Right-Brain Business Planning – Life Unfolds Blog

March Recap

OMG, I can’t believe March is over! It’s been a whirlwind month filled with so many exciting things!

The first half of the month I spent immersed in a community of more than 2,000 creative souls who came together from around the world to participate in my first ever Right-Brainers in Business Video Summit. The energy and passion of all of these amazing people inspired me to no end. It definitely felt like we started a revolution of right-brainers in business! You can check out what some of the people have been up to since then on the RBBP Facebook fan page. And if you missed the summit, not to worry, you can still access the multimedia library to get inspiring and practical tips for running a creative business.

Oh and this is so freakin’ rad… toward the very end of the summit Jen Landis surprised me with this adorable Pincurl girl drawing of me. Thanks, Jen! I love it!!

Earlier this month I had my local book signing at A Great Good Place for Books in Montclair. Kate made my hubby take the photo above. I think it’s hilarious! I had a great time and was absolutely thrilled that it worked out for my friend Darlene from Canada to swing by on the first leg of her California trip.

I’ve also been busy doing a virtual book tour including guest blog posts, podcasts, and radio interviews. I just found out today that I’ll be on KOIT, a local radio station, next week. Yay!

As part of the video summit this month, I sent out many, many books all around the world. It’s thrilling to think about RBBP’s being made as far away as South Africa, Hong Kong, Australia, and New Zealand!

I must say the two weeks of the summit were super intense for me and I certainly needed downtime after to recoup after all the excitement. In fact, I am still recouping! I made sure to have lots of rest and to schedule in some small celebrations for myself. I treated myself to a morning of painting back at Chris’ studio. It had been several months since I was there.

And last weekend, my hubby, our dog, and I took a lovely trip up to Napa for some much deserved and needed rest and relaxation. We spent most of the trip indulging on delicious food at the awesome dog-friendly B&B we stayed at called the Inn on First, and at fabulous restaurants including Ubuntu which serves the most amazing vegetable dishes (and they have a yoga studio in the restaurant – how cool is that?) and Morimoto Napa where we had an absolutely incredible dinner. Oh, I want to go back! Mmmm.

So those were some highlights from March. Hard to believe the first quarter of 2011 is over. I’m really looking forward to more exciting things to come in April and beyond!

Book Launch Bonanza!

This week is filled to the brim with exciting book launch activity! If you’re in the Bay Area, my local book signing is this Thursday from 7:00-8:30pm in Oakland at A Great Good Place for Books. I stopped by there yesterday to say hello and they were really looking forward to it, as am I.

Although I did dream last night that I showed up at the book store for the signing and forgot to bring all of my handouts and goodies. (Oy! It’s like those dreams of showing up at high school with just your socks on and forgetting that there was a calculus exam that day! Haha!). Remembering to breathe!

And if you’re not in the area, there are plenty of ways you can celebrate the launch with me! For starters, tomorrow, we’re kicking off the first ever Right-Brainers in Business Video Summit! There are already more than 1,000 people from around the world signed-up to participate.

We’ve got an amazing line-up of experts who will share their insider secrets on how to run a creative business successfully. Not only will you get to hear their pearls of wisdom, you’ll get to see them in action because this is a video summit after all! And I’ll be there live to chat with you and answer questions. Just check out these inspiring speakers:

Would love to “see” you there! You can still sign-up here (and did I mention, it’s free to watch!)

As part of the launch, I’m doing a virtual book tour where I’m doing guest interviews and posts on blogs throughout the next several weeks and beyond. You can check out my past posts here and see the upcoming schedule. If you’re interested in hosting me for a guest post, please drop a line to info at artizencoaching dot com with the subject line “blog book tour” and someone will be in touch soon! Thanks!

Lots more goodies and exciting announcements to come, so stay tuned. Sign-up for my Artizen Coaching newsletter so you always get the latest and greatest.

Look what came in the mail today!

OMG! Today I had the best surprise. My publisher New World Library sent me an advanced copy of my book The Right-Brain Business Plan: A Creative, Visual Map for Success. I can’t tell you how amazing it was to hold the book in my hands for the first time. I was flooded with so much emotion – joy, the feeling of accomplishment, pride in how much work went into this baby and how beautiful it turned out, and excitement that soon the book will be in the hands of many more people who are looking for a more fulfilling way to do business. That just brings tears to my eyes (you can see my used tissue in the background of my photo!).

I showed the book to my hubby and to my fabulous friend and illustrator Kate over FaceTime on my iPhone this afternoon and then tonight I video Skyped with my parents to let them get a glimpse of it, too!

Anyway, I’m thrilled about the things we’ve got planned for the launch next month and I can’t wait to share more very soon. If you want to be in the know, you can sign-up for my newsletter to get the latest deets about what I’m cookin’ up for you creative souls.

I hope I can sleep tonight… I’m just so over the moon!!!

A Fun and Full Week

I spent most of last week visiting Vancouver BC masterminding with Andrea J. Lee and my fabulous fellow participants of her Wealthy Thought Leader mentorship program. We spent all day Thursday and Friday brainstorming about our businesses, sharing ideas and resources, and challenging each other to stretch and be leaders in our field. It was fun getting to know everyone and all the amazing things they are up to.

On Friday, New World Library FedExed me a print out of my finalized book cover! Very exciting to see. Friday was also the day my book went to the printer. It was a treat to get to celebrate this milestone with my fellow Diamonds and a little bit of bubbly, thanks to the lovely Pamela!

On Tuesday I attended the TEDxYVR event and enjoyed watching past talks around the theme “Playing with Possibilities.” You can see a couple of my favorite videos from the night here.

I loved hanging out on Granville Island. It’s a funky, artsy area with lots of cool shops, an art and design school, and an amazing public market. I was obsessed by all of the cute stationary and notebooks at the store Paper-Ya.

And while we were holed up in the Executive Board Room of the hotel, Andrea and her team invited in play with these colorful pipecleaners. They’re such a fun and easy way to inspire creativity! You should’ve seen all of the great accessories people made.

I’m still digesting all that we covered during our intensive time together and I’m super excited about what’s in the works for next year. I’m very grateful to have the support and guidance of this mentoring group as I head into the exciting adventures that await in 2011!

Right-Brain Business Plan e-Course: 5/17-7/9

I’m excited to announce that the next Right-Brain Business Plan e-Course starts on May 17th. Finally get your business plan done and have fun doing! This visual, intuitive, and accessible approach will help you create a unique and empowering road map that lets your head know where your business is going AND inspires your heart to sing with joy.

During this eight-week interactive online program you will:

Clarify your business vision
Paint the picture of your business landscape
Create your marketing plan
Develop your financial plan
Identify the action steps needed to bring your plan to life
Craft a visual business plan for your entrepreneurial success

“I thought the whole course was terrific, I loved doing the vision board work and felt it helped me create the business I wanted. I love the feel and creativity you created for the course. The course material was inspiring and so enjoyable to work with. I felt motivated every week. You rock Jenn! I have recommended this course to many. It has helped me focus and enjoy the process of putting a business plan together.”

— Marlies Venier, owner of love this place

Click here to read more of the buzz from past participants.

What you can expect from this e-course:

Detailed, easy lessons… that tackle every thing you need in a business plan
Creative exercises and strategies… so your creative wisdom can infuse the practical business side with a spark of joy and fun
Support… from the course facilitator and an online forum where you get to learn from the practical experience of your peers

Find out more and sign-up here. The early-bird special ends on Tuesday, May 4th, so register now!

Right-Brain Business Plan e-Course

The Right-Brain Business Plan e-Course video on Vimeo

I’m excited about the fabulous creative entrepreneurs who will be joining me in the Right-Brain Business Plan e-Course that starts next week. I hope that you’re one of them! Check out my video above and sign-up here. The early-bird special ends soon. Finally get that business plan done and have fun doing it!

I’m Gonna be a Published Author! Hooray!

Just like there was a time when I didn’t think of myself as an artist, an entrepreneur, a good coach, or a leader, I had blocks around calling myself a writer or, dare I say it … an author. Over the years, I’ve stepped more fully and confidently into each of these roles and own that I am all of them and more. And now, I’m super excited to share that I’m going to be a published author! I just signed a contract with the awesome and inspiring New World Library – publisher of many of my favorite books. The Right-Brain Business Plan will come out in early 2011. It will take you through a creative, visual process for planning your business and will include full-color photos of featured Right-Brain Business Plans and fun illustrated “playsheets.” I am absolutely thrilled!!! Yahoo!

I remember about ten years ago, I was in my first coach’s living room brainstorming my life plan with her. I declared that I would love to write a book some day. I had no idea what it would be about nor did I even consider myself a writer. I just knew it was something I eventually wanted to do. I thought that it might be about business or organizational change (my interest at the time) but my coach had an inkling it would be something creative. Well, it turns out we were both right given that I’m writing a book about creative entrepreneurship!

It’s been an interesting journey so far. The creative and visual methods I’m writing about have served as important tools for manifesting this dream. In January of 2007, I mocked up the back cover of the book I was thinking of writing. Having a prototype helped to inspire me and connect me with my vision. The crazy thing was that in less than 24 hours after I had the idea to do the book cover, I got an e-mail from author Caitlin Friedman asking me if I wanted to be interviewed for their next Girl’s Guide book about careers! That was my first taste of being in print.

Later on in 2007, I started working with my fabulous book coach Jan King, but soon got sidetracked by other projects. Seeing Jan again at the 2008 eWomen Network conference in Dallas reignited my passion for pursuing the book and I flew home journaling about how I was ready to be an author. I set a goal to attend the Book Expo with Jan the following year. I plugged away at the book and even attended a writer’s retreat earlier this year.

In May of 2009, I headed out to New York for BEA with a proposal and sell sheet in hand (for a totally different book idea, mind you – it’ll just be my next one, heehee!). At the last minute I decided to create a sell sheet for my Right-Brain Business Plan idea, too, and I’m glad I did as that’s the one that consistently generated the most interest from the publishers I met. When I got back, I put together a proposal and sample chapters for the Right-Brain Business Plan and sent it out. I received my first rejection letter the following week. It sure stung even though I knew it came with the territory.

During the months of waiting to hear back from publishers, I took SARK’s Juicy Pens Thirsty Paper workshop. I loved crafting my writer’s wo-manifesto in the class. And as one of my micromovements, I updated my “I’m a published author” vision board on my iPhone (thanks to the fabulous Carla White’s Vision Board app). I included photos of my sell sheet, writer’s wo-manifesto, and me with some of my favorite writers, plus some affirmations. This kept me motivated and inspired.

After all that waiting and waiting, I was super excited to get the call from my publisher the other month with the good news and I’m psyched to finally make the official announcement! I still have plenty of work ahead of me to finish the manuscript and pull together all of the artwork. Luckily I have so many wonderful people supporting me and I’m extremely grateful to have all of their help and encouragement. I’ve been getting a kick out of the many virtual happy dances I’ve been doing with everyone to celebrate!

This is an exciting new chapter in my life and business and I look forward to how the story continues to unfold.

Playing & Planning with Creative Entrepreneurs

I had a blast on Sunday at my the Right-Brain Business Plan workshop. Here are Britt Bravo and Gretchen Wegner collaging up a storm! Throughout the day, we had fun shaking, howling, and twisting with our MuseCube moments. Gretchen’s MuseCubes are such a great way to connect back with the intuitive wisdom of your body.

In-person gatherings are great for building off of each other’s creative energy, getting fresh perspectives, developing relationships, brainstorming ideas, and knowing that you don’t have to go it alone as a solo-preneur.

Each participant’s visual plan and business truly reflected their own values, vision, and special gifts. I loved seeing what amazing things these ladies are up to in their work.

You can read a little bit more the day and see additional pictures on the Right-Brain Business Plan blog. While you’re there, check out the latest featured business plan and interview with Sara Ortiz. Her colorful visual plan and business are bursting with creative goodness!

Right-Brain Business Plan Workshop

It’s hard to believe that we’re already in the 4th quarter of the year! Are you and your business ready for 2010? Get a head start at the Right-Brain Business Plan Workshop on Sunday, November 15th in Oakland from 10am-4:30pm.

At this fun and engaging workshop you’ll:

Clarify your business vision
Paint the picture of your business landscape
Create your marketing plan
Develop your financial plan
Identify the action steps needed to bring your plan to life
Craft a visual business plan for your entrepreneurial success

This workshop is perfect for you if:

You’re a creative entrepreneur, artist, health and wellness professional, educator, coach, designer, freelancer, writer, photographer, non-profit leader or all-around creative soul wanting to make a positive impact with your entrepreneurial endeavors
You hate the idea of writing a business plan, but you know you need one
Numbers numb you out

What past participants had to say:

“Your cheerful, optimistic and generous attitude really lifted my spirits and got me going into action mode. I felt I gained so much practical information as well as inspiration from the course. Having a visual reminder of my goals is really helping to keep me focused on achieving my goals for the year!” — Michelle Casey, Professional Artist

“The workshop presented a fabulous tool for accessing the non-linear wisdom and creativity that only your right brain has, and using this brilliance to fuel your entrepreneurial aspirations. If your business needs some creative fire, check it out!” — Laura Parker, MFT, Creativity-Centered Therapy and Coaching (her Right-Brain Business Plan is in the photo below)

Find out more and register here (Early-bird special ends on November 1st).

While you’re there, check out the Right-Brain Business Plan site’s fun new facelift and the latest Right-Brain Business Plan spotlight featuring Danielle Grinnen of Deliante Designs.

Creativity in Business Conference in D.C. 10/4

On Saturday, October 4th, I’ll be presenting at the groundbreaking Creativity in Business Conference in Washington D.C. When conference founder Michelle James approached me to speak, I was beyond thrilled for the opportunity to be in community with fellow creative entrepreneurs who really get the value of creativity in the work world! Not only am I excited to lead a break-out session on the Right-Brain Business Plan, I’m also looking forward to a full day of experiencing and learning innovative approaches focused on individual, group & organizational creativity in business.

Creativity is widely considered the new capital of 21st century business. New ideas, new innovations, new systems and new structures depend on accessing novel levels of creativity — for everyone, not just the creatives or “artists.” Everyone is creative and everyone could use an extra creative boost, especially in the world of business. At this event, we’ll explore different facets of creativity as the key driver in navigating and thriving in the new work paradigm.

This event is for entrepreneurs, leaders, managers, learning/innovation officers, trainers, consultants, coaches and anyone who wants to be more innovative and adaptive in the changing world of work. I bet that’s YOU!

I’m also excited that author Sam Horn will be a panelist. I love her book POP! Stand Out in Any Crowd.

Here’s the lowdown:

CONFERENCE from 9:00AM-5:30PM: Lively, Content-rich, Experiential Break-out Sessions each with a different focus related to the theme of Applied Creativity in Business; Engaging Thought Leader Panels explore the creativity-centered work paradigm through the lens’ of leadership, social media, adaptive strategy and creative thinking.

FESTIVAL from 5:30PM-7:30PM: Comedy, Music, Networking, Book Signings, Give-Aways and hors d’oeuvres from Mie N Yu restaurant.

I can’t wait to be back in the D.C. area. I was out there last year as a Circle Coach for CTI’s Quest program and had a blast making new friends on the East Coast. This visit, I’m looking forward to doing yoga at Tranquil Space and connecting with my D.C. friends!