Why "jump out of a perfectly good airplane"?

Here's something I learned once again, with a recent lesson. That is, you don't know what you've got until you are called on to give it.



The brief version is my husband and I are planning to go kiyaking around Maine this Fall and thought, just maybe, we should know what to do if the kiyak should happen to tip over... Technical term, "capsizing". So, we did what any self-respecting middle aged couple would do; we (I reluctantly) signed up for a class on self-rescue. Sounds good right?



Now fast forward to yesterday. Picture yours truly flailing about as I attempted to claw my way out of the ocean and up onto the kiyak, powered by the approximate upper body strength of a small kitten! No one was going to help me, it wasn't going to be pretty, I just had to get my #%#@ ass up out of the water! That's when the lesson kicked it. That's when I found a combination of strength and determination I didn't know I possessed; as necessity is one of the finest teachers of all!



So what can you gain from my adventure and how can it help your business? Take a look... First of all, there was the "facing one's biggest fear" about being on the water...capsizing and not being able to get back into the boat. What is your biggest fear about your business? What is the thing you don't want to face for fear that you won't survive it? My guess is that it's probably exactly where you need to look and invest some time, energy or money to prevent an unanticipated "capsizing".



Second...time to dig deep into yourself! If this threat is real, staying superficial ignoring the need doesn't serve you. Looking deeply into yourself for the resolve and resources to meet the situation will do several things for you. You will reduce any anxiety by being in action toward a solution, you'll improve your chances of preventing a "disaster" and get this, you'll know yourself as a more powerful person.



That leads to the third benefit...getting fierce! Imagine yourself growling, GRRRRR! Tapped into that primal survival energy to do what needs to be done, using all the strength at your disposal and more! Not only does it get the job done...it feels good. I'm telling you, you will walk taller when you have an experience of yourself as courageous and powerful enough to meet the challenge at hand.

I would love to hear about your challenges and what you experienced and learned from them.

Cheerfully,

Marilyn Fahrner

This Will Change Your Life!

Five very powerful words! "This will change your life!" I was on a call yesterday with promotion genius Brendon Burchard, listening to him talk about partnering with big non-profits and getting sponsorships from large corporations to tap into their existing distribution systems. Think for example, what if the Red Cross or Sony Pictures agreed to promote your book or your training series because it was aligned with their mission or their products? This is what Brendon described as "hooking on to a high speed train", an established promotion and distribution system that could whisk your business away, further and faster than you ever dreamed possible.

Personally, I have to admit that I felt my chest tighten. My first thoughts were "I don't want that" and "I'm not ready for all that exposure!" "I don't have anything that monumental to offer..." Check me out! Notice how easy it was for me to play small; how familiar it was to thinking that I have to do it all myself.

There's a huge challenge here for every one of us who believes that we have something of value to share. Your gifts are not like fine wine, improving over time in the dark. This is the time to speak out and make your contribution, share your perspective or offer your healing. I believe that each one of us has the responsibility to take a deep breath and step forward; to speak up even if your voice shakes and your knees knock!

I suspect that you've heard that challenge and opportunity are two sides of the same coin. Also I suspect that you too are acutely aware of the many global scale crises facing us today. In the face of all that is discouraging and scary, there is one lovely fact. You and I are not alone. We are here to help each other. There is a plethora of skilled talented experienced people who's dream it is to make their living by supporting and serving others.

If you share my belief that time is of the essence, then maybe we don't have to figure it all out by ourselves; maybe it's OK to get a "leg-up" from experienced teachers and trainers. Modesty be hanged; fears be braved; get ready to hook onto the high speed train that's going your way...

Business as Leadership

A little about me today...I'm a life coach and therapist with a BA in Politics and a passion for democracy and social justice. It's been a long journey but somehow I find myself today with an interest in the small business community.

Perhaps this love affair won't last with greater familiarity but what I see is that owning your own business is a unique opportunity to step forward as a leader with a specific vision. It's a chance to express that vision both in who you are in the day to day challenges and in the environment you create for yourself and every person who works for you, supplies you and buys from you.

A business reflects it's owner. It is his or her statement of values to the community. The statement is made in the efficiency, the generosity, the caring expressed through this business. I believe the standards of our community are enhanced by the kinds of businesses we create here. Is the service attentive? Do the employees feel included in decisions about products? Are they allowed to share their best talents in the work they do? Do customers feel they have a relationship with this business or is a sale simply a transaction? Do your customers want to return because they know they are welcome and valued?

And, if you are an owner, does your business reward you, excited you, challenge you? When you come to work, are you in your creative flow-manifesting things that are important to you?

It seems to me that the more "yes" answers an owner has to the questions above, the more powerful, effective and satisfied he/she will feel about their ability to manifest a dream. And, if each of us has a leadership role to fulfill, a business is an amazing experience of your own ability to lead!



With courage for change,



Marilyn Fahrner

What is the culture of service?

I've been thinking a lot about the "culture" within a business or organization. In a way it's like the personality of a human being, expressed in pretty much all they do. So, what is the substance of an enterprise's culture? How does it originate and what maintains it?

The theory I'm playing with is that culture is established in various ways. In an autocratic setting, the owner's values, habits and agenda are reflected in each level of the business. The managers, the employees, the suppliers and the customers all experience this leadership from the top down, transmitted throughout the organization. This is a strong, controlling leadership model and you would probably agree, it's outdated. So what else? No matter who or how the culture is developed, every organization has one...even if it's a culture of neglect.

Today, intellectually at least, I think we are more enamoured of a democratic style where each person has a voice and a contribution to make and somehow the business makes room for their meaningful participation. This is a pretty challenging shift but I ask you, could it be worthwhile? If our goal is to improve service not just as a trick to get customers to come back to your business but organically and consistently, then the business must be staffed by "grown-ups". These are people who are proud of what they do. They come to work each day do their best to use their abilities, respond to the needs of the business and take some ownership of the outcome.

So, dear reader, what's possible? Do you see potential in a democratic styled business structure? How do we get there from here??

Best to you,

Marilyn Fahrner, MFT,CPCC

The Spiral of Excellent Service

I've been reading an exciting book, "Peak: How Great Companies Get Their Mojo from Maslow" by Chip Conley. Conley does a great job of articulating how a culture of consideration and caring for all the players involved in a business can create long term success. That success includes happy,well care for, purposeful employees who are aligned with the owner's goals and vision, loyal customers who feel they have a relationship with this business and an owner who is expressing what's important to him or her through this thriving enterprise! Can you feel it?? Can you sense the energy that gets released when people do work that matters and is appreciated? If you are a customer visiting such a restaurant, hotel or other service oriented business, what's the vibe; what do you notice?
I'm eager to hear your thought...

Marilyn Fahrner

Second Wind Coaching goes live!

This is really exciting! I've always wanted to be a writer, that is to have something worth saying... like you perhaps, to feel that I can be creative and wise, witty and inspirational. So, this is a shake down cruise. Let's see how this thing works. More to come!