Turn Setbacks Into Greenbacks

I've known Willie Jolley for years and it's amazing to me how he is always able to see opportunity in any circumstance.  Top companies use Willie time and time again to help their organization foster an attitude of excellence. 

His latest book, Turn Setbacks Into Greenbacks, helps people take the challenges, hardships, and disappointments they've experienced in the past couple of years and position themselves to come back greater and stronger.

Here are 4 great tips he shares from the book:

Focusing Your Vision:
Where you focus your energy determines where you will go. Focus your vision on what you want, despite the setback, and use the setback for what it really is: a transitional period.

Making a Decision:
Both success and failure are decisions. The truth, is successful people choose to be successful. Once your vision is in place, you need to decide you're going to win despite the setback!

Taking Action:
A decision without action is simply an illusion. By taking action on a decision, you're also taking responsibility for the setback. Remember, you might not be responsible for getting knocked down, but you are responsible for getting back up. Only those who act achieve their goals.

Keeping the Desire:
Desire is the degree of energy you're willing to exert in order to reach your goal. Decide how badly you want to achieve the goal and then keep going after it until you achieve it.

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Doreen Rainey is a Life Coach and Speaker who helps her clients Get RADICAL! For a FREE 30 day membership to the RADICAL Lifestyle Success Network or to subscribe to her bi-weekly newsletter, visit her website. Join Doreen in the Washington, DC area for the 2010 Get RADICAL Women's Conference featuring Jillian Michaels, Fitness Trainer from The Biggest Loser and Rhonda Britten, Emmy Winner Life Coach from Starting Over and Celebrity Fit Club.

Becoming a Champion

At some point in our lives, we've all witnessed it. For some of us, we have experienced it. It is the thrill of being a champion. Being THE winner. Being #1. Hearing the applause of those around you as they celebrate your accomplishment.

It's in those moments that we look back on all the hard work, blood, sweat, and tears it took to get there and admit that it was worth it.

But if you haven't had those moments lately, it could be because you have strayed away from doing the hard work. To me, being a champion is the easy part. It's BECOMING a champion where the road gets tough.

Becoming a champion means that you're in training...and training requires two things: Commitment and Discipline. If you've been lacking in one, or both, of these areas lately, I would venture to guess that you haven't stood in the winner's circle in quite a while.

What championship are you working towards? Is it a college degree? Getting in shape? Eliminating your credit card debt? Starting your own business? Perhaps it's getting a new job, going after a promotion, or saving for a house. Whatever it is you are going for - now is the time to do an honest gut check on your commitment and your discipline.

Ask yourself: What does it really take to get what I want?

Do you need to get up early? Stay up late? Turn off the TV? Cut up the credit cards? Skip dessert? Go to the gym daily? Take on an new project at work? Do more professional networking?

My challenge to you is to choose one area where you're going for the gold. Pick one goal that you've let a lack of commitment and lack of discipline get you off track. Now, decide to recommit yourself and to have daily discipline towards reaching that goal.

Grab a pen and paper right now and write down exactly what you will do to move toward your goal - then read it every day to remind you of what action you must take . By doing so, it won't be long before you'll once again feel the thrill of victory!

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Doreen Rainey is a Life Coach and Speaker who helps her clients Get RADICAL! For a FREE 30 day membership to the RADICAL Lifestyle Women's Network or to subscribe to her bi-weekly newsletter, visit her website. Join Doreen in the Washington, DC area for the 2010 Get RADICAL Women's Conference featuring Jillian Michaels, Fitness Trainer from The Biggest Loser and Rhonda Britten, Emmy Winner Life Coach from Starting Over and Celebrity Fit Club.

Happy New Decade!

Happy New Decade!

It seems like we were just talking about how the world would collapse with Y2K, and now, ten years later, we enter into a new decade. 

I hope that you enjoyed your holidays as much as I did.  I had the chance to spend time with family and friends, do some shopping (both for gifts and for me!), and host Christmas dinner for 20.  And of course, as I rung in the New Year, I couldn't help but think about what I wanted to accomplish in 2010. 

I call it my Top Ten for 2010.  Ten goals that revolve around my business, health, and finances, as well as goals around becoming more involved in helping others, including doing more with my favorite charity, the Innocence Project. Some of my Top Ten are small, while others take my breath away, but they are all meaningful to me.  Focusing on what's important to me, I selected goals that reflect my self-defined success.

Now, I've heard many people say they don't believe in "resolutions", and while I tend to believe those are usually the people who don't stick to them, I will agree that you don't have to wait for a new year to reevaluate your life goals, make the necessary adjustments and look for a fresh start.  But come on, January 1st? That's the mother of all "fresh start" days. So, call it what you want - resolution, goal, new beginning, fresh perspective, future plans. But go ahead and make a few goals - maybe even a Top Ten!

And then once you make them, create a plan of action to make it happen.  Find the resources you need.  Get the support you need.  Get the education you need.  Get focused.  But if you don't quite reach them this year, don't worry.  You've got the whole decade ahead of you.

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Doreen Rainey is a Life Coach and Speaker who helps her clients Get RADICAL! For a FREE 30 day membership to the RADICAL Lifestyle Women's Network or to subscribe to her bi-weekly newsletter, visit her website. Join Doreen in the Washington, DC area for the 2010 Get RADICAL Women's Conference featuring Jillian Michaels, Fitness Trainer from The Biggest Loser and Rhonda Britten, Emmy Winner Life Coach from Starting Over and Celebrity Fit Club.

Your Calling Circle

I use to have a cell phone plan that only allowed me to call a certain group of people at no charge. The company called it my "calling circle". With a limited number of spots, I had to think carefully, and choose wisely, who I would let in.

Who would be worth my coveted free airtime? Family? Friends? A couple of coworkers? And I wasn't the only one making this type of decision. I knew other people who had the same type of plan. Would I make it into their calling circle? Have I fostered enough relationships to be worthy of someone else's talk time?

Fast forward a few years, and most of the plans now allow you to call anybody and everybody at any time. People no longer have to think about who to let in and who to exclude. That's what technology has done to us.

With so much access to people and information available in every possible form, we no longer have defined parameters of deciding who, or what, gets let into our "circle". We get emails from companies we don't remember signing up for. We get "friend requests" from people we barely knew years ago - or don't know at all. We have access to the Internet from just about anywhere. And we have hundreds of television and radio stations vying for our time and attention. No wonder it has become so challenging to manage our circle.

With a New Year just a week away, now might be the best time to become the gatekeeper of your circle again. To evaluate all the things that have infiltrated your circle - the good, the bad, and the complete time waster. Your circle is valuable space and should only be occupied by those people, and things, that contribute to your joy, fulfillment, peace and to the path that leads towards your family, personal, and career goals.

What Will the New Year Bring For You?

If you're like me, in the midst of all the holiday preparations, you're thinking about 2010 and what the new year will bring.

Knowing some of the things I want to accomplish, I've already become part of a mentor program and have joined a business mastermind group - both of which begin after the new year.

Taking a few steps now to set things up in January is a great way to get your year off to a fantastic start.  And if you're looking for a way to set your goals, gain focus and create a practicle plan of action, have I got the program for you! 

Check out my brand new self-paced coaching program.

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  7 Steps for Taking Charge of Your Professional and Personal Life

• Are you ready to make changes in your professional or personal life but not sure how?
• Do you have goals and aspirations that you have yet to achieve?
• Does the thought of doing something different scare you - even though you know you need to make a change?
• What would it be like to define success for yourself and then take positive steps to achieve it?
• How would your life be different if you reached your goals in your finances, career, health, and/or life balance?

If any of these questions apply to you, now is the time to invest in you with this brand new self-paced coaching program.

This step-by-step coaching program shares how to take bold and courageous action towards achieving your self-defined success. Giving you a blueprint for taking charge of your professional and personal life, you’ll deepen the learning about your passion and purpose and move forward in action to create the life – and the lifestyle - you deserve.

Your 3-CD set and accompanying workbook is not a “one size fits all” solution. I understand that your goals and dreams are just that - yours. Knowing this, the program provides an interactive format that allows you to focus on your unique goals, ambition and aspirations, so that you can design the action steps necessary for your own success - at your own pace.

Being released on January 14, 2010, you can save now by taking advantage of pre-release discouts.  Find out more.

Don't Be Afraid to B.R.A.G. in 2010

I've heard many people say they don't make New Year's resolutions.  I've even heard some say that resolutions don't mean anything - that it's a waste of energy, effort and time. 

Well, I think the majority of the people that make these type of comments are people who haven't been able to stick to their resolutions!  And even though I have been one to fail to reach a resolution or two over the years, I still think it's a great motivator to get you moving towards your goals.

Now, I do agree that you can decide to make a change at any time in your life.  The moment you make a decision is the moment you have the power to be, do and have something different.  It is true that you don't have to wait for January 1st, however, there is something inspiring about a brand new year.  There's something exciting about feeling like you have a clean slate.  There's something very motivating about the chance to "start over" and do something bigger and better than you have ever done before. 

Last week, I conducted a teleseminar called:  Jumpstart Your 2010 - RADICAL Goalsetting.  This call was designed to help the participants get a headstart on thinking about where they are now and where they want to be at the end of next year.  One way to do that is to B.R.A.G.

Whenever I start working with a new client - I always make them B.R.A.G.  That simply means to set a Big Radical Audacious Goal.  This is the one goal that blows all your other goals out the water.  This is the one goal where even your most supportive friend or family member would have their doubts.  This is the goal that scares the crap out of you  - yet excites you at the same time.

I encouraged the people on the call to do this - and I'm encouraging you as well.

*  Declare your B.R.A.G.
*  Write it down. 
*  Break it down. 
*  And then go for it.

And, if you want some tips on how to set and achieve your B.R.A.G., feel free to take a listen to the teleseminar from last week. 

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Doreen Rainey is a Life Coach and Speaker who helps her clients Get RADICAL! For a FREE 30 day membership to the RADICAL Lifestyle Women's Network or to subscribe to her bi-weekly newsletter, visit her website. Join Doreen in the Washington, DC area for the 2010 Get RADICAL Women's Conference featuring Jillian Michaels, Fitness Trainer from The Biggest Loser and Rhonda Britten, Emmy Winner Life Coach from Starting Over and Celebrity Fit Club.

Innovation Trumps Recession

No one would argue that our economy tanked and people have been severely affected - both in their personal lives and in their business. But some companies have worked hard to recreate, redesign, refocus and review their current business practices and products to maintain cash flow, keep themselves competitive, and yes - even increase revenues and profits.

If you're an entrepreneur - or an aspiring entrepreneur - the number one rule of business still applies: Find a need and fill it. Here are some stories of innovative thinkers who did just that and are beating the odds by being open to changing directions. I found these inspiring stories in one of my favorite magazines: Fortune Small Business.

Johnny Dela Valdene & Travis Hollman
Founders of ViB in Dallas

The Problem: In 2008, Valdene and Hollman were running a toy company that sold $6 million in marshmallow shooters every year. At a trade fair in New York City they saw an attendee collapsing from what looked like a heart attack. Paramedics later told them that the man had in fact suffered an anxiety attack -- brought on by too many caffeinated energy drinks.

The Moment: They decided that the world needed the opposite of an energy drink: a relaxation drink made from soothing, natural ingredients. With the help of a food scientist they created a drink with theanine, an amino acid found in green tea; B vitamins; and L-threonine, a natural antidepressant. They enlisted six grad students to test the drink.

The Payoff: Three months later Valdene (now 42) and Hollman (40) launched ViB (pronounced Vibe). Today ViB sells through 68 West Coast distributors. Sales are expected to hit $5 million this year.

Innovation Tip: Don't hang on to your vision too tightly. Hollman planned to name the drink "Vacation in a Bottle." After being that told it wouldn't be legal to hand out glass bottle samples in most public places, they switched to cans. Then 7-Eleven told them they didn't want the drink in a can because it looked too much like an energy drink, so ViB adopted aluminum bottles.
"You have to be flexible," says Hollman. "You know what your outcome is. It's all the little things along the way that can change." -Jennifer Alsever

Joanna Van Vleck
Founder of Trunk Club in Oregon

The Problem: Van Vleck knew that many guys hated shopping for clothes in retail stores, so she decided to create a line of personal shopping outlets. She recruited investors to open retail storefronts across the country where men could go for personal shopping sessions. But when the market crashed in late 2008, her funding disappeared.

The Moment: When a potential investor in San Francisco asked Van Vleck to meet with him via Webcam, she initially balked at the idea. "I don't do Webcams," says Van Vleck, 25. But a lot of men she knew seemed to feel more comfortable talking on them, which suggested the Webcam as an ideal forum for personal shopping with men. Her consultants could select and mail clothes to a client based on his lifestyle, budget or career and then talk him through the garments as he modeled them on the Webcam. No retail stores or investors needed.

The Payoff: Van Vleck's 21 style consultants now work with 2,500 customers across the country. The company, Trunk Club, expects $2 million in sales this year.

Innovation Tip: Sometimes inexperience drives innovation. If Van Vleck had ever worked in the retail world, she would have known that merchandise is typically ordered in bulk up to six months in advance. By contrast, her business model is based on ordering small lots of clothing from wholesalers each week. "I didn't fall into the trap of 'We can't do that,'" she says. "We broke all the rules." -Jennifer Alsever

Mark Konjevod
Founder of WIN Products in New York City

The Problem: In 2000, Konjevod was running marathons and working as the business development director at Cox Enterprises. He noticed that his moisture-wicking running clothes were stinking up the house even after he washed them. No matter what the detergent or how much he used, a sweaty odor lingered.

The Moment: Konjevod started asking athlete friends if they had the same problem. The answer: an overwhelming yes. He used his connections to find an experienced chemist who mixed up a special concoction to fight lingering bacteria that get caught inside the high-tech fibers used in performance sporting apparel. In 2005, Konjevod sent the detergent to friends at the Olympic training center in Colorado Springs. The athletes loved it.

The Payoff: Konjevod's business, Win Products, posted $5 million in sales last year. Win detergent earned endorsements from the U.S. Olympic Training Centers and Nike, which now recommends the soap to callers on its toll-free consumer phone line. The detergent will be sold in 20,000 grocery stores this year.

Innovation Tip: Just because big companies dominate a market doesn't mean there isn't room for a niche product or service. Konjevod, 39, had no background in detergents or chemistry, but he decided he could compete with Procter & Gamble by selling through gyms and athletic stores and catering to the $15 billion performance fabrics market. -Jennifer Alsever

David and Stuart Pikoff
Games2U - Austin, TX

They want to see your kids spending more time outdoors... playing Halo, Guitar Hero 3 and laser tag. The brothers' two-year-old Austin company, Games2U, brings truck-mounted video game theaters and laser tag gear to birthday parties. Last year Games2U started selling franchises; the Pikoffs project revenues of $15 million to $20 million this year.

Games2U has signed up 38 franchisees to handle 113 territories in 16 states. New franchisees pay the Pikoffs a $35,000 fee up front and a 6% royalty on sales. For each territory, a franchisee must also buy a branded Games2U trailer or vehicle from the Pikoffs, bringing the startup cost to between $89,000 and $200,000. Each Games2U unit is outfitted with screens and video-game consoles that allow 12 to 24 gamers to compete at once. Clients typically pay a flat fee of $300 to $350 for a two-hour party appearance.

"I wouldn't be so bold as to say we're recession-proof," says David Pikoff, 42. "But franchisees are hearing that while people aren't purchasing big houses or cars, they won't cheat their kids out of a childhood memory for a few hundred bucks."

So, what needs have you noticed that people have? With passion, dedication, and focus, you can design an innovative business that gives you success - even in a recession.

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Doreen Rainey is a Life Coach and Speaker who helps her clients Get RADICAL! For a FREE 30 day membership to RadicalLifestyle.com or to subscribe to her bi-weekly newsletter, visit her website. Join Doreen in the Washington, DC area for the 2010 Get RADICAL Women's Conference featuring Jillian Michaels, Fitness Trainer from The Biggest Loser and Rhonda Britten, Emmy Winner Life Coach from Starting Over and Celebrity Fit Club.

2nd Annual Get RADICAL Women's Conference

It's that time of year and I'm so excited!

Registration is now open for the 2010 Get RADICAL Women's Conference taking place on Saturday, March 27, 2010 at the Westfields Marriott in Chantilly, VA - just outside of Washington, DC.

Last year's conference was incredible! There was so much energy in the room as each speaker shared their strategies for getting ahead - and staying ahead - at work and in life. Women came from all over the country to learn, grow, network and get RADICAL!

I met women from California, Florida, Boston, Colorado, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Chicago - just to name a few. And of course, the Washington, DC area was well represented. As a matter of fact, we have already outgrown the hotel we used!

We are planning an awesome conference this year and would love for you to join us. Some of our speakers are returning with fresh insights and strategies that will build upon what they shared last year - including Jillian Michaels, Fitness Trainer and Life Coach from NBC's hit TV show, The Biggest Loser.
However, we also have some new speakers that will be joining us as well. They will be announced in the coming months so stay tuned!

If you came last year, I would LOVE to see you again. If this will be your first year joining us, I look forward to meeting you. With the caliber of speakers we have, this will be a career enhancing, life enriching experience that will impact your professional and personal life.

Early registration, which gives a discount off the regular registration fee, is now open for both general registration and VIP registration. A VIP registration gets you up close and personal with Jillian in our exclusive VIP luncheon. There's also front section seating and a few other great perks. These special registrations are limited so don't delay! There's even a 2 payment option.

Why "Get RADICAL"?

“Get Radical” is a Call!
A call for women to become bold and courageous enough to depart from the usual, expected or ordinary in order to take charge of their professional and personal life. A call for women to live with purpose and passion in all that they do. A call for women to experience fulfillment and contentment in their family life and in the business world. A call for women to enjoy the fruits of their hard work and reward themselves with fun!

“Get Radical” is a Challenge!
A challenge for women to step out of their comfort zone and explore new possibilities. A challenge for women to get the skills, education, and information they need to make smart choices when going after their goals. A challenge for women to set aside fear and replace it with faith and courage. A challenge for women to step out of doubt, uncertainty and hesitation and onto the path to success!

“Get Radical” is a Lifestyle!
A lifestyle dedicated to continuous improvement in finances, career, relationships, health and wellness, and fun! A lifestyle that understand the importance of investing in one’s self to continually learn and grow. A lifestyle that embraces the philosophy of selflessness – being willing to share with others by giving back!

In planning this day for you, we focused on gathering women who are experts in their field and have overcome challenges, difficulties, and adversities to achieve amazing success.

They'll share entertaining, informative, and poignant stories about the lessons they've learned, all the while inspiring you to take your goals and dreams and put them into action.

Don't miss this opportunity to laugh, learn, grow, connect with others, enhance your career and change your life.

See what a couple of our attendees said about last year's conference:

"This conference was an amazing, life changing experience. I would recommend it to anyone who is eager to learn, grow and take their life to another level of consciousness. It was a truly inspirational event."

"I ventured out of this comfort zone and traveled 7 hours to this conference on my own! Never have done(or would have done)something like that before...so glad I did. Left feeling empowered, and ready to create my dream life!"

How Long Do You Chase a Dream?

Everybody has a dream.

Whether it's to raise a child that makes a positive contribution to society, to start a business based on your passion, to work with or start a charity that helps those less fortunate, to reach a certain position at your company, to get an education, to get in shape, write a book, direct a movie, or be an actor.

One of the questions I always talk about with my friend Tawana is how long do you chase a dream? Until things aren't going your way? Until the money runs out? When you experience disappointment after disappointment? When you get rejected? When you give your all and it still isn't enough? Do you keep going? Do you change course? Do you give up?

My hubby owns a recording studio and record label and he's been working with a young woman with a dream. A dream to share her musical talents with the world. But she hasn't just been dreaming. She's been working her butt off.

Let me just say that anyone who thinks the entertainment industry is easy isn't in the entertainment industry! I've watched her experience some serious disappointments and setbacks, but she continues to move forward, more determined than ever.

And now, her dreams are starting to come true. Jamie Jones will release her first album, Celebrity Music, on June 30th (YEA!). Her sound is a mixture of who she is and the music she loves - pop/rock/hip hop and R&B.

To celebrate, she's having a CD release party on Sunday, June 28th at the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC. If you're in the area, come celebrate with us!

Introducing Jamie Jones:






So, to answer the question:

How long do you chase a dream?

Until it comes true!

Childhood Dream...Adult Reality

Every now and then, I think back to my childhood dreams. What did I want to be when I grew up? Did I come close to living those dreams?

It's funny how childhood dreams fall away as they give way to adult reality.

However, every now and then, I revisit those childhood dreams...I go back to a time when I believed anything was possible. Well, today was one of those days. I decided to take a walk down memory lane. And guess what? I'm taking you with me - but you have to promise you won't laugh!

Childhood Dream: I had plans of being a concert pianist. I took piano lessons for at least 5 years and participated in several competitions. Adult Reality: While I can still read music and play a few notes of Beethoven's Fur Elise, I haven't had a piano in the house in years.

Childhood Dream: Explore the great outdoors and get out of the city life. Having grown up in the Washington, DC metro area, I thought how great it would be to live in the country. Not be a part of the rat race, city streets, and rush hour traffic. Adult Reality: I live in the suburbs and at times it drives me crazy. I love New York and wouldn't mind living there one day. But I still love nature. This is me and my mom riding the rapids in West Virginia.

Childhood Dream: Being a supermodel and hitting the runways in Milan, Paris, and New York (check out my fierce pose below!) Adult Reality: I still love designer clothes and bags (please note that loving and having are two different things!) But Ford Models, Elite Models, and Casablanca's has yet to ring my phone!

Childhood Dream: To not only be a member of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders squad, but to be a part of the show group - the select group of cheerleaders that gets to make all the appearances, singing and dancing their little hearts out. Adult Reality: It's still possible! I won't make it to this year's audition next month, but there's always 2010. Keep hope alive!

Childhood Dream: To grow up and party all the time. Be a socialite without a care in the world - the Paris Hilton of my generation. Didn't know where the money would come from...it would just be there. As you can see, I had the party thing down from an early age! Adult Reality: College, work, bills, grad school, marriage. Need I go on?

Childhood Dream: To wear a crown. Miss Virginia Teen. Miss Teen USA. There was something about the sash, the crown, the talent competition, the opening numbers and the interview with the judges. It was nerve racking but I completely enjoyed it. Check out my photos from the talent competition, the evening gown competition, and getting ready for my big group song and dance routine! Adult Reality: I have yet to win a crown and I'm still a little salty about it! :-)

So what about your childhood dreams? Have you visited them lately?

Some of them, we naturally outgrow, however, there are still those that linger - like making the cheerleader squad or winning a crown. Perhaps it's time to dust off some of your dreams! You may have to readjust them a little...but don't give up. Your childhood dream could still become your adult reality!

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Doreen Rainey is a Life Coach and Speaker who helps her clients Get RADICAL! For a FREE 30 day membership to the RADICAL Lifestyle Women's Network or to subscribe to her bi-weekly newsletter, visit her website. Join Doreen in the Washington, DC area for the 2010 Get RADICAL Women's Conference featuring Jillian Michaels, Fitness Trainer from The Biggest Loser and Rhonda Britten, Emmy Winner Life Coach from Starting Over and Celebrity Fit Club.