All posts by Amira Alvarez

The Missing Ingredient In Achieving Any Goal

By Amira Alvarez Do you ever read something that really sticks with you? That was me yesterday. I had this ah-ha and I realized a super important component to making your business work. Really, it's a super important component to achieving any goal that you have in your life. The Readers Digest version…
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Do you ever read something that really sticks with you?

That was me yesterday.

I had this ah-ha and I realized a super important component to making your business work.

Really, it’s a super important component to achieving any goal that you have in your life.

The Readers Digest version of what I read is that there are certain goals we have for our kids, like potty training and teaching them to read, that to not achieve them would be unthinkable.

If that’s the case, why then don’t we go after our adult goals in the same way?

Why don’t we look at achieving what we really, really want {insert creating wealth, starting a business, pursuing that brilliant idea, going after your dream} as a given, as something that we’ll pursue in whatever way we need to until we achieve them?

Why don’t we consider not achieving them to be unthinkable?

Well, that made me think. A lot. Why? Yeah, why?

It got me all riled up and inspired and I started waxing poetic about this to my husband as we were drying the dinner dishes… and then it dawned on me… there’s a big difference.

Kids have someone who has their back, who’s watching out for them, helping them stay on track, pointing them in the right direction, and teaching them how to do these things.

Kids have parents. (Duh!)

And parents are coaches! (Double duh!)

This is the missing ingredient for most of us when going after any of our goals.

It’s not that we lack will power, some special gene, or talent.

It’s that we don’t have the support we need to get us to where we want to go.

We think we have to do it our own, that we’re adults and should be able to figure it all out ourselves by now, that we don’t need help.

{Insert light bulb going on.}

Whoa, Nelly!

It made me realize all the goals I have that I could get help on. Admittedly, this was quite a long list.

So here’s an action step for you…

Get help! Figure out what you want to achieve and who can help you.

If you need help with your business and you like what I’m putting out, that leads you to me.

Let me help you. Here are three ways… 1) targeted realignment, 2) deeply partnered support, and 3) magic for your soul.

PLUS, a BONUS totally free way of getting help…join THE POSSE.

It’s for women who want to build a high integrity business without contorting their soul. Click and ask to join..

But if it’s another goal, figure out who can help you. Who can support you? Who can coach you?

Go do that. You won’t regret it. Because life is too short for not going after what you want.

And I promise that you can do it. You’ve got what it takes. It just takes a little help.

Amira

 

Abundance And Scarcity

By Amira Alvarez Abundance and scarcity... amp one up, the other one goes down. One of the things I teach my clients to do is track the good things happening in their businesses. Seems simple and indeed it is. But don't let simple fool you. It's powerful stuff. It's the key to opening…
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Abundance and scarcity… amp one up, the other one goes down.

One of the things I teach my clients to do is track the good things happening in their businesses.

Seems simple and indeed it is.

But don’t let simple fool you. It’s powerful stuff.

It’s the key to opening up the flood gates of abundance and eliminating your scarcity fears.

Here’s how it works…

1) Create some sort of tracking device.

I have a swank spreadsheet that I give my clients, for tracking this and other important data. (That other important data? Hint: It’s money!)

You can use a spreadsheet, evernote, a mobile app, a notepad…whatever is easiest for you.

Mainly it just needs to be handy. Something you can get to easily while you’re working, so when you notice something fabulous, you can write it down and there’s nothing in your way of making that happen.

2) Start tracking what’s going well in your business.

Here are some examples:

  • Comments on your blog posts
  • Likes on your Facebook comments
  • Amazing client success that validates your work
  • Unsolicited testimonials that tell you you rock
  • Your employee or VA coming up with fabulous suggestions
  • Customers asking for more
  • Positive reviews
  • Connections with other amazing business owners
  • Completing projects easily
  • Free time appearing miraculously
  • Loving the biz dev project you’re working on
  • Unsolicited help that really helps
  • Your marketing working exactly how you planned
  • Easily connecting with your clients
  • New client enquires
  • New clients!

Add to this list. Make it your own.

What do you want more of?

This stuff that you want more of… it’s the juice that powers you up and keeps you going. It’s your abundance!

It’s the big and little stuff that’s so important, yet often we rush past and take for granted. (Yeah, yeah, good… what’s the next thing I need to do?)

It’s all these little (and big things) that lead to not only feeling the abundance that’s all around you, but to a successful business that you love.

What we focus on grows.

Where we put our attention and our energy is what will flourish in our business.

If you focus on the churn, on the next, on the never enough…on the scarcity…that is what you’ll be caught up in. You’ll be stuck in scarcity fear.

If you ask yourself to start noting all the things that are going well, that you love and appreciate, you’ll start loving your business more, your day will flow, and you’ll be able to show up more easily in your business and get all you want to get done, done.

You’ll see and feel the abundance.

It really works.

It moves you out of fear and into what’s going right. It turns fear on it’s head, so to speak.

Give it a shot for a week and see if you notice the difference.
It’s worked for every single one of my clients. I know it will work for you too if you do it consistently.

Amira

Showing Up As You In Your Business

By Amira Alvarez Today let's talk about showing up as YOU in your business. Not some fake, ersatz version of you. But the real, wonderful you. This is one of the absolutely, most essential keys to having an easier business. It saves you time, money, energy, and dramatically increases the happiness factor of…
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Today let’s talk about showing up as YOU in your business.

Not some fake, ersatz version of you.

But the real, wonderful you.

This is one of the absolutely, most essential keys to having an easier business.

It saves you time, money, energy, and dramatically increases the happiness factor of your business.

Why? Because it will be YOU. 100%. Through and through.

// You’ll be able to make decisions without second guessing yourself.

// You’ll have the right words to describe what you do.

// You’ll own how you like to work and be able to create a business around that.

And it’s such a freakin’ relief.

Here’s a really simplistic example of this…

When I’m talking to a potential client during a business consultation, somewhere in that call I find myself wanting to swear, for emphasis and effect.

Instead of censoring myself, I say to my potential client… “Hey listen, I swear like a sailor” as a bit of forewarning, before I let it rip.

Inevitably the woman I’m talking to laughs and says “OMG, me too.”

Then there’s an exhale…from both of us. There’s instant rapport.

It’s such a relief to be real, to not have to put on a guise of being someone we’re not.

And you know what?

That builds the connection. That builds the trust. AND, that makes my business so much easier.

If I’m constantly worried about offending someone with my “gutter mouth” I cut myself off from my personality and who I am, and I spend valuable energy on censoring instead of showing up fully for my potential customer.

AND, (and this is a big one), the wonderful people who are offended by my swearing (or whatever else is absolutely me) are not my ideal client. We’re not a great fit and we are both better off NOT working together.

It saves us both time, money, and energy in the long run.

This was a very simple example.

Yet our businesses are made up of a thousand trillion similarly SIMPLE, small ways in which we show up.

You are your business.

So tell me…

What is absolutely YOU in your business? How can you decide to show up more as you?

Do you see how showing up as you in your business would make running it so much easier?

Keep it real and make your business feel like a coming home.

Keep showing up as YOU. Do it confidently. Be uncompromisingly YOU.

Amira

P.S. This is also part and parcel of creating a personal brand and niching. But if those words make you go “huh?” just remember to keep your business YOU. It doesn’t have to be complicated. It just has to be you.

3 Unhelpful Business Mindsets

By Amira Alvarez Do you have unhelpful business mindsets? Do you think... "Marketing is sleazy. Being in business is greedy. Making money is icky." Have you ever had a thought like that? Mindsets like these creep into your subconscious and stop you in your tracks. They keep you from moving forward on your…
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Do you have unhelpful business mindsets?

Do you think…

“Marketing is sleazy. Being in business is greedy. Making money is icky.”

Have you ever had a thought like that?

Mindsets like these creep into your subconscious and stop you in your tracks. They keep you from moving forward on your dreams and having a successful business.

Seriously kids…

Marketing doesn’t have to be sleazy.

Business doesn’t have to be a greed-fest.

Making money isn’t icky.

Let me explain…

If you love what you do and you’re totally aligned with it, talking about it (aka marketing) will be fun. In fact, you’ll hardly be able to stop yourself from talking about it.

If you’ve created a product or service that solves a problem for another person, then you’ve created value. You’re doing them a great service by giving them the opportunity to purchase from you. That’s not being greedy. That’s helping!

If you make money in your business and it’s connected to the value you provide, that’s not icky. That’s compensation for a job well done.

So to recap and reframe these unhelpful business mindsets…

// Marketing is communication. (It’s all in how’s it’s done.)

// Business is solving problems for people. (It’s helping!)

// Making money is compensation for your effort. (High-fives feel good too, but the moolah pays the bills.)

Of course it’s not always this way.

There are a lot people out there using fear-based marketing tactics, selling solutions that don’t actually work, and charging money that’s beyond any value they’ve created.

We call those people scammers. (That’s the technical term.)

But here’s the thing…

This doesn’t have to be you.

You don’t have to do it this way at all.

You can run a profitable business in a way that’s honest, true, and value-driven.

You can be a real person, connecting to other real people, in a real way in your business. You can make an excellent living this way and enjoy yourself.

You’ve seen a lot of AWFUL fear-based marketing tactics and scammy businesses out there. We’ve all experienced slimy marketing. We’ve all experienced buying something that’s been a total let down and felt cheated.

And it gets into your head.

The last thing you want is to be like that.

So don’t.

  • Clear these unhelpful business mindsets. Reframe what’s going on. Do it differently.
  • Don’t let the fear of being icky-greedy-sleazy stop you in your tracks.
  • Take a stand.
  • Vote with your wallet and don’t support fear-based, slimey businesses.

Plus…

Commit to building YOUR business based on how you want to show up in the world. Be transparent. Be honest. Be real.

Add value. Solve problems. Be cool.

Get out there and talk about what you’re doing, the problem you solve, in a real way, so that you can help people with your business.

It’s doing them a service.

And with that… go rock your business!

Amirablack xoxo

 

 

Manifesting Success In Business

By Amira Alvarez Here's my take on manifesting success. It takes being clear and being in total alignment with yourself. Why? Because when you're clear and aligned, you're not fighting yourself, your business feels fun, and you can take action easily. There's less friction. Your subconscious and conscious are working together. You can…
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Here’s my take on manifesting success.

It takes being clear and being in total alignment with yourself.

Why?

Because when you’re clear and aligned, you’re not fighting yourself, your business feels fun, and you can take action easily.

There’s less friction.

Your subconscious and conscious are working together. You can show up and do the work toward your goals easily.

Manifesting success takes being both clear and aligned.

What needs to be clear in order to manifest success?

Well, lots.

Let’s start with the problem you solve. You need to be clear about what problem you solve in your business in order to manifest success.

Making money in business is about providing a product or service that solves a problem for someone.

You are creating value by solving a problem and people are willing to pay for that.
What problem are you solving?

Can you state it in simple, specific, concrete terms? Are you clear about this?

For instance, the problem I solve is: making money in your business with ease, without the struggle.

People want to make money and they want to love doing so. They don’t want it to be a grind or feel like they have to sell their soul.

That’s the problem I solve. People are willing to pay me to help them solve this problem.

Next, let’s get clear about what you want to achieve.

Your goals have to be your own and align for you.

You most definitely want to look at your business style goals. Things like how you work, when you work, and with whom do you work. The structure and form of your business so that it aligns with you.

For now, let’s just look at your money goals.

Being clear and aligned about what you want to earn and by when is essential to manifesting success.

Do you have a clear amount of money you want to earn and a time line?

Or are you all over the place and indecisive about setting a goal?

Are you internally anxious about specifically stating what you want because you don’t know if it’s possible?

Are you worried about failure and disappointing yourself so you avoid setting a money goal?

If this is happening to you, you have an alignment issue.

If you can’t align with your money goals, do whatever it takes to clear that up and get into alignment with money. Get help on this if you need to. It’s a big one.

Next you have to be clear and aligned in your marketing.

Marketing can be done in an authentic and real way. You don’t have to be slimy.

Marketing is simply communication. (That’s it.)

You need to put yourself out there and tell the world in a clear and aligned way that you have something to sell that will solve their problem.

If no one knows about you, no one can buy your product or service. Simple as that.

Being super clear and aligned in your marketing is essential to manifesting success in your business.

And the best for last…you need to be clear and aligned in how you feel.

Feeling good is essential to being successful in your business.

Any non-good feeling you have is a sign that you’re off course. You need to be clear about that and see it for what it is.

Feelings of resistance, exhaustion, frustration, and fear don’t mean “that’s just the way business is, work harder.” Not true.

They mean something is off for you.

Something needs to be tweaked, a problem needs to be solved.

You need to get clear that your feeling good is an absolute priority and absolutely essential to manifesting success in business.

Prioritize feeling good. Design your business around feeling good.

If you don’t clearly get that your good feeling is essential to manifesting success, you’ll always be stuck in the grind. That I can promise you.

Think about it… when you feel good, isn’t it easier to show up in your business, to take action and execute on your marketing? This is how making money becomes easier. This is how you manifest success.

If you’re ruthless about prioritizing feeling good, you will, as a direct result of this, let go of anything that’s blocking you.

Feeling good is the secret ingredient to manifesting success.

So there you have it. A brief run down on getting clear and aligned in your business to manifest success.

I encourage you to spend a few minutes with these clarifying questions. Answering them will pay you back dividends both financially and in your feeling of ease as you approach your business.

Amira

How To Protect Yourself From People With Negative Energy

By Amira Alvarez Beware of people with negative energy. Seriously. They are a BIG kill joy and energy suck for those with brilliant ideas. Here's the scenario... You're totally in love with your idea. Yet it's an IDEA. It's still in the idea stage. You don't have all the kinks worked out. It's…
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Beware of people with negative energy.

Seriously. They are a BIG kill joy and energy suck for those with brilliant ideas.

Here’s the scenario…

You’re totally in love with your idea. Yet it’s an IDEA. It’s still in the idea stage. You don’t have all the kinks worked out. It’s not a plan, much less a well thought out, aligned plan.

BUT you know you love the idea and that there’s some way of making it happen in a beautiful and profitable way.

You’re exuberant and talking to anyone who will listen.

You can’t be contained.

And then wham!

The person you’re talking to starts sucking the life out of everything.

They burst your bubble. They take the wind out of your sails. They deflate you.

Ugh.

If you want your ideas to fly, you must protect yourself from energy vampires.

Here are 5 ways to do just that…

1) Decide in advance who you take advice from and who you don’t.

Does one of your relatives, friends, or colleagues always take you down a notch?

Put them on your mental list of people you don’t share your ideas with.

Plus, have a plan for what to say when they ask you watcha got cooking.

This is sort of a “duh” yet I see so many people thrown off course simply because they keep sharing their ideas with the wrong people.

It’s also equally as important to have a mental list of the people who you DO take advice from.

For me, these are positive and hopeful people who are salted with a dash of realism + smarts.

They are my mentors and trusted confidantes.

Lesson: know who’s got your back, and who doesn’t.

 

2) Know your values and what’s true for you.

If you know exactly what’s important to you and why it matters, then other people’s negative energy won’t affect you.

It just won’t matter as much. It’ll be like water off a duck’s back.

When you’ve got a great idea, really plug into your why and your truth. It’ll help you deflect the negative energy.

 

3) Build a buffer so nothing affects you.

This technique is a bit woo-woo, for sure.

It involves increasing your own energy and building an energetic barrier.

If you’re game, try it right now.

Connect to your Self and then imagine energy circling around you. You can increase its strength and power simply by paying attention to it.

Play with this on your own and practice conjuring it up. You’ll then be able to call on it when you need protection from people with negative energy.

 

4) Energetically disconnect.

Before, during, and after any interaction with a person with negative energy separate your energy from theirs.

It’s their stuff, not yours.

Make this a clear distinction for yourself.

If you’re plugged into their energy, you’ll feel it as irritation, resistance, judgment, frustration, and anger.

You’ll feel hooked in.

Step back. Step away. Give them their energy back. And take back your own.

I often visualize this as handing them their energy and taking mine back with my hands.

Then, compassionately disengage.

Send a silent blessing or a wish to them. You don’t have to fix this person. Just beam out some love and return to paying attention to yourself.

 

5) Be an aikido master.

Step out of the way and let the negative energy move past you.

If you move out of the way, it can’t land on you.

Just watch it fly by. You can name it. You can see it. But you don’t have to engage in fighting it.

Since I’m such a visual person, I visualize this too. I simply imagine myself sidestepping. Whoosh…there it goes…right by me.

So that’s a round-up of the 5 techniques I use to protect myself from people with negative energy.

They work in both business and in life.

Amira