With a seven month old daughter, I don’t attend a lot of business events. I really miss that mental stimulation and learning though so was excited that the LeisureSeekers Quarterly Planning offered free childminding.
I booked Isabella in for the day and though she wasn’t very happy about it and I needed to attend to her regularly, she was only next door so I managed to still take part in most of the session.
Held at the Capalaba Sports Club, this event was run by husband and wife team Kate and Kent and supported by Tracey, all three have unique talents and you can read all about them in the Leisure Seekers About Us on their website.
I was particularly inspired by the fact I had a lot in common with Kate – both mums with young children as well as having a background in the travel industry, it was great to see a role model showing that though it’s not always easy, you can balance business and family.
As with most other business events, I am always really interested in the wide range of business owners there. This one had everything from accountants to a Tantra Pleasure “playshop” facilitator!
I also spoke to a couple of others in the situation of balancing the needs of family with working which is what I need to hear right now and also why I’ve started Professional Parents to help others doing the same.
There were lots of lessons throughout the day for all of us. I liked Kate’s perspective, it resonates with mine. I’ve always believed business can have “heart” and still be successful. She regularly used words such as community, connection and synergy and I also learnt a wonderful new word – edification. Here’s a definition from dictionary.com.
This all appealed to me as an emotionally driven person, but she also covered a lot of logic and “cold hard” business facts necessary to succeed financially such as leads, conversion rates, average sales, turnover, margins and profit.
My notes are a bit of a jumbled mess as I was busy absorbing so much valuable informaiton but here are some of the highlights (that may or may not make sense!):
- What are you chasing? When will you know what you want?
- Where do you find your energy?
- Leave a legacy that’s bigger than you
- What untapped resources do you have?
- Be integrity based
- Love yourself
- What is causing pressure?
- Move from fear to fun/love
- Face your fears – what are you most scared of?
We then we worked on our own specific goals. Here are my top 10:
- Friends and Family (spend quality time with them)
- Finish my Bachelor of Business Degree
- Write more regularly (articles, blog, diary)
- Photography (learn more peruse this as a hobby)
- Build self confidence (being a mum doesn’t mean I can’t be a businesswoman)
- Finances (get these under control & plan for future)
- Volunteer work (Mother Baby Hub)
- Volunteer work (Alma Park Zoo)
- Network (meet the right people, build a team & community)
- Zestee: (decide on direction, seek more marketing consulting clients)
These were broken down into a 90 day plan with 5 specific actions for each goal, and setting a reward once all achieved.
Some recommended reading:
- The One Minute Millionaire, Mark Victor Hansen & Robert G Allen
- Moodswings & Roundabouts: Kate Osborne
For more information on the Quarterly Planning Sessions, coaching or other services, visit the LeisureSeekers website.
Zestee 