by Nozipho Sibanda | Apr 16, 2016 | Uncategorized |
This past weekend was ah-mazing! Last week, I made a commitment to myself that I was going to take this weekend to completely relax and not even think about work. Hubby and I planned a getaway and we just indulged in it and really freed ourselves. And you know what, girl…it felt so good!
This experience really had me thinking about the awesomeness that takes place when we decide to give ourselves a break and just relax. Literally giving yourself permission to do whatever makes you happy at that moment. If it’s taking a nap, so be it. If it’s going downtown to your favorite restaurant, so be it. If it’s going to the park and having a picnic with your family, so be it.
This type of relaxation is also called self-care. Caring for self is so important if you desire to live a fulfilling life, serve others, and especially own a business. Have you heard the phrase, “if you can’t take care of yourself, it’s harder for you to take care of someone else” (author unknown)! Yup, this is so true. I’ve totally seen evidence of this in my own life. Back in the day when I was stressed with work and never created time for myself, I felt like I had nothing left in me to help someone else. In fact, for a year after quitting my job I ran away from anything that said therapist, counselor, psychologist, or mental health professional. I was too drained and overwhelmed to feel like I could be effective. And the truth is, daily self-care could have changed things up a whole lot.
As you are venturing into fulfilling your desires and creating a lifestyle that you love,make sure you listen to your body and what it needs at that moment. When starting out in business, it’s always a temptation to go hard 24/7 never taking a break. Many people think that in the beginning you have to focus on your business and everything else can fall in the back burner until you feel like “you have made it”.That is a recipe for ~quittation!
Yes, you want to invest time in your new biz, but you also need to make time for all the other important things in your life ~ family, home, date nights, and rest. This simple act will save you time, energy, and the longevity of your business and overall fulfillment. You will start feeling the benefits of having a lifestyle-centered biz way before you even make your first 1k.
Action Step: Make a list of all the important things in your life that give you joy, and schedule them into your daily/weekly/monthly calendar. Some of these things may fall in the category of “daily non-negotiables”; and if they are, make an intentional effort to partake in them even when you have that long to-do list that’s hanging over your head. I believe that a simple 5 minutes of listening to your favorite song can make a huge difference in completing additional tasks.
I hope this has given you a boost in scheduling that long awaited relaxation time you’ve been postponing 🙂
Always and forever,
Nozipho
Verse of the Week: “There remains, then, a Sabbath rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work; just as God did from His. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.” Hebrews 4:9-11
by Nozipho Sibanda | Apr 16, 2016 | Uncategorized |
Now here is the thing, having all the knowledge in the world is great. However, if you have the knowledge, but never take any action on it…it is meaningless. It just sits there in your brain taking up space, when you could possibly give that knowledge to someone else, or even use it to create something huge, massively, gigantic, and rewarding for the whole world.
Some people don’t know this, but, true success starts from within. It starts from knowing and believing that you are successful, even before you start. It’s a mindset that every successful business owner has had to work on in order to see the results they desire for themselves and their business.
And, guess what? This mindset is super-duper important because it’s what allows you to take action in your business and implement the knowledge you’ve got. You will notice that most business coaches tackle this mindset piece first before anything else because it holds so much value and is often the stepping stone to how people get results.
Yes, you could pray for God to guide you in your business and allow you to see results and feel successful. Yes, yes, yes, so true. And as a believer in God, I allow Him to guide my business and give me guidance every step of the way. He is indeed a huge part of my ministry. But, God leading in your life and business, does not mean that what you think and believe about life, self, success, and money doesn’t have an effect on you. It does. Most of our beliefs come from our life experiences and values, and if we’re honest with ourselves, some of our life experiences have not been the most positive. Right?
There could have been a time when something happened that allowed you to lose confidence in yourself, or believe that you no longer have options to succeed in your career, or maybe even believe that you were not made with the skills to run a business. These beliefs are all mindset driven.
And you know what, God wants you to dwell on positive things that support your growth, well-being, and provide you with the success to do good in the world. He wants this for you.
Your mindset matters in more than just business and success; it matters in life.
I’ve got a Q for you, what mindset shift have you have to make in order to be successful? Share in the comments below!
Always and Forever,
~Nozipho
Verse of the Week: “And now, dear [sisters], one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about these things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Philippians 4:8
by Nozipho Sibanda | Apr 16, 2016 | Uncategorized |
Ok from the very beginning, I want you to think about businesses and business owners that you adore. Think about what you like about them and what makes them stand out from the crowd?
*Insert thinking moment here*
Nice, now that you have an idea about what draws your attention to these specific businesses and business owners, my guess is that you are probably in love with the vibe you get from their brand and you also connect with their story, right?
I know for me, I am inspired with brands that tell a story, which makes me feel super connected to them; and honestly…it builds my trust.
Why tell a story?
When building a business, you want to stand out from the busy crowd and be known as a leading lady in your niche. This is where your branding comes into play because it’s what will allow you to create uniqueness around your business and be known for something specific and extraordinary.
Even though there are many aspects to branding, today, we will focus on stories and the benefit to storytelling in your biz.
Your story connects you to your own brand
Your story can be the very thing that gave you the desire to even start your business. For example, being in a job that often left me drained, stressed, and overwhelmed increased my desire to start my business so I can do more of the things I love, and make my own work schedule so I don’t become stressed, drained, and overwhelmed.
And the really great thing about this is that, when you are connected to your story and your story is the essence of your brand, it allows you to have a passionate dedication to your business and see it through to high levels of success.
Your story connects you to potential clients
People love stories and people want to know more about you. Stories are emotionally driven and people act on how they feel. Your story can also attract others who have gone through a similar experience and they see you as an inspiration. And guess what, people buy from people and brands they know. Connect with them on a personal level and allow them to see who you are as a person. Always remember, people don’t like perfect, they like real. And when you are real, you are relatable.
Your story set’s you apart from the rest
Let’s be honest, there are so many businesses today, especially online, and it can be difficult to get noticed through all the noise in social media. This is why it’s so important to create uniqueness around your business from the very beginning. Telling your story is a great way to stand out. Why? Because no one else has your story but you. You have the ability to maximize on your experiences and really use your life as a way to up-level yourself from the rest.
Exercise: Choose an experience in your life that totally resonates with you and why you started your business. Write it out as a story. I totally recommend that you write a long (full) version so that you can use it when asked to speak at an event, or for an interview. Having a small version is great for on the go when people ask you what you do and how you got started. Simple, easy, relatable, organic.
I’ve got a Q for you, what about your story set’s you apart from everyone else and makes you unique?
Share in the comments below!
Always and Forever,
~Nozipho
Verse of the Week: “But thank God! He has made us His captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume.” 2 Corinthians 2:14
by Nozipho Sibanda | Apr 16, 2016 | Uncategorized |
So you want to start a business? Do you feel like you have no idea what to do and where to begin?
If your answer is, “heck yeah”, I’m going to get straight to the point and give you some clarity on what you should be thinking about and working on from the very beginning.
Do you know why you want to start your business?
Anything can be your motivator in starting your business. Your desire can be influenced by your personal life and struggles, or can even be induced by desiring to meet an unmet need in the world. This is where you will decide the passion that lies within starting your business. This passion and desire will be what keeps you motivated and will allow you to keep going.
You may be someone that really desires money, lots of money! You may want your business to make at least $1,000,000 and that’s your reason for starting a business. But girl, to be completely honest, wanting money alone will not be enough to keep your business going. You’ve got to have a purpose for the money and that purpose lies in your overall desire for your life.
So, get to know exactly why you want to start your business so that you can move on to the next step…
What kind of business do you want?
At the very beginning, you must decide what kind of business you want. Do you want a big humongous biz like google, apple, walmart? Or do you see yourself running a small biz with about 100-200 employees? Or maybe a tinny tiny biz that you run solo, or with a handful of employees?
Knowing this right from the start will give you an idea on where you want your business to go and how it will eventually function. And just to clarity, it’s totally possible to make $1,000,000+ in a tinny tiny business, people are doing it! The choice is yours, you can create an empire that suits the lifestyle you want and the impact you want in the world.
Exercise: Take some time and imagine what you want your life to look like when you’re running your business. Take into account the amount of free time you want, the impact it will have on your family, how many people you want to work with, if you would like to be mobile, and how many people you would like to reach. Write it all down. Come back to this list every day and reflect on this vision for your business.
Do you know who you want to serve?
Knowing who you want to serve is super crucial and a must when starting out. In the business of coaching and service based entrepreneurship we call this, “knowing your ideal client”. I mean, really knowing everything you possibly can about them. This will give you an idea on how to tailor make your services to fit your ideal client’s needs and desires. It also allows you to know who you want to work with so that you don’t find yourself with clients that leave you drained and on the verge of quitting.
Exercise 1: Write down your ideal customers’ age and gender. Write down a list of qualities that you want your ideal client to have. Write down what struggles they’re going through that you are able to help them with.
Exercise 2: Create a questionnaire highlighting important areas in your ideal customers’ life (i.e. their daily struggles, what they like to do, where they hang out, what they need help with, and questions pertaining to your niche etc). You can deliver this questionnaire through a survey or in an interview format to at least 10 people.
So that’s quite a bit of stuff to start thinking about and working on for now don’t you think! This all sets the foundation for your business and brand, and will help align you with your potential customers.
I’ve got a Q for you, what’s been your biggest challenge when trying to get clear on your business idea?
Share in the comments below!
Always and Forever,
~Nozipho
Verse of the Week: “Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.” Proverbs 16:3
