So one of the things that is always fun for me, is to see all the lists that come out at the beginning of the year….you know the ones, “Top 7 Things You Must…” or “5 Ways To…”.

Secretly, I’ve always wanted to make one … I know indulgent ‘eh?

So at the New Year, Beth Beulow of The Introvert Entrepreneur shared her thoughts on 5 introverts who made a difference in 2010 – you can read her full post here – her shout out to the introvert includes, Jeff Bezos, Francesca Gino, Dr. Laurie Helgoe, Oprah and Mark Zuckerberg.  So imagine my delight that she takes the time to give a nod to some local peeps she feels are doing great things in 2011, including ME!

The other amazing local folks include, Lynn Baldwin-Rhoades, Leslie Irish Evans, Judy Dunn, Arden Clise, Nancy Juetten, and Patty K.

It’s quite humbling to read such lovely things about yourself and to be included in the company of some local peeps I have such respect for…and delightfully gratifying to receive a nod.

Enjoy Beth’s post and be sure to visit the pages of these local introverts who are destined for great things in this New Year!

Indulgently Grateful – Me

One year ago tonight I was finishing up my 100 days of gratitude – if you recall, it began as the journey of me and my nemesis The Journal.  Interestingly, what started as a project to train me to be a dedicated journal writer – turned into one of the most profound and life changing experiences of my life.  2010 has been a wonderful adventure indeed.

My business grew, my friendships deepened, I learned about sacred space and was reminded about trust.  I said good-bye and learned the difference between past and history.  I cried in public, stopped apologizing for my loud laugh, and learned to stand and receive.  I took on difficult conversations that weren’t so difficult, said yes A LOT and thought no less than 6 times my BIG break had come, shared those moments very publicly….and laughed when – it wasn’t meant to be.

In becoming myself to me I have become myself to everyone.  The girl you get IS the girl you get.  Sometimes she dresses like a Yogi wannaby – other times she looks like someone from Wall Street – and sometimes it’s just jeans and a sassy hat.  The wrapping never made me; the heart made me.  Once I understood my heart I felt I understood the world.

I understood I have a gift for unlikely friendships, and why this surprised me at 40 when I looked back on my youth…I’m not quite sure, yet…perhaps the “once I understood my heart” line is the answer … stay tuned.

I held newborn babies, was blessed to be with family members when they died, attended funerals of dear friends, and started a journey with my parents I never thought I would.

I ran a ½ Marathon and signed up to do it again – I took most Friday’s off during the summer and almost honored every “personal day” on my calendar – BIG stretch for me.

I fell in love with my husband … again – and appreciate now that love does take work and it is well worth it.

I realize, I dream BIG and that can be scary to some people – but it shouldn’t keep me from dreaming.  I fully stepped into the light and am prepared for all the goodness that light will bring.

What’s in store for 2011?  More light, more laughter, more love.  Bigger dreams, bigger sorrows and bigger wins.  Mastery of somethings and release of others.

2010 – many say they are glad to see you go – me? … I am grateful for the lessons and opportunities you shared.  You’ve been a wise friend these last 365, and while I didn’t always understand in the moment, I don’t feel I missed the lessons I was meant to get.  I trust that you have whispered in the ear of ’11 and told her how good it’ll be for all of us under her guidance.  I know so many people on the verge of manifesting something unbelievable and in hindsight you ’10 will receive much of the credit.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind ?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne ?

♫♫♪♪♫♫♪♫♫♪♪♫♫♫♪♪♪♫♫

For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we’ll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

♫♫♪♪♫♫♪♫♫♪♪♫♫♫♪♪♪♫♫

And there’s a hand my trusty friend !
And give us a hand o’ thine !
And we’ll take a right good-will draught,
for auld lang syne.

♫♫♪♪♫♫♪♫♫♪♪♫♫♫♪♪♪♫♫

Happy New Year everyone – Happy New Year.

I have been thinking a lot about Grace recently.  No, not a person – the place or state of being graceful.  Receiving with Grace, giving with Grace – the word alone is inspiring.  My friends at dictionary.com define Grace as:

1. elegance or beauty of form, manner, motion, or action.
2. a pleasing or attractive quality or endowment.
3. favor or good will.

I like the idea of Grace with the capital G, as it seems to make her more significant – the kind of girl we should notice.  Perhaps even invite into our life more often?

I believe so.

Transitions call for Grace and transitions always remind me of the commercial where they (whoever they are) tell us to, “Never let ‘em see you sweat.”

And that’s where our good friend Grace arrives.  She provides the framework for how we carry ourselves and the essence we share with the world.

She’s the one who calmly places her hand on our shoulder when we become frustrated with others or a situation and gently reminds us that only fractions of moments in time separate us from – them or there.  And while Grace’s nemesis Irritation can be persuasive in his childlike demands of, “but this is not what I want,” it is important in these moments to pause and reflect how in a different place in time you could use some Grace for yourself.

I believe from the bottom of my smallest toe, what comes around goes around – so I give Grace in ways large and small.  To the man downtown who threw a fit in his car the other day, to the woman who seemed to be in quite a hurry at the supermarket and hundreds of counters in between, I give Grace.

And yet, on some days at certain times, Irritation rears up and yells, “Are you kidding?  After all the Grace you gave – this is how things turn out….see, I told you….you should have listened to me – things would be different.”

And to him, I disagree.  I can only control myself, my thoughts and actions.  I give Grace not with the expectation of receiving it; with the pure intention that the Grace I give will allow someone else to move more peacefully through their life, and that in some future moment in space and time they will share Grace with someone they encounter on their journey.

Got Grace?

One of my favorite people in the world Nancy Juetten, creative visionary and founder of Main Street Media Savvy asked    for a guest post for her blog in conjunction with the upcoming 2nd Annual Publici-Tea™ and Book Publishing Summit she is hosting with Patrick Snow on December 10th.  I figured given most of the 130 people in attendance either have a book or are in various stages of writing a book and will be there to learn more from Nancy on how to get “seen, heard and celebrated” – I would share some of my high level thoughts as Executive Producer and host of the Femme Finance™ radio program on what it takes to have a successful radio interview, and steps you can take to get booked again and again.

Here’s the link to the article….enjoy!

Are you wondering how to make smart financial decisions?  Determine your investment personality?  When to get professional help from a financial advisor?

Tune in for this show Friday, October 15, 2010 as I talk with Susan Hirshman, CPA, CFA, CFP® and author of “Does This Make My Assets Look Fat?”  A Woman’s Guide to Finding Financial Empowerment and Success.

The topics of personal finance can be intimidating for many, but Susan does a terrific job of relating it all to something most women have had experience with….dieting! 

We’ll remove the intimidation around investing and personal investing and give you key strategies to take control of your financial situation.

In Seattle on AM1150 or via the internet at www.imthankful.com/radio 

Enjoy the show!

If you are contemplating pursuing a second career either by your choice….or someone else’s – Friday, September 10th from 9-10 am Pacific is a show you can’t afford to miss.

Best selling author and US News and World Report Contributing Editor Kerry Hannon will be my guest.

Best Selling Author and Personal Finance Expert

We’ll talk about motivations behind mid-life career change, five things to contemplate before making a career change and find the answer to this question, “Why don’t we all pursue our dream jobs from the get-go?”

If you live in the metropolitan Seattle area the show is heard live on AM1150 or 98.9FM HD-3 or via the internet at www.imthankful.com/radio.

Enjoy the show!

I know many of you are business owners, entrepreneurs – the unemployable!  At some point you made the decision that you no longer would live your professional life by someone else’s set of rules – and made your own.  Giving you the chance to live the life you wanted to live and make the difference you want to see in the world.

genius is about making connections … between ideas + strategies, desires + beliefs, between that flame in your heart and your full potential. 

(gleefully robbed from her website)

Are you ready to light up?  Personally?  Professionally?  Then be SURE to tune in for this conversation with Danielle LaPorte - share this date with your friends and SPREAD the news.  August 20th - 9am Pacific – if you are in the Seattle area AM1150 or 98.9FM HD3 - not here – don’t worry join us online at www.1150kknw.com

About Danielle LaPorte

my past life

I never went to university. For this, I am very grateful.

A LONG TIME AGO … I had a real job, co-running The Body Shop Canada’s Department of Social Inventions. We refurbished Romanian orphanages, and ran recycling and rock-the-vote campaigns. So thankfully, it wasn’t really a real job.

I was the Executive Director of a Washington-DC think tank where I managed a team of brilliant, analysts to create future scenarios for the likes of the Pentagon, IBM and the State of the World Forum. I hung out with Navy Admirals and signed NDAs every other day. Trippy.

Before that, I ran my own communications and business development agency, “promoting visionary people and projects,” including a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, a philosopher-physicist, a rogue economist, the Pulitzer-winning co-founder of Greenpeace, and a few old pop stars.

NOT SO LONG AGO … I was featured in Elle, Body + Soul, Vogue Australia, Better Homes & Gardens, Globe & Mail, The National Post, The Huffington Post, Entertainment Tonight, and numerous talk shows. I wrote Style Statement: Live By Your Own Design, which The Globe & Mail deemed, “Haute Minded”. It ranked as an Amazon bestseller and caught the attention of Oprah. That was fun. I built a big website and media presence based on that brand, and then went super rogue. Creative sovereignty is bliss.

 Deeply in debt and feeling there is nowhere to go?  Eli Davidson has solutions for you.  She’s not just a ‘talking head’ – she has been through the fire and knows how you feel.  In 18 months Eli lost her marriage, her health, and business leaving her $88,000 in credit card debt.  Eli will share her story – how she changed her financial situation and how you can too!  Tune in 9-10am Pacific - August 6th – in the Seattle area on AM1150 or 98.9FM HD3 or via the internet at www.1150kknw.com – Enjoy the show! 

 About Eli

A successful business owner, life coach and public speaker Eli is a dazzling inspiration to people across North America. Her upbeat attitude and personal story of going from challenge to champion encourages people to take that first step to overcome their own obstacles. Her unique approach combines her “I’ve been in your shoes” manner, playful humor and deep compassion. People naturally wake up to their own possibilities of greater health, wealth and happiness using her tools and Turnaround Techniques. By breaking positive change down into bite sized morsels she assists her audience to implement those steps immediately.

Due to her consistent results her clients achieve in increasing their income, Eli’s work was the cover story of Kiplinger’s Money Magazine.

She is The Today Show’s “Reinvention Expert”, and is a featured columnist at Huffington Post – reaching 21 million readers each month.  Her book, “Funky to Fabulous” is an international best seller and was named the 2008 Motivational Book of the Year. 

As an actress, she shared the stage, television and movie screen with Christopher Walken, Kiefer Sutherland and Michael J.Fox. Oscar winner, John Madden (best director Shakespeare in Love) wrote a role in for her in the Obie Award winning play, Cinders, at the legendary Public Theatre. He cast the entire play, began rehearsals and said, “the play isn’t complete without Eli.”

From the ashes of a difficult divorce, she started a leading Healthcare consulting company working with: Cambridge Insurance, Zurich Insurance, Hartford Insurance, Kemper Insurance, Liberty Mutual, State Compensation Insurance Fund, and Glendale Memorial Hospital.

As a successful life coach she has coached Oscar Nominees, Golden Globe winners and many of the Hollywood’s inner circle as well as clients throughout the United States, Canada and Great Britain. Eli has also coached numerous leaders in the technology, real estate, entertainment and healthcare industries.

Eli received her Master of  Spiritual Psychology degree from The University of Santa Monica. She graduated with the Honor of Student of the Year.

What are your rights as a consumer when contacted by debt collectors?  If you think your rights have been violated by a debt collector what should you do?  Answers to these questions and many more on this week’s show. 

About Gerri Detweiler

Gerri is considered one of the country’s top credit specialists. She serves as Credit Advisor for Credit.com, a free website offering a wealth of tools to help consumers improve their financial lives. In addition to co-authoring Debt Collection Answers, she is the co-author of Reduce Debt, Reduce Stress (Good Advice Press, 2009), The Ultimate Credit Handbook (in print since 1993 and named one of the top five personal finance books of the year by Money magazine), and co-author of both Invest In Yourself: Six Secrets to a Rich Life and Slash Your Debt, Save Money & Secure Your Future.

Gerri has been interviewed in thousands of radio, television, and print news stories, including USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Dateline NBC, The Today Show and many others. She has testified before Congress several times and worked on reform of the national credit reporting laws.

She has served as executive director of the non-profit consumer advocacy group Bankcard Holders of America and as policy director of The National Council of Individual Investors. She has also developed consumer education programs for MasterCard, Bank of America and others. She has served on credit reporting agency Experian’s Consumer Advisory Council and on the board of the National Council for Consumer Education.

Is your business having a brand identity crisis?  This conversation with Maria Ross is sure to provide useful immediate information you can use for your business regardless of size.

About Maria Ross and Red-Slice Marketing

Maria Ross’s mission is to engage, inform and delight audiences and keep them coming back for more.  A born storyteller, she has over 16 years experience building brands, advising on marketing strategies and coaching businesses on how to tell the right story to the right people at the right time. Maria is founder and Chief Strategist at Red Slice, a branding and marketing consultancy, and has worked with large companies like Accenture, Business Objects, Discovery Networks, Monster.com and Microsoft as well as technology start-ups and small businesses like CRAVE and Mudbay in Seattle. She is also the author of Branding Basics for Small Business (2010, Norlights Press). In her free time, Maria is a volunteer, a published lifestyle writer and an actress. Her unique creative talents combined with her business savvy on both the client and agency side enable her to see the whole picture in an innovative way. Maria received a B.S in Marketing, with a minor in Spanish from Indiana University, Bloomington.