25 August 2010
Dog Days Dreaming
Posted by Intuitive Coach under: Business Growth; Women Entrepreneurs .
The dog days of summer are fully upon us now. When the heat is zapping you and all you can think of is a shady spot and a cold drink, don’t resist the urge. This is probably the very best time of all to plot and plan for business growth or career changes.
Preferably this is done while relaxing next to a body of water, be it a lake, river, ocean or pool, even a tinkling fountain. Water encourages dreaming.
Some of my best creative planning has occurred during these long slow-cooking days of August. In fact, it was a warm breezy day in August some years ago when the catalog company called As We Change that I co-founded was first conceived.
Like it was yesterday, I recall basking in the sun on a bluff top bench overlooking the Pacific, three friends hatching plans for what would become a multi-million dollar business.
The concept was a simple one but unique in its approach. Create a store on pages using a proven business model (a catalog) that brought together products for women who were transitioning through the physical changes and challenges of their 40s and 50s. That time period for women euphemistically called “the change of life” better known as menopause.
We scoured the US looking for products that were solutions to problems or concerns, products that expanded knowledge, products that just made you feel good. And women all across the country loved it! Why? Because it felt like someone was finally listening to them and responding to their need.
The concept became reality with careful planning and efficient execution, starting with the three of us co-founders, Julie, Dale and me working together in Dale’s living room. Soon we were in office space with a handful of administrative staff, outsourcing the help we needed and managing huge growth. With excellent marketing that reached millions of customers and good strong management on our part, it wasn’t long before we grew into creating our own call center, warehouse and office space, eventually with 43 employees.
And it all started one hot August day of dreaming.
In the natural world, the time of harvest is just around the corner. What ideas have you been nurturing? What concepts have you been cultivating? What will your upcoming harvest yield for you? A new career? A new business? Taking your business to the next level?
For right now, find yourself a cool spot, relax, and think about it….then share with the rest of us!
