What kind of support do you need to succeed?

Recently, I met with a supporter of mine so we could work on some strategy for growing our businesses and find new ways to deal with obstacles that keep popping up. With my help, she clarified the mission and vision for her business, and with her help, I uncovered a crucial characteristic of my ideal client that I hadn't noticed before. By the end of the afternoon, we both felt excited and ready to get back to our businesses with fresh perspective and ideas on how to better serve our clients and help them achieve their goals.

When you're undertaking a venture, whether it's a business, a spiritual path, having a baby or graduate school, having supporters is crucial to getting you through the tough times and having people cheering with you during the good times doesn't hurt.

Images of your mom or your best friend might come to mind when you think about who supports you, but when it comes a business or a career, having professional supporters can make a significant difference. Friends and family love you, and they want the best for you. The thing is that they may not understand the ins and outs of what's important to your career, especially if you are self-employed.

This is where trusted professional supporters come into play. A mentor who's been through it before can help you navigate tricky situations or give you a perspective that you hadn't considered before.

My team of trusted advisors have been invaluable in helping me vision my life and business, and with their support I've been able to accomplish my goals much faster and more gracefully than I would have on my own. A mentor isn't the only kind of professional supporter out there though. Colleagues can serve as supporters too, especially if you both share a spirit of collaboration instead of competition.

Who can know better what challenges you are facing than someone who's right there in it with you?

Especially when you're self-employed, finding others like yourself to brainstorm, creatively collaborate, and share techniques with can keep you inspired and motivated, even on the most trying of days. Supporters can become trusted resources that you can turn to for help dealing with a difficult client, ideas for moving forward when you're stuck, and simply forming a community that will celebrate your successes with you and rally around you when times are tough.

Who are your supporters? Take a moment now and see if there's anyone in your network who could become a supporter. Don't be shy about asking, I bet that most people you approach would be flattered rather than put off by a sincere offer to reciprocate support.

If you're a practitioner in Eastern MA, the new Practitioner Business Success Group meeting on Sunday, Nov 21 at The Healing Center in Beverly may be for you. It's a facilitated, collaborative mastermind of practitioners whose intention is to help you overcome current challenges. You're welcome to join us!

And no matter where you're located, if you're feeling stuck about getting your practice to the next level, the collaborative Heart-Centered Entrepreneur Apprenticeship starting in January may be just what you need to get through your roadblocks and onto the path of success.

Let yourself shine!

Recently, a six month support & success program I facilitated for some wonderful practitioners in Cambridge came to an end. Over the six months, we worked hard at honing in on each practitioner's special talents and the ways in which they can be of service to their ideal clients.

One of the most important pieces that we looked at was how to turn any form of promotion, advertising, and marketing into an opportunity to introduce yourself and start a heart-centered dialogue with your potential clients.

I was delighted when I saw the new website of one of the practitioners in the group. Her personality really shines through on her simple website, and the conversation she starts with her potential clients makes it clear who she can help and how she can help. This is heart-centered, authentic marketing at it's best, and all the hard work Sara did over the last six months is going to attract the right clients to her Massage and Reiki practice!

Check out Sara's opening dialogue and her personalized services on her website. All that's left for her to do is upload a really nice picture where she's looking into the camera and smiling.

Are you struggling to attract clients?

We can help! Come to the Practitioner Business Success Group on Sunday November 21 from 5-7pm to get support, strategy and inspiration to move your practice forward. You may also want to check out the Heart-Centered Entrepreneur Apprenticeship that's starting in January.

Jennifer Carey's Success Story

"My practice was non-existent before I started with Joanna. My heart dreams of having a retreat center. My passion is to help others heal and grow through the challenges of life. There are so many significant things I received from working with Joanna. If I had to name three, they would be empowerment, being an authentic practitioner and healer and using my gifts and passions to do that. I loved the support, the guidance, the practices, the envisioning of dreams and the accountability to take action. I've believed in myself and my abilities and capabilities to follow my dreams. I've learned ways and practices to turn my thoughts around leaving my mindset in a more positive, empowering way. I developed skills to be more organized. I've also learned to move toward my dreams with more confidence and courage." Learn more about Jennifer's Personal Growth Workshops and Reiki sessions at The Healing Center here.

Is your heart open?

In order to experience abundance, you need to be open to receiving it. You can envision and ask for what you need or want until the end of time, but it's not going to happen until your heart is open and receptive.

As I posted on Facebook this week: "You need to teach your heart how to *receive* just as much as you give to others. You have to build your receptive muscles until they are strong enough to accommodate the abundance you need to thrive in life."

In my experience, abundance comes when deep down you believe, really believe, that you deserve all the wonderful things that you desire in your life.

So many of us mistakenly believe that we need to work hard to earn the things we need and want, which is often rooted in a belief that we are not good enough to receive the things we desire. We often don't realize how pervasive this limiting belief can be.

One person I worked with this week realized that though she spent a lot of time praying about her clients finding the relief they need, she was not spending time visioning for herself and her own needs. It was empowering to remember that she deserved as many blessings in her life as she asked for her clients, and that she could improve her well-being by making time to work on changing her thought patterns that blocked abundance in her life.

This often presents in people who tend to be givers. They spend a lot of time building up their compassion and giving muscles, focusing on helping others so these good works will add up as karma points that will allow them to one day deserve the things they want and need. This week, I was able to help someone discover a block in her heart around this very area.

She works very hard to give and be of service as a healer, and she had put her faith in a Higher Power to provide for her needs. Yet, she was frustrated that the very basic things that she needs in her life have been out of reach for some time.

We discovered that while she was an expert in giving to others, she was blocking receiving love, help, gifts, and opportunities from other people. She was focused on receiving from spirit, but together we clarified that here on earth abundance flows through other people. In order to open the flow of abundance in her life, she needed to open her heart to the goodness and generosity of others.

Last, but not least - here's an example of when someone opens their heart to the flow of abundance. A friend of mine realized that her current apartment was just too small for the new business venture she was undertaking. She recognized that she needed space to run her business, so she made the decision to find a new apartment that better met her needs.

In the past, she would have blocked the flow of abundance by telling herself that she would never find what she needed in her price range and convince herself that it would never happen. Instead, she got really clear about exactly what she needed, and she set her intention and committed to staying positive.

She started telling people around her what she needed, and lo and behold, in less than a week she found the perfect apartment with space for her business and in her price range. It can be that easy when you are open and receptive for receiving what you need.