Who Do You Think You Are!
When it comes to a speaking engagement I like to think of my audience, Who are they? What do they want? What do they need? etc., etc.
And as I go through this process it’s inevitable for me that I start to think of my clients. My theory being if is an issue for one person it stands to be an issue for another. So using my anecdotes in key note addresses really connects with my audience….(could be some advice in there about marketing right?)
So as I prepare for a speaking engagement I’m reminded of the number of people that I’ve coached this month who have all in one format or another showed the same underlining issue that is detrimentally damaging their success.
Do you want to know what that is?
Really want to know?
Because when I tell you, many of you will stop, look up as if thinking (because you are thinking) and say to yourself….”Wow is this me too?”
The fact is for so many people in business you have the big goals and ambitions and work hard to achieve them. And then one day (for those this impacts, as if by magic) you start to get results.
And then as your business grows and more people want in, (again as if by magic) you start to get asked to share your knowledge, speak at conferences, comment in the press or head hunted for a great new opportunity.
Business Coach Mandie Holgate and Susan Pattrick from Dancing Giraffe spent time thinking and contemplating…if only someone had told them what to contemplate!
And instead of saying “Wow, well done me, look at what I’ve achieved.”The natural state to rush to is “Oh no, wait until they find out its just me!”
What stops a successful business woman who has achieved so much from not accepting success?
Why do people dismiss their successes and acknowledge their failures?
So I challenge you to be honest with yourself, do you dismiss your successes like you do a compliment? Have you ever said any of the following;
“What this old thing, I’ve had it for years.”
“Anyone could do what I’ve done really.”
“I don’t know why they chose us, just right, place right time I suppose.”
“My competitors are just as good at this really.”
“I don’t know why they asked me.”
“I suppose I was just lucky.”
Then I wouldn’t mind betting that you allow your brain to accept and acknowledge your failures and yet you don’t praise and accept your successes with the same level of passion.
You don’t need a coach by your side to know if you do this and the impact that this can have on your success. Do you worry that you are going to get found out?
I will be honest with you here, its something I too have had to address. For me I always felt like I was a 5 year old in my Mum’s dress up clothes. Even when the Home Office invited me to hear an address by the Home Secretary on Women’s success I asked the lady if she knew it was just Mandie Holgate from little old Mersea island?
Come on ladies, we don’t have to start strutting around like that insurance advert in skin tight demin shorts, swishing our hair shouting “because we are worth it”. However you do need an internal belief, that says “You go girl!” “Yeah Me!” “Wow look what I can achieve!”
I agree there is a fine line between arrogance and confidence, however when there is so much stacked up against you and your success, why add You to the pile of negativity?
I will be speaking at the Big Chelmsford Business Showcase on the 18th November about Making It Happen and The BWN are stand Number 33, So see you there. To learn more book here.
What is the BWN ethos
I was asked to sum up the BWN ethos. If you feel I’ve missed something please advise;
I wanted an environment where any business woman could get the answers that she needed for her success. 
Whether start up, or pre start up, unemployed, self-made millionaire, hobbyist business, corporate business woman or employed women.
You are expected to be an expert in everything, well I want to help business women to feel confident in every area of their business and their life.
I want the BWN to be all welcoming and inclusive. I don’t want it to be “clicky”. Thus I ensure that whomever I am talking to at an event, as the host I have my eye on the door so that everyone gets a warm welcome, because I really appreciate how scary walking into a networking event can be. I often tell the person I’m speaking to “I’m genuinely very interested in getting to know you and hearing how I and the BWN can assist, but I must keep an eye on the door so that everyone gets greeted by the host.”
I want to empower, motivate and support.
I want myself and my coordinators to go out of our way to get to know every business woman that walks through that door so that we can help that business woman get the connections, new business and success she wants and deserves.
I want to do all this with no big membership fee. I want us to help business women make 
money and increase their profit, not spend their profits on overpriced networking.
Between events I want to ensure that our network talk to us through social media so that we are able to like and share their great content. And I want to ensure that the business women that walk in the door every month are our absolute priority so that we know them and help in every way that we can.
I want to ensure that not only do we promote and support our business women, we also promote and support our venues, speakers and suppliers. Business has to create win win relationships and we will work hard to achieve that.
No question is stupid, no concern dismissed. This is THE environment to get the solutions, connections and business to get the business success you want. Our tagline is “As Passionate About Your Success As You Are” and our business women will tell you that we mean it.