Discovering your groove and creating a luscious life is all about allowing for grace through your next transition.

Today marks the third anniversary of my flight from corporate America to entrepreneurial Freedom. An auspicious occasion making me grin from ear to ear all day long.  I did it and survived.  Here we are three years later and I am no longer entrenched in the drama of what was.  This new path,  whilst still unfolding,  represents following my bliss.

Is seems only natural to post my transition story to celebrate a wicked cool week.

Enjoy!

Not too long ago my career had been dedicated to sales, mentoring, coaching and leading an exceptional sales force.

For most of my prior life, I was a woman who: was happily married, would earn a six figure income, was a loyal employee, an over achiever, traveled to exotic places, would live in my dream home, and would be involved in the highly charged corporate world forever!

Today I am a woman who: is happily married, the mother of a sweet and healthy daughter, has earned the six figure income, plus all the perks, has traveled to many delightful places, lives in the home of my dreams, and has become a successful professional life and business coach.

Commence with the Transition …

A sacred knowing or astuteness accompanies the first foray into motherhood. Children have a way of smacking you upside the head with an uber dose of what is truly critical. The miracle of child birth became the catalyst for a complete lifestyle transformation. While home on maternity leave I was watching a morning news program and became drawn to an interview with a professional life coach. The attraction was profound. I contacted the television station for more information, found a local coach to talk with, and began to learn about the business of professional coaching. “Co-Active Coaching – New Skills for Coaching People Toward Success in Work and Life” written by coaching pioneers, Laura Whitworth, Henry Kimsey-House and Phil Sandahl was a my first coaching playbook.

When I returned to my career, the coaching process became my revitalized way to lead my sales force. Coaching in the sales environment, gave me a load of practical experience for what would become my true calling.

After a few more loyal years, the high stress levels of being a corporate creature and doing business in someone else’s boardroom was losing its appeal. Even though my career path resulted in the realization of my goals and dreams, I became completely disinterested in corporate culture and, unwilling to jump through any more flaming circus hoops for money.

It’s amusing, and disheartening, when you realize your dedication, smart work, energy, – all the things you put into your career daily – are ONLY for the sake of performing a duty and receiving a paycheck. This new found awareness helped cement my corporate world exit strategy. It was time to let go of the illusion of control that the “big bucks” created.

Not too long ago, I made one of the most important decisions in my life. The promise to leave corporate America and give my entrepreneurial calling a shot. I started preparing my exit strategy. No longer a company creature; my job was surely destroying my soul. I longed to spend my days being left alone by the “powers that be”.  Please understand, my prior career was a lot of fun and a great challenge for a long time. The reason why I excelled and stayed on the path for 18 years had a big part to do with being left alone, to do what I did best. When a new regime change took hold, the corporate culture changed drastically, which led to my slow and certain suffocation. Without the discomfort, I may have never allowed myself to consider following my dreams.

More on discomfort … I was extremely anxious giving up a significant income to go out on my own. For awhile I even tried to trick myself into staying with the CASH. Then I would ultimately realize how many people have gone before me and taken a well planned leap of faith. What ever you want to achieve you can accomplish with great discipline and imagination.

After thoughtful consideration, much manic behavior, conversations with my family and confidantes; moving forward on the path of my dreams was the ONLY option. Sharing your plans and dreams with the people who know you intimately is an excellent way to receive honest feedback. These are the same people who will hold your hand through the transition. Declaring my plan for independence helped me stay on the path to personal freedom.

For about one year, many of my evenings, weekends and lunch hours were dedicated to self awareness and studying for my professional coaching certification. This transition time included, setting a new household budget, reallocating investments, setting up a line of credit, and buying a new car (for the first time in 11 years) The plan was to build my coaching business and the True Balance brand, one day at a time, until I could give my two weeks notice.

Straddling two worlds was fairly easy. The job I no longer enjoyed was palatable because I could see, feel and taste the light of my future. The most difficult part of the divide would turn out to be leaving my sales force. Leaving them behind was my biggest cross to bear until I allowed myself to let go and to understand that each person was amazing in his or her own right and would ultimately be fine in my wake.

During this time, finding humor in the day to day corporate environment was the greatest blessing. Ultimately, you do what ever you can to NOT take yourself too seriously when working through a life changing transition. The discovery of professional humor, allowed for functioning well in the environment and finding some peace in the moment.

Finally, after fourteen years, I left my prior life on my terms. My former employer decided to downsize our sales management group within 60 days of my planned exodus. The interesting part of this equation is three managers were given the responsibility of figuring out who would leave. Did I really jump up and say “pick me, pick me!?” I was thrilled to have the “out” and volunteered to be the “lucky” laid off executive and have never looked back. Thankfully, this scenario meant an unexpected severance package. Synchronicity is such a blessing!

I packed my box, (the same day) apparently my willingness to leave sped up my departure … Said so long to the big bucks, turned in my company SUV, let go of a cushy expense account, and found the courage to walk away from a career that no longer suited me.

Fast-forward three years …

Being in the business of helping people recognize their brilliance is a blast! The focus for the rest of my days is inspiring people do the things they think they cannot do on their own. I am sharing every ounce of my prior business experience to coach professional women in career transition to set big goals, achieve extraordinary results and create balance in their lives.

In three kick ass years I have dreamed and mind mapped my way to:  a professional coaching certification, the creation of two coaching businesses, a yoga teaching certification, a series of Luscious Living playshops, and becoming a best selling co-author. Currently I am doing final edits for my next book after conducting more than 40 interviews with inspirational entrepreneurs.  Life on Your Terms – Stories of Entrepreneurial Freedom will be finished by the end of the year.  DIG IT!

I am grateful for the courage, passion and wonder to live the rest of my life on my terms.

1. Do you have a liberation story you want to share?
2. Are you ready to accelerate living life on your terms?
3. What can you do today to begin moving forward with your next transition?

Shann Vander Leek is the Founder of True Balance Life Coaching and Co-founder of Seize True Success. She is a Coach Training Alliance certified professional coach, and certified yoga instructor. Shann is a prolific blogger, published writer and co-author of the Best Selling Book – Wake Up Women BE Happy Healthy & Wealthy. Shann’s personal style and direct approach have guided and inspired many in overcoming personal and professional challenges. Her background in sales, marketing and client development, along with leading a talented sales force for many years prepared her for the business of professional coaching. Shann inspires women in transition to create balance in their lives through personal coaching, yoga and creative expression. Telephone and email consultations make her accessible to clients all over the world. To find out about her Coaching Programs for Women, call Shann at 231.668.111 or visit www.truebalancelifecoaching.com

When I first started creating, writing and designing companies’ e-newsletters, we simply adapted the format we marketers had used for print newsletters. Now, however, with a huge proliferation of e-mail marketing out there, we have to be more strategic. Here are three quick tips for making your e-mail marketing work:

1. Build your list slowly. The print newsletter model allowed us to mass-mail, but that is heavily frowned on in the e-mail world. Instead, slowly build an opt-in list of people who actually want to hear from you.

2. Avoid graphics. This is hard for me to say, since I love graphics, but with so many handheld devices acting as people’s main form of e-mail retrieval, graphic-heavy e-newsletters can actually work against you. Stick to simple text, and you have a better chance of getting your e-mail read while someone is waiting for their flight or sitting in a doctor’s office.

3. Keep it short and simple. This is also hard for me to say, since I love to write, but there simply isn’t time in the day to read all of the information that passes through our e-mail boxes. Use bolding and bullets so that your readers can quickly skim your e-newsletter.

Virginia Ginsburg is an entrepreneur and business & marketing consultant who delivers strategic, affordable marketing services through her company accordionmarketing. She also writes a blog called Body > Mind > Business, which discuses the connection between business health and personal health, and the struggles she faces in pursuit of work-life balance. Virginia has an MBA from the University of Southern California and is currently (slowly) pursuing a Ph.D. in Psychology at UCLA. She has more than 12 years of experience as a senior marketing consultant, and has served as a trusted partner, coach and consultant to more than 100 sole proprietors, partnerships and corporations. 
Virginia lives in Santa Monica, CA with her husband and daughter. As part of her passion for working with entrepreneurs, Virginia is actively involved in small business development projects in the U.S. and in developing countries.

Here are the three most commonly asked questions about Twitter:

1. What the heck is Twitter?
Twitter is a free social-messaging tool for staying connected in real-time. It is sometimes called a “micro-blogging service” that enables its users to send and read other users’ short (140-character) updates, known as tweets.

2. Why should I use it?
The jury is out on this, but proponents say it’s a great way to begin and maintain a direct dialogue with your customers. This value really depends on your customer base, though and whether they are on Twitter and following you. At the very least, when done correctly, Twitter can increase your search engine visibility, but again, this only matters if your customers are the type of people who are searching for you online.

3. How can I get started?
The best thing to do is to sign up for a Twitter account (it’s free) and start following some other people on Twitter. Start with any friends or colleagues you know who are already on Twitter (I’m @virginiagins), then check out Twellow - the Twitter directory for people in your field or industry to follow. Once you have a feel for how/what people tweet, dive in and give it a try!

Virginia Ginsburg is an entrepreneur and business & marketing consultant who delivers strategic, affordable marketing services through her company accordionmarketing. She also writes a blog called Body > Mind > Business, which discuses the connection between business health and personal health, and the struggles she faces in pursuit of work-life balance. Virginia has an MBA from the University of Southern California and is currently (slowly) pursuing a Ph.D. in Psychology at UCLA. She has more than 12 years of experience as a senior marketing consultant, and has served as a trusted partner, coach and consultant to more than 100 sole proprietors, partnerships and corporations. 
Virginia lives in Santa Monica, CA with her husband and daughter. As part of her passion for working with entrepreneurs, Virginia is actively involved in small business development projects in the U.S. and in developing countries.

Recently, cnn.com/living reported that a growing number of women are choosing to leave the workforce to become stay-at-home wives.  Good choice, ladies!  I applaud your decision and raise my margarita glass to you! 

In the 1960s, our mothers and grandmothers fought for our right to choose a career path fitting to our needs and free from the constraints of society’s expectations or demands.  Almost fifty years later, we can choose to stay home to maintain a happy home and raise a family without shame, criticism or question.  Even though the pay stinks and vacation time and sick days are an absurd notion, many of us refuse to hang up our aprons any time soon.  

As the article reports, some women have the option to stay at home with their decision having little or no financial impact.  As in my case, my husband’s salary covers all of our household expenses and I feel fortunate to have the opportunity and choice to be a stay-at-home mom  Domestic Diva.

Even once my children are in school full-time, I have no desire to return to teaching, but my professional skills are by no means “wasted” as I apply those skills in all aspects of my life as a stay-at-home mom.  The skills acquired during my teaching career are utilized when managing my moms group and raising my children.   Essentially, I teach children all day long.  I also dust off my teaching tools on days that I volunteer at my daughter’s school.

Even the women in my moms group tap into their professional skills as SAHM.  In her former life as an administrative assistant, Erika adopted the most amazing organizational skills.  Those skills play into her stay-at-home career as she generates and maintains filing systems for every project in her life.  Perhaps, if Erika does not return to work, she should offer how-to organizational work-shops in between pedicures and household chores.

However, stay-at-home wives have an advantage over stay-at-home moms.  A stay-at-home wife has the luxury to focus on her own needs and personal goals, whereas stay-at-home moms often find it difficult to put their needs first.  The needs of a stay-at-home mom often fall behind the needs of her children and her husband, and therefore her personal goals are put on hold.   

When choosing to trade your paycheck for an apron, there are two important points to consider: lack of income and lack of adult interaction.  While in the workplace, you are accustomed to having frivolous spending money and a disposable income. Upon entering the world of domestic bliss, the absence of an income becomes a difficult adjustment.  One less paycheck means a lot less spending.  To help with your transition, plan a budget for fun money in your weekly or monthly budget, which excludes household bills, groceries and other expenses.

Unless you prefer solitude, staying at home can be a lonely choice for some.  Although work may have caused you some stress, there were co-workers to chat with and many opportunities for stimulating adult conversation. Therefore, to keep you sane and connect with other people, join an on-line social network to find others with similar interests, such as scrapbooking or an outdoor adventure group.  Also, search for local special interest happenings related to your hobbies.  An all night scrapbooking event or a book discussion at a local coffee shop can provide a means to satisfy your craving for adult interaction. 

As for me, working was over-rated.  Sure the money was a perk, but the stress out weighed the benefit for me.  I actually prefer a pile of poopy diapers over a pile of paperwork.  These days, I have achieved a work-life balance like none other.

I have a feeling this is going to be a long day…

First, I overslept by 45 minutes. I couldn’t sleep during the night because my mind was racing with a new business concept. I was up at 2:00am answering emails and creating an outline of ideas for the new business. Finally after two hours of clearing my head, I was able to go back to sleep.

Because I overslept, the kids overslept – since I did not wake them up on time. So you can see the domino effect that is occurring.

While running around the house trying to get the kids ready for school, I did not notice my puppy whining to go outside. So she decides to leave me a surprise on the dining room floor…a very large pile of poop. How can something that small produce something so big?

I clean up the poop, finish feeding the kids (no time for me to eat), get kids to brush their teeth and rush out the door.

Cat runs out the door, puppy runs after the cat, oldest son runs after the puppy who is chasing the cat around the yard. As son runs out, he locks the door behind him. I find emergency key, get the puppy in the house/crate, get the kids in the car and head off to school.

Run a bunch of errands. Good thing I had a yellow sticky note to remind me of what errands I had to do. Errands go smoothly.

Arrive back home, let puppy out to run…she finds a dead mouse that cat she chased left for her. She starts eating it, I extract dead mouse from mouth and throw in woods……

And this all took place by 9:30am. Calgon take me away!

Traci Bisson has been a mom since February 2000 and an entrepreneur since August 2000. Eight weeks after she returned from maternity leave, the company where she had been employed for five years went out of business. She decided to try doing her own thing and failed miserably. After another year of working for two different companies (the first laid off the department she worked in and the other was showing signs of going under), she decided to try entrepreneurship again. Raising her two children and growing her company, Bisson Barcelona, has been both challenging and rewarding. Her story has been told in dozens of publications, including the Associated Press, National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB.com), Plan Ahead Get Ahead (cover story), Union Leader, The Portsmouth Herald, Our Times and Seacoast Ventures.

Shann Vander Leek

Each week Marigold honors a woman business owner who has demonstrated outstanding business integrity and unwavering support for women in business.  I am honored to be the recipient of the prestigious award.

Each recipient is honored with:

• Special Marigold E-Mail Salute to 2,000 area business women
• Radio spots on 106.7 YOU-FM telling her story to all of northern Michigan
• Is the featured guest on Mary in the Morning
• Receive an engraved award at the Williams Honda Salute to Women in Business Luncheon at the Marigold Business Conference in September 2009.

Who is Marigold?

Marigold celebrates women’s economic opportunities through entrepreneurship and career development. Marigold’s passion is serving and supporting women in business, bringing together the talents of many professionals to offer high quality training programs, support groups, marketing opportunities, and technical assistance.

Tune to YOU-FM at 106.7FM or 105.5FM this Friday from 7:45-8:15 to join in the conversation with me and Mary Rogers, founder of Marigold.  For show information, click here.

Marigold Excerpt

Shann Vander Leek was a powerful sales manager in the television broadcasting industry.  After 16 years, the high stress levels of being a corporate creature was losing its appeal.   After thoughtful consideration, moving forward on the path of her dreams was the ONLY option. Shann’s leadership abilities that made her such a huge success in the business world were now affording her the opportunity to follow her passion to inspire women in transition. Congratulations Shann!

“I think too often we as women put everyone and everything first,” said Shann.  “We forget that we can give the most when we are living lives we love.  We can be the best mothers, wives, business owners or colleagues when we are feeling nurtured, fulfilled, inspired and self expressed.”

My Story

I became a certified professional coach and business owner because it gave me the chance to be completely independent and allowed me to reinvent my life on my terms.   A rich and full life dedicated to personal freedom, creative expression and the opportunity to deliver a meaningful coaching service.

After 16 successful years devoted to sales and sales management in the high powered,television broadcasting industry, it was time for a significant change. The high stress levels
of being a corporate creature and doing business in someone else’s boardroom was losing its appeal.  Even though my career path resulted in the realization of many of my goals and
dreams, I became completely disinterested in corporate culture and, unwilling to jump through any more flaming circus hoops for power and money.

After thoughtful consideration, conversations with my family and confidantes; moving forward on the path of my dreams was my ONLY option. I prepared, planned, dreamed and
schemed for 12 months.  I covered all of the bases to allow for my transition from the corporate world. I love being an entrepreneur.  I am a natural leader and find that I am
thriving by following my passion to inspire women while honoring my natural rhythm.

The birth of my daughter inspired me to become an entrepreneur along with florescent lighting and corporate politics.   My family, friends and clients keep me inspired to “Show
Up” every day and keep growing personally and professionally.

I enjoy inspiring women in transition to create a more balanced way of living.  A life filled with extreme self-care.  I think too often we as women put everyone and everything first.
We will start a new business when the mortgage is paid off.   We will take yoga or art classes once the kids finish school.  We will get healthy or fit when we have more time.

My goal is to inspire as many women as possible to be willing to put themselves first, take care of their bodies, nurture their dreams, and make the best use of their talents.

My never ending curious nature along with a good supply of creative energy keeps me motivated. My mentor coach Deb Martin and my business partner at Seize True Success,
Diane Helbig have both been instrumental to my success.

The advice I share with women considering or in the beginning stages of ownership is as follows:

Figure out what you want to create and allow for a minimum of 12 months (if at all possible) to put your plan in action.

• Consider working with a coach or mentor to help you navigate the transition

• Involve your family and close friends

• Allow for setbacks and second guessing

• Set clear and specific dates of completion for each part of your transition

• Be flexible and find humor in the difficult situations.

Everything boils down to several simple ideas. Allow yourself the time to work through a serious transition, keep your family and close friends involved, allow for setbacks, work on a
reasonable time line and find humor in the day to day journey. Before you know it, you will be where you want to be – By Design.  Being in the business of inspiring people to recognize their brilliance is a blast!  The focus for the rest of my days is about inspiring women in transition to set big goals, achieve extraordinary results and create balance in their lives.

Discovering your groove and creating a luscious life is all about allowing for grace through the transition.

Learn more about my story – Walking Away From The Big Bucks In The Pursuit of True Balance in my new Best Selling book, Wake Up Women BE Happy, Healthy & Wealthy. Grab a copy today at www.truebalancelifecoaching.com or at Higher Self in Traverse City or Brilliant Books in Suttons Bay.  10% of the proceeds will be donated to the Women’s Resource Center in northern Michigan.

Thank you Marigold!

Shann Vander Leek is the Founder of True Balance Life Coaching and Co-founder of Seize True Success. She is a Coach Training Alliance certified professional coach, and certified yoga instructor. Shann is a prolific blogger, published writer and co-author of the Best Selling Book – Wake Up Women BE Happy Healthy & Wealthy. Shann’s personal style and direct approach have guided and inspired many in overcoming personal and professional challenges. Her background in sales, marketing and client development, along with leading a talented sales force for many years prepared her for the business of professional coaching. Shann inspires women in transition to create balance in their lives through personal coaching, yoga and creative expression. Telephone and email consultations make her accessible to clients all over the world. To find out about her Coaching Programs for Women, call Shann at 231.668.111 or visit www.truebalancelifecoaching.com

Since I just wrote about Starbucks, I thought I should update everyone with the latest business news from the company. Fiscal second-quarter profit dropped 77%. Why? Because the company is going through a major restructuring and closing 123 U.S. stores.

I love Starbucks, but I wonder if this has anything to do with its faster-than-light global expansion. Perhaps even more damaging is the weak economy and McDonald’s latte launch:

“Over the past 18 months, McDonald’s has been steadily introducing lattes, cappuccinos and mochas in individual markets across the country. Some 80% of the company’s 14,000 U.S. stores now sell these drinks, and this week McDonald’s will roll out a national advertising campaign trumpeting the McCafé section of its menu.” Full story: TIME magazine