**********************************Less is More**********************************

You might be familiar with it! It originates from the famous architect Mies van der Rohe. He truly believed you could be more impactful by giving less, to create more. His architecture is a fine testament to the simplicity this focus brings.

It applies to many things we do – to keep ourselves sane! And to make more of an impact on the people we serve. Interestingly the most impactful messages and products are the ones with an uncanny simplicity. When we overcomplicate things – our messaging in our emails, too long a video (2 to 3 minutes is best), long articles, giving way to much information in a presentation or teleclass (we want our audience to walk away with only 1 or 2 key points because that is generally all they will retain) – we actually detract from the actual message we want folks to leave with, AND the learning or action-taking capability of our potential client. We leave them overwhelmed or checked out, and ourselves depleted and disappointed.

So what a relief!! When you’re communicating with your community or email list, in whatever form, keep the message simple! It also means you don’t have to work so hard!!

I too, am constantly observing what I can do better, so my message gets delivered powerfully.

Keep it simple, with that quote in your mind… ‘less is more’.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this!

First, I want to tell you about the MOST VIRAL VIDEO EVER!

Quick GOLD NUGGET: ‘What does viral mean?’ You might be asking? It means to it spread like wildfire, first through 1 person telling and sharing with 10 people, then they in turn sharing with 100 people, and then in turn with a 1000 and so on and so on (as an example). Through word of mouth, through Social Media like Facebook, Twitter and of course YouTube. Also known as syndication. And  I’m sharing with you through email and my blog!

To date this has been the most viewed video, in the short time it’s been available. The most ever!  Up to today there have been 79,049,042 views! And the video was only posted 10 days ago!

Ok, ‘what is the video?’, you might asking? ‘And why should I care?’ Great questions. All will be revealed. If you care about becoming visible in your soul-driven business, then watch the video and read on.

You might have been hearing in the news or this might have been passed on to you, like it was me.  The video is called Kony 2012  and tells a story of a man in  Uganda.  A man they want to make famous. So famous that it will be impossible for us not to do something about what he is doing to children.  He’s been creating an army (30 000) of invisible children, who he forces to maim and kill (including their parents ) or become sex slaves.  The world has been letting this go on.  And it’s time to put a stop to it.

The video in itself, is a example of brilliant marketing. Which it needs to be in order to enroll us into action.

So here’s the thing.  There are 2 reasons why I’m sharing this with you!

The first is because when my 17 yr old niece insisted on my watching it, I recognized it was a cause worth getting involved in.  If I could be part of a movement that stopped mindless slaughter and enslavement of children, I’m in!   It means I also get to tithe to something worthwhile, something that inspired me.  Tithing, is part of the giving and receiving that happens in your business.  If you tithe to those things that truly inspire you, again there seems to be a universal law of reciprocity, which I talk about in my previous post.  So each time something truly inspires you or shifts your thinking – think about tithing to that organization or person.  (Tithing, is not just for churches!  It’s about showing gratitude and appreciation by donating a part of the income you’re creating to something that has made an impact on you for your highest good.)

The second, is because this video is brilliantly done.  It’s simply done. Sets the context in the beginning for the main story to be revealed. Creates human connection through the man and his son, and their passion to make a difference.  It brings in the story of one of the children effected by these atrocities so it makes it real, not something out there that we can’t connect to.  It shows us the impact of the atrocities, just briefly but enough to show us what’s going on and to be appalled.  And it shows us simply, how to take 3 action steps to make a difference ourselves.  Nothing over-complicated, no just sending us to a website, just 3 small specific steps.  It enrolls us in a cause or a mission, worth something.

Imagine, creating a video that enrolled your community into a movement.  Some of you really make a difference with the work you do.  Some of your clients experience great pain and anguish for various reasons.  Is there a cause to be had?  A movement to create?   A way to empower them, as well as yourself?

The use of video is proving to be one of the best visibility strategies. It engenders trust faster than any other medium, because folks can see and hear you, which helps them to relate to you.  It appeals to different learning styles, which helps your community to again ‘hear’ your message.

Your videos don’t need to be on the scale of Kony 2012!  But imagine if they had even a small percentage of the impact it made.  You can enroll your community.  You can use this to build your community.  You can communicate how passionate you are about what you’re doing.  You can tell your story.  You can inspire your prospective clients to take massive action to help themselves and people like them.

And you might say ‘who am I to do this?’  I ask ‘Who are you not to?’    Step into Visibility, own your Power and see amazing things happen!

And if you’re ready to become visible in your business, you might be ready to say YES to Visibility Mastery starting in May.  Book your seat early. (one of the cool areas we cover, is video marketing!)

I promised I’d share how my nieces are connected to all this!…

So not only is my 17 yr old niece, now actively involved in the movement of Kony 2012, and will be pasting posters in Boulder on April 20th (watch the video to know what I mean), she now has me enrolled too.  I’ll be in Vancouver that day, and plan to participate there!   I might even get a few of the folks there with me to help out!  (I’ll be at Andrea J Lee’s Wealthy Thought Leader event!)

And synchronistically, my 21 yr old niece who is studying counselling and teaching at a college in Colorado, is tutoring the refugee children being brought in from Uganda and neighbouring countries, who were subjected to the regime of Kony.   There is no such thing as coincidences!

What are you going to do?

It’s about being a RESOURCE.  A resource means you’re willing to share information to help someone do something that they didn’t have the right resource to do it with in the first place.  This could be a person or a program or a tool.

It’s always important to be able to do this for your clients.  But we can take it up notch. It’s such an easy thing to do, and when you do it with peers or people you admire in your industry, without expecting anything in return, guess what happens?  RECIPROCITY.

It means a lot to people when you go out of your way to help them.  Or to provide that really important information they need in that moment.  I just did that with a colleague who needed an animation video specialist – she was super psyched.  Or in the past, I’ve connected different leaders who had been on my radio show but had not met before.  Instantly one of them got to do a presentation at a live event for the other as a result of this introduction.  They were both over the moon.  And it didn’t take much effort on my part to orchestrate this connection.

Now the key here is not to have an expectation of getting something done for you in return.

What it does do, is starts to establish a relationship with a person you admire.  This also creates credibility.  If you went out of your way for an affiliate partner who hasn’t done much for you up to this point, there is a good chance they will step up their game when you do your next launch for you.  Your willingness to be a support can make a big difference!    It shines the spotlight on you as an expert or leader in your field,  and leaves an impression that you’re  a person that they would prefer to help and do business with.  The returns can be enormous.

So think about what you can do to be more helpful. How you can be a resource to your community, or the leaders in it.  Keep an eye out for what your peers or leaders are asking for.  And the RECIPROCITY Angel might come knocking at your door.

Sweet!!

Please leave your comments below – I would love to hear them!  And share this post if it excites you with a share button below!

And if you want to use this on your blog or newsletter, please copy and paste this message at the bottom of the post /article :  This post was written by Louise Crooks, The KeystoClarity! Coach known for coaching  business owners in healing and coaching, to visibility in their conscious business – helping them to find their clients, attract them, and enroll them, resulting in a full thriving practice!  Got to www.keystoclarity.com to find out more.

It really surprised me to find that Steve was a wise soul with wisdom and insight that belied his corporate exterior and carried him through his life in a way most unsuspecting.  (whoops there was me in a little judgement there! ;O)

Enjoy his powerful metaphysical messages which were imparted at a time, when he was not aware he would die as soon as he did, and yet shared such incredible insight  and teaching!

So now you’ve heard his powerful messages on trust, intuition, following your heart, never settling, and always live knowing that death is going come as a given!   My mother is a strong example of how living life to the full every day, riding her horse and gardening, when she died very suddenly of a massive heart attack at 61yrs old.  She died with her boots on so to speak, as did Steve.  Steve literally stepped down from Apple weeks before he died. He loved what he did.

What I would like to do is build on Steve’s powerful message.  He landed on his love – great looking technology.  You have found your love whether its coaching, healing or some kind of transformation. What he did really well was realize at the outset that he didn’t know everything he needed to know to run a successful business, and didn’t want to!  He invested in his business to get the information and support and people he needed to get his talents out into the world.  It turned into a company called Apple.  He couldn’t have done it on his own.

I know you’re probably not going to want to create an Apple, but you might want to create a big impact on the world, and live from a place of prosperity that gives you the freedom to do it.  It behooves you to make sure that you create a solid business foundation, and create effective visibility strategies in your practice that will help you find your ideal clients and for you to easily find them!  Your passion and skill isn’t enough. Create the sacred vehicle that will help to put it out into the world and do what you came here to do!

If you’re ready to do this, or have started and are feeling confused or overwhelmed, send me a note to set up a complimentary consultation, and we’ll have a conversation. I really want you to create wild success in your life and affect people’s lives, just like Steve did.  It’s time for you to create your own legacy.

Yes, I know huge call to action here! I know some of you are fearful about truly stepping into your power and owning it.  I’ll support you in managing your mindset so that you’re not stopped, like I once was.

To your inspired success!

Louise x

PS Let me know your thoughts on Steve’s fabulous message and any comment on my cheeky call to action. I mean it!

If you’re new to the idea of having or identifying a niche to build your business, or if you’re resisting the idea of having one altogether – as a soul driven business owner in the field of healing or transformation – let me share with you an idea, that create a different perspective on this subject!

Now I just want to share with you, that it’s becoming glaringly obvious through the number of programs out there including my own, where the first part of the program is dedicated to knowing your niche – that this is a critical piece to building your conscious business. We can’t all be wrong! So bear with me here… And of course, how the heck does this have to do with being a ‘love story….

So for you skeptics, dabblers (those of you who think you’ve found your niche, but haven’t REALLY narrowed it down enough) and newbies, I want you to know that your niche is really a ‘love story’.

We all love a love story, don’t we?  Where its full of heart, love, courage, good feelings, happy endings and everyone leaves with a sense of hope, possibility and fulfillment. Where we’re clear on where we’re going and have a sense of what the outcome will be.

Well in essence that’s really what having a niche is all about!

So what is a niche?  It includes your target market ie the kind of people you want to serve and then takes it a step further. It’s the WHO factor – the people you want to help and knowing what you want for them and what you can do for them.

It’s the community of people that you have such a passion for (often based on a past experience or connection you’ve had), that the sense of heart and fulfillment you get from it is inexplicable – a bit like being in love. J  You’re pretty clear on who they are, their qualities and ideals, and the challenges that get in their way.  And you know as in love story that doesn’t work out, often it’s because a partner isn’t aligned in important areas that you feel strongly about!  As in the love story of the perfect niche, all things need to be aligned.

To find YOUR ‘love story’ or to refine it further, here are a few tips and questions for you to consider.

1. Do I feel really connected or passionate or even incensed about something specific? (again, often based on a past experience, or perhaps a strong value)
2. Did I overcome an experience or experience something difficult that I feel really excited or compelled to help others get through?
3. Do I have a gift or talent that I need to share with the world and in particular with those who need it most?
4. What am I great at, that I love doing and who would benefit from it most?
5. I’ve identified a group of people I feel I can serve, but can I refine that group even further? (again this is where real alignment comes, and your niche will know it when you start communicating directly to them!)

CAVEAT: Just a heads up – I think this point is important….One of my mentors and colleagues Marcia Wieder once said: ‘don’t teach, train or coach on an issue you’re still bleeding from’  So you might identify something that you know could be a powerful area for you to share and focus on, but make sure you are mostly healed from this experience.  It’s very difficult to serve someone fully when you’re still ‘in’ it.

One of my clients is a perfect example of someone who has fully recovered from the challenges she faced – that being married to a divorced parent – being a step mom and dealing with the powerful challenges that brought to their marriage and the relationship with the step-children.  She is now an amazing stepmom coach and knows exactly what her niche face, their challenges and experiences, and how to mentor /coach them to have fulfilling blended family lives!    Certainly a match made in heaven as far as her niche and her desires are concerned.

Once you get clear on this specific group of people, it’s like finding that special mate – it feels like the glove that just fits so perfectly, or the puzzle pieces that all suddenly glide in to place.  A perfect love story.

You’re also clear on what you want for your niche – you have a clear intention and message that you want to share with this special group of people.  Just like you know how clear you feel, when you and your mate start a life together, and have your whole life mapped together in front of you.

And when you get so clear everything starts to flow, just like it does when you’re in love.  The universe responds in kind, and so beautifully when you’re clear. You’ll be amazed at how your business starts to flow and flourish.

So what’s your love story?

I would love to hear your comments below or on Facebook! And if you would like to use this article in your blog, please make sure to attribute it to:  Louise Crooks, The KeystoClarity! Coach ~ Creating Visibility to Grow your Soul-driven Business www.keystoclarity.com

The reality is that when you’re growing a business in healing or helping profession, you want to have certain specific foundational pieces in place first!  Like deciding who you’re serving;  having systems in place to run your business effectively – like email management systems, bookkeeping etc; and having step by step strategies to communicate with and enroll clients.

There also comes a time through the evolution of your heart-centered business, when you start to realize you want to maximize what you’re doing, to make a healthy income and attract your ideal clients!  That’s when the light bulb moment happens that says you’re ready to become VISIBLE in your practice, and step into a bigger playing field!

Here are 3 BIG NEON SIGNS to look out for, that indicate that you’re open and ready…

1)       You’re starting to feel frustrated and even a little stuck.  That you have a few clients, but really want more clients – and not only that – your IDEAL clients, to build a solid income  in your business, as well as help more people. You know they’re out there, and that you can help them – but how to connect the dots!? And you want to do something about it.

2)       When you’re thinking – ‘I’m swapping my valuable time for income, and that there is a ceiling to to what I can earn and to how much energy I can give.  I can only do so much when it comes to ‘time’.’  When you recognize that it’s time to reach more people exponentially – and to share programs and products that will help more people at once, and make your business more profitable!

3)      When you recognize you’ve been holding yourself back and perhaps playing small.  This can come from fear or other seemingly feasible excuses.  But you know in your heart, by not stepping out of your comfort zone, that you’re denying those people out there who need your help and support, the opportunity  1) to know that you are there and available, and  2) the education to know that there is a way to be supported with the challenges they face.  That it’s really time to ‘own’ what you do and step out into a bigger playing field.

If you are identifying with any one of these 3 indicators, then you’re ready to step into the SPOTLIGHT and become VISIBLE in your soul-driven business.   And I applaud you for even getting this far, because it’s a courageous step to meaning ‘business’ in running your  business, AND making a difference exponentially.

Now that you know you’re ready! What to do next!?

I want to make it easy for you to take that step. I’d like to invite you to a free call I’m giving TODAY, that’s going to give you the low-down of what it means to be VISIBLE!  And I’ll share pitfalls to avoid, to make the journey an exciting one!  It’s called: Stepping into the Spotlight to Attract your IDEAL Clients. I promise it’s going to be packed with juicy information that you’ll be able to apply straight away.  Click here for more details http://keystoclarity.com/spotlight

VISIBILITY, I believe is crucial to the growth of a service business.  The question is, are you ready?

Make sure to get all the info you need to start you down the path of VISIBILITY  (or to tweak it), join us!  on the Stepping into the Spotlight call today!

I can’t wait to give you all the inside information on this topic!  And help you soar to success with a clear focus and strategy to do that!

Louise x

Are you ready to learn what it takes to actually SUCCEED online? Join us for an information filled show with our guest, Michele PW (Michele Pariza Wacek) Your $Ka-Ching!$ Marketing Strategist, who has a reputation for crafting copy and creating online and offline marketing campaigns that get results. In fact, Michele supports my mentor, Lisa Sasevich’s marketing campaigns so you can see she is the oracle of what works in your marketing copy!

Come and listen as she shares…

• How you can start positioning yourself as THE go-to expert in your industry
• How not to sound ‘sale-sy’
• How to become a magnet for ATTRACTING your ideal customers while at the same time REPELLING those clients who you really don’t want to work with
• And lots more!

Questions for the show? Send them to info@keystoclarity.com

KtC Radio ~ Wednesday, February 16^th at 3pm EST

Call-in Number: (347) 945-6963

or

Listen via Computer: http://budurl.com/CopyMichele

Don’t forget to chat and share your questions in the chatroom. And if you make the show LIVE, there are prizes to be won!

To your Shining Success,

Louise

P.S. If you are unable to make the show live, you can use the same link above to listen to the RECORDING after the show has aired.

How visible are you to your ideal clients? Do they know you’re there and open for business? Have you shared your expertise and talents on a bigger scale in some way? And is it working for you?

Let’s discuss the importance of visibility in your business to help you create the success you’re going for! Louise Crooks your host, will take you through the 5 key steps of ‘why’ VISIBILITY is imperative AND strategies that are an intuitive fit for your business. This will get you started or tweak the course you’re already on. We’ll get a real sense of how YOU can stand out from the crowd and get more of the ‘right’ clients showing up!

We’ll be using specific examples and case studies – so if you’re curious, call into the show, and we’ll talk about visibility for your soulopreneur business, and what that might look like. We want to make sure the platform you’re using is working for you and for your niche. An opportunity for sure! Feel free to dig deep and question me thoroughly during this hour!

Questions for the show? Send them to info@keystoclarity.com

KtC Radio ~ 3pm ET Wednesday 02/02/11

Call-in Number: (347) 945-6963
or
Listen via Computer: http://budurl.com/visible

Remember if you can’t make it live (although its always much better when you can! You get more interaction, can call-in to ask questions, and win prizes on the show) feel free to access the recording from the same link above, after the show has aired!

To your shining success!

Louise x

I found a profoundly inspiring video that brought me to tears of joy when I saw it that I want to share with you! (Thanks Cheryl Richardson for sharing this!)

This video really reconfirmed for me, why I am currently offering the Facebook programs I am doing with Soulopreneurs right now. I really want to see you to step out boldly (with no regrets) and tell the world and specifically the people you want to touch about the gifts and talents you have that could truly make a difference in their lives! I am passionate about this! Can you tell!

If you’re not signed up already, please make sure to take a look to see if this could THE powerful tool for you to use in your business, that you are not using or not using fully at the moment. The Gold Program starts tomorrow, and you can still access the video recordings for the Silver Program which completed last week! AND there is a free VIDEO replay, you can download which is packed with information to help you get started! (its coming down at midnight -Eastern Time Zone tonight, so make sure to get it now) Go here to find out more Using Facebook Effectively to Grow Your Business Exponentially

And don’t forget to come back and watch this amazing video!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Blessings! And here’s to living a life filled with joy and without regret!
Louise x

Tonight they will reveal the 5 Mistakes that derail your Financial Fortune…and what you can do about it.

Think about your finances for a minute. Call to mind everything having to do with your wealth including your income, expenses, investments, desires and your relationship to your money. How do you react when there is a change in some aspect of your finances?

How you feel whenever you think about the topic of money has everything to do with your financial setpoint. Everything.

If you don’t have a fortune, it’s not about:

o What is happening with the economy

o You not being financially smart enough

o You being too old or starting too late in the game

o Owning your own business

o Going on a financial diet

It’s your turn to have some fun creating YOUR financial fortune!

Eva Gregory and Jeanna Gabellini master coaches, authors, and speakers join us so that you can be in partnership with money. And as a Soul-o-preneur if the word MONEY is a sticking point for you, then this show is a must for you!

This is the book they just co-authored with The Secret’s Jack Canfield  and Mark Victor Hansen!

I can’t wait to read it!

And you’re a soulopreneur and ‘ money’ is a word that stick in your throat, this is the show for you!

And if you’d like to learn more about what Jeanna and Eva are up to, go to http://tinyurl.com/fortunelouise

To listen LIVE go to http://blogtalkradio.com/keystoclarity or call in  on 347-945 6963 to listen or ask your burning questions!