An interview with Rena

Fun at the America Means Business Conference

On June 15, 2012, I was interviewed on stage at the America Means Business conference in NYC.  It’s a conference that focuses on the entrepreneurial experience.    Laurie Lawson, interviewer extraordinaire, and I had fun.  Read the gist of the interview here:

• What’s your business? Compassion will release you from the paralysis of fear, frustration, helplessness.  Learning to give compassion to yourself and others –  to feel, share and display compassion – is the release from paralysis.  The Compassionate Choice is a proven approach to releasing us from the paralysis of fear at work and home.In my work, I teach the principles of The Compassionate Choice.  Through real life examples, I show from concept to practical application.  My primary focus is working with corporations because that’s where I see the greatest need.  In business, The Compassionate Choice is having a cold eye on the bottom line and a warm heart towards your clients, vendors, employees and yourself.  It’s integrity, kindness and rocketing sales.
• How did you come up with the idea for your business?  I worked in corporate for 20+ years and was always the de facto coach, even as I was managing 128 million budgets and teams of up to 150 people remote and onsite.  It was a natural progression to where I am now.
• What was the biggest challenge of starting your own business?  Defining the business!  I had so many ideas; it’s a common challenge for entrepreneurs.
• What advice do you have for others starting a small business?  Build a network of like-minded people to connect with regularly.  Get out of your apartment.  It gets lonely, it’s hard work and sometimes you can start to question yourself.  That’s when you reach out and get a pep talk.
• What has been your biggest success as a business owner?  A client recently told me that my advice to have compassion and to not take it personally has been a constant mantra for her, not only at work, but in life.  And that it’s helped her enormously.  That’s the reason I do what I do.
• What has been your biggest failure as a business owner?   When I focus on why people don’t get it rather than focusing on knowing the value of what I put out into the world
• What is your favorite part about being a business owner?  I get to walk away from toxic people and situations.
• What is your least favorite part about being a business owner?  Cold calling!
• What is your typical customer like?  An executive who wants to eliminate power plays, allowing the team to focus on the work product, not politics.
• What was the hardest decision you have had to make regarding your business?  I had to embrace uncertainty and doubt.  You need courage more than money to have your own business.  You have to walk away from the façade of safety, of control.
• What do you see for your company in the next five years?  Companies calling and saying “We want to shift our management approach to The Compassionate Choice.  We bought your book (in progress) for every employee and we want you to come in and teach us.”
• How do you see the future for this industry?  Companies leading by uniting heart and business and greed being less and less acceptable.
• What do you consider to be your company’s most important assets?  The principles of The Compassionate Choice are the most important asset.  Be. Trust. Own.

Be Your Self    They chose you.  Show up.

Trust Your Gut   Our instinct is our greatest guide.

Use Your Power  True power is how we treat ourselves and others.

• What drives you as a small business owner? Living what I teach.
• What is the best piece of advice you have received as an owner?  Separate the fear of not having enough money from the love of your work.  It’s so easy to tie the two together, but they are separate.  Money comes when you love what you’re doing and it’s of value to the world.
• Is there anything you would have done differently?  That’s not possible.  I’m here now because of what I’ve gone through to get here.

p.s. Laurie is amazing.  Check her out at www.eljny.com

p.p.s. The conference was terrific  http://www.americameansbusiness-nyc.com