I just started a 12 week program for Social Entrepreneurs. It is for small business owners and sole-preneurs who want their marketing to be aligned with their conscious intentions and done with the same integrity as the products or services they offer.

I am thrilled to be part of this program with approximately 450 entrepreneurs and change-makers from all over the world. AND.., this is no easy-breezy program! We are just in our second week, and I am wondering how I will keep up! It is content heavy and there are lots of things to complete. Not quick things, because each one requires that you contemplate and put into words your dreams, desires, ideas and challenges. This is a program that works you!

The way it is structured uses a private Facebook group, where the majority of participants are posting updates, status, questions, concerns and accomplishments. So it is interactive and a bit overwhelming.

Think about several hundred new friends all actively communicating with one another from every timezone around the world! I feel this amazing connectedness to them already and yet, you can’t possibly see everything that is being shared.

What I am noticing the most right now, in this early stage is how much ‘perspective’ plays in our day-to-day lives. I have always felt like I had a clear vision for what I wanted to create with Storm Wisdom. At the same time, I have also felt challenged by how to communicate that. How to let others know and how to develop the marketing around that!

From my days in the corporate world, I knew I would be able to set up and run a business. I have done this almost a dozen times for the company I worked for. But these were always internal operations.., there was no one to ‘market’ to or ‘promotions’ for these businesses (or operations). So, my comfort with the marketing aspect of running a small business, has always felt elusive.

I have a lot to learn. But.., I am not as limited in my abilities as I have been thinking! I have been saying for over 5 years now that I “have no marketing experience”. But the truth is.., I have over 5 years of experience doing this!

Am I an expert? No. However, running a small business for five years has given me lots of experience with what works and what doesn’t work for a business like mine. There are some things that this program teaches that I have figured out on my own. They call it the ‘School of Hard Knocks’. And still, I know and I am aware of them. (Mind you, I still have tons to learn!)

The reason I bring this up is because I think we do this to ourselves to often. We minimize our own experience and what we have learned. We are so busy telling the old stories of what we lack, or what’s missing, or what we don’t understand; that we forget to bring ourselves current.

We have a perspective and that perspective feels real.

For me, it was stepping into something that obviously stretches my comfort-zone, that had me realize.., although there is great value in learning about things that I have limited experience with, I am not a beginner. I have already traveled a ways down this path, and my experience along the way provides a strong foundation for what is next.

I wonder if you might need to reassess and bring yourself current? See if there is a perspective you are holding onto that no longer fits?

Because one of the other things I am noticing about this is that the things that are now easy for me, I do not think of as strengths. We do this to ourselves too often. Because we find something to be easy, we think it is not as valuable as something that is harder for us! When in fact for others, our ‘easy’ may be challenging for them!

I will give you an example. Many times when I walk by our ‘Upcoming Events’ flyer rack, I will notice the variety of flyers. In a few seconds, I can tell you right away which ones people are likely to pick up. I can also tell you the ones that are likely to be avoided.., or never even touched. People don’t want to pick up a flyer that feels like ‘homework’. Yet so many people (sorry if I am talking about you!) want to write a novel and put it on a flyer, which is simply trying to get someone’s attention. An effective flyer will get their attention and then refer them to your website for more info!

I did not know this 5 years ago when we started. I know this from the experience of running this business for the past five years.

What are the things you know that are now second nature for you? Whether you work for yourself or someone else…, you know stuff! Probably a lot more than you are giving yourself credit for! Time for a perspective upgrade! Bring yourself current! I know that is what I am doing as I embark on this new adventure! I want the current me present, not my old idea of who I use to be!

Let me know if this spurs any new thoughts for you or where you noticed a perspective upgrade might be in order!

With Light, Love, and Laughter
Charles