11 Strategies to Make Great Money Doing What You Love

I know that sometimes it may be hard to believe you really can follow your passions and purpose AND make money, touch lives, AND have all the peace and security you want.

I've said many times before that I can't think of many things better than being self-employed. But self-employment isn't something to enter into lightly, or take for granted. You will have to work for your dream. You may have to make sacrifices. You'll definitely have to practice patience. But in the end, living your life "in service" of something GREATER makes it all worth it.

I'm often asked HOW I personally turned my passions into profit. Fair enough! Below are 11 strategies I credit for helping me stay the course in my soul- inspired business.

1. Take 100% Responsibility for Everything You Create in Your Life and Business, including Your Feelings

This seems obvious, doesn't it? And yet, I think there's a part in all of us that would rather have someone else make the decisions, do the work, and walk to the edge. I learned very early on that NO ONE was going to do for me what I could do for me. Somehow, deep inside I knew that it has always been up to me to create the life, business, happiness, success, and good fortune I want...that no one else will or even should do it for me.

For me it all comes down to this, when I take 100% responsibility I know I'm coming from a power-filled place...if I don't I become a victim and that is never OK with me.

If you haven't already, make a commitment now to take 100% responsibility for everything you create in your life and business...including your feelings and reactions to events. Once you do (if you haven't already and I know many of you have) you'll step into your power to create the outcomes you want.

2. Surround Yourself with People that Care About You and Your Success

I know you've heard me say this one before and it's always #1 or #2 on my list. You MUST HAVE people in your corner who believe in you, who will support you and guide you, you even need people that will challenge you and get you to see your challenges in a new light.

I'm talking about people that will see your light when you can't and who will remind of just how capable you are of making your biggest dreams come true.

From the day I started my business I've been surrounded by friends, colleagues, mentors and mastermind teams that support me in amazing ways. I know today my business wouldn't be in the shape it's in if I didn't have so many people helping me along the way.

Don't try to go it alone. Seek out the people you need in your corner...the people who will love you, guide you, nurture you and even challenge you to be all that you can be!

3. Gain Profound Clarity About What Makes You Unique

Let's face it; there are probably many business people who do what you do. Don't let that reality stop you, but do find a way to stand out in a crowded market place.

How do you do that? By becoming profoundly clear about what makes you unlike any other. The next step then is to find a way to leverage your brilliance in the marketplace.

No one else has your same set of passions or life purpose. No one shares your enthusiasm, spirit, or wisdom. No one else has the same way of putting the pieces together like you do.

The key is to VALUE who you are. Once you awaken your brilliance, VALUE your brilliance. Once you do, others will too.

4. Develop and Trust Your Intuition

Early in my business I took an intuitive development class because I wanted to learn how to use and trust my intuition. What started out as a curiosity for me has become one of my most reliable business assets.

Your intuition has a direct connection to divine guidance, did you know that? When your gut speaks, LISTEN. It means something.

I've done my best job of steering my business when I have listened to my intuition and acted on it. if you're not listening to your own gut, you should be.

Now, that's not to say I don't listen to the help and guidance of others. Remember, I have teams of people that help me gain clarity, play big and see how I get in the way of myself. And I value their wisdom, but I never adopt their wisdom for my own...I always check in with myself to see how I really feel about the advice I am given. Doing so has allowed me to expand my horizons and helped me stay on track.

Bottom line, no one will ever know what's better for you and your business than you will. TRUST yourself...you are very wise.

5. Work on Your Mindset

Along with developing my intuition I've also been very committed to developing my mindset. Early in my business I knew my mindset wasn't aligned with my BIG DREAMS. So I had to work on bringing my mindset into alignment.

What did that entail? Lots of self-reflection. I've spent a lot of time and money dissecting my fears and beliefs. To this day I listen to experts, read tons of books, and regularly visit with a gifted intuitive healer, as well as other colleagues.

I do this because early in my business I discovered the more I worked on my mindset the better and more peaceful I felt AND I kept seeing my results improve!

I've had the pleasure of spending time with very successful entrepreneurs and you know what? They are just like you and me! They have the same fears. They often wonder if they have what it takes to make their dreams come true. And yet, they have found a way to move forward in spite of their fears. They surround themselves with a support structure that helps them breakthrough their limiting beliefs and because of that they go on to create amazing results.

I've often said to my clients that just on the flip side of our dreams is all our "stuff" In some ways I think our dreams are an amazing catalyst for our healing. It's as if the universe wired us in a way that in order to turn our most burning desires into gold we would have to also heal what must be healed. IN that way our dreams are a tremendous gift...they assist in our healing.

6. Learn and Keeping Learning About Marketing, Your Expertise, and Universal Principles that Will Support Your Growth

I love learning new things and I think my love for learning has served me well. I've yet to meet a successful entrepreneur who doesn't immerse themselves in learning of all kinds; most are voracious readers, attend live events, and invest in training and mastermind programs.

At a live event I attended a year ago I was listening to Bill Glazer (marketing guru Bill Glazer) and he shared with us this Dan Kennedy quote: "The hole you invest in yourself through is the hole you receive through."

It resonated with me because that's my exact experience. The more I invest in myself the more growth I experience. The more deeply I immerse myself in learning about my specialty, building my skills, and sense of the self the more I get back...it happens every time, without fail.

7. Keep it Simple

Think you need to be all things to all people? Or that you need to have a ton of different products and services to make it big?

I see it time and time again, entrepreneurs tend to be very creative and there's a pull to keep creating lots of products and services. I often get a sense this is because it's FUN to create! (And it is!) But, and this is a big but, all your creating can lead to burnout if you're not also receiving adequate return on your creations.

Telling an entrepreneur not to create new products and services is like telling a painter to stop picking up the paintbrush. But just like a painter must stick with one painting until it fully expresses her work of art, an entrepreneur must do the same.

As a creative person, in the early days of my business I feared I'd get bored if I stuck with one specialty. But this is what I learned, if you want to make a name for yourself in your business it's important to discover your irresistible offer...the offer that will make you stand out from everyone else who does what you do. And the cool thing about finding your specialty is that when you do, instead of painting with broad brushstrokes you will have a chance to go deep and as a result your offer will just get richer and richer. That never gets boring!

8. Honor What's Present Right Now

There's an epidemic in the solo-entrepreneur community and that's the mindset that the more we DO the better off we'll be (translation: the more clients we'll have and the more money we'll make)

There was a time in my own business when one of my mentors had to tell me to put down the 2 x 4...she could see how I was beating my way to the finish line (whatever finish line that was - I forget now!)

I've learned many valuable lessons over the years that no matter how much you want something if there is something standing in between you and what you want (translation: mindset gunk, fear, beliefs and old wounds), no amount doing is going to get you there faster.

You must be willing to look at what is standing between you, prosperity, love, happiness, joy and/or anything else you want to experience in your life. By honoring what is present in your life you honor the NOW, and as most of us have learned from reading Eckhart Tolle the only POWER we have to create the life and business we really want is in the NOW.

What I know for sure is this, you can create and build a business you love while remaining mindful to other things that are going on in your life, including your own fears, beliefs and old wounds that pop up along the way.

Take breaks throughout your day and notice what's welling up inside of you. How do you feel? How does your body feel? Allow yourself to hear and feel your inner guidance and give yourself permission to focus on what needs your attention most in each moment. As a result you will keep the path clear for abundance and anything else you want in your life.

9. Focus on What You Want and Keep Moving Toward It

What do you really, really, really want? Gain profound clarity in this area and then take actions that take you closer to your vision vs. away from it.

Earlier this year I read a book by James Ray called Harmonic Wealth. In it he asks one very profound question, which I now keep with me at all times:

Are the actions you're taking CONFIRMING the life you want to create?

You see, the Law of Attraction states that what you want is here for you right now. And the key is to stay in action so that you bring your desire closer and closer to you. So, are the actions you're taking a confirmation of the life you want to create or contrary to the life you want to create?

You create the life and business of your dreams in the NOW. Everything you see in your life today is due to decisions and choices you made in the past. But the past is over...gone! So, in this moment put all your energy into focusing on what you want and forget about what you don't.

10. Keep Saying YES!

When you focus on what you want something happens...you start opening doors. You may not be able to see these doors but they're very real and the key is to say yes to what's on the other side.

One of the things I struggled with early in my career wasn't a lack of clarity about what I wanted; it was a fear of saying YES to what I wanted when it showed up in my life!

This fear was motivated by many things, especially my lack of understanding of how we really create what we want.

As soon you make a commitment resources, people, ideas, inspiration, and opportunities will start showing up in your life. Sometimes within minutes! The key is notice what's showing up and then without hesitation SAY YES. (Of course use discernment and trust your gut but when you get an all clear sign go for it without hesitation.)

I remember clearly the day I started "saying yes" and it turned my business around. Every time I commit to something I now look for the opportunities to appear (they always do) and do the work I need to do to say yes to what's coming my way.

"YES" is a very power-filled word when what you're saying yes to is in alignment with your dreams.

11. Take Time OFF!

This is an absolute MUST; especially for creative types like entrepreneurs (we burn a lot of energy).

I learned this tip the hard way. Early on in my business I would burn the midnight oil often. I was so inspired by my new position as business owner I didn't know when to shut down my computer and relax. This caught up with me and I burned out!

My remedy? Every year at the beginning of the year I take out my big calendar and I block out my time OFF. And then I stick to it!

For me personally I have to take at least one week off every three months or I start feeling the effects of burn out. Sometimes I travel, sometimes I just stay home. My absolute rule during this time is that I disconnect from my business completely. No computer. No checking messages. No peeking!

The result has proven to me that you can take time off and still operate a thriving business that's bursting at the seams with potential! When I re-enter my career after being gone for a week I feel re-energized and full in inspiration!

You're not made to go go go. It's healthy and necessary to slow down and rebalance your SELF and your life.