When was the last time you did something truly vulnerable and shared it with your clients and prospects; even your family and friends?

I hope it was within the last week. You may think I’m crazy for saying this (or you may think it’s a no-brainer), but –

By being YOU is the perfect place to show a bit of your humanity… to let them in on some of your mistakes, as well as how you overcame them.

Yes it is a a risk. But it’s also good practice. Practice being vulnerable, that is. There is a connection between vulnerability, approachability and profitability. When you open yourself to the world, the world will opens its wallet to you. But only if you’re willing to strip away the superficialities and occupy your vulnerability.

There are two BIG reasons why you want to be vulnerable:
1. Showing that you’re vulnerable builds trust and understanding. People will like you better and want to connect if they get a sense of who you are under all that “expertise” or skill.
2. Being real is more fun and… well, more real!

Shelley with fellow FINA TOWSC member, Steven Munatones (USA) Director www.OpenWaterSource.com

And last week I did just that! I “stuffed-up” in my role as Technical Official at the FINA World Swimming Championships in Shanghai, China. I was told it is unacceptable to take photos whilst officiating on the feeding pontoon. Forget the fact that the photos were taken at a time when the race was happening 200m away and other officials were also violating this protocol, I had to “cop it on the chin” in front of forty-five international officials.

When I started writing the Champion Mindset Motivation ezine back in 2001, I had this idea that I needed to know more, seem perfect and be the “wise one” having achieved amazing feats as a 7-time World Champion with a proven track record of success.

Now in the Champion Mindset workshops and Mental Toughness coaching programs, I admit I have “stuffed-up” many times, even failed and then bounced back to go on and achieve higher heights due to my inner resilience; which has shown more of myself and relates to my clients.

So when I hear team managers, coaches and even small business owners say they don’t know enough to serve their niche market, it reminds me of me back then. But that’s just a lie we tell ourselves.

Of course, showing your vulnerability at 1on1 meetings educates your clients, colleagues and team mates. Some managers/team leaders/coaches will correct mistakes or take them step-by-step through how to do something. But your tips will land more deeply if you also share how you got there — which is almost always about fumbling into competency, right?

When I launched my Think Like A Champion blog in 2008, I started following some pro bloggers like Peter Godfrey, and I witnessed in his blog posts a kind of take-me-as-I-am transparency that really appealed to me. I noticed his posts attracted lots of comments.

So I shifted my approach by determining my target audience and developing strategies whilst redefining my own Champion Brand (the Business of Me) and as a result my motivational presentations and personal branding workshops are receiving rave reviews. I delivered the Champion Brand Promise and unleashed my inner winner sharing; “I’m comfortable in my own skin… and all its wobbly bits!” And it’s paying off.

Who knew? (You might be saying “Well duh, Shelley” but really, I’m not the only one this is a new paradigm for.)

This is the age of social networking. This is a time when having more fun and being more real is good business. The goal is to show more of who you are — just a regular Joe Blow or Jane Doe — while you also show your unique style, your extraordinary qualities and know how.

Believe me; you have a great story to tell. Everyone does. And stories rock! These stories are your Champion Brand Signature Style and knowing how to identify and present yourself by getting them into your marketing, your networking, your team meetings… everywhere where you connect with your people is the key to turning your know-how into profit or promotion.

Tell me what you think about this whole vulnerability thing and your brand signature style in the COMMENTS below. When you stuff-up what do you do and focus on to bounce back? If you’re hip to it, thanks for leading the way. If it’s new to you, I double dare you to share your vulnerability with your team/colleagues/family once a week!

And thanks for your loyalty with me through all the ways I keep learning to help you to get comfortable in your own skin, define, design and deliver your Champion Brand to dominate your marketplace / niche industry and achieve your goals better.

Cheers to you becoming the Champion of your own world!
Shelley Taylor-Smith

PS: following being reprimanded for my stuff-up in Shanghai, many officials offered their support saying they too have made errors and to not sweat the small stuff! Also I was reminded that I created history becoming the first female Chief Referee in a Men’s Open Water Swimming FINA World Championship event. (NB: achieved first for female Chief Referee in FINA World OWS Championships Roberval 2010) [read more...]

The BOMShell is happening around Australia! The Business of Me with Shelley Taylor-Smith: How to Use the Power of Personal Branding to Create Your Own Champion Brand workshops in Perth on Thursday, 11th August 2011. Sydney & Melbourne TBA September 2011.

CHAMPIONS OF THE WORLD THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Todays blog is courtesy of my Champion buddy from New Orleans Mr Kerry Daigle. Thanks Kerry, You’re the Champ!

“They weren’t supposed to win. After all, the New Orleans Saints were a 5 point underdog (or more…depending on who you spoke to). The media had latched on to what they claimed was the greatest quarterback of all time in Peyton Manning, a New Orleans native playing for the Indianapolis Colts. The problem was the media forgot that ‘Super Bowls’ are won by teams and not by one person. New Orleans had the better team.

“Oh, wait a minute, you might say, the better team was the Colts.” Or at least that’s what the media said. So, you bought the story. A lesson to learn is that teams win championships, not just one person.

“Build for your team a feeling of oneness, of dependence upon one another, and of strength to be derived from unity.” Vince Lombardi

Someone once said that winning is not as important as ‘playing the game’ and having fun. Sure, having fun is one thing but winning is everything. Especially in this case.

Vince Lombardi wrote, “Winning is not a sometime thing. It’s an all time thing. You don’t win once in a while. You don’t do things right once in a while. You do them right all the time. Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.”

Lombardi continues, “There is no room for second place. Everytime a football player goes out to play to ply his trade he’s got to play form the ground up…from the soles of his feet right up to his head. That’s ok. You’ve got to be smart to be number one in any business.. But more importantly, you’ve got to play with your HEART …with every fibre of your body. If you are lucky enough to find a guy with alot of head and a lot of heart, he’s never going to come off the field second.”

I think Vince Lombardi was watching ‘Cool’ Brees (Drew is his first name) from above. After all, have you ever seen a “player” play with his heart more than Drew Brees? The difference in the game is the Colts used the playbook and they did play with their head. New Orleans coach Sean Peyton and his team played with their hearts. Enough said.

Ironically, Lombardi’s grandson is now the quarterback coach. Interesting, isn’t it?
Put it all together. It was destiny. Or maybe it was a plan. Ask Sean Peyton. He would know. After all, nothing was going to stop the New Orleans Saints.

“A great leader never sets himself above his followers except in carrying responsibilities.” JULES ORMONT

What I’ve learned over the years is the heart controls the mind and the muscles in the body. At this point is where you will find champions. The champions fight and play hard and with a positive mental mindset. They play like champions. They think like champions.

“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan “press on” has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” CALVIN COOLIDGE

I’ve also learned another lesson. I’ve also learned from the New Orleans Saints that the humblest of all men are the strongest. 75% of everything we heard from the media for the last two weeks was about the Colts and their ‘greatness’ while New Orleans sat back being humble but strong in their courage and believing in themselves.

The Saints played with their hearts and didn’t mind the ‘blood, sweat, and tears’ they experienced along the way to become the World Champion Football Team in Super Bowl XLIV. They enjoyed the discipline and hard work they engaged in to become winners. They were a team of ‘left-overs’…….players that other coaches forgot about.

No, I don’t believe they will be called “America’s Team”. The Dallas Cowboys own that title. This is the ‘DREAM TEAM’. A team of players and coaches who believed in their dream. A group of ‘WHO DAT’ fans that continued to believe in this football team for 43 years. Sure, some attended games with bags on their heads years ago but they still came to the games hoping one day they could remove those bags. Now, they can forever throw them away.

The DREAM TEAM has arrived.

The Colts had to not only play the Saints……they had to play the whole state of Louisiana. A state of 4.5 million WHO DAT fans full of emotion. The Colts knew that coming in. Especially, Peyton Manning. That was too much to overcome.

If you could take a ‘silent voting poll’ among NFL players I can almost guarantee you that 80% were pulling for New Orleans in their hearts. Call it ‘gris gris’……or ‘voodoo’….or just call it destiny. It was New Orleans’ time. It was meant to be. They were unbeatable and proved it by dismantling all the ‘great’ quarterbacks in the NFL this season, especially in the playoffs.

31 to 17. World Champs.

Who dat, who dat say dey gonna beat dem Saints? Who dat? Who dat?”

Thanks again Kerry for this amazing article.
Cheers one and all
Shelley Taylor-Smith

Kerry Daigle is a contributing writer for THE ACADIAN, a public speaker, an author and life coach specialising in mental fitness. Kerry is also a professional boxing agent and works in all 50 states in the United States and 22 countries. More of his articles with THE ACADIAN can be found on www.keeppunching.com Kerry lives in Lafayette, Louisiana with his wife, Mickey, and his daughter Angela.

If NEW YEAR’S resolutions are kept beyond January, people will be getting healthier, quitting smoking and becoming more community-minded.

With less than 3 days in 2009, people are now turning their attention to setting goals and what they want to achieve in 2010 and New Year’s Resolutions.

The Top Ten Resolutions include:
•1. Stop smoking
•2. Get Fit
•3. Lose Weight
•4. Enjoy Life More
•5. Quit Drinking
•6. Get Organised
•7. Learn Something New
•8. Get Out of Debt
•9. Spend more time with the Family
•10. Help Others

Losing weight, giving up bad habits and donating to charity are top of the list for people resolving to improve themselves, and after a year of belt tightening, the business information analyst IBISWorld predicts certain industries will be counting on people’s cash as they fulfil their promises.

Increased awareness of healthy lifestyles and guilt from festive over-indulgence will see the weight-loss industry take $111.8 million in January as gyms and health clubs with at least 12 per cent growth in new members for the month.

The national fitness manager at Fitness First, Dominic dos Remedios, said January brought in influx of people.

”Unfortunately, a lot of people drop off because they set massive expectations,” he said. ”I would suggest taking their goal and breaking it into bite-size, achievable chunks.”

Holidaying from Auckland, Rebecca Mentor said her experience of losing weight had inspired her to help others do the same. ”I’d like to set up my own fat fighters movement,” she said.

Mark Long said that in his Erskineville household there was lots of yelling around the house when family members wanted to talk to one another. ”My resolution is you walk to the person you want to talk to,” he said.

January 1 is traditionally a busy day for Quitline, with smokers resolving to start the year by kicking the habit, the Cancer Institute NSW’s cancer prevention program manager, Anita Dessaix, said. ”New Year’s Day is typically one of those milestones that smokers set for quitting,” she said. ”If the motive is there, quit immediately.”

IBISWorld predicts charitable donations in January will be those that require only a small investment but still help a community, such as sponsoring a child.

The marketing and communications director of Plan Australia, Aimee Suchard-Lowe, said donating was not about feeling guilty. ”It should be about someone saying: ‘This year I want to make a difference to my life and other people’s lives’,” she said. ”It should be that positive impact.”

A study by the University of Hertfordshire, in Britain, found less than one-quarter of those who set themselves a goal for 2010 would be likely to succeed, and the remainder would feel despondent at having broken their resolutions.

Of those who fail, many would focus on the downside of not achieving the goals, suppress cravings, fantasise about being successful and rely on willpower alone.

Those who set smaller goals had an average success rate of 35 per cent, while those with strategies like keeping a diary and telling friends about their goal had a 50 per cent chance.

The best way to achieve your Resolutions and goals in 2010 is to keep it simple.

How do you keep it simple you may well ask?

Statistic: 95% of New Year’s Resolutions are never achieved.
Only 5% have the intestinal fortitude to follow through with their commitment! If you are committed, if you want it bad enough, if you are prepared to do whatever it takes and if you don’t quit….you will achieve your goal. There are no excuses only all the reasons in the world why you did not achieve your goal.

1. Identify your goals – in the 5 key areas of career, finance, health & fitness, family/relationships and personal growth

2. What benefits will I achieve reaching this goal? Eg. Losing 5kgs – increase in energy, able to keep up with the kids, able to fit into my favourite pair of jeans or that special dress
3. What are the major obstacles to overcome to reach your goal? – Eg. Cut back on junk food – 1. check your fridge & cupboards for junk food 2. go shopping on a full stomach as opposed to when you are hungry (you will be amazed at the difference of your food in your trolley and the money saved in your pocket.)
4. What skills or knowledge is required to achieve your goal? Eg. Health & Fitness – reading up on personal trainers, costs, program types, gym memberships
5. What are the individuals, groups or companies and organisations to work with to achieve your goal? Eg. Finance – clear credit card debt. Tell a friend, find a buddy who will hold you accountable and will support you with your goal. Join Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig etc.
6. Completion Date – when do wish for your goal to be achieved
7. Celebrate Success – how are you going to celebrate achieving your goal!

And remember: if you don’t quit…you will make it!