fbpx

Hate Your Job, But Love What You Do–It’s Really Possible

job

Do you hate your job? Maybe you don’t exactly hate your job, but do you feel stuck, annoyed or bored with what it requires you to do, day in and day out? Despite what the inspirational gurus on Facebook may tell you, simply “following your dream” or “doing what you love” won’t pay the bills. In fact, it is still very possible to do something you may not like very much and still find joy, fulfillment and purpose in what you are doing.

“Chasing your passion” can mean many different things, and not all of them involve a paycheck and the ability to support your family. You may love to travel, but, sadly, no one is going to pay you to lay by a pool in Hawaii for two weeks. (I checked. This job does not exist.) The key to doing what you love is not the job itself, but understanding how to make your passion and reality meet. Before you quit to travel indefinitely, or at least until the money runs out, ask yourself, “How does my passion correlate to an in-demand, paying job?” Even if the answer is not immediately clear, you may be shocked to learn that, at least for now, the answer could be found in the job you already have.

You may not have your dream career. You may not even like your “placeholder” one, but, the truth is, the right perspective can do much to improve your situation. More than just forcing yourself to have a better attitude, it is worthwhile to really work on finding things to love about what you already have–whether it’s your work, your possessions or other areas of life. You don’t have to have the most amazing job in the entire world to have fulfillment or contentment. As we head into 2017, don’t let your work rob you of your joy or passion, but find ways to add value to what you are already doing. You can actually love what you do without loving your actual job.

By Meagan Kerlin for Vertu Marketing LLC

New Goals For A New Year: Success in 2017 Starts Now

goals

You may not make resolutions at the start of the New Year, but whether you make a list of personal goals or not, the fact is, the start of a new year offers a great chance to do something new, whether that is implementing better eating habits or overhauling your strategy for your small business. Resolutions not only serve the purpose of adding accountability when trying to accomplish something new or force yourself to develop a new habit, but they allow you the opportunity to lay the foundation for a better, more successful year ahead. So, if you do not have a personal New Year resolution ready for 2017, you should certainly have a few for your small business. Here are some suggested goals to ponder:

  • Re-evaluate your mission statement (If you don’t know WHY you are doing it, then what is the point?)
  • Ask for feedback from previous customers (And really listen to what they have to say)
  • Retool your social media strategy (Customer engagement is critical)
  • Think about the tools you need for the new year (Everything from a new phone to better internet connection counts)
  • Buy a 2017 planner (And actually USE it)
  • Continue learning (This is how you get better)
  • Set boundaries in your business and personal life (Boundaries are not to hinder you, but to protect your sanity)

These suggested goals can be adjusted to suit your needs and overall objectives for your business. It doesn’t matter what’s on your list, as long as you have a strategy for getting better and doing more in the new year. Without a plan, you risk wasting the beautiful opportunity for a fresh start that comes every January 1st. As we approach the end of the calendar year, it’s time to prepare to run hard toward the opportunities just around the corner.

By Meagan Kerlin for Vertu Marketing LLC

Hope Can Help Your Business – But How Can You Be More Hopeful?

Hope in business

By Tylie Eaves for Vertu Marketing

If you’ve been in business for very long, you’ve probably heard the phrase “hope is not a business strategy.” And while this is true, at least for the most part, if you aren’t making hope at least part of your business strategy, you’re setting yourself up for failure.

It’s true, the word ‘hope’ doesn’t necessarily conjure images of business power, and that’s probably one of the reasons many business leaders shy away from the discussion of hope as part of a business strategy.

Hope in business

Believe it or not, studies indicate that hopeful business owners have more engaged employees, are more efficient when it comes to problem-solving, and generally see more success than their more crotchety counterparts.

But the big question is, if you are habitually negative, how do you turn it around?

As a person of faith, I obviously always turn to my faith to answer questions like this. But, not everyone believes what I believe, or knows what I know. So the real question is, how can I, as a business coach and leader, help those who have different spiritual views than I do to change their mindsets, and recognize the value in maintaining hope?
Finally, my study of psychology has given me an answer.

The American Psychological Association has released information surrounding years of study on the benefits of hope in the human experience.

One of the most promising components of this information that, in a study published online, researchers compare the relationship between hope and productivity by analysing 45 studies that looked at more than 11,000 employees, across various workplace conditions. At the end of the study, They concluded that hope accounts for 14% of the productivity in the workplace. This percentage amounts to more than intelligence, optimism, or self-efficacy(Journal of Positive Psychology, 2013). 

“Basically a hopeful person does one day a week more work than a less hopeful person in a seven-day work week,” the researchers  say. “It’s quite a big chunk of the pie.”

So, how can you begin to foster feelings of hopefulness within yourself?

I recommend that your first step be gratitude. If you begin to pay close attention to the things in your life for which you should be grateful, it will be easier to make the transition to hopefulness.

There are always things for which we can be grateful. If you recognize that you have things other people lack, like shoes on your feet or clean water, among thousands of others, you can begin to feel gratitude for even the simplest of things. Making the transition from gratitude to hope is recognizing that without certain characteristics, you would not be who you are. Nor would you have the things you have.

Obviously, I could go into a diatribe about my faith at this point, but I’m not going to. Instead, I’m going to tell you that hopefulness in business is recognizing that things could be better, and acknowledging your power to help make them that way. No matter what things need improved upon, knowing that they can be improved upon inspires feelings of hope. Beyond that, acknowledging that your everyday actions can contribute to the betterment of everyone around you, can also foster further feelings of hope.

So first things first, take stock of what you have, no matter how tiny. Recognize the value in your tiny ‘having,’  and use that gratitude to help you identify the things you can make better. It’s a small step, but as they say, that is how every great journey begins.

Make That Call: The Power Of Personal Communication

communication

Thanks to a rapid progression in technology, we are in the midst of a communication revolution. And, while there are many amazing advances now in the hands of the average consumer, it could be having a negative impact on the way businesses interact with customers and clients. We are now in an era, a crisis even, in which people would rather communicate with others in every way imaginable, except by phone call. Most people prefer texts to phone calls, and, while this is fine for one’s personal life, it’s critical to understand that personal communication should still be playing a major role in business and marketing.

Okay, I get it. Phone calls can be weird. It can be awkward, especially if you don’t know the person or need to maintain some semblance of professionalism. An email or text would be easier and less anxiety inducing, but there are many cases in which a person’s voice is much more effective than any written word could be. Communication is a critical part of any business, but the vast cultural changes regarding communication often have people leaning toward an easier way to reach out– via email or text.

A phone call can seem terrible, and, sometimes, it may be downright uncomfortable to say what you need to say over the phone, but the act of using your own voice to say these things proves this: you’re invested in what you are doing, you’re prepared to answer questions and you are not intimidated by silence on the line (pretend you’re not, even if you are). Sometimes, old school methods are more productive than any of the new bells and whistles.

Next time you are about to email or text, ask yourself if it could be better communicated by a phone call. With practice, or sheer determination, you can develop the habit of better, more personal communication. Don’t be afraid to use your voice — it’s one of your most powerful tools.

By Meagan Kerlin for Vertu Marketing LLC

How Should Business Owners Approach The End Of The Year?

business owners

The end of the year is a slow time for many business owners, and you may find yourself “sitting on your hands” as you wait for the start of the new year. If the holidays are a slow time for you, it’s important to use this opportunity to undergo a little tune-up, so to speak, and be ready to head into 2017 prepared and excited. We are aren’t talking about lighting incense and chanting in a circle, we are talking about the practical steps you can take to end the year on a positive note, strengthen relationships with clients and mentally prepare for future growth in the new calendar year. Here are a few practical, simple ways you can do this.

  • Suggestion 1: Express your appreciation to your clients and customers. If you are able, write little notes of thanks to those who supported your business this year. If this is not possible, find other ways to say “thank you” and cultivate gratitude for what you accomplished this year.
  • Suggestion 2: Do the things you have been avoiding. From hiring new personnel to revamping your social media marketing strategy, get everything lined up to start as soon as possible in the new year. Make a list of goals that you want to accomplish before the end of 2016 — you still have a few weeks left to make some serious progress.
  • Suggestion 3:  Make an effort to recount what you have learned this year. Owning a business, regardless of the type or size, is a constant learn-on-the-go process, and it’s always great when you don’t have to relearn the same things over and over. Sit down, write down what you have learned this year and make a plan to implement these lessons.

The end of the year is no time for business owners to shut down, but a great time to get ready for the year ahead. What are YOU going to do to use these last few weeks of the year to leverage your business for amazing success in 2017?

By Meagan Kerlin for Vertu Marketing LLC