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No, not more political talk. I’m getting ready to be shadowed by another business owner, as part of the LEAD course I’m doing.

The 10 month programme, (which I wrote about a while ago), consists of a number of areas.

LEAD course participants, February 2010

We’re now moving on to the part where we all pair up and shadow each other before actually exchanging places for a day in a few months time. (No, he won’t be doing bra fittings!).

Yesterday I was really excited, and came home buzzing. Discussing the shadow and exchange with John, from Jam Publications was interesting and challenging – learning about someone else’s businesses, whilst trying to explain my own. We’ve got a lot in common, but we also do things quite differently. I think I can help support his online business development, whilst he can help me focus my business on the areas that I’m skilled and experienced to deliver. Today? Well, I’m not so sure. continue reading…

Just when I thought I knew what I was doing, something has knocked me off my simple straight road and sent me off on a new track. Am I ready for it? No idea, but I’m going to give it my best shot and see what happens

Can you see all the paths on your journey yet?

“If you have a clear picture in your mind of what it will be like when you’ve won the fight, you won’t feel the pain”, Mohammed Ali

After all the customer feedback and juggling I’ve been doing, I thought I was moving down one track with the bras4mums business. Slow and steady. continue reading…

We all talk about “having too many balls in the air”, “keeping all the plates spinning”, or simply, “having too much to do, and too little time”. And we think of it as negative.

What's important to us?

But why not turn it around and look at all the positives that our busy lives can give us? I’ve had one hell of a week (and I don’t usually use language like that!), but I’m still here with my house, family and business, so what have I got to complain about? continue reading…

What cake brings you success?

I’ve decided that this is going to be my strapline for 2010. It’s certainly tasty and feels very positive.

My themeword for 2010 is FOCUS, and is part of my Challenge 2010. I decided that I need to FOCUS on my business, my family, my friends and me! Not much then!

But today, I noticed that @RebehakHarriman was going to get cake to help her focus. And that’s when it came to me – “Cake is the key to success”!

And it makes sense doesn’t it? All those ingredients we have to use to make different cakes, all have to be measured out and mixed together in the right quantities to get the excellent results we all enjoy eating. continue reading…

Not only would I like the weather to change, to start getting back to normal without being sidetracked into sledging or making snowmen, but I would like to change some other things.

Be like a penguin

I was recently lent a book “Our Iceberg is Melting”, by John Kotter, (no, I’m not trying to be funny!), to show me how similar the penguin characters situation was to the church I’m involved in. There were 2 Methodist Churches in Chorley (Trinity and Park Road) and in October we became one on paper. The challenge now is physically become one church, so a major change management process is needed to intregrate congregations, activities, buildings and look at developing our community work.

The book is fab. It’s sub-titled “Changing and Succeeding under any conditions”, and I’ve started planning in my head how we can go about affecting change within the Redevelopment Group that is leading the process at church. It sets out through the story of penguins on a melting iceberg how they go about looking for somewhere new to live. The eight step process to successful change is clear, concise and makes total sense in my community setting: continue reading…