Push Past Your Limits

 

     Are you struggling to reach your goals? My daughter gave me a birthday card this year with the perfect message.  Dreams come a size too big so that we can grow into them.  So if your dreams are feeling larger than life, looks like you’ve got some growing to do. It can be anything from fear, to doubt, maybe even lack of skill set. How can you push past the limitations in your world? The natural tendency is to give up when things get too challenging, but this is the precise time to push harder, change things up to break past getting stuck in a rut. Take action and put a plan in place.  

Recruit someone or something to help push you. Top achievers work with coaches and mentors. Find an accountability partner to flush out the negativity surrounding you. An encourager can be anyone that gives you much needed support and positive feedback. A compliment on your nail art, an encouraging word when you’re down. Reach out to people in your network that are positive role models for a boost when you need it. Subscribe to positive feeds on social media and turn off the negative news feeds. Find a cornerstone, something that you can have around you to remind you of the goal. A vision board, beautiful photos, thank you cards. Surround yourself with good vibes to ward off bad mojo.

 

   Take on something larger than your current skill set.  Enter an online contest, pick up a new art technique. Decide to master your numbers and your budget. Doing what you’ve always done is a sure fire way to staying exactly where you are.  Stuck in the confines of what you believe you can or can’t do. Stretch your limits and grow into them along the way.

Find something that truly inspires you. Get inspired by watching videos, reading inspirational books, or even just a great quote taped to your mirror. Inspiration is great for motivation. I have a ton of motivational quotes and a vision board on my fridge. Every time I walk past I am drawn to what motivates me.  What I’m dreaming of doing and becoming.

Push yourself to exhaustion. To truly break past barriers you have to be driven. Work on something that challenges you, and stick with it till you get your breakthrough. I’ve said it before but it bears repeating, all growth comes from outside your comfort zone. What is it you need to move forward? New tools? A class? A better video camera to work on tutorials? Research what it is you need to improve and take the leap. With much encouragement from my positive role models, Braden, I have taken the plunge and invested in recording equipment to start recording my content. Yes very soon you will be able to get my content in audio format.  I too was stuck in the grips of my limitations. I didn’t have the right equipment, would anyone purchase it? I struggle with the same fears and doubts just like anyone else, but I move past the fear by believing  my encouragers, my positive inner circle that says, yes you can. 

 

Cut off the negative naysayers, the ones that are stuck themselves. Break out of your limits and grow into your dreams. You will get farther than you ever imagined, just like this hometown girl, that is on the radio. If I had let fear win, you wouldn’t have Millie’s marketing segment. You too have great things to offer the world, now get to it!

Master Your Career

      Zig Zigler passed away this past week. He was a mentor of mine. Even though I never personally met him I saw him live once and have listened to his cds and podcasts for many many years. A lot of my life philosophies have been impacted by this man. Many motivational speakers have recycled much of his material and woven it into their presentation, so you've probably been influenced by this man more than you know. Last month I had the opportunity to spend some time with another mentor of mine Geno Stampora. He gave me a few cds to listen to and give him my feedback. I have to say I have been listening to them several times a week this past month and they take me through a host of emotions. To say they are just motivational is really not enough. It was Mr. Zigler that said motivation is like deodorant, you have to do it every day or you start to stink. I agree, I have to listen to something inspirational every day. I have to share some Geno wisdom with all the listeners tonight.
1. Work Ethic. Do you have a great work ethic? Are you willing to do whatever it takes? It will have a direct effect on how much you make. Are you willing to give 100% every day. What about 100% most days and maybe 50% others. Don't think it matters? You won't notice a difference in a week. However, an interesting think happens over time. It will matter in month, greatly in a year, five six years down the road, wow a whole lot of money you could have had, should have had left on the table.
2. You have to have the look and act attitude. You have to look good, act good, smell good. You have to act like you know and if you don't you have to act "as if" until you do. I mean we've all gotten back from a show and put that new product on the very first client we could get our hands on. You know, with the cheat sheet in the drawer next to us.

3.  Study Time, do you practice what you do? Could you do what you do better, to add value to your market place? Are you watching videos? Reading a good book? Listening to cds? Help yourself grow.
4.  Preparation. Successful people are prepared. Don't disrespect yourself or your client, or the people you work with by being unprepared.
5.  Personal marketing. What are you doing to market yourself in the beauty industry? Quit waiting for the salon you work at to market you. It's not going to happen. You have to have a personal marketing campaign.
6.  Dialogue. How do you meet someone? How do you talk about what you do?
7.  Learn how to connect. Don't just make eye contact, look to see the color of their eyes. Have a sincere, human connection. When they talk, match their tone of voice and match their speed. People like people who they think are like them. For an hour, be like them.

8.  Have true client respect. We all have Those clients, let them go and refuse to go with them. Most of our clients are fabulous, but learn to respect them all.
9. Honesty. It is important to be honest, all the time. Once you lie to a client, you're done. Don't sell them things they don't need, don't talk to them about things they don't need.
10. Stay inspired. Who is inspiring you? Who are your mentors? Who are you reading and studying right now? You need inspiration every day. Listen to something inspiring, music, guided meditations, DVDs cds seminars, every day. Some days just suck. Change what you can change, leave the rest behind. Develop an inspirational calendar. Start to inspire yourself to be everything you can be. To do more and be more and have more. Life is happening in the moments, make every moment count.

11. Expertise. At what point will you become an expert at what you do? At what point can you say I am a master? It will make a difference in your world, your income, how people see you. Is there something you don't know, that if you did know would make a difference, take you to that next level. Are you branding yourself as an expert?
12 Consistency. You must be consistent. Treat every client like a new client. Treat every client like they matter, do great work, all the time. Commit to excellence. Take care of people.
Geno Stampora

IN~spiration

     Today’s tip is about inspiration. I had the honor of being interviewed by London Wright of Stylz4women and one of the questions he asked me was where do I get my inspiration. For me that ones a no brainer. I get inspiration from others. I love to read about success stories and realize that everyone really starts out about the same place. To understand that everyone makes choices and if you wait for things to come to you , well you might be waiting a long time. I love people who take action and follow a passion relentlessly towards excellence.

Interview with Millie Haynam

     This weekend I had the chance to do just that. I read on Maisie Dunbar’s facebook page that she was going to be at a fundraising event in North Canton, only about an hour from me. I immediately contacted her and asked if I could come help her in any way. I went down to the event which was a fundraiser that the O’jay’s put on to raise money for college scholarships for kids from their home town, Canton. She was in town to aid in the fundraising event and had a booth at the event Sunday. I got up bright and early and got myself down there to spend some time with this amazing lady. I thought geez, when is she going to be an hour from me again. Point is if there is something you can do, then by all means just do it. Maisie had a total of 3 events going on that weekend trying to promote her salon and her cosmetic line Bluffa Jo.

Millie Haynam, Maisie Dunbar

  
     She was out working her brand. We had several hours to chat about the business and we swapped stories about how many people don’t truly grasp the sacrifice and dedication it takes to make it all happen. It was worth every minute of the drive to be able to brainstorm with one of the industry’s brightest stars.

     Then on top of that, today I had a nail date with one of my nail art guru’s JaNiese Newton in Detroit. I met my nailfriends Jada and Kim and we rode up 3 hours to Detroit together to have a play date. Even better Dayna Knight drove down from Ontario Canada to join us. We spent the afternoon watching nail art videos, watching each other playing with new nail art stuff and we even went on a field trip to two nail supply houses in the area.

Nails by JaNiese

 

     Again, something we planned to help each other grow as nail artists. We all had a few Ah Ha moments. Success is dedication, sacrifice and persistent pursuit of the goal. I have set my schedule up at the salon to work two 9 hour days and two 8 hour days behind the chair so I can have two days a week off. At least one, or honestly most times both days off it gives me the opportunity to work ON my business, not just IN my business. If you are not where you want to be ask yourself what would it take to get there. What information or skill that if you knew, could get you closer to your goals. Take stock and really figure out what the top few things would be and go after them. Start your own nail friend group and keep after each other to keep growing. P.S. Jada, Dayna, Kim and JaNiese, homework is due in one week :)

Millie Haynam, Kimberly Jones-Hammond, Jada Cunningham, JaNiese Newton, Dayna Knight

 

(Original post August 2011)