Dear Smart Women,

Welcome to all the new Smart Women Members this week! So happy to have you as part of the Smart Women Family.

It has been a really busy week so far. We are finishing up all the promotional plans for the next Smart Women book that comes out in a few weeks (see the gorgeous cover below). This will be number five in the Smart Women Book Series^TM and it will be our first book that dives into the more spiritual, psychological side of our lives and businesses. In short this is our first book that I know will help you heal from past transitions that you may not have dealt with properly. I know all of our books have healed many of you in numerous ways… but this book’s entire intention is to gracefully provide the space for you to do the work to start or move through or finish a transition in the healthiest way possible. Launch day is May 28th (also Amnesty International Day!), please stay tuned for more details soon.

Big hugs until next week,

Sheri Keys McConnell – CEO, Author, Speaker
Smart Women’s Institute, Inc.
http://www.smartwomeninstitute.com

This “intro” was taken from our latest newsletter. Not getting our newsletter? Sign up by clicking on “Grab Your Smart Tools Now” at the TOP of this page and you’ll also receive a free membership!

Dear Smart Women,

Welcome to all the new Smart Women Members this week! So happy to have you as part of the Smart Women Family.

This has been a peaceful week of transition for me personally. With the finalization of my divorce, I move into what I like to think of is my third phase of life. For me, not being married in my forties represents a time of discovery and love for myself and my children. I feel so blessed to have healthy children, amazing friends and clients, and a wonderful ex-husband too. It really is all good and I think there is much to celebrate with each transition in life. Don’t you?

I also want to wish all of you a Happy Mother’s Day this weekend. For all the non-moms and moms, may we all have a beautiful day honoring those that brought us into the world and those that we brought into the world that teach us more about ourselves each day.

Big hugs until next week,

Sheri Keys McConnell – CEO, Author, Speaker
Smart Women’s Institute, Inc.
http://www.smartwomeninstitute.com

This “intro” was taken from our latest newsletter. Not getting our newsletter? Sign up by clicking on “Grab Your Smart Tools Now” at the TOP of this page and you’ll also receive a free membership!

Ready To Sit Back & Have Me Map Out Your Success Blueprint?

You are in for a treat then, because I’ve put together five short free video tutorials to help you take a few easy and smart steps towards a more fulfilling and most importantly life-changing journey!

Sign up for our Smart Blueprint for Success video series right away! In this free series I lay out five areas you should focus on right now and I dig into each of them for you to create some real forward movement in your life and business. This free Online Free Video Series will get you thinking about what your definition of success looks like in your life and business. And hopefully it will show you how to take actions that move you forward.

Click on the video below to gain access right away.

Just like most busy mompreneurs in their forties, I have struggled with my weight. Last year I read Marianne Williamson’s A Course In Weight Loss: 21 Spiritual Lessons for Surrendering Your Weight Forever. For me, the book was the catalyst I needed to pay attention to the spiritual part of my life and the reason I was struggling with my weight in the first place. I ended up leaving my unhealthy 14 year marriage after my journey with the work in this book. Pretty powerful transformational work that I was finally ready do.

Below I share the five concrete actions I learned from one of my best friends, JJ Virgin, a few years ago when I was in one of her programs. The daily commitment of these actions is absolutely the reason the weight is coming off now. The reason I wasn’t able to commit to them before this year was because of what Marianne talks about in her book… perhaps your journey is or will be similar to mine and sharing this will help you.

Action Number One

Sleep – Between 8 and 9 hours a night.

Action Number Two

Burst Exercise – Visit JJ’s site for details on this. I belong to Lifetime Fitness gym here in San Antonio and they offer all types of cardio/weight classes every day. I needed the accountability. It took me about a month before I needed and craved the classes. So stick with it until you grow to feel grateful for it.

Action Number Three

No Sugar, No Gluten, No Dairy, No Eggs – This is the one I struggle with the most of course because it takes the most time to manage. Weight falls right off though when I do it. The important thing is to do this gracefully and be gentle on yourself when you are unable to stick with it. Just start again and again. Again, visit JJ’s site for help on knowing what you need to eliminate from your diet. Everyone is not the same. And then for me, Marianne’s book helped me with the mental side of why I sabotage my goals around food.

Action Number Four

Lots of Water – This one is really easy for me because I love water. Thank goodness. If you are drinking anything with sugar in it, eliminating those drinks is one of the first things you can do to drop immediate weight.

Action Number Five

Vitamins – Having four kids and unhealthy habits over the last 20 years had done a lot of damage to my body. With JJ’s help I was able to find out what vitamins and supplements I needed to take twice a day to repair adrenal glands and much more.

Dear Smart Women,

Welcome to all the new Smart Women Members this week! So happy to have you as part of the Smart Women Family.

This week, your smart assignment is focused on something very important… your health. Especially for those of you running businesses or running busy households. Oh, that’s everyone isn’t it! So, let’s talk. Let’s talk about the Elephant in the Room that my mentors and colleagues talk about behind closed doors.

Many of you are really unhealthy and blaming it on lack of time and money. I’ve been there. I used the same excuses. I get it.

If you aren’t taking care of yourself, it shows and it is hurting your business…

On the Internet, you can hide a lot behind a beautifully designed website and inflated social networking stats and so much more. How you do anything is how you do everything. If you are over weight, tired, stressed out, addicted to anything, too busy, and so on… you are actually avoiding a much higher level of success that will come to you when you slow down, get centered, and show people that you care about them because you care about yourself.

People know you won’t take good care of them if you aren’t taking good care of yourself. Even if they don’t realize they know this, they subconsciously make decisions based on how you take care of yourself. And time is not an excuse. Time is a gift and if you think using it to check off to do’s on your to do list is getting you ahead… YOU ARE WRONG. I’m a recovering perfectionist and I struggle with those old behaviors from time to time still. Just like many of you.

Smart Woman Assignment of the Week:

Stop lying to yourself… be honest and finally rearrange your schedule to include no less than an hour a day of exercise and food prep time. Some days don’t exercise and instead get a massage or take a bubble bath. You’ll get many of the same benefits from the relaxing activities as from the exercise. Want to learn how doing this actually helps you increase your profits? Make sure to watch the video of the week (below in this newsletter) that I did last year on Self Care.

P.S.

It is an honor to be one of the winners of the 2012 StartUpNation Leading Moms in Business! Over 350,000 votes were cast in support of the 2012 contestants, reflecting immense interest and supportiveness for moms building businesses at the same time they tend to their families..

Big hugs until next week,

Sheri McConnell

Smart Women’s Institute™
http://www.smartwomeninstitute.com
This “intro” was taken from our latest newsletter. Not getting our newsletter? Sign up by clicking on “Grab Your Smart Tools Now” at the TOP of this page and you’ll also receive a free membership!

Want to honor the mompreneur in your life with a special gift on Mother’s Day? You could go the predictable route with flowers, scented candles and personalized jewelry. Or you could try something different this year and choose a gift that will help her juggle the many tasks of running a business while raising a family. Here are just a few ideas to consider:

Top Ten Mother’s Day Gifts for Mompreneurs

10. A Journal. From baby’s first tooth, to the latest bright idea, there are countless thoughts to be captured in a journal. Treat mom to a decadent journal with gorgeous pages like these artistic creations from Papaya.

9. An App for That. Think about mom’s greatest challenge. Her biggest time zapper. Chances are there’s an app that will make her life easier. If you find one that packs school lunches, please let me know! (Here are Ten Things I Wish My Phone Could Do For Me!)

8. Egg Timer. If she doesn’t have a smart phone with a stopwatch, go to Walgreen’s and get her a classic egg timer. It’s the perfect tool for structuring time and setting boundaries.

7. An Addition to the Business Library. If she’s a knowledge-junkie like I am, mom will appreciate the latest business books or an Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card. One of my recent favorites is The New Relationship Marketing Book by Mari Smith.

6. Travel Essentials. Most entrepreneurs find themselves on the road – for client meetings, conferences and other events. Make mom’s travel easier with great travel gear like packing cubes and toiletry kits from Magellan’s Travel Supplies.

5. A Creative Adventure. A mompreneur’s life is busy – and we sometimes forget to schedule time for fun! Give your mom the gift of creativity – whatever that means to her. Maybe she would enjoy a cooking class, painting party, gardening day or theater tickets. Read more about creativity and the Art of Being a Stress Free Mom here.

4. A Nature Excursion. If mom’s business is an indoor affair, she could probably use a little fresh air. Schedule a fun outing for the two of you (or the whole family) and spend some time appreciating God’s creation. Some of my favorite nature excursions include hiking, kayaking, camping, biking, and my latest discovery – stand up paddle boarding!

3. A Laundry Fairy. Even if she has a housekeeper and the kids pitch in, mom is probably spending a good portion of her week washing, drying and folding laundry. Why not give her a weeklong “Laundry Pass” – during which time the rest of the family takes over the chore completely. (Just don’t mix the darks and whites!)

2. A Poem, Story, Song or Video. Use your creative talents to produce a unique tribute to the mompreneur in your life. Have fun with it and know that she will treasure this expression of your love forever.

1. Anything homemade. The number one thing moms want for Mother’s Day is a thoughtful, love-filled gift from the heart. From breakfast in bed to fragrant herb gardens, anything you make for a mompreneur will be received with much love and gratitude!

Do you have a Mother’s Day gift idea to share? Or a story to tell about a special Mother’s Day gift you received? I’d love to hear from you!

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Are you serious about running a business that supports faith and family?
Get your free copy of the Ten Commandments of a Mompreneur at www.TheChristianMompreneur.com

Dear Smart Women,

Welcome to all the new Smart Women Members this week! So happy to have you as part of the Smart Women Family.

This week, your smart assignment is for those of you who own business or would like to. Some of you may think of yourself as an entrepreneur already, but if in fact you are in a service-based business, all you have done is create a JOB for yourself. You are not an entrepreneur unless you are building equity and earning passive income. There is a huge difference. Powerful entrepreneurial models are scalable, build equity each day, provide multiple forms of leverage for you, bring you passive income, and so much more.

Smart Woman Assignment of the Week:

Learn more about my favorite scalable business model and learn how to become an entrepreneur who earns when they are not working and who has leverage to attract more wealth.

Click on this page: Create A Network InfoProduct and learn all about this business model. This product will no longer be available after April 30. After April 30th, you will only be able to access parts of this product through a Fast Track Network Launching program I will only open up twice a year.

You can also download a copy of our report on this topic called, What YOU Must Know About Your Business Model at http://tinyurl.com/3wwgcr8y

Big hugs until next week,

Sheri McConnell

Smart Women’s Institute™
http://www.smartwomeninstitute.com
This “intro” was taken from our latest newsletter. Not getting our newsletter? Sign up by clicking on “Grab Your Smart Tools Now” at the TOP of this page and you’ll also receive a free membership!

Want to learn more about our Image Day program? Go to http://www.smartwomeninstitute.com/imageday

Don’t do another thing until your read this very informative and dare I say common sense and absolutely fun approach to balancing our hormones. Yes, our bodies were designed to heal us each day if we just let them. How liberating!

Read Sara’s article now on How Orgasm’s Balance Your Hormones at http://www.saragottfriedmd.com/2011/07/08/orgasm-balances-hormonal-imbalance-in-women/

Q: When did you realize your big WHY?
A: In 2000 I realized my passion for organization was my gift and that I wanted to help people simplify their lives by de-cluttering and organizing their offices and homes.

Q: How and when did you make living your WHY a reality?
A: One day I was jogging along the water with a close friend and for months we had both been brainstorming and talking about what we wanted to do with our lives. On this day, I blurted out to my friend Anne, I just want to organize people’s closets. And then I shared this idea with another close friend of mine, Alison, the same week. Two weeks later, Alison called me saying she had heard about a Professional Organizer on the Oprah show and that there was a book on organizing that I needed to buy. I immediately ran out to buy the book, but I couldn’t find it as it was sold out everywhere. So I put my thinking cap on and found a small bookstore inside a grocery store and they had one copy left. I read the book and I couldn’t believe there was a whole industry of Professional Organizers in Canada and the US. As I read the book, I thought wow, this is how I think and approach organizing challenges, naturally. That day I began my research on the internet and a whole new world opened up before my eyes leading me to launch my business in January 2001. Before I launched my business, I honed my skills helping a friend organize her entire home, office and life, while I was still working full-time. I loved helping her be organized and working nights and weekends. I was living my passion.

Q: What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned so far about living your WHY?
A: Keep it simple. Perfection gets in the way of keeping things simple. I’ve also learned that there’s no perfect way to organize anyone or one-size-fits-all solution. There are key foundational organizing systems and principles to be organized and it’s my job to help my clients create organizing systems that work for them and their unique situation. The cool thing about being and staying organized is anyone can learn the skills of organization. It’s a choice and organizing skills are transferable. I’ve seen lives and families completely transformed because they learned the skills of being and staying organized. It’s a wonderful gift to pass onto others.

Q: What is coming up next for you?
A: To simplify, de-clutter and organize a million offices, homes and lives by 2015. The more organized people are, the more free time they have to contribute to others with their God-given gift and unique skills. We all have something to give and contribute to others.

Q: Name some authors or books that have influenced your life in a positive way.
A: God is Your Coach, by Larry Julian, Think and Grow Rich by Napolean Hill, Double Double by Cameron Harold, The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren

Q: What excites or ignites your soul?
A: Walking along the ocean with my husband, hearing the sound of the waves crashing on the shoreline and soaking up the warm sunshine or walking along a calm lake. I’ve always loved swimming, walking or being by the water from a very early age. It restores my soul and it’s a restful place for me. I’m also passionate about helping women de-clutter and simplify their lives because I know how busy their lives are running a household and/or a business. They have little time for themselves. So when I’m speaking to a group of women and they can take away one simple tip that will make their life easier, I know it can also impact other lives as well. It’s the ripple effect of one person being organized and transferring organizing skills to others – lives are transformed and that ignites my soul.

Bio: Sherry Borsheim
Sherry Borsheim is the President of International Association of Business Organizing, which connects women small-business owners with the necessary tools and resources to have the business and life they want. She provides no-nonsense, out-of-the-box systems and tools to help you simplify your life with her simple organizing solutions for your office, home and life. She believes that there’s no one-size fits all solution to organizing, and therefore creates unique systems that work for you, your team, and your business. Grab free organizing tools and resources at www.BusinessOrganizingSystems.com

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About this section: Each week we feature one of our Smart Women Book Series^TM authors. If you would like to be featured in an upcoming newsletter and on our blog permanently, click here: http://www.smartwomeninstitute.com/2011/12/become-an-author/