We all can use a little inspiration these days. Here are some of my favorite quotes for you to benefit from. Leave me your favorite quotes on my Facebook page.

Mindset –

“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.”  — Winston Churchill

“I’m a very positive thinker, and I think that is what helps me the most in difficult moments.”  — Roger Federer

“Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.”  — Willie Nelson

Self-Care –

“Nourishing yourself in a way that helps you blossom in the direction you want to go is attainable, and you are worth the effort. ” – Deborah Day

“Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths. ” – Etty Hillesum

“Love yourself first, and everything else falls in line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world. ” – Lucille Ball

Business –

“Would you like me to give you a formula for success? It’s quite simple, really: Double your rate of failure. You are thinking of failure as the enemy of success. But it isn’t at all. You can be discouraged by failure or you can learn from it, so go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because remember that’s where you will find success.” — Thomas J. Watson

“Don’t let the fear of losing be greater than the excitement of winning.” — Robert Kiyosaki

“If you really look closely, most overnight successes took a long time.” — Steve Jobs

Independence day has a variety of meanings –

Celebrating America’s freedom from England in 1776.

Will Smith’s movies Independence Day

Or the day that you decide to reduce the amount of tolerations in your life.

That’s right – tolerations….

Those things, activities, people that you are putting up with, dealing with and letting take your precious energy and time.

On Monday, I offer you a cool new perspective to embrace around tolerations…

Uncover them, get curious and then… resolve the things you are putting up with in your life-

That dingy rug in the bedroom

The messy garage

The dirty car

The unfiled papers

The filed papers

Ok—all paper!

If you experience the toleration epidemic – July 4 is the day to begin making a shift.

Take some time, maybe 15-30 minutes – depending on how long it takes you to process this concept.

Think about the things you are tolerating in your life – the people, activities and belongings you’re putting up with – make the list and begin the releasing process.

Don’t censor, just write them all down. Then look at the list and ask yourself, “What would life be like without this ________ in my life?” Would it increase my energy and joy… which in turn increases your engagement and productivity?

Now, prioritize what tolerations will be crossed off of the list first and enjoy every second of the crossing off activity with a black sharpie.

Give yourself ninety days to lessen your tolerations. New tolerations have a way of slipping in when you least expect it.

Learning to navigate their entry and exit is part of this process – embrace it!

Then you can figure out what you are going to do with a bit of extra energy…..let the fun begin!

Share your successes with me on Facebook. I cannot wait to hear what you have let go of and the positive impact it made on your day.

Here’s to your independence from tolerations!

Spending a week living on a boat and riding a bicycle on the Amalfi Coast was magical. Alexandra was an amazing tour guide and the other 3 couples we shared the space with were delightful (thank goodness!) 

Here are three lessons I learned from this adventure:

Mindset –Optimism can be too much of a good thing! I’ve been riding a bicycle for almost 10 years. I live in Atlanta, where there are some very big hills. I felt like I was in good shape. I saw the terraces we were going to climb on the second day of riding. 5 vertical hills back to back with no warm up at all – in my mind, I had this. The problem was I attacked that hill with confidence and did not listen to my guide. She said “go slow in granny gear – one and one.” I thought, I am a hill climber, I got this and off I went like Speedy Gonzalez. Into the second hill, I had a hard time catching my breath. During the third terrace, I thought I may have to stop – what??  I never stop. At the fourth terrace, if I did not stop, I feared I would have a cardiac arrest. I stopped, took a break and finally made it to the top of the hill with a bruised ego and very tired lungs.

Lesson #1 – Go slow to go fast and take what the experts say to heart.

Self-Care –The foundation of a good vacation is good Self-Care. That looks different for everyone. For me, taking time to both be in the moment of the beauty of Italy (the gift of very limited Wifi) and writing in my journal, reflecting on what we experienced each day was an imperative part of my self-care.  This combination was as delicious as pizza and wine.  

Lesson #2 – Be in the moment and reflect on the good things that happen each and every day. This will shift your neural pathways and increase your Joy Factor!

Business –Always be prepared. One of the women on our boat was the Director of Catering for a large organization in Wisconsin. Even though I was there to relax, when the opportunity presented itself, we talked about our professional passions and I hope to be speaking at a conference in Wisconsin sometime soon. 

Lesson #3 – Always have business cards and listen for the opportunity where what you do can complement what someone else does.

Get Your Business Off To The Right Start By Incorporating and Putting The Proper Agreements And Disclaimers In Place.

Corey Lederman and Elena Volkova, Esq. on July 14, 2015

Incorporate

Incorporating allows you to protect your personal assets, your intellectual property and allows for better estate planning by ensuring that the business you’re creating will live and operate independent of you.

While you’re doing the wonderful work that you do, you also need to be thinking about the worst: What if I get sued? All it takes is one disgruntled client that misunderstands or misrepresents what you told them or what they thought you agreed upon to take you to court. The cost of defending that suit, even if you win, could be thousands of dollars – coming straight out of your pocket.

Incorporating adds a level of insulation between the business and your personal bank account. Thus, the business account is responsible – not your personal account. And if the business account can’t pay for lawyer fees or a judgment against it, then that’s it (for the time being at least). In other words, except in limited circumstances, you will not be personally liable for that debt and it won’t affect your personal credit. The business owes the debt.

And Act Accordingly

Once you become a more structured entity, you need to act like one. By that, I mean use your corporate name, not your personal name, in all business transactions and on business stationary. Every single document or check made out to you should have your corporate name on it, not your personal one. And be insistent that people use the corporate name. It’s an indication to customers that they are dealing with the business, not you personally, and it’s an indication to the courts that your personal assets are not on the line.

Consider Forming an LLC

An incorporated entity, be it a limited liability company (LLC) or a regular business corporation (Inc., or Corp.), is a container for your business, an entity that is going to have its own separate bank account, its own agreement, and its own name. It actually is an entity that can live longer than a natural person.

If you are in business by yourself, then more likely than not, being a limited liability company is the right choice for you. Unlike the older partnership models, LLCs are more streamlined and provide more protection to the owners. LLCs also have a more open-ended format, in which the structure of the entity is delineated in an operating agreement that you create.

And for purposes of choosing your tax treatment, more likely than not, your accountant will tell you to check the box as “sole proprietor,” which means you will be filing your taxes on Schedule C.

But Don’t Stop There: Put The Proper Agreements In Place

Having good agreements in place is another level of insulation between you and your clients. Good agreements will protect you in a more specific way from every single client. And you can put a lot of different provisions in your agreements that are advantageous to you. For example, you can prescribe the method and mode of payment, the scope of the employment relationship, and the cancellation policy. An often overlooked provision is where you state that if there is a failure to pay and you have to get a lawyer and sue them, the client is responsible for those legal fees.

Free contract templates on the internet are a good starting point, but cannot protect you fully. In fact, some of the clauses might work against you, depending on your specific situation. But it might be good to consider them when you’re starting out.

Don’t Forget Disclaimers

As a coach, you also need to make certain disclaimers. You need to make it clear that you are not providing specialized professional services that necessitate a license (if you do not have a license). If you’re dealing with people who have mental or health issues, then you have to be mindful on how to structure your agreements and disclaimers in a way that fully discloses what you can and cannot do to keep you clear from scrutiny, penalties, or liability.

The disclaimer in your agreements (and possibly on your website) should make it clear that the services rendered are purely advisory in nature, do not constitute a doctor-patient relationship (or other professional relationship), does not guarantee results, and does not constitute any specialized advice.

Start Thinking Bigger: Protecting Your Intellectual Property

There is an economic benefit to writing down everything that you know and teach.

Take as much as you can out of your head and onto paper by documenting processes and any intellectual property that you created. You want your business to be able to license its course materials and presentations. And you want someone else to be able to step in if you get sick, and continue the business and everything it has to offer, without starting from scratch and rebuilding the materials.

Stand Out From the Crowd By Branding Yourself

Build a really unique brand that gets your message out to the world and allows you to make money doing what you love. A savvy way of protecting your intellectual property right out of the gate is by trademarking your original and distinct company name. It is probably your number one asset and will continue to grow in value over time as you create good will in the community. Additionally, you may want to consider trademarking the names of your seminars, signature programs, and any products that you sell (with unique and really evocative names).

A little upfront investment in the proper structuring of your business will allow your business to grow as an entity with valuable tangible and intangible assets. By incorporating, using proper agreements/disclaimers, and branding yourself properly, you will be taking the proper steps to increasing the value and longevity of your business, while also protecting yourself from liability.

There is a Cost To Incorporating, But It’s Outweighed By The Benefits

In New York, incorporating your business as an LLC could cost up to $1,500. That includes New York’s unique requirement that you publish notice in relevant newspapers, letting the public know that you have arrived. Publication alone costs roughly $700-$1,200, depending on where exactly you are located.

Filing with the Department of State costs about $250 and for another $10, you can get a certified copy of your articles of organization, which is useful when working with banks or insurance companies, in securing loans or insurance.

If you’re merely a sole proprietor (meaning not incorporated) you literally have to ask permission from clients to have someone else come in and work in your place. However, if you incorporate and the proper processes and agreements are in place, it will be seamless for somebody to step in and fulfill your contractual obligations to your client.

Incorporating also creates general mental awareness of how money is being made in the business. You understand how to keep expenses and revenue separate from your personal bank account. You start looking at your numbers more effectively.

Stand Out From the Crowd By Branding Yourself

Build a really unique brand that gets your message out to the world and allows you to make money doing what you love. A savvy way of protecting your intellectual property right out of the gate is by trademarking your original and distinct company name. It is probably your number one asset and will continue to grow in value over time as you create good will in the community. Additionally, you may want to consider trademarking the names of your seminars, signature programs, and any products that you sell (with unique and really evocative names).

A little upfront investment in the proper structuring of your business will allow your business to grow as an entity with valuable tangible and intangible assets. By incorporating, using proper agreements/disclaimers, and branding yourself properly, you will be taking the proper steps to increasing the value and longevity of your business, while also protecting yourself from liability.

This article is for general information only. It does not constitute individualized legal advice, and you should consult with a licensed attorney to determine how these general statements of the law apply to your particular circumstances.

About The Author:

Elena Volkova, Esq., is the founding member Volkova Law Group PLLC, a Manhattan law firm serving the legal needs of local businesses, non-profits and families. Elena works with start-ups and mature businesses helping them incorporate, raise financing, acquire or sell assets and negotiate complex service and employment agreements. Before starting her own practice, she was a capital markets associate at LeBoeuf Lamb (2002-2006) and Linklaters (2006-2011).

One of the perspectives I choose when I use my MSU is that life and business is like an experiment. You try new things and if they work, excellent, do them again. If not, then do something different.
Here are a few tips utilizing the Mind Body & Business approach to successful experimentation.

Mindset –Life is going to happen; it is how we react to life that makes all of the difference. Choose a perspective that will keep you moving forward.Ask yourself, if this was an experiment and it did not matter if it worked out exactly as you planned, how could you react in another way?

Self-Care –Look at your self-care as an experiment by trying one thing at a time and noticing the impact it makes on your body. If you choose to drink more water and less soda, pay attention to how you feel. Eat more green food and less white food – what is that like? When you look at these changes as an experiment, you can make changes that help you to feel good, rather than what you think you should do or what others tell you do to.

Business –If there’s a new process or procedure you want to execute in your business, implement from a place of non-attachment. Gothrough the steps to create it, whether it is launching a newsletter, beginning to speak to groups, move forward and instead of being hard on yourself for everything not working out “perfectly”, look at what you have learned and use it in your next business experiment.

Here are a few tips to enhance your mental wellbeing with a Mind Body& Business spin.

Mindset –Live in the present moment- do your best not to focus on the past or future. The past is done and who really knows what the future holds. Savor each and every moment – it truly is about the journey.

Self-Care –Create a nurturing morning ritual –  whether it’s meditation, journaling or reading positive material, this will give you a boost of positivity to help you navigate through this thing called life.

Business –Uncover and honor your values – when you are clear on what is most important to you and intentionally use your values to navigate your business, you will move through with more ease, joy, productivity and profitability!

A special Mind Body & Business gift for those who want to flourish. At Simply Flourishing, we offer our clients a tool called Potentia. It is an online learning platform that uses science based information to teach you how to flourish. By playing on this platform for a mere 10 minutes a day, you will build new flourishing habits, get to play with the coolest mood map and be able to take the very popular flourishing assessment.

If this sounds tasty to you, enjoy a free month of Potentia on us! Click here to look at the site. If you want to play for free for 30 days*, enter the code SF30 at checkout (remember to sign up for the individual plan).

Then mark some time on your calendar each day and watch yourself learn to flourish. Feel free to contact me with any questions about the platform – I am happy to meet you on a Zoom call and go through Simply Flourishing and Potentia with you.

*FYI – mark your calendar for 30 days and check in to see if you want to keep Potentia for more time – if so, you will be charged $12.95 a month. If not, cancel and you will not be billed.

One of the nicknames my sister gave me years ago is Trendy Wendy. This started when we were teenagers – look at my stylish hair!

Keeping up with the cool looks in fashion, hair and accessories comes naturally – I was raised on Glamour and Cosmopolitan!

I’ve learned one thing from liking to dress up in my own authentic way –  when I look good, I feel good.

When I feel good, I can accomplish anything.

This a tasty combination for success.

How would your success be impacted if you felt and looked successful? I know how…

• Your confidence would increase and you would stretch yourself to do the next right thing to reach your goals aka “inspired actions”.
• Your results would be impacted in a way that adds more dollars to your bank account and happy to your life.
• You would be sharing your gifts with many more people.

I keep myself focused on the inner work for success with the TFAR formula:

Thoughts – the words and sentences you choose to think – yes, they are a choice.

Feelings – the experience you have from what you are thinking. Try it now – choose a thought that feels satisfying to you…..think about it……how do you feel? You can try the opposite, that works too – I suggest you stay here, where you are feeling good.

Actions – what happens when you feel splendid.

Results – these are my favorite part of the formula!

Disclaimer: practicing TFAR may have you pick up the phone to follow up with a prospect because you know your services/products will add value to their life/business. This action will then lead to results you desire- a profitable business and delicious life.

Success looks good on you. Try it on for size.

Here are some tips to using the Mind Body & Business approach during the “tougher times” of life.

Mindset –Make sure you have your Joy Posse to reach out to. When people are sick or tragedy happens, knowing who you can call to lift you up is extremely valuable. Put the numbers in speed dial and use them daily. When you move your thoughts out of your head, it is quite liberating. We tend to make things bigger than they are and your Joy Posse can share a fresh perspective. Don’t you like it when someone calls you for support?

Self-Care –It is as simple as drinking enough water, getting some fresh air and eating what is good for you and what makes you feel good. A little chocolate goes a long way….. enough said.

Business –Use your values to prioritize what must be completed and what you can delegate, reschedule or take off your plate for now. I am in the midst of catching up and I keep telling myself, “I’m not a brain surgeon and no one will die if they do not hear back from me immediately.” And, if I owe you a call or email, know it is coming your way soon. 

The Mind Body and Business approach to passwords – make it fun, easy and impactful!

Mindset –Choose words/phrases that help you to flourish each and every day. Il0v3mE! or !amcre8t!v3

Self-Care –Try a word or phrase that represents what you desire for yourself.  B^laNc3 or H3^lThY

Business –Do you desire more or less of something at work? Try a new password- !^m$uc3es$Ful or t!m3IsmyFr!3nd

Use something you’ll remember and watch it create a positive impact in your life. Enjoy!

Changing your mindset is a practice and it shifts over time. Here are a few ways to use my Mind Body and Business approach to support you in having fear be a downer.

Mindset –Rewrite the Story. Since fear is often an illusion we create, remember to stop and rewrite your story when you begin to think negatively and are imagining overly dramatic or scary outcomes. Shift to thinking about the best possible outcomes and create a new story with positive results.

Self-Care –Sing a new song. Here is one I love that reminds me to free my mind….and the rest will follow…..

Sister Hazel – Change your Mind

Business –Create a Support Network. As a business owner, you are not alone when it comes to fear. When you find yourself in situations that make you fearful, lean on others to help you overcome those worries. If you do not have two or three colleagues you can lean into when you fear rears it’s ugly head, take a few minutes to think about who you could call that has possibly experienced this before(everyone!). Put them in your speed dial and reach out. It is amazing what happens when you let those thoughts out of your head—they are not as big as you think, and you are not alone in your fears.