FM Walsh & Associates Inc.

How to Build Your Franchise

My latest column in Make It Business magazine lists the 3 things you need to have in place to grow a successful franchise.  Read about them here.

Job Hunter Mistakes

This article from the Wall Street Journal is a good read!  My favorites include the saltwater fish story and the sandwich eater – unbelievable!  Put a smile on your Monday face and check it out here.

Who Can I Blame?

Anne is highly organized and works hard at her job.  She has a good head for business and should be earmarked for leadership development in her company.  But there is one major obstacle in front of her that needs to be addressed before she can be promoted to handle more responsibility.

Anne is bright and easily sees the big strategic picture for growing the business.  But she is also judgmental and holds grudges.  When co-workers do things she doesn’t approve of, she stops speaking to them.   Instead of seeing her potential and what she contributes to the success of the company, people see someone who is “moody”.

When a mentor recently took her aside to speak to her about this perception and made suggestions on how to improve her professional reputation, instead of listening and taking the advice on board, Anne went on the hunt to find out who had “ratted” on her.  She missed the whole point of the lesson the mentor was trying to teach her.

If you constantly blame other people  and point out their faults, you are only hurting your own chances of success.  Highly successful business people focus on what they can control and work hard to create success for themselves and the team around them.  They take responsibility for building a strong reputation for themselves and realize that working well with others is a key component for good leadership.

Stake Your Independence!!

Thanks to my VA, Katrina at Getting Stuff Done for finding this gem of an article!  It’s a few years old, but what a classic.

Too many entrepreneurs end up locked in a version of slavery called their ‘own business’.  If that’s how you are feeling these days, then you need to read this article – An Entrepreneur’s Declaration of Independence.

Then close up shop and go home early!

Finding Peace Of Mind

“Set peace of mind as your highest goal, and organize your life around it.”

– Brian Tracy, Speaker, Author, Consultant

This quote has been my mantra since the beginning of 2010.  At times I have a tendency to bury my nose in work and develop unhealthy habits that do not make me a happy girl.  When I first read this quote, it felt like it was directed right at me.

I have met so many financially successful people who lack peace of mind lately.  They are driven and often quietly miserable.  Who says life should be miserable?  That days should be long and hard?  That peace of mind is something you should wait till retirement to achieve?

This lesson is something I have been trying to teach clients this year.  Know what makes you happy and do more of it.  Recognize your triumphs and celebrate them.  Be proud of who you are and what you have achieved.  Think about how to bring peace of mind into your life, rather than waiting for it to find you by accident.  Act with deliberation.  Be aware of the decisions you are making, rather than sleepwalking through them.  Think first, before you act.   For what do you have, if you do not have peace of mind?

Schedule some uninterrupted alone time this week to set some intentions for gaining peace of mind for yourself.  They can be in the areas of relationships, work, health, dreams you have – whatever area you think you need to pay attention to.  Keep your intentions short, but choose ones that you will focus energy and time on.

Don’t worry about what other people might think.  Do what feels right for you.

Float A New Boat

“Should you find yourself in a chronically leaking boat, energy devoted to changing vessels is likely to be more productive than energy devoted to patching leaks.”

– Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway, CEO

Are you patching the same leaks in your life or business over and over?  Too many of us turn a blind eye to stuff that isn’t working well for us, chronically thinking that if we just work harder, try harder, get better at ________, things will change.

This kind of approach doesn’t work.  If I dropped you right now into a leaking rowboat, chances are you would immediately jump out of it and find a new boat to journey in.  Why is life any different?

Use that survival instinct to your advantage.  Take a long look at stuff that isn’t working for you any longer and jettison it.  Life is brief and too many of us waste precious days putting up with stuff that isn’t good for us.  So take action today, and get rid of one thing you’ve been trying to patch for too long.  Go float a new boat!

My advice is featured on Entrepreneur Magazine!

I am honored that my business advice was selected for the 2010 Women’s Advantage Calendar and is featured as today’s Daily Inspiration on Entrepreneur Magazine’s homepage for women.  Check it out here!

Trust Your Gut

This week I experienced another powerful reminder of why it’s so important to learn to trust your gut.  When I look over my life, I realize the biggest mistakes or wrong directions occurred when I didn’t listen to my gut.  Today’s article is one that was written by life coach Cheryl Richardson in her weekly newsletter earlier this year, which I thought worth sharing with all of you.

“This week I received an important reminder about trusting the persistent inner voice that tells us when to act.  For more than a month I’ve been in the process of looking for a place to finish writing my next book.  The last book was written at a small inn on an island near our home.  It was a beautiful little room that looked out over the open ocean and I loved every minute of being there.  Unfortunately, the inn was just sold.

I’ve looked everywhere.  I’ve spoken with realtors, answered ads in our local paper, and followed up on leads from my assistant.  Nothing has shown up.  Here’s where the lesson comes in.  Over the last month, I’ve driven by a little shop downtown, and each time I did, something told me to stop and check in with the owner about a place.  She’s someone I know, but since I hadn’t seen her in several months, I was reluctant to drop by.

The first time I felt the nudge to speak with her, I ignored it.  The second time I drove by her shop and heard a little voice prompting me to stop, I wrote it off as merely wishful thinking.  The third time, as I sped by, I said to myself “You know Cheryl, you really ought to listen to your intuition and call this woman.”

Finally, one morning this week, as I sat at my desk preparing to write, I thought about how frustrating it’s been trying to find a suitable space. In that moment, the shop owner’s name, once again, popped into my head. This time I paid attention and quickly dialed her number.

She picked up the phone on the first ring.  I said hello and explained my situation.  She listened intently and then said “I have an idea.  Why don’t you call back later today and see what I’ve come up with.”  I thanked her and hung up.  When I called back, she had three possibilities for me to investigate!  I put down the phone and smiled to myself thinking “I should know better than to ignore my intuition.”

How often have you done the same thing?  You get a hunch to call someone or to take a certain step and you ignore it.  We often neglect to check in with our intuition because we’re all so busy or because we’ve been trained to look outside of ourselves for answers.  Yet, when I look at my example it’s clear that my inner guide knew exactly what to do and I could have saved a whole month’s worth of effort (not to mention frustration), had I paid attention.

Let this week’s newsletter be a reminder to turn to the wisest messenger of all – your inner self.  When you need guidance or support, take a few moments to close your eyes and consider your next step.  Who knows?  You may just save yourself a little time and frustration.  Remember, the more you pay attention to your intuition, the stronger (and more accurate) the messages become.

Take Action Challenge

This week, choose one situation where you could use some direction and write it down.  Then, close your eyes for a few moments and ask yourself, “What’s my next step?” Regardless of how strange or unexpected the answer is, check it out.  Then, during the week, pay close attention to the little nudges, hints or hunches that pop into your head and take action!”

Making Tough Decisions

The retail market is definitely different from what it was 2 years ago.  Consumers have really changed their spending habits and thrift is in – big time!  This has really had an impact on all retailers – big and small.

My column in the latest issue of Make It Business is the inspiring story of Eva de Viveiros, the owner of the Barefoot Contessa boutiques in Vancouver and the tough decisions she had to make to thrive during the recession.  She’s an inspiration to all business folks out there who know they need to change it up but haven’t done it yet.

Read the whole story here and learn her 5 top tips for making it as a retailer.