Business Hub Consultant in Colorado Springs Posted on by

Elizabeth Bishop and Robert Lowell were considered “rising stars in the poetry world,” when they first met in New York City in 1947. And I guess “rising stars” is appropriate because he had just won a Pulitzer prize. And she had just published her first book. He was married, and they lived in separate cities. But they became pen pals and wrote to each other for 30 years.

Their pen pals relationship turned into a great friendship.

After Lowell died in 1977, Elizabeth wrote “our friendship, which was often kept alive through years of separation only by letters, remained constant and affectionate, and I shall always be deeply grateful for it.”

I only learned of these two writers as I read through some stories of “historic pen pals.” That sort of communication went the way of the dinosaurs a long time ago, for the most part.

Can you imagine keeping in touch with someone, through actual snail mail letters, for 30 years? It seems almost impossible to even consider these days. Because sometimes you can’t even get a reply to a one line text from someone you know. And you don’t even have to physically write anything either. You can just talk and let your phone dictate the message.

But, sadly, that’s how bad we humans have gotten at extended communication. Especially if it’s communication that requires more than a “K” response. Or an emoji.

And that ties in with what this month’s UNversity class is about.

A way to improve your communication as a business owner.

Or anyone who’d like to keep relationships going. It’s sort of like pen pals. Only more profitable.

You’re too late to get in on the UNversity class for July 2023. Because that’s tomorrow, first Thursday of each month. And the deadline to enroll is always at midnight of the last day of the month before. So, that came and went a few days ago. But you’re plenty early to enroll and be in time for the lesson in August.

It’ll be a how-to lesson that, when you implement it, can help you automate, or communicate, or delegate and build your business better and faster.

So, enroll in UNversity, right now while you’re thinking about it. Discover how to improve your business, for $15 a month. And don’t forget, when you improve your business, you can also improve your overall lifestyle and health.

Here’s the link to enroll:

Stay Ready,
R.O.N.D.A.
Responsive Organized Nonstop Digital Assistant

Business Hub Consultant in Colorado Springs Posted on by

It’s not like it was YOUR anniversary. And it’s not like it was the birthday of a loved one or someone else important in your life. So, it doesn’t really matter WHEN it happened. Just that it DID.

And I bet you won’t care when it happened either.

“What ever could she be ranting on about now?” Maybe that’s the question in your mind. Right? Or something like it? Well, I’ll tell you.

But first, I hope you enjoyed a nice Independence Day. And that you’re already back in the swing of things.

What’s that? Oh yeah, it’s July 3rd. Why do you ask?

No, silly. Independence Day WAS yesterday. Yes. July 2nd. Oh wait. Don’t tell me you’re one of those people who celebrate it on July 4th. Seriously? Well, I suppose I can cut you some slack. After all, it does seem to be the majority who celebrate Independence Day on the 4th of July.

But that’s just because they don’t know it’s the wrong date. How do I know? I’m glad you asked.

Because John Adams, one of the actual “founding fathers,” kept track of the proceedings back in 1776. And he wrote a letter to his dear wife, Abigail, on July 3rd of that year, to tell her that American Independence had been declared a day earlier. By my precision calendar calculator, that’s July 2nd.

Copies of Mr. Adams letter to his wife include this illuminating paragraph:

“The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.”

Did he get it wrong?

No. John Adams was there. He knew, full well, what happened. And when. And I’ve read a couple of articles that show the proof that America’s Independence Day actually was declared on July 2nd. But there were a few things circumstances that bumped it over to the 4th. Main thing was that’s when the original document was sent to the printer. And the printer added the 4th to all the copies.

Plus, the men who signed the Declaration of Independence, to pledge their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to the “Great Question of Independence,” didn’t all sign on the 4th of July. According to what I’ve read, signatures were added as late as November of 1776.

But you can’t celebrate the 4th of July in November. So, we don’t (a little tongue-in-cheek humor there).

And the main point is this. We don’t really care WHEN it happened. Just that it DID happen.

Because American Independence created a country better than any other nation there ever was. More freedom and more choices have sprung up from the land of the free and home of the brave than anywhere else in history.

So, here’s how I see the timing.

It doesn’t matter whether you light up some fireworks this evening, or if you lit them up this past weekend, or if you’re waiting till tomorrow (July 4). Because the important thing is to celebrate “the great anniversary Festival.” And remember what it took to give us this much freedom.

And when you’re ready to declare your own independence from a J.O.B. or an uncertain future, I’d like to have a conversation with you.

Book a free call with me, with that handy calendar below. And give me a chance to see where you wanna go in life. I’d love to help YOU if I can. Let’s talk soon.

Stay Ready,
R.O.N.D.A.
Your Responsive Online Nonstop Digital Assistant

Business Hub Consultant in Colorado Springs Posted on by

Led Zeppelin, a band that was famous and popular WAY before my time, wrote a song about it. And they called it “Communication Breakdown.” Check out the lyrics in from the chorus:

Communication breakdown
It’s always the same
I’m having a nervous breakdown
Drive me insane

I never heard Communication Breakdown, so I gave it a listen.

Let’s just say the vocals certainly go with the “drive me insane” part. But I’m not here to critique Led Zeppelin music or vocals.

No, I’ve been focused on the subject of business communication, lately. And as I did some research, online, a link to a YouTube video that featured Led Zeppelin popped up. So, as I said, I never heard it before, so I watched. And it reminded me of the importance of not letting communication break down.

I’ve worked with so many clients who, for one reason or another, had let that happen to them. I get it. You’re a business owner. An entrepreneur. An idea person. So, you’ve got a lot on your plate and in your head on any given day. And you wanna take your concepts from your brain to your customers and clients.

So, it’s easy to focus on your “next” thing.

But sometimes, maybe even most times, that means your “now” thing gets lost in the shuffle. And it might even be the thing that put you on the map in the first place.

And that means you’re so involved with what you’re building that you forget about who helped you the most. Those customers and clients I mentioned.

But it can feel like a chore, especially if you’re a one-man-band type of business owner, to get out of your creative mode and get back into the nuts and bolts mode. Believe me, I DO know what that feels like.

Not to worry. There’s a way to make it better.

Something you can do to take at least a little of the burden out of it.

And that “something” is what I’ll be talking about in next month’s UNversity lesson. If you’re already enrolled, I believe you’ll enjoy this simple tip that so many business owners and entrepreneurs don’t do.

But if you’re not already enrolled in UNversity, the deadline is fast approaching. Midnight TONIGHT.  Because the deadline for each month’s lesson is always midnight on the last day of the previous month. Yeah, you literally have only a few hours left. You understand, right? No communication breakdown?

So, don’t be one of those procrastinators who misses out. Enroll in UNversity, today. These are how to improve your business lessons, for $15 a month. Here’s the link to enroll:

Stay Ready,
R.O.N.D.A.
Responsive Organized Nonstop Digital Assistant

Business Hub Consultant in Colorado Springs Posted on by

She went from working at Subway to doing things HER way. It didn’t exactly start out as a primo example of lifestyle and health. Because she claimed that she relocated in Sacramento, California after her parents divorce. And she survived there, for a while, by “hitchhiking, shoplifting, and stealing from store bins.”

Definitely not the lifestyle and health scenario of the rich and famous.

But she DID work her way into the somewhat rich and famous category eventually. At first, she started her own eBay store, called Nasty Gal Vintage. And I don’t know how much you know about selling on eBay, but she made around $223,000 in 2008. But that’s nothing to just three years later in 2011 when she generated around $23 million. Wow!

She was even featured in the New York Times. They called her “Cinderella of Tech.”

Since those days Ms Amaruso resigned as CEO of Nasty Gal. And would you believe it if I told you that Nasty Gal was sold to Boohoo for $20 million? Well, apparently that’s what happened. So, my guess is her lifestyle and health really started to take an upswing at that time of her life.

Then, Sophia started Girlboss Media and created “a lifestyle website for millennial women.” She moved away from that and started her own website with her own name as the address. And she sells books she’s written, sends out a newsletter, and offers a digital course for an “exclusive community.”

So, the Nasty Gal girl boss has done alright for herself.

And as I read about her I can see she does the same thing I’m teaching in next month’s (July 2023) UNversity class.

If you’re already enrolled, I believe you’ll enjoy this simple tip that so many business owners and entrepreneurs don’t do.

But if you’re not already enrolled in UNversity, the deadline is fast approaching. Midnight June 30th. Because the deadline for each month’s lesson is always midnight on the last day of the previous month. As of the time I write this, that’s tomorrow night. Yikes!

So, don’t be one of those procrastinators who misses out. Enroll in UNversity, today. These are how to improve your business lessons, for $15 a month. And don’t forget, when you improve your business, you can also improve your overall lifestyle and health.

Here’s the link to enroll:

Stay Ready,
R.O.N.D.A.
Responsive Organized Nonstop Digital Assistant

Business Hub Consultant in Colorado Springs Posted on by

If you wanna fill up your schedule, big time, just build, show, and sell houses in a highly competitive real estate market. That’ll do it. And I know, from experience, that’s not nearly as fun as it sounds.

I found out you can fill up your schedule with so many details.

And when I was part of a family real estate business in California, I could really obsess over those details. With too much time on the phone. And too many thoughts about “tomorrow” to get a good night’s sleep.

You know what it’s called when you fill up your schedule that way?

Bad habits.

So, I got to the point where I had to choose. Either break the bad habits of doubt and worry, and replace them with good habits, or go berserk. And since nobody likes to be around berserk people, I decided to replace bad habits with better ones.

Like schedule control (which I included in an UNversity lesson). And automation. And repeatable processes. In addition to those better business habits, I also started to regularly get more fresh air, sunshine, and better food.

And guess what?

I started to sleep better. And that improved my mood. Before I knew it, I was ready to take on the world.

So, which sounds better? Fill up your schedule with tons of details? Or enjoy your day on your terms? If you picked the second option, good for you. And I have a little something to help you get to that point.

And that “something” is what I’ll be talking about in next month’s UNversity lesson. If you’re already enrolled, I believe you’ll enjoy this simple tip that so many business owners and entrepreneurs don’t do.

But if you’re not already enrolled in UNversity, the deadline is fast approaching. Midnight June 30th. Because the deadline for each month’s lesson is always midnight on the last day of the previous month. In case you haven’t looked at the date, it’s only a couple of days away.

So, don’t be one of those procrastinators who misses out. Enroll in UNversity, today. These are how to improve your business lessons, for $15 a month. Here’s the link to enroll:

Stay Ready,
R.O.N.D.A.
Responsive Organized Nonstop Digital Assistant

 

Business Hub Consultant in Colorado Springs Posted on by

Seasoned entrepreneurs and owners will tell you, if you ever get a chance to ask, that you can always improve your business. Because they know, sometimes all too well, where the stumbling blocks and black holes are, along the way.

But if you don’t need to improve YOUR business, this isn’t for you.

I read an interesting blurb about “process improvement.” Of course, that caught my eye because I’ve been preaching automation and processes to my clients for a VERY long time. If you’ve been a client of mine, or you’re one now, or if you’ve read my posts and emails, I’m not gonna repeat myself right now. I’ll just share a little of the article I read. And you can see what I mean from a methodology perspective. Here it is:

“Of course, process improvement is the most well-known way to improve your business. Sometimes, the move is to continuous improvement. Process improvement, continuous or otherwise, is focused on reducing process cycle time, improving quality (by reducing defects), reducing costs and improving the customer and employee experience. The two most popular process improvement methodologies are Lean and Six Sigma. They are often combined into one Lean Six Sigma approach.

In capital improvement, we might add robotic automation, like robots in automotive manufacturing. In process improvement, we look to improve through intelligent process automation. There are three incremental levels of intelligent process automation:

  • Robotic process automation (RPA)
  • Machine learning (ML)
  • Artificial intelligence (AI)”

OK. What do you think? Does that make it clear? Or does it sound too, well, robotic?

I think it’s an interesting perspective.

But I think there’s something even better you can do. And, if I say so myself (and I do), it’s something that will sound a whole lot more real.

And that “something” is what I’ll be talking about in next month’s UNversity lesson. If you’re already enrolled, I believe you’ll enjoy this simple tip that so many business owners and entrepreneurs don’t do.

But if you’re not already enrolled in UNversity, the deadline is fast approaching. Midnight June 30th. Because the deadline for each month’s lesson is always midnight on the last day of the previous month.

So, don’t be one of those procrastinators who misses out. Enroll in UNversity, today. These are how to improve your business lessons, for $15 a month. Here’s the link to enroll:

Stay Ready,
R.O.N.D.A.
Responsive Organized Nonstop Digital Assistant

The first 90 days with the R word. Is that even do-able?

Business Hub Consultant in Colorado Springs Posted on by

They say the first 90 days in a relationship are the most crucial. And they say that’s also the most crucial time for a new business. They even say that about new cars. And new houses. And, well, you get it.

So, I’m here to talk about the first 90 days of something else.

And that would be your customers or clients.

Of course, you can say customers and clients fall under the “relationship” category. They’re a whole different kind of relationship than families, friends, and other loved ones. But they’re also alike. Because, if  you wanna get something out of a relationship, you gotta put something into it. And you DO want something out your relationship with your customers and clients. Right? Right.

This reminds me of one of my clients who mentioned some of his “lower performing customers” as we talked about ways to improve sales and profits. His business model is set up so that he makes money when they make money. And he said “some of them aren’t adding much” to his bottom line.

I noticed how he talked about “them.” But he didn’t talk about his part in those relationships. So, I just asked him outright, “What are you putting into the relationships?”

I know he’s a skilled businessman and salesman. But I wanted to find out if he was using any of those skills, relationally. Because, as I said, relationships are two-sided. At least the good ones are.

I asked my client if he was providing some value by offering advice, suggestions, or tips to help them advertise his product.

He quietly answered, “No.”

So I helped him set up something to take huge advantage of technology to help him provide those things. It was right in front of him the whole time. But he didn’t use it. So, he didn’t even see it or its potential.

And that “something” I helped him set up is what I’ll be talking about in next month’s UNversity lesson. If you’re already enrolled, you might watch the lesson and think, “What? Why didn’t I already do that?” Or “How could I have not seen this already?” Or something like that.

But if you’re not already enrolled in UNversity, the deadline is fast approaching. Midnight June 30th. Because the deadline for each month’s lesson is always midnight on the last day of the previous month.

So, don’t be one of those procrastinators who misses out. Enroll in UNversity, today. How-to business lessons, for $15 a month. Let’s talk about more than the first 90 days, too. Here’s the link to enroll:

Stay Ready,
R.O.N.D.A.
Responsive Organized Nonstop Digital Assistant

Business Hub Consultant in Colorado Springs Posted on by

There are some huge advantages to a learn from doing program. And that’s the kind of system you find in trade schools. They’re set up to train you to be completely prepared for a specific job. Of course, trade school training is for jobs most younger people wouldn’t consider “glamorous” or “savage.”

But the learn from doing method is über (super) focused.

I realize plumbers don’t tend to build huge social followings. And you won’t find many of them in the beautiful people circles. But have you seen how much a good plumber can make? Yikes! I’ve had to pay for their services. So, I can tell you, they’re not cheap.

And plumbers, electricians, welders, dental hygienists, mechanics, pharmacy technicians, and cosmetologists don’t have to spend tens of thousands of dollars and 4 years of their lives on training. Many trade schools provide you the training you need, to get a specific, good-paying job, in one or two years.

That’s because, as I said, they’re focused on specific training. And once you finish your training, you can get a diploma or certificate. Or they’ll make sure you’re prepared to take a licensing test. And you can even become an apprentice or journeyman for the trade of your preference.

PLUS, trade schools don’t typically have stringent education requirements. So enrollment is “open.”

And, if you’re the parent of a young person who shows skills in the trades I’ve already mentioned (or plenty of others) you might find this very interesting. Trade schools don’t include the whole “college culture” (insert picture of binge-drinking partiers on spring break here). Nope. You just go to classes and train.

Über focused.

Here are some other jobs that trade schools can prepare you for:

  • Paralegal
  • Nurse
  • Graphic Designer
  • Aircraft mechanic
  • Chef
  • Marine mechanic
  • Construction manager
  • Massage therapist

And if your vision is to run a business based on your skills, instead of just getting a job, that’s where I can help.

I designed the very first lessons in RondaReady YOUniversity to help you discover your Vision. So you can über (there’s that word again) focus your energy in the direction you’d actually like to go. With strategies to help you learn from doing and get there better and faster.

How about we talk about it some more? Book a free call with me, with that handy calendar below. And give me a chance to see where you wanna go in life. I’d love to help YOU if I can. Let’s talk soon.

Stay Ready,
R.O.N.D.A.
Your Responsive Online Nonstop Digital Assistant

Business Hub Consultant in Colorado Springs Posted on by

OK, get Ready. ‘Cause I’m gonna lay some tough love on ya. Here goes. Change is inevitable. And there’s nothing you can do to change that. There. I figured I might as well rip off the bandage in one short burst of pain. Because there’s no sense in softening the blow if it keeps you in your comfort zone instead of reaching your potential.

But just because change is inevitable doesn’t mean it has to be bad.

For example, I had three beautiful little children when I first started my own business. But, then they changed. And they weren’t beautiful, little children anymore. But that was because they grew into three beautiful young adults. So, the change was inevitable. After all, we all grow up. Right? But it was awesome to watch their transformation.

So, it’s not change that can stop you in your tracks. It’s the fear of it. When you are afraid things will change, it’s so easy to fall into the trap of hiding from reality. But when you realize that change is inevitable, and you plan for it, your life can be so much fuller and make so much more sense.

Yeah, fear tends to only lead to regret. For business owner and entrepreneur wannabes there are typically two kinds of fear. The fear of failure. And the fear of success. But guess what they have in common. OK, I won’t make you guess. Both lead to inaction.

And inaction leads to guess what. Sorry, I’m gonna stop telling you to guess. Inaction leads to more fear. Because when you do nothing, you start to fear you’ve put yourself too far behind to catch up. Or you fear that you won’t even know where to start. Eventually, you start to fear that you’ll die without ever getting where you wanted to go. And there’s another fear. I read an article that touched on that subject. It said:

“Yet, death is not the worst thing that can happen to us. The worst thing that can happen is to allow ourselves to die inside while we are still alive.” Yikes!

So, the worst that can happen is actually NOTHING.

Let that sink in. A friend of mine wrote a song that included a line that said, “Nothin’s gonna happen to you.” Again, think about that for minute. Can you honestly say you’d prefer that absolutely nothing ever happened to you? I can’t imagine how boring and bleak life would be if nothing ever happened to me. Those “things” that “happened to me” helped me grow and get stronger.

My prediction is, they can do that for/to you, too.

Some marketers like to use the phrase “fail forward.” I get what they mean. But I don’t consider the stumbling blocks and setbacks in life as failures. They’re opportunities to learn. Because you and I aren’t perfect. Mistakes (which are also changes) WILL happen. But you can use what you learn from them as fuel to keep you moving forward.

Especially when you have a clear vision of who YOU are and where you wanna go.

So, that’s why the very first lessons in RondaReady YOUniversity are designed to help you discover your Vision. And they can help you focus your energy in the direction you’d actually like to go. With strategies to help you know how to get there better and faster.

How about we talk about it some more?

Book a free call with me, with that handy calendar below. And give me a chance to see where you wanna go in life. I’d love to help YOU if I can. Change, in your life, is inevitable. The question is: Do you want to control the change? Or let it control YOU?

Let’s talk soon.

Stay Ready,
R.O.N.D.A.
Your Responsive Online Nonstop Digital Assistant

Business Hub Consultant in Colorado Springs Posted on by

Some thrive. Some barely stay alive. And the difference tends to be how you deal with certain adversity facts. Wanna  know more about what they are? Good. Because that’s why I’m writing to you today.

Adversity facts are observable and quantifiable.

And that just means you can see and measure the results. But what results. Those results you’ll find when you either overcome or ARE overcome by life’s challenges.

Last time I wrote to you I talked about mental toughness. And mentally tough people thrive on adversity. Because they love to not only rise to the challenge, but also to rise above it. And move past. Those kinds of people are more comfortable outside their comfort zone. It’s almost like pain and unpredictability are their fuel.

Maybe you know somebody like that. And maybe YOU are somebody like that. I hope so.

Here’s another one of those adversity facts. You won’t be mentally tough until you learn to take negative opinions and actions, from others, and turn them into something positive. And there’s no doubt about it. You WILL have to deal with negativity from others. Because, sadly, there’s so much of it in this world.

So, work on emotional intelligence (aka: EQ).

OK, just one more adversity fact. And it’s all about confidence. I think this quote from Reid Hoffman describes it:

“An entrepreneur is someone who jumps off a cliff and builds a plane on the way down.”

Before you call me out on that, it’s not what I recommend or teach. But it sure describes total confidence. Right? And think about what Henry Ford said about confidence, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.” Confidence doesn’t require jumping out of plane with no parachute. Just keep moving forward no matter what.

It doesn’t matter if I think you can.

What matters is, do YOU think you can? And the best way to figure that out about yourself is to know your Vision.

So, that’s why the very first lessons in RondaReady YOUniversity are designed to help you discover your Vision. And they can help you focus your energy in the direction you’d actually like to go. With strategies to help you know how to get there.

How about we talk about it some more? Book a free call with me, with that handy calendar below. And give me a chance to see where you wanna go in life. I’d love to help YOU if I can. Let’s talk soon.

Stay Ready,
R.O.N.D.A.
Your Responsive Online Nonstop Digital Assistant