Ladies Who Launch

Avoid Valentine’s Day disappointment – Treat Yourself!

By Coach Joelle Prochera, professional life coach and fellow launcher!  To hear more from Coach Joelle subscribe to the Livloud! Newsletter or read the coach joelle blog.   

Hello Ladies,

The big day is approaching and married, dating or single, most of us have experienced a Valentine’s Day in silent anticipation of a grand display that never happened.

On this day for love I have a special invitation for you…

Instead of waiting for grand expressions,

Instead of waiting for the perfect day to be delivered,

Instead of waiting for love,

How about you create a little love in your own life with a day designed just for you!

Imagine….

A day off….reading in bed…bubble baths…. a 2 hour massage….

Not for any reason but because you say so and because you are worth it!

In a recent LIVLOUD! Article I shared the concept of creating a day just for you - a mental health day.  As you are gearing up for your day of hearts, lace and chocolate, consider showering yourself with love and sharing that love with the important people in your life.

Read the article: A Day for You: The Mental Health Day Challenge.

Happy Valentine’s Day Ladies! Enjoy treating yourself!

SMOOCH!

Joelle

DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR COACH JOELLE?:  I am looking for the opportunity to fully serve each of you on your personal adventure.  If you have a life or business challenge that you would like a coaching perspective on, please share your comments below or email me at [email protected].

Make your life a work of art a joyful dance a grand adventure

Have your best holiday yet!:Your 5 step plan to "go for the joy" and lose the stress this holiday season.

Happy Holidays Ladies!

For many of you it is “that time of year”. You know, THAT TIME OF YEAR when…

• The lists of to do’s are a mile long.
• The mall is a mess but you need to be there.
• You have 10 parties to attend in the next 5 days.
• There is a pile of cards on your kitchen table that all need addresses (and perhaps they even need to be written.)
• There are special meals to prepare.
• There are parties to throw.
• There are large groups of people coming together that may not always do so well together.

Welcome to the holidays!

Whether this is your holiday time of year or not, we can all relate to those times when there is so much to do and seemingly not enough time to do it.

We can all relate to the idea of spending time with people, whether family or friends that perhaps get on our nerves, tire us out, or tend to create frustration or conflict. 

So many people take the frenzy and the frustration as a necessary evil of the season and today I would like to challenge this notion. 

Instead of the holidays “happening” to you, the flurry of activity and agitation being thrust upon you unawares, this year you are invited to create your holiday with intention.

You are invited to create your best holiday ever! Let’s go!

Step 1) Describe it!If you could create your holiday any way you wanted, what words would you use to describe it? 

Peaceful, fun, nostalgic, easy, effortless, flowing, meaningful?

Pick one or two words that describe your holiday the way you would like it to be.

Step 2) Be willing! Ask yourself if you are willing to be pleasantly surprised by your holiday and the people around you. 

Without a space for allowing something new you will never get it.  If you are determined to have a rough time then there is no room for your new experience.  Notice and acknowledge whether you are really ready for something new. Are you REALLY ready for uncle Phil to be an absolute delight?  If you are not, no problem… no surprises for you!

Step 3) Choose your best you! That's right, you get to choose how you are going to show up for the holidays. 

If you want the world to surprise you then you need to do your part as well.  To have your effortless, peaceful, memorable holiday, what could you bring to the table that would help this along.  Put another way, to have your best holiday yet, how would you choose to “be”. 

Would you… “be happy”, “be passionate”, “be courageous”, “be calm”, “be fun”, “be delightful”! 

Ask yourself if you could bring a “great you” to your holiday with intention, how would you “be”?

Step 4) Take action! Identify any obvious actions you could take to fulfill on your holiday to remember. 

With this new intention and new point of view there may be some obvious actions to take. 

• Perhaps you chose to be “bold’ so that you can create an “adventurous” holiday.  In that case you may already be clear that you need to call the neighbors and tell them to get ready for some carolers on Sunday night and that you like rum in your eggnog.
• Or perhaps you are choosing to create a “peaceful” holiday and you have chosen to show up or be “loving”.  As a result, you are clear that you need to get in touch with your sister, repair a misunderstanding and let her know you would love to have her over for dinner next week.

Step 5) Get Ready! Watch for your intention to be fulfilled.  (Get ready to be surprised and delighted!)

Once you are clear on what you want to create, the best way for you to “be” to create it, and you are truly willing to be surprised, then your final step is to watch for it. 

• Put on your new point of view and be willing to experience joy in the flurry of holiday shopping.
• Be willing to see the adventure in a ruined turkey or the guests showing up 4 hours early. 
• Be ready to find new things to appreciate and new empathy as you spend time with those who have traditionally rubbed you the wrong way. 

Get ready to have your best holiday yet!

By using these 5 simple steps I have seen nothing short of miracles occur. Before you make one more sugar cookie or hang one more wreath, stop and take a moment to create your holiday and reap the benefits of an intentional life.

Have a holiday to remember,

With Love,

Coach Joelle

SHARE YOUR SELF IN THE COMMENTS BELOW: I have taken this opportunity to create my own experience of the holidays below. You are invited to declare yourself. Create your week with intention. Create your best holiday yet and share what new delights showed up!

DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR COACH JOELLE?:  I am looking for the opportunity to fully serve each of you on your personal adventure.  If you have a life or business challenge that you would like a coaching perspective on, please share your comments below or email me at [email protected].

Coach Joelle's best holiday yet!

Step 1) The holiday I am creating is: loving, fun, inspiring and meaningful.

Step 2)  I am totally willing to be surprised by what is possible for this holiday.

Step 3) How I will show up or the way I will “be” to create this Holiday is: Open, warm, playful, bold and intentional

Step 4) Obvious Action to take: 

• find out what day uncle Rob is available for Karaoke and find a place to go. 
• Create a holiday goals ritual for the family Saturday morning. 
• Write my intention somewhere visible so I remember what I am committed to.
• Bring my Wayne Dyer CD’s to learn more about Taoism.
• Bring my Ipod so I have my my music and audio programs to listen to. 
• Create a ritual with my husband to take our relationship to the next level.

Step 5) I’m ready baby!! Bring it on!!

Question: Tipping For The Holidays

An incubator member asks:

It´s that time of year again when I go through so many different versions of who to tip (re: business and personal life) , how much to tip or if a gift is a more cost efficient solution for some of the service people in my life. If anyone has an opinion (professional or personal opinions welcome) or if
someone is on the "receiving" end, and can office some advice.Some people on my list to tip or gift are the following:
Dog Walker
Hair -(blow outs, colorist, wash)- how about the girls in the salon who just fill in for when your regular person is not there?
Nail Salon- not a regular with any one person- do I bring a box of chocolates or cookies?
Doormen
Building Maintenance

Office:
Cleaning Lady
Building Doormen
Building Maintenance guys (who also help me put my office furniture together
Parking garage....used near the office but not on an everyday basis
Gifts- who should we be including on the list to send baskets to:
Graphic Artists?
Rep groups?
Vendors/Suppliers?

I did a simple search and found some great information about tipping from an article from Money Magazine. Read the full article to find out more.

• Babysitter:   One night's pay, plus a small gift from your child.
• Full-time nanny:   One week to one month of pay based on tenure, plus a small gift from your child.
• Au pair:  One week's pay, plus a small gift from your child.
• Day care service   $25-70, plus a small gift from your child.
• Teacher   $25-100. A gift certificate is always appropriate. If you know the teacher's hobbies or interests, then a gift certificate would be nice from the local movie theater, hobby shop, mall, fine restaurant or day spa. If you are unsure, ask your principal first.  
• Coaches, tutors, ballet instructors, music teachers:   A small gift from your child.
• Housekeeper/Cleaning Service: One week's pay. If you use a service and never know who is coming out, don't tip at all.

If you any suggestions, please leave a response in the comments.

How to Unleash your Inner Sexpot

Would you like to unleash your inner Sexpot?
Pole dancing is the latest trend in workouts it is true. It is Audacious. It is bold.

And fun.

It makes me feel juicy, bodacious and empowered. It trims my waistline and causes me to think differently about who I am being in the world. All that from 2 hours in a very intense and pleasurable workout?

Yes.

So consider this.
If all matter is energy and the Law of Attraction says that like
energy attracts like energy, then imagine the kind of gorgeous
energy you can create by giving the pole a whirl?

There is much to be said for my pole dancing classes and I have
noticed a change in how I approach everything in my life.

As Sheila Kelly, the founder of SFactor has said, "Soak in the
pure, unadulterated flow of your life. Breathe it in and exhale
everything in your mind until your entire being is just bliss. Let
your body float with soft, languid moves that are simply organic to
your being. When you step outside into your day you will notice
something has shifted."

I think I am (finally!) becoming the exquisite creature I was meant to be.
When you uncover your inner sexpot you also uncover your creative
center, which helps you to think of great new ideas for your
business and gives you the lift-off to actually complete what you
start!

Imagine that?

One of my coaches, Andrea J. Lee of Vancouver, British Columbia often speaks about doing activities that open you to your most sensual and creative self. For me it comes from movement and there is nothing like gathering the courage to dance with a pole...and do it gracefully. And also not be afraid to flop on the floor and try again.

If you are looking for a way to shape up your body, mind and spirit
then the Sfactor may just be the thing for you. They have intro
classes and studios are opening all over the place.

Even Oprah loves it.
You will too.
It's Pure Audacious power.

Go on check it out. You know you want to.

http://www.sfactor.com

Nancy Mindes, Chief Audaciousness Officer
Audacious Ladies Coaching Company
http://www.NancyMindes.com

Please don't give me a fruitcake!

Dear Audacious Ones,

Okay...this is it. The last few days before the big one. You know, it's coming right at you and you still have a few gifts to get. Oh and then there's a few people who want to know what you want. Well, for one thing it's not a fruitcake is it? Or a bright red wooly sweater with a snowman on it?

How about giving a gift that gives and give and gives again.

How about changing the present?
Yes really.

My friend Robert Tolmach has come up with something that is pure genius. A one stop shop for doing good at holiday time and all year through.
Are you still clearing out clutter from last year?
Well here is a good way to avoid more of the same. Avoid long lines and you can really be making a difference.
ChangingThePresent.org, a new nonprofit website, is helping nonprofits capture some of the $250 billion we Americans spend each year buying presents for one another. Instead of buying more stuff, you can choose what you want to accomplish from among thousands of donation opportunities and you can make donations in a friend's name.\

WHO KNEW?

Did you know that every year, Americans spend $250 billion--$100 billion during the holiday season, alone--buying presents for one another.

Imagine, for one delirious moment, what we could accomplish if even a small percentage of that gift money were redirected to nonprofits working to make the world a better place.

Many of us, and many of our friends, don't really need another fruitcake, toaster, wallet, day of the week panties, fuzzy slippers, tin of popcorn, pen & pencil set, or Chia pet. Still, our friends expect a gift don't they?

Don't you? You know you do.

Since most people are passionate about a favorite cause or two or favorite nonprofit, it's no wonder that more and more people are giving donation gifts, that is, a charitable donation made in a friend's name, in lieu of giving store-bought presents. What better way to honor the people we care for than by making the world a better place.

ChangingThePresent.org offers thousands of specific donation gifts from hundreds of leading nonprofits, so visitors can choose exactly what they want to accomplish. You can protect an acre of the rainforest or fund an hour of a cancer researcher's time. You can provide a child with a first book, an AIDS patient with life-saving drugs, refugees with shelter, or a hungry family with a nourishing meal. The site offers something for virtually every cause.

You can browse by cause, search by name to find almost any nonprofit, or peruse friends' wish lists and registries to find exactly what they would find most meaningful. Plus, you can create personalized greeting cards, which will be mailed the next day to announce the donations made in friends' names.

ChangingThePresent.org is not just for gift donations meant as an alternative to traditional presents; a wide range of features also makes it a more attractive channel for some of the $199 billion that us generous folks already donate each year.

Give a gift that matters go here> http://www.changingthepresent.org

You can create your own profile page to show what causes and nonprofits you most care about, allowing you to sharey our passions and interests with others. Those who wish to do so can earn recognition for the donations they make. For those who want to know that your dollars are being used effectively, the site provides extensive information on causes and nonprofits.

Those who keep an eye on their own finances will appreciate that, unlike merchandise, donation gifts are tax-deductible. You can also enjoy the ability to support any number of nonprofits with a single credit card transaction and to find receipts in one place for all your giving.

Every cause needs an enemy to challenge. For ChangingThePresent, it's the preposterous gift that absorbs money that might better be used for more meaningful purposes. You can submit your favorite dumb gift examples to the Stupid Gift Hall of Shame, where voting will determine who wins a sweet prize--
50 pints of Ben & Jerry's.

Just so you know how legit this is...
The Board of Advisors for ImportantGifts, the nonprofit that is launching this website, includes over 150 of the best known and most respected leaders in the nonprofit world. This group includes the heads of Amnesty International, the Lance Armstrong Foundation, Ashoka, the Global AIDS Alliance, Grameen Foundation USA, the Rainforest Alliance, Refugees International, Save the Children, Sesame Workshop, Sierra Club, the United States Fund for UNICEF, and others.

And they've done some major outreach to some big time celebs names are going to be announced in the not too distant future. But don't wait for them. Be a star in your own right and get with it.
Isn't this season about the spirit of giving?
Really giving?
I mean come on do you really need another T-shirt?

A big Audacious Kiss and Hug to you,
Nancy

Nancy Mindes, coach
Chief Audaciousness Officer
Audacious Ladies get your Success In Style.
How audacious do you want to be?
516.705.8823
http://www.NancyMindes.com

"Boldness has genius, power and magic in it." `Goethe

Want to really give?

Write A Christmas Story

Jackie Bethea is leader of the Grand Rapids, Michigan Incubator.

I wanted to share a website with all of you, http://www.WriteAChristmasStory.com

The website, Write A Christmas Story, created by Highland Group invites visitors to help spread the holiday spirit by participating in the story chain. The website, allows participants to read the story to date, submit an entry and even send an invite directly from the site to recipients to participate by adding on to the growing story.
Everyone is encouraged to participate using text and multimedia enhancements to help move the story along, often in very unexpected directions. After all, what gift better represents the idea of sharing than the gift of writing?

It reminded me a lot of our creative exercises from the Intensive Incubator, and thought it might be a seasonal/topical exercise you might like to share with your ladies.