The Hotness Blog.

This is a little glimpse into my current adventures as a woman following her REAL dreams and a woman encouraging others to do the same. I used to be really good at deluding myself to believe that my real dream…was not real. That it was merely my ego wanting to be famous and fabulous. And then I realized that my real dream–acting–is really cool. I love it. It invigorates the very depths of my being.

So now…I’m pursuing this dream. And let me tell you…it’s a little bit scary! The amount of time I am spending studying plays, watching films, attending class, practicing scenes and monologues is more than I have ever spent on this dream before. And it is because I am taking it extremely seriously. I am tired. But also excited to do more.

This combination–being tired and excited to do more…is essentially my perfect recipe for stress. So, instead of spending quiet time in prayer and meditation on the underlying fears that are cropping up…I have been manhandling many other areas of my life. And other people’s lives. Manhandling means, forging ahead when I should slow down, adding other tasks to my day when I should probably be taking my leisurely walk around the ‘hood, waking up extra early to respond to emails, creating massive plans for the next phase of my coaching business and writing out a full blown marketing message that took me like 6 hours to do. Oh…and by manhandling other people’s lives I mean dishing out lame advice to friends, dominating conversations with family members and arguing with anyone I could get my hands on.

Not fun.

My fears about meeting new people and wanting to do well have caused me to fall off the spiritual beam. I like being on the beam. And let me assure you…my spiritual beam is fairly wide…so I have veered off course substantially.

There are three really positive things that have happened in the past two weeks, however:

1. I delivered a great seminar for Lakshmi Hair Studio (the best salon in Philadelphia).

2. I delivered a great monologue at my acting class on Monday.

3. I met a friend for coffee.

To me, it is so incredible that–amidst chaos–beauty lives. As I write this…I am wondering why I have left out the part that I have been letting go of paddling my boat upstream. But I am. And I am so happy to be peacefully observing life. Life is so beautiful to watch.

hugs

alison

p.s. I feel deeply honored to be practicing what I preach. Just throwin’ myself some props…bc I have been a tad hard on myself the past couple of weeks.

p.s.s If you have been hard on yourself recently, pick one thing…or ten things that you have done right. And write ‘em down. Then tell yourself you kick ass.

Have you recently realized that you want to change something about your life, but fear you might be too far to even do something to get back to where you want to be? Have you gone too far? Are you in doubt about ever getting to a place that feels right?

While this is a pretty extreme idea…it happens to me. Sometimes I will do something for so long, that is so “out of character” for me…that the idea of getting back to “normal” (whatever that is) seems likea distant memory. I am putting a video together of my profound experience in this area that will go onto Gabrielle Bernstein’s “Her Future” website in the near future. Until then…I want to leave you with this thought:

There is no place you have gone, no relationship you have been in, no job that you loathe, no decision you have made, no harm you have caused your body or soul that cannot be left, changed, or healed. It is never “too late” to make a new decision. To take the other road. To change your course. To alter your destiny. These journeys of the soul are much more exciting than any physical journey I have even embarked upon.

Won’t you join me?

So…many of you may already know that I was at an Abraham-Hicks Seminar yesterday. It was brilliant. It was invigorating. It was mind-blowing. It was vibration-raising. It was fun. It was exhilarating. It was exactly where I wanted and needed to be. I had the most magnificent time. I am so thankful for the experience, and have an intention to share something extremely valuable. I realize that the only people who will read this, have attracted it, and will; therefore receive maximum benefit from this information. Please, take this information and run with it. It is powerful and truly remarkable.

I have mentioned the necessity of action in my other posts. I have hinted at lining up with action. But…I have never discussed…at this level, the idea of INSPIRED ACTION. Taking inspired action is actually the exact opposite…the action takes you. It takes you on a beautiful ride. Inspired action is far more powerful than uninspired action. This is the type of action you want to be taking in your new business endeavors. How do you take inspired action? It’s simple, really.

1. Get in the vortex. To get in the vortex, do something fun. Laugh. Get a massage. Watch your favorite movie. Listen to music. Play with your dog or cat. Spend time with your children, nieces, nephews or cousins. Be childlike. Do not worry about whatever it is you are worried about. For the time being–just for the next hour–make it your dominant intent to FEEL GOOD. To FEEL BETTER. This will take you towards the vortex. Remember, it feels good in the vortex.

2. Milk it. Once you get in the vortex, or if you just so happen to stumble into the vortex, really milk it. Say affirmations. Over and over again. “It feels good to be in the vortex. I like it in here. I’ve been here before, and I am glad I am back. Money easily flows towards me. Financial abundance is my God-given birthright and I intend on receiving it. It is my dominant intent to feel better. I love that I can choose my own thoughts. I am getting really good at this. I have been practicing directing my thoughts, and now I can see the benefit of it. I love being alive. I am exhilarated.” Saying affirmations OUTSIDE of the vortex will have FAR LESS of a benefit than if you take the time to say then INSIDE the vortex. This is mind-blowing to me.

3. Make your dominant intent to ONLY TAKE ACTION WHEN WILD HORSES COULDN’T STOP YOU. This is also mind-blowing. If you have to make a decision, and you are not really sure what to do. Don’t do anything. Wait. Play. Enjoy your life. Set your intention (once in the vortex, wink wink) that The Universe will light up an obvious and beautiful path to the right choice. When I know what will serve me the best, I will take action then.

4. Then…see what happens. See what your GUT if telling you to DO. I felt compelled to write this blog post. So I am doing it. I am in utter and complete knowing that if I maintain my dominant intent to feel good, to get in the vortex and hang out there, and to TRUST THE LAWS OF THE UNIVERSE to show me the way…that my life will unfold magically, beautifully, joyfully. And I know that the same is true for you. Why? Because you are a divine reflection of Source Energy in physical form. Here on this planet to assist in the expansion of The Universe. You are inherently good. You deserve to feel good, to receive good, to share good.

That’s it. Get in the vortex. Stay there. Then wait for the action to take you on a ride. And don’t forget to enjoy the scenery along the way.

Many blessings to you and yours,

Alison

Lately I have been talking with a lot of people who are on the verge of something. They are at the precipice of the most amazing place in the entire Universe. They are looking in from the outside…they want to come inside…but they just won’t open the door. On the other side of the door is the Realm Of The Spirit. While this Realm encompasses all, each person must consciously engage in the Realm in order to reap its many benefits.

Are you lurking around the Realm Of The Spirit…unsure of how to get inside? Do you see other people who seem to be blissfully enjoying their lives because they have walked through that door? Here is what I think. I don’t only think this…I know this. Opening the door is clumsy and awkward. It feels really difficult and strange. You won’t know if you are doing it right. You might find out you don’t even need to turn the handle…but you must figure out a way to get through the door.

It will take practice. Launching into this beautiful Realm has been the greatest gift of my entire life. Choosing, each day…to open myself up to this Spiritual Universe is truly incredible. It has put a smile on my face. It has allowed me to make friends. To talk to complete strangers. To laugh at the most inappropriate times. To become vulnerable with others. To be really fully alive while I am here on Planet Earth.

If you feel like you are teetering on the edge…between “physical reality” and “The Realm Of The Spirit,” just let go. Reality is really boring…predictable…and downright messy! By entering into the realm of the spirit, we don’t leave our troubles behind…but we are given a new perspective on them. We are allowed to feel confused about our lives. To not have all the answers. To fail. To win. To cry. To laugh. To quit. To stick it out. To just be. It is within The Realm Of The Spirit that we are finally allowed to just be where we are. No questions asked.

Perhaps you are afraid that if you enter into this other Realm, that you will not feel motivated to try new things…or that your friends will leave you. Perhaps you are afraid that if you enter this spiritual realm…you will  have to give up your desire for worldly goods…or that you won’t be welcome here. Perhaps you just don’t know if you will be able to keep it up…and so you figure you won’t even bother trying. These, I can assure you, are all misconceptions. Created by the mind. The mind does not have to run our lives, though the thoughts we think do greatly impact our lives. So…what will it be. Are you running on auto pilot…allowing old thoughts and beliefs to create your future…or will you choose to join me and my lovely friends in this amazing spirit-filled world, where our thoughts do not frighten us anymore and we actually get to choose the ones that support our dreams?

I hope you join me. There is room for everyone.

If you are someone who is a generally high-achiever…then I am guessing you have had many “brilliant ideas” in your life. I have had countless of these type ideas…and I can tell you…from firsthand experience, you must choose one and run with it. Or all of these ideas will run your  mind rampant. Ideas are so beautiful. From ideas, I have had the ability to read amazing books, type this blog post, meet and marry my amazing husband, amongst countless and limitless other experiences.

If you are the type of person who has “lightbulb moments,” here is a little hint: they aren’t going to stop. If you want to take an idea and run with it, you first must accept that you will get many many…perhaps hundreds of ideas this year alone. Do not worry about it. You do not have to act on all of your ideas (you already knew that, though). BUT, you do owe it to the Universe to act on some, if not many, of these ideas.

It’s gonna take focus. Yes, focus. This means you must pick ONE THING that you would like to do…and JUST DO THAT. It’s such a beautifully simple concept. And something that people with dozens of ideas have a difficult time with. Here is a great way to organize your thoughts…and then just give one of your thoughts enough time and love to grow into its own force to be reckoned with.

1. Write down all of your ideas. Mind Mapping is a great tool to use that can organize your thoughts in a way that gives your ideas a place to rest until you can give them the time they need to manifest. Sandy Grason talks about Mind Mapping on her blog. Here is a sample of my own personal mind map for my coaching business. It is great, because you can give yourself props when you add income to an idea that you had. I use a smiley face. I know I will be able to bring in income with all of these ideas, because they are not just floating around in my brain. If you want to download your own Mind Mapping software, click here. This is what I used to create mine.

2. Pick ONE IDEA and run with it. Running with an idea will mean different things with different ideas. If you want to write a book, then this means you will need to identify fiction or nonfiction. Once you discern this, you will either be writing the book…or the proposal. Get it done. Period. Have a set timeframe by which you will have it completed. If you need coaching to accomplish one of your goals, hire one. It’s really that simple.

3. Maintain your focus. This is critical. For anyone who is blessed to have lots of ideas, it might seem like a thrilling notion to begin a new, “more exciting” project while in the middle of a totally different project. Don’t take the bait. I honestly believe that this is nothing more than some form of self-sabatoge brought on by some series of random negative comments that certain people have said to you during your critical, childhood and adoloscent years of your life. It’s nonsense! You are not a child anymore. You are a grown up. And you deserve success. The next better amazing idea will just have to wait until you are good and done with the one you are working on now. You can scold your new idea for its bad behavior, if you like. It’s a fun way to stay on track.

4. Put the time in. In an earlier post…that a lot of people have found funny, though only a couple have commented on…please remember…Will Smith is somewhere on a treadmill right now. What this means is: you cannot get to Hawaii if you don’t buy the ticket. The work needs to be done. Drastic action must be taken. All of it doesn’t have to be completed by you (which is why I chose to write in the passive voice; Wally Waters would not be happy). Outsourcing is always an option. But you must either do the work…or delegate the task. The work cannot do itself. Which is why everyone doesn’t live in the penthouse.  **Feel free to comment on my Will Smith post. I would appreciate it!

5. Celebrate your successes. If you have added a new stream of income into your life…celebrate it! I personally think it is utterly fantastic when I or someone I know adds a new way for money to come floating into our bank accounts. Money is all energy, and I want my money energy flowing from as many places as possible. Please do not short change any success you encounter. If you win a poetry contest…celebrate it. If you hit a milestone in your business or your blog…do not let the moment pass by without acknowledgement.

Life is truly what we make it. I am writing this to all of my fellow “idea people” out there. Do not allow your ideas to take you one a ride. Do not allow your ideas to frustrate you. Do not let your ideas make you all giddy and excited, to only watch them float away into the abyss of the chatter in your mind. Do not let your ideas frighten you. Acknowledge them. Take care of them. Keep them in a safe and secure place, until you have the time to nurture them and watch them grow.

And remember: It’s all good.

I have been reflecting upon some experiences that I have gone through in my life…and how they have shaped my opinions, behaviors and accomplishments in my own life…today. Back in high school…I was often labeled in one way or another. Now, I am a “grown up,” but I still feel somewhat bogged down by who I used to be (in other people’s eyes).

Example: as a teenager, I was very opinionated and believed deeply in justice. I often shared my opinion with my classmates…in discussions that we would have in class. One day, a fellow male classmate called me a “bitch” in front of the entire class. I was merely stating my opinion and providing evidence for why it was correct (he he he). When the word bitch flew out of his mouth and landed on me..I felt wounded.

I was called a bitch many other times in high school because of my outspoken nature and my intent desire to be heard. Unfortunately, I was unaware of how to communicate…how to allow others to speak their minds…how to have a respect for all opinions (not just my own). But, to be classified as a “bitch,” really made my skin crawl. I felt as though The young man had dragged a box right into the classroom, labeled “Bitch” and told me to get inside and stay there until I figured out how to leave.

Indtead of dismantling the box, I either stayed curled up in it…or frightened that I would have to get back inside it. The box itself scared me. I did figure out how to get outside of this uncomfortable box one day…but the fear of being thrown back inside it caused me to keep quiet. I rarely spoke my mind. I questioned my opinions. I doubted my very existence. Partially because I never wanted back inside that teensy weensy box that I had to curl up to fit inside.

I have since been able to recognize this as fear. I have taken that box out with the trash. And sometimes, I go out back and pick through the trash. But at that point, it is my choice. If I do rummage through the trash, and pull out the tattered and filthy box…and crawl inside it…then I am choosing this myself. I can choose to break free, if I want to be free.

Beyond this, I have also come to see how labels can be truly limiting to our existence as human beings. We are all made up of intricate stories, woven together by relationships and experiences. Today, we have a choice. We have the choice to hear what another has to say about us. When we hear it, we have a choice to hear it for what it is. It neither defines us, nor gives us value.  It is just background chatter. The true meaning comes from within. From our own connection to our Source, or Higher Consciousness. The less we rely on others to define our value…the more freedom we have.

Do you have any boxes that you would like to get out of? C’mon…I just brought up something from high school for cryin’ out loud. You gotta have something to get off your chest. Let me have it!

If you would like to take on more clients…here is what NOT to do to get them. (I give you some pointers on what TO DO in the list as well).

1. Complain about  not having enough clients.

By pointing out that you don’t have enough, you are actually  drawing more scarcity to your midst. And it might begin to invade other parts of your life, too. (ie.e not enough time, not enough money, etc.) What you could do instead is to make a list of all of your paying clients, and send them personalized thank you notes for their time spent with you. Include a request for a referral with your business card so they can pass it along to your next client.

2. Search for jobs for five hours a day.

Brilliant idea…waste hours searching online for jobs. You will be giving yourself a head ache and also just calling more attention to the problem. Instead, why don’t you do something productive for marketing your CURRENT venture like uploading any old articles to an Ezine Database, writing future blog posts, calling prospects or setting up a free call or free service of some kind. If you really need money fast, and you must get a second job…pick out 5-10 ads and submit your resume. And be done with it. Something is bound to come up.

3. Take note of how your “main competitor” has more clients than you.

As you take note of a competitor’s number of clients…the little green monster is sure to make an appearance. Jealousy is not attractive. And jealousy also pushes prospects away from you. Instead, find someone that you look up to in your field and write down 10 things you admire about them. Hand write them a letter thanking them for their vision and follow through. Move on to your next task.

4. Convince yourself that everyone else who has clients must be doing something “bad” to get them.

By thinking that other people must be lying, cheating or stealing to get a full book of business running like clockwork…you are saying that you will need to do this in order to get that full practice. And if you ain’t willing to do that to get clients, you are basically setting yourself up for failure. Write down successful people that you know who are also good, nice and honest people. Journal about what you would do with the money that you could earn with a full practice. This will shift your energy to one of positivity.

5. Treat your current clients like second class citizens.

By treating your current clients like a burden or bother, you are not helping yourself to get referrals. My husband has a painting business based solely on referrals. His customer service is outstanding; and that is why he stays busy. Treat every client as if they have the ability to fill  your calendar with top-paying referrals. Thank your clients for their business with an email, phone call or handwritten note. Go above and beyond what you had signed on for. But–when you add something, make sure  you let them know it is a free gift from you to them. You don’t want your clients thinking that this extra is just a part of your normal service. Make it special. They will surely remember.

Getting out of a client rut takes some diligence and patience. But you can certainly begin to attract more clients right now, by implementing these ideas.

So I watched Oprah’s show on “dream jobs” yesterday. It was inspiring and exciting. It made me come back to one of the core “concepts” in creating a business or starting a career that has short term pay off with long term success: do what you love.

Doing what you love is almost like a no-brainer at this point. We are in an age where Social Media has created a platform to start and run a profitable business by allowing us–the user–to create content and products that our followers want and need. We can now take our experiences and share them with…literally the world…in a way that is both helpful for the people buying our products and profitable for the person creating the product.

I love what I do. It really makes me happy to work with women who are already following a passion to show them how they can  make more money in that business. It makes me equally as happy to work with women who are already making a good living, but in a career that is not their passion–and showing them how to turn their passion into a profitable business.

The people on Oprah’s show all pretty much had the same mantra–do what you love. But, I especially loved what Jeff Leatham had to say about why he does what he does. He love’s to give people a reason to stop and say, “Wow–that is beautiful.” By creating floral arrangements in some of the busiest places in the world–to stop a person dead in his or her tracks just to look at his flowers, is something that he really loves. In so many words, this “rock n roll florist” literally gets his kicks out of getting people to stop and smell the roses.

This is something that really gets me going as well.  To work with a client who can stop mid-session and see how each and every experience in his or  her life has brought him or her to this point…and to see where these experiences can take him or her…is pretty amazing.

If you haven’t paused lately to see the beauty that surrounds you. Do it. Don’t delay. It is something that will catapult  you into a place of appreciation and hope that this world ain’t so bad after all…that you can actually provide something beautiful to the mix…and that amidst the hustle and bustle (or the mundane of daily life) that creating beauty and noticing it are two practices that keep us infinitely wealthy, regardless of where we are on our path.

This weekend sparked an AMAZING conversation with an aquaintence about the need for passion when we are in sales or running a business. While I completely agree…I feel that there needs to be an equal component (and perhaps a greater component) of consistency and taking “right actions” or “best practices” within a business to keep it flourishing.

It reminds me of relationships. Romantic ones. We are constantly fed these ideals in movies, television shows and books that portray an unrealistic experience: finding a soul mate that ignites passion everyday, can read your mind and give you what you want, is romantic at exactly the right time, says “the perfect thing,” etc. What we get in reality is this: a soul mate who is tired sometimes, cranky other times and in general “human,” a human being who has his or her own needs in mind (can you blame them? I am thinking about me most of the day, too!), a person who shows romance in ways that we don’t “see” right away, but come to know and love, and a soul who seems to speak a different language than we do at times, that we have to learn and respect.

Passion is so critical to ignite the flame. But passion will not keep it lit. Actions towards the maintenence of the fire are critical to its life. The beauty of a relationship are not only its moments of bliss and passion, but also those moments where, together the couple forges ahead…going through the sometimes mundane tasks of life…because if we only acted unified when “the feeling” was there…we would pretty much never get anything done.

In my business, I feel an underlying sense of passion for what I do. But there are so many times that I don’t…that I question this path that I have chosen. What do I do then? Throw in the towel? Heck no! I keep moving forward, trusting that my consistency will guide me towards the fulfillment of this dream. To only act within moments of passion is precisely why we fail. When the going gets tough…we bail.

I refuse to do that. Sure the passion might not be be at full tilt…but what about love?If I quit when I feel less passionate, there is no LOVE there. Love is an exchange of actions, one person to another. We cannot explain it, we just do it. The same goes in business. I urge you…if you ain’t feelin it today…please do not give up hope. You might just be having a bad day. Move through it. Take some time to realign, and continue to take actions to better your business and sales.

Much love,

Alison

If you are in business for yourself, or are a sales professional…this advice is aimed directly for you: Ask for the sale.

I know it sounds trivial. Perhaps it makes you quiver a little bit. But, the reality is…you must ask in order to get the sale. I have been on the receiving end of a salesperson NOT asking for the sale…and it’s just downright awkward. Let’s face it, when I am shopping…I am expecting to purchase something. There is nothing wrong with it…so why do you feel weird about asking your customer to buy something from you?

The ABSOLUTE WORST thing you can do as a sales professional, service-based professional or business owner is FEEL BAD about selling your prospect something. If you FEEL BAD about selling your product or service, this is not the time to be interacting with a prospect. It is a time to retreat, regroup and refocus. You do not want your prospect sensing your uncomfortability around selling your product or service. You need to find your value proposition. Once you know WHY your prospect should buy your product or service, you will no longer feel funny about selling it.

5 Tips To Close The Sale (And an additional bonus tip for good measure)

1. Be friendly and approachable, but not clingy…don’t you just love a perky worker when you are the consumer?  And don’t you just hate when a sales person feels more like a mosquito than your helper? Keep that in mind when you are selling. Please…smile…this is massively important! Even if you are selling over the phone…smile. It makes a difference.

2. Feel ‘em out. (Not up). That’s right, you are going to have to pay attention to subtle clues that your prospect is handing you. This one is easy. If you are on the phone with a prospect or sitting/standing in front of them…point blank ask them if they are window shopping for another time. Yes, it can be that easy. It will put everyone at ease to know when this person is buying. If they are buying today, you are good to go. If they are buying at a later date, you may close them today…but you must call them back at the later date if you fail to close them today.

3. Be knowledgeable. You need to know the value proposition of the product or service you are selling. Everything has a value proposition. Why should your prospect buy your service? Will it enrich their lives in some way? Is it on sale right now? If you don’t have a value proposition…come up with one. You also must be knowledgeable about your competition. Let them know what you have that your competitor doesn’t.

4. Ask why your prospect hasn’t bought it yet. This is so beautiful. Because this is where you find out what makes your prospect tick. They will literally tell you what has stopped them in the past from buying a set of 6 massages, joining a coaching program, purchased high end shampoo, or whatever it is you are selling. Can you solve their problem? My guess is, you can.

5. Solve their problem. Ask them to buy. “Would you like to move forward with the purchase?” It is that simple. There are thousands of ways to ask this same question…so find your own, and just keep saying it. You can even swap 4 and 5…if you want to. (i.e. ask for the sale. If they say no, ask them why and then go in for the sale again, after you have solved their problem).

In any case…you want to close in some way. Set up another call. Sell them something. Set up a follow-up appointment.

Bonus:

6. Upsell. “Would you like fries with that?” There is a reason McDonald’s asks this question. It provides additional value to the customer’s experience. And MickeyD’s gets to sell more fries. Don’t forget to upsell. You will be in good company.

That’s it…that is my selling wisdom for the day. Now go out, and sell something.