If a space alien landed in your kitchen and magically spoke English, you would have no problem explaining to it exactly how each appliance worked, what you used each pot for, and why you keep your utensils organized just so. That’s because most of us are crystal clear about the function of an oven, microwave, refrigerator, toaster, and spatula.

But if the same alien asked questions about your business—say, what exactly you do for your clients and who exactly those clients are—would you be able to answer with the same precision? If not, it’s time to get to know yourself. Otherwise, you’re unlikely to achieve the success you want in your business.

Who Are You & Whom Do You Serve?

Even the grammar of that subheading tells us something: “Who” is the subjective case of the pronoun and “whom” is the objective. In grammar, “who” takes active verbs—“who” does stuff. “Whom,” on the other hand, receives action. Or, in the case of your business, your clients (the “whom”) receive the products and services you provide for them.

So what can you learn from this grammar lesson?

First, that it’s essential for you to know your clients (and potential clients). “Who” will always match up with “whom,” just as your particular products or services will match up with only your target audience—in ideal circumstances.

If you cannot offer a detailed description of your ideal client (that is, the person whose needs would be perfectly met by what you have to offer), you need to take time to figure that out. Without a clear idea of your target market, you will struggle to create effective marketing campaigns, design advertisements, and attract business.

The second thing to take away from the pronoun review is that you need to be clear about who you are and what you’re offering to these ideal clients. Business owners who are crystal clear about their identity can answer these questions easily:

• What products or services do I offer?
• Who are my ideal clients?
• Why should these clients choose me and not my competitors? (What makes me different from others offering similar products or services?)
• How do I communicate with these clients?
• What image do I create with my marketing materials?
• How do I measure client response to my marketing materials?
• How has my brand evolved in the last year?
• Where will I take my business in the coming year?

Get Clear to Get Results

A number of apparently unrelated problems that many business owners face often boil down to a lack of clarity in the “who” and “whom”—that is, in clearly identifying yourself and your clients.

How do you plan to get to know your target audience better in the New Year?

No related posts.

Referrals are like gold bullion to a small-business owner—they save you time and money, and provide you a direct line to a pre-qualified client. If generating referrals isn’t already a part of your marketing strategy, or if you’d like to make it a bigger part, it’s time to get your referral engine buzzing with these handy tips.

1. Master the referral mindset. The key here is to do your best to serve every client you get. In other words, you want to deserve a referral from every client you serve. When you’re in the referral mindset, you see every client interaction as part of a chain: what you do now affects your likelihood of getting new business. Another part of the referral mindset? Referring clients to others when appropriate.
2. Ask for referrals and say thank you. If your clients aren’t business owners, they may never have thought about the power of referrals, but if they’re happy with your work, they’ll probably be happy to help you succeed. Ask clients directly if they can give you names of others who might benefit from your services. To make that easier…
3. Educate your clients. When you request referrals, give them a brief synopsis of what your company does, who your ideal clients are, and what you’ll do with any referrals you get (e.g. not call them during dinner to give a sales pitch). If a client refers someone who isn’t quite right for you, thank the client anyway and educate him or her some more.
4. Reward referrals. There are dozens of creative (and familiar) ways to reward clients for referring other clients. You can offer cash incentives, discount services, gifts, free products, and so on. When deciding on your reward, be sure to tap into your research on your target audience so you hit just the right note.
5. Build relationships. Find out who serves your target audience in other areas of their lives. Build relationships with those individuals or groups through free seminars or events, mutual referrals, or targeted advertising to expand your pool of potential clients.

Once You Have Referrals…

Follow through—quickly. This falls under the category of “striking while the iron’s hot,” and sets the tone right away that you’ll be on top of your game throughout your relationship with a client.

Want a chance to be featured on our blog? Answer our survey question on How will you invest in yourself and / or your business differently in 2012 than you did in 2011?

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No matter what your growth goals are for 2012, your chances of reaching them (and your future business goals) are better if you take time to invest in yourself. After all, you are the driving force behind your business, so your success will be directly affected by the power and direction you bring to it.

Here are some suggestions for investing in your business’s most important asset in the coming year—YOU!

Hiring a Mentor / Joining a Mastermind

Whether you feel like you’ve got the hang of your day-to-day challenges and you’re ready to take your business to the next level or you’re in need of direction to overhaul the way you run the show, a mentor or mastermind can provide the fix you need in 2012.

The in-depth, personalized attention a mentor can give to your business and the way you run it will allow you to access a new level of clarity and understand your professional and personal self in a whole new way.

The focused attention on specific business skills you’ll gain from a mastermind (think: online marketing strategies, networking smarter, attracting more ideal clients) will give you the skills you need to tackle various problems that crop up in 2012 and beyond.

Attending an Event or a Retreat

Business-focused conferences, retreats, and other events offer a double return on your investment. In addition to introducing you to concrete skills and techniques you can start applying to your business immediately, these events will provide a hearty dose of energy and inspiration.

Being in the same room with other like-minded business owners gives you a unique opportunity to share ideas, commiserate, communicate, and renew your commitment to what you do. Chances are, you’ll return home with valuable skills and a refreshed drive to apply them to your business.

Delegating to Free Your Time

If you can’t remember the last time you weren’t multitasking, chances are it’s time to start delegating some of your work to team members. Done well, delegation improves efficiency, streamlines work, and gives you a chance to rest and renew yourself.

Building Meaningful Connections

Mention “networking” these days, and most people think of LinkedIn and other social networking sites. But stepping away from your computer screen and taking some time to build actual, human relationships with people can pay off in a big way for your business.

Think of it this way: online, we tend to connect with people with whom we know we have certain things in common. In person, you can connect with people you’d never encounter online—and discover commonalities you never would have gleaned from a social media profile. Casual conversation (at events, retreats, and even parties) can lead to a world of wonderful relationships, for you and your business.

Take Personal Time

When you work out, your muscles actually gain strength in the rest period following intense activity. That’s when they recover and repair themselves. Take a hint from your body and give yourself a chance to catch your breath.

Many of us are programmed to exert ourselves until we collapse, but in periods of rest and reflection, we’re often able to see problems—and recognize solutions—more clearly.

How do you plan to invest in yourself in 2012? Click here to fill out our survey and you’ll have the chance to be featured on our blog!

If you like this post, you might also like:

1. How to Get Into the Zone for 2012: Interview with Tim Goodenough
2. 3 Key Ingredients to Grow and Thrive in 2012
3. Preparing for Business in 2012: Take Inventory Now

It’s no secret that coaching with Income Acceleration Mentor David Neagle has helped me triple revenue in 2011, and set Sumèr on a path to enter 2012 well on our way to having a multimillion dollar business.

David has helped me (and many of my colleagues) get crystal clear on what I want my life and business to look like and coached me on how to clear up the stories that prevent me from success and being my best self.

It’s fitting that the LAST Copy Doodle blog contest in our 2011 Holiday Giveaway series be a FREE ticket to David’s Break Free Live Experience—happening February 8 – 11, 2012, in Salt Lake City! (A $297 value—see below for contest details)

I attended this event last year and the transformation and breakthroughs I had during the event catapulted me to the next level.

Over the course of 3.5 days, David is going to show you how to break free from…

• A poverty consciousness, with the exact STEPS you need to ditch the fear, worry, and anxiety of money and step into massive cash injection mode.
• Lack of sales and HOW to let go of current belief systems keeping you from being marketable.
• Living a life of refusal to step into your own power and HOW to summit any mountain in your life and your business.
• Your need to always be right and WHY this behavior is holding you back from financial freedom and fulfilling relationships.
• Stories around money that prevent you from financial freedom and HOW to create massive cash injections in your business.

DETAILS BELOW ON HOW TO ENTER TO WIN A TICKET TO DAVID NEAGLE’S BREAK FREE LIVE EXPERIENCE:

Prize

There will be one winner in total for this contest. The winner will receive a free ticket to David Neagle’s Break Free Live Experience event, happening February 8 – 11, 2012, in Salt Lake City (excluding all additional costs of the trip such as the flight, accommodation, transfers, food and beverages, etc.).

To enter for your chance to win, you may choose to follow Package One Entry Details or Package Two Entry Details. You only have to choose ONE entry package to enter for your chance to win:

Package One Entry Details: All you have to do is follow one quick and easy step. See below:

Comment on this blog post telling us why you would love to go to David’s Break Free Live Experience.

OR

Package Two Entry Details: If you would prefer to enter our contest using Twitter, then all you have to do is follow one quick and easy step:

Copy and paste the following tweet into your Twitter post field and submit: “Just entered to win a ticket to David Neagle’s Break Free Live Experience w/ @writtenbysumer. Enter here: http://tinyurl.com/8yppmup”

Additional ways to enter (you may choose ONE additional way to enter the contest from the list below):

1. Sign up for our newsletter, OR subscribe to this blog (via RSS feed or email, which can be found on the sidebar of the blog).

2. Blog about this contest with a link to this post.

3. Like us on Facebook. (If you already Like us on Facebook, then great! You’re one-step closer to winning our webinar series.)

4. Mention the contest on your personal Facebook page or your company Facebook page with a link to this post.

*****Comment on this blog post each time you do one of the above additional steps to notify us of your additional entry. Your name can be entered up to two times in total.

Dates:

The contest begins today, Monday, December 26, 2011 and ends next Tuesday, January 3, 2012, at midnight (Eastern). The winner will be chosen via Random.org on Wednesday, January 4, 2012, and will be notified via email or Twitter direct message (depending on how the participant entered the contest).

Terms & Conditions:

No compensation for commenting, tweeting, or promoting this contest will be given in either cash or products unless you are a chosen winner. Sumèr, LLC, will not be held liable for any participant’s comments or tweets, and the participant states that by commenting and / or tweeting, and associating himself / herself with a specific business that he / she has the right to publish a comment on behalf of that business without compensation of any kind. All comments submitted become a part of Sumèr and can be published in the comments section of the Sumèr blog. The winner also agrees that the mention of his or her name on the Sumèr blog as the winner is acceptable.

****The winner of the contest understands that by winning this contest, he or she will only receive one free ticket to the event. All additional costs associated with attending the Break Free Live Experience event, including airfare, transfers, accommodation, food and beverage, etc. are the responsibility of the winner. The winner of the contest understands that Sumèr, LLC, will not pay any additional costs associated with attending the Break Free Live Experience event.

If you like this post, you might also like:

1. The First Step to Increasing Business? Get Specific on Your Target Market.
2. Global Telesummit Provides Free Business-Building Resources for Entrepreneurs
3. Book Contest: The Go-Giver by Bob Burg

As I was looking through some old Copy Doodle archives, I stumbled upon a real gem! It was a Happy Holidays post that we had published back in 2009. It just got me laughing and I hope it can do the same for you. See below:

Michelle doing some of Santa’s work.

Britt lending her assistance to spread some holiday cheer.

And, of course, Mama Mia performing her reindeer duties.

We wish you all a very happy holiday and may this New Year be a prosperous one for you and your business!

If you like this post, you might also like:

1. Why a Professional Copywriter is an Essential Part to Any Business Team
2. Introducing the Pets of Sumer
3. The Power of Team Blogging

Have you ever thought that maybe, just maybe, your largest fear or obstacle is the place where you’ll uncover your life journey and dream? If not, I encourage you to open your mind to what my guest blogger, Randy Gregg–CEO of Corporate Performance Resources and author of  Living YES in a NO World–has to say about the simple, yet superpowerful word, yes.

As part of our 2011 Holiday Giveaway series, we are offering you the chance to win Randy’s book, Living YES in a NO World. All you have to do is enter to win using the instructions below Randy’s guest blog post article. Good luck!

See below for Randy’s guest article:

And the Word Became—YES!

It started as one of my bright ideas. I say that tongue in cheek because so many of my creative moments fizzle very quickly. In the summer of 2010, I shared a thought one day with a group of friends about how I liked the word yes. It was something along the lines of, “I like the word yes because it opens up possibilities, creates opportunities, and generates positive energy.” Sounds simple enough, right?

There were a number of immediate responses from silly to serious. One person remembered the time a neighbor stopped by her home and quieted her fretful child. For her, YES was a powerful message to be shared. Another one described the time she encouraged her sister to have surgery but her sister died. For this one, YES became NO. One person sharing an experience created a connection for someone else. Before long, I had a ton of stories that had come from the deep places within the hearts of people I know.

Through the process of asking, listening, and sharing, a book was born but it became more than a cute idea to capture a few interesting life experiences from people. It became my journey to healing. I asked questions of myself. I listened to others. I heard themes emerge that I had not considered. A question arrived. I began to write. A structure emerged. It changed. New people found me. They shared their stories. The manuscript began to form.

Eighteen months later, the book, Living YES in a NO World, is a reality; but this isn’t just a story about a person who wrote a book. Lots of books are written by lots of people every day. This one is different.  I learned what I call—my deeper lessons of life.  And I learned who my real heroes are.

There were many deeper lessons discovered. Here are a few. Everyone holds dreams and expectations. While we race down the highway to happiness, something or someone comes along knocks us off of the road, through the ditch, and over the cliff. So, we seldom live the life we thought or imagined that we would. The whacks from events, people, and our own inconsistencies leave us broken. Then we must make choices. How do we deal with the adversity? You can pretend it isn’t there, try to avoid it, look for a magical solution, or you can walk into it. This is where the insights began to lead me. Those who handled it well—walked into the pain. They faced the adversity, hurt, and loss straight ahead. They didn’t waver or falter. They walked into the pain and by doing so, the pain changed them. As one friend suggested, the “woundedness created the journey.” The healing that takes place deep within your spirit changes your original dream into a newly created one. I look at those individuals who have walked through the dark valleys of life and emerged with a different hope and dream as the real heroes. They have faced whatever has been thrown at them and continue to stand—even stronger in some cases.

I was transformed by the stories I heard from people I already knew—death of a spouse, death of a child, loss of a dream, or finding a new direction. I realized I we were all looking for a sense of home—a place where we could feel at peace in our own skin and realize our purpose in being here.

Now, the dream is growing. It isn’t just about a book to be written but an adventure to be discovered. I have developed a series of coaching packages that provide support and direction for those who want to realize their YES for life. Schedules are set for weekend retreats in the coming year for those who desire to walk with others. Faith is a very important part of this journey; but it is more of a faith in action than one that is diagnosed, discussed, or debated. It leads to healing and wholeness.

A website is being developed and will soon be completed. This will become the hub of activity for those who want to share, dream and find a new purpose. I look forward to the next open door. This one is not so much about the money though I do enjoy financial freedom as much as it is connecting with everyday people, listening to their stories, working through broken dreams, and helping people discover a path to living with intention and purpose.

If you are in business, I know what I would like for you to hear—your biggest setback or deepest adversity, may be the very place where your next dream is waiting to be born. Don’t run from it. Don’t avoid it. Walk into it and listen. There are words waiting to give you direction and hope I think my word is YES! and I hope it is yours also.

About Randy Gregg

In 1992, Dr. Gregg recreated his career by founding a new business, Corporate Performance Resources. Today, CPR works successfully with leaders at all levels within an organization to realize bottom line results. His down-to-earth approach, warm sense of humor, and storytelling acumen continue to serve him well.

To address recurring leadership problems encountered throughout his many years as a professional consultant, Dr. Gregg has written three, well-received books for leaders: Jumpstart Leadership gives new leaders a fast-track approach to effective leadership from the first days; Building Trust and Credibility in Uncertain Times helps leaders better understand the power of credibility and to recognize trust as the real currency of influence; and The Blind Spots of Leadership illuminates some common leadership pitfalls and patterns of behavior that can quickly undermine the effectiveness of the best leaders.

Dr. Gregg enjoys working with organizations of all sizes in multiple roles: as a confidential adviser to a few at the highest corporate level; as a developer of organizational-wide solutions that impact all employees; or as a coach to a single vice president, helping him become the best leader he can be.

DETAILS BELOW ON HOW TO ENTER TO WIN A COPY OF RANDY GREGG’S BOOK: Living YES in a NO World

Prize

There will be one winner in total for this contest. The winner will receive a copy of Living YES in a NO World, by Randy Gregg, free of charge.

To enter for your chance to win, you may choose to follow Package One Entry Details or Package Two Entry Details. You only have to choose ONE entry package to enter for your chance to win:

Package One Entry Details: All you have to do is follow one quick and easy step. See below:

Comment on this blog post telling us why you would love to receive a copy of this book.

OR

Package Two Entry Details: If you would prefer to enter our contest using Twitter, then all you have to do is follow one quick and easy step:

Copy and paste the following tweet into your Twitter post field and submit: “I just entered to win a free copy of “Living Yes in a NO World” by Randy Gregg from @writtenbysumer. Enter here:http://tinyurl.com/7lr42qh”

Additional ways to enter (you may choose ONE additional way to enter the contest from the list below):

1. Sign up for our newsletter, OR subscribe to this blog (via RSS feed or email, which can be found on the sidebar of the blog).

2. Blog about this contest with a link to this post.

3. Like us on Facebook. (If you already Like us on Facebook, then great! You’re one-step closer to winning our webinar series.)

4. Mention the contest on your personal Facebook page or your company Facebook page with a link to this post.

*****Comment on this blog post each time you do one of the above additional steps to notify us of your additional entry. Your name can be entered up to two times in total.

Dates:

The contest begins today, Wednesday, December 21, 2011 and ends next Thursday, December 29, 2011, at midnight (Eastern). The winner will be chosen via Random.org on Friday, December 30, 2011, and will be notified via email or Twitter direct message (depending on how the participant entered the contest).

Terms & Conditions:

No compensation for commenting, tweeting, or promoting this contest will be given in either cash or products unless you are a chosen winner. Sumèr, LLC, will not be held liable for any participant’s comments or tweets, and the participant states that by commenting and / or tweeting, and associating himself / herself with a specific business that he / she has the right to publish a comment on behalf of that business without compensation of any kind. All comments submitted become a part of Sumèr and can be published in the comments section of the Sumèr blog. The winner also agrees that the mention of his or her name on the Sumèr blog as the winner is acceptable.

Should an incident arise where the book cannot be sent to the winner, Sumèr, LLC, cannot be held accountable and is not obligated to provide any compensation of any kind to the winner.

We wish you luck!

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Image to the left of Jess (my new employee) and me working in the new office!

2011 was a big year for me on so many levels. Not only did I surpass my sales goals, but I was also able to hire my second full-time employee and hire a mentor that I once only dreamed of working with. I now get a regular paycheck, I’ve been traveling at least once a month meeting with awesome and inspiring clients, and we moved into a bigger, brighter office space.

I tell you this not to brag and not so you will send me congratulations notes. (Those of you reading this who do send us notes, keep ‘em coming. We love hearing from you!) I share my successes with you because, as you are planning for 2012, I want to encourage you and remind you that you can achieve whatever goals and dreams you have.

I spent years struggling to be where I am today—yet it only took me 12 months to finally achieve the level of success I’m currently enjoying. What I noticed along the path to success was that three things were present in my life that were not in the previous years.

Keep these three tips in mind as you are planning for 2012, and I can guarantee you will soar to success:

#1: Clarity. I’m a visionary. I have a big vision for my company and a big mission to accomplish in my lifetime. But I never took the time to get clear on exactly what that vision looked like. Until 2011, it was just a lofty idea that impressed people.

Here are a few ways I got clear:

1) I wrote down what I wanted in 2011 (note: not what I thought I could have / do / become, but what I really wanted). I was very specific, and I even created a mind move and watched it daily.

2) I wrote down where I currently was. I looked at what I had accomplished the year prior, took inventory on where I was mentally and spiritually, and took a hard look at my financials.

3) I created a budget for 2011 I set milestones for each quarter and each month, and then I worked backwards to figure out what I needed to do to get what I wanted.

4) I wrote everything down and kept track throughout the year.

#2: Action. You know when you get that feeling that you should call somebody, or a past client pops in your head, or you’re a meeting with your team and you come up with an idea that’ll help you move closer to your goal, but you don’t take action right away?  I’ve learned that these instances are my signal to take immediate action or to delegate a specific task. And do so right away.

In these bursts of energy—when you seize the moment without questioning it—this is where the magic happens. Taking immediate action is how I got what I was asking for. This is where the real opportunity shows up. Yes, it’s important to plan, and yes it’s important to stay on track, but the success I’ve achieved has come from taking immediate action on opportunities as they come.

Another thing about action is it you can’t do it all on your own.  You have to have a team of reliable and dedicated people who understand the big vision and who are ready to take action to see that vision become a reality. (See #3)

#3: Ask for Help. I thought I understood the saying ask and ye shall receive, but until I started to really get clear on my vision and what I needed to do to make it a reality, I realized I didn’t understand the meaning behind it at all. You see, I was wanting to receive all the things I said I wanted, but I was missing the KEY piece to the puzzle…asking!

The image above is of me at a mentor event.

All you entrepreneurs reading this…listen up: You CANNOT do it on your own. You just can’t.

This was a hard lesson for me to learn, and I’m still learning how to ask for help and delegate, but I’m more aware of when I try and hold on to something instead of passing it off to someone more qualified and someone who can do a much better job then I could.*

**This is an opportune time to thank Britt for being my rock, Jess who helps me daily, to Kathy for her virtual support, and Melody, Spencer, and Brenna for all that you do!**

To learn more about us and our business success tips, visit us on Facebook.

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Are you looking for a boost in confidence and a little inspiration this morning? I assure you, if you read today’s guest interview with The Cookie Guru, Aurélie Vacheresse, you will find just that!

During this interview, Aurélie discusses how she uncovered her true passion for spreading love through baking cookies, and how she launched her company, The Cookie Guru.

See below for this amazing interview (NOTE: all images throughout this post were provided by and are owned by Aurélie Vacheresse):

1) Clearly you’ve created a company based on your true passion—the balance of nourishing one’s body and one’s soul with cookies. Tell us a bit about how you came to uncover this passion and what happened to make you take action and start The Cookie Guru.

I don’t know if there was one moment when I uncovered this passion. But it was a natural evolvement of all the different experiences in my life. I have many passions and there are many things I would be happy doing for work. I think the moment for me, was after my Dad and I closed our 2 year-old business, Club Gourmet. I realized I didn’t know what I wanted to do anymore and I also realized how little control we truly have over exactly how things are going to turn out. I thought that with enough hard work, enough 17 hour work days, I would make Club Gourmet supersuccessful and it would be my ticket to wealth so that then I could do whatever I wanted and not have to worry about money.

Everything I had done up until that point was a side job in my mind. I will do this and be really successful so that then I can go act / dance and not have to worry about making money. Once I realized my plan of working on something I was less passionate about in order to work on something I wasn’t passionate about wasn’t working out, I really had to take a look at my belief system. I also looked at other people who had been successful in life and I realized the truly happy and successful people that I admired were all successful by being themselves. From that moment on I set the intention that I would be successful by being myself and doing something that came easily and naturally to me.

Since there are a lot of different things that come natural to me, this intention left the door wide open for the Universe to show up with something I may not have thought of. This something happened to be the cookies. I have always had a passion for baking, but I don’t think I ever recognized or talked about baking being a passion. Looking back, there is clear evidence pointing to the fact that I loved to bake.

When my Dad would take me to take your daughter to work day I would always head straight to the pastry kitchen and help dip strawberries into chocolate. The first time I ever cooked by myself I made a soufflé and then when I was in Junior High School I took over the Christmas cookie making and would create lists of all the different cookies I would make. As I got older I used any dinner party opportunity to showcase my talent with dessert and became obsessed with trying out as many recipes as I could from Pierre Hermes. Clearly, I love sweets and if I weren’t concerned about staying healthy, I would make chocolate my breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The balance of nourishing my body came from having a father who is a chef and who made vegetables and healthy eating taste amazing.

Just because the cookies showed up doesn’t mean it was a straight line to starting my business and opening my shop. I actually resisted it for a couple years and only dabbled with the idea, until I had this amazing coaching session that made me see how connected the cookies are with my purpose. Food is all about energy and cookies are all about love, joy, and comfort. Part of my purpose is to share and spread love with the world and I get to do that with this business. Simply put, my cookies are a vehicle for love. After that realization happened a little over a year ago, I wrote a business plan for the cookie shop and then I released all attachment as to how I thought it would show up. Fast forward to April 2011, two weeks before the Grand Opening of the Market (which is where my first store is located), I hadn’t signed the lease and still didn’t know where the funding to open was going to come from. Again I released attachment and then 9 days before the Grand Opening I received the money and literally had 8 days to build a business. I could have said no because it really was insane, but I chose to just say yes and I am so glad I did! When the opportunity showed up to step towards my vision, I breathed through the fear and leaped.

2) Where do you find the inspiration for all the featured flavors you offer?

Inspiration comes from all over. Sometimes I dream up flavors in my sleep. Meditation is also another place that I get ideas. The first feature flavor I created was the caramel cookie and that one just came after brainstorming with my Dad. The coconut-oatmeal chocolate chip was inspired by my Mom who always used to put coconut and oatmeal into the chocolate chip cookies she baked. For some of the others I look and see what flavor combinations are popular and I also like to think about food memories or great desserts I have had in the past.

3) You’ve had quite a bit of press and you are looking to expand nationally. To what do you attribute your success?

All I can say is that when you are aligned with the Universe and truly trusting of the process, magical things happen. I started meditating twice a day in March 2011 and for me it changed everything. I have always worked on myself, taking a look at my ways of being and my belief systems and also doing outward things to help manifest the life of my dreams. I have done vision boards since I was 18 and worked with life coaches. All this had been helpful, but something was missing. For me, meditation was the key that unlocked whatever had been formerly blocked. All of a sudden I felt more in tune and in sync with the Universe and things started happening at a rapid pace.

4) What advice do you have for entrepreneurs who have the passion and a dream, but are struggling to bring their vision into reality?

The two things that have helped me the most are 1. Get comfortable being uncomfortable and 2. Stay open or, as I like to call it, detached attachment. I have technically been an entrepreneur for the past 6 years, but it was only a year ago that I finally claimed it and recognized that I would never work for someone else for the rest of my life.

Once I claimed my entrepreneurship, it made it a lot easier to be ok not always knowing how I was going to pay my rent. Being able to breathe through the smaller fears has prepared me for the much bigger fears that have shown up since opening my business. It is not always easy, but the rewards and growth experienced by putting yourself out there and allowing yourself to follow your passion are amazing and make working through the fear totally worth it.

Detached attachment is all about having a vision, and having intention, but not getting caught up in exactly how it is all going to happen. This does not mean meditating on the couch everyday will make your vision a reality because you are literally detached. Rather, it is the balance of holding a vision and then taking action, but being open to changing the action if something shows up to guide you in a different way. Be in the moment and trust the process and stay open. You might think you know the best way to make your dream happen, but trust me you don’t. Most of the time the way it shows up is even better and more magnificent then we can ever imagine.

5) It’s the holidays, which means it’s a big time of year for corporate gifting. Why are your cookies the perfect gift to send clients, colleagues, and friends?

The best gifts are the ones that create a memorable experience for the recipient. We remember experiences more than things, so giving cookies is not only an act of love but you are giving the gift of joy and happiness. When people bite into a truly delicious cookie, they experience pleasure, satisfaction, and bliss. What I love about my cookies is that they engage all of the senses. They come beautifully packaged and the cookies themselves have a signature look. I am told often that people know my cookies are going to be delicious just from looking at them. Then they take a bite and are in heaven. People remember my cookies and they definitely remember who gave them the cookies. So if you want to give a memorable gift then my cookies are the way to go.

About Aurélie:

Born in New Jersey, Aurélie soon moved across the Delaware River to Newtown, Pennsylvania with her family. From an early age, she was exposed to gourmet food through her parents’ home cooking and at the restaurants where her father Yves worked as a chef. When “Take Your Daughter to Work Day” rolled around each year, Aurélie would accompany Yves to his commercial kitchen. She preferred to spend the day not with her father, but with the pastry chef.

Prior to The Cookie Guru, Aurélie co-owned Club Gourmet, a Los Angeles–based organic meal delivery service. This upscale venture, which she operated along with her father, catered to health conscious eaters with a discriminating palate. Aurélie covered every facet of the business from sales to client relations, and, of course, cooking.

Aurélie believes that eating should be a balance of nourishing one’s body and one’s soul, and she balances her diet between healthy foods and delightful indulgences. Since her favorite meal is dessert, she strives to create items that she can feel good about eating while allowing herself a treat in the process.

Aurélie lives in sunny Santa Monica, CA. She loves going to the beach and spending time outside in the sunshine. She balances her sugar intake with plenty of activity: specifically dancing, yoga, biking, and running.

Connect with The Cookie Guru on Facebook and on Twitter.

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So you’ve decided to use a survey to get a pulse on your target audience. Excellent. To make sure that your survey doesn’t get lost in the online clutter or get ignored by busy prospects and clients, try one or more of these tricks to maximize the chances that your questions will be answered.

• Keep it quick (and let them know). A request to take a survey is vague. A request to take a three-minute survey is much better. No matter where you present your survey to clients, be clear about what you want from them—and let them know that you won’t waste their valuable time. (Hint: don’t just guess at how long your survey takes. Ask a couple friends to fill it out and time them!)
• Keep it simple. As with any kind of copywriting, easy-to-complete surveys may be hard to develop. But asking the right questions is worth the effort: your audience won’t feel confused or frustrated, and you’ll get valuable information about your current and potential clients. Put effort into making sure your questions are clear, to the point, and easy to process. Friends, colleagues, or professional editors can help you streamline your language.
• Keep it neat. Grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors slash your credibility. Read, reread, and have fresh eyes review your copy before you send it out.
• Offer an incentive or reward. Make your clients an offer they can’t refuse—or that they can’t refuse as easily as no offer at all. Consider rewarding survey takers with a discount on your services, a freebie, or a chance to win a prize. Be sure you have a system in place to follow through on this offer, or else you risk alienating a lot of potential customers.
• Include a survey in your sales process. Online purchases are often accompanied by (short) surveys given directly before a purchase is completed. Keep in mind the rule of brevity here: the last thing you want to do is bog down a potential buyer with lengthy questions.
• Tell them why they matter. Explain (as briefly as possible) why you’re conducting a survey in the first place. If you’re trying to improve the customer experience or looking to broaden your offerings to meet client needs, it’s important to communicate that so your audience knows that participating in the survey will ultimately benefit them.
• Show them why they matter. Once you’ve completed the survey, follow up with a thank you and an explanation or demonstration of how you’ll be applying the results.

Do you have any pet peeves when taking surveys online? Blow off some steam in the comments section!

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Are you a small business owner who finds it difficult to get into the zone and start producing your desired results? If so, you’ll definitely want to check out today’s guest blog post by Tim Goodenough, Certified Meta-Coach, Author and Director at Coaching Unity International. In his guest post, Tim shares tips on how to get into the zone in both your business and personal life, and how to generate the results you desire.

And as part of our 2011 Holiday Giveaway series and as a thank you to all of our blog readers, we are presenting you with a special holiday gift at the bottom of this blog post, so don’t forget to check it out!

See below for Tim’s guest article on How to Get Into the Zone for 2012: Interview with Tim Goodenough

Getting into the zone is a relatively straight forward process. It can take around 15 – 20 minutes to teach someone the skill at a beginner level and custom design what kind of flow state they need to be in. Why is it so simple? It is because we get into the zone all the time. That conversation in the kitchen that surprisingly lasted hours when it felt like minutes, that intriguing book that whilst you were reading it you looked up and suddenly time has flown, that movie that finishes so quickly, it felt like you had just started.

So if getting into the zone is so common, simple, and natural, then how come it’s such a big deal? Well the reason why is that getting into the zone on purpose, or when it counts, isn’t so straight forward. Staying in the Zone for as long as your need to train or perform, is even less straight forward then that.

And why do you want to get into the zone?

Well, the reason is twofold; firstly you enjoy the experience of whatever you are doing much more, and secondly, when you are in the zone you can access more of your trained abilities and instincts to perform at a higher level. In short, you feel better and kick more butt.

Most sports people I have worked with found that they got into the zone accidentally. They found that if they prepared well enough, and everything went just “so,” then they would be able to zone, sometimes.  In our book In the Zone with South Africa’s Sports Heroes (Zebra: 2007), that I co-authored with Mike Cooper, we interviewed 20 world-class athletes to uncover what mindsets and mental skills allowed these athletes to get into the zone frequently. What we found was that all of these athletes had 13 mental skills and attributes in common. We found three different generations, male and female, and nine different sporting codes within these individuals and they all had the same foundation.

What that foundation allowed them to do was to accidentally zone more often, and stay in the zone for longer periods. By understanding what those skills and attributes are, and being able to measure them (even though they are intangibles) with a cutting edge process called Neuro-Semantic Benchmarking, we were allowed to fast track the development of those skills in high performing business people and sports people through coaching.

Fast forward a few years and our understanding of how to get in the zone and stay there has gone up a few notches. Simply put, getting into the zone is about two things: firstly, creating as strong a zoning state (mood) as possible that will be strong enough and customized to not let lesser interruptions or disruptions or problems break the state. And secondly, to reduce the risk of interferences or things that will break state by reducing and / or removing the negativity or intensity of those interferences or break state events by shifting their meanings. If, for example, a bad referee call or umpire call gets to you in a stressful game and therefore breaks you out of your zone, you can then shift the meaning of the umpire’s bad call from, “That cheating biased idiot!” to, “Even umpires are human beings and have off days.”

As you can imagine having the former meaning would create a lot of negativity and the latter, not so much.

How to let go of useless meanings and shifting them to positives to remove the interruptions that break the zoning state is a slightly longer conversation then there is space for in this blog post; however, I would like to share a powerful strategy to create a zoning state that you can start using right now.

How to create your zone:

1. Vividly create a movie in your mind of you performing at your best, ensure that this performance is something that you believe you can do, and create a short 30-second movie on what that experience will be like. Add as much sensory based information as possible; what does it sound like, look like, feel like, smell like, taste like (although smell and taste are sometimes a bit tricky, see if you find something—e.g. the smell of Summer). Who is in the movie and what are their (positive) responses to you? Add as much detail as you can. Only include positives.
2. Ensure you are watching that movie as if from your own eyes.
3. Once you have vividly created that movie and you are watching it from your own eyes, focus on the best part of the best part and answer the following question five times.  “So what does that mean to me?” By doing this you add positive meaning to the experience, which creates a stronger zoning state. Some people struggle to answer more than three questions of this type, stick with it and see what comes up. Try again in a week and you will probably find you have more answers. Once you get the hang of this, don’t stop at five questions. See how many you can answer.

Example: I can feel my suit hanging perfectly off my confident upright body whilst I breathe deeply and evenly and finish my dynamic and inspiring presentation to the board. I can see in the eyes of the board members they are impressed. In fact, it looked like the CEO wanted to clap his hands and had to restrain himself. I smell the leathery smell of the chairs in the room and I taste the hint of ice cold water I have just finished drinking. I can feel the last rumble of my deep voice as I finish my pitch, my voice is rich and warm, entrancing! I can feel my eyes are shiny and bright, and that shiny brightness is being reflected back at me by everyone in the room. They are impressed and excited! The CEO looks at me and speaks, hardly bothering to contain his excitement, “Very impressive, I don’t think we need to see any other pitches today. You have got the contract!”

So what does that mean to me? It means that all the hard work and preparation has paid off, after chasing this deal for a long time I finally nailed it!

So what does that mean to me? It means that I can land big deals, I can go after what I want and have free choice about what kind of work I want to do!

So what does that mean to me? It means that I can begin to think about saying “No” to work I don’t enjoy with clients I don’t appreciate as I now know that I am on the path to doing more of what I am most passionate about.

So what does that mean to me? That success is a process, and if I keep working on the process I will continue to become more successful.

So what does that mean to me? I can live my passion through my business! I can help others, add value and get paid well!

Tips: If you are looking to create a sporting performance, or performance of any kind, make sure the movie you make is of you performing. Not before or after the game or presentation, for example. Once you have created your movie and added your meaning, notice what happens when you play your movie again. Nine times out of 10 it will put your body into your ideal performance mood or state and will put you into the zone!

As our special holiday gift to you, we are presenting you with a free MP3 of my interview with Tim Goodenough, discussing “What Entrepreneurs Can Learn From Top Level Sport: How To Become Intentional and Supercharge Your Dream.” Click here to listen to this exclusive interview.

For more information on Tim and his coaching, visit his websites at www.coachingunity.co.za and www.iteamformyteam.com.

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