It's that time of year when it's easy to get inundated with to-do lists and life can quickly become stressful instead of joyful. Remember, you need rest, and stepping away or saying no is okay. Even God chose to rest on the 7th day. And you need to rest too. You can't do well if your body, mind, and soul aren't given the rest they need to reset and refuel. You can find rest, peace, and joy this Christmas season and beyond. It's so busy and the distractions are many One might argue that every season of life is hectic and full of chaos and distractions. But the holiday season seems to be especially busy, especially if you are a business owner. You have year-end reviews, goal-setting, gift-buying, parties, baking, and more that have been added to your already-growing to-do list. Overwhelm can set it quickly. And with overwhelm often comes stress. To top it off, your email inbox is overflowing with shoulds and last-minute ideas on how to prepare your life and business for the new year. Not to mention the sales and gift promotional emails from every store on the planet - most of which you've probably never heard of but somehow they have your email address. One overwhelming thing after another, right? You can see why it is important to turn down the volume, turn off the electronics, and give yourself some rest. We all need to rest. All year long, but especially during the holiday season. After all, Christmas is about the birth of the Prince of Peace, not about hustle and bustle, to-do lists, baking, gifts, and traditions. Those things are all very nice to incorporate, however, we must not lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas and the rest God has called us to. What does the Bible say about the need to rest? If we're talking about rest, we have to start with Genesis. In Genesis 2:2-3 we learn that even God rested. The verses read, "By the seventh day, God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day, he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done." Likewise, in Hebrews 4:9-10 we read, "There remains, then, a Sabbath rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his." In Psalm 4:8 David wrote, "In peace, I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety." Not only does this verse emphasize the need to rest, but also to trust that God will provide the rest and safety we need.    Read the full show notes and access all links.    Download the free eBook: 37 Bible Verses Every Enterpreneur Needs To Reflect On And Live By. 

Take care of yourself from the inside out and the outside - nurture mind, body, and soul It's true, you need to nurture mind, body, and soul to succeed. There is a deep connection between the three. Happiness and joy are achieved when you nurture mind body and soul. And when you are happy, you are more productive. When more productive and grounded in faith you achieve the success God has planned for you, whether in career or relationships. The inspiration behind Lord and Lily Skincare Products As Lily began to show signs of aging she researched the best skin care options available on the market. She invested heavily in skin care products but didn't achieve the results she wanted. So she began to research ingredients and what natural products would improve her skin. Lily found that skin can be an indicator of your overall health. That is why she chose a holistic approach to skincare. Doing so ensures she is nurturing not only the skin but the body. Lily emphasized that having beautiful skin means you must be disciplined and use the products daily. Love yourself enough to create a skincare ritual. If you want to be efficient and effective, you need to take care of yourself well. Health and wellness are critical for your small business journey. Create a morning routine that nourishes you It doesn't take a lot of time to nourish yourself. Start your day by reading a devotion or the Bible. Do your skincare routine, apply products, and massage your skin with a roller or stone. You can do all of this in under 10 minutes. That 10 minutes nourishes you to start your day feeling fulfilled and empowered. You will have deepened the mind, body, and soul connection. When you treasure yourself, you treasure others. Likewise, when you treat yourself well, you treat others well. And when you respect yourself and take care of yourself, you'll respect others. Taking care of your appearance is one place to start. Every aspect of health and wellness requires self-discipline. To nurture mind, body, and soul means . . . If you want to nurture your mind, body, and soul, it's important to read and reflect on scripture. It's necessary to go to God for guidance and wisdom if you want to nurture yourself from outside in and inside out. Nourishing mind, body, and soul helps us feel more confident and we're able to handle and solve more problems gracefully. When we nurture mind, body, and soul we can build stronger relationships. Read the full show notes and access all links and resources. Website for Lily Yang and Lord and Lily Rise and Build Conference in Bethlehem, PA SEO for business growth SEO was mentioned a few times. To learn more download the free video, Intro to SEO for Entrepreneurs, and become more visible and attract more clients.  

If you want to experience business growth you need a recipe for success. Your business growth strategy is like a recipe for success. When you bake, you have a recipe to follow, and certain ingredients are necessary or the baked good won't turn out the way you want, or taste good. Similarly, when you are growing a business certain ingredients create a road map to success. In keeping with the recipe theme, be sure to read to the end of the post for a special Christmas gift...our family gingerbread men recipe. The ingredients needed for the recipe for success Clarity Confidence Commitment Consistency Community Communication Collaboration Clarity The first ingredient in the recipe for success is clarity. You must be 100% clear on what you do, why you do it, how you do it, why you do it the way you do it, and who you do it for. There is no wiggle room in your measure of clarity. If you aren't clear, your community will not be clear. Clarity creates confidence. When you have clarity you will confidently communicate what you do, why you do it, how you do it, why you do it the way you do it, and who you do it for. 1 Corinthians 14:33 reminds us, "For God is not a God of disorder but of peace—as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people." If you are feeling unclear about your business, do this exercise: Make a list of all of your past experiences that have led you to start your business. These may be jobs you've had, volunteer positions you've had, teams you were part of, experiences you've gone through and learned from, or a combination of these. Once you have the list, take it a step further. What about each thing you've done or experienced differentiates you from others who have experienced something similar? What makes you unique? This could be qualifications, what you learned and then implemented to create a positive result, the people you worked with or had the experience to learn from, mistakes you made, the mistakes you saw other people make, and/or the people you've helped along your journey. Then, evaluate the list of people you've already helped and identify the people who are consistently asking you for help or to solve a problem. What are you their go-to for? Is there a consistent problem people ask you to help solve? Are there skills that you have that no one else has? How can your experiences and what you've learned from them help solve a problem for someone else? Who are the people who most likely need help solving this problem or challenge? Read the full show notes and access a plethora of additional resources.  My Christmas gift to you In closing, now that we've reviewed the recipe for success, I want to share a fun recipe with you. Download your copy of our family Gingerbread Men Recipe. You can download it as a PDF or JPEG. Happy baking!

Connection is critical for building relationships, growing your network, and increasing opportunities. Success is achieved through building relationships to grow your network of like-minded people who will support you and further connect you. Opportunities arise through connection and relationships. Strategies to employ to build relationships and grow your network Be good at your job - every person you come in contact with appreciates you and understands that you provide the value they need. In other words, they see that you understand their needs and provide for them. Be interesting - what makes you unique? Share personal things to help you stand out, maybe that you have a dog. Join organizations to demonstrate your skills by helping them and building relationships. Don't only try to meet important people. You never know when someone might be important in your life. Someone may be important, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are going to be important to you or in your life. Focus on building relationships with people who are different than you. Follow up - connect and then build and maintain relationships Interact appropriately Be sincere - don't be too calculated Have fun while building relationships and growing your network Add value to your relationships Put yourself in the shoes of other people. Ellen shared the example of the contractor who removed her popcorn ceilings and how he went above and beyond what Ellen expected or hired him for. When you put yourself in other people's shoes, you'll think of and do little things that make a difference in their lives. Don't make assumptions about what people need Instead of making assumptions about what people need, get to know them and approach your relationships with empathy. Think of the big picture, not necessarily what they come to you for or what's on the surface. Ellen shared the example of the law student and creating wills. Building relationships is about creating an emotional connection. Don't make assumptions. Get curious and ask questions from a place of empathy and people will appreciate you and want to continue building the relationship with you. They will see you as providing true value. Be good at your job and provide additional value and people will understand what's in your heart. They will then want to recommend you and share you with others. In addition, the relationship and further connections and relationships will develop naturally.   Read the full show notes and access all links and resources. Intro to SEO for Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners Learn more about Click Automations.   Website for Ellen Poole  Coupon code Robyn for 15% off Ellen's book.

The real meaning of Christmas does not increase stress. The Christmas season is a time to prepare our hearts for Jesus and the gift of grace, which is freeing. Yesterday morning I emailed a list of gift ideas for business owners and shared a few of our family traditions. As I was typing the list, it made me realize how much focus we, as a society, have on gift-giving, pleasing others, and focusing on things that don't represent the true meaning of Christmas. It made me re-think the real meaning of the season, to prepare our hearts for Jesus. Why should we prepare our hearts for Jesus? Oftentimes, especially for business owners and entrepreneurs, December is a time of reflection on what goals we met, what goals we didn't meet, how much money we made, and/or how many clients we had. All of this, in addition to purchasing gifts, pleasing others, and even wanting more for ourselves. Christmas is more than all of those things. December is a good month to reflect on more than goals, revenue, and gifts. It's a time to prepare our hearts for Jesus and receive His grace, the true meaning of the season. Evaluate before you celebrate I always encourage my clients to evaluate what they do. What worked, what didn't work, what went well, what could be done differently to be better next time. Preparing our hearts for Jesus is similar, but way more powerful. Throughout the year we make many decisions, some good, some not so good. Because we are human, we sin and do things that may have hurt someone else, or ourselves. It's easy to hold onto guilt and shame when we focus on what went wrong instead of what went right. But 1 John 1:9 reminds us that if we confess our sins, we are forgiven. We don't have to hold on to the past, or the shame and guilt of past decisions, experiences, or mistakes. Christmas is a beautiful time to not only reflect on what's been good or bad but to prepare our hearts to receive the gift of Jesus. Imagine the sacrifice God made to send Jesus to earth in human form. And he did it all for us. I love the Christmas song, Mary Did You Know by Pentatonix. The first few verses bring tears to my eyes. You can listen to the song on Spotify or wherever you listen to music.   Read the full show notes and access all links.   Want the gift list? If you'd like to see the Christmas list I referred to above, send me an email at [email protected] and I'll send it to you.   Schedule a free strategy consult with Robyn.    Download free resources to grow your business with simplicity, decrease anxiety, and grow in your faith.

Market your business without social media and improve your mental health. It is possible to grow your business without social media. You can market your business without social media and build a successful, sustainable business. Is investing in social media worth it? At first, Meg used a Facebook group to market her business, get clients, and serve her community. But then she realized that because of the algorithm she was losing money on the Facebook group. When she evaluated the metrics, she was losing money. So you let her social media manager go and forgot to post. Maybe not the best strategy, to just walk away without an announcement, but when she did, nothing changed in her business. She continued to attract clients and make money. The bottom line, Meg created content for people who already knew her instead of for an algorithm. From there Meg did an experiment, which is what marketing is, experimenting to see what works to attract clients. Meg mentioned that Robyn and Meg were introduced by Michelle Mazur. Learn more from Michelle by listening to episode 119. There is more to digital marketing than social media You can market your business without social media. There are many other ways to market your business whether you are an online business or brick-and-mortar business. And if you decide to leave social media, invite your followers to join your email list to stay connected and continue to learn from you. The effect of social media on mental health When you are bombarded with bro marketing and the glamorous life of success so many people post about, you can become intimidated. Comparison and imposter syndrome can result in fear, doubt, anxiety, and depression. Keep in mind also, that when you spend a lot of time on social media and give a lot to your audience, when they become a paying customer, they will expect much more from you. Set boundaries so that followers will recognize your expertise and respect your time. Boundaries are key for time management and maintaining a healthy mind and positive mindset. The more followers you have, the more demand on you and your time. Keep that in perspective as you set goals to grow your follower counts.   Read the full show notes and access all links and additional resources.    Download the free eBook, 10 strategies to grow your business without social media. Website for Meg Casebolt  Social Slowdown by Meg Casebolt

What happens after you publish your book? How do you maintain the momentum to continue marketing and selling your book? Once your book is published, you don't get to relax. You still need to market your book if you want to continue to get sales and reviews, which ultimately increases sales. Post-publication, you still need to market your book In this Thinking it Through Wins and Wisdom episode of The Robyn Graham Show, Connie Jo Miller asked Robyn how to market your book post-publication. As a new author who reached Amazon best-seller status, Connie Jo Miller wants to continue building momentum for increased book sales. Strategies to market your book Humble brag - if you don't tell people about your book, and that you are an author, they won't know. When you have the opportunity, tell your friends and people you meet that you are an author. Include search engine optimization on your "author" website. Write blog posts about your book, your author experience, your creative process, etc. to include depth of SEO to help others find you. Be specific about the genre you are publishing in. Host or go to local events. This includes your local library, networking meetings, conferences, schools, etc. If you are like Connie Jo and are a children's author, do a read-along or story-time at the library or a local bookstore. Email list - send reminders to your email list about your book and your author journey. Do this especially around holidays so that people understand how great it is to give books, your book especially, as a gift. Ask people who have read your book to write a book review. This will help booksellers see that your book is well received and they will promote it for you. Donate books to the local library or schools. Children will like it and want to buy it or gift it. In addition, you can donate a book or raffle basket for a fundraiser to increase awareness. Create a lovey or stuffed animal to accompany the book. Do podcast interviews. Additional resources about becoming an author and marketing your book How to Become an Author and Self-Publish a Book Use these strategies to write a book How to Become an Author and Self-Publish a Book What is a book coach? Apply for a Thinking it Through Wins and Wisdom Conversation. About Connie Jo Miller Connie Jo's love of books and words started when she was ten years old with the Nancy Drew book, The Bungalow Mystery. Connie Jo loved the word bungalow: how it sounded and the picture it brought to her mind. Bungalow was the first word on her “Words I Love” list. Many, many have followed. If Connie Jo reads or hears an usual new word, she has to stop, look it up, and write it down. British murder mystery shows have added many words to her list. Her desire to share uncommon words and inspire their use in day-to-day conversations catalyzed Betty Bartholomew and the Vanishing Begonias. Betty Bartholomew and the Vanishing Begonias Website for Connie Jo Miller Connie Jo's publishing company: Highlander Press Publishing Company by Debby Kevin and Debby's interview on The Robyn Graham Show.

Do you have self-confidence? Has self-doubt caused you to question whether you are enough or worthy? You can eliminate self-doubt (or at least alleviate it) by using communication strategies to take action and improve self-confidence. Check out episode 231 with Debra Roberts and learn more communication skills for handling difficult conversations. Where does self-doubt come from? Self-doubt, which results in overthinking, comes from how we were brought up. Our upbringing continues to be part of us, we carry it with us. In addition, self-doubt comes from how we've been culturally conditioned in society. But not to fear, you can eliminate self-doubt if you take action to change your mindset. We are constantly underestimating ourselves. Comparison and imposter syndrome play a significant part in self-doubt. Women often underestimate themselves internally and sometimes misrepresent themselves externally. The power of your voice to improve self-confidence They may be exceptional leaders and experts but misrepresent themselves, for example, in their voice, they don't project their voice, they don't speak with conviction. Another example is upspeak, which is when you end a statement with a question mark. Doing so makes you appear less credible. Punctuation will also make a difference in how confident and credible you seem. For example, when you introduce yourself, say your name and pause before going on to add more details. To use your voice to improve self-confidence, record yourself or have a friend or coach evaluate with you. Speak with conviction, smile, and keep your voice light as well as projected. In addition, have vocal variety, change your volume, pitch, and pace so that you come across with more interest. Another important factor for credibility is the power of the pause. When you don't pause, you can seem nervous and out of control to the audience. This is important because people don't listen well to people who seem out of control. So pause occasionally. Your voice can make you more interesting. Using your voice also helps build an emotional connection and trust with your community and audience.   Read the full show notes and access all links.  Apply for a Thinking it Through Wins and Wisdom Feature on The Robyn Graham Show. Download free resources to grow your business with more confidence. Website for Karen Laos.  

You've heard that you need gratitude to succeed and you've heard there are benefits to gratitude, but you don't know how to start a gratitude practice. Do you need gratitude to succeed? There are many benefits of gratitude. Maybe a gratitude practice won't make or break your business, but when you start a gratitude practice you will achieve more because you will be happier. Gratitude plays an important role in entrepreneurship and life. Why do you need to start a gratitude practice? There are many benefits of gratitude. Gratitude shifts your perspective to what is going well instead of what could go wrong. You can think of gratitude as a natural anti-depressant because gratitude releases dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and norepinephrine, positive neurochemicals in the brain. When you feel like you haven’t accomplished enough, or haven’t reached your goals, make a list of what you are grateful for – it could be what you’ve already accomplished, the other people involved with your work, the tools you have to work with, the canceled meeting that gave you an extra hour of focus time, etc. The brain is miraculous Gratitude helps stimulate positive neuropathways in the brain. God created the brain so intricately and He gives us the authority to transform our minds. The more you stimulate the positive neuropathways, the more automatic positive thinking will become. More positive thinking, more happiness. The higher your happiness levels are, the more productive you are, which leads to more success. In Romans 12:2 Paul tells us, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will." One of the biggest benefits of gratitude is that it helps you change your mindset, to transform your mind to see the positive. How the brain and neuropathways work Imagine when you were a kid, and you rode your bike through the woods to the creek. At first, it was hard because the grasses were high, there was brush on the path, and you had to get off and move debris out of the way. But eventually, after you rode the path enough times, you had a clear path that you could ride on with ease. Gratitude is like clearing that path. The more you practice it, the more likely you are to see the positive, and therefore, experience more peace and happiness. How to start a gratitude practice, because there are many benefits of gratitude and you need gratitude to succeed To start your gratitude practice, at the end of each day write 3 things that you are grateful for. You’ll reframe your thoughts about your day and rest better through the night. Do this practice for 30 days and see if you feel a difference. There may be days when you’re so tired or so frustrated you might think you have nothing to be grateful for, but when you let your mind wander back across the day, there will be things to be grateful for – they might be small, like a sharp pencil, I love a sharp pencil, but you will be able to identify 3 things. Do you really need gratitude to succeed? What you think about and focus on is what you create. Have you ever woken up in the morning – as we say – on the wrong side of the bed? Feeling grumpy. Your thoughts are heavy, you’re dreading the day ahead, and then – everything that can go wrong goes wrong. The coffee pot didn’t automatically brew your beloved morning coffee, the dog came to the door covered in mud. You get stuck in traffic, have to slam on the breaks and your handbag falls to the floor with its contents spewing everywhere, your kids is upset b/c now they’re going to be late for school – never mind that you’re going to be late for your meeting – and to top it off, you take a sip of the coffee you desperately need and it spills down your top. One of those days. And if you let it, the entire day can be sabotaged. But you have a choice. Instead of wallowing in self-pity and annoyance, you can find blessings. You can find things to be grateful for. For example, you were running late and avoided the accident that caused the traffic to slow down. You were able to spend 5 extra minutes with your child in the car, those moments are fleeting. And maybe best of all, the top you spilled coffee on was black and not white so no one will even notice there’s coffee on it. And just like that you reframed your thoughts from It’s an awful day to I’m blessed and content. If you want to be truly happy, you must refocus your thoughts. Practicing gratitude is the first step. You need gratitude to succeed because it refocuses your thoughts on the positive, which makes you happy. Happiness improves productivity which helps create success. Therefore, gratitude is a component of success. Viewing your life as filled with blessings, big and small, is another one of the benefits of gratitude. Read the full show notes and access all links.  Looking for more Bible verses for entrepreneurs? Download our free eBook, 37 Bible Verses Every Entrepreneur Should Reflect On and Live By. 

When God is speaking to you, you follow His call. Being unashamed about sharing Jesus. Have you ever wondered if God is speaking to you? Some believe that that only happened in the Bible. But in reality, God still speaks to us, but we have to listen to hear Him. How is God speaking to you? The first step in hearing God speak to you is to read Scripture. Reading Scripture will help you recognize how the Holy Spirit speaks to us. And you can ask the Holy Spirit to make you sensitive to His voice and to help you hear Him. The Holy Spirit speaks to us through our intuition. Or, you may have a strong feeling about something. Oftentimes, things you've been praying about will come up in conversation. Someone will bring up the topic to you out of the blue. Let your ears be open to hear the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit may speak to you in dreams, song lyrics, or maybe a picture that pops into your head. In addition, you may experience a change in your circumstances, like opportunities dry up. This is what happened to Laureen Alexa with her acting career. The roles she was willing to play quit coming up. In addition, the roles offered to her were not aligned with her morals. When you feel a shift like this in your life, ask God if he wants you to lean in and keep pressing because He's training you in perseverance, or does He want you to pivot? Or, ask Him if this is a new opportunity and ask him to redirect your steps. Similarly, if it's a perseverance thing, He's going to strengthen you and you will receive confirmation or release that gives you a new insight or direction. In addition, ask God to give you sensitivity to hear His voice and to know the counterfeits from His. Also, ask Him to make you in tune to Him because you want to obey Him.  This is the prayer Laureen prays. Discernment is critical The most important thing about communicating with God is discernment. It's imperative to discern and differentiate between what we think God is saying versus what the world or Satan may be saying. How to let go of perfectionism and control   Read the full show notes and access all links.  Website for Laureen Alexa  Laureen's book: Festival in the Desert: Learning to Rejoice in the Difficult Seasons of Life   Download the free eBook: 37 Bible verses every Christian entrepreneur should reflect on and live by.