Strategies and Tactics for Women by Dr. Shannon Reece

Entrepreneurs, especially mompreneurs, have the ability to rival even the best jugglers, the likes of those you would pay big bucks to see performing for Cirque du Soleil.  Did these ambidextrous women go to clown college to master the art of spinning plates atop long poles or handling fiery batons without singeing a single eyebrow?  Well, there might be a few (but only those who dreamed of one day touring with Ringling Brothers) — but most businesswomen grow into the role of master juggler by simply having to maintain control over ever-increasing responsibilities at work and at home.

When you get exactly what you asked for –

Women asked to have it all, and got what they asked for.  Is this bad news? No.  But it requires them to continue to set new rules for how to run businesses and still maintain that much needed balance that drove them to become entrepreneurs in the first place.  But the big question remains — “how are we supposed to do it all without sacrificing our children, our careers, our marriages, or ourselves?”  I love Donna Estes’ post on this subject:

“We need to unite our strengths and become mindful and proactive in not supporting anything or anyone who undermines our respect, our careers, our marriages or our families. We have to preserve the rights we’ve fought so hard to have. We also must maintain our professional dignity and self-respect while keeping our husbands in our homes and our children on the right track.”

Business owners like Karren Brady and Jessica Herrin are mentoring women into more flexible employment scenarios that enable them to build businesses of their own, on their terms.  In a recent interview, Ms. Brady explains how Avon is opening doors for women who want to have both career and family — “Avon Representatives are all self-employed entrepreneurs and many are mothers who have opted to run their own businesses in order to give them the flexibility to balance a career with family commitments.”

Getting ready for the big top –

These examples are proof that what women always knew was possible, is within their grasp if they reach out and take it.  If you are looking for the courage to take that leap or  desire to become a more skilled juggler, here are my top 3 tips:

• Clarify your goals and values for your home/work life, and reflect on them regularly to keep you on track.
• When confronted with requests that stretch you beyond your limits, be brave enough to just say “no.”
• And don’t be opposed to enlisting your partner or friends to help you keep all your balls in the air when you need an extra set of hands.

If you have tips that have helped you become an expert juggler I hope you will post a comment and let me know.  I’d love to hear from you.

© 2010 Reece International LLC/Dr. Shannon Reece. All rights reserved.

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Dr. Shannon Reece – The One Trusted Woman in a Man’s Business World

Starting your own business can be tough, but having the right tools makes all the difference.  Dr. Reece provides the strategies and tactics women need to get their businesses from zero to launch and achieve real results.  For more information visit www.DrShannonReece.com.