Business from the inside out

My Journey | What’s On My Mind Articles

Asking My Mentor About… Asking For Help

Exploring Peer-to-Peer Mentoring

This is the third installment of Christine and my monthly Peer-to-Peer Mentoring series. Funny enough, this month, we asked each other near identical questions… on her blog, I answered her question: I LOVE doing everything myself. While I joke that I need a clone, I always feel like the job is done best by me. How do you decide when it’s time to ask for help or hire another professional?

My Question to My Mentor:

As an independent business owner, I often find I am tempted to do ‘everything’ myself. How do you go about determining the roles you take on and which you will employ an outside professional for? When you do determine you need outside help, how do you go about finding the right person for the job?

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Asking My Mentor About… Self-Confidence

Exploring Peer-to-Peer Mentoring

July was the second installment of Christine and my monthly Peer-to-Peer Mentoring series. On her blog, I answered her question: Along my career path, I travel wearing many hats. From a writer and designer’s perspective, what tools do you use to portray career evolution to your audience? More specifically, how do you keep your bio updated to portray the ever-evolving you so it represents your business as extension of yourself rather than a mere list of accomplishments?

My Question to My Mentor:

Do you have difficulty feeling confident about the work you do and the value it adds? If so, how does it manifest itself? And do you have any tools you use to boost your confidence when you feel it faltering?

Christine’s Answer:

For starters, I’ve never felt like I fit into the status quo. Not at school as a kid, not at other jobs etc. Now I can look back to see this was an opportunity I’ve been able to grow exponentially from. Not fitting in raises questions early on, “why am I not like the others?” “don’t they like me?” “what should I be doing to fit in?” Turns out when I pushed and pulled to fit myself into the confines of spaces I wasn’t shaped for, it felt uncomfortable. And, when I did at times wedge myself into spaces I didn’t fit, turned out a lot of the other people in there, weren’t so happy either. So, I decided, (sub-consciously perhaps), early on to be a shaper. It was a risk I had to take because the other reality wasn’t working for me.

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Asking My Mentor About… Supportive Female Relationships

Exploring Peer-to-Peer Mentoring

Okay, here we go! Today is the first installment of Christine and my Peer-to-Peer Mentoring series. I’m excited to see how we will learn from each other. On her blog, I answered her question: How do you apply the advice and suggestions you offer your clients to your own projects and endeavors?

My Question to My Mentor:

What do you do to cultivate mutually supportive female relationships in your life?

Christine’s Answer:

Historically, I’ve been a “guy’s girl” so answering this great question took a bit of thought! Cultivating supportive female relationships wasn’t always part of my Modus Operandi. Quite frankly, I always felt more at home with my male counterparts. I had more (or so I thought) in common in both my business and personal life. And then, one day out of ( ? ) somewhere I had a feeling that I needed some relationship balancing.

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Exploring Peer-to-Peer Mentorship

with Christine Dionese and Me! After much discussion and a bit of ass dragging by me, Christine and I have decided to explore the topic of peer-to-peer mentoring together. Beginning this month, we will begin mentoring each other through a monthly Q&A column on her...
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The End of My Superficial Relationship

Committed

For decades I’ve been in a casual relationship with you. I wasn’t ready to commit to you fully.

Today, I am not feeling so balanced, and my commitment to you, as usual, wants to falter. And yet I am here.

This is what we’ve been working towards. A space where I feel trust and commitment in my relationship with you, my writing.

It’s taken a slow build-up to get here, our relationship has been like learning to speak, and learning to love, a language. A little bit of practice each day and eventually I’ve found myself feeling more natural with you.

Asking My Mentor About… Writing Habits

Exploring Peer-to-Peer Mentoring

This is the sixth installment of Christine and my Peer-to-Peer Mentoring series.

On her blog, I answered her question:

“As a consultant I’m always creating fun methods for my clients to reach their target markets. I think I have a knack for anticipating needs and have been able to develop and design tangible solutions to connect my clients’ philosophies, products and services to their desired consumers. I’m considering courting a company in Los Angeles to hire me as a patchworker (coined by Dr. Kristin Cardinale) to fulfill several areas they’re looking to enhance. I’d like to create a proposal that presents the idea: instead of hiring two separate people for two separate positions, that they hire me as a consultant to fill and bridge the gap between the two positions. Currently they’re listing two positions traditionally. I’d like to create a mind-blowing presentation that convinces them that my experience as a business developer, owner, health care specialist in private practice and journalist will offer them far more versatility than hiring two separate people could… I’ve already considered your advice from last month about preparing an interactive CV/resume, but what else can you suggest for this specific task? I’m open to any tools you might have in mind“

Asking My Mentor About… Nourishing My Body

Exploring Peer-to-Peer Mentoring

This is the fifth installment of Christine and my Peer-to-Peer Mentoring series. On her blog, I answered her question:

“Currently I keep an updated CV on file. While I’m proud of my profile and professional history, I’d like to put together a jazzed up version. I’m thinking of doing a website resume- what are your thoughts on the effectiveness of this plan and how would you proceed creatively?“

My Question to My Mentor:

“While I love how focused I am on my work, I often find that my focus is so focused that I forget to eat. I am healthy and well-nourished despite this tendency but I would like to change it. I think it’s important that even when I am “in the flow”, I am still mindful of my bodily needs. Do you have any thoughts on how I can improve this situation and become better at checking-in with my body?”

The Post-Travel Blues

Creative Commons License photo credit: Samya_Photography

I’ve been back from Nicaragua one week today. I didn’t want to come home.

I felt like a million dollars but since I have been back, I feel depressed.

I sleep too much. I can’t write. The scenery makes melancholy.

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How Can This Blog Better Help You?


This blog was created to help the innerpreneurial community grow and prosper. And to truly grow and prosper one must be constantly evolving.

Since starting Rise of the Innerpreneur I’ve had a few ideas of how it could be improved to better serve us all. But before I go an implement them, I wanted to make sure that you think they are a good idea too.

Take the Survey and Tell Me How

I’ve created a very short survey (5 mandatory questions and 2 optional) asking how this blog can better serve you.

Take the Survey

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Hear It On the Radio: Art Every Day, Cultural Creatives and Innerpreneurs

Creative Commons License photo credit: Gavin Anderson

Creative Commons License photo credit: Gavin Anderson

Hear Me on Go Green Sagha Radio

This Sunday from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (EST), I will be interviewed on the monthly Internet radio program, Go Green Sagha. The show is hosted by the multi-talented Ananda Leeke and I will be joined by artists Leah Piken Kolidas and Milton Bowens to discuss the topic of Art Every Day, Cultural Creatives and Innerpreneurs.

The show will be broadcast live on Talkshoe. My fellow panelists and I will share our expertise and take questions from the audience. I would love to hear from you.

Listen to the radio show

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My Goals for This Year: Growing Innerpreneurship in 2009

Creative Commons License photo credit: Joe Dielis

Creative Commons License photo credit: Joe Dielis

I’ve never been one for New Year’s resolutions. I could never understand why the change in the date was a catalyst to make changes in my life. I always followed the plan that I would institute changes as soon as I was aware that they needed or wanted to be made.

But as another year ends and I enter my 28th year of life, I am understanding more the value of reflection and goal setting, both personally and professionally.

Reflection helps me to appreciate the journey and how it has lead me to where I am today, while goal setting helps me to outline my desires for the future and strategize how to achieve them.

I’ve realized that the advent of a new year is a great time to begin creating holistic solutions to the issues uncovered during the previous year.

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My Year in Review: Planting the Innerpreneurial Seeds in 2008


As 2009 commences I thought it would be a great idea to take stock of all that I have achieved in 2008.

One of the things I plan to work on in 2009 is giving more credit to myself and my accomplishments. This list is my a first step in growing my inner-kudos.

For me, this was a year of beginnings and I spend most of 2008 planting and cultivating my innerpreneurial seeds.

Winter & Spring: Planting My Seeds

  • January 2008: Move into my first apartment with Daniel
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Slowing Down for the Holidays

[The Giving Tree] @ Tallulah's CafeCreative Commons Licensephoto credit: Torley

Okay truth is, I’ve already slowed down. I only posted once last week and I’ll continue to do so until the New Year. I’m sorry I am so delayed in informing you of my holiday dawdling.

For my family, December holds a whole host of celebrations. It is my only brother’s birthday, my father’s birthday, Hanukkah and Christmas.

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How Do You Tame Your Inner Critic?

I am my own worst critic. I know that much is true. According to me, nothing I do is good enough.

The Source of My Most Recent Uprising

Last Wednesday I was interviewed by Allie Osmar of The Creative Career, a blog that provides aspiring young Marketers and Communicators with insights into the evolving Creative industry.

During the interview, Allie spoke to me about my experiences emerging from university, working in marketing and my eventual evolution into an innerpreneur.

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