Arise Your Innerpreneur by listening to my voice, and looking at my words and images for 12 minutes approx.
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Back in April I created this presentation for the 2010 SHiFT conference in Lisbon, Portugal. The event is a yearly discussion in Lisbon on social and human ideas in technology.
Don’t ask me why it took ’till now to publish it. Some silly business about feeling shame over my creations. Oh, the silly things I do.
Our growth can be so slow that it can often go unnoticed. The beginning of a new year (and a new decade, no less) seems like a good time to reflect on and to celebrate all that we have achieved in the year that has passed.
I’m taking this opportunity to celebrate my successes with you. If you feel so inclined, please use the comments to share and celebrate your success of 2009 with me and the group.
Begin Meditating Regularly Achieved! I now meditate each morning for 15 min, with some exceptions. It took me well into September before I managed to make this a habit, and I give credit to Jamie Ridler, her awesome book club and the book, The Joy Diet, for getting my ass in gear.
Generate a Sustainable Income from My Business, Elastic Mind Achieved? Maybe? I’m not really sure what the hell I meant when I set this goal as it seems horribly vague to me now. I can report that by June 2009 (approx. 1 year after Elastic Mind’s birth) I started making more money each month than I was spending. Saying that, I’m still a ways off from 1. paying off the debt I accrued from starting my business and 2. making enough money each month to do anything more than pay my costs.
Complete and Launch My Business Website Achieved x2! In March of 2009, I launched the other half of this website, covering how I could work with you. The site was much-obsessed-over and many-times-rewritten from my business conception in June 2008 to it’s eventual live launch in March 2009. I was happy with the site for approximately 3 months before I began developing the new one that launched this past November. Two new websites this past year is a testament to the growth I underwent in coming to understand my value and find my sweet spot. It’s also a testament to my craziness…
Enjoy More Hobbies Achieved! This past year was an important one for me in finding a better balance between my need to engage my mind, my body, my soul and my shadow self. I began practicing yoga at least two times a week, took up oil painting, began tap-dancing, and fed my freaky soul with travel to Nicaragua, France, Spain, Portugal and New York City.
Develop More Daily Structure
Achieved but still a work-in-progress. At the beginning of 2009, I would jump out of bed each morning and run to my computer and sit there all day, often forgetting to move, to wash, or to eat. Yes, I am a dirty girl. By the end of 2009, I managed to clean myself up a bit and include 15 min of meditation each morn, a possible walk in the afternoon and the blocking off of three days each week to stay off my computer and simply write. I’ve still got more work to do in this department as I easily get distracted from this structure I’ve established.
Tame My Inner Critic and Growing My Inner Kudos
Work-in-progress. The vile bitch upstairs seems to be getting bitchier… *sigh*. Anxiety brings out the perfectionist in me and owning a business is fucking scary shit.
Improve and Grow Rise of the Innerpreneur Achieved but still a work-in-progress. In 2009, I had the pleasure of:
meeting many of my readers through comments on the blog, email conversations, phone calls, Twitter chats, and Google/Skype video chats.
being interviewed on Ananda Leeke’s Go Green Sangha radio program.
forming a tiny Toronto in-person Innerpreneur support group and connecting with Nathalie Lussier. Our third meeting is this Monday and I am happy to report that our small group is growing.
A small auditorium of 100 business men and women in a business park outside Lisbon. Most are Portuguese entrepreneurs and venture capitalists.
I am on the Entrepreneurship panel with three other speakers. A mayor passionate about sustainability from Ericeira, Portugal and two bio-technology innovators.
The Speech:
I was more dynamic live, where you could see my slides too. They really drove the presentation. And it distracted the viewer from my nervous rambling.
My intention was to highlight why people (specifically the business community) should care about innerpreneurs.
It was my first professional speaking opportunity. On an untraditional business topic that very few people know anything about. When all they knew was my words, Gesentrepreneur took a huge chance by inviting me to speak. I’m just some Canadian geek girl with a blog and weird ideas. I am so grateful to them for believing in me, and the innerpreneur idea. I hope my appreciation is evident in in the article I wrote for the Founder, Franciso Banha.
But I didn’t. I need to learn to be more proud. It doesn’t have to be an ugly word. Which it is…to me. I just looked up the definition of it…the meaning is…actually quite nice.
I am proud of myself. I was proud to be invited and proud of my presentation. And I should be. When I began writing about being an innerpreneur one year ago it was because I felt passionate, lonely and scared. I had found something to believe in, bigger than myself and I needed to share it. What has followed has been the greatest adventure.
My evolution continues
To speak about innerpreneuring, to connect with people around the world, I couldn’t imagine anything more I’d rather do…except write a book on it. Those two dreams, right there, are my truth. I am forever grateful to Joana Nobrega (she found me on Twitter @elleniccoc) and Gesentrepreneur for giving me the opportunity to realize it.
My new friend, Joana Nobrega
So now it seems that my path is shifting. The puzzle pieces are fitting together in a pattern that is familiar yet so unexpected.
dedicated to promoting entrepreneurship in Portugal. I was invited to speak on Innerpreneurs. The video is coming soon. You can check out the slides here.
