How Do You Think About Money?

Money is a stressor for me as it feels good when it's flowing, but when it's not, it's the source of my anxiety and stress in my life.  Lately, I am anxious all of the time, and I am trying to reflect on why and what I can do to relieve my tension.

I started listening to You are a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero and here is the mantra that she recommends that I say every day "I love money because it's the root of so much awesome."  I am starting to chant this daily and plan to continue to think about money in a positive way.

Jen Sincero then recommends these five points, and they are direct quotes from her book:

1.  Write down five positive words to describe money

2.  Practice saying thank you every time you receive money - celebrate it

3.  Spend at least five minutes each day sitting in silence connecting with money

4.  Leave money around your house in various places, so you get used to seeing it all the time - remind yourself how abundant it is

5.  Fill in the blank - I am grateful for money because

Thanks to Jen for shifting my focus from making money because it's necessary and sometimes stressful to having gratitude for it and all of the awesome things it can do for me.  Money is neither bad or good; it's just a tool to get what I want, and I need to be positive when I think about it.  Will you? 

9 TED Talks to Inspire You in The New Year

There’s no time like the new year to set personal and professional goals. Whether you’ve set your intentions or are struggling to define your resolutions, there’s no shortage of motivational books, podcasts, and vlogs designed to help boost your creativity, narrow your focus, and help you achieve your goals this year.

A great source of inspiration are the TED talks, which offer a broad range of powerful stories and innovative ideas in 18 minutes or less. TED stands for technology, entertainment, and design, but you will find inspiring and thought-provoking presentations from experts in every field.

Listed below are some of our favorite TED Talks, which focus on creativity, effective communication, and good business practices. Explore the playlist, get inspired, and share your favorites with us @ArtisanalLLC.

HOW TO SPEAK SO THAT PEOPLE WANT TO LISTEN - Julian Treasure

Whether you’re making a venture-capital pitch or planning a wedding toast, Julian Treasure shares the four cornerstones for powerful speech, for which he uses the acronym HAIL: honesty, authenticity, integrity, and love. Don’t miss the seven deadly sins of speaking, the value of silence, and valuable warm-up exercises to practice before important speaking engagements.

HOW BOREDOM CAN LEAD TO YOUR MOST BRILLIANT IDEAS - Manoush Zomorodi

Manoush Zomorodi explains how boredom will ignite a network in your brain called “default mode” and give you the clarity needed to set goals. Zomorodi makes the case against constant connectivity and suggests that users self-regulate and embrace the lost art of spacing out - it can lead to your most brilliant ideas! Be sure to also check out her interview with TWiT.tv’s Megan Morrone on Triangulation Episode 285.

KNOW YOUR WORTH, AND THEN ASK FOR IT - Casey Brown

Don’t limit your earning potential! Pricing consultant Casey Brown argues that employers will never pay you what you’re worth, but rather pay you what you think you’re worth. However, you do have control over this, and Brown explains how to clearly define and communicate your value.

4 WAYS TO BUILD A HUMAN COMPANY IN THE AGE OF MACHINES - Tim Leberecht

In this unique TED talk, Tim Leberecht describes the four principles for building great organizations in the age of AI and machine learning. He urges teams to create beauty - rise above what is necessary, create healthy work relationships within the team, face what’s in front of them, and continue to ask questions. Technological innovations are changing the workplace, but Leberecht highlights the importance of feeling at home in your organization and creating that feeling for others.

THE SURPRISING HABITS OF ORIGINAL THINKERS - Adam Grant

Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist and the author of Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World, shares the unexpected habits of “originals” and encourages employers to champion them as they drive change in the world. From time management to failure, Grant describes what sets creative thinkers apart from their peers.

FORGET THE PECKING ORDER AT WORK - Margaret Heffernan

Margaret Heffernan offers a radical approach to achieving positive results: rather than focusing on star employees who outperform others, organizations that focus on building cohesive teams achieve greater results. In building those relationships, you foster a culture of helpfulness where team members are open to receiving and offering help.

HOW GREAT LEADERS INSPIRE ACTION - Simon Sinek

Author of Start With Why and Leaders Eat Last, Simon Sinek reveals how inspiring leaders and their organizations think, act, and communicate. With growing competition in every field, Sinek asserts that the key to success is clearly defining your Why. Customers aren’t buying what you do, but why you do it, and Sinek argues that great leaders begin with Why and have the ability to inspire those around them.

HOW TO PITCH TO A VC - David S. Rose

While this TED talk was recorded over a decade ago, serial entrepreneur and author of Angel Investing David S. Rose’s points are invaluable. He dissects the ten different characteristics you must convey for a successful pitch, noting that at the end of the day, you are the investment, so it’s imperative to sell yourself - your knowledge, your commitment, your leadership. From the pitch timeline to errors that will set you back, this TED talk will prepare you to walk into your pitch meeting confidently.

GET COMFORTABLE WITH BEING UNCOMFORTABLE - Luvvie Ajayi

This refreshing and inspiring TED talk by Luvvie Ajayi, author of I’m Judging You: The Do-Better Manual, is a reflection on fear and the ways in which it keeps us from being who we really are. Ajayi invites us to speak our truth, especially when it’s difficult to do so. She shares three simple questions to ask yourself to determine whether to speak up. Don’t let fear take over this year; whatever you set your mind to do, do it. If you feel compelled to speak up, do so. And if fear creeps in, do it anyway.

A Time to Blog & Post on Social Media

In 2017 I started blogging, seriously blogging about technology, advertising sales, marketing, and growing companies, and what it takes running two businesses.  You can find my entrepreneurial blog at lisalaporte.com or right here at lisalaporte.ceo.   For more information about advertising sales and marketing visit lisalaporte.org and for my thoughts on technology, please visit lisalaporte.net.  I am also an avid novice photographer, and you can find my work at lifeoflisa.com and 500px.com.

In 2018 I plan to continue all blogs and increase social posts on Twitter, Facebook, G+, LinkedIn, and Tumblr.  Make sure you follow me to keep up with sales, marketing, startups, technology, and photography.

Make Your Team More Efficient and Involved

If you’re responsible for leading a team or run your own business, you understand how difficult it can be to get everyone on the same page when it comes to implementing changes or working on a project or toward a common goal. No matter what you’re doing, you’re going to have employees that feel a bit in the dark about their responsibilities and how what you’re doing relates to their job. That is unless you take the extra step and successfully implement methods to get your team involved with the ultimate goals. Make it a priority to talk with your team and truly make your work collaborative and transparent.

Plan together

When you first start working on a new project or goal, have your team sit down with you and sincerely discuss what you’re attempting to do. Tell them what the ultimate end goal is and give a few of your ideas for working toward it. Then, ask for their input. You might be surprised at some of the ideas offered. It’s better to have many working on solving an issue and achieving a goal than relying on the head of the team to come up with the game plan.

Write it all down

Once you’ve started planning how you’ll achieve your new goal, write everything down. This advice can even be beneficial in the planning stage, so you can keep track of the ideas thrown around and have a record of what’s been discussed. As you craft your plan, it’s also helpful to write it down and keep it accessible to all members of the team to reference later. Make sure your plan is clear and organized in a way that makes it simple to understand.

Stay organized

After creating an organized plan, you want to organize the rest of the project. Keep all of the materials in the same place, either an online storage hub, Dropbox, or Google Drive. Give all team members access and make it clear who’s assigned what task. The more organized your plans, the less risk there is for confusion amongst your team.

Reiterate the goals

Most projects take a significant amount of time, so reiterate goals for your team to keep them focused on the big picture. Keeping the end goal in mind makes the steps to get there clearer and clarifies what you need to do.

Delegate tasks

When making a plan, make sure you delegate tasks to other people and avoid taking too much on yourself or assigning too many tasks to one person. The team needs to work together and help you, and each other, out. It can be difficult to trust others to do the best job, but you’re going to need to find this trust to do the best work possible and reach your goals.

Communicate with them

The best way to avoid confusion and mistakes when working with a team on something is to ensure there’s regular communication occurring. Talk to them about the goals, what tasks they need to do, and make it clear they can come to you with questions whenever they need to.