3 Ways to Ignite Your Creativity

“You can’t use up creativity, the more you use, the more you have.”

Maya Angelou

1. Take a digital detox: Take time to unplug from technology and social media for a few hours, a day or a week. It is important to limit the amount of information you consume. Too much information can make it difficult to think clearly, critically and independently. When you are plug in all the time, you are bombarded by ads, video messages and text messages. This can block your creativity and make it hard spark new ideas. The information on social media feeds is often filled with chaos and negative content. Digital information can cause your mind to become overloaded, trigger negative emotions and manipulate how you think, especially if the content is negative. Try spending more time cultivating your own creativity and then explore diverse ways to share it with the world.

2. Connect with Nature: Connecting with nature is a great way to ignite creativity. Go for walks outdoors, observe natural landscapes, animals, birds and trees. Listen to the sounds of nature, inhale its refreshing scent or put your feet in the river or shallow lake on a warm day. Connecting with nature is a great way to unplug from the chaos of life. It will force you to slow down and smell the roses. Connecting with nature can boost your mood, foster optimism and spark creativity.

3. Refuel: Easy access to information and the internet has made it easier to work from home for hours longer than the standard 9 to 5pm. Constantly working leads to running on empty and burn out. You do not want to spend so much time working that you forget to refuel your mind and body. Take the time to refuel by getting 7 to 9 hours sleep.There are several health benefits of getting sufficient hours of sleep, such as maintaining a healthy weight, lowering your risk of diabetes and heart disease. Exercise is another way to boost your creativity but it can also reduce stress, prevent cognitive decline and sharpen your memory. Eating foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals can recharge your body and improve your overall well being. When you are well rested and eating nutritious foods, you will build up the energy that is needed to find clarity and develop creative ideas.

   Stacey Ann Berry, BA (Hons.), MPPAL,

   President and Founder, Bstellar® Group Inc.

4 Pillars of Community Service

 "Servant leadership is all about making the goals clear and then rolling your sleeves up and doing whatever it takes to help people win. In that situation, they don't work for you; you work for them."

-Ken Blanchard

1.  Knowledge: Take the time to research basic facts about the project you are involved in.  Make a list of the key players and experts in the field.  Take the time to understand the challenges that surround the main issue.  This will equip you with the information you need to be a better advocate or volunteer for the cause that you are involved in.  It will allow you to assess your ability and capacity to get involved.  Community work is rewarding and fulfilling but it can also feel emotionally draining and mentally exhausting if you are directly impacted by the issue.  Do not allow the issue to consume your life or become so emotionally attached that you are unable to think clearly and objectively or be impartial.  Pace yourself while you research and gather the facts. Do not try to be the expert or learn everything but stay up to date.  Knowing the issue qualifies you to provide your insight and decide how you can be most effective.

 2.      Dedication: It is important to remain committed and learn how to navigate obstacles.  Creating the change we wish to see in our world, does not come without push back.  Not everyone will agree with you or share the same perspective.  There will be doubters, trolls online, and people who will challenge you.  There might also be systemic barriers or laws that make it difficult to create positive change. Community work requires unwavering dedication and a team that shares the same dedication.  The more people that are dedicated to one cause is the more you can amplify your cause.  Dedication fuels momentum and can inspire others to join your cause.

  3.      Empathy:  The ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes will help you to see things from their perspective. It removes judgments and misguided assumptions.  Empathy is where you will develop compassion for the people you serve and gives you the motivation to keep pushing your cause forward. It allows you to serve the community from a genuine and selfless place.  Empathy sparks ideas for practical solutions and can help you to see the bigger picture.  Whether you want to give back by volunteering your time, donating money, get involved in causes you sincerely care about. 

 4.      Servant Leadership: This type of leadership has been clearly demonstrated by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, who believed that “everyone can lead because anyone can serve.”  This comes from having a deep sense of compassion, and social awareness. It means to have a deep desire to make the world just and equal.  It means to be sensitive to injustices such as social, economic, health, or environmental inequities.  It is the ability to roll your sleeves up to get the job done.  It means to replace ego with humility. Taking the initiative to help others, even when it is challenging or unpopular.

These 4 pillars are common within many global movements and charitable causes.  I have been volunteering for various community initiatives for most of my life.  Each time I volunteer, these 4 pillars serve as my guiding principles.  When I reflect on these pillars, it reminds me of why I initially got involved giving back to the community. Being connected to a cause greater than yourself gives you purpose and allows you to add value to society.  Serving the community can be emotionally and physically draining, especially if you are directly impacted by the cause you are involved in.  It is important that know your limit and are aware of what you can handle.  Be aware of how much can you get involved and do not over commit or extend yourself.  Always practice self-care to avoid burn out.  Surround yourself with a strong support system and people are genuine, humble, honest, and passionate.   Do not hesitate to delegate tasks or ask for help.  Have a teamwork mindset and be selfless with your giving.  Reflect on this ancient proverb, “If you want to go fast, go alone.  If you want to go far, go together.”

By Stacey Ann Berry, Author & Speaker

5 Ways To Thrive As An Entrepreneur

For entrepreneurs to be successful, it requires lots of hard work, dedication, and sacrifice. You have to practice your craft, implement your vision and refuse to give up.  There is no short cut, secret sauce or magic formula to becoming successful in business.  For those of us who are addicted to working hard, when you are an entrepreneur, it is very easy to get so consumed by “work, work, work, work” that we fail to stop and smell the roses. Upon some self-reflection, I realized that your desire to be successful in business should not cost your health, peace or happiness.  I had to take some time and assess why I wanted to be a successful entrepreneur and ensure that my motives or goals were in alignment with my desire to be healthy and happy.  The desire to be successful is not a virtue it is actually addictive.  There is no end date for achieving success.  Once you experience it you will want more and more success.  You can safeguard your overall well-being and find balance by applying these 5 tips to thrive as an entrepreneur.  These tools will help you develop healthy work habits, live a rich and fulfilling life as you climb the ladder to success.

(1) Practice work life balance:  Know your limit and work within it.  Avoid working so hard that your health and happiness pays the price.  As an entrepreneur, you are your own boss and have the power to determine how much work you will or will not do.  Know when to say no or not now.  Avoid saying yes to every opportunity.  You can become so busy with work that you will have time for yourself.  Create a consistent work schedule. Determine when and how long you will work.  Do not allow your clients or customers to dictate your work hours.  Be moderately accommodating but set clear hours of operation.  Stay active.  There are so many fun and cost effective ways to keep your body moving.  According to the Centre for Disease some of the benefits for exercise include reducing your risk of cardiovascular disease, strengthen your bones and muscles, improve your mental health and lowers your risk of developing type 2 diabetes[1].  With all these benefits for exercise, make a commitment to be active.  Start with walking 20 to 30 min a day. Stretch before you go to bed, join a dance class, play your favorite sport or take swimming classes.   Block a time for lunch and breaks.  It is so easy to get so consumed by work you forget to eat.  I have been down that road and it is not a healthy habit.  Practice healthy and nutritious eating.  At the end of this article is a list of resources with healthy eating tips and nutritious recipes. Take time to smell the roses. Spend time with friends or family. Learn to enjoy your own company and make time just to pamper yourself.  Work is never ending. There is always more work to be done.  Practicing work-life balance will help you to avoid burn out and allow the best of you to shine through your business.

(2) Create a strong support system:  Your support system is your network of reliable, caring and trustworthy people.  This could include friends, advisors or relatives. These are the people the cheer you on, support your business, give you sound advice and have your best interest at heart. They strengthen you when you are weak, motivate you when you feel like giving up on your business, and ensure you remain on the path of success.  You can count on the people in your support system to be by your side when you need the most.  It is common for entrepreneurs to face disappointments, unstable income, no real financial security, and rejection.  Your support system will help you to build resilience and overcome hardships.   Always remember people are your greatest assets. As you climb the ladder of success, make sure to build some solid relationships along the way.

(3) Surround yourself with experts:  Depending on the nature of your business, you will need a team of experts such as an accountant, graphic designer, consultant, bookkeeper, web designer, and lawyer. The most effective way to find experts is to ask a friend for a referral and check their references. Ensure the experts you chose to hire are reliable, professional and show a high sense of integrity.  Reach out to professional associations to find an expert.  The last alternative is to try different experts trial and error to find a good expert but this could cause you to waste time and money.  The appropriate experts will help you to grow your business and make it more sustainable.

(4) Fine tune your marketing strategy:  Marketing is how you will attract new clients and earn money.  Clearly define your target audience and build a brand that reflects their values, needs or desires. Understand the demographics of your target market.  Ensure that your product or service is relevant to your customer base.  An effective way to market your company is to look beyond making a sale. Show interest in who your client is rather than how much money you can make from them, adjust your service or products to meet their needs.  Build authentic connections with your clients.  You can do this by getting to know your clients or treat them with empathy and respect.  This will make it easier for you to have repeat business and referrals.    Examine the marketing strategy for successful companies.  Look at their pricing and promotions strategies to see what you can incorporate.  The price of your product or service should reflect the quality of your service or product.   Expand your knowledge of how to market your business.  Take a paid course on marketing at a community college or try a free online course through Alison. (See link for details https://alison.com/courses/Marketing-Success-for-Business.  Marketing your company traditionally or online can be very time-consuming.  If you can afford a marketing expert, hire someone.  The benefit of hiring a professional is that you will have more time to will focus on developing other parts of your business.

(5) Build Resilience.  According to the American Psychological Association (APA), “Resilience is the process of adapting well in the face of adversity or significant sources of stress.”[2]  Some of the ways you can build resilience is to be optimistic, develop self-confidence, set realistic goals, tap into your support system for help and learn how to manage stressful situations.  Entrepreneurs are bound to face unlimited rejections, setbacks, and failures.  It is imperative to bounce back and keep moving forward.   When you build a high level of resilience, you will certainly reach the next level of success in business.  Be conscious of your perspective of rejection and failure. “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond to it” Charles Swindoll.  Instead of seeing NO as a rejection, you can view it as Next Opportunity.  Never take rejections or failures personally.  Without failure, it is impossible to measure your level of success or accomplishment.  It’s the only way to track the growth as an individual and the growth of your business. 

Entrepreneurs must adapt a winning attitude by refusing to quit.  As the saying goes if you get knocked down seven times get up eight times.  Success is not about racing to the top with no regard for who you hurt or exploit to get thee.  Success is about learning, evolving, and growing as an individual while facing major bumps along the way.  Good entrepreneurs focus on the learning principle of business and making profits.  Exceptional entrepreneurs create a product or service that solves a problem in society while making money and enjoying the process.  Strive to be an entrepreneur who is influential and impactful. These 5 tips can serve as a blueprint for your path to success in both business and life.

By Stacey Ann Berry, Author & Speaker

Resources for Healthy Eating:

Healthy Castle http://www.healthcastle.com

Jamie Oliver http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes

Eating Well http://www.eatingwell.com

Vegan

Happy, Healthy Life http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com

Kris Carr http://kriscarr.com/recipes

[1] Centre for Disease Control. Physical Health. 7/09/2016.  https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/pa-health/

[2] American Psychological Association. The Road to Resilience. 7/9.16.  http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/road-resilience.aspx

Fear of Public Speaking? 5 Ways to Strengthen your Message and Speak with Confidence

By: Stacey Ann Berry, Author, Consultant, and Speaker, Bstellar Consulting Group

Speaking with confidence means being conscious of the narrative you portray in social or professional settings and online. It also means accepting who you are, while embracing your strengths and weaknesses.  Strong skills in public speaking will make you stand out in a competitive marketplace —by leaving a lasting impression. Mastering the art of delivering your message, whether verbal, written, or art form, communicates who you are and what you do in the world.

If you are an entrepreneur, it is vital that you communicate what you do effectively and clearly. Yet, public speaking is the most common phobia. Known as “glassophobia,” people fear public speaking more than death, darkness, spiders, and heights. (Newcomer, 2017) It is natural to feel nervous, anxious, or experience butterflies in your stomach before delivering a speech, but this should not deter you from sharing your message with the world.

A lack of strong skills in public speaking can cause your message to get lost, lead to missed opportunities, and limit your career trajectory. It can also minimize your level of influence in your community and negatively affect your business growth. When you improve your public speaking skills, it prepares you to lead teams, participate in pitch competitions, sell your products or services, and deliver presentations with confidence.

I used to avoid making speeches informal settings. However, after years of practice, I developed tools and strategies that helped me build my confidence and empowered me to share my message with the world. I now regularly deliver speeches to audiences that range from 20 to 500 people.

Here are 5 ways you can strengthen your message and speak with confidence:

1. Use affirmations

Repeating words of affirmation is a great way to build your confidence. This means making a personal declaration in the present tense as if it were true.  Always use “I AM.” For example, “I am a public speaker who is confident” If you want to be a great public speaker, say affirmations out loud and repeat them daily.  It is easy to allow fear of failure and feelings of inadequacy to prevent you from speaking in public. Turn your negative thoughts into positive ones, and write down the type of speaker you want to be.  The more you believe in yourself and your abilities, the better you will become at speaking in public. Speaking has to do with your mindset.  As Henry Ford once said, “if you think you can do a thing or you think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.” Embrace your fear of public speaking.  Affirmations are a great first step towards building your confidence and will propel you towards becoming a fearless public speaker.

2. Stick to your script

Avoid going off message by including unnecessary personal stories. This can cause you to exceed your allotted speaking time and make it difficult for you to maintain the attention of your audience. It also drags out your message. Keep your speech concise and impactful. Be intentional about who you are and where you are going with your message. Be clear about why you are speaking. Are you speaking to inform, inspire, motivate, persuade, or entertain? While it is helpful to write out your message in general bullet points to ensure you do not forget to mention key aspects of your message, avoid reading your speech word for word. Think of three to four key lessons or tips you want to share and memorize them. If you want to use a personal story, make sure it is appropriate for your audience demographic and aligns with your topic. Sticking to your script will make your message sound sharp, clear, and memorable.

3. Practice

Practice is the best way to hone your skills. The more you practice speaking, the better you will become. Practice off the cuff or impromptu speaking during special occasions like weddings, birthday parties, or informal social events. If you have a speaking engagement coming up, start by writing your speech down and reading it aloud repeatedly. Then try condensing your speech into headings for each section. Include three to four bullets points per section. Rehearse your speech out loud again. Ask for feedback from friends or family. Record yourself speaking, and then listen to the audio-only. Make note of your tone, the sound quality of your voice, your enunciation and pronunciation, as well as your speed, pitch, and volume. Do you use distracting fillers like um and uh? Practicing your speech will prepare you to speak with authority and confidence.

4. Know your body language

Communication is 70% body language. Your audience will not remember every word you say, but your body language will let them know if you are authentic and believe in what you are saying. Make a video recording of yourself speaking, and observe your hand gestures, posture, eyes, and foot movement. Always remember to look people in the eye. It demonstrates your confidence, competence, and authority. It is also important to observe your facial expressions since it reveals your emotions and should match the content of your message. When you are aware of your body language, you can identify several ways you can strengthen your message and enhance how you communicate.

5. Do your research

Read articles and watch videos on public speaking. Online magazines such as Inc. and Entrepreneur are great sources of reading material, and Richard Branson has published some very helpful videos on public speaking. You can find a number of other experts on public speaking on YouTube. Start to observe motivational speakers, TED Talk speakers, and commencement speeches. It is also a good idea to watch political debates, campaign victory speeches, as well as, commentary on good and bad speeches.  Researching experts in public speaking will open your mind to different perspectives and provide you with insights from experts, which will help you improve your skills in public speaking.

As you can see from the suggestions above, there are many ways to improve your public speaking skills. Your voice is a powerful tool. Take the time to invest in it by attending webinars, workshops, or by reading books and articles on public speaking. It doesn’t matter if you are a business owner or employee—public speaking is essential for marketing your skills, services or products. Great public speakers have used their voice to be influential and raise awareness about social concerns.

Have the courage to speak up and develop the confidence to use your voice. The world is waiting to hear your message.

Stacey Ann Berry, Author & Speaker

Recommended articles and videos:

“20 Tips for Mastering the Art of Public Speaking"- Brent Gleeson  

“How the World's Best Public Speakers Find an Authentic Voice” -Todd Henry

“Richard Branson hates public speaking -- here’s how he gets over it”

“10 Ways to Use Body Language to Get What You Want"- Janine Diver

“The Power of Nonverbal Communications" Joe Navarro

Reference:

Newcomer, L. (2017, Febuary 10). Retrieved from Quill Blog: https://www.quill.com/blog/careers-advice/public-speaking-is-scary-heres-how-to-get-over-your-fear.html

Stand Out From The Crowd Through Empathetic Marketing

"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."- Mya Angelou

According to Dr. Mark Ingwer, the author of Empathetic Marketing, understanding consumers’ core emotional needs will help you grow your business and develop loyal customers.  Empathetic marketing means to make your clients feel like they are worth more than a dollar sign. It also means you are willing to go the extra mile, even when it is not necessary.  If you want to become an empathetic marketer, it requires you to demonstrate your ability to build an emotional connection with your clients and show them that you care. As a result, your clients will feel like you value them as individuals, as well as, the relationship you developed with them.

Gary Vaynerchuk has a powerful story about empathetic marketing, which inspired me to write this article.  For Gary, "the best marketing strategy" is to care. Gary shared a story about how it took him 2.5hrs, during a snowstorm, to deliver a package for a customer that was worth $45.00 while his company was making about $40,000 an hour. Although the customer did not express appreciation for his extra efforts, this experience helped his company establish its competitive edge.  According to Gary,  “when you give more than you take, you have leverage for life.” When you invest so much in others, you can expect to get more than what you want when you need it.  In business, you will get what you put in.  Sowing good seeds as an entrepreneur will eventually bring you dividends. 

Be willing to go the extra mile whether or not you will receive a return on your investment.  Do the right thing when no one is watching.  Be kind when it is difficult.  This is how you build a solid reputation for your business and strengthen your brand.   When your clients know that you care, they are usually eager to do repeat business with you or will recommend new clients. 

My beloved and late mother, who passed away in 2016, was the queen of empathetic marketing.  She truly understood the power of investing in people. As an innate nurturer with a heart of gold, who was the CEO of a tutoring business, she consistently showered her clients with advice, compassion, and empathy. As a result, her business grew based on referrals, not traditional marketing or advertising.  She also produced excellent results for her clients and built a solid reputation.  My mother had a loyal clientele that most entrepreneurs crave.

In a society where there are so many people who care about themselves and how they can use others to get ahead, it is very refreshing to find an entrepreneur whose mission is to help others with no expectations of making a sale. People love to feel validated and appreciated. When your clients know you appreciate them, you will certainly generate repeat business.  A great product or service speaks volumes, whether or not the person behind it has empathy, but entrepreneurs with big hearts are trendsetters and legacy makers! 

People are inspired by business leaders who are courageous and compassionate.  The world is waiting for entrepreneurs who have "heart" and are not caught up in solely making profits. The most successful entrepreneurs solve a problem, fill a void in the market place, or produce a product that everyday people need.   

Empathetic marketing has to be done with balance. It is important to be mindful of people who do not value your business or respect your worth. This can make you vulnerable to those who will consciously or unconsciously take advantage of you. Protect your brand and be selective about who you do business with.  If you view kindness as a strength and not a weakness,  you will keep pushing forward in spite of a bad client or business deal that went wrong.  Mistakes and bad experiences are unavoidable but if you are determined to grow your business, you will overcome common challenges that many entrepreneurs are bound to face.

As long as you maintain a strong work ethic, committed to integrity, compassion, and consistency,  people will be eager to do business with you. When your product or service is high quality and you have the right business systems in place, making a profit is inevitable! If you desire to make a difference or leave a legacy, consider using empathetic marketing.

By: Stacey Ann Berry, Founder, Author & Speaker

The Art Of Team Building

Many people will agree, it is fun to collaborate with those who are easy to get along with.  What about collaborating with difficult people?  Your ability to get along with difficult people is essential for your success in business. You cannot avoid it.  You are bound to come across clients, co-workers or employees who are challenging. This could include people who do one or all of the following:

• Underestimate your intellectual ability

• Insult you or take advantage of your skills

• Spread false information about you and your company

• Refuse to pay for services you provide

• Steal your intellectual property

• Test your character;  The list goes on!

How you chose to respond to these types of people will either help or hurt your business. It will either strengthen or weaken your relationship with them.  You should not allow difficult people to prevent you from doing your best.  Find ways to work with difficult people with the foal of building a team based on the skills they bring to the table. In order to expand your business or advance in a company that you work for, you will need the skills of those who are easy to get along with and those who are difficult people. Let wisdom be your guide and take the high road.  This is a great way to show your level of maturity.

Surround yourself with people who respect you and value your business.  There will be those who try to destroy your business but it will be very difficult if you put the right safeguards in place.  Be selective with you who put on your core team.  Select loyal people who truly have you and your company’s best interest at heart.  Select people who have a strong track record of helping other entrepreneurs grow their business or advance in their careers.

Seek help from creditable entrepreneurs and assess who is on your team. Make referrals to entrepreneurs who produce high-quality work and are reliable.  A bad referral will reflect badly on your business and make you appear untrustworthy.  

Give more than you take by sharing ideas and resources with others. Be mindful of those who only take and give nothing in return.  Focus on what you can bring to the table and show how you can add value to others.  Avoid taking anything personal and hold no heart feelings.  Expect mistakes to happen but be quick to let it go and move on.

Build relationships by connecting people with the right people together is a key part of being a team builder.  Team builders are great at connecting the dots. They are knowledgeable about specific subjects and enjoy sharing knowledge with others.  The ability to understand how different dots connect or work together requires bringing the right people with the right knowledge or skill set to the table.

Collaboration is an essential component of team building.  For example, when I planned a health conference for one of my clients, my focus was to bring together a wide spectrum of professionals, such as doctors, nutritionists, skincare specialists, and other health groups.  Our common goal was to raise awareness about the factors that contribute to breast cancer and explore ways to minimize the risks.  

Some people avoid collaborating with others because they fear their ideas will be duplicated or stolen.  Fear of collaboration will block you from growing as an entrepreneur or professional.  Each person has their own DNA, perspectives, and ideas that can add value to what you do.  Once you improve your collaboration skills you will become a stronger team builder.   

Many entrepreneurs work in silos with no support systems in place.  This can be frustrating and lonely.  There is no need to try to do it alone.  This will make it hard for you to become sustainable and profitable. Connect to support groups for entrepreneurs like Hub Inc or Toronto Business Enterprise.   

When you work with others and build strong alliances, you will expand your client base, marketability, and strengthen your credibility.  

Remember there is no "I" in TEAM  As the saying goes “Together Everyone Achieves More.”  If you desire to leave your mark on this world, master the art of effective team building.

By Stacey Berry, Founder of Bstellar Consulting Group, currently operating as Bstellar® Group Inc.