SHERRY SEXTON

When I first started my business, I was clear on my goals -  Life Coach focused on divorce, weight loss and helping women to find balance in their lives.

Within six months, my clientele changed and my business needed to shift to meet their needs. They were mostly women entrepreneurs who were looking to start their own business- for numerous reasons:

• It gave them the option to stay at home with their children
• The need to leave a legacy for their children as well as being a role model for their children to emulate
• After a major illness or tragedy, they needed to make a difference in the lives of others
• The corporate world seemed like a rat race with no end in sight
• They finally gave themselves the gift of following their passion and living the life had imagined

I loved it and I was sure this was to be my path!

However…….

In 2010, I found myself  still helping entrepreneurs but leaning towards marketing, helping clients to develop new strategies and fresh ideas- a slight shift once againJ

Which brings us to 2011, another theme appears, again from my clients, asking for help with social media, primarily LinkedIn!

What I know for sure, sorry Oprah but I’m borrowing your tag line, I am meant to help entrepreneurs find their clients, increase their visibility and make more MONEY!

What the future holds is a mystery but exciting none the lessJ

Stay tuned……….

Bye for now,

Sherry

I woke up early this morning – thinking about how blessed I am in so many ways:)

Most of you who know me, know that “paying it forward” is one on my favorite things

Great movie, I might add!

Wanted to share with you some of the little ways, I have paid it forward over the years

* paid the toll for the person behind me – usually on the way to the beach:)
* gave the newspaper guy on the corner an extra dollar for the next person that stopped
* saw a family standing behind me at the movies & bought a child’s movie ticket to give to them
* told the cashier at the grocery store to add $5 to my bill and deduct it from next person’s bill

and yes, I am sometimes the one that stops to give the homeless person $1 or a protein bar!

Off to pay it forward to the person behind me at Starbucks!!!

Some of you know what kind of car I drive, so I’ll give you a head start, lol

Many Blessings,

Sherry

How do you get it? – and where do I find one? That’s what I thought when I first started my business

Because my coaching clients could really be ANYONE! Yes, but……

I was told that a niche would help me identify my target market of those people or businesses I would like to work within my coaching practice.

So here are some key points about the importance of a niche:

• Finding a niche will allow you to focus on where you will spend your time advertising or marketing.
• Having a niche makes it easier for your entire network to know who your ideal client would be.
• You will feel less threatened by the competition because you will have established your own identity.
• We are constantly bombarded with too many choices and too many sellers competing for the same market.

Dare to be different!

If you are just thinking about starting a business and you can recognize a particular target market that is untapped, your success will find you.

The most successful businesses have started with a need you uncover in your own life, a need others probably have as well. Set your sights on filling that need and never quit until you find a way to make it happen.

Examples of two great niche products, we have come to love:

Back in the mid 90s, Reed Hastings was CEO of a small software company.

Reed’s niche market grew from his own frustrating experience with video stores, the late fees he paid and the unavailability of a movie when he visited the store.

On his way to the gym one day, he had a thought about treating the video industry as a gym membership.

As an experience software engineer, he found a way to create an online network that would earn money from the membership fees and allow members to keep the movie as long as they wanted and avoid the late fees.

Also, realizing the time involved on a trip to the video store, he recognized the need for mail order. But would the DVD survive the journey through the mail system. He visited his local record store, bought many DVDs and actually mailed them to himself.

When they arrived safely, he knew his idea would work. Hence, the beginning of Netflix!
Netflix earned $688 million in revenue in 2006 and going strong ever since – it all evolved out of his own needs!

Another example of finding a unique niche is the story of Sara Blakely, who at the time was working for a copier firm.

One afternoon when getting ready for a party, she had the idea to cut the feet out of her panty hose to avoid those nasty panty lines.

She found a manufacturer to produce them and called a buyer at Neiman-Marcus to pitch her idea.

Upon meeting with the buyer, she decided to show her the dramatic results by escorting her to the ladies room and physically showing her the difference in her light colored pants.

Her first sale was to Neiman-Marcus and she was well on her way to making millions with a product all women know now as SPANX!

Things to keep in mind in the future

• Your niche may change over the course of your business.
• Just because you have chosen a niche does not mean you cannot decide to work with in other markets.
• Take your niche to new levels of success by seeking new ways to market yourself and your brand.
• Try to work with the clients you really love to work with.

So there you have it, my best thoughts about a niche market!!

Happiness and Success Always,

Sherry

Great, you get to stay home and work in your pjs if you want to! But, it’s not always that easy.

How you structure you day can make a big difference in how you feel at the end of each day!!!

I have found that what works best for me; is to set my goals for the week. I am more likely to accomplish them if they are in writing!  Makes no difference if you have them on your phone, on your computer, on the fridge or taped to your forehead

Discipline is also a huge component of reaching your goals. It’s a proven fact that discipline is the key to success! Whether it’s running a business from home, sticking to a healthy diet or making time to exercise, you have a better chance of succeeding if you are disciplined.

Be sure to focus your energy on things you can control and leave the rest alone.

Checking emails five times a day or posting on social media every hour may not be the best use of your time. I recommend to all clients that they check emails at the beginning of the day and at the end of the day. Social media maybe 2, ok, three! It’s easy to get caught up in communicating with friends but budget your time wisely. Stay on track:)

Cat naps are AWESOME!! If you are fortunate to have the flexibly to take a short 15-20 minute nap in the afternoon- it can do wonders for your focus to finish off your day.

If your reason for staying at home was to spend more time with your family- then it’s critical for you to add them as a priority when planning your week. Successful people with no work/life balance may sacrifice their loved ones, only to realize later that they missed so much- unfortunately life has no rewind button.

Bye for now!:)

Sherry

Being a women entrepreneur starting out as we were heading into some rough economic times, in retrospect, nothing could have stopped me. I had the passion and persistence (maybe a bit of ignorance as well) to take on the world. What a roller coaster ride it has been! The best, however, are all of the challenges, or should we call them learning experiences- which turned out to be the greatest benefit I can offer my clients.

Let’s see, what can I tell you that I will not have to change any names to protect the innocence? Remember what I just stated about being a bit ignorance, forget it, I was just plain clueless in so many ways. Gullible, oh my! I probably would have bought ice from an Eskimo in the beginning if they (whoever they were at the time) thought it was good business idea. My problem, I trusted everyone! I still trust most people but have learned to do some investigation first.

Best example: My first logo design which included my fancy letterhead stationery and envelopes- who really cared, along with my tri-fold brochure – I just had to be different!!- would have allowed me to lease a Lexus- the first few payments at least:)

In regards to being different, anyone who knows me would say I already am different- simply by being me!

When I received my first company credit card, it was official! Charge away- all for the business, right? – new clothes, new shoes, included- the girls get it!! If someone would have slapped me upside the head at that point- it may or may not have gotten my attention. Remember when you were little and you felt invincible, well it was kinda like that.

However, I knew I needed a coach to guide me, hired many during my early journey, which was of great benefit in more than one way. It helped me to determine how I would coach others, how much I would share and how REAL I would be with my clients. I developed my own individual style which still fits me today- fast and furious! I have been called many things- a rocket launcher, a GPS system, the crazy coach who jumps through flaming hoops and talks to her clients at 2:00 am- as well as a few others I will not mention.

Do I still make mistakes, of course, I never want to be perfect- it would be too lonely:)

Being my own boss, working in my pajamas if I like and working the hours I want to, wherever and whenever- makes it all worthwhile!!!

Well enough about me, it’s all about you and your continued success!

Hugs,

Sherry