In January I signed up for this "business boot camp" in order to have access to an expert in business building and also be a part of a group of entrepreneurs who are in various stages of building their businesses. It has been GREAT I have made many valuable connections, both in a professional capacity and also I've made some great friends.
One of the things this particular program addresses (and the reason I signed up) is how to get past fears and mistakes that entrepreneurs often make. In other words, anyone who is serious about the program is willing to get inside his or her head and face negative thoughts, beliefs and actions that may be standing in the way and work to shift them.
The program also addresses all of the typical aspects of running a business (marketing, copy, website, getting clients, working with vendors, hiring assistants, etc.) in a way that really resonates with me. So I am busy putting this stuff into practice and moving my business forward.
I was dubious about business coaching at first. SKEPTICAL.
But I also knew that I was not going to get where I wanted to go with my business by myself. Not without some type of coaching/support.
VERY analogous to Silverman!
The program has NOT disappointed. In fact it has over delivered more than I ever could have imagined.
In addition doing my marketing, copy, client work and all of the "practical" aspects of running a business I've been working on shifting non serving beliefs and pushing past fears to build a business writing white papers and more . . . not sure what the more will end up being yet but that's okay! In fact it's exciting!
So, in this process the tape that plays in my head has changed drastically from negative, self flagellating nasty epithets to more supportive, positive, reinforcing "nice" thoughts.
Now, the tape started to change started WAY before I started this business course -- it started with triathlon, it started with Liz's influence and guidance through training. And a lot of the stuff I'm doing now to build my business is analogous to training. When things get hard it really REALLY helps me to look at things in relation to how I train and my business coach/group coach has really responded to this. She often asks me about training in order to better understand where I'm coming from so we can figure out the best way for ME to approach a given situation since MY business is unique.
So during this morning's longish run (1:14) I was surprised and dismayed to hear the old tape playing. Actually, it has been playing in the background all week and making everything harder. We're talking the pre Liz, 2007 tape, saying things like:
You suck
You are so slow
You should be way faster than this by now
You are going to come in D.F.L. in the Utah Half (fer shure)
My 69 year old phenom training partner Tony was with me and was very talkative this morning too. Sometimes during longish hot runs I don't like to talk. Tony understands this about me and is cool with it if I don't say anything for long stretches at a time. That doesn't prevent him from talking though (this is why we get along so well -- I don't ask him to stop talking and he doesn't expect constant conversation from me).
Here's an example:
Tony: Yeah we should go out to lunch later with Glenn and Marge
Stef's Head: WTF! What is he talking about lunch for?? It's early f*cking morning!! This run SUCKS I am so hot and slow.
Tony: Look there's another runner coming toward us on the trail! She has two dogs!
Stef's Head: Yeah she's so much f@cking faster than I am, I should be so much further along by now. Those dogs are nowhere near as cute as my dogs. Why isn't she carrying water?? Am I the only one who drinks like a camel in this damn f@cking desert heat????????
Tony: It's nice out here
Stef's Head: Please make him stop talking! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MAKE HIM STOP! I want to go home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm going to be D.F.L. in the Utah Half and that is going to suck. I hate training.
Around this time Tony asked me what was in my head. I told him I wasn't saying cause he didn't want to know.
5 seconds later I told him:
Stef: Well Tony I was thinking I'm going to be D.F.L. in the Utah Half.
Tony: I don't think so.
Stef: Well I don't really think so either but sometimes my mind still goes to dark places.
Tony: That's understandable.
Then he said some more stuff about stuff and this all made me feel better. When we had less than a mile till home I felt even better. Then Tony asked me if I wanted to do some pickups/fartleks. I said NO absolutely not.
Five seconds later I said "oh what the f*ck, why not." We had fun racing each other down Wyoming on the way to my house.
Tony is an experienced athlete. He has run multiple marathons, done many many triathlons, and hiked in and out of various canyons and whatnot. So when he asked me what was going on in my head it was because he noticed I was in that dark place.
Tony gets that training sucks sometimes! He doesn't judge. At the same time he is a positive force and I'm sure he wouldn't train with me so much if I was as negative as I was two years ago. That 2007 tape has been playing a lot this week so I'm glad this week is over. :-)
Oh and tomorrow (Monday) is a rest day from training AND a a day off from my business. WOO HOO! This three day weekend arrived just in time for me to recharge.
Showing posts with label business. Show all posts
Showing posts with label business. Show all posts
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Changes!
Things are seriously changing around here!
Let's start with training:
I am LEAGUES ahead of where I was last fall! I can tell because Saturday at the Tour de Fire I had the most awesome and fun ride EVER!
Tour de Fire is a group ride sponsored by Pro Cyclery, ridden from Boulder Beach out toward the Valley of Fire. Ride lengths ranged from 20 miles to 138 miles! Fully supported with food at the start and finish line.
I signed up to do the 42 mile ride with Tony, his friend Natalie, and his other friend Jason. Our other good friends Leslie and her husband Kym signed up for the 20 miler. The 42 mile course is the same as the Rage 1/2 Iron course but turns around a few miles sooner. It was actually 46 miles, with the turnaround at mile 23!
This workout was to get in some endurance miles and Coach's only instructions were to fuel smartly and have fun. Well, I always fuel smartly! So, I concentrated on having fun. The weather was nice, the company was awesome and the best part was that I did not push myself hard on this ride. I let myself enjoy it. Because I wasn't worried about time, heart rate or any of that, I was able to let loose and just have fun.
And by doing that I arrived at the finish with a time that was faster than than both long Silverman rides last fall (on the same course)! While I felt like I wasn't pushing very hard yesterday, both Silverman rides I felt stretched pretty thin.
Yup! I am much less intimidated by the hills and much stronger than last year! The hills that ALWAYS give me problems . . . . really didn't. My legs said "we got this, just enjoy the ride!" So, I did!
This week I'm taking the bike in for a tune up. It was starting to shift funny -- nothing too serious but it needs to be in top shape for BAM which is next month already!
House Addition:
We are adding approximately 240 square feet to our home, on the kitchen/laundry room side. This will more than double our kitchen size and create a new home office for ME! The framing is done, doors are in and now Glenn just has to put the roof on. After that it's interior work.
Business:
Starting and running my new business is a lot like training. It takes persistence and consistency to see results. There are breakthroughs along the way, and some days it's very tiring and you wonder . . . . .
I love to write and have no doubt that white papers are the way for me to go. From there, who knows!
If you are interested you can click on Glenn Frank Design to see a sample of my work. I wrote a white paper about remodeling for Glenn's business and am about to launch a marketing campaign for it. The landing page does require an email registration to read the entire paper. Don't worry, no selling of email addresses and no spam!
Till next time, and take care everyone!!
Oh I wrote an article for the latest Swim Las Vegas newsletter!!! When it comes out I will post it here.
Let's start with training:
I am LEAGUES ahead of where I was last fall! I can tell because Saturday at the Tour de Fire I had the most awesome and fun ride EVER!
Tour de Fire is a group ride sponsored by Pro Cyclery, ridden from Boulder Beach out toward the Valley of Fire. Ride lengths ranged from 20 miles to 138 miles! Fully supported with food at the start and finish line.
I signed up to do the 42 mile ride with Tony, his friend Natalie, and his other friend Jason. Our other good friends Leslie and her husband Kym signed up for the 20 miler. The 42 mile course is the same as the Rage 1/2 Iron course but turns around a few miles sooner. It was actually 46 miles, with the turnaround at mile 23!
This workout was to get in some endurance miles and Coach's only instructions were to fuel smartly and have fun. Well, I always fuel smartly! So, I concentrated on having fun. The weather was nice, the company was awesome and the best part was that I did not push myself hard on this ride. I let myself enjoy it. Because I wasn't worried about time, heart rate or any of that, I was able to let loose and just have fun.
And by doing that I arrived at the finish with a time that was faster than than both long Silverman rides last fall (on the same course)! While I felt like I wasn't pushing very hard yesterday, both Silverman rides I felt stretched pretty thin.
Yup! I am much less intimidated by the hills and much stronger than last year! The hills that ALWAYS give me problems . . . . really didn't. My legs said "we got this, just enjoy the ride!" So, I did!
This week I'm taking the bike in for a tune up. It was starting to shift funny -- nothing too serious but it needs to be in top shape for BAM which is next month already!
House Addition:
We are adding approximately 240 square feet to our home, on the kitchen/laundry room side. This will more than double our kitchen size and create a new home office for ME! The framing is done, doors are in and now Glenn just has to put the roof on. After that it's interior work.
Business:
Starting and running my new business is a lot like training. It takes persistence and consistency to see results. There are breakthroughs along the way, and some days it's very tiring and you wonder . . . . .
I love to write and have no doubt that white papers are the way for me to go. From there, who knows!
If you are interested you can click on Glenn Frank Design to see a sample of my work. I wrote a white paper about remodeling for Glenn's business and am about to launch a marketing campaign for it. The landing page does require an email registration to read the entire paper. Don't worry, no selling of email addresses and no spam!
Till next time, and take care everyone!!
Oh I wrote an article for the latest Swim Las Vegas newsletter!!! When it comes out I will post it here.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Hanging Out in the Higher Zones -- and a Little This and That
I love it when Liz tells me that certain workouts are "key" workouts for the week. Because then I really focus and give it my all. Yesterday was one of those workouts.
It was a long run, building from zone 1 up to zone 4. Very strong run to prepare for Rage in two weeks.
I've spent little time in zones 3 and 4 this season, so I'm not very comfortable there. Even though I can get there, just like anyone else can, I don't go very often. Tony and I started at Veteran's Memorial Park, because he wanted to measure a different proposed route for a new 5k that's going to be held here in the fall. I like going to the park cause it's nice there and we run from my house a lot so the variety is good.
The warm up was typical -- I felt a bit creaky from buildup of the week's workouts and the negative voices were whining in my head. Once I started building up into zone 2 though, they left. Never to return. Zone 2, to 3, to 4 all felt very strong and fast! And also uncomfortable (well the latter part of the zone 3 work and zone 4 were uncomfortable).
I'm one of those athletes that Liz has to push to push herself. To put it another way, Liz does not have to coach me around taking it easy or recovering well. I totally have those down!!!!
Where I need help is pushing myself into an uncomfortable place and staying there longer. Because I do want to get faster. So this year I'm working on walking that line between pushing myself and also accepting where I am (in other words not beating myself up).
And this year, God willing, I will complete two half irons with no mechanical difficulties. So it will be be against myself, the course, and whatever the weather dishes out! Oh and two brand new courses to boot! My time goals for these races may be a little ambitious, but I'm going for them anyway. Which takes us right back to pushing pushing PUSHING when it counts!
I'll keep you updated on that . . . . .
I've had a breakthrough in my new business. I've produced my first white paper! That's right! I've always wanted to be a writer and for the last six months I've been gearing up toward launching my white paper writing business. At times it has felt slow and arduous and I've felt impatient and frustrated. However, I'm learning to manage those thoughts and emotions much like managing the negative mean voices that show up during training.
In fact I've concluded that building my new business is a lot like training and racing. It takes so many of the same traits that I've overlapped the two in my mind. Which is good because Silverman was the linchpin! The turning point! The event that made me realize that I CAN DO THIS. So they are forever intertwined for me.
More on my business later. It's coming along at the right pace and I am no longer overwhelmed by balancing work, training and the rest of my life. I took four weeks of reduced training volume to manage those issues and now I'm back baby! Although continued persistent management will be necessary to keep balanced . . . . .
Oh and BEST to Izaac who is doing Oceanside today!!! GO IZAAC!!!!!!!!!!!
It was a long run, building from zone 1 up to zone 4. Very strong run to prepare for Rage in two weeks.
I've spent little time in zones 3 and 4 this season, so I'm not very comfortable there. Even though I can get there, just like anyone else can, I don't go very often. Tony and I started at Veteran's Memorial Park, because he wanted to measure a different proposed route for a new 5k that's going to be held here in the fall. I like going to the park cause it's nice there and we run from my house a lot so the variety is good.
The warm up was typical -- I felt a bit creaky from buildup of the week's workouts and the negative voices were whining in my head. Once I started building up into zone 2 though, they left. Never to return. Zone 2, to 3, to 4 all felt very strong and fast! And also uncomfortable (well the latter part of the zone 3 work and zone 4 were uncomfortable).
I'm one of those athletes that Liz has to push to push herself. To put it another way, Liz does not have to coach me around taking it easy or recovering well. I totally have those down!!!!
Where I need help is pushing myself into an uncomfortable place and staying there longer. Because I do want to get faster. So this year I'm working on walking that line between pushing myself and also accepting where I am (in other words not beating myself up).
And this year, God willing, I will complete two half irons with no mechanical difficulties. So it will be be against myself, the course, and whatever the weather dishes out! Oh and two brand new courses to boot! My time goals for these races may be a little ambitious, but I'm going for them anyway. Which takes us right back to pushing pushing PUSHING when it counts!
I'll keep you updated on that . . . . .
I've had a breakthrough in my new business. I've produced my first white paper! That's right! I've always wanted to be a writer and for the last six months I've been gearing up toward launching my white paper writing business. At times it has felt slow and arduous and I've felt impatient and frustrated. However, I'm learning to manage those thoughts and emotions much like managing the negative mean voices that show up during training.
In fact I've concluded that building my new business is a lot like training and racing. It takes so many of the same traits that I've overlapped the two in my mind. Which is good because Silverman was the linchpin! The turning point! The event that made me realize that I CAN DO THIS. So they are forever intertwined for me.
More on my business later. It's coming along at the right pace and I am no longer overwhelmed by balancing work, training and the rest of my life. I took four weeks of reduced training volume to manage those issues and now I'm back baby! Although continued persistent management will be necessary to keep balanced . . . . .
Oh and BEST to Izaac who is doing Oceanside today!!! GO IZAAC!!!!!!!!!!!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Moving Forward!!
YAY! Things are good right now. :-)
I have taken a HUGE step in moving my business forward and fully expect things to blast off, in a big way. I am not ready to give details yet. When I am I will know it and I will talk about it to anyone that will listen, and that includes you guys!
The really significant part about this is that it all stems from Silverman. I told Tony this on our ride this morning:
"Silverman changed my life. It's because of that that I know I can do this."
Training is going well! About two weeks ago I asked Liz for a reduction in volume and it has PAID OFF in that mentally I was able to pull back just a little and go back to being consistent. Another couple of weeks of this and I will be ready to do what she tells me, no requests, ifs, ands, or buts!
I wrote in a status to Liz that I am enjoying the swims and runs, putting up with the bike and slacking on strength work.
This week I had I think my biggest volume of swimming ever! And I am occasionally starting to see isolated 100 times that read 1:xx!! Under two minutes! WOO HOO! I gave up Boulder City Masters and now have a schedule where Tony and I swim every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 7am (he does whatever work out I'm doing and makes me count the laps, rest times, etc) and then on Saturday I swim with Swim Las Vegas, the best Masters team ever invented. :-)
Tony typically runs with me, also in the earlier mornings, so that I can start working around 9am.
As for the bike, well . . . I've used the trainer more than I'd like to admit so far this season to avoid riding outside. The rides Liz is giving me are still fairly short and since Silverman I just feel ambivalent about the bike. I'm afraid to descend (again). I had made wonderful progress with this on the long rides leading up to Silverman and was really getting over the fear. Now it feels like I'm starting over. I'm afraid to go fast. Afraid a tire will explode and I'll wreck. There is a litany of other things that scare me about descending fast, all of which end in a huge giant wreck for me. I try not to think about these things but it's not working well lately.
So today when we rode out at Lake Las Vegas, I babied the descents while Tony and the others smoked me. Actually, Natalie and Sean smoked us uphill as well! They are good cyclists. It is so good for me to ride with others in this perfect weather. The only way I will surpass where I was before with cycling is to get out there and ride with people. A big part of it for me is really appreciating the landscape, the perfect spring weather, and the fact that I really love living in Southern Nevada. All that was there today. The faster descending will come with more time and practice.
I've changed my schedule around a lot and that means that I'm commenting a little less on the blogs that I like. Fear not folks, I'm still reading, I just don't always have the energy to comment. I've read something similar to this on a couple of my favorite blogs lately so I know I'm not alone in this. My excitement for my season and for my friends to reach their goals has not wavered. In fact it is increasing! I support you even though I may not comment on every post.
Till next time!!!
Train smart and safe and have FUN!
I have taken a HUGE step in moving my business forward and fully expect things to blast off, in a big way. I am not ready to give details yet. When I am I will know it and I will talk about it to anyone that will listen, and that includes you guys!
The really significant part about this is that it all stems from Silverman. I told Tony this on our ride this morning:
"Silverman changed my life. It's because of that that I know I can do this."
Training is going well! About two weeks ago I asked Liz for a reduction in volume and it has PAID OFF in that mentally I was able to pull back just a little and go back to being consistent. Another couple of weeks of this and I will be ready to do what she tells me, no requests, ifs, ands, or buts!
I wrote in a status to Liz that I am enjoying the swims and runs, putting up with the bike and slacking on strength work.
This week I had I think my biggest volume of swimming ever! And I am occasionally starting to see isolated 100 times that read 1:xx!! Under two minutes! WOO HOO! I gave up Boulder City Masters and now have a schedule where Tony and I swim every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 7am (he does whatever work out I'm doing and makes me count the laps, rest times, etc) and then on Saturday I swim with Swim Las Vegas, the best Masters team ever invented. :-)
Tony typically runs with me, also in the earlier mornings, so that I can start working around 9am.
As for the bike, well . . . I've used the trainer more than I'd like to admit so far this season to avoid riding outside. The rides Liz is giving me are still fairly short and since Silverman I just feel ambivalent about the bike. I'm afraid to descend (again). I had made wonderful progress with this on the long rides leading up to Silverman and was really getting over the fear. Now it feels like I'm starting over. I'm afraid to go fast. Afraid a tire will explode and I'll wreck. There is a litany of other things that scare me about descending fast, all of which end in a huge giant wreck for me. I try not to think about these things but it's not working well lately.
So today when we rode out at Lake Las Vegas, I babied the descents while Tony and the others smoked me. Actually, Natalie and Sean smoked us uphill as well! They are good cyclists. It is so good for me to ride with others in this perfect weather. The only way I will surpass where I was before with cycling is to get out there and ride with people. A big part of it for me is really appreciating the landscape, the perfect spring weather, and the fact that I really love living in Southern Nevada. All that was there today. The faster descending will come with more time and practice.
I've changed my schedule around a lot and that means that I'm commenting a little less on the blogs that I like. Fear not folks, I'm still reading, I just don't always have the energy to comment. I've read something similar to this on a couple of my favorite blogs lately so I know I'm not alone in this. My excitement for my season and for my friends to reach their goals has not wavered. In fact it is increasing! I support you even though I may not comment on every post.
Till next time!!!
Train smart and safe and have FUN!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Quiet
Yup I've been quiet lately. Seems like lately I have less to say. And that's OK!
I've been putting quite a bit of energy into launching my new business. I'm not ready to talk about it yet, but when I am I'll talk about it here! Or introduce it here. I'll have a business blog too at some point!
Finding the confidence and wherewithal to finally put into action what I've been thinking about for over a year now has added balance to my life and has actually helped my training. With two years of solid training under my belt now I'm able to incorporate the workouts into my schedule almost effortlessly. With the help of a little planning and my trusty calendar! I no longer question my ability to get them done, my ability to eat to keep up, and I don't expect to "win" every workout and I don't expect perfection. I do expect consistency.
The Bad Attitude still rears it's ugly head (like when I skipped Masters the other night and Coach responded with an email saying: GET OVER YOURSELF), but that happens! Not nearly as often as it used to thank goodness!! :-) Hence, consistency!
It feels like by finally addressing my need/want to have a vital rewarding career again (although it can be argued how rewarding my legal career was it certainly did have its moments, it was worth every moment, and the money was good!), other things in my life have become more effortless.
And YES I have HOPE! For myself, for my business, and now for the country as well! Anything too easy isn't really worth having now is it! We all have big jobs ahead of us! To do whatever it is we want, and need in our lives and to keep ourselves healthy and youthful through multisport. Oh hell yeah!
I am grateful every day that I discovered triathlon.
Oh and there is a new Masters Swim Team in town! Swim Las Vegas! They are going to put on Nevada's first ever Open Water Swim Meet in October! I SO want to do a 2.4 mile open water swim. Hell I've already swum 2.1 miles in the open water under the watchful slavedriving eye of Coach Paul (one of the founders of Swim Las Vegas). I'll have to talk with Coach about me doing that.
So while I've been quiet on the blog lately things have been happening. Good things. I'm stepping up to the plate in another area of my life and it feels great!
I've been putting quite a bit of energy into launching my new business. I'm not ready to talk about it yet, but when I am I'll talk about it here! Or introduce it here. I'll have a business blog too at some point!
Finding the confidence and wherewithal to finally put into action what I've been thinking about for over a year now has added balance to my life and has actually helped my training. With two years of solid training under my belt now I'm able to incorporate the workouts into my schedule almost effortlessly. With the help of a little planning and my trusty calendar! I no longer question my ability to get them done, my ability to eat to keep up, and I don't expect to "win" every workout and I don't expect perfection. I do expect consistency.
The Bad Attitude still rears it's ugly head (like when I skipped Masters the other night and Coach responded with an email saying: GET OVER YOURSELF), but that happens! Not nearly as often as it used to thank goodness!! :-) Hence, consistency!
It feels like by finally addressing my need/want to have a vital rewarding career again (although it can be argued how rewarding my legal career was it certainly did have its moments, it was worth every moment, and the money was good!), other things in my life have become more effortless.
And YES I have HOPE! For myself, for my business, and now for the country as well! Anything too easy isn't really worth having now is it! We all have big jobs ahead of us! To do whatever it is we want, and need in our lives and to keep ourselves healthy and youthful through multisport. Oh hell yeah!
I am grateful every day that I discovered triathlon.
Oh and there is a new Masters Swim Team in town! Swim Las Vegas! They are going to put on Nevada's first ever Open Water Swim Meet in October! I SO want to do a 2.4 mile open water swim. Hell I've already swum 2.1 miles in the open water under the watchful slavedriving eye of Coach Paul (one of the founders of Swim Las Vegas). I'll have to talk with Coach about me doing that.
So while I've been quiet on the blog lately things have been happening. Good things. I'm stepping up to the plate in another area of my life and it feels great!
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