Sometimes the “good ole days” seem so much better –

• When direct deposits magically appeared in my bank account
• When witty, creative colleagues worked and laughed with me in person
• When I carried a briefcase and wore high heels

I reminisce from time to time because, for the most part, I really enjoyed my various careers!

I wasn’t a victim of downsizing.  I wasn’t “let go.” I left my last position so I could be more available to my 16-year-old twin daughters and because I felt called to begin a new life chapter as a home-based, faith-based, service-providing entrepreneur.

But I didn’t know what that meant exactly.

I didn’t realize I’d have to

• Dig down deep to discover my true passion and purpose
• Dig down even deeper to discern a profitable niche
• Become my own CEO, IT geek, and QuickBooks® expert
• Do most of my own PR
• Master my mindset

I remember, even as a mother of toddler twins, wondering what people were talking about when they’d say, “Motherhood. The hardest job you’ll ever love.” I never understood that comment as I’ve been blessed with children who’ve been a breeze to raise. Motherhood for me has been a natural extension of who I am at my core.

Not so entrepreneurship.

In many ways, being a work-from-home entrepreneur goes against all of my inborn tendencies. Now that my daughters and stepchildren are grown, the bulk of my day-to-day, face-to-face interaction is with my three faithful canines, God bless ‘em.

No more team meetings. No more brainstorming over coffee. No more birthday cakes or breakfast bagels or retirement celebrations. No more grabbing a quick lunch with colleagues.

If you have introverted tendencies, you might be thinking, “Sounds good to me.” If you’re an extrovert, however, you know exactly what I’m talkin’ about.

Being a home-based entrepreneur can be lonely!

So how do we manage? Better question. How do we excel?

This is what I’ve learned over the past four years. Whether introverts or extroverts, we must:

•  Get crystal clear on our calling/mission/purpose including whom we want to serve and how we want to serve them.

• Decide that we will persevere and succeed.

• Find mentors who will help guide us through the jungle—people we trust who are ahead of us on their own entrepreneurial journey.

• Surround ourselves with a community of upbeat people—a team—who will support and offer us critical feedback.

• Get out from behind our computers and connect socially with others in person.

• Choose or create a system to deliver our goods and services.

• Make sure we fill our minds and hearts with inspiration by reading and listening to our favorite authors, speakers, teachers, and music on a daily basis.

• Get together often with creative, like-minded business owners for support, encouragement, and brainstorming.

• Attend a few “live events” a year to reinforce our learning and ignite or reignite our passion.

• Affirm each and every day that, by being faithful to our calling, we’re blessing the people we’re meant to bless with our unique gifts, strengths, message, and talents.

If I could offer only one key point for each year I’ve been in business, I’d tell emerging entrepreneurs:

1)   Know your purpose (for life and business).

2)   Work with a coach/mentor whom you trust.

3)   Become part of a team.

4)   Stay connected to divine guidance for strength and inspiration.

Home-Based Entrepreneurship. The hardest job you’ll ever LOVE!

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Learn how to identify the distortional thinking that could be triggering anxiety and stress — and crippling your success. Break through negative self-talk, chatter, and blocked emotions. Learn to harness transforming power that will guide you toward making choices consistent with purpose-filled living.

It’s time to embrace possibility while living a life of purpose that radically impacts and changes the lives of others!

About Kerri Herndon

Kerri Herndon, affectionately known as Coach Kerri, is a Life Transformation Coach and Christian Counselor. Through her weekly podcast, books, and seminars, Kerri gracefully shares spiritual insights to assist others with discovering the spirit-soul-body connection to live emotionally balanced lives.  Her witty tips and simple truths provide transforming power that will guide readers and listeners toward making consistent, purposeful choices.

Kerri’s Success Tips

I do know that all of us have a force of power inside that is tremendously great, yet many people are not living the life that was promised to them to fulfill. This could be a direct result from allowing your soul to become toxic thus clouding your ability to fully recognize your birth gifts. For others, it could be a lack of balance and not taking the time seek and develop your gifts. Remember, there is always danger in comparing your gifts with others and under estimating the value of your personal gifts. Both of which result in never attaining the fullness of the power within. Begin by applying three simple truths that will revolutionize the way you think, you act, and what you will do next in your life. Read more at www.coachkerri.com

Kerri’s Favorite Quote

We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty. ~ Maya Angelou

Listen to the interview with Kerri by clicking the audio arrow or link below.

 Kerri Herndon Interview

Discover more inspiring interviews at www.WomenFindPurpose.com.

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Learn how to authentically market your business and begin to truly profit from your passion and purpose. Connecting to your purpose and sharing your own journey opens you up to the people you can help the most and creates a safe place for them to come in and work with you.

Marketing and sales don’t have to be sleazy and forced. It can be an extension of your purpose and your passion…we’ll show you how!

About Paige Stapleton & Brian Stark

Paige Stapleton and Brian Stark left careers that were leaving them feeling small and unfulfilled, followed their bliss and became life purpose coaches. Now, as founders of Authentic Marketing, and The Authentic Profits System™, they help other coaches, practitioners and helping professionals monetize their purpose and build a thriving local practice as well as a powerful online presence, so they can create a consistent flow of clients and make more money without compromising their integrity.

Their unique Authentic Profits System™, combines your unique, authentic message with proven client attraction tools and techniques to build a prosperous, joyful and rewarding business.

Together, they publish the daily meditation Today’s Truth, which offers its readers an opportunity to take a breath and go within. It is available at www.KnowTruthLiveTruth.com.

Success Tips from Brian & Paige

Your words and thoughts are powerful…use them wisely and only for what you want.

Remember where you came from, speak from that truth and you will instantly connect with your ideal clients.

Be an advocate for your client before they are even your client.

Stop trying to help everyone, so you can start helping the people you are here to help.

Believe and know that the abundance you desire is here now.

If you don’t ask, you don’t get.

Paige’s Favorite Quote

If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.  ~Lila Watson, an Aboriginal Australian, Murri visual artist, activist and educator

Brian’s Favorite Quote

The greatest achievement was at first and for a time a dream. The oak sleeps in the acorn, the bird waits in the egg, and in the highest vision of the soul a waking angel stirs. Dreams are the seedlings of realities.  ~James Allen

Listen to the interview with Brian & Paige by clicking the audio arrow or link below.

Brian & Paige Interview

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Check this out from the Old and New Testaments:

“Hear, O Israel:  The Lord our God is one.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart
and with all your soul and with all your strength.”
[Deuteronomy 6:4-5]

 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment
in the Law?” Jesus answered,
‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’

This is the first and greatest commandment.
And the second is like it:
‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
All the Law and the Prophets hang on
these two commandments.”
[Matthew 22:36-40]

Then Jesus came to them [the eleven disciples] and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  [Matthew 28:18-20]

I had to smile when our pastor summed up our collective purpose as:

1)      Love God.

2)      Love Others.

3)      Make Disciples.

There you have it. How easy is that?? So much angst over what we’re supposed to do with our lives and, voila, six simple words say it all..  Hmmm….simple?

Maybe not.

How do we love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our strength and with all our mind?  How do we live for the Lord full-time?

Loving God with all my heart means wanting to be in full relationship with Him. Not part-time. Full-time. It means being eager to share my joys, my challenges, my ups, my downs, with my Lord and Savior. It means keeping our relationship fresh and vibrant and keeping our relationship my top priority. It means allowing God’s love and compassion to flow through me to others.

Loving God with all my soul means continually listening to God’s voice. It means wanting my purpose to be His purpose—wanting His plan to be my plan. It means connecting through my soul to my Source on a regular basis to discern God’s will for my life.

Loving God with all my mind means loving God consciously, intentionally, with full and continual awareness. It means seeking to conform my thoughts to God’s thoughts and ridding my mind of all negativity:

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”  [Philippians 4:7-9]

Loving God with all my strength means pouring every ounce of energy into my relationship with God. It means loving God with my whole being, not merely with bits and pieces of who I am or who I think I am.

Loving others as ourselves
is a natural and logical outgrowth of loving God
with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength.
So is fulfilling the Great Commission.

Take a moment to ask yourself: Are you living for God (that is, are you living out your God-given purpose) part-time or full-time?

If you want to get crystal clear on whom to serve and how to serve them (part of your unique/particular/specific call), focus  first on getting to know the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind. Live your corporate/collective/general call with joy and confidence.

Love God. Love Others. Make Disciples.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Find Your Purpose. Fulfill Your Calling.

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy path.”
[Proverbs 3:5-6]

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About Kevin W. McCarthy

Kevin W. McCarthy is the author of The On-Purpose Person and The On-Purpose Business. He is a world authority in leadership regarding the meaningful integration of life and work and has pioneered the message, concepts, and language of On-Purpose® since the late 1980s.

As the Chief Leadership Officer of On-Purpose Partners, he’s a highly respected business advisor for small and middle market organizations as well as an executive advisor and coach to CEOs, executive directors, and company presidents. His work on deep strategy, alignment, and practical execution has turned around many companies as well as helped healthy companies experience remarkable and sustainable growth.

Kevin is a natural leader in business and civic endeavors. He serves as the Board Chair of the Central Florida Christian Chamber of Commerce and also served as the Board Chair for Lifework Leadership. His work on boards has ranged from academic institutions, not-for-profit organizations, and for profit businesses. A professional member of the National Speakers Association, Kevin says his goal with audiences is to stir their hearts, advance their thinking, and inspire them to action.

Authentic, inspiring, entrepreneurial, intelligent and creative are the qualities most often attributed to this thought leader by his peers, clients, and audiences.

On October 26, Kevin begins a six-week interactive business building experience called ONPURPOSE@WORK. One deserving listener will be awarded a full scholarship. Will it be you? Explore more at  http://www.ONPURPOSEATWORK.com.

Kevin’s Success Tip

Be Yourself.
Prosper.
Make a Difference.

Kevin’s Favorite Quote

Love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength.
(Found in Mark 12:30 and Luke 10:27)

Listen to the interview with Kevin by clicking the audio arrow or link below. 

Kevin W. McCarthy Interview

Discover more inspiring interviews at www.WomenFindPurpose.com.

Click Here to Sign Up for Your FREE “Discover Your Purpose” Starter Course!

I know many service-based business owners who agonize over this decision. I did too, at first. “Just choose three to five groups of people you like to work with,” I was advised. Hence, my first mega-website was divided into three major categories — Coaching for Women, Coaching for Lawyers, and Coaching for Clergy. (My husband joked that I included everybody but male engineers.)

NOT a good idea! When you’re “targeting” more than one group, you’re spreading your resources too thin. Your time, your energy, your hard-earned dollars, your focus. You’ll confuse and maybe even scare away the people who are meant to work with you! My current business mentors have ingrained in me the mantra, “A confused mind always says no.”

Fo’ sho.

[Take the pressure off. If you make a decision, try it on for size; and if your target market is not a good fit, guess what . . . you can change! Just don’t invest a fortune in marketing materials or websites until you’ll pretty darn sure you’re going to stick with that particular group for a while. And guess what else. Declaring a target market doesn’t mean you can’t work with somebody who doesn't fit that particular profile--as long as you resonate with each other and it’s a good fit for both of you.  Feelin' the freedom?]

So, besides liking the people you intend to serve, what are some other factors to consider when identifying your target market? Try these:

• Do they have specific problems you can help them solve?
• Are they likely to pay someone to help solve their problems?
• Are they motivated and passionate?
• Do they gather in places where you can easily find them?
• Can you relate to them . . . really well?

If several groups come to mind when using those criteria, ask yourself the killer question: Who Needs You Most? There’s only so much “you” to go around!

We True Purpose™ Coaches are highly skilled in helping people get crystal clear on whom they’re meant to serve and how they’re meant to serve them. Reach out to us if you think you need some help.

To your success!

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If you’ve ever felt the fury of a hurricane, you must find it hard to believe that the presence of a butterfly flapping its wings could have led to its creation. Regardless of whether this “chaos theory” is in fact true, the concept that small events can have large, widespread consequences has become uber-popular in our culture.

In my bathroom hangs an Anne Geddes print of a father’s hands cradling a tiny baby. The quote above the image is one of my favorites: “We can do no great things – only small things with great love.” ~Mother Teresa

Apply the butterfly effect to those same “small things done with great love,” and the consequences can be felt around the globe!

You might be sitting at your computer day after day wondering if your hard work is effecting any positive change whatsoever.

To amplify your life’s contribution . . .

To enhance your ability to make a difference . . .

Remember.

You are a reflection of God. You are created in His image.

You have within you divine qualities, gifts from above. Do you know what they are?

Discern your God-given essence, and the butterfly effect will be magnified.

Learn who you are at your core. And infuse that unique essence into everything you do.

Your work will then be a true reflection of the Living God. And the butterfly effect will be felt throughout eternity.

Click Here to Sign Up for Your FREE “Discover Your Purpose” Starter Course!

Do you believe God has placed a purpose and plan in your heart for business?

Are you scared to death to pursue the plans you believe God has placed in your heart for business?

If you’ve ever considered taking a leap of faith and doing what you feel God is calling you to do, then you want to listen to today’s episode.

Being an entrepreneur can be quite a risk. Anxiety and fear can overwhelm us if we allow. Worries about failure creep in, tainted by the opinions of others, topped by concerns of whether there is really money to be made. We will explore how to stand fast and seek God’s vision and purpose as you prepare yourself to take one leap of faith, or many.

About Alyssa Avant

Alyssa Avant is a published author, professional speaker, Christian Business Mentor and tech magician. Alyssa has been working virtually since 2007 and has years of experience working with online professionals and business owners.Her passion is “guiding Christian moms in their pursuit of passion, purpose and profits,” helping them avoid years of trial and error that she experienced as a new online business owner.
Her book Faith Leaps: The Christian Mom’s Guide to Passion, Purpose, and Profits will release this fall.

Alyssa is also the author and creator of Christian Charm School Workbook materials, which is available both as an ebook and a paperback.

Alyssa is a former youth and children’s director who spent over 5 years ministering to youth and speaking to teen and tween girls on the issues of modesty, beauty, and being a Godly girl; those were the days before motherhood took over!

She lives in Carrollton, Mississippi with her husband and three children. Her website is FaithLeaps.com

Alyssa’s Success Tips

Explore the possibilities
Be Ready to Work Hard
Seek Wisdom
Please God rather than others
Don’t Give UP

Alyssa’s Favorite Quote

God will make a way where there seems to be no way.

Listen to the interview with Alyssa by clicking the audio arrow or link below.

Alyssa Avant Interview

Discover more inspiring interviews at www.WomenFindPurpose.com.

Click Here to Sign Up for Your FREE “Discover Your Purpose” Starter Course!

To see a Purpose Bigger Than Ourselves to live for, work for, hope for, die for.

To know our life—our work—have Meaning and Eternal Significance.

To understand that Life is a Privilege.

To trust that Problems Strengthen and bring us Closer to our Creator.

To remember that Struggles are Gifts that allow us to experience God’s Comfort, Compassion, Presence, and Peace.

To Rejoice in Times of Difficulty…

Consider it Pure Joy, my brothers and sisters,
whenever you face trials of many kinds,
because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
James 1:2-3

To Soar on Wings like Eagles…

…but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will Soar on Wings like Eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:31

To Give Thanks in All Circumstances…

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

To know that we need to give… and receive… The Push.

May We Embrace Our Trials,

Overcome Our Fears, and

Fly with Boldness, Confidence, and Grace!

When I first start working with clients on discerning their life purpose, two questions I ask them to consider are (1) what legacy do you wish to leave, and (2) what message do you want your obituary or epitaph to convey.  Another perspective is….

What will The Hyphen between your date of birth and date of death represent? A life of meaning, joy, focus, service, and passion?

For me to answer such questions, it helps to consider the legacy of my parents who died in 1999. My mother taught me to laugh, create, love animals, and appreciate the wonder and beauty of nature.  My father instilled in me a deep desire to know God; to love my family; to serve my fellow man with deep humility; to treat all people with utmost respect; and to press forward against all odds (son of a donkey farmer, Dad rose to the ranks of Commodore of the U.S. Navy’s Service Force Sixth Fleet).

What legacy do I wish to pass on to my daughters?  What do I want my life to stand for?

I’ll share the answers with you as long as you promise you’ll write out your own answers over the next 24 hours.  Deal?

When people gather to celebrate the life of Jory Hingson Fisher…when my children reflect on the essence of their mom…, I want them to remember me as a person who:

1.       Loved God and family with her whole heart and soul and mind and strength

2.       Served her fellow man with deep humility and who treated all persons with utmost respect

3.       Laughed and created and loved animals and appreciated the wonder and beauty of nature

4.       Pressed forward even when challenges seemed insurmountable

5.       Strove to become a good and faithful servant—to become the person God intended her to be

6.       Knew her God-given purpose and lived it with conviction, clarity, commitment, passion, and joy

7.       Experienced heaven on earth because of her relationship  with Jesus, her Good Shepherd, who welcomes her graciously into His fold

And you?  How do you want us to celebrate your life?