)

- to gain clarity on how to spend her time wisely (a retired grandmother)

And all of the women left feeling different - lighter, more relaxed, more inspired, rested, more creative, more joyful -  than when they arrived. 

Jim Hallett of Washington State told his wife, Joanne who had flown cross country to join us,

"I have never seen you so relaxed. You need to go on retreat more often. Once is not enough."

So the work of Solitude Retreats continues. We hope to launch our new website soon and we are excited to share the message with people far and wide about the benefits of solitude and the gifts of retreat. 

Personally, I have found that taking retreat time allows me to gain clarity and give myself permission to do things I normally wouldn't. And that includes taking risks. So I am going to share a bit of writing (poetry?) that I wrote near the end of our retreat weekend.

Solitude, by Elizabeth Barbour

"Solitude" moo the cows

"Rest" baa the sheep

"Be" cluck the chickens

"Breathe" whispers the wind

"Play" meows Heather the cat

"Love" barks Stormy the dog

"Peace" rustles the oak tree

"Contemplate" suggests the labyrinth

"Restore" beckons the retreat center

"Recharge" peeps the egg

"Renew" sings the bell

"Joy" proclaim the angels

"Celebrate" laugh the wise women

... and they all danced

under the full moon

in the fields

around the dinner table

beating their drums

listening to the heart beat

the pulse of the land

calling them home to

Solitude.

If you’ve never chosen a theme for your year before, it can be:
a broad, general statement

a thread of consciousness or thought

kind of like a vision or mission statement but not so stuffy

an overriding idea

a repeating thought

a unifying idea

memorable

the subject of discourse or discussion

ongoing meditation with God or self

helps keep you focused, on target, on track

supports Laws of Attraction – if you’re telling the Universe clearly what you desire, then you’re more likely to co-create it!

provides ongoing encouragement as you see your theme coming to fruition throughout the year

Will your theme be:

fun or serious

personal, professional, or both

yearly, monthly, or for an event or project?

Will you start on January 1 or your birthday or your business anniversary?

Will you publicize your theme or keep it to yourself?

I’ve had a number of themes for myself over the years including:

Connection & Community

Sacred Spaces

The Year of Allowing

Elizabeth’s Year of Extreme Self Care

—general and specific—that might inspire you:

Creativity

Trying new things

Taking better care of your health

Organization

Being a better communicator

Learning

Making more money

Deepening your relationships

Living a more balanced life

Developing your spiritual practice

Adventure

Play more

How Much Joy Can I Stand?

My Year of Unexpected Financial Windfalls

The Year of Sacred Spaces

I'm Sexy, Sassy and Unstoppable

Healthy, Wealthy and Wise

Forgive

I’m worth it!

Have fun, fun, fun in all I do!

Big leaps of faith

Do it or dump it

Time is valuable

Prosperity first

Pick the low hanging fruit

No more Lone Ranger

What do you really, really, really want this year in the areas of

RELATIONSHIPS

CAREER

FINANCES

HEALTH

SPIRITUALITY

PERSONAL GROWTH?

Brainstorm your dreams and desires for the coming year. Think big, think small, think in the box and think out of the box. Think short-term and long-term. Think realistically and think pie-in-the-sky! The idea here is simply to capture all of your desires on paper so you can then go back and review all the ideas in your head!

If you can, spend some time with this over the next few days. Journal, talk to friends and family, create a vision board, find a personal anchor (rock, photo, etc) and then pick your theme.

Remember

Happy (almost!) New Year!
Take the next three days to get ready for a fabulous 2010!

PS For readers in the Tallahassee area, it's not too late to sign up for the 2010...Begin Again New Year's Day Retreat! Hope you will join us!

Shopping. Parties. Presents. Food (usually waaaaaaay too much!). Lights. Carols.

This season is so fun and so festive. I love it!

And, this year it's a little quieter than usual. I'm taking to heart the retreat work that I've stepped into this year.

I'm experiencing more quiet.

I'm giving myself permission for more space.

I'm realizing that I could knock myself to be the perfect friend/daughter/coach and extend myself to send cards, write personal greetings, buy gifts for everyone I love and care about (a verrrrrry long list!) ... but instead, I am choosing sanity... and just doing the best I can.

I'm spending time in silent gratitude saying over and over every day "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."

This has been a challenging year for a lot of people that I know, myself and my family included. But there is so much to be grateful for. We are truly blessed.

I wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and look forward to celebrating an exciting NEW YEAR with you soon! Thanks for reading, for being my friends, colleagues and supporters.

~ Elizabeth

PS If you are feeling ready for some R+R yourself but are also seeking the company of women, I invite you to consider joining me in the next few weeks...

2010...Begin Again - A New Year's Day Retreat on Jan 1st, 2010

New Year Solitude Retreat - A Woman's Retreat for Self Care and Spirituality from Jan 29-31st, 2010

Join me and Geralyn Russell this evening at 8 pm EST for our FREE Teleclass "Dissolve Holiday Stress NOW: 3 Simple Solitude Practices".

You'll take time to...

- BE

- BREATHE

- REST from the holiday chaos

- CONSIDER how you want to do the rest of the holiday season a little bit differently

Click HERE to register for this hour oasis and experience a bit of solitude this evening...

 (Geralyn Russell and I at BPW's Divas & Desserts - what a festive occasion!)

Is this holiday season wearing you out? That's a sure sign you aren't taking enough R+R time for yourself!

It’s easy to get caught up in the demands of life and miss the warning signs that you need to go on retreat NOW.

How do you know if you need a retreat?
~ You are tired or overwhelmed by all you have to do
~ You are scattered or lack focus
~ You can't find peace and quiet at home
~ Your creative juices are all gone
~ You give your time and energy to others and routinely put yourself last
~You have no energy left
~ You are grieving
~ You need new perspective
~ You want to DO less and BE more
~ You are experiencing a life transition (a move, new job, marriage, divorce, the birth of a baby or a new business)

It’s time to nurture yourself. You deserve it AND taking time off will leave you feeling
~ happy
~ grateful
~ inspired
~ rested
~ joyful
~ relaxed

Doesn’t that sound good?

I’m planning two special retreats for you in January 2010...Begin Again and the New Year Solitude Retreat on Jan 29-31, 2010 but you don’t need to wait until then.

~ Decide you're ready for a retreat! (yes, even now as the holidays approach!)
~ Pick a day, time and location (even 15 minutes of relaxation can restore your soul)
~ Choose activities that will nurture your mind, body and spirit (journaling, meditating, walking in nature, dancing, singing, creating art). 

The holiday season can be a whirlwind of activity and demands on your time and attention. You can choose to retreat and renew your body, mind, and spirit. Then you'll enjoy the season a whole lot more! :-)

After the holidays, I’d love to have you join me on retreat January 29-31, 2010 so that you can...

~ Rest
~ Focus
~ Enjoy peace and quiet
~ Explore your creative side
~ Put yourself first
~ Renew your energy
~ Achieve a new perspective
~ DO less and BE more
~ Come away inspired about LIFE!

And if you need a break NOW, join me for my FREE Holiday Teleclass Wednesday December 16th at 8 pm EST called Dissolve Holiday Stress NOW!

It's that time of year again. I don't need to describe it to you. Most people either love it or dread it. There aren't a whole lot of fence-sitters on the topic of the holidays. If you are ready to disembark from the holiday crazy bus, here are three simple steps to help you.

1. Create Space. Pull out your calendar RIGHT NOW and look at the month of December. Are there hours or days that are not accounted for? Choose a few chunks of time - 30 minutes here, 2 hours there, an entire day (wow!) - and block them out just for you. This is the season of giving, but if you don't start by giving yourself some spiritual food in the form of space and time to breathe and think, you won't have anything left to give anyone else!

2. Envision your Ideal Holiday. Take a blank sheet of paper and write 5-10 things that would make your holiday just perfect. Then, talk with your loved ones about how you can incorporate some of these ideas into your holiday plans.

3. Self Care SOS! Make a list of all the things that help you to destress. Post it on your refrigerator and every time you feel the holiday crazies coming on, choose a self care tool that will come to your rescue. Examples: eating an organic meal in a relaxed environment, getting a babysitter for 3 hours so you can go do yoga, meditate for 10 minutes before you start your day, saying no thank you when you really don't want to do something.

If you want more tips and inspiration from me , I invite you to join me for two exciting events in December.

*** For Tallahassee area folks: I'll be the keynote speaker on Tuesday Dec 8th at the Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce Professional Women's Forum and I"ll be talking about how to thrive during the holidays!

*** For people all over the country: Join me and Geralyn Russell for our Dissolve Holiday Stress NOW! Free teleclass on Wed Dec 16th from 8-9 pm EST. It's sure to be a respite in the midst of a busy holiday time!

Is your list of “shoulds” so long you never have time to consider the “coulds” like rest and renewal?

Who but YOU can give you the permission you need to take care of yourself?

So many women give, give, give ... and they give some more! They give it all away to other people...then there's nothing left for themselves at the end of the day.

Is that you?

Why do you do this? What's the benefit?

Seriously.

Burn out? Exhaustion? Feeling temporarily satisfied for helping others but ultimately sacrificing yourself in the process?

Stop the madness!

Stop right now and make yourself a permission slip.

I Give Myself Permission to  ________________________

(be instead of do, take the day off, slow down, quit my job, pursue my dreams, start my new business, leave my unsupportive relationship, let go of limiting beliefs, take myself on a retreat).

How does that feel?

Post your permission slip somewhere where you can see it regularly.

And actually follow through and HONOR your permission slip to yourself - it's a commitment to your health and well-being and happiness.

Experience the freedom, power and control that comes with choosing something that makes you feel good, something that nurtures you.

Don’t wait. Choose to feel good now. Choose to take care of yourself now. There will never be a better time.

The human mind and body are capable of incredible feats but they are not capable of constant effort without opportunities to rest and renew. It often takes a life transition like birth, death, relocation, job change, or illness to remind us we need to slow down and take some time for ourselves.

You don't have to wait for something bad to happen to start practicing self care!

You are probably adept at multitasking, going, doing, and taking care of things. In light of this, you may be asking
- What does "self care" really mean?
- How can I practice it?
- Why do I resist it?
- How can I incorporate self care practices into my life?
 
I’ll be answering those questions at my next Solitude retreat and I hope you’ll join me.
The New Year Solitude Retreat is January 29-31, 2010 at an organic farm in southern Georgia. It's gorgeous and the perfect place to get away and reflect on self care.

I don’t want to leave you hanging, though. Here are 5 questions to get you moving toward practicing better self care TODAY.

1. Define what self care means for you. List 5-10 actions you could take to practice self care.

2. How do you feel when you give yourself the gift of self care? And how do you feel when you haven't practiced self care in a while?

3. Why do you resist self-care? What are you avoiding in your life?

4. What's one thing you could do today to get yourself back on the self-care path?

 5. Are you ready and willing to return to self care? If so, grab your calendar and write in a self-care date with yourself. Then sigh with relief as you imagine how you'll feel once you give yourself this nurturing and loving gift!

I hope these questions inspire you to take action, to get serious about self care. We’ll be talking about this more on retreat but until then, here are some ways to incorporate self care into your busy life
1. Stop doing things that aren't necessary, vital, or uplifting.

2. Turn off the phone, the TV, the radio e-mail, and the computer for one full day each week.

3. Clear physical clutter from your life.

4. Clear mental clutter from your life, too. Create lists, delegate, or even ignore.

5. Take yourself on retreat for a few hours, a day, a weekend.

6. Just say "no". No is a complete sentence.

7. Create space to allow you to see what you need to give yourself permission to do (or not do, as the case may be!)

Not sure you're motivated to do it on your own? Consider joining us for a group experience to learn how to practice self care- the power of women in community is transformational.
I hope you’ll join me January 29-31, 2010 for the New Year Solitude Retreat.

What are the next three phone calls you'd like to receive?

I just got off the phone with my awesome mastermind group... coaches around the country who I met during the Beyond Six Figures Program for Coaches with Eva Gregory and Mary Allen. In this program, I learned tools and skills to take my group coaching programs to new heights! I'm starting another new coaching group live and in person in Tallahassee, FL on September 15th. Details can be found at www.inspiredentrepreneur.com.

But I digress...

So, in my mastermind group, we help each other problem solve, brainstorm and get unstuck. We celebrate our successes, we analyze our failures and serve as a sort of "board of directors" for each other and our businesses. Here's a great resource to help you create your own mastermind group.

Sooooo... one of our members today was talking about a slow period in her business and was seeking coaching, strategies and ideas for how to deal with this. A powerful question that came up was this:

What are the next three phone calls you'd like to receive?

Think about that for a minute. If you could get your phone to ring three times before the end of today, who would you want to hear on the other end of the line? Some ideas...

- a potential new client

- an invitation for some free PR for your business (maybe an interview on radio, TV or in the newspaper)

- a current client who's really happy with the services you provide and who wants to refer someone else to you and they ask "do you have any space for a new client?"

- someone offering you an all-expenses paid vacation

- a friend offering to babysit your kids for the weekend

- your partner calling to say they're going to treat you to a nice dinner out tonite "just because"!

A lot of times when business gets slow, it's because we need the space to think, to regroup, to recommit to our vision. Sometimes we simply need a little break, some time to rest and rejuvenate. So what do you want? What do you  need? What do you choose?

Decide today and make a clear declaration about the next three calls you'd like to receive. Then sit back and watch what happens!

P.S. One more note about my mastermind group...

We've been meeting for almost a year now and these wise folks always have something brilliant to share. Big thanks to Bev Martin, Suzee Ebeling, Joselito Laucendia and Karen McMillan - you make me a better coach and human being each time I talk with you. Thank you for sharing your gifts and your expertise with me!

Howard Libin, who calls himself Supreme Commander of Adventures in Advertising, a Tallahassee-based promotional advertising agency writes a column for the Business Matters section of our local paper.

Today's article was titled "Team up to stretch your marketing dollars" and I'm thrilled that he mentioned me and Deanna Mims of Market Done and the collaborative work we've done with TEN - Tallahassee Entrepreneurs Network.

His article gave some great examples of how businesses can work together to reach a wider audience. In these economic times, stretching your dollars is key for success for most folks.

In addition to Howard's points, I'd like to add a few thoughts on the matter:

1. It's FUN to collaborate! Deanna and I have a blast when we're co-creating and co-presenting our material.

2. We are both LEARNING from each other. Deanna has an extensive background in marketing and my skill set is in business coaching with an expertise in networking. We are both able to bring our perspectives to the table and share ideas in a way that everyone wins.

3. When you collaborate you double your reach. Howard addressed this in his article but I think it's important to note it again here. When you come together with another business owner, it's like doubling the size of your data base.

Thank you, Howard, for educating the Tallahassee business community about the value of team work. Your article was timely and helpful and we're honored to be cited as one of your examples!

But today I went to a BNI (Business Networking International) meeting in Tallahassee (www.bni.com to find a chapter in your area) and was reminded that even the world's largest and most profitable networking organization can have drawbacks.

Note: I did have a good time at the event and made some great connections and appreciate the invitation from my friend June Townsend with Isagenix! June is a fabulous networker and generous soul (like most of the people at the BNI event).  So be sure to read my full blog post before you think "oh, she just doesn't get it!"

The three "beefs" that I have with this particular BNI experience...

1. Early morning meetings. That's why I became an entrepreneur - to set my own schedule and not feel like I have to be in the "rat race" with the rest of the world. I'm sorry, folks, but at 7:45 a.m., I want to be eating my oatmeal, reading the newspaper and petting my cats. I don't want to be out shaking hands with bright eyed bushy tailed folks looking to shove their business cards in my face. Which leads me to my next point...

2. "In the next 5 minutes, go get as many business cards as you can." THIS approach is why networking has such a bad name! UGH! And I have to say, I was shocked that such an activity would take place at a BNI meeting! BNI is all about passing qualified referrals - building long term relationships - so why they would condone a business card passing activity such as this, I have no clue.

3. Competition, competition, competition. I heard this word three times during the meeting. There was a lot of talk about "locking out your competition" and "filling your seat" so that others in your profession can't "get it." I get, in theory, why this works in a structured group like this. But even when I was a BNI member years ago, if I knew 3 writers and only one of them was in my BNI group, when passing a referral to a colleague or client of mine who was looking to hire a writer, I would always give them the 3 writers and let them decide who they wanted to work with.

But contrast is clearly the spice of life. So to look at the bright side (since I always love finding the learning in a situation) here are my three gems:

1. Freedom! I will continue to relish the fact that as an entrepreneur, I get to set my own work hours and choose when and where and with whom I want to do business. It feels great to have this freedom. So for now, I'll stick with my Chamber Leads group that meets at lunch!

2. Quality not quantity of contacts is what matters. I will continue to ask people's names and shake their hands first before ever exchanging a business card. I admit that I fell into the activity trap and actually did that - the dreaded business card swap - with a few folks (I felt dirty afterwards!). But the few folks that I stopped to talk with - those are the people I will follow up with and build a relationship with.

3. Collaborate, Collaborate, Collaborate! This is what I will continue to do throughout my career. I love working with Deanna Mims (www.marketdone.com) on our quarterly TEN (Tallahassee Entrepreneurs Network) meetings where we teach people the skills of good old fashioned networking (um, doing the biz card exchange is not one of the tools that we teach!) Our next workshop will be in Aug/Sept - will let you know the date soon.

Lastly, I will celebrate the fact that I have initiated a meeting regularly with local coaches for lunch.

Gasp! But they're my "competition"!

Ah phooey!

I'm excited to announce two upcoming retreats that I'm hosting that I think are going to be fabulous!

The Solitude By The Sea Retreat is going to be a weekend of luxury!!! You'll want to start planning now for this October 15-18 weekend. I'm co-facilitating it with my fabulous friend Geralyn Russell who is a yoga instructor, DOGA instructor and meditation teacher. She is amazing and together we are going to co-create an experience that participants surely won't forget!

We've rented a 5 star retreat home on St. George Island, FL and are planning a magical weekend for all who come! We expect people will be traveling from all over the country because St. George is renowned for it's beaches and who wouldn't want to be in Florida in October, perhaps the most glorious month of the whole year here? Click here for more details!

If you missed the kick-off of the Tallahassee Entrepreneurs Network (TEN) in February,

be sure to mark your calendar now for this second quarter gathering!
 

Tuesday May 19th from 5:30-7:00 p.m.

at the Brokaw-McDougall House

329 North Meridian Street

Tallahassee, Florida

Learn TEN Tools to Elevate Your Intro and Get a Rise Out of Your Elevator Speech.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My colleague, Deanna Mims of MarketDone, and I are thrilled with what people are saying about the Tallahassee Entrepreneurs Network (TEN):

“I enjoyed the welcoming atmosphere and activities that helped everyone to relax.” 

 – Charlene Cappellini, Namaste Yoga Center

 “Great starting point for networking success. I liked the casual format and the non-conference room environment.” 

– Angel Clark, Keiser University

 “Loved meeting other business owners. Great activities!” 

 – Tricia Thomas, Roly Poly

We’re gearing up for our second event May 19^th. Once again, we will share our passion for networking and making genuine relationship-building connections.

If you live in the Tallahassee area,

Take a break and get out of the office

Expand your business connections

Network with other like-minded folks

Save $$$ with earlybird registration by Friday May 1st!

Come join us on Tuesday May 19th and learn our TEN tools to elevate your elevator speech.! Click here for more details and to register!

Deep down, we all relate to Susan Boyle.

We are her.

We all have aspects of ourselves that we are unsure of. We're either geeky or shy or awkward or scared. We get tongue tied and fearful and we shy away from the spotlight.

And most of us, like Susan, have at least one (and often many) gifts and talents to share with the world.

But we play small.

It's easier. It's more familiar. And we don't have to risk anything. What if we fail?

But Susan got up in front of those British judges because of a promise she made to her dying mother that she would share her gift of song.

And her life will be forever changed.

And so will we.

Where are you playing small in your life?

In April 1999, my life changed forever. After a long search, I finally found my birthmother. I called her within hours of receiving her name and number. Much to my relief, the first words out of her mouth once she understood that I was her daughter were "I'd hoped and prayed this day would come and that you would find me!"

Having time one on one to connect and hang out together is something that most other families take for granted. But for us, it's a luxury. In all the years that we've known each other, we've never gone away just the two of us. One challenge that most adopted people have while building a relationship with biological relatives is the lack of shared history or lack of shared experiences. I was determined that Kathy and I would create a memorable experience to mark our ten years of being reconnected.

When planning your next big festivity, consider the following:

- and where we knew there would be a lot to see and do. We created memories on this trip, with lots of photos to commemorate our time together!

 3. Give Gifts. Go symbolic or sentimental or both. Although we didn't discuss it, we both wanted to give each other some kind of gift to celebrate our anniversary together. Kathy presented me with a gorgeous gold bracelet which I haven't taken off since I saw her a week ago! But what makes it even more special is that she bought the identical bracelet for herself so that we can both wear it and feel connected. (awwww!)  After racking my brain for weeks about what was an appropriate gift, I decided to bring my journal from 1999 and read to her my thoughts and feelings about finding her for the first time when I was 29 years old. It was moving for both of us to revisit that time and remember how powerful and life altering the experience was for both of us. We went through plenty of tissues that night!

There is much to celebrate in life - the daily things of health and family and music and doing good work in the world. And then there are special events - birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, milestones - that deserve a little extra pomp and circumstance.

Today, April 13th, is our actual "anniversary". It's the day I first learned her name and first heard her voice and knew that, without a doubt, we'd have the rest of our lives to get to know one another. So Happy Anniversary, Kathy! I'm so grateful to have you in my life and I'm so grateful to you for giving me life!

What will YOU do for your next grand celebration? Please share your ideas with me!

Yesterday I had the opportunity to appear on Tallahassee area ABC 27 News at Sunrise. What a blast! I thought I'd be TIRED getting up at 4:30 a.m. but I was so INSPIRED to be able to share my message (albeit brief!) with the Tallahassee community in the wee hours of the morning. You can watch the interview here.

I was invited to interview because I'm the featured speaker at the upcoming Florida Public Relations Association Capital Chapter meeting on Thursday, March 19th. The topic is Shift from Tired to Inspired: Five Simple Strategies to Rev Up Your Business and Your Life! If you live near Tallahassee, you don't need to be a marketing or public relations professional to benefit from knowing this fabulous group of people! Click here for details and to register. Hope to see you on Thursday!

Join us on Tuesday, February 10th from 5:30-7:00 at the Brokaw McDougall House in Tallahassee for a fabulous workshop called:

From FEAR to FUN:

Shift your networking from YUCK to YES!

Tallahassee Entrepreneurs Network (TEN) is a collaboration between me and a colleague of mine, Deanna Mims. Deanna is a marketing expert and all around amazing woman! I love her energy, her enthusiasm and boy, does she know a lot of people in this town! Her consulting company is MarketDone.

I met Deanna last fall when she contacted me to be a speaker for the Business & Professional Women (BPW)Conference at the Civic Center in October. We instantly became friends and realized that it would be fun to collaborate on a project together.

Our mutual passion is networking because we both love making genuine connections that grow into long-term relationships. We both love people and are curious to learn all about them! That's what makes networking such fun.

So if you live in the Tally area and you want to

a) expand your business network

b) learn some new tools and techniques to be a better networker

c) get out of your office (c'mon, how many of you work at home in your pjs?! you gotta get out of the house sometimes to meet people!)

Come join us on Tues Feb 10th! Click here for more details!

I watched TV on and off throughout the day in between clients. Everyone I coached had a sense of optimism, excitement and possibility. We all shed a few tears. It feels like a turning point for so many Americans.

Today, history was made.

Today, we believe that almost anything is possible.

Today, this country has come together to celebrate change.

If we can elect the first black man as President of the United States despite the challenging history we've had, it's a day to be hopeful.

"Yes we can!" was Obama's slogan during his campaign. He has charged us all to step up and make a difference. I've thought about that a lot today.

Here's what I can (and plan) to do this year:

1. Donate more of my time to worthy causes.

2. Donate more of my money to people and organizations that need it.

3. Make an effort to get to know more of my neighbors.

4. Offer my coaching skills in ways to benefit more people at a variety of price points.

5. Educate myself about my local, state and national politics and speak up about issues that matter to me.

What can you do this year?