Tag Archives: Marketing Coaching

3 Steps to Trusting Your Decisions

Making decisions can be tough. Particularly when you are creating Fresh Tracks and stepping into new and uncharted territory. Why is making a decision so difficult when doing new things? Because you don’t have a history to support or justify your decision, particularly if it doesn’t turn out the way you choose.

In the first chapter of my book, Trust Your Next Step: Creating the Confidence to Cut Fresh Tracks we take a deep dive into making a true decision and what it entails. Part of what we review is your awareness, intention, decision, and action.

The truth is most of us are not taught how to make a true decision, and yet decision-making is such an important aspect of our life as humans. We are gifted with the ability to choose. It’s what sets us apart from everything else. And to top it off, according to Fresh Tracker Dr. Gary Klein on the Fresh Tracks podcast, what many of us were taught about how to make decisions is completely wrong! Most decision-making is done on a subconscious level and happens quickly. Not plotted out on a flow chart.

Making decisions on a conscious level and cultivating confidence and trust in yourself involves some self-reflection. How do you make decisions (quickly, intuitively, slowly, after months of research, you don’t unless you have to)? How often do you stick with the decisions you do make?

Here are a few factors that may be playing a role in your ability, or inability, to make a true decision.

Trust
Making a decision is also an exercise in how much you trust yourself. Decision-making is overloaded with beliefs and feelings that you may not be aware of at first glance. Not trusting yourself or your ability to make the right decision, but also trusting yourself that you will follow through and stick to your decision once you’ve made it are key motivators behind these beliefs. Next time you are in a position to make a decision, slow down and listen to your body. What’s it telling you? And how much of that do you agree with?

Fear
Fear frequently reigns its ugly head when it’s time to make a decision. Particularly when cutting Fresh Tracks! We may be afraid to lose something in making one choice over another. Or we are unwilling to give up the status quo – even if we say we want change, our decision-making doesn’t support that. Where is fear coming up for you in your decision-making?

Mindset
One last factor that dramatically effects your decisions is your belief about your ability to complete the task. Your mindset affects your decision-making. So, when confronted with making a different choice or when cutting Fresh Tracks and approaching something new, stop and examine your mindset. What are your beliefs about the matter? Why does it matter to your decision? Do you believe yourself and what you are committing to?

Trusting yourself when making decisions, taking action from a place of power, and stepping boldly into your path and purpose are all reasons to continue moving forward on your path cutting Fresh Tracks.

I thank you for being with me on this journey and I look forward to both of us continuing to cut Fresh Tracks!

Discover the Next Steps to Your Fresh Tracks in Kelly’s free video training here now.

Not Earning What You Think You Should? Three Secret Tips for Using the Law of Compensation Correctly

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Wouldn’t it be great if you could make as much money as you want, whenever you want? To have the ability to simply wish upon a million dollars and make it so? Immediately.

Unfortunately, most of us are not there quite yet. But don’t despair! The key to improving our finances and any other way we are rewarded is to understand and correctly implement the Law of Compensation.

Ralph Waldo Emerson says in his famous Law of Compensation essay, “Every act rewards itself.” What this means is when we do our tasks the best we can, we bring out the best in ourselves. When we become too large for where we are right now, we will then draw something larger to us, which might be more money, more love, more confidence, etc. (The Law does not limit itself to money alone as compensation.)

What’s important to know about the Law of Compensation is that we cannot draw something bigger to ourselves until we first become larger. It is our responsibility to become larger and continue to grow. We can do this by using the Law of Cause and Effect and implementing “causes” in our life that will lead to the effect we seek.

It is the order of nature to grow.

Scientists tell us that the Universe and everything in it is growing and always has been. It is the order of nature to grow and expand. Each of us is designed for progress and growth because it is the nature of human beings to grow and expand. If we are not growing we are dying.

Just as a crab molts and sheds it outer shell, we must do the same as we grow. Yet we often resist this personal expansion! We hang on to old friends, jobs we don’t like, beliefs that are no longer true for us, and even our faith that no longer serves us. We resist releasing old friends. We idealize the old times, the old us, not believing we can recreate the amazing times of the past.

The truth is when we do this we don’t grow. In fact, we impair the Law of Compensation. We can’t make more if we don’t become more. We can’t become more if we are hanging on tightly to the old.

Here are three steps you can take to use the Law of Compensation more effectively:

Do you give more than we are paid for? Examples include going through the motions of projects and doing what’s required but not having enthusiasm or caring about the results. Doing what’s expected and nothing else. You can counter this by being fully present in the moment and completing tasks with intention for positive outcomes. These are just two ways to break through the monotony of repetition or boredom.
Implement causes in life that will lead to the desired effects. For example, if you desire to double your income, the possibility needs to be there that it can happen. If you are working the maximum number of hours a day at a fixed rate, the income has no opportunity to change. There needs to be a definite plan, along with the demand and expectation, to make more.
Evaluate what you are hanging on to that needs to be let go. You can use your intuition here and trust what comes up – even if you don’t like it! Go through friends, jobs, homes, foods, lifestyle, spiritual practices, religions. Anything that comes up is game.

The Law of Compensation is an obedient Law. It is important to remember that we cannot draw something bigger to ourselves until we first become larger. No one will do this for us, and it requires us to be self-motivated, maintain a sense of urgency, and take repeated action.

What Happens When You Avoid Your Higher Calling?

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Working with The Laws of Sacrifice and Non Resistance

Do you have a higher calling but keep avoiding it? I bet you can share many reasons why you haven’t stepped into your higher calling yet. For example…..

It’s illogical. It’s way above your skill level. It’s risky. You are comfortable right where you are at. It’s too big. You aren’t ready.

Let’s take a look at how Fresh Tracker Lisa stepped past her Edge and into her higher calling of running for House of Representatives.

Situation Overview
Lisa’s Fresh Tracks journey involved letting go of long-time, comfortable relationships, not resisting going where she was being led, and taking time to listen to honor her inner voice.

Lisa’s business had come to a slow yet definite stop. An empty nester, her three kids had launched and for the first time in her life she had time to focus exclusively on herself. Her daughter was newly married and her twin boys had graduated college and were on their own. Although her business was slow and her life was busy, at this major turning point in her life she felt change was afoot and took some time to focus on herself and how to get her 20 year public relations business back on track.

Consequences of Ignoring the Longing
In spite of the outer turmoil she was experiencing, Lisa began to focus her attention on something she always knew in her heart she would do – run for office. Yet the thought of doing it all just made her head spin and she sat on her desire by keeping busy and focusing on everyone else. Because she wasn’t growing, she began to shrink. The shrinking was reflected in her business results and her stress level.

Lisa had always longed to run for political office. An active member of both the community she lives in and the public relations community she works in, Lisa didn’t see how she could make the time or space to run for a political office. She needed to get her business back into profitability and make a living before stepping into such lofty ideals!

Lisa shares that the transition was hard. She resisted letting go of large parts of her life that she loved so much. Her turmoil in how to move forward running for office while getting her weakened business in the black resulted in her keeping one foot in her old world and sticking one toe in the new.

Working with the Law
In order to make time for a campaign Lisa realized she needed to let some things go. The first were her close ties to the public relations community. Scaling back on networking events and leadership seemed counter intuitive since she was striving to gain more clients not less. She had many long-time, supportive friends there that had been a point of joy for decades. Her first reaction was to work more because her business was slow, which is the opposite of scaling back on networking.

The Law of Sacrifice states that to have something of greater value in your life you must be willing to give up something of lesser value. In this instance it was community.

The other Law in play here is the Law of Non-Resistance, which states that whatever you resist, persists. Lisa was resisting pursuing her higher calling because of what she perceived to be more pressing needs.

Results
Lisa tells me that once she really let go things immediately started falling into place. First of all, in spite of cutting back on her PR community, her business picked back up – and she hired several contractors to do much of the work, giving her time to focus on campaigning.

While Lisa does spend much less time attending many of the networking and social events she attended for decades, yet she doesn’t feel like she’s completely lost the friends or the connections she was so fearful of losing. She shares that she has, in fact, gained new friends with similar passions as she runs for office. Letting go of her old community freed up the space to create a new community that is in alignment with her higher calling of being elected to the House of Representatives.

Overview

Belief – Scarcity of time. Resisting following intuition because of “logic”.

Practices leading to change – Let go of old relationships. Changed focus on use of time.

Universal Law in play – Law of Sacrifice. Law of Non Resistance

Meditation. Mindfulness. Money Do these 3 M’s Belong together?

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Meditation. When I hear this word I think of people sitting immobile for hours at a time, dressed in white. Possibly in India or an ashram. They are not business people with busy family lives, but people with time on their hands and no kids.

What I don’t vision is a busy entrepreneur taking time out of their day to sit for hours on end to experience a Zen state.

Yet, studies show time and again the incredible benefits of achieving mindfulness, which can be done through meditation.

Meditation to grow your business

A study in the journal Psychological Science shows that mindfulness can help us conquer common “blind spots”, which can amplify or diminish our own flaws. Mindfulness can help us see beyond our distorted lenses to recognize the truth.

Another study in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience shows that the benefits of meditation continue on throughout the day. According to the study, mindfulness meditation can help you focus and remain calm because it helps the brain have better control over processing pain and emotions.

What happens when we bring meditation, mindfulness and money together and work towards achieving a common goal?

Mindfulness is a state of being. Observing where you are and bringing your attention to being aware of yourself. Meditation is a common way of being mindful.

Taking even a few minutes each day to slow down your thoughts, stop thinking about the 15 things you need to do before noon, and become conscious of your self-talk can completely change the results in your business. Studies show practicing mindfulness can lead you to be more focused, less stressed, and have a greater ability to prioritize effectively.

The truth is you don’t need to spend hours at a time meditating to create change in your life. This week’s Fresh Tracks interview with May McCarthy teaches us a simple process to being mindful by setting aside a few minutes each morning.

More meditation = more money?

Do you think you might make more money if you were less stressed, more focused and calm, and had a better understanding of your emotions in the moment?

I know when I am mindful I make decisions faster and with more clarity. I am able to be more focused on achieving my goals and not get distracted as easily. All of which ultimately leads to my ability to serve more people and make more money.

Not sure what to do or how to meditate? Join me in a free guided meditation the first of each month and get a taste of what’s possible.

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Beyond Goal Setting: 3 Daily Habits for Building a Thriving Business

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There is a reason why some business owners are more successful than others. It’s not because the successful one’s work harder or are smarter, but it’s where they focus their attention. It’s how they take control of their mind and ultimately their day right from the start. The truth is changing your results can happen without effort by changing a few steps in how you start your work day. And the best part is you can do it in less than five minutes.

Beyond setting goals, which are usually done once a year and are often soon forgotten, there are daily habits those that live and create with intention incorporate into their routine each morning. These habits make an incalculable difference in their results.

Let’s take a look at what you can do……

Focus on yourself and mindset. Clear your head, take a few deep breathes, and slow your mind down. Take control, even if it’s just for a few minutes, of those run-away thoughts and the negative self-talk that can easily take control of your day.
Intention for client care and client attraction. Taking care of your existing clients and focusing on attracting new clients should be a daily action. By taking just a few minutes to set an intention and focus on how you intend to serve and keep your existing clients can make or break your business. In addition, knowing that the right, new clients are on their way to you now allows you to set a tone of gratitude and prioritize what’s important to your business for the day.
Focus on a healthy flow of money and circulation. In every business money should circulate. Similar to how blood circulates in your body and keeps you alive, money is what gives a business its life force. Set a focus that today and each day you will make money. You can certainly be specific about the amount you intend to bring in. The important part is to feel and set the tone for an abundant and profitable day.

You can do this in five minutes or less each morning before you begin your work day. To help with this, I am now doing a monthly business meditation for all subscribers. For free. I would love for you to join me! Register here to receive the link to access the meditation.

Want more? Kelly does an in-depth teaching on this topic in the Fresh Tracks with Kelly Robbins podcast.

Ready to create your Fresh Tracks? Reach out for a complimentary consultation with Kelly now!

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Why ‘Just Be Yourself’ is Terrible Advice

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Have you ever gotten the advice to “just be yourself”? It’s probably one of the most common bits of advice given, particularly when speaking with someone who is nervous about doing something new. And while ‘just be yourself’ sounds great, is it really good advice? Do we even know what being our self means in a moment that we’ve not experienced before?

This advice is often given when we are nervous and stepping outside of our comfort zone. The thing is when I am trying something new I don’t know who I am in that situation. I’m cutting Fresh Tracks. I’ve not grown into it yet to know who I am.

My experience is that the process of discovering who I am, particularly when doing something I haven’t done before, takes me jumping in, feeling my way around, and THEN becoming clear and confident about who I am. I don’t know who I am before experiencing this situation because I haven’t experienced it before. What if I am a mess – do I really want to just be myself in this situation?

A better piece of advice is to ‘be my best’. I may be a mess, but in my best moments I can pull myself together to give it my all.

An example I’ll share is when I started producing this newsletter 15 years ago. It was called The Small Business Buzz back then and the first several months it was terrible. It took time for me to discover my voice, narrow down what I had to say and why it was important, and share my message in a confident and powerful way.

I couldn’t be myself because I wasn’t sure who that was. I started writing and producing by taking action and doing the best I could based on what I knew to do. During the stumbling around process I discovered who I am as a writer and a publisher. I didn’t know ahead of time because I had no sense of self about it.

Letting go of who you aren’t to discover who you are

As a Fresh Tracker learning how to be yourself is part of the journey in creating Fresh Tracks. Creating those Fresh Tracks means living and being MORE of who you are right now. For most of us this is a process of uncovering who we aren’t in order to be more of who we are. Stepping into new and unknown territories is part of how we discover who we are in the first place.

Is there a difference between being myself, meaning who I am right now, and being who I choose to be? Perhaps who I choose to be is a stronger, more confidence person? Or I may try different ways of being me and see what is most comfortable and stick with that.

Don’t take the advice “just be yourself”. You can choose who you are in each moment and be authentic at the same time. Instead, I encourage you to “be your best self”.

Ready to create your Fresh Tracks? Reach out for a complimentary consultation with Kelly now!

How to Take Advantage of the Booming Podcasting Industry While it’s Hot

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Are you ready to jump on the Podcasting Bandwagon? As predicted last year, podcasting itself is taking off like hotcakes! Now is a terrific time to take advantage of its surge in popularity, and there are several ways to do this.

First, let’s take a look at why this industry is so hot. Podcast listening grew by a phenomenal 23% from 2015-2016, according to study by Edison Research. As a small business owner producing a podcast is a fairly inexpensive, easy to produce tool to reach prospects. Beware not everyone can or should have their own podcast! Take it from my own experience, publishing a quality podcast takes time and dedication.

I wasn’t able to find any hard and true numbers, however, in 2013, iTunes reported they had 250,000 podcasts. I started mine in 2015, so we know the number is higher by at least one now :). Understand all of these show producers are actively seeking professionals to interview with topics their listeners are interested in. Some of them need you!

I started the Fresh Tracks with Kelly Robbins podcast in early 2015, and it was a much bigger project than I had expected! It’s time consuming, is a different way of selling than the e-zine and content writing I’d been doing for the previous 15 years, and requires skill-sets such as interviewing others and brainstorming topics to cover. All of which is much more time-consuming than I anticipated!

Don’t despair if producing a podcast isn’t your cup of tea! There are other ways you can jump on the podcasting bandwagon besides starting your own.

The best way to take advantage of the growing podcasting phenomenon is to be interviewed on a podcast as a featured guest.

Being interviewed is a terrific and inexpensive way to grow your business and position yourself as an expert! In the two years I’ve been producing the Fresh Tracks podcast I’ve interviewed some amazing guests. I’ve also interviewed some people that were incredibly BAD interviews. There is a definite right and wrong way to be a great guest and promote your business at the same time via a podcast or radio show.

If you would like to learn more about how to make money being interviewed on podcasts – Check out my newest training Grow your business being interviewed on podcasts here.

Another way to take advantage of the podcasting boom is to advertise on a show. If there is a show you like or you know your clients listen to approach the show’s host and make an offer.

The growing podcast sensation is just one of the many new trends you can and should take advantage of in your marketing this year. Check out the other four in our free 2017 Marketing Planning Guide here now.

Finding Your Powerful Voice

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Your Powerful Voice

What does it mean to ‘use your powerful voice’?

My first thought is which voice? My writing voice or my speaking voice? What does it means to have a voice as a writer? Who am I and what do I have to say? How is what I have to say any different than what anyone else has to say? Is how I speak different than how I write? Should it be?

In writing I believe there is a maturation in developing your voice and discovering who you are and what you stand for. How you view the world is different than how anyone else views it and learning to express yourself through writing can take time and experience.

Your voice is as unique as you are and stepping into your powerful voice is more a process of uncovering it rather than creating it.

Your voice is as much a part of you as your legs or your hair. It is a part of your soul yearning to break free and breathe. To be witnessed and heard. To expand into its maturity and express itself. When you find your writing voice the reader often feels your authority, power, honesty, authenticity. A connection is made.

And then we have our physical voice. As young children we first learn to speak and use our vocal cords and quickly learn the power we yield over the adults in our lives. We use our voice to get attention by crying, screaming, even whispering. We learn ‘inside voice vs outside voice’. We may learn to not use our voice to stay out of trouble. Some of us were taught to be seen and not heard. All of these things effect how we use our voice today – which is mostly unconscious until we start examining how effective our communication is.

An important thing to note…while speech is how you use words, voice is how you create sound. The use of your physical voice is completely different than your writing voice, yet can be just as powerful a way to make a connection.

I spoke with voice coach and co-founder of articulaterc, Hilary Blair, on the power of our voices and she tells us that we can use our voice as a wall to hide behind and not be seen – which leads us to not feeling heard. The frustration is that we may not know why we aren’t being heard. You can listen to the interview on the Fresh Tracks with Kelly Robbins show here.

As business owners, as Fresh Trackers, as adults in today’s world, using your voice is a powerful tool. We use our voice to close sales. To share ideas. To influence others and to change lives. We use our voice to stay in connection with others.

If you want to be heard and make a positive difference in your life and the lives of others you can’t just raise your voice. You have to share what you have to say in a powerful and impactful way. Discovering your powerful voice plays an important role on the journey creating Fresh Tracks.

Reach out for a free consultation if you’d like to discover how you can use your voice in a more powerful way now!

How Honest Are You in Business?

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As seekers of truth and someone striving to live a conscious life I imagine that more often than not you consider your words before speaking them. You pride yourself on not lying. I will also bet that you think before you take actions and strive to always do what’s right.

This is an honorable, compassionate and accepting way to live and be with others and it builds a strong foundation for cutting Fresh Tracks. What you put out you get back.

How does being honest effect your business?

But how does that apply to your business? How does being honest and acting in integrity affect your business results, including the amount of money you make, the clients you attract, and the overall success of your business?

I believe there are good people, people like you, striving to do what’s right, and there are situations where you are not being in integrity with truth and you don’t realize it.

So I am taking it upon myself to bring it to your attention today.

It’s in the seemingly small details that don’t require too much thought and frankly appear harmless that get you out of integrity and in fact end up with you attracting what you don’t want.

Because the actions are small and seemingly harmless we don’t realize the effect they have on our outcomes.

Let’s start with the internet. You may follow and receive information and free training from e-zines like this from me and other experts you enjoy.

Take a look at the actions you take and how you honor the sacredness of the information you receive and share.

For example, if someone (like me for example) is offering a free training such as a report, webinar, or teleclass I may not charge money for it, but I ask for your contact information in order to receive the information. That is ‘the price’ to receive the information.

Don’t make up a fake name, put zeros in the phone number field, or in any way fake out the system to get the information you want without providing the asked for information.

It’s unethical and dishonest to do so.

Here is the truth about business

It is dishonest to put Darth Vader in the name field and receive my manifesto that I spent two weeks writing. It is dishonest to put ‘I don’t give out my phone number’ in the phone number field and still have access to my live training and coaching that I spent time researching and practicing for days before delivering the material. It is deceitful to make up an address just so the fields are completed so you can look at the copy I wrote and write something similar for yourself.

Many of us justify our actions as harmless, even innocent, because there is no money involved. You may tell yourself you’re not hurting anyone – ‘it’s just a free training’ you say to justify your actions. However, not providing the information requested is in fact stealing.

4agreements The price I am charging for my 47 years of training, for the hundreds of thousands of dollars I have spent on my education and my business and personal development, for the time I spent away from my children and my family to be where I am today, the price I am charging for all of this is your name and phone number.

If you don’t provide what I am asking you to ‘pay’ you are stealing. And you definitely are not being impeccable with your word.

There is a book called ‘The Four Agreements’ by Don Miguel Ruiz. If you haven’t read it yet, I recommend you do now. The first of the Four Agreements is to ‘Be impeccable with your word’.

Being impeccable with your word is quite an undertaking! And for the most part I believe we all strive to be in integrity with ourselves and others and there are simply some things we do that we never thought of as dishonest.

It’s the little things that get us.

And yes, by giving me your phone number there is a chance I will call you and make sure you received the recording and see if you have any questions I can answer. It’s called doing business.

There is a price for the exchange of energy. As your business grows and prospers you will also not give information away for free (even for this e-zine you paid with your email address and first name) and it is a healthy and sacred way to help others and benefit yourself at the same time.

I share this rant with you because I have started unsubscribing all the Charlie Browns that subscribe to my e-zine. And the folks that register for advanced training and give fake phone numbers and addresses – I am not sending you the training.

The truth is I work incredibly hard to raise my vibration and be a source of strength and wisdom for myself, my family and you – my tribe. I fiercely protect who I surround myself with in my day to day life, both physically and socially, and I am now doing the same for my list. My tribe. I am protecting all of us and the energy of our tribe.

Think about this as you do business with others throughout your week and how you expect to be treated as you grow your business and create your own Fresh Tracks. Are you impeccable with your word? Who are you allowing in your space and how you are allowing them to treat you?

Why Your Hidden Beliefs, Values and Attitudes are Keeping You Numb

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Everything you are experiencing in life can be attributed to how you think. How you think is based on your attitudes, values and ultimately your beliefs.

Notice I am saying ‘how’ you think and not ‘what’ you think – there is a difference. Most of us aren’t conscious of our true beliefs and go through life striving for something and yet receive something completely different – and we are completely bewildered why.

Current Beliefs

We accepted many of our current beliefs and values as true when we were young and they haven’t changed. At the time they seemed like appropriate responses, however, they are often no longer appropriate.

These beliefs remain active in your life even though you are not aware of them and unconsciously the actions and decisions you make are based on beliefs that no longer hold true for you.

What we do focus on and talk about frequently in our society is attitude. We hear a lot about attitudes. Having a positive attitude. Changing our attitude. Improving our attitude. Not having a bad attitude.

corebeliefs_header The thing is our attitudes stem from our values and beliefs. If we aren’t aware of what we value in life or what our beliefs are we are functioning from an unconscious place. In fact, we are often acting in a way that is the exact opposite of what we say we want!

If you aren’t aware of your beliefs, especially ones formed as a child, life gets frustrating quickly! This presents as you trying and trying to accomplish a goal or create a certain lifestyle or make more money in your business and you just cannot get there no matter what you do.

What happens is you end up staying stuck and ultimately living a numb life. Spinning your wheels, regurgitating the same thoughts and unable to permanently change unsupportive attitudes that are sabotaging your growth.

It’s important that you become aware of the beliefs and values your attitude and behaviors are based off of.

How do you do this?

An exercise you can do at home is to start becoming aware of your personal beliefs in different areas of your life. You can start with answering these questions; Life is… Wealth is…. Happiness is…Play is…. Work is…. Answer each with as many responses as you can. Shoot for ten each.

Then look at where the personal belief came from. There are three possible choices:

You accepted, without conscious choice, the values held by others which may include family, peers, parents, religious training, socioeconomic custom, etc.
Conscious choice by you after you considered it.
Absorbed by your consciousness from the collective unconsciousness of society as a whole.

Using critical thinking skills and picking apart, one by one, our true beliefs and values are we un-numb ourselves and create Fresh Tracks in our life and business!

Check out our Free Training on Breaking the Bondage of the Numb Life here.