The Robyn Graham Show - Success without Social - Life and Business Growth Strategies for Christian Women, Coaches and Service Providers

You can eliminate self-doubt (or at least alleviate it) by using communication strategies to take action and improve self-confidence.

Check out episode 231 with Debra Roberts and learn more communication skills for handling difficult conversations.

Self-doubt, which results in overthinking, comes from how we were brought up. Our upbringing continues to be part of us, we carry it with us. In addition, self-doubt comes from how we've been culturally conditioned in society. But not to fear, you can eliminate self-doubt if you take action to change your mindset.

We are constantly underestimating ourselves. Comparison and imposter syndrome play a significant part in self-doubt. Women often underestimate themselves internally and sometimes misrepresent themselves externally.

They may be exceptional leaders and experts but misrepresent themselves, for example, in their voice, they don't project their voice, they don't speak with conviction. Another example is upspeak, which is when you end a statement with a question mark. Doing so makes you appear less credible.

Punctuation will also make a difference in how confident and credible you seem. For example, when you introduce yourself, say your name and pause before going on to add more details.

To use your voice to improve self-confidence, record yourself or have a friend or coach evaluate with you.

Speak with conviction, smile, and keep your voice light as well as projected. In addition, have vocal variety, change your volume, pitch, and pace so that you come across with more interest. Another important factor for credibility is the power of the pause. When you don't pause, you can seem nervous and out of control to the audience. This is important because people don't listen well to people who seem out of control. So pause occasionally.

Your voice can make you more interesting.

Using your voice also helps build an emotional connection and trust with your community and audience.

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Website for Karen Laos.

Do you need gratitude to succeed? There are many benefits of gratitude. Maybe a gratitude practice won't make or break your business, but when you start a gratitude practice you will achieve more because you will be happier.

Gratitude plays an important role in entrepreneurship and life.

There are many benefits of gratitude. Gratitude shifts your perspective to what is going well instead of what could go wrong.

You can think of gratitude as a natural anti-depressant because gratitude releases dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and norepinephrine, positive neurochemicals in the brain.

When you feel like you haven’t accomplished enough, or haven’t reached your goals, make a list of what you are grateful for – it could be what you’ve already accomplished, the other people involved with your work, the tools you have to work with, the canceled meeting that gave you an extra hour of focus time, etc.

Gratitude helps stimulate positive neuropathways in the brain. God created the brain so intricately and He gives us the authority to transform our minds. The more you stimulate the positive neuropathways, the more automatic positive thinking will become. More positive thinking, more happiness. The higher your happiness levels are, the more productive you are, which leads to more success.

In Romans 12:2 Paul tells us, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will."

One of the biggest benefits of gratitude is that it helps you change your mindset, to transform your mind to see the positive.

Imagine when you were a kid, and you rode your bike through the woods to the creek. At first, it was hard because the grasses were high, there was brush on the path, and you had to get off and move debris out of the way. But eventually, after you rode the path enough times, you had a clear path that you could ride on with ease.

Gratitude is like clearing that path. The more you practice it, the more likely you are to see the positive, and therefore, experience more peace and happiness.

To start your gratitude practice, at the end of each day write 3 things that you are grateful for. You’ll reframe your thoughts about your day and rest better through the night.

Do this practice for 30 days and see if you feel a difference. There may be days when you’re so tired or so frustrated you might think you have nothing to be grateful for, but when you let your mind wander back across the day, there will be things to be grateful for – they might be small, like a sharp pencil, I love a sharp pencil, but you will be able to identify 3 things.

What you think about and focus on is what you create.

Have you ever woken up in the morning – as we say – on the wrong side of the bed? Feeling grumpy. Your thoughts are heavy, you’re dreading the day ahead, and then – everything that can go wrong goes wrong.

The coffee pot didn’t automatically brew your beloved morning coffee, the dog came to the door covered in mud. You get stuck in traffic, have to slam on the breaks and your handbag falls to the floor with its contents spewing everywhere, your kids is upset b/c now they’re going to be late for school – never mind that you’re going to be late for your meeting – and to top it off, you take a sip of the coffee you desperately need and it spills down your top.

One of those days. And if you let it, the entire day can be sabotaged.

But you have a choice.

Instead of wallowing in self-pity and annoyance, you can find blessings. You can find things to be grateful for.

For example, you were running late and avoided the accident that caused the traffic to slow down. You were able to spend 5 extra minutes with your child in the car, those moments are fleeting. And maybe best of all, the top you spilled coffee on was black and not white so no one will even notice there’s coffee on it.

And just like that you reframed your thoughts from It’s an awful day to I’m blessed and content.

If you want to be truly ...

Have you ever wondered if God is speaking to you? Some believe that that only happened in the Bible. But in reality, God still speaks to us, but we have to listen to hear Him.

The first step in hearing God speak to you is to read Scripture. Reading Scripture will help you recognize how the Holy Spirit speaks to us. And you can ask the Holy Spirit to make you sensitive to His voice and to help you hear Him.

The Holy Spirit speaks to us through our intuition. Or, you may have a strong feeling about something.

Oftentimes, things you've been praying about will come up in conversation. Someone will bring up the topic to you out of the blue. Let your ears be open to hear the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit may speak to you in dreams, song lyrics, or maybe a picture that pops into your head. In addition, you may experience a change in your circumstances, like opportunities dry up. This is what happened to Laureen Alexa with her acting career. The roles she was willing to play quit coming up. In addition, the roles offered to her were not aligned with her morals.

When you feel a shift like this in your life, ask God if he wants you to lean in and keep pressing because He's training you in perseverance, or does He want you to pivot? Or, ask Him if this is a new opportunity and ask him to redirect your steps.

Similarly, if it's a perseverance thing, He's going to strengthen you and you will receive confirmation or release that gives you a new insight or direction.

In addition, ask God to give you sensitivity to hear His voice and to know the counterfeits from His. Also, ask Him to make you in tune to Him because you want to obey Him. This is the prayer Laureen prays.

The most important thing about communicating with God is discernment. It's imperative to discern and differentiate between what we think God is saying versus what the world or Satan may be saying.

Read the full show notes and access all links.

Website for Laureen Alexa

Laureen's book: Festival in the Desert: Learning to Rejoice in the Difficult Seasons of Life

Download the free eBook: 37 Bible verses every Christian entrepreneur should reflect on and live by.

We face many things in life, and if we want positive outcomes, we need self-discipline. It enhances our lives. We achieve more and are ultimately happier. The happier we are, the more success we have.

In 2 Timothy 1:7 we read, "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline."

There we have it. God gave us self-discipline. And if he gave it to us, we are to use it. We may find it hard to be self-disciplined, but God gave us the Holy Spirit to help us. It is like a muscle. We have it, but if we don't use it, it won't get stronger. We build on our ability, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to be self-disciplined.

Many! Let's take a look at a few of the areas of our lives influenced by self-discipline.

As you know, health is paramount. We have these incredible miraculous bodies and minds but we have to care for them. You must have a level of self-discipline if you are going to maintain a healthy mind and body. Eating healthy and exercising takes energy and many days it's easier to skip the workout and eat on the go instead of practicing healthy habits. Instead of thinking of either as a punishment, think of them as habits that you've created to nourish your mind and body.

Reframe your thoughts about the benefits of eating healthy and exercising. Then, create and implement a strategy to visualize what your habits will look like, and what you know you can adhere to. Take action consistently. You need self-discipline for all three, mindset, strategy, and action. If you aren't disciplined and don't adhere to the strategy and action, you won't succeed and ultimately, put yourself at risk.

If it's too hard to adopt healthy eating and start exercising at the same time, choose one, and then add the other. But exercise is equally important to your mental health as it is to your physical health. The same with eating healthy whole foods. When you have self-discipline, you choose to take positive action and do the mindset work to reframe your thoughts, you create a strategy and implement it, and you take action consistently. The food you eat influences how you think and feel so self-discipline to eat healthy is of utmost importance.

In Romans 12:2, Paul tells us, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will." Sometimes, we must do the hard thing and not conform to what society is influencing us to do or think.

Read the full show notes and access all links.

If you are struggling to grow your business because you haven't yet tapped into your self-discipline and need accountability to take intentional effective action, schedule a free consult with me. Let's see how I can help you.

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Many entrepreneurs wonder why their revenue is not increasing. They often blame sales and marketing. Why? Because they are not making meaningful connections when investing in marketing and sales strategies. There is a hidden key to increasing profitability: client retention strategies. Enhancing your customer's experiences lays the foundation for improving profitability.

Client experience refers to a customer's comprehensive journey while interacting with a business. It includes every touchpoint, from initial awareness to post-purchase follow-up. Within this broad framework, customer service represents the actions taken to support and nurture clients directly. Excellent service is crucial for client retention, ensuring clients feel valued and connected rather than just a data point in a system.

1. Culture: An organization's client-centric culture is foundational. Leaders must prioritize placing the client's needs at the forefront of business strategies.
2. Service: Exceptional service involves consistent support and genuine interactions that foster trust and satisfaction.
3. Offers: Businesses should ensure their offerings are aligned with client needs, providing meaningful solutions that contribute to a seamless experience.
4. Operations: Streamlining operations focusing on client convenience can improve service delivery. Procedures should be evaluated not only for efficiency but also for their impact on the client journey.
5. Journey: A holistic approach to client experience keeps clients engaged with the brand beyond immediate transactions. A positive journey encourages longevity and advocacy.

Personal branding is integral to the client experience, impacting lead generation and retention. Aligning brand values with client expectations builds trust, fostering deeper relationships. This connection endures beyond the buying process, encouraging referrals and organic growth.

Katrina Scarlett's Website

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