The Successful Dilettante
August 5, 2007 - Issue 27 - ISSN 1935-4886
Editor: Susan Henderson, coach@susanhenderson.com
Visit our website at: www.susanhenderson.com
In This Issue
1) Greetings/News
2) Susan's Musings - What's Love Got To Do With It?
3) Featured guest: Kirsten Hall
This very successful creative multipreneur is the perfect model of someone who took her passion--in this case for pets--and created an "Umbrella Career" consisting of one theme, but with many parts.
=====================================================
Greetings/News
A sunny hello to all. Hope this finds you well. While out and about on errands yesterday, I saw school supplies and children's winter jackets for sale. Hey, what's the rush? It seems that summer has barely started. I'm still planting flowers and want to grow tomatoes.
I don't tell you this enough, but I sure do appreciate you. I have had some wonderful feedback on my ecourse. It is my intention to offer you inspiration, tools, and resources in this twice-monthly ezine and through the new products and services that I am developing. So, tell me what you want, what you really, really want.
Announcements
Save 3:30 pm to 5 pm EDT, Thurs., August 9th for this free teleseminar: "Do It All! Career Clarity for Creative Multipreneurs and Portfolio Careerists." Chris King, Portfolio Careerist & Editor of Portfolio Potpourri, will be interviewing yours truly, Susan Henderson, Career & Life Redesign Coach for Creative Multipreneurs and Editor
of The Successful Dilettante. To register and ask a question
visit: http://www.creativekeys.net/hendersoninterview.htm
Also, if you haven't had a chance yet to sign up for my new ecourse, Five Secrets to Making a Living as a Creative Multipreneur, hop on over to www.creativemultipreneurs.com to learn more and read some testimonials.
=====================================================
Susan's Musings - What's Love Got To Do With It?
Everything! This summer I have been very busy juggling what seems like a gazillion projects and I have never felt so calm and happy. I am in the flow. I absolutely LOVE what I am doing.
I am coaching fantastic clients, have created and launched a facilitated mastermind groups program, am writing an ebook on maximizing the mastermind experience (Aug. 15), writing a book for creative multipreneurs (Oct. 2007), and designing a fun, creative group coaching program unlike any other. I participate in my own personal mastermind group. I design and create simple, clean websites for non-profit organizations. I do the bookkeeping for my daughter's magazine, CityDog. I read a couple of books a week, am making a complex quilt for a sweet baby boy to be born and adopted any day now, and I am growing beautiful flowers and herbs. I love assembling 1000 piece jigsaw puzzles that tell a story. I love playing with my two dogs and cat. This is not a brag list. It is a love list.
I feel that I am living my purpose, yet I cannot tell you in words what that is and it doesn't matter. All I know is that when I got out of my head and into my heart by doing what I love every day, I stepped off the dock into the boat and am drifting along in the flow of a gentle river.
Don't wait for things to happen to start loving your life; do what you love and things will start to happen. The key is in the doing.
"A happy life is one which is in accord with its own nature." ~ Seneca
Hugs,
Susan
=====================================================
Featured Guest: Kirsten Hall
I am happy and proud to present today's guest who is a perfect model of someone who took a passion and created a very successful business. She is a true entrepreneurial spirit who is always learning and growing. The first picture taken of Kirsten as a baby was with the family dog. She was raised with many pets and she never met a stray cat or dog that she didn't bring home. Although it took a couple of false starts before it became obvious to her that owning a pet business was the best fit for this creative multipreneur, she hit the ground running and has never looked back.
SH: Kirsten, how have you come to enjoy the successful multipreneur life you live today?
KH: It really was a leap of faith. I'd been working as a hairdresser and not really enjoying the atmosphere of the many salons I worked in so I was looking for something else. I went to the local community college and took an aptitude test to see what my interests might align with as far as a career. Testing as a creative type, everyone thought graphic/web design would be my calling. I came to realize I am not an artist, I've never been able to draw well nor did I enjoy it.
As I half-heartedly went through my classes thinking there had to be something else, I realized I'd much rather spend time with my new Boxer puppy. I just had to figure out how. Then one day I started looking at the businesses for sale in the newspaper classified section for a pet store to buy. This would indulge my life-long love of animals, allow me to bring my dog to work, and also sell all the great pet products that I had come to love.
While looking for a pet store, I came across a pet-sitting business, which seemed to be an even better fit for me than a pet store at that time. So I took the plunge and bought it. It was about a year into this pet-sitting business, while at a family dinner, the realization hit me that "Oh my gosh! I am making really good money petsitting!" Every year my profits increase and the demand for service increases.
Fast forward ten years--I now have found a good use for my creativity in the many hats I wear running and building my business. And instead of creating the ad layouts for the business, I gladly let someone else handle that.
SH: When did you realize you would be happiest engaging a multitude
of interests?
KH: I have always had very random interests from working on cars to doing hair and nails. I actually think it was several years after starting pet-sitting that I realized, hey, I could put some of these random interests together to enhance and grow my business, such as: build a web site for the business and use my marketing and sales experience to launch a web store for my clients and their pets. What I've realized, too, is that all my life experiences have prepared me in some capacity for this adventure. Now I'm always coming up with great expansion ideas.
SH: What systems, tools, or practices are most effective in enabling you to find a balance in living the life of a creative multipreneur?
KH: I am very visual so I use visual tools. I use a fabulous online scheduling tool for my clients and to keep things simple for myself. It integrates with QuickBooks, which creates more simplification.
I have a white-board that has a blank calendar that I use to map out my month by putting small yellow sticky notes with reoccurring tasks written on them, such as "pay day" or "pay bills". I re-use these and write new sticky notes for other major to-do items and appointments. This way I just look at the board for that day and see what needs to be done. Then if something comes up, I can easily take the sticky and put it on the next day if need be.
In July 2005, I attended an IBI Global (www.ibiglobal.com) CEO Space Retreat in Los Angeles, CA. This was an amazing week of mentoring and networking to help entrepreneurs accelerate the growth of their businesses. One of the things I learned was if some task is not your genius, don't do it. Delegate or outsource that task to someone who's genius it is.
So that's what I do. For instance, I work with a bookkeeper who is able to access my QuickBooks from his home office. When I wanted help with organizing, I hired a professional organizer. I have worked with and learned from some great business coaches.
SH: How do you manage your time? Do you make a plan?
KH: I do make a plan for each day, however many of my days are full of surprises. My office is in my home and I work seven days a week--most weeks there is a flow but it is honestly ever changing. I have lots of flexibility and time to do personal things so it works for me and I enjoy it. I have recently started building up staff to handle our increasing client load and to free up more of my time to spend with my husband and daughter.
SH: Have you had any mentors, books or people, who have influenced you?
KH: I have had so many mentors over the years, it's hard to just name a few. I try to learn something new from everyone I come in contact with and on some level these people, whether they know it or not, have influenced me. I enjoy learning from other people experiences so I try to listen closely and ask lots of questions to maybe learn something new.
One of my most favorite authors is Michael Gerber who wrote "The E-Myth Revisited" (www.e-myth.com). I can't tell you how many times I have listened to his audio book.
I spend a lot of time in my car and learn from many audio programs. Currently, I'm listening to Loral Langemeier's (www.liveoutloud.com) CD series "Building, Leading, and Protecting Your Business." Fabulous for those of us with a business and no business degree! Especially for the nuts and bolts of business structure and how to build wealth.
SH: What advice or tips would you share with our readers in their quest to
become successful dilettantes?
KH: I would suggest a business plan incorporating all the talents you have. I now use a notebook, in fact I have many of them, where I write down Ideas for future projects and extended business plans.
Don't try to do it all yourself. As mentioned above, outsource the tasks that are not your genius. Surround yourself with people who support you. My husband is hugely supportive of this business. If you need help clarifying what you want to do and where to start, or to help you grow your existing business, hire a coach. Start or join a mastermind group for support, accountability, brainstorming new ideas, and gaining a fresh perspective.
Go for it and never look back.
****************
Kirsten Hall lives in Munroe, WA. with her husband and young daughter. She is
in the process of building a new website so it is a work in progress, but you are
welcome to visit at: http://www.petsittersunlimited.com
=====================================================
2006-2010 Susan Henderson, All rights reserved.
August 5, 2007 - Issue 27 - ISSN 1935-4886
Editor: Susan Henderson, coach@susanhenderson.com
Visit our website at: www.susanhenderson.com
In This Issue
1) Greetings/News
2) Susan's Musings - What's Love Got To Do With It?
3) Featured guest: Kirsten Hall
This very successful creative multipreneur is the perfect model of someone who took her passion--in this case for pets--and created an "Umbrella Career" consisting of one theme, but with many parts.
=====================================================
Greetings/News
A sunny hello to all. Hope this finds you well. While out and about on errands yesterday, I saw school supplies and children's winter jackets for sale. Hey, what's the rush? It seems that summer has barely started. I'm still planting flowers and want to grow tomatoes.
I don't tell you this enough, but I sure do appreciate you. I have had some wonderful feedback on my ecourse. It is my intention to offer you inspiration, tools, and resources in this twice-monthly ezine and through the new products and services that I am developing. So, tell me what you want, what you really, really want.
Announcements
Save 3:30 pm to 5 pm EDT, Thurs., August 9th for this free teleseminar: "Do It All! Career Clarity for Creative Multipreneurs and Portfolio Careerists." Chris King, Portfolio Careerist & Editor of Portfolio Potpourri, will be interviewing yours truly, Susan Henderson, Career & Life Redesign Coach for Creative Multipreneurs and Editor
of The Successful Dilettante. To register and ask a question
visit: http://www.creativekeys.net/hendersoninterview.htm
Also, if you haven't had a chance yet to sign up for my new ecourse, Five Secrets to Making a Living as a Creative Multipreneur, hop on over to www.creativemultipreneurs.com to learn more and read some testimonials.
=====================================================
Susan's Musings - What's Love Got To Do With It?
Everything! This summer I have been very busy juggling what seems like a gazillion projects and I have never felt so calm and happy. I am in the flow. I absolutely LOVE what I am doing.
I am coaching fantastic clients, have created and launched a facilitated mastermind groups program, am writing an ebook on maximizing the mastermind experience (Aug. 15), writing a book for creative multipreneurs (Oct. 2007), and designing a fun, creative group coaching program unlike any other. I participate in my own personal mastermind group. I design and create simple, clean websites for non-profit organizations. I do the bookkeeping for my daughter's magazine, CityDog. I read a couple of books a week, am making a complex quilt for a sweet baby boy to be born and adopted any day now, and I am growing beautiful flowers and herbs. I love assembling 1000 piece jigsaw puzzles that tell a story. I love playing with my two dogs and cat. This is not a brag list. It is a love list.
I feel that I am living my purpose, yet I cannot tell you in words what that is and it doesn't matter. All I know is that when I got out of my head and into my heart by doing what I love every day, I stepped off the dock into the boat and am drifting along in the flow of a gentle river.
Don't wait for things to happen to start loving your life; do what you love and things will start to happen. The key is in the doing.
"A happy life is one which is in accord with its own nature." ~ Seneca
Hugs,
Susan
=====================================================
Featured Guest: Kirsten Hall
I am happy and proud to present today's guest who is a perfect model of someone who took a passion and created a very successful business. She is a true entrepreneurial spirit who is always learning and growing. The first picture taken of Kirsten as a baby was with the family dog. She was raised with many pets and she never met a stray cat or dog that she didn't bring home. Although it took a couple of false starts before it became obvious to her that owning a pet business was the best fit for this creative multipreneur, she hit the ground running and has never looked back.
SH: Kirsten, how have you come to enjoy the successful multipreneur life you live today?
KH: It really was a leap of faith. I'd been working as a hairdresser and not really enjoying the atmosphere of the many salons I worked in so I was looking for something else. I went to the local community college and took an aptitude test to see what my interests might align with as far as a career. Testing as a creative type, everyone thought graphic/web design would be my calling. I came to realize I am not an artist, I've never been able to draw well nor did I enjoy it.
As I half-heartedly went through my classes thinking there had to be something else, I realized I'd much rather spend time with my new Boxer puppy. I just had to figure out how. Then one day I started looking at the businesses for sale in the newspaper classified section for a pet store to buy. This would indulge my life-long love of animals, allow me to bring my dog to work, and also sell all the great pet products that I had come to love.
While looking for a pet store, I came across a pet-sitting business, which seemed to be an even better fit for me than a pet store at that time. So I took the plunge and bought it. It was about a year into this pet-sitting business, while at a family dinner, the realization hit me that "Oh my gosh! I am making really good money petsitting!" Every year my profits increase and the demand for service increases.
Fast forward ten years--I now have found a good use for my creativity in the many hats I wear running and building my business. And instead of creating the ad layouts for the business, I gladly let someone else handle that.
SH: When did you realize you would be happiest engaging a multitude
of interests?
KH: I have always had very random interests from working on cars to doing hair and nails. I actually think it was several years after starting pet-sitting that I realized, hey, I could put some of these random interests together to enhance and grow my business, such as: build a web site for the business and use my marketing and sales experience to launch a web store for my clients and their pets. What I've realized, too, is that all my life experiences have prepared me in some capacity for this adventure. Now I'm always coming up with great expansion ideas.
SH: What systems, tools, or practices are most effective in enabling you to find a balance in living the life of a creative multipreneur?
KH: I am very visual so I use visual tools. I use a fabulous online scheduling tool for my clients and to keep things simple for myself. It integrates with QuickBooks, which creates more simplification.
I have a white-board that has a blank calendar that I use to map out my month by putting small yellow sticky notes with reoccurring tasks written on them, such as "pay day" or "pay bills". I re-use these and write new sticky notes for other major to-do items and appointments. This way I just look at the board for that day and see what needs to be done. Then if something comes up, I can easily take the sticky and put it on the next day if need be.
In July 2005, I attended an IBI Global (www.ibiglobal.com) CEO Space Retreat in Los Angeles, CA. This was an amazing week of mentoring and networking to help entrepreneurs accelerate the growth of their businesses. One of the things I learned was if some task is not your genius, don't do it. Delegate or outsource that task to someone who's genius it is.
So that's what I do. For instance, I work with a bookkeeper who is able to access my QuickBooks from his home office. When I wanted help with organizing, I hired a professional organizer. I have worked with and learned from some great business coaches.
SH: How do you manage your time? Do you make a plan?
KH: I do make a plan for each day, however many of my days are full of surprises. My office is in my home and I work seven days a week--most weeks there is a flow but it is honestly ever changing. I have lots of flexibility and time to do personal things so it works for me and I enjoy it. I have recently started building up staff to handle our increasing client load and to free up more of my time to spend with my husband and daughter.
SH: Have you had any mentors, books or people, who have influenced you?
KH: I have had so many mentors over the years, it's hard to just name a few. I try to learn something new from everyone I come in contact with and on some level these people, whether they know it or not, have influenced me. I enjoy learning from other people experiences so I try to listen closely and ask lots of questions to maybe learn something new.
One of my most favorite authors is Michael Gerber who wrote "The E-Myth Revisited" (www.e-myth.com). I can't tell you how many times I have listened to his audio book.
I spend a lot of time in my car and learn from many audio programs. Currently, I'm listening to Loral Langemeier's (www.liveoutloud.com) CD series "Building, Leading, and Protecting Your Business." Fabulous for those of us with a business and no business degree! Especially for the nuts and bolts of business structure and how to build wealth.
SH: What advice or tips would you share with our readers in their quest to
become successful dilettantes?
KH: I would suggest a business plan incorporating all the talents you have. I now use a notebook, in fact I have many of them, where I write down Ideas for future projects and extended business plans.
Don't try to do it all yourself. As mentioned above, outsource the tasks that are not your genius. Surround yourself with people who support you. My husband is hugely supportive of this business. If you need help clarifying what you want to do and where to start, or to help you grow your existing business, hire a coach. Start or join a mastermind group for support, accountability, brainstorming new ideas, and gaining a fresh perspective.
Go for it and never look back.
****************
Kirsten Hall lives in Munroe, WA. with her husband and young daughter. She is
in the process of building a new website so it is a work in progress, but you are
welcome to visit at: http://www.petsittersunlimited.com
=====================================================
2006-2010 Susan Henderson, All rights reserved.
