Living An Authentic Business
By Lisa Cherney

Do you ever get the feeling that something is just not right? Your business is going along fine, but you sense that something is missing? This is where I am right now. We go about our everyday lives and think our personal and business relationships are OK. We go, go, go, and do, do, do. Then one day we wake up and realize that something is out of alignment.

That is what happened to me. I’m supposed to be excited about the future. I’m supposed to have clear goals and know where I am taking my business and personal life in the months ahead. Instead, I have decided to stay put for now. I have decided to be still. I have decided to rest in all that I’ve accomplished so far, and see what happens.

You see, in order for me to create goals I have to have clarity about what feels good, and what will bring me more joy and more fulfillment. Right now I don’t have that clarity because I feel a bit overwhelmed. Yep folks, I feel overwhelmed. It’s like coming out of the I-have-it-all-together closet. And boy, am I relieved!

My Goal is to Pause
Pausing helps me connect to my true authentic business. In fact, my current pause has already helped me see that part of my new path is to teach folks how to create an authentic business for themselves! (Funny, huh?) “What does that mean?” you ask. Well, it means that the outside matches the inside. It means you only do what you really want to do. It means you feel like you are pretty much the same person at home and at work. And that you can actually say, “I feel overwhelmed” and still get respect from the people around you. And if they get turned-off, or think you are not strong or not “together,” then they are not a match for you. Wow, what a revelation that is!  

Ideal Clients [Vendors, Partners, etc.]
In past articles we have talked about defining your “Ideal Clients” and how to attract them. This new emphasis on authenticity takes it to a new level. We need to focus on speaking our truth instead of saying the “right” thing. Saying “no” if something doesn’t feel right. As entrepreneurs we have the power to create whatever kind of business we want. That includes working with people with whom we have fun, who respect us, and who make us look forward to our day.

In the spirit of creating a more authentic business, here is how I am taking the definition of my “Ideal Client” (or vendor, partner or colleague) to the next level.

When I am working with them I feel:
• Comfortable telling them that I am having a bad day.
• At ease hugging them instead of shaking hands.
• Secure saying that I need to postpone a deadline (if there’s flexibility).
• At ease taking Friday afternoons off or extended vacations. They respect my need for balance and wholeness.
• Confident that I don’t need to dress professionally for them to respect me.
• Valued for my talent and deserving of my fees.

Focusing On “Want” Instead of “Should”
This also means that my business doesn’t need to look like everyone else’s. It means that I do what I “want” to do, not what I think I “should” do (or what I’ve always done). That’s where this “staying put for now” thing comes in for me. We all go to plenty of seminars on how things should be done to make the big bucks, or fulfill our dreams, or be successful, or blah, blah, blah.

I now know that my business needs to, above all, feel good to me no matter what. I need to be happy when I wake up in the morning. I need to be excited about the day. I need to look forward to coaching my clients or receiving their phone calls. This means that when I get a tight feeling in my chest, a headache, feel sick to my stomach, or if I have thoughts nearly everyday about taking a vacation, I know something is wrong! And I realize that creating more work won’t fix it. (Read that last sentence again, it’s an important one.) It means that I am not living an authentic business. That I am not trusting in my intuition to guide me to a business full of passion and prosperity.

What do you need to do, or NOT do this year in order to have more joy? What will bring you more peace in your life? What will help you breathe deeper and smile more often? These are the questions I am asking myself and I thought that some of you out there might be needing to ask yourselves too. Your internal compass will guide you to creating an authentic business. Look inside, you have all the answers.

Lisa Cherney is a Business Intuitive and President and Founder of Conscious MarketingTM. On March 20th she is leading a Living An Authentic Business Workshop. This interactive experience will help you connect with your inner guidance and use it to create a business you love and the income you deserve.

Conscious Marketing offers one-on-one coaching and creates marketing materials. Please visit www.ConsciousMarketing.com or call (888) 771-0156 for details.
©2005 Lisa Cherney

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