I don’t want to be called a “career coach” anymore. I’m moving in a new direction

And I’d love to hear from you about this new direction. I thought I’d share with you, candidly, about where I’ve been, where I’m heading, and how it impacts you and your work.

For at least the last year, I felt like something was missing in my career. I sensed the impact the work I was doing with individuals in career reinvention and said, “Hmm, something feels stuck, blocked, unexpressed in me.” I felt heavy, burdened. But I also noticed something churning inside of me, cooking, baking, percolating.

Now, I’m able to articulate that element that I’ve been so hungry to share. You see, when I went back to school for a PhD in Somatic Psychology (that’s also known as “mind/body psychology”)  in 2001, my intention was to support busy mid- to senior-level professionals to be more present, more alive, more vibrant in their work, especially in the face of rapid change and uncertainty. I knew that the principles I was learning in school could help make change smoother, easier to navigate.

I was (and still am) 100% convinced that simple practices could help professionals avoid getting stuck in their head. Heck, I’d been one of those people who could never seem to shut off my mind. As a result, my body was suffering from the tension of working long hours, pushing and pushing to get through projects, barely allowing myself to rest, recover, and renew. I started to push my way through tasks, but exhausted myself. Can you relate?

Once I learned how to really pay attention to both my head and my body, I became more resilient, productive, creative, clear-headed, and confident.

And I knew I could teach people — like you — to live with these positive qualities in your working life.

But honestly, I had been coaching people in career change as a part-time job while I earned my PhD, and somehow, it became my full-time job.

Until now.

After a decade of helping people navigate their individual career transitions, I’m boldly following my original intention:

To support companies to thrive by teaching their employees powerful practices that bring out more of their potential. And in the process, I’ll be helping professionals (maybe even you?) truly come alive in their work.

With so much turmoil in the business world (heck, the world in general) now is the moment to launch this new direction. Wouldn’t you agree? I’m excited to help motivated up-and-coming professionals navigate change and uncertainty so they move to the next level of performance. I’ll be focusing on coaching high-potential current and future leaders to cultivate greater
* resilience
* focus
* decision making capabilities
* presence
* confidence

Your wisdom isn’t just in your head

You know, your wisdom comes not just from your brains, but really from your whole body.  It’s like your body acts as a monitoring or navigational device. Your senses give you information to help you find your way, especially when the road ahead is foggy or bumpy. If you pay attention, you sense the signals….”more this way…less of that…I like this…I don’t care for that”

But many of us have learned to ignore the messages of our bodies, especially at work, because our culture treats the mind as if it is superior to the body (oh, and your body does so much more than carry your brain around!)

When you leave out the information you’re getting from your senses, you are only using part of your capabilities and potential.

Get wiser with a radical idea: SmartSensing

But instead of cutting off your sense, you can learn to pay attention to your senses, trust them, and act on them That’s what I would call SmartSensing. Essentially, you make smarter choices and take wiser actions when you complement your thoughts and ideas with your sensory information.

This SmartSensing is a radical idea. It’s like overriding what most of us learn at school, in our families, and at work. We learn to ignore our body’s messages. Like when you get a headache, do you pop an aspirin? Or do you ask what’s burdening your mind and how you might alleviate it? Or it’s like meeting two prospective new employees. When you meet the first one, you get a knot in your stomach, and when you meet the second candidate, you feel light and bubbly. Do you run to take an antacid after you meet the first one? Or do you stop and ask, “What is my body telling me?”

We often dismiss the subtle signals our bodies give us. And we also miss the chance to make small changes with our bodies that open up whole new mental vistas.

Try this out, for example: When you’re stressed out, you can shake your body while you imagine your tension dropping away. With practice, you can feel a sense of relief, so that you can get back to whatever you were doing before you got stressed out. So the next time an angry colleague or a frustrated customer yells at you, try shaking off and getting back to equilibrium.

Your amazing body is not just a monitor. It’s an amazing adaptive, self-adjusting system. And you become most effective when you allow your mind work collaborate with your senses.

My new work will help you move to higher levels of performance. And a big part of what I’ll be teaching (in my coaching, workshops, retreats, and even on the Work from Within blog and newsletter) are perspectives and practices that will help you to listen to, trust, and act on the messages of your amazing monitoring and adjustment mechanism – your body. The ability to create ease, well-being, and amazing levels of performance – it’s all in your hands (and in your heart, your gut, and your whole body).

In the coming months, I’ll be letting you know about the coaching, workshops, and customized events I’ll be offering to companies, especially those who want their people to stay resilient in the face of major change. Oh, and companies who actively support their high potential current and future leaders in navigating to the next level. (If you want the early scoop for you or your company, just get in contact)

So, what do you think? How might SmartSensing help you at work? What can you imagine in terms of your emotional flexibility, your resilience, your confidence…if you listened to your body?

I look forward to supporting you to work from within the amazing Smart sensing mechanism of your whole self.

Moving with you into the future,
Susan

PS – I’m still taking on a few career reinvention clients over the next two to three months, as I transition into this new work. So if you’ve been thinking of working together, please don’t procrastinate. Get in touch now. You can reach me via email at SBernstein@WorkFromWithin.com or by phone at (415) 508-8250.

PPS – FYI, Somatic Psychology is also known as Mind-Body Psychology, and is a discipline that looks at reuniting mind and body for greater energy, aliveness, and well-being, physically, emotionally, and mentally.

If you’re looking for a self-paced, home-study way to improve your career, I’ve got some great digital downloads to help you. These audios and ebooks are full of exercises and guidance to help you find your way through job search, interviewing, and building your confidence .

My gift to you is the biggest savings of the year!

Take 30% off any digital download product in the Work from Within store. That includes:

• The Job Seeker’s Confidence Kit audio and workbook
• The Interviewing Authentically workbook
• How to Make a Meaningful Career Change audio and handout
• How to Create Work That Fits You audio and workbook
• The new Conversations That Create Kick-Ass Confidence package

These are just a few of the career-boosting resources in the Work from Within store.

To get your savings on career-boosting products, simply enter NEWYEAR2012 in the coupon code field at checkout from the Work from Within store, then click “Apply” to get your discount. You’ve only got until December 31 to use the discount, so hurry!

Happy New Year!

The New Year is nearly upon us. It’s a time when you may start to wonder  “what’s next?” or “what do I want to change or improve?”

It’s also a time to think about planning your career future. And I’ve got a fantastic way for you to to do that!

Join me for the workshop “Crafting Careers That Truly Fit”  I’m teaching from January 13-15, 2012, at the gorgeous Esalen Institute, in Big Sur, California. It’s one of the most beautiful places in the world. And they serve fantastic gourmet food. And the rugged mountains and ocean. And morning movement classes that might include yoga, dance, tai chi, or something else fun that weekend. And an Art Barn full of art supplies you can play with. And fantastic, interesting, open-hearted people. And for an extra fee, you can book a divine massage.

Oh, and of course, there are the hot tubs…right on the Pacific Ocean. Imagine relaxing and unwinding and listening to the ocean and sensing your new direction. Aaah, what ease. (I should insert a caveat that I don’t teach the workshop in the hot tub, but you’re welcome to use the hot tub any time between workshop sessions, like in the morning before breakfast, or after dinner.

Personally, I think it’s the most ideal, idyllic, relaxing, supportive place in the whole world to consider your career change. And I’ve designed the workshop so you don’t get stuck in your head. In fact, this is a great chance to listen to the quiet wisdom of your body, the messages you may have been hiding from yourself that you really want to hear. Unless you can be quiet and free of distractions, it’s hard to listen within, so this is your opportunity.

(Please note, the video has an error…the deadline for early registration to get your $325 in bonuses is January 1, NOT January 10. Yes, I’m fallible.)

So, let me share with you about what you’ll learn and discover in this interactive workshop:

• You’ll illuminate what’s important in your future career
• You’ll replace ill-fitting social norms about “work” with visions of what you truly desire
• You’ll brainstorm ways to create meaningful work
• You’ll get clear about your next steps to pursue work that truly fits you.

Register by January 1st, and you will receive a FREE 60-minute coaching session with me after the workshop. You can use the session up until February 15th, 2012. If you had to pay for this out of pocket, it would cost you $325, so think of it either as a $325 discount, or a great added value. Most importantly, I trust that this session will help you to accelerate what you discover during the workshop, so that you’ll be able to make your next career move with more calm, clarity, and courage.

To get this great bonus, you’ll need to register with Esalen no later than January 1st, 2012, by calling 831-667-3000, so take action now. You’ll be glad you’ve done this for your career, your sanity, your body, your mind, and your spirit!

Oh, so how do you get the free coaching session? All you need to do to get that benefit is to email a note to tell me that you’ve paid for the workshop through the Esalen Institute. Drop a  me a note at info @ workfromwithin.com by January 10, 2012 to get this wonderful bonus.  To register for the workshop, simply go to this link for workshop details, and you can either register online, or you can can call the Esalen Institute at 831-667-3000 from 9 am – 7 pm Pacific Time Monday through Friday, or 9 am to 5 pm Saturday & Sunday. Or click here for more contact information at Esalen.

Let’s kick your career into high gear in the New Year!


Over the course of helping people reinvent themselves in their careers, sometimes, the answer isn’t always the obvious one.

Sometimes, you have to get out of your head to get sanity.

Today, I’ve decided to share an email I received, and offered my guidance not only for the dear writer who reached out to me, but to any of you struggling to decide “what should I do next?”  I’ve changed some of the facts, just to protect this dear writer’s privacy.

“Dear Susan:  I’m 27 years old and I am very lost and feel like my life is going nowhere. I earned a university degree in religious studies  in 2006 and since then the only jobs I’ve ever done have been temping jobs in the government, have done a total of 5 temping jobs and the longest of which have been 6 months! So in total I’ve only worked about a year in total and so been out of work for a total of 5 years. I have suffered with depression and anxiety. I lack motivation and drive. I just can’t seem to decide what I want to do with my life.

And what’s more it feels like I’ve tried everything. I’ve seen career counselors, spoken to career advisers, done career tests, written down all my interests and skills, and done voluntary work — all in an attempt to make a decision on doing something, but I still can”t figure out why I seem paralyzed and unable to move on with my life. The voluntary roles I had I just simply lost interest in. I’m someone who gets bored very easily. I just feel so hopeless and sad every day as I already think it’s kinda of too late to do some things. The bottom line: Right now I feel a huge sense of urgency as I need to make a decision to do something without wasting any more time.

What can I do, based on my limited experience? What options do I have?”

Thank you,
Mary

Can you identify with this letter?

My response is not about: Another career test. Another internship or volunteer position. Nor do I prescribe a visit to the psychiatrist for antidepressants.

Here’s my response:

“Dear Mary:  Thanks for being in touch. My heart goes out to you. And when I listen underneath everything you’ve said, my sense is that you’re putting a lot of pressure on yourself. You know, everyone finds their path at their own speed, despite what school and companies and society try to dictate. It seems really important to reduce the anxiety.

Deep down, you have a knowing inside of you about each of your next steps. Trust those steps one at a time. No need to rush. No need for urgency. Really a need to hear yourself, I believe. I encourage you to experiment with processes that teach you to hear yourself, like meditation, or perhaps a moving meditation, like the 5Rhythms, or a practice called Sensory Awareness.

Using your mind and your logic to constantly “figure it out,” is overrated, in my humble opinion. I was stuck for a long time not knowing what I wanted. Then, I found body-centered psychotherapy and body-centered practices, like the 5Rhythms and while it was not linear, it lead me to my inner wisdom. I encourage you to drop the needing to know what you need to do for the long run, and start trusting your short-run instincts and impulses.

I wish you well in just being with yourself in a patient, totally compassionate way,
Susan”

Is this reply what you expected? Were you waiting for a list of assessments and tests for Mary to take? Would you have sent Mary to a psychologist or psychotherapist? What would you have suggested to help Mary?

Personally, I think that we in the Western world are a deeply disembodied bunch. We don’t remember our childlike impulses to listen within ourselves. We look outside of ourselves, to a candy store full of luscious life and career choices. And without ever taking a bite, we instantly get sick to our stomachs. That’s because we make ourselves ill when we look for personal answers outside of ourselves.

We’ve forgotten how to mine the delicious treats within. We have lost our memory for how to find our way with our best way-finding equipment:  our senses. I’m a huge believer in waking up the body’s wisdom, in all facets of our lives. Your body connects you to your intuition, your instinctive wisdom, that sense of your next steps.

So, what are you doing to wake up your inner wisdom?
Susan

PS – One of my personal favorite tools for waking up my own inner wisdom? I consult the “Get a Move On!” cards I created. They’re my favorite tool for getting unstuck.

Today, I was going supremely stir-crazy, attempting to write the latest edition of the Work from Within newsletter.

When I’m trying to write, I can’t sit too long. My brain starts scrambling. Sometimes, the sedentary position brings my brain to a grinding halt. Creativity jams up. Originality is no where in sight. Coherence disappears.

I kept sitting in front of my laptop, kind of like The Little Engine That Could, telling myself, “I think I can, I think I can!” but barely a trickle of words ran from my cerebellum to my fingers. Sheer force was not working. I had to find another way to write this newsletter.

I decided to GET OUT. For a walk. Well, a 25-minute hike. The steep hill behind my home provides great exercise and great views. I needed a change of scenery and a breath of fresh air.

And when I returned, I decided to share my musings about the value of getting out. You’ll probably do a headnod of agreement, especially if you work in an office or Cubicleland.

I hope this inspires you to get out!

Have you future-proofed your career? With changes in technology, the environment, society, and the economy, the world of work is changing faster than ever. Is doing good work, earning decent money, and feeling a sense of meaning important to you? Then join me on Wednesday, November 30, for the Future-Proof Your Career teleclass and discover the four key steps to future-proofing your career. Keep your career in high gear.

You’ll get the chance to ask questions about your career, plus get current research on the future of careers, handouts to help you navigate the future, and a copy of the recording! Register now by clicking here.

“I wish my company would pay for more training for me.”

I hear that all the time.

Have YOU ever said that?

If you have, your wish is the reflection of a great employee. You’re the kind of employee who wishes for chances to do something so normal and natural – grow.

But alas, those golden hey-days of receiving training as a perk seem to be disappearing. Gone are the days when employees regularly stayed at companies for ten or more years. Gone are the days when no one had to talk about “loyalty” because it was just implied. And it seems we’ve say goodbye to the times when companies had rich budgets for developing their employees, and corporate universities flourished.

I forecast that those days are gone. Perhaps forever, although I’m a big believer in “never say never.”

Companies are reluctant to pay for your training because they don’t know how long you’ll be around. Here’s why:

FIRST:  As the pace of economic and technological change keeps getting faster and faster, companies need to be more and more nimble to respond to market demands. This means more and more reorganizations and layoffs, especially for larger companies to stay nimble and meet business challenges. Still, it’s no fun to be pushed out of the company where you feel a sense of belonging.

For example, last week, I spoke with a former client whose company is converting from web-based to mobile-applications. The organization is desperate to hire new employees with experience creating mobile applications. Unfortunately, those employees on the non-mobile side of the business are being moved to new jobs or downsized.

SECOND:  Spurred on by rapid economic and technology shifts, the average tenure of employees, at least in the US, has been dropping since 2000, with the exception of 2008-2010. And that “blip” reflects employees holding on to their jobs through the recession, even if they’ve been unhappy.

What does this shorter tenure within companies mean?
Unfortunately, it means your company is less likely to invest in your growth.

Look, I don’t actually think the lack of investment in you is a wise move on your company’s part. But company psychology works something like this:  The vast majority of organizations foolishly figure that if you’re going to be leaving soon. So they balk at paying for an investment, like training, that can walk out the door.

I disagree with companies’ short-sighted thinking (especially because more and more employees are hungry for training, and companies can make courses and development experiences an attractive perk). But more and more frequently, I hear people pining for more assistance from their companies to take courses, but being denied. Sigh.

So if you care about growing and developing, it’s up to YOU to invest in yourself. That means reading books, taking online and in person classes, and going to conferences to keep yourself current.

You might argue:  “Well, when I get training, especially related to my job, that benefits my company, so they should pay for it.” Yes, of course, it’s worthwhile to ask your company to cover the cost. That’s a very legitimate expense. But some companies just won’t fork over the dough.

So, if your company won’t pay, are you going to forgo the chance to learn new skills that will benefit you for the long run?

My encouragement is to see yourself as an entrepreneur, even if you’re working for a company.

The enterprise you run? Your career. A good entrepreneur invests for the future. Sure, they try to get whatever they can at a discount. So perhaps you can ask your company to pay for a portion of your training.

As an entrepreneur, you realize that the money that you invest is very likely to pay dividends. Of course, you want to be thoughtful about the skills you are developing. If you’re a graphic artist, then learning the latest version of Adobe Creative Suite makes sense. But if you’re building your accounting skills, that kind of software is not likely to advance your professional career. But by all means, if it’s fun for you to learn that, then do it. The happier you are in life, the more those benefits translate to work. Being well-rounded just feels good.

What have you been hungry to learn in your career? Do you want to gain more fluency in the language of business? Are you jones’ing to make a good impression with your speaking and presentation skills? Maybe you want to overcome the fear of a more general professional skill, like networking?

Whatever skill, talent, or ability you want to develop, the great news is that when you invest in yourself, you take the knowledge with you wherever you go. So even if your company unceremoniously and without warning gives you a pink slip, they may get to keep your company-issued laptop, but they can’t take the education and training out of you (unless your talking about some sci-fi movie with mind erasing, like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). What you learn is yours to keep.

Also, when you keep learning, you open yourself up to new employment opportunities. How?

1.    You can do some projects on the side with your new skills.
2.    You can make yourself a freelancer (and freelance employment is growing at more than twice the rate of traditional employment).
3.    When you keep an updated list of your skills on your LinkedIn profile, you increase the chances that recruiters will find you
4.    When you take training classes with others (instead of online) or learn at venues like conferences, you vastly increase your chances of meeting people who can offer you a new job or gig. Sweet!

So, what skills are you most excited to learn next?
And what are you doing to build those skills (oh, and enjoyment)?

PS – If you want to build some skills around creating work that fits, building your job search confidence, or interviewing for jobs more effectively, check out the digital downloads I created:

Creating Work That Fits | The Job Seeker’s Confidence Kit | Interviewing Authentically

I love simple tools and techniques that I can use to get out of a difficult or upsetting mood and into feeling better, even joyful. Don’t you?

Well, if you’re into feeling better, fast, I’ve got an ear-to-ear grin as I share this TED video of Ron Gutman, an expert on wellness who founded WellSphere and is currently CEO of Silicon Valley-based HealthTap.

Did you know that smiling is a predictor of long-term well-being? If you haven’t smiled lately, go hang out with some kids, because, on average, they smile 20 times more per day than adults.

One smile can generate as much pleasure as 2,000 bars of chocolate. No kidding! More great facts on smiling in this video. So enjoy!

Smiling your way,

Inside, I fume whenever I hear people tell me they hate their work. Even if I hear someone complain about it on the bus or an airplane or walking down the street, my impulse is to interrupt their conversation and demand to know, “Why do you live your life this way?” Don’t worry. I rarely do that! But I must speak out. Recently, one evening, frustrated beyond belief, the words below flew out of my fingertips and onto the page. I wrote a draft manifesto, a way to make known my point of view on the issue of work satisfaction.

This is a draft, and I seek YOUR input. I want to add more fury and passion and perhaps even justification for my cause, my mission. And that mission is to help you bring out the best of you in the work that you do. We need your power and passion and the fullness of your abilities in the workplace. I don’t care whether you work for a gigantic corporation, a teeny non-profit, or your own venture. I’m “profession neutral,” meaning I don’t find any profession or industry better than another. What matters to me is that you come alive in your work.

If you care about my mission, to encourage you to bring out the best of you in the work that you do, I have a request. I want you to do two things:

(1) Respond to this blog post with your comments on this draft manifesto. I’m really curious to know how you react and respond to what I’ve written;

(2)  Share your answer to the question at the bottom: “How are you going to play a bigger ROLE and bring out the best of you in the work that you do?”

Thank you for helping me in my mission to help you — and many, many others — bring out the best of you in the work that you do.

The Draft Manifesto:  Bring Out the Best of You in the Work That You Do

I am sick of hearing people say they hate their work, especially when they say they are just doing their work to collect a paycheck, but they’re checked out. It irks me when they blame their company for their misery. Or when they say that unless the boss fixes things, they are stuck in crummy work. It really upsets me when these people assume that they are powerless to change their circumstances. I really don’t understand the point of doing work you don’t care about, that’s meaningless to you, and saying, “I’ll just suck it up” while you suck the life energy right out of yourself.

That more than sucks. That’s dangerous.

You heard me.

Dangerous.

It’s dangerous for you to do work that sucks the life energy out of you. When you spend all day feeling stuck, boxed in, and blocked at work, then you’re taxing your heart. And your gut. And your head. Can you say heartache? Stomach ache? Headache? Because your body’s talking and telling you that you feel bored and frustrated and tired and cranky. And then you take that heavy energy home to your family. Or maybe you’re single and at the end of yet another awful day in the workplace, you don’t have a shred of energy left after work to go hang out with your friends. Or you’ve suffered yet another day of boredom at work. So find yourself in a persnickety mood on the drive home, fuming mad at the boss or your lousy clients. You feel all righteous — hah! — as you cut off a fellow driver on the highway. It’s not what you really wanted to do, deep down. You let out your pent up anger about work in an unproductive, harmful way. When you allow yourself to do work that sucks, you can make yourself sick – emotionally, psychologically, and physically. Work that doesn’t fit you can kill you.

Bad work doesn’t just suck for you. . It’s contagious. Everyone around you feels your pain. Amazingly, tons and tons of people continue to “suck it up.” And “tough it out.” And “stick with it,” rationalizing that, heck, this crummy work pays the bills.

Yes, but what if you were doing something you loved? What if you bringing out the best of you in the work that you do? How might your life be different?

Really, what if you could do activities you love, with people you enjoy, for a purpose that matters to you, and for decent pay? Just what if? If it were possible, what would change for you?

I bet you’d be happier. I bet you’d feel more alive and vibrant. I bet you’d be a lot nicer to a lot of people. Especially yourself. Oh, and if we all did work that made us feel truly alive, think of the cool products that would be invented. And the cool performances that people would give. And the fantastic care and support that people would show. And the amazing creativity that would be expressed. If only we didn’t all hold back. The true sense of meaning and fulfillment that would be unleashed.

Wouldn’t it be cool if, from the moment you were born, people told you, repeatedly, “Do the work that brings out the best in you. And you’ll have abundance, too.”

Well, what if it’s possible to create that life for yourself starting now?

It is.

But you can’t play small. You have to play a bigger role.

I’m talking about a bigger role as in capital R.O.L.E., for “Return On Life Energy™.”

In other words, you’ll bring out the best in you when you maximize your ROLE™, your Return On Life Energy. It’s actually pretty simple. You want to minimize your energy Drains and maximize your energy Gains. Playing a bigger ROLE is about ditching your energy Drains, the processes and practices and places that sap you and zap you and tap out your energy. And about growing your energy Gains, the things that feed you and fuel you.

So, for example, if you can’t stand repetitive, monotonous work, drop it or stop it, or at least do less of it. And turn around. No, don’t spin in circles. But use the Drains like a compass. Feel each Drain, and sense the way Drains steal your life energy. And point yourself in a better-feeling direction, to your own personal north. If repetitive work has you navigating in the wrong direction, turn it around. Maybe your Desire is to have more variety in your work. OK. So ask for it. Or create it. Don’t just settle for those energy Drains. Turn around your Drains, and pursue your Desires instead.

And those energy Gains, the things you love to do? You want more of those, right? Maybe one of your Gains is working with cool clients. OK! So, what kind of “cool clients” do you desire? What who are fun to talk to? Ones who let you use lots of your creativity? Articulate your Gains as Desires, the way you really want them to be. Like you’re putting in your request at a fine restaurant, where your food is cooked to order. Be clear about what you want, the way you want it, and you’re more likely to get it, especially if you ask nicely.

If you transform your Drains and Gains into Desires, and you take action to make your Desires into reality, you’ll be playing a bigger ROLE in no time. You’ll rev up your ROLE, your Return On Life Energy, and you’ll love your work. And your life.

The power to bring out the best in you is not in anyone else’s hands but your own. That power is not outside of you. You are in charge of your ROLE. The power is within you to play a bigger ROLE.

I hope you will make a choice, right now, to play a bigger ROLE. To love your work. It’s good for you. And those around you, too.

Tell the world how you are playing a bigger ROLE. Shout it out. Spread the word. It’s time to rock your ROLE and bring out the best of you in the work that you.do.

So, I ask you, how are you going to play a bigger ROLE and bring out the best of you in the work that you do?

If you’re looking to claim expert status in your industry or topic, I want to share with you information about a program from one of my mentors, Brendon Burchard who created EXPERTS ACADEMY, which I joined earlier this year – and it was one of the BEST investments I have ever made. Really.

I don’t usually share resources like this. But Brendon has really helped me to clarify my message. And to get clearer about how to be of service. And he’s truly inspired me to a bigger vision for how Work from Within can be helpful to more people. In fact, if you saw the video I created for the Hay House Movers & Shakers program, I used two tools that he mentioned. One is the use of my personal story (Cheryl Richardson & Reid Tracy talk about this, too). The other is use of frameworks, like Maximizing Your R.O.L.E., your Return On Life Energy.

I can’t say enough great things about Brendon and his ability to make you an expert. His energy and sincerity are real. He’s incredibly wise about sharing your message for impact and income. If you’re wanting to be an expert on YOUR topic, check out this video. You’ll be asked to sign up and you’ll get full access to an amazing set of videos to make you an expert.

Brendon is opening the doors to his EXPERTS ACADEMY program for a very limited time, because he makes room so he can help just enough people. To find out about EXPERTS ACADEMY, visit this link: http://bit.ly/susanexpert

I’ll be totally transparent and tell you that this is an affiliate program, and I do get credit if you sign up through me. Of course, if you don’t feel comfortable with that arrangement, you can sign up with Brendon directly. But, if you do ultimately pay for the EXPERTS ACADEMY through me, I will give you an iPod Touch 8GB, so you can listen to great music, play games, take pictures, and use the fun FaceTime application. I’ll mail it out to you after your first 30 days in the Experts Academy program, as my special gift to thank you (if you pay in 3 increments, you’ll get this after your third payment).  So if you’d like to sign up through me when you pay for Experts Academy and get your iPod touch, go to http://bit.ly/susanexpert

I have loved the Experts Academy program, and have learned SO, SO much. If you have questions about the program, email me at info (at) workfromwithin (dot) com and I’ll happily answer them!

Way to go, Expert!

Susan

PS – This is a very giddy me after a recent event with Brendon Burchard…no, that’s not him…that’s a big banner of him…and I got the red necklace from a very generous woman I met at this Experts Academy event. Fun!

How do you get out of your head? One of my favorite ways to “take the elevator down” from my cerebral cortex to my toes is to DANCE! I especially love freeform movement. In contrast to the systems and processes required to run my own business, I crave outlets that let me get out of my head and into my body.

So, in August, I boogied down to the Esalen Institute, a personal development retreat center on the rugged Big Sur coast for a workshop of Soul Motion with my gracious and graceful teachers, Zuza Engler and Scott Engler. I moved and grooved, sweated profusely, and got in touch with my heart in a big, juicy way. (By the way, I’m teaching a workshop there December 5-10! Check it out on their calendar )

And, as I always seem to do at Esalen, I connected with great people. One of them is Mary Pinozotto, who is a total original. One day, Mary asked our group to help her film a video. I was feeling emotionally tender that day, so I hid from the camera. But I was intrigued over dinner, as she edited the video to post the next day. I asked her what she was doing.

“Oh, I’m recording one dance video every day.”

What!?! That’s pretty amazing. Where does she get inspired? What keeps her going? I was intrigued. She told me about dancing at Wal-Mart. And with Hells’ Angels. And in nature. And in so many different ways. Short dance. Long dances. And then the artistry of editing all of these.

Well, of course I asked to interview her for this blog. Here’s a woman who’s following her heart and her art. As she says in the audio interview I had with her, she’s becoming the person she’s dreamed herself to be.

To me, when we move, we change. Mary is in the flow of change, and I hope you’ll listen to her wisdom if you are in a place of transition, and craving a more authentic, creative life.

Listen to my interview with Mary

I hope you’ll enjoy the interview, with some key highlights about:
- moving emotions out and through the body; the metaphors in movement (I know about that from the Get A Move On! cards)
- dealing with money, and cherishing what you have
- increasing your ability to learn notice new things
- dedication and staying with something with discipline; sinking your teeth in
- listening for the creative inspiration

I’ve also posted a few of Mary’s amazing dance videos. Do they make you want to get up and move your body? C’mon! It’s OK. Go ahead! Join the dance!

Video 1: About the Freebox Blog

Video 2: To Sheryl Crow’s I Shall Believe


Video 3: From a Hafiz poem

I hope this inspires you!  If you want to view Mary’s blog, The Freebox, visit http://thefreebox.wordpress.com/

Wishing you delicious rhythmic journeys,

Susan