10 Secrets to Survive Christmas While You Run Your Company



1. Nix Bad Personal Habits: Unwanted habits detract from life enjoyment. This includes: abusing our bodies, ignoring family and friends, working too hard. We need to have enough awareness to overcome these habits that cut into both personal and work time. This means less sugary treats, getting more sleep, watching the work hours and so forth.

2. Nix Bad Business Habits: These include not networking properly – not following up properly with people. Bad business habits also include: reinventing the wheel, not being resistant to change, not being open to lifelong learning, not planning properly, berating the competition and more. This can extend to Christmas where you do more networking, find yourself up against the competition, and need to prepare for the upcoming year.

3. Eliminate Time Wasters: Whether you’re shopping for gifts, volunteering for an event or completing a project, the only true currency is time. You have to be honest about what gets your attention, time, resources, talents, and life energy. At this time of year, you only have so much time to run your business, grab some presents and attend the parties; be ruthless with your time.

4. Think Like a Child. Remember Christmas when you were a child? Remember the magic, Santa Claus, the decorations, food, presents and relatives? As adults, we get caught up in working overtime, paying bills and obsessing about impending holiday expenses, working indoors and not playing in snow, complaining about how the year has gone, etc. Take some time and add a few childlike things to your day to help you relax and have fun.
Some ideas include: bringing hot cocoa to work, exchanging presents with staff, putting up a Christmas tree, having a stupid idea day where everyone anonymously writes down silly ways to make more money, dress like Santa, put on goofy Christmas music, tell jokes, hold contests for silly prizes. Work on making the atmosphere professional but fun. Then, see how you can plan some post Christmas getaways to recapture the fun you had as a kid.

5. Create Time Boundaries: No other time of year do you get more distractions than right before Christmas. More people call on your time, ask for your skills, talents and before you know it, you’re exhausted. You need to create time boundaries and walls in general. Decide how to say “no”, when people can phone you, meet with you, etc. When you control how your time is used, your life feels calm, cool and relaxed.

6. Brilliant Budgets: Successful businesses plan ahead and have budgets. You should also do this with Christmas spending. Decide how much you will spend on gift giving but don’t forget to consider other incidentals like travel costs, clothing, food, decorations and more. Often, we budget for the obvious but forget about the smaller things and these really add up.

7. Simplify: If you want a great Christmas - simplify. Don’t fall into the trap of having to be everything to everyone, buy lots of presents and complicate your life by attending every social function on earth. Cut back on things that don’t really serve you and stop buying junk.
Some ideas for presents include: gift certificates, donating to the needy, buying ‘green products,’ adopting an animal, donating to wildlife funds, planting a tree, adding to someone’s travel fund, cooking meals for students or the elderly, creating certificates that offer chores you’ll do for someone – use your imagination. Studies show that people really enjoy having practical gifts and things they wouldn’t indulge in for themselves.

8. Good is Great Enough: This comes back to perfection. Whether you’re buying gifts for Christmas or creating a project at work, stop obsessing. Dan Kennedy, a master marketer said that ‘good is good enough.’ I think he has a point; if you do your best at the time, don’t obsess about it, move on. Money likes speed and in today’s competitive marketplace, the person who’s trying to perfect something loses money because the faster person gets the customers and clients. Slow companies are left in the dust.

9. Risk It: Have you ever stood in a store and pondered for 20 minutes over the perfect gift for someone? Most of us have at one point or another; we wanted to impress or make someone feel good and we could not make up our mind on whether our choice was good enough. Much like saying ‘good is good enough’, sometimes you just have to risk it and buy that gift. Or, in business, take a chance, phone that person who makes you nervous, do some cold calling, speak in front of 500 people – you need to get out of your comfort zone and risk because those who do, get the fruit. Hence the saying, ‘Why not go out on a limb, isn’t that where the fruit is?’

10. Use Your Team: Most successful companies use the best people to achieve their goals. They have a team of experts, a vision and goals and they achieve what needs to be done. The same can be said about your personal team – your friends and family. Can you call on them to help you out? Can you run errands for them? This is a time when people should be working together as a team to fulfill goals. Don’t be afraid to ask for help; people are more connected when they help each other.

If you follow these ten steps, you should have a more relaxed and happy holiday season. When this doesn’t work, book your ticket to somewhere warm, grab your suitcase and get the heck out of here. Even Santa takes a vacation.

Lisa Rickwood, "Small Biz Stress Buster," is a small business coach, visual artist and author of Escape The Pace: 100 Fun And Easy Ways To Slow Down And Enjoy Your Life and co-author of Power & Soul: 42 Successful Entrepreneurs Share their Secrets for Creating the Business and Life of Their Dreams. She helps small business owners ‘master stress for professional and personal success.’ Get your FREE e-book, 5 Critical Actions That Hurt Your Business and Add Stress to Your Life…and How to Escape Them by visiting: http://www.escapethepace.com/

To Sit or Not to Sit - This is the Question...

Has this happened to you? You rush around all week and then make BIG plans for the weekend and the weekend arrives and you're out of steam.

All those HUGE ideas for getting things done are replaced by fatigue and the temptation to sit on the couch all day and watch every stupid reality T.V. show and movie that happens to be on the tube.

All of a sudden, you're filled with 'guilt' because you should be doing something worthwhile even though there's gale force winds outside and trees are bending over backward.

This happened to me the other day. I didn't want to call anyone, just barely got out of my PJs (put on sweats) and didn't put on makeup. Whee whoo!

It was pouring rain outside and it was Remembrance Day (Veterans Day in the U.S.) and it felt great to 'do nothing an ignore the world.'

Do you have days like this? If you don't, you should. Because I feel absolutely revitalized after this weekend of not traveling, not visiting people and not looking at email more than once a day. Yes, I felt a little 'funny' but I shouldn't feel guilty as I wrote a book about slowing down. If I can't relax without feeling bad, no one stands a chance.

So your assignment this week is to pick a day or a couple of hours during the week to do absolutely nothing. That's right - no T.V., no exercise, no errands. Just take a nap, doodle in a sketchbook, learn an instrument, go for a long walk, visit a friend or start a new hobby.

Let me know how you do - drop me a line and tell me how you 'escaped.'

Lisa

Keep It Simple, Stupid (K.I.S.S.)

Most of us have heard this term before but it's so easy to forget what it really means, especially in business.

When I worked as an advertising representative for a magazine, my publisher told me to design ads using the K.I.S.S. formula (keep it simple, stupid) This method worked well; I quickly created clean, crisp, successful ads for my clients. But, when I forgot the formula, I would struggle.

Are you struggling in your life of business? Maybe your business or life just needs a kiss.

Where can you apply the formula? Maybe you can simplify your sales technique, closing the sale, administrative work, marketing plan, email communications, financial plan...

Take this week and see what's complicating your life. Make a goal of using the K.I.S.S. formula and see how it saves you time, energy and your sanity and yes, even money.

Feel free to email me on how this works for you. I'd love to hear how this works.

Take care and happy escaping,

Lisa Rickwood - "Small Biz Stres Buster"

Lisa Rickwood, "Small Biz Stress Buster," is a small business coach, visual artist and author of Escape The Pace: 100 Fun And Easy Ways To Slow Down And Enjoy Your Life and co-author of Power & Soul: 42 Successful Entrepreneurs Share their Secrets for Creating the Business and Life of Their Dreams. She helps small business owners ‘master stress for professional and personal success.’ Get your FREE e-book, 5 Critical Actions That Hurt Your Business and Add Stress to Your Life…and How to Escape Them by visiting: http://www.escapethepace.com/

Are You in a Dip?

Is your business or life in a dip?

If you're not sure, you should read Seth Godin's new book, The Dip: The Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick)

I bought this book because my business, like my life, reached a dip. I felt frustrated and not sure what direction to take my business until I read the book. What fascinated me about the book was that he talked about quitting. Yes, that's right, quitting.

He said the difference between people who succeed and those who don't has to do with knowing when to quit.

We're taught in school and life to 'keep on going,' and that 'winners never quit and quitters never win.' Then, when we get out in life and continue to struggle with something, we feel defeated and want to quit but we're afraid.

How do you know when to quit? That's as individual as your genes, but one thing is true: if you have no passion, you've reached the glass ceiling, you're not passionate or if you're not growing and learning and you're only mediocre, it may be time to throw in the towel and quit with pride.

Yes, quit and move on to something you can excel at - something that makes you better than mediocre. The world rewards the top people at what they do and they don't just get rewarded a little, they get rewarded a lot.

For example, Vanilla ice cream is the most popular selling ice cream in the world and most people know that chocolate is second. What they don't know is that because Vanilla is the best, it demands not just a bit more sales, but tons more sales. Chocolate may be second but it's in the distant second and not too far in front of Butter Pecan, Neopolitan, etc.

So...if you're trudging away in life or business and not feeling the best at something, it may be time to quit and move on to something else. If pride is in your way, give it a quick, swift boot. After all, most highly successful people quit many things.

Many A-List actors were enrolled in college and quit to pursue their love - acting. Premed students quit their profession to pursue something else because they didn't really love the idea of being a doctor. (Thank goodness they did - who wants a surgeon who hates their job, operating on them?)

So...instead of feeling like a failure for quitting, think about the time and resources you save, the frustration and lack of interest, and direct your energy to things you're good at - things you excell at and things the world needs.

Happy quitting....

Lisa Rickwood, "Small Biz Stress Buster," is a small business coach, visual artist and author of Escape The Pace: 100 Fun And Easy Ways To Slow Down And Enjoy Your Life and co-author of Power & Soul: 42 Successful Entrepreneurs Share their Secrets for Creating the Business and Life of Their Dreams. She helps small business owners ‘master stress for professional and personal success.’ Get your FREE e-book, 5 Critical Actions That Hurt Your Business and Add Stress to Your Life…and How to Escape Them by visiting: http://www.escapethepace.com/

Lisa

To Delegate or Not?

If you're a small business owner or entrepreneur then you've probably struggled with this age-old question: 'Do I delegate or do it myself?'

In the beginning of a business, we may delegate but we often feel we have to do everything. There are many reasons for this way of thinking and they are as follows:

1. We don't have the money. (this is a valid reason)
2. We don't have the time to teach someone else.
3. We don't really know what we should delegate to someone else.
4. We're too busy to even realize we need to hand off some of our work.
5. We feel independent and want to 'go it alone.'
6. We don't want to give up control (this is a huge one that people fear)

There are other reasons we hold off on delegating but these are the most common reasons.

Relinquishing control is the most challenging habit because we often feel that 'no one can do the task as well as us.' We're afraid that if we hand the job to someone else, they will lose the clients, waste the resources, make us look bad, make the company look bad, etc.

Nothing could be farther from the truth (if you hire right from the start)

All the most successful companies in the world only experience success when they stop doing everything themselves and they delegate the things they hate, don't enjoy, don't have abilities for and so forth.

Ever notice how some companies bypass others? It's got to do with the team they hire. They look for talented, intelligent people who have the same philosophies and a passion and desire to build the company. These people have skills and abilities that their employer doesn't have.

That's right, never hire someone exactly like you or you will miss out on new skills.

Another reason small biz owners hate to delegate and hand jobs to others is because they feel they don't have money to do so.

I have felt this way at times because honestly, I hardly had the money to pay myself. This is where you sometimes have to be creative.

If you're a coach, you might barter and trade your coaching with someone who does website design, etc. See how you can offer your products and services in exchange for other things you need.

I caution against just a straight barter. It's better to pay for something and have the other person do so as well so there is an exchange of money. This way, you will feel abundant and will attract more money.

Being too busy to delegate can be like a double-edged sword. You need to have someone take on the work and yet you're too busy to give them things to do. It's kind of like driving your car and the gas gauge light comes on to tell you that there's only one sixteenth of a tank of gas left but instead of driving to a gas station, you decide you're too busy to slow down and refuel. Instead, you keep on driving and eventually run out of gas and are overly late for that meeting.

Sometimes pride gets in the way and we feel independent and think we should do everythng ourselves. That might be okay for a short spell; it's good to know how all areas of your company work, but after a while, playing a Lone Ranger will make you irritable, sick and you'll lose the passion for your business. You need to delegate so you can do what you do best and bring in revenue.

Finally, sometimes we don't even know what we should delegate. If you know you need to give work to someone else (signs are: frustration, losing revenue, not doing what you're gifted at, etc.) but don't know what work to hand over, you must have a plan.

Start by writing down every single thing you do in your business.

For example, you might read and answer email, send faxes phone clients, follow up with new clients, handle marketing, do book-keeping, etc.

Study your list, think about the talents you have that bring you money and then eliminate things that frustrate you, take you away from making money, take too long to do, you don't really know how to do them and so forth.

Try to only focus on things that are creative and bring you revenue, credibility, clients, etc.

If money is a huge issue, contract out. Get a virtual assistant or an employee to come in to your company and work a set amount of hours per week or month. This is a very viable way to run a company.

For example, you may only need a book-keeper for a few hours per month. Why hire someone full time if you don't need them?

When deciding to delegate or not, ask yourself what your time is worth. If you're charging $100 an hour for a service and your books are draining your time, it may be worth your while to hire that book-keeper for a few hours a month so you can take on more clients and make more money.

Take this week and think about where you might bring an expert into your company. I wish you well and feel free to email me your ideas at: info@escapethepace.com


Lisa "Small Biz Stress Buster"

Lisa Rickwood, "Small Biz Stress Buster," is a small business coach, visual artist and author of Escape The Pace: 100 Fun And Easy Ways To Slow Down And Enjoy Your Life and co-author of Power & Soul: 42 Successful Entrepreneurs Share their Secrets for Creating the Business and Life of Their Dreams. She helps small business owners ‘master stress for professional and personal success.’ Get your FREE e-book, 5 Critical Actions That Hurt Your Business and Add Stress to Your Life…and How to Escape Them by visiting: http://www.escapethepace.com/

Going on an Information Overload Diet - 5 Quick Tips to Dieting



Usually we don't like the word "diet." The cartoon character, Garfield - the orange and white big, fat cat hated this word and said it was like die with a 't.' Most of us couldn't agree more if we love food and I know I do - that's why traveling is so much fun.

Today I'm talking about the one kind of diet most of us don't mind - the information overload diet. That's right...'the ditch some of your information diet.'

Do you ever get to your computer and you have dozens of emails, people expecting a response back, letters, news, phone calls, and people wanting you to join yet another Internet social network?

In one week, I had seven people tell me about five online social networks, about how to join and what to do. You know, there's some pretty good ones like www.youtube.com and so forth, but I just don't have the time to sit holed up in a basement, checking all my responses on a social network. It's great when you're a teenager and you have tons of time and want to meet people all over the world - in fact it's pretty awesome. But, when you're running two companies, dealing with family and more, you just have to prioritize your life.

Want to know how to gain an hour of time a day, make more money and have more freedom - GO ON A DIET, AN INFO DIET!

How do you do that? Simple - see what you're paying attention to and why and think about how you can eliminate some of the 'noise' in your life. 99% of the stuff we pay attention to isn't relevant to our lives, we're just nosy. (I admit it!)

Start like this:

1. What do you read, listen to, respond to? What can you drop this week? Drop one to three things that you don't really enjoy and that take up time. Perhaps you drop a newsletter, quit an online social network, etc.

2. Stop watching the news right before bed - this doesn't allow you to relax. If you want to see the news, watch it early in the morning or the evening or just scan a newspaper.
We're all so worried we'll miss something but everyone is 'plugged in' so even when you miss the news, people say to you, 'Hey, did you hear about...'

3. What is relevant for your life? Ask yourself this question. There's only 24 hours in a day and you should focus on information that interests you, that you can respond to and that makes your life better. Sometimes the news makes you feel hopeless, depressed, unable to help. Why watch it if you feel like this?

4. Internet, T.V., iTunes, etc. Put a limit on the amount of time you'll watch or listen before you do this if time is an issue. For example, if you love surfing the net, tell yourself you'll research for no more than 30 minutes; set a timer if you must. This can really save you. Once I surfed the net for a whole afternoon and then I missed great weather and a chance to get outside and do things.

5. Set your techno rules. Only check email two or three times a day and spend 15 minutes per time and you'll save at least an hour a day, possibly longer. Tell people when they can phone you and have time when you can't be reached so you set a buffer of time to relax and 'chill.'

That's my rant for now. Send me your ideas and I'll post them for others. We all are in need of some serious dieting.

Lisa "Small Biz Stress Buster"

Lisa Rickwood, "Small Biz Stress Buster," is a small business coach, visual artist and author of Escape The Pace: 100 Fun And Easy Ways To Slow Down And Enjoy Your Life and co-author of Power & Soul: 42 Successful Entrepreneurs Share their Secrets for Creating the Business and Life of Their Dreams. She helps small business owners ‘master stress for professional and personal success.’ Get your FREE e-book, 5 Critical Actions That Hurt Your Business and Add Stress to Your Life…and How to Escape Them by visiting: http://www.escapethepace.com/

Escaping Adulthood and other Fun things...

Recently, I was contacted by a great couple, Kim and Jason, who have an awesome business called: Escape Adulthood. What I loved was their philosophy about 'getting less serious, having more fun and doing things that kids love.'They believe and I do too, that as adults, we suffer from 'Adultitis,' too serious, too many responsibilities, too much stress and not enough fun. I agree.

Have you ever sat down and thought, 'I'm working my @%*&* butt off and for what?' Have your really asked yourself why you're here on this planet other than maybe helping people, feeding a family, paying for your kids' college education and saving for the old folks home for your parents?

I don't think we're designed to just work and slave away and not enjoy life, if this was the case, we'd all be fruit flies - just feeding, reproducing and dying.

There's a lot of creatures on the planet that do just that - they are part of the cycle of life and simply act as food for other creatures.But us - we're supposed to be the smart creatures but I think other animals are smarter - they just can't communicate as sophisticatedly as us.

So what are we supposed to do when we get overwhelmed and forget to have fun? Put it on your to-do list. That's right - get up off your butt and go write down the world F-U-N in your daytimer every day.

Your assignment:
Do something just for you every day. It has to be fun, it can't involve making a living and paying bills, it can't be a chore, it must be fun, it has to stimulate some joy in you and it can take 5 minutes or an afternoon. But...you must do it every day.

If you practice this philosophy of having fun every day for at least 30 days, you will see a shift in your thinking - you will question why you don't have any fun.

Want some other ideas? Check out my interview with Kim and Jason at: EscapeAdulthood.com

Now, I'm going to go play Lasertag with my kids and then later, XBOX 360's - Guitar Hero II so I can feel like a Rock Star.

Happy playing,

Lisa - "Small Biz Stress Buster"

Lisa Rickwood, "Small Biz Stress Buster," is a small business coach, visual artist and author of Escape The Pace: 100 Fun And Easy Ways To Slow Down And Enjoy Your Life and co-author of Power & Soul: 42 Successful Entrepreneurs Share their Secrets for Creating the Business and Life of Their Dreams. She helps small business owners ‘master stress for professional and personal success.’ Get your FREE e-book, 5 Critical Actions That Hurt Your Business and Add Stress to Your Life…and How to Escape Them by visiting: http://www.escapethepace.com/

'The More People I Meet, The More I Like My Dog." (Bumper Sticker)

I'm not sure where I first saw that bumper sticker, but being a dog lover, I thought it was funny although I internally disagreed with it. (I like people)

Fast forward about 20 years...20 years of advertising sales, retail sales and working with the general public. Okay...I still like people but I really like my dog -

What you can learn about a dog and how to apply it to business:

1. Dogs are reliable: You can count on them - they're loyal. Is your staff dependable, do they treat customers with respect? Do your staff arrive on time, do their job well? Or, are there problems? How does reliability fit in your business? Can you deliver your product or service on time and to the best of your ability?

2. Dogs like to have fun: If your business isn't any fun, why do it? Okay...some of you have to for the moment - there's no quick alternative. But when you get the chance, see how you can infuse some fun into your workplace.

For example, even after the 'politically correct' way of being emerged in the corporate world, my former boss at a newspaper, downloaded un-politically correct comics and we laughed our heads off on Monday mornings. What a great way to start the week!

3. Dogs know when to play hard and go for a nap: If you're 'burning the candle at both ends,' you're not going to be having fun, and you're not going to be F-U-N. After you complete a huge project, you owe it to yourself to 'goof off' and do something fun.

Go for that hike, bikeride, swim - read, do yoga, hit the spa, have a night out with the guys...do something to blow off steam. We're all too serious and it hurts our bodies, minds and spirits.

4. Dogs like exploring: Stuck on a project, feeling 'in a slump,' or stressed out? Go exploring. You can travel out of town, visit another city or armchair travel online. Get out of your head and environment and see what others are doing.

My dog, Ricker, is 'an escape artist,' and loves to run away so he can see new things in the neighbourhood (and chase cats). When he comes back home he's happy, exercised and ready to do whatever a dog needs to do.

5. Dogs are creative: If a dog wants a bone, to chase a cat or to escape, he'll find a way. When you consider that the average dog has the intelligence of a five year old, that's pretty smart - quiet a bit of knowledge in that doggie brain.

Creativity is fast becoming something that innovative companies are looking for. If you or your company are creative, you can stand out and attract more customers or clients. How to be creative? Put a creativity box in your business. Ask employees to post ideas based on a company challenge;read a book on creativity, keep a notepad nearby, write in a journal, surf the Net, take photographs, do a crossword puzzle, create the title for a hit song, write a poem, play an instrument. The point is - get your creativity juices flowing. Everyone is creative in a certain way - i't's about thinking differently, solving old problems new ways.

Have fun and remember: 'It's a dog's life.'

Lisa Rickwood, "Small Biz Stress Buster," is a small business coach, visual artist and author of Escape The Pace: 100 Fun And Easy Ways To Slow Down And Enjoy Your Life and co-author of Power & Soul: 42 Successful Entrepreneurs Share their Secrets for Creating the Business and Life of Their Dreams. She helps small business owners ‘master stress for professional and personal success.’ Get your FREE e-book, 5 Critical Actions That Hurt Your Business and Add Stress to Your Life…and How to Escape Them by visiting: http://www.escapethepace.com/

When Your Plans Go Up in Smoke...


Picture this...you're on a 17 1/2 foot speedboat with your family, it's a beautiful, sunny day and you're getting ready to head over to a floating pub for a family dinner. As you cruise the ocean at 5 knots, you get ready to up the throttle and go for speed once you're out of the harbour. Ahhh, you can taste the steaks already.

As you get your boat up to 20 knots, the sudden sqeel of a warning bell goes off to alert you of a problem. Great, you think...those steaks will have to wait. As you look back at your engine, the smoke is billowing out of the engine and it's not looking good.

You turn your boat around and start heading back to your marina and then the engine dies. Great...now you'll have to have someone rescue you. Since many boaters are good samaritans and as any boater knows, there will come a time they break down, a saviour comes to your rescues. Yes, this person has rescued 5 sailboats, 7 speedboats and has been rescued once.

What's the point of this story? Sometimes the best made plans of mice and men go astray - yes, you can plan, you can use the Law of Attraction, but sometimes the boat's motor needs a new waterpump.

So what are you going to do? Stop whining and change your plans.

This story was true, it happened to me and after our boat got towed to shore, we got in our truck and headed to a restaurant that we'd never tried before. We sat outside (like we wanted to do at the floating pub) and instead of watching boats go by, we watched cars. The food was good, the view was okay and the company was great.

In short, when business or life doesn't go as planned, have a backup plan - an alternative plan. And, try to see the bigger picture; sometimes seemingly annoying bad things are blessings in disguise.

I'm glad we had a problem with boat when we did; we were close to shore and weren't way out to sea when this happened. Had we been out far away, who knows how long it would've taken to find a good samaritan.

By the way, we finally did get over to that floating pub - The Dingy Dock Restaurant, and the food was awesome. So...sometimes your plans have to wait.



Take care and happy escaping,

Lisa Rickwood - "Small Biz Stress Buster"


Lisa Rickwood, "Small Biz Stress Buster," is a small business coach, visual artist and author of Escape The Pace: 100 Fun And Easy Ways To Slow Down And Enjoy Your Life and co-author of Power & Soul: 42 Successful Entrepreneurs Share their Secrets for Creating the Business and Life of Their Dreams. She helps small business owners ‘master stress for professional and personal success.’ Get your FREE e-book, 5 Critical Actions That Hurt Your Business and Add Stress to Your Life…and How to Escape Them by visiting: http://www.escapethepace.com/

Maybe there is justice...

I don't usually write about celebrities but I wrote my last blog about Paris Hilton being released from jail after only 5 days and she had a 45 day sentence. She pleaded no contest to dangerous driving and was sentenced to 36 months' probation, education about alcohol and $1,500 in fines. In the months that followed she was stopped twice while driving on a suspended license.

I know if I did this, I'd probably lose my business and my future employment would be a challenge. However, Paris might just miss a few photo shoots.

Anyhow, the judge decided she should serve the rest of her term - 45 days, although she may still get out early as for every 4 good days, inmates where she's sentenced, can get out a day earlier.

Time will tell...

Anyway, there is a little justice after all.

Lisa

Paris Hilton or Bust!

So now I know society has really gone to the dogs or to Paris...

Even when I don't care or want to know about the infamous, Paris Hilton, the media shoves it in my face - it's at the newsstands, on the evening news and the radio. Newsflash: I DON'T CARE.
Well, I must care because I'm writing about it, but why I'm writing is because I never cease to be amazed at the number of 'well you know' people who commit a crime and don't do the time.

So...after a few days in jail, poor Paris Hilton is allowed to finish her sentence in the comfort of her multi-million dollar mansion with an electronic anklet attached to her ankle. What if the electronic tag isn't covered in diamonds? Poor, poor Paris. I can just hear her saying, "But it doesn't match the rest of my outfit - where's all the diamonds?"

So they're releasing her because she's having a panic attack? What, she doesn't have a solid gold toilet in prison? Poor, girl - that would do me in as well.

It's so sad that she's under house arrest for the next 40 days. Does that mean - she can't leave her mansion to go shopping on Rodeo Drive? Awww, that's sad - what's a girl supposed to do?

Paris was originally sentenced to 45 days incarceration for breaking the terms of a drink-driving probation, but as everyone can see, 5 days was just too long for the poor girl. If it was you or me with this conviction, they'd throw away the key indefinately. Ain't society grand!

Lessons you can walk away with:

• Always look sexy - even when your picture is a mugshot
• Play the victim - you'll receive the first 'get out of jail free' card
• Change your last name to Hilton - you'll always have a place to stay
• Make sure your dog has more diamonds on him than the cost of the average person's home - then you'll feel complete
• Be sure your anklet matches your outfit - you may have to ask for designer anklets in different gemstone colors so the anklet doesn't clash with your stripper outfits.

Am I being sarcastic? Ya think?

There is one great thing about stories like this - they take our minds off the real issues of climate change, Afghanistan, money issues and so forth.

Happy escaping,

Lisa Rickwood - "Small Biz Stress Buster"

Lisa Rickwood, "Small Biz Stress Buster," is a small business coach, visual artist and author of Escape The Pace: 100 Fun And Easy Ways To Slow Down And Enjoy Your Life and co-author of Power & Soul: 42 Successful Entrepreneurs Share their Secrets for Creating the Business and Life of Their Dreams. She helps small business owners ‘master stress for professional and personal success.’ Get your FREE e-book, 5 Critical Actions That Hurt Your Business and Add Stress to Your Life…and How to Escape Them by visiting: http://www.escapethepace.com/

Butterflies and Business

"The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough." ~Rabindranath Tagore

If you're an entrepreneur or small business owner, you know all too well about the TIME game. What's that? Basically, it's that feeling of trying to cross off every single thing on your to-do list before the end of the day.

So what do you do if you're trapped in the 'too much to do, too little time' game? Get smart.

Here's the thing - don't do everything on your list. That's right, life's too short. Yes, you may need to send that proposal to a prospective client, finish a report, write a letter, do some consulting, etc. but do you need to do everything on your list? How do you know what to do and not to do? This will vary depending on your business and lifestyle but there are some things you can do to simplify your day.

Try this:


- Every day, start out with a plan. Be sure to have 3 key high-payoff things you'd like to achieve. This will keep you focused and you won't have to have a to-do list a mile long.

- Take at least 30 minutes every day and work undisturbed. Have your assistant answer calls, or turn on your answering machine.

- Every day say this phrase, "Is this the best use of my time at this moment?" This phrase will keep you focused. Sometimes you will use your time to work on business, sometimes the best use of your time might be to take a walk or relax.

- Write down your high pay-off activities on paper. Every day, try to focus on these most and let the other things be dealt with minimally. ex. high payoff activities might include: consulting, selling products, phoning past customers or current customers, etc. High pay-off usually means activities that generate the most revenue.

- Hire experts to do jobs that aren't your forte. This will free you up to do what you're good at. ex. if you don't enjoy doing websites, why waste your time? Get someone to do this so you can focus on your real skills.

Our time on this earth is fleeting, much like the life of a butterfly. When we really think about this, we need to make the best use of our time in our business and life.

I invite you to think about your day today as you read this. How are you spending your time? Are there things you can eliminate? Can you add more fun to your life? How can you make your life better?

Take care and happy escaping,

Lisa Rickwood, "Small Biz Stress Buster," is a small business coach, visual artist and author of Escape The Pace: 100 Fun And Easy Ways To Slow Down And Enjoy Your Life and co-author of Power & Soul: 42 Successful Entrepreneurs Share their Secrets for Creating the Business and Life of Their Dreams. She helps small business owners ‘master stress for professional and personal success.’ Get your FREE e-book, 5 Critical Actions That Hurt Your Business and Add Stress to Your Life…and How to Escape Them by visiting: http://www.escapethepace.com/

What's Your Personal Wealth?

Let's admit it, we go into business to make money. Sure, we probably were motivated by other factors such as passion, a mission, experience, a market gap...However, our lives are dominated by thoughts of how to make enough money to live on, how to make more, how to become wealthy and how stay this way.

It doesn't matter whether you're starting out or feeling a lot of abundance, you'll have your challenges. Making money represents power and our attitude reflects how we feel about abundance.

Not sure what you believe? Ask yourself these questions...

1. What words below correspond to your beliefs about money?
2. Of the words listed below, what do these words mean to you? Add your own...

Security, power, freedom, materialism, fun, legacies, greed, corruption, oppression, opportunity, generosity, evil, goodness, status and success.

Our fears often keep us from achieving what we want because we feel we'll change too much or our world will change for the worst so we self-sabotage ourselves. If we don't feel good about ourselves or doubt our abilities, we won't have emotional or financial wealth. If we manage to attain wealth but feel like someone will steal it away or the market will crash, we won't enjoy it.

Abundance is more than money and you don't have to wait until you accumulate a fortune to feel abundant - you can find abundance in what you have right now...relationships, passion, health, etc.

Think about your beliefs and see how you can make them positive - so you can attract what you desire.

That's it for now...
If you want to master stress so you can have an extra hour a day and make more money, check out my Stress Buster Power Hour.

Happy escaping,

Lisa Rickwood - "Small Biz Stress Buster"

Lisa Rickwood, "Small Biz Stress Buster," is a small business coach, visual artist and author of Escape The Pace: 100 Fun And Easy Ways To Slow Down And Enjoy Your Life and co-author of Power & Soul: 42 Successful Entrepreneurs Share their Secrets for Creating the Business and Life of Their Dreams. She helps small business owners ‘master stress for professional and personal success.’ Get your FREE e-book, 5 Critical Actions That Hurt Your Business and Add Stress to Your Life…and How to Escape Them by visiting: http://www.escapethepace.com/

An Extraordinary Life...

It takes time, energy and support to build an extraordinary life and no one does it alone. Sometimes wonderful mothers help, sometimes good friends, spouses, mentors, colleagues, Mastermind members and so forth....

In the next few weeks, I am going to give you a top 10 list of things to help you build an incredible life.

Here is this month's top 10 tips:

What you focus on expands - think good things
When a great idea hits - write it down
Every day ask youself, "Is this the best use of my time and energy?"
Set aside 30-60 minutes every morning for personal development - mediate, visualize your day, read good literature, listen to inspirational CDs
Focus on purpose, not outcome - do things because you love them or they help others and don't focus on money and recognition; this will come on its own
Laugh every day - watch kids, listen to a comedienne, read comics in the paper...
Sit still - do this for 10 minutes every day; you can sit idly, write notes or daydream
Practice focusing your mind - when you do a task, pay attention to what you're doing
When you think of something negative, quickly replace it with something positive; positive thoughts are more powerful than the negative
Leave a legacy - write down what you want to accomplish before you die and do something every day or week

That's it for now...

If you want to master stress so you can have an extra hour a day and make more money, check out my Stress Buster Power Hour.

Lisa Rickwood, "Small Biz Stress Buster," is a small business coach, visual artist and author of Escape The Pace: 100 Fun And Easy Ways To Slow Down And Enjoy Your Life and co-author of Power & Soul: 42 Successful Entrepreneurs Share their Secrets for Creating the Business and Life of Their Dreams. She helps small business owners ‘master stress for professional and personal success.’ Get your FREE e-book, 5 Critical Actions That Hurt Your Business and Add Stress to Your Life…and How to Escape Them by visiting: http://www.escapethepace.com/

Earth Day, Going Green and Successful Business...

There's been much talk about Global Warming, and with Earth Day on April 22nd, more people are understanding the importance.

There's also concern about the economic impact that 'going green' will have on the North American economy. My question is this - how can we afford to keep polluting and have a bustling economy, much less a healthy planet?

Consumers are already purchasing Hybrid cars, local produce, natural cosmetics, the list goes on... Green businesses are sprouting up everywhere. We can address this challenge!

Here are some ideas to help Mother Earth and in turn, your business and future:

1. Create a greenhouse (details at: www.GreenHouseGuide.com)
2. Change your lightbulbs to the new energy efficient one
3. Ditch the big house - go smaller (you'll have more time for living if you're not working for the big mortgage)
4. Cut down on clothes buying
5. Work from home, telecommute
6. Citys can use LEDs to light the streets
7. Ride the bus - this saves energy
8. Pay bills online - ditch all the paper
9. Open Windows
10. Ask energy experts to give you an energy audit of your home
11. Check labels before you buy things - watch for chemicals and try to 'go natural'
12. Say "No" to plastic bags and if you use them, recycle them - according to resources, 15 plastic bags could be recycled into energy to make your car drive one mile
13. Kill light at quitting time
14. Shut off your computer
15. End the paper chase - Ask yourself what really needs to be printed.
16. Car pool
17. Make your garden grow - you'll need less food from far away places that need to ship it by
18. plane or boat
19. Check your tires - make sure they're filled correctly; you'll get better mileage '
20. Buy a hybrid vehicle if you canThink outside the packaging - packaging has gotten worse over the years. Ever have to use scissors to attempt to open something so wrapped in hard plastic you can hardly get it open? This is not good.
21. Consume less, share more and live simply. We all owe it to ourselves, our children and our children's children to be as responsible as we can now.
22. 
    Some things I do include: living in a 866 square foot home, recycling all glass, plastic, paper, cardboard - whatever can be recycled, growing some vegetables, ordering produce every week from a company that buys as much food from local farmers as possible and uses organic means to grow food. You may not be near this area, but check out how this company does business - I've been using them for years. Their site is: www.spud.ca

What can you do in your home or business to make a positive difference in the world? Can you minimize the paper you use, recycle your ink cartridges, work from home, bike to work, buy from local farmers, turn out more lights at night, or START A NEW GREEN BUSINESS?
Take care and happy escaping,
Lisa - "Small Biz Stress Buster"

www.escapethepace.com

P.S. Some sites worth looking into include:
http://www.earthday.com/
http://www.earthday.net/
http://www.carbonfund.org/
http://www.climatehotmap.org/
http://www.davidsuzuki.org/
www.aninconvenienttruth.com.au/truth/
http://www.read-the-truth.com/
http://www.wwf.org/
www.earth911.org

HAPPY EARTH DAY!


Wishing you a Happy Earth Day.
Lisa - "Small Biz Stress Buster"
http://www.escapethepace.com/

Does anyone want what you have to offer?

Has this happened to you? You have a temporary lack of confidence and ask someone who's very successful about your business and they say something that 'temporarily crushes your confidence?'

Last week I asked a highly successful Internet marketer about my business. I appreciated the honesty (really I did) and the constructive criticism but...and here's the but - I was told no one wants what I have.

I have polled people, asked my subscriber list, read articles for five years and I know people are stressed. I also know as a retailer and small business person, that stress keeps us from truly being successful; think how much more you could accomplish if you were organized, unstressed and focused.

Anyway, this marketer said small business people are 'ONLY TRYING TO SURVIVE AND DON'T WANT WHAT I HAVE TO OFFER...'

I disagree - I BELIEVE SMALL BUSINESS PEOPLE WANT TO NOT ONLY SURVIVE BUT THRIVE! And, if I can help them do this by eliminating stress, I believe there's enough people who value this service.

What do you think? DO YOU THINK PEOPLE WANT TO MASTER STRESS FOR PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL SUCCESS?

If they don't, I'd love to know because I really thought I had something of value... :-(


Lisa - "Small Biz Stress Buster"
www.escapethepace.com
Get your One Hour Stress Buster Power Hour Here! Guaranteed to help you succeed.

What is one thing in business and life you can't get back?

You've probably heard the riddle before - the answer is TIME. We can create pretty much anything else but we can't recreate missing, wasted time. We all get 24 hours a day and that's it; we can try to add a couple hours and make it 26 hours a day but then we're into another new day.

There are zillions of time management books in the market and while they offer great advice, they can't deny that we really can't manage time - time is a man-made concept. You can't put time in a box, you can't stop for freeze time or rewind it, it just keeps moving.

How do you know time is passing? You see the second hand on the clock ticking by, the changing of the seasons, another new wrinkle...

What can you do to make the most of time? This depends on who you talk to and what book you read but we all know there are things that can make your time work for you:

1. Track your time: Not sure how much time is wasted or how productive you are? Take a day and record what you do from the time you wake up until you go to sleep. You'd be amazed at the amount of time you eat, sleep, commute, work, communicate with others, exercise, do hobbies, etc.
2. Set your intentions: (notice how I didn't say goals) Set your intentions for what you want to do each day, month and year. What do you really want for your life?
3. Set up teams: even if you're new in business and don't have a lot of money, you can hire or trade services with others and get others to help you achieve your intentions more quickly
4. Take mini breaks: the human body can only focus effectively for 90 minutes at a time - taking mini breaks keeps you more productive and rested
5. Find time for fun: if you work hard, play hard
6. Record your memories: be sure to track your memories - life speeds by and you want to get those photos off your computer onto discs and in photo albums
7. Life is relationships: whatever you do with your time, form good relationships with others - life and time will be sweeter

For more information on how to minimize stress and make the most of time, visit Lisa and try her One Hour Stress Buster Power Hour

Take care and happy escaping,

Lisa Rickwood - "Small Biz Stress Buster"

A New Cure for Business Wimpiness...

Have you ever felt wimpy in business? What do I mean? You know...you call a prospect in hopes of doing business and then you 'wimp out' and say you're 'just touching base' instead of telling them about your latest 'project that might actually help them.'

Or... you go to a network meeting but talk to one person because you 'just don't want to have to introduce yourself to a lot of people.' Or...you don't want to tell an employee that they 'don't really have a clue' so you say that 'they're just having a bad day.'

I admit it - I've wimped out and I know it's not a recipe for success. What if Oprah Winfrey, Donald Trump, a Governor, a brain surgeon, a police officer, a nurse - you get the idea...what if they wimped out at work? It wouldn't be good. There would be no Oprah show, Donald Trump might lose a billion, a Governor might do a lousy job, a brain surgeon might remove the 'wrong part of the brain'...

So what's a busy, wimpy-feeling business person to do? Act strong. And what if you don't feel strong because you're doing something new, something uncomfortable, etc. Still ACT STRONG.

One of the best techniques for doing this is to think back to when you had a major challenge in your life. What happened? Most likely you excelled because if you live long enough, you get strong.

Make a list of things you survived and thrived from. Now, think about that business meeting, that client you need to call, that talk in front of people -anything that makes you feel 'wimpy' and then think about how you conquered much more challenging things.

Not sure what things I'm talking about? Make a list of near death times, challenging times, whatever really made you 'step up.' Then, see how the things you're facing now are in relation to the past.

For example, I've lived through: a broken elbow with two steel pins put in and later removed, a broken tailbone (twice), broken fingers, car crashes, numerous falls, dog bites, near death fall 15 feet to cement, sunstroke, heatstroke, 105 degree fever, childbirth (twice) without medication, disappointment, heartbreak, dysfunctional family stuff, losing friends, losing family, losing pets, the dentist, bad jokes, bad hair days, bad clothes days, camping horror stories, being human, being female - you get the concept. Heck, if a person can stand this, they can handle rejection, speaking in front of crowds, spiders, business challenges, etc.

I'm sure you are 20 times stronger than you think. So...the next time you feel 'wimpy' think about what you've endured. You're a surviver and you can kick that wimpy feeling right out the door. Look out world, here you come!

Hope this inspires you to GET STRONG and have success!

Feel free to drop me a line at: www.escapethepace.com I'd love to hear how you eliminated the 'wimpy feelings.'

How much sleep do you get last night?

If you're a small business owner or entrepreneur, you've probably 'burned the midnight oil' more than once to get that report, project or web change done for your company. And, you've probably felt like ____ (feel free to put whatever you want in this space.

Why? Because you probably sacrificed sleep to complete your task. Sleep is the most underrated healthy thing we can do for ourselves and yet when we're "under the gun", we let sleep go.

Case in point, I've been staying up till 1am in the morning for the last week to complete a project. Was it worth it, no way! Now, I've got the _______flu and I'm dragging my sorry butt through the day. (I should know better!)

People underestimate the importance of sleep and how much stress it puts on your body when you lack it.

For example, inadequate sleep can cause the following in the human body:
- Decreased resistance to colds and the flu
- Irritability and depression
- Fatigue
- Your I.Q. actually being lowered by a few points (I don't know about you, but I need all my brain cells working in peak form)
- The equivalent of being drunk (many disasters were caused by sleep-deprived employees. ex. ferry in New York crashing into dock and killing many people)
- Quicker aging - that's right people, want to age slower, get adequate rest
- Increased blood pressure - sleep deprivation stresses the body
- Higher incidences of cancer, age-related diseases
- Impaired learning and memory - hard to learn and retain new information

I could go on, but sleep researchers are still discovering why sleep is so important.
Occasionally you may need to stay up late, and you may be a person who doesn't need 8 hours of sleep - you may only need 6.

The point is this - get to know how many hours of sleep you need, when you have more energy, less energy and your sleep-wake cycles. Sleep is more restorative and important than just about anything you can do short of eating well and exercising.

Want to minimize stress in your life? Get your beauty rest - it's an entrepreneur's sercret weapon!

And, if you want to eliminate stress and have more time to sleep - I'll show you how in my One Hour Stress Buster Power Hour.

Happy napping,

Lisa - "Small Biz Stress Buster"

The Secret Movie isn't a Secret

Have you seen the most talked about movie, The Secret?

I bought it last year - long before people talked about it. I thought the concepts were fairly well explained but playing the devil's advocate, I also found it a little too sugar-coated. (I'm sorry if I'm insulting anyone; I still like the movie, it's just a little too simplified)

I applied the principles of attraction and did manifest a 17 1/2 foot speedboat in less than six weeks and yes, it was amazing how it came about. But, it wasn't magic - it was based on intention.

Here's how it works: If I ask you not to think of a hot red sports car, what's your mind doing? You mind is thinking of the red sports car (maybe even visualizing it) even though I told you not to think of the red sports car. This is the same with the Law of Attraction (the key secret in the movie).

You get what you focus on so if you're thinking about how you hate your car, how sick you feel, you'll get more of this even if it's something you don't want.

How do you get good things if your life is filled with negativity? Don't think about the bad things - rephrase it and say, "I'm so happy and grateful now that ___ ."

But what if you have a chronic health problem that can't be fixed? In order to make this system work, your mind must believe what you are feeding it so if you can't solve your health problem, you need to reword it to say, "I'm so happy and grateful now that I'm working towards making myself stronger and healthier." You might not necessarily cure your issue but you'll feel better.

The problem I had with the movie was in the financial section when the movie showed the man (financial investor) who kept getting bills in the mail. He said that he imagined getting cheques in the mail. This section was simplified. What the movie didn't delve into is that it's more than just imagining cheques in the mail - it's him realizing that he deserves to make more money - that he changes his thinking to a way of abundance. When people have money problems, it's never about the money.

People have money problems because they don't really understand what money is. Money is energy and if you don't feel you deserve better (feeling abundant), you won't attract it.

People in the movie didn't just learn about the principles of attraction, they had to reinvent their thinking and lives. Just wanting something doesn't make it so - you must ask for it, visualize it, feel it, and feel you deserve it. Also, your answers may come to you and not be easy - you may have to work hard and change your thinking and way of living. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. With Law of Attraction, opportunities will come your way but they may be disguised by hard work and sacrifice.

My verdict of the movie - it's great information for people and I'm happy the movie was created but it's not as simple as it looks. It's too simplified. You must be willing to change your beliefs, thinking and actions. This isn't easy - this is what change is like. You must be willing to let your old life die to give birth to your new life.

That's it for now - I give the movie a 4 out of 5. Definately worth seeing and rewatching (I own the movie)but remember that it takes more than what is suggested here.

If you want to hear more about how to master stress for professional and personal success, visit me at: http://www.escapethepace.com

I look forward to hearing from you,

Lisa

Are You Missing Power & Soul in Your Life and Business?

Are you feeling a little drained, tired, or "stuck?" If you are, I have a powerful book filled with 42 powerful antidotes to your stressors. It's called, Power & Soul: 42 Successful Entrepreneurs Share Their Secrets for Creating the Business and Life of Their Dreams.

Packed with practical tips, this soon-to-be released book (end of March, 2007) will help you "Master Stress and Attain Success." It's written by 42 successful entrepreneurs that have found practical solutions to business and life challenges.

In the meantime, here are some tips to combat that "stuck" feeling that can happen after a long winter.

Try this:

* Book a trip - long or short, it doesn't matter, just do it

* Spend time with uplifting people - being with positive people is a great way to pull you out a "funk"

* Exercise - most of us know this is a great way to feel better physically and emotionally and it's the best way to combat stress

* Rent a funny movie - this may boost your spirits

* Sign up for a workshop, play-shop, tele-class, course - something that interests you

* Ask for help - stuck in your business? Don't be afraid to ask another business person how they solved a problem. Many of us entreprenuers believe we should struggle endlessly by ourselves. Research shows the most successful business people surround themselves with metnors and friends to help them learn more quickly so they can 'work smarter, not harder.'

* Eat right - a lot of stress is caused when we skip meals, eat too much sugar, drink too much caffeine and skip the healthy foods. You can't be successful if you're sick.

Best of luck with your success - watch for an upcoming order link for the Power & Soul book.

Take care and happy escaping,

Lisa

What You Can Learn From Marin Scorsese

Like many people, I sat at the edge of my seat watching the 79th Annual Academy Awards on February 25th, 2007. And, like many people, I had my favorites that I wanted to see win, and I was pleasantly surprised by the surprises as well. But, the thrill of the night was to see a talented man finally make friends with Oscar.

The night before the Academy awards, award-nominated, talented director, Martin Scorsese finally was named best director of 2006 for "The Departed" by the Directors Guild of America. This was his first win in this category and he'd been nominated seven times before.

Scorsese is one of the most influential filmmakers in history with the likes of "Raging Bull", "Taxi Driver," "Goodfellas," "The Aviator," and finally...the winning combo - his latest movie, "The Departed." After being nominated for five times before and not making friends with Oscar, Scorsese finally got his Oscar. The Academy finally did something right.

Needless to say, he was moved and so was the crowd who stood to give him a warm, standing ovation. A lot can be learned from Marty.

First, he didn't take his lack of wins personally. Second, he was a gentleman and never spoke bad of anyone. Third, he kept on working hard, producing more and more amazing films despite not getting the nod. When he finally received his long-deserved award, he was humble and thought about the people around him - here is a first-class man.

When you find yourself working and not getting the rewards, do yourself a favor and keep the faith. Sometimes the universe just takes longer with you but the rewards are sweeter; remember - 'what we get in haste we tend to waste.' The longer you have to wait, the more you grow and appreciate things when they finally go your way.

Remember this when it seems that nothing is 'going your way.'

Hope this helps and feel free to email me with your pearls of wisdom.

Happy escaping,

Lisa Rickwood - "Small Biz Stress Buster"

Feb. 14, 2007

Welcome to Escape the Pace - a blog filled with simple and quick ideas to pull you out of overwhelm.

If you're a small biz owner or entrepreneur, you're no stranger to overwhelm. In fact you've probably battled having to pay taxes when money is tight, too many emails, tele-marketers, too many unfinished project and not enough time...

I have an idea - take this week and do something you love to do. Don't just tell yourself you're going to do it, add it to your calendar or Palm Pilot like an appointment. When people phone, don't cancel it - simply say, "I'm booked up at that time. What other times would work?"

Next, decide what you love to do and write it down, better yet - write down your top 100 things you love to do.

For example, you might like traveling, drinking Mochas at Starbucks, playing raquetball, watching sports on T.V., getting a massage, exercising, getting outside...It really doesn't matter what you love, just that you STOP MAKING EXCUSES AND PUT YOURSELF FIRST.

If you take care of your needs, you'll have energy and motivation to help others.

If you need some ideas for the top 1oo things to love, email me at: info@escapethepace.com and I'll send you my PDF sampler list to get you going.

Happy escaping,

Lisa Rickwood - "Small Biz Stress Buster"

P.S. Here's something I love to do - go to the beach with my two sons...