Feb 09 to Sept 09
January 2009 through August, 2009
Dr. Amelia Case reporting here from Chicago. Can it be possible I haven’t written a word this year?
When I won the CMI in April, 2005 we were asked to write a paragraph on the CMI Website Blog for our Make Mine a Million Sisters. In fact, we were asked to keep it to one-to-three paragraphs, tracking our journey to the million-dollar mark and beyond…what it is like to be a woman in business, growing a business, handling real-life problems and challenges and achieving success. I think I have written pretty steadily since then, mostly because I was told to, and gladly did it because I felt so grateful to be part of such an important group sharing such an important journey. However…
Writing a monthly paragraph about business…is like trying to tame a Tasmanian Devil while you’re sleep walking. Business moves so fast and there is so much going on in a single day that the blur is hard to distill into a clear concoction hour to hour (nevermind monthly). I now understand why people write about business after they’ve Made It: Then the collections of similar stories must come together into chapters that can be truly meaningful and helpful.
In a monthly report, like those I’ve written, it seems a dull journal of challenges at best, veiled complaints and occasional successes (clouded by more challenges and problems). Is this what I read on the other CMI blogs? Kind of. In fact, not too many people continue to write them, and I think it is because (1) it is one more thing to handle on an already full plate (2) the pressure of recording something of meaning (when the endless details of meaningfulness crowd the head) is daunting and (3) it’s painful to review the same issues month after month, leading towards the inevitable feeling of futility (i.e. God! I had the same problems last year…).
I read the E Myth many years ago. I’ll use Michael Gerber’s words here: I’ve spent over 20 years becoming a doctor and refining the Technical Aspect of my work….and I became the master technician. I’m great at what I do. I’ve spent (seriously, since 1999, I guess, after dabbling for the nine years before) years defining the Managerial Aspect of my work….became (despite myself) a good enough manager. I can handle most managerial challenges with grace, dignity and integrity, and still come out okay in “business” (i.e. not going bankrupt and even making a profit). Now, I’ve spent a little over four years (since Christmas, 2004) working on the Entrepreneurial Aspect of my work. The problem is, the speed of the streamlining, prioritizing and delegating (the necessity for the budding entrepreneur) is, well, hardly existent, evident by the slow growth of my business. The proof of my ability to act as an entrepreneur is in my growth, yes? Growing is something I expect in general…and I’ve done it…but so slowly. Growing as an entrepreneur whose got-it-together must feel different (it must). It must be more of something. It must feel different. It must be something different than what I am experiencing, anyway. It can’t be simply taking on more and more work. It’s got to be smarter (than what I am doing).
Building my consulting business was much easier. Find clients. Schedule clients. Help clients. Charge clients. Get paid. Get return clients. Get referrals. It was me and the client. One after the other. Consulting. Teaching. Consulting. Teaching. There was even enough time to be a mom, own my business and practice my doctor work! I stopped growing my consulting practice about 36 months ago, thinking I’d put all of my effort towards growing UHI. I could always go back to consulting, I knew. And, teaching for John Demartini (here and there in London and Paris – woo!) plus offering my classes gave me satisfaction with my main consulting tool (Demartini Method). I thought I had it all solved! I thought I’d make it Even Easier!
Wrong. I thought removing the bulk of the consulting would give me more time, for one. For two, I would somehow simplify UHI when all of my attention was there (and not split)! However, I may have been wrong. Things are different with this larger service business (than the smaller one-on-one consulting gig). The complications are greater. The streamlining is markedly more challenging. More people make it, simply, more work. For THREE: I left out the fact that it actually does require more money to simplify. Is anyone else out there finding this true? Right. It takes money.
Anyway, here I am. It has been a bit over four years since I won the M3 Award. UHI has grown. Some things are better. However, I am not satisfied with the Way Things Are. My company has so much to offer. So much that is timely. So much potential. Yet, here I am – “Chief” – stuck in the tsunami of the daily grind, trying to figure out how to get out of this suction of a tumbling whooshing pattern. All over my office I have my Words of Wisdom! “Create Success: Prioritize. Streamline. Delegate.” I’m lost in the in-between words (that shouldn’t be there), whatever they are.
Entrepreneurs appreciated: I have a great deal of respect for Entrepreneurs, particularly those who have done so well, grown their businesses and Made It Happen. They are my heroes. At this point in my life, I really get why great CEOs earn what they do. They should. Building a business is not for the faint-hearted. Great Entrepreneurial Talent takes boatloads of creativity, genius and courage - and insight and intuition – and the tough sharpness and savvy of something-like-a-whaleship’s-confident-captain who has Sailed It All, and still got his Goods and his crew.
I wonder if there ever was (or could be) and entrepreneur who went with the flow; in other words, didn’t feel like he or she was pushing Up Hill all the time. I read Entrepreneur Magazine and often marvel at some of the stories about people who (seem to) simply have had great timing. Am I silly wishing for Good Timing Karma? Is the God of Entrepreneurs going to give me an audience? Is it shameful for a self-proclaimed Entrepreneur to ask such questions? Does it give me away as a pretend-Entrepreneur…talk without substance? I am supposed to be so focused there’s no time for fear, self-doubt, or worry, right? I’m supposed to revel in the struggle, right?
So, to my Fella M3ers, I’ll admit: Something is missing. I’m not sure what. So I begin the examination and diagnostic process, then I’ll move into the Entrepreneurial Treatment Plan. Now my attention goes outward to find like-minded people to find out how they’ve Done It. Surely someone will offer up the right specialist in Entrepreneurial Care, someone who will give me a diagnosis…so at least I’ll know what to treat.
Dr. Amelia Case reporting here from Chicago. Can it be possible I haven’t written a word this year?
When I won the CMI in April, 2005 we were asked to write a paragraph on the CMI Website Blog for our Make Mine a Million Sisters. In fact, we were asked to keep it to one-to-three paragraphs, tracking our journey to the million-dollar mark and beyond…what it is like to be a woman in business, growing a business, handling real-life problems and challenges and achieving success. I think I have written pretty steadily since then, mostly because I was told to, and gladly did it because I felt so grateful to be part of such an important group sharing such an important journey. However…
Writing a monthly paragraph about business…is like trying to tame a Tasmanian Devil while you’re sleep walking. Business moves so fast and there is so much going on in a single day that the blur is hard to distill into a clear concoction hour to hour (nevermind monthly). I now understand why people write about business after they’ve Made It: Then the collections of similar stories must come together into chapters that can be truly meaningful and helpful.
In a monthly report, like those I’ve written, it seems a dull journal of challenges at best, veiled complaints and occasional successes (clouded by more challenges and problems). Is this what I read on the other CMI blogs? Kind of. In fact, not too many people continue to write them, and I think it is because (1) it is one more thing to handle on an already full plate (2) the pressure of recording something of meaning (when the endless details of meaningfulness crowd the head) is daunting and (3) it’s painful to review the same issues month after month, leading towards the inevitable feeling of futility (i.e. God! I had the same problems last year…).
I read the E Myth many years ago. I’ll use Michael Gerber’s words here: I’ve spent over 20 years becoming a doctor and refining the Technical Aspect of my work….and I became the master technician. I’m great at what I do. I’ve spent (seriously, since 1999, I guess, after dabbling for the nine years before) years defining the Managerial Aspect of my work….became (despite myself) a good enough manager. I can handle most managerial challenges with grace, dignity and integrity, and still come out okay in “business” (i.e. not going bankrupt and even making a profit). Now, I’ve spent a little over four years (since Christmas, 2004) working on the Entrepreneurial Aspect of my work. The problem is, the speed of the streamlining, prioritizing and delegating (the necessity for the budding entrepreneur) is, well, hardly existent, evident by the slow growth of my business. The proof of my ability to act as an entrepreneur is in my growth, yes? Growing is something I expect in general…and I’ve done it…but so slowly. Growing as an entrepreneur whose got-it-together must feel different (it must). It must be more of something. It must feel different. It must be something different than what I am experiencing, anyway. It can’t be simply taking on more and more work. It’s got to be smarter (than what I am doing).
Building my consulting business was much easier. Find clients. Schedule clients. Help clients. Charge clients. Get paid. Get return clients. Get referrals. It was me and the client. One after the other. Consulting. Teaching. Consulting. Teaching. There was even enough time to be a mom, own my business and practice my doctor work! I stopped growing my consulting practice about 36 months ago, thinking I’d put all of my effort towards growing UHI. I could always go back to consulting, I knew. And, teaching for John Demartini (here and there in London and Paris – woo!) plus offering my classes gave me satisfaction with my main consulting tool (Demartini Method). I thought I had it all solved! I thought I’d make it Even Easier!
Wrong. I thought removing the bulk of the consulting would give me more time, for one. For two, I would somehow simplify UHI when all of my attention was there (and not split)! However, I may have been wrong. Things are different with this larger service business (than the smaller one-on-one consulting gig). The complications are greater. The streamlining is markedly more challenging. More people make it, simply, more work. For THREE: I left out the fact that it actually does require more money to simplify. Is anyone else out there finding this true? Right. It takes money.
Anyway, here I am. It has been a bit over four years since I won the M3 Award. UHI has grown. Some things are better. However, I am not satisfied with the Way Things Are. My company has so much to offer. So much that is timely. So much potential. Yet, here I am – “Chief” – stuck in the tsunami of the daily grind, trying to figure out how to get out of this suction of a tumbling whooshing pattern. All over my office I have my Words of Wisdom! “Create Success: Prioritize. Streamline. Delegate.” I’m lost in the in-between words (that shouldn’t be there), whatever they are.
Entrepreneurs appreciated: I have a great deal of respect for Entrepreneurs, particularly those who have done so well, grown their businesses and Made It Happen. They are my heroes. At this point in my life, I really get why great CEOs earn what they do. They should. Building a business is not for the faint-hearted. Great Entrepreneurial Talent takes boatloads of creativity, genius and courage - and insight and intuition – and the tough sharpness and savvy of something-like-a-whaleship’s-confident-captain who has Sailed It All, and still got his Goods and his crew.
I wonder if there ever was (or could be) and entrepreneur who went with the flow; in other words, didn’t feel like he or she was pushing Up Hill all the time. I read Entrepreneur Magazine and often marvel at some of the stories about people who (seem to) simply have had great timing. Am I silly wishing for Good Timing Karma? Is the God of Entrepreneurs going to give me an audience? Is it shameful for a self-proclaimed Entrepreneur to ask such questions? Does it give me away as a pretend-Entrepreneur…talk without substance? I am supposed to be so focused there’s no time for fear, self-doubt, or worry, right? I’m supposed to revel in the struggle, right?
So, to my Fella M3ers, I’ll admit: Something is missing. I’m not sure what. So I begin the examination and diagnostic process, then I’ll move into the Entrepreneurial Treatment Plan. Now my attention goes outward to find like-minded people to find out how they’ve Done It. Surely someone will offer up the right specialist in Entrepreneurial Care, someone who will give me a diagnosis…so at least I’ll know what to treat.
posted by Dr. Amelia Case at Tuesday, September 15, 2009
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