Did you know the Universe is always listening to you? It’s just waiting for you to speak your dreams into existence. Whatever faith you follow, your higher power is cheering you on to live a life that’s the best version of you and to fulfill your destiny. That’s what the skill of dreaming is about. Going one step further, manifesting is turning your dream into reality. You can use the creative process of manifestation to open doors of opportunity and build future success as an entrepreneur.

As an entrepreneur, do you practice manifestation? I never fully understood the practice until I was headfirst into the halfway mark of my life. Little did I know that I already felt the magic of intuition as a little girl because it took me on a journey to a place where dreams really do come true.

I had just opened my birthday present from my parents. It was a gigantic box all wrapped up in colourful paper. Gigantic, when you’re six years old, is the right perspective.

As I flipped the lid on the box, a gleaming white sweatshirt with the face of a mouse staring back at me. The sweatshirt was just a little bigger than I was, which was perfect because it meant I could wear it for a long time. I wore that sweatshirt for days, and my mother had to sneak into my room when I was sleeping to get it into the wash because I didn’t want to part with it.

The Mouse…yes, it was him…the Walt Disney icon. I loved him, so.

One day, I was proudly back in my sweatshirt and had a big wooden spoon in my hand, and I was marching up and down the hallway like a parade marshall at leadership school. I suddenly stopped, spun around and looked straight at my mother. “Yes, my little one…what is it?” she said.

My first ever manifestation at the tender age of just six years old.

Boldly sticking out my chest, I said, “Mommy, someday when I grow bigger, I’m going to work for this Mouse.” I declared my dream right then and there for just the two of us to hear it. 

The innocence and fearlessness we all have as children, I love. It’s a time where there is no white noise of failure to worry about and judgement to shape our dreams. Nothing is impossible, and the more ridiculous, the better, when you’re daydreaming. As kids, we’re so open-minded, limitless and brilliant at imagining and feeling the daydream, and this is the perfect description of how to practice manifestation.

I landed a life of adversity as a young woman and quickly learned the value of grit. I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit in me. I didn’t always fit in at school or work, even though I tried with all my heart to find my place. 

Fast forward, and I’m 28-years old and still looking for my place in the world. I’ve learned an incredible amount, but I struggled and felt I needed more to be taken seriously. I decided to go back to school. I enrolled in Tourism Management. 

A group of us sat in class talking about the future and discussing where we would work after graduation. Around the group, we went, and when it came time for me to speak, I blurted out, “I’m going to work for The Walt Disney Company.” Wide eyes staring back at me, followed by disbelief. “No, you’re not – there’s no way you can ever land a job like that.” along with “Yeah, right, good luck with that one!”.  Actually, I now had an advantage when no one in the group thought I could ever do it. There were no expectations. Perfect. I wondered, though, if I even believed it myself.

I was in the middle of an HR course that I was really enjoying and had to write a case study. Everyone in the class decided to contact resorts, hotels in the local market. I was going the same route because it seemed sensible. 

Sensibility isn’t always the best route to success.

Out of the blue, I scrapped my plans and decided to ring The Walt Disney Company in Florida to see if they would be interested in answering my questions for this case study. Why not – the worst thing that can happen is that they say no, right? In my ears, I could hear my classmates snickering and voicing their disbelief. My confidence started wavering, and I even said to myself internally, “Caroline, what the earth are you doing here? Who in this company would ever want to speak to you?”

This was the day that my manifestation unfolded. The pathway all the way from just a tender six-year-old girl at her birthday was about to line up with all the dots connected. Somehow, I ended up speaking with a department Director, and we had a few fantastic conversations. He was so kind, enthusiastic and encouraging to me. It was enough for me that I was going to present the case study so I could at least dispel the myth that I did make contact with The Walt Disney Company.

The final key was given to me in our last conversation in which he offered me a job opportunity. No, not in Florida but my hometown. I had to interview for it, but I would be working in the Marketing department if all went well. It did go well, and I had the most incredible experience of my life working there. Lessons, people, creativity and wisdom, all the gold threads, became a part of my inner fabric as an entrepreneur. I’m beyond grateful for the people in that company who gave me a chance to follow a dream. 

This post is not really to have you read a chapter out of my memoirs. If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading! I’m hoping that you’ll be inspired and encouraged to never give up on the dreams you have. 

We never know the pathway our dreams will take or how long they will come to fruition. When things don’t match our timing, we usually get discouraged. But often, what that really means, is that we’re not ready yet. We need a few more experiences, people and tools in our lives to be able to make the most of it. So keep believing in yourself and whatever you do, don’t play the comparison game or listen to the non-supporters.

It was a magical time in my life, and this one experience propelled me to expand myself, my knowledge and my experience. To honour my creativity and let it shine through an attitude of never giving up – there’s always a way. The Disney dust is a part of me. It was a long time ago, but it sometimes feels just like yesterday. But what I discovered is that using the creative process of manifestation to open doors of opportunity and build future success as an entrepreneur is available to me at any time.

If you still have a dream flickering in your heart, keep going, my friend! Press on and climb higher. The world needs you, your beautiful brain and your creative spirit. Break free from the fear! Start today and begin your journey to greatness. Most importantly, if you need help, never be afraid to ask. There’s always enough magic to go around.

Here’s what you need to remember to begin manifesting your dreams: visualize it – every detail, raise the emotion inside you to feel it as though you’re living it now, believe in it with all your heart and soul. Do this process several times a day. Then fasten your seatbelt!

PS…I still have the sweatshirt!

 

I help entrepreneurs and business owners just like you keep pressing forward to achieving a balanced lifestyle. Our virtual partnership can help you focus on your zone of genius while I help with your business’s day-to-day, giving you more time for self-care and the things that matter the most. Learn more.

 

 

It’s lonely at first, being an entrepreneur because it’s just you wearing all the hats, making all the crucial decisions and being your own coach when things go sideways. The path is never straight or without its ups and downs as you develop your business.

Finances are lean in these times, and more than one entrepreneur has hung their shingle out on a wing and a prayer (and a few credit cards). It requires careful, strict discipline to keep the shiny object syndrome at bay and not buy every tool and course you can get your hands on.

Plus, entrepreneurs after a year or two can become highly protective of their business and fall into a mindset that they are the only ones that can run the operations correctly; becoming so tight-fisted and close-minded to the idea of working with anyone. In continuing to think they have to know it all and do it all.

It becomes a focus on control over results

It’s understandable, after pouring in 150% of yourself and 18-hour days along with the savings that you need to be responsible with what you have if you want to play the long game.

What is not apparent is that quietly growing beneath the surface is a micro-management style of business. It doesn’t usually pop it’s head out until you finally bring another person into your business to help grow it. The narrow-minded focus of having it your way because that’s the way you’ve always done it.

Deep down, I believe it’s a few things that are the cause, but almost always it’s based out of fear. No matter how talented the person is, the entrepreneur just cannot help obsessing over every detail to the point of exhaustion. It’s ineffective, unproductive and detrimental to success. If you don’t pay attention, you can start to feel like a 6-foot sunflower in a four-inch pot – rootbound and stunting your growth.

One other reason that entrepreneurs shy away from bringing people on board is thinking they have to become an employer and add all the investment and management of handling an employee. It’s a headache that no one wants to add to their list of operating tasks, and it’s not true.

I’ve worked with successful leaders and entrepreneurs throughout my career. There is nothing more satisfying than to observe purpose-driven people make life happen. 

The ones that continue to climb and develop have one thing in common: the understanding that the road to success is not travelled alone… and a lot more fun when you have a team of individuals that share a common belief and are unified to achieve growth.

What’s the point of being in business if you aren’t enjoying it and achieving a level of success that can change your life? Isn’t that the whole reason you jumped into this in the first place? Remember, there is always strength in numbers.

To climb higher, you’re going to need a team to back you.

These entrepreneurs also understand that having a work-life balance is essential to their performance. They know that the only way to strike this balance is by having a close-knit team around them and having the ability to trust them with the business as well as be open to new ideas and processes by drawing on the skills and talents from them. These wise leaders can take a few days away to go to a conference or yes, a vacation and spending the time on doing what they love, making a difference and concentrating on what matters most.

What about you? Are you done with the whole lean start-up phase of business and ready to invest in growing your business and taking a huge leap?  Are you wanting to help more people and scale your business? To do so, you’re going to have to take off all those hats you’ve been wearing while thinking the best way to forge business is to learn to do it all.

Becoming a purpose-driven entrepreneur means it’s time to level up, work differently, live powerfully and feel like you can take a breath and start the next adventure — time to shift your thinking to a virtual partnership. We’re talking about entrepreneurs working together, bringing ideas to the table and collaborating to achieve growth.

The benefits are vast, and the opportunities are endless. Absolutely, you’ll need someone with tops skills, resources and a network of professionals to draw from but it’s also about chemistry. It’s all about finding the professional that will help you take care of business just like you would or even better so you can finally gain some clarity, a sharper focus, more productivity and real balance.

If you’re still sitting on the fence about the investment and benefits of working with a Virtual Professional, then consider this:

Top 10 Reasons to Outsource to Virtual Team:

1. No increase in overhead costs and the headaches of managing employees.
2. Lets you capitalize on your business strengths, pursue income-generating activities.
3. A sharper focus on the opportunity to plan, set goals and achieve them.
4. Become more productive, efficient and profitable operation.
5. Consistent brand management and communications to increase your online presence.
6. Create a seamless client experience to build fan base and loyalty.
7. Experience better management of financial resources to operate and scale the business.
8. No unnecessary downtime or income loss if you have to step away from your business.
9. Ability to create a strong balance between your business, personal life and improve overall health & wellness.
10. Provide opportunities to pay it forward by mentoring and community philanthropy.

 

Not sure where to start? Here are a few of the most common categories that are being taken care of by Virtual Professionals:

Business Tasks / Operations You Can Delegate:

• Administrative / Operations
• Client Care & Membership Services
• Travel & Event Planning
• Bookkeeping & Finances
• Digital Marketing & E-Commerce
• Social Media Engagement & Profile Management
• Group / Community Management
• Podcast/Video Management
• Website and Blog Management
• Graphic Design & Creative Services
• Tech Set-Up and Maintenance

 

To make sense of the investment is quite simple. It’s really about your most valuable commodity: your time. The ability to reclaim even just a few hours of your day to shift your focus and spend quality time on developing your business could move you closer to your dreams. When you lift your head up and out of the operations of your business, you’ll start to think differently and manage your time in a way that is meaningful to you, your business and your lifestyle. Ultimately what you’ll accomplish is making the transition from surviving to thriving.

Good business strategy starts with a plan and some framework. To begin working with a Virtual Professional and make it a long-term success, take the time to create a Business manual and clear Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s). This will save you time and money during the training phase and is also an asset to your business.

 

I help high-level entrepreneurs and business owners just like you scale up and work differently to achieve a balanced lifestyle. Our virtual partnership can help you focus on your zone of genius while, giving you more time to pursue the things that matter the most. Learn more.