LadyPens » Dreams

Smart Women And The 5 Fundamental Questions for Business Success

Joy Chudacoff — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 22:02:02 +0000

I’m finding that many women entrepreneurs are reflecting on their year and a question that seems to be on the minds of many is: “What are tools and strategies I need for my business to take a big leap in the New Year?” As I reflect on this question, I realize the answer is two-fold. If you are serious about making 2012 the year that you soar in business and make big leaps in income, you must first ask yourself a few questions (and get honest with yourself about the answers): Full Article

Smart Women in a Wild, Wacky World

Joy Chudacoff — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 17:48:43 +0000

With everything that’s going on in the world right now, I hesitated to write this article. However, I felt called to share my reflections with you. There has been so much despair and devastation in the world lately that when something happens to us personally, we can try to shrug it off because “compared to what’s going on in the world, this is minor.” (This has been my “mantra” over the past week.) Although I believe this to be true, when something happens to you personally, it feels real and challenging. It can paralyze you and keep you from moving forward. It’s essential that you acknowledge what’s happening and find solutions to manage the madness of life. Full Article

Smart Women Know Success Leaves Clues

Joy Chudacoff — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 19:51:06 +0000

Have you ever wondered what the real secret to success is? Do you ever read articles about women entrepreneurs who’ve accomplished their dreams and think, “Now how did she do that?” I know I have. I’m always in search of better, more effective ways to achieve my goals both personally and professionally and I look to women who’ve walked the path of entrepreneurship before me. The good news is success leaves clues and if you’re open to hearing what other successful women entrepreneurs share about their journey, you can save yourself a lot of time (& money). Full Article

Smart Women, American Girl® and Building Your Brand

Joy Chudacoff — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 18:00:03 +0000

A few weeks ago, I took a vacation with my family to New York City. While there, we visited the American Girl® store. My daughter Jenna loves this store, and it’s easy to understand why so many girls are attracted to this brand. When you enter the store, the “experience” begins. This got me thinking about how Smart Women could learn from American Girl® how to build a business image or brand that lasts. Full Article

Smart Women Make It Happen

Joy Chudacoff — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 20:25:59 +0000

A few days ago, I happened to get caught in the typical bumper to bumper LA traffic near the location of my last “job” before I began my journey as a woman entrepreneur. I had some time to reflect on where I was back then and where I am today. As the images of my life passed through my mind much like the scenes in a movie, I asked myself, “How did I go from where I was back then to where I am today?” The answer popped into my mind almost immediately: I took action. Smart Women make their Big Ideas, Dreams and Goals happen. Full Article

11 Activities for Building Confidence to Grow Your Business

Ruth Hegarty — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 22:38:40 +0000

“The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today. Let us move forward with strong and active faith.” Franklin D. Roosevelt

As we start looking toward spring, how are you doing on all your big dreams and goals that you set for this year? If you aren’t getting the results you want or are fearful of taking the actions that you know will get you the results you want, don’t despair! Now is the time when you want to continue to focus your energy on your dreams and take consistent action. Most people fail because they give up too soon. Don’t get discouraged if you know in your heart that you are on the right path but frustrated that you aren’t moving as fast as you’d like. Now is the time to focus on your inner energy and your confidence muscle. In this article, I give you eleven activities for strengthening that confidence muscle so that you maintain your energy, focus and momentum and can manifest your dreams. Full Article

Get The Right Answers When You Ask The Right Questions

Ruth Hegarty — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 00:23:06 +0000

As a huge fan of self-reflection in general and having seen the evidence of it’s impact on success many times in working with clients (and myself) the only real question becomes: what questions do you ask yourself that have the power to elicit the answers that are vital for you to manifest your dreams. Today, I’m sharing 15 of my favorites with you. An important part of your coach’s job is to ask the right questions. We train for years to know which ones are the right ones as from the thousands of questions your coach can ask you, there is always one perfect one for each client conversation. Knowing that question is both an art and a science. Since this article is something of a one-sided conversation, the following questions are by necessity somewhat general, still, one will be the right question for you in the moments that you are reading it. Full Article

Smart Women Live A Proactive Life

Joy Chudacoff — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:11:40 +0000

Yesterday, as I was on my way to pick up my kids from school, it occurred to me that I was feeling exhausted—I mean really tired. As I made a mental scan of my day, I realized that I had been in a “reactive” mode most of the day rather than a “proactive” mode. We do need to react to situations that occur in our lives as best we can at that moment, however, Smart Women know that living a “proactive” life where you plan, prepare, and practice conscious living is clearly more rewarding. Full Article

Who Do You Think You Are?

Ruth Hegarty — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:35:34 +0000

I’ve been talking a lot recently with women about connecting with your personal and entrepreneurial vision and image of who you want to be. The more you understand your authentic vision for yourself, the more successful you will be and the more effortless it will feel. Full Article

Smart Women, Subways and Asking

Joy Chudacoff — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 19:05:38 +0000

Recently, our family took a trip to the “Big Apple” where we met up with my parents for a special vacation. It was lots of fun and we created a memorable experience. When traveling to a new city, it’s exciting to think about all of the sights and adventures that you will experience. Knowing what you want to do is never a problem. The challenge is getting to where you want to go without getting lost. On our trip, we found ourselves making sure that we left the hotel with not one but two maps–one for the subway and one for the city. I laughed one afternoon as I looked around our hotel room. We had several maps lying around. It’s clear that we were afraid of getting lost! One of the great benefits of the trip was the people of NY. The locals were happy to help us when we lost our way. This got me thinking about how Smart Women know the value of getting good direction in their lives. Full Article

Smart Women Celebrate Their Independence

Joy Chudacoff — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 20:50:28 +0000

A few days each week I exercise with a few Smart Women in a park near my home that overlooks the Pacific Ocean. It’s a beautiful setting that lends itself to taking your mind off the muscle pain and exhaustion from the workout! We are surrounded by magnificent sycamore and oak trees that stand strong and tall. The trees were planted and spaced apart in a very methodical way; however over time, they grew into their own independent and unique natural form with branches and limbs flowing in many different directions. This got me thinking about how Smart Women have the opportunity to stand tall and strong. You are independently unique from every other living thing on the planet; but are you making decisions and choices that reflect the independent you? Full Article

Smart Women Need a “Lighthouse”

Joy Chudacoff — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 03:45:08 +0000

A few weeks ago, my sister Rene and I had the opportunity to visit our Mom in Florida. It was a “girl’s getaway” filled with shopping, going to the beach, tasty food, wine and great conversation. Every morning we had a ritual of getting up, grabbing our coffee and heading out to the beach for a walk. On the first morning, I noticed a large, magnificent lighthouse that stood in the distance. Whether it was a bright sunny day or one surrounded by dark, gloomy clouds, the lighthouse was performing its job. In the top of the tower, you could see the bright light on a continuous turning cycle, reminding those at sea that a safe harbor and guiding light is close by if you need one. If you look the word lighthouse up in the dictionary, it’s a “tower or structure displaying a very bright light for the guidance of ships to help avoid dangerous areas.” This got me thinking about how Smart Women always need a lighthouse in their lives. Full Article

3 Powerful Processes for Creating Your Dreams Today

Ruth Hegarty — Thu, 21 May 2009 21:31:44 +0000

In order to manifest your dreams, you need to focus on your dreams. It’s that simple – although not always easy to do in the midst of a busy life. These three simple AND easy to do processes will help you manifest your dreams in a powerful, joyful and effortless manner. It doesn’t matter what your dreams may be, these processes work no matter what you desire. Remember, when you apply the Law of Attraction deliberately in your life it’s as easy to create a castle as it is to create a button. Full Article

Smart Women and The Academy Awards

Joy Chudacoff — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 01:43:04 +0000

Like millions of people all over the world, my family watched the Academy Awards on Sunday night. People watch the Oscars for different reasons. Some people watch because they enjoy the fashion show and like to see the costume choices. Some people watch because they can’t wait to see who won which category. I watch for one reason: I like to listen to the acceptance speeches. You learn a lot about people by listening to what they say in their acceptance speech. This is a moment that may or may not ever come again and it is one of the most watched events of the year, so you have a big audience in which to share your message. Full Article

Smart Women Get a â€œPersonalâ€ Check-Up

Joy Chudacoff — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 03:02:32 +0000

Recently, my husband Greg was in the hospital for a health issue. He started in the emergency room and was eventually admitted to the hospital. This experience created a lot of thought and reflection for me on many levels. One that I think might be helpful to you is how Smart Women occasionally need a personal or business check-up if they are to truly realize their Big Idea, Dreams, and Goals. Iâ€™m going to offer you some solutions for your own â€œpersonalâ€ checkup. Full Article

Smart Women Ignite Their Fire

Joy Chudacoff — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 20:32:35 +0000

As I was getting ready for a day of skiing on a recent family ski trip, I had one goal in mind: Stay warm! I knew it was going to be cold and windy that day, and I wanted to make sure that I kept my body heat inside. This got me thinking about how Smart Women who are living a life filled with passion and purpose do just the opposite: They give themselves permission to release their “fire” of desire and passion out into the world. Full Article

Smart Women Are On the Slopes!

Joy Chudacoff — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 22:11:17 +0000

Recently, while on a family vacation in Park City, Utah, I was helping my 8-year-old son, Jack, get ready for a day of skiing.Â It was sunny, 35 degrees and gorgeous outside.Â I handed my son his face mask and he looked at me puzzled and said, “Mom, there is no way I’m going to need this today–have you looked outside?” Full Article

Smart Women Face Their Fear

Joy Chudacoff — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 00:42:07 +0000

A few days ago, I was cleaning out a backpack that my daughter used last summer when we were in Park City, Utah on vacation. This backpack was one that she wore every day to her skateboarding class. At the bottom of the backpack, I found a piece of crumpled paper and pulled it out. It was an evaluation form from her skateboarding instructor, Drew, with these comments: â€œLearn to relax and face fear. Trust in Yourself.â€ This got me thinking about how Smart Women learn to face their own fears. Full Article

Smart Women Know What They Want

Joy Chudacoff — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 19:01:21 +0000

Last week, after my husband Greg read my article â€œSmart Women Are a Lot Like Rocket Ships,â€ he had an interesting question:Â He said, â€œEvery week you write about the same thingâ€”making your Big Idea happen, Reaching your Goals and Dreams, getting the right support, blah, blah, blahâ€¦ when are you going to write about something else?â€ Full Article

Smart Women Are Like Rocket Ships

Joy Chudacoff — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 21:24:48 +0000

Last week, I was having lunch with my mom and my children at an outdoor cafÃ© and all at once we were shaken by this rather large â€œKABOOM!â€ After a few minutes of shock and silence, everyone in the cafÃ© started to speculate on what caused such a sound. Later that day, we found out that it was the Space Shuttle Endeavour touching down at Edwards Air Force Base, which is about 100 miles away. This got me thinking about how Smart Women have Big Ideas, dreams, and goals that are a lot like rocket ships. Full Article

Smart Women Believe

Joy Chudacoff — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 21:53:13 +0000

Last night, our family went to The Grove here in Los Angeles. The Grove is a large retail shopping center that really goes above and beyond decorating for the holidays. They have a beautifully decorated tree larger than the one at Rockefeller Center in New York. They “create” falling snow every evening. For children who live in So. California, this is a delight! Full Article

Smart Women Understand the BLT Factor

Joy Chudacoff — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 23:13:30 +0000

Recently, my family attended a western-themed fundraiser to benefit our childrenâ€™s elementary school. It was a fun-filled afternoon with various booths for the children and adults to participate in. Each booth had a different activity where you could try your skills. Walking around the event, I noticed that some booths had more activity than others. After awhile, I realized that the people running the booths with the highest energy and excitement levels drew the most people. This got me thinking about how Smart Women know that itâ€™s not the service or the product that will make you successful in life. Full Article

Smart Women Visit the Magic Kingdom

Joy Chudacoff — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 23:07:59 +0000

Recently, our family took a trip to the “happiest place on earth”—Disneyland! As we made our way to the Magic Kingdom, I noticed a large sign hanging over the entrance that read, “Where old friends meet for the very first time.” I began to smile. This got me thinking about how Smart Women take time to reconnect with their old friend—the authentic self. Full Article

Smart Women Practice Gratitude

Joy Chudacoff — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 22:52:23 +0000

Last week, I was at my Mastermind Meeting and my good friend and Smart Woman, Chellie Campbell, mentioned that she had read an article on how expressing gratitude may be one of the keys to being a happier, healthier person. The very next day, I picked up a magazine which actually cited compelling research on how being grateful or showing appreciation can lead to a happier, healthier, more productive life. Hmmmâ€¦ two times in two days? This got me thinking about how Smart Women practice gratitude. Full Article

Smart Women Get It Off The Ground

Joy Chudacoff — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 22:45:06 +0000

During our recent vacation to Park City, Utah, one morning I was enjoying my coffee while overlooking a peaceful pond, and was surprised by several hot air balloons making their way high up into the sky. The colors of each balloon were bright, vivid, and unique. Some were like rainbows; others were bright red or yellow. They rose to varying heights in the sky, each one navigating their own unique path around the valley. This got me thinking about how Smart Womenâ€™s Big Ideas, dreams and goals are a lot like hot air balloons. Full Article