Working with a Mentor

To be successful while working from home, it is helpful to work with a mentor (or two). Mentors can guide you, teach you, and challenge you. A mentor is not a boss - they don't tell you what to do. Instead, they help you determine what you need to do and how to get it done. And they gently confront you when you haven't followed through on your goals.

So where do you find a mentor to work with? Often it's someone within your business already - someone who has more experience or knowledge about your particular industry. Or it might be someone you've known in the past - a professor or colleague. Jeffrey Gitomer, in his Little Red Book of Sales Answers, suggests that you make a list of potential mentors, and find a way to build a relationship with them. Obviously, when choosing a mentor, you want to choose someone who is more successful than you are! That way, you can learn from their success. Jeffrey also suggests that you don't ask someone to be your mentor - they just become a mentor over time.

This is what has happened with me: One of my mentors is someone I have known since high school. She was my cheerleading coach, and I learned to respect her then. She pushed us to work hard - not just in cheering, but in academics, in relationships, in life in general. We lost touch when I went to college, but once I was back home & married, I ended up at her home for a scrapbooking party. Long story short, I began to build a business as part of her team with that company. She taught me so much along the way, but never pushed me more than I wanted to be pushed. Now, we work together in a different business, and I continue to learn from her to this day. I never asked her to become my mentor - it just sort of happened, and I am so thankful for her and all that I have learned. Now I've also found other mentors along the way, and have been inspired and challenged by them as well.

So, have you found a mentor? Have you been looking? For more tips on working with a mentor, visit www.gitomer.com, register, and then enter "Mentor Value" in the RedBit box.

Don't Let Others Steal Your Dreams

There are many obstacles to succeeding in a home business: time management, balancing family & business, developing skills, handling rejection, etc. But one obstacle - dream stealers - is a subtle, sneaky obstacle that you must be prepared for. Dream stealers are people or circumstances that make you believe that you can't succeed. Usually this is not purposeful - it might just be a slight comment, like "Oh, you're in one of those businesses." Often times it comes from the people you love the most - family & friends. They may be concerned for you and don't want you to get hurt, but in the process they slowly chip away at your confidence in your ability to succeed. Or sometimes it might be a circumstance, like your family getting sick or your baby screaming all evening. So how do you protect yourself against these dream stealers - these things that make you believe it isn't possible to succeed?

• First, I believe you have to know that the business you are in is the right business for you & has a real potential for success. You need to know that the business has a track record of success and that average people like you are earning the income you desire. Be sure that this is not just hype - make sure that you can see the average earnings & proof of income. Also, you should know how much time you need to invest in order to see the income you want.
• Second, you should team up with your support team and be sure to ask them for help. It's important that you go to positive people for guidance in your business. Don't go to the people who are negative or don't believe in you or the business.
• Thirdly, you must invest in yourself. You must know that you can succeed and believe in yourself. If you feel you are at a deficit in certain areas of your business, be sure to find ways to improve. Reading books, finding resources online, taking a course at a local college can all improve your areas of weakness. If YOU believe that you can succeed, no one can take that away from you!!!

Finally, keep in mind that sharing your dreams with others is very special. Be sure to share your dreams only with those who you feel will support you. When you do this, you can let them know that you haven't shared this with many people, and it will also make the other person feel imporant. And always remember, if you happen to encounter a dream stealer, keep yourself protected and don't let them steal YOUR DREAMS!

Making the Decision or Making Excuses?

What is the difference between those people on my team who are successful and those who are not? The difference is that the ones who are successful have made a decision to work their business NO MATTER WHAT. They have a "no excuses" attitude and it pays off. Sure, they have challenges and set backs just like everyone else. But they do not let that stop them from pursuing their dreams and goals. However, the others are so wishy-washy that they never can get past the "getting started" phase. I often hear, "I am going to do this" or "This is going to be my goal" - but then I don't hear from that person for 3 or 4 weeks. And then we have the same conversation, and they say the same things. Once again, it's not followed by action. The next time I talk to them, the conversation is full of excuses about why they haven't done what we talked about previously.

You see, when someone makes a decision, they act on it - day in and day out. Some of these folks are so busy but yet they still take the time to make a few phone calls, follow up with customers, or make a few new contacts every day. The ones who have not made a decision do the opposite... they make excuses. And you want to know what the other difference is between these people? The ones who make the decision also make the money!