GRATEFUL FOR FEAR AND RESILIENCE

During my morning practice on this Thanksgiving Day, I read a passage on resilience from Oprah's book, 'What I know for Sure"  (I shared below)

It made me reflect on how I am grateful for the last two years as I made a decision to take on fear.  I found myself tired of operating from fear based on peoples words or my wild thoughts.

What did I do?  I studied fear ..  I leaned into fear and I got curious.  I asked myself internally, what do I need for myself to get beyond fear.  . in anything.  I also asked, what am I learning from fear?  I came to the understanding that when I and others are scared, and not feeling safe, we will use words to create an illusion of battle or protection.  I was experiencing this with myself and others.

So I bought a couple of books - "Fear" Essential Wisdom For Getting Through theStorm" by Thich Nhat Hanh and Gabrielle Bernstein's book - May Cause Miracles. I read, reflected on each word that spoke to me every day for 40 days.  Pretty powerful stuff.

So I offer this, when you operate from fear . . stop and ask yourself, what do I need to get beyond fear?  and What am I learning from fear.  . then listen to the little voice inside, reflect, be curious and study for YOU and see what you need for yourself to move beyond fear.

Happy Thanksgiving.  I am grateful for you.

Warmly -

Debbie

What I know for Sure - Oprah Winfrey

Every challenge we take on has the power to knock us on our knees.  But what's even more disconcerting than the jolt itself is our fear that we won't withstand it. When we feel the ground beneath us shifting, we panic.We forget everything we know and allow fear to freeze us. Just the thought of what could happen is enough to throw us off balance.

What I know for sure is that the only way to endure the quake is to adjust your stance.  You can't avoid the daily tremors.  They come with being alive.  But I believe these experiences are gifts that force us to step to the right or left in search of a new center of gravity.  Don't fight them.  Let them help you adjust your footing.

Balance lives in the present.  When you feel the earth moving, bring yourself back to the now.  You'll handle whatever shake-up the next moment brings when you get to it.  In this moment, you're still breathing.  In this moment, you've survived.  In this moment, you're finding a way to step onto higher ground.

BABY STEPS - STEP 3 OF A 3 STEP ACTION PLAN FOR MANAGING CASH

"Gross revenue means nothing if, at the end of the day, you have no operating cash." ~ MIKE MICHALOWIZ

For a good twenty plus years, I managed cash daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly at the privately held companies I worked for.  Consistently working cash flow so we were prepared for anything.

Step three for managing cash is using a 52-week cash flow projections.

This is a 52 week spreadsheet that tracks cash receivables coming in and cash payables going out. Cash Receivables are listed at the top. You can create a variety of categories for cash coming in.  Examples, receivables from various areas of the business, coaching, products,, events, and seminars, etc.  Cash going out categories, inventory, then list your various vendors if that is how you want to track purchases. Commissions, payments to contractors, weekly or bi-weekly payroll, plus normal monthly expenses, rent, utilities, electricity, natural gas, phone, internet, water, lease payments, car payments.  The 52 week cash flow spreadsheet is a cash story book, it tells you where you have been, how you performed and the variances that have occurred, which will allow you to realign how you are managing cash.  At the end of the spread sheet it tells you if there is lots of cash left over for the following week, or not enough to cover you, so then you can plan to borrow or adjust what will go out.

Why manage cash weekly? This is the path that provides knowledge and direction for your financial goals for your business and life. This is a tool used to see where you are and where you are heading at all times. Knowledge is power. Mapping out cash coming in and going out weekly, allows you to see and plan what is needed.

A question I am constantly asked - Why do I need to manage cash flow daily when I use QuickBooks.?

Great question - the answer - CASH is KING. Cash is worked daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annually.  Cash is the lifeblood of every business. If you don't manage the cash coming in from accounts receivable and going out, accounts payable you run the risk of putting yourself out of business.  When you don't manage sales and accounts receivable you run the risk of missing income. (See previous post ) If you are not managing your expenses. i.e. accounts payable you can run the risk of negative circumstances where you have to scramble.  The numbers are only information, with that information, you make choices and decisions how to move forward.

Business's fail with poor cash flow management, so why run the risk?

As I have shared in earlier posts, create that new muscle, a new habit and learn how to work your cash flow differently.  Cash happens right now, in this very moment when you receive a payment or are purchasing goods or services. Working cash daily and weekly forces you to look at and plan.  You are the CEO of your business and the CFO. Lead your finances as you lead your business.

Remember, CASH is KING, so you need to know where you are at all times.

Creating simple, easy baby step habits opens the door to new possibilities for you and your business.

Get in to action, and get cracking on managing your cash every single freaking day. Do you get my drift.  Your business will grow, grow, grow and so will you when you manage what matters.  CASH is KING!  If you have any questions or need help with managing your cash, reach out and ask for help, e-mail me at d.rosenfelt@cfomadeeasy.com to set up an appointment to discuss your needs.


Warmly -
Debbie Rosenfelt
President / CFO / Leader-of-the-Heart

FRIDAY'S STORY TO INSPIRE - The Great Challenge of Life

Today's story to inspire is from Jim Rohn who shares a bit of wisdom - YOU count.  You matter. It takes you, no one else but you to choose what you want. 

How does this apply to business, and finances?  read on . .  enjoy!

The Great Challenge of Life

Here's the great challenge of life - You can have more than you've got because you can become more than you are.

I have found that income seldom will exceed your own personal development. Once in a while income takes a lucky jump, but unless you grow out to where it is, it will go back to where you are.

Somebody once said if you took all the money in the world and divided it among everyone equally; it would soon be back in the same pockets. However, you can have more because you can become more. You see, here is how the other side of the coin reads - unless you change how you are, you will always have what you've got.

The marketing plan won't do it. It's a good plan but it won't work without you. You've got to work it. It is the human effort that counts. If you could send a sales manual out to recruit - wouldn't that be lovely? The major thing that makes the difference is what YOU do.

In order to have more, you need to become more. The guy says "If I had a good job I would really pour it on, but I have this lousy job so I just goof off." If that is your philosophy, you are destined to stay there.

Some people say if I had a lot of money I would be really generous, but I don't have much so I'm not generous. See, you've got to change that philosophy or you will never have "the lots of money." Unless YOU change, IT won't change.

Amazingly, however, when we throw out our blame list and start becoming more ourselves - the difference is everything else will begin to change around us.

Jim Rohn
1930-2009, Author and Speaker
www.jimrohn.com 

What spoke to your heart about this story?  What spoke to your head?  What ever challenges you have in life around finances, it will take YOU to step up and choose to want to do it differently.  There is no magic formula, no magic pill, or magic wand it just takes you.

What's stopping you with your finances?  Business or personal?  How do you know what you don't know?  Start asking questions. Start asking for help. It's that simple, it's that easy.

I would love to be your financial coach,  are you ready?

Please share your comments below and share this blogpost with your friends and colleagues.  I am here to support you with moving forward.  d.rosenfelt@cfomadeeasy.com

Warmly -

Debbie Rosenfelt

Chief Heart Officer

BABY STEPS - STEP 3 OF A 4 STEP ACTION PLAN FOR MANAGING CASH

"Gross revenue means nothing if, at the end of the day, you have no operating cash." ~ MIKE MICHALOWIZ

For a good twenty plus years, I managed cash daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly at the privately held companies I worked for.  Consistently working cash flow so we were prepared for anything.

Step three for managing cash is using a 52-week cash flow projections.

This is a 52 week spreadsheet that tracks cash receivables coming in and cash payables going out. Cash Receivables are listed at the top. You can create a variety of categories for cash coming in.  Examples, receivables from various areas of the business, coaching, products,, events, and seminars, etc.  Cash going out categories, inventory, then list your various vendors if that is how you want to track purchases. Commissions, payments to contractors, weekly or bi-weekly payroll, plus normal monthly expenses, rent, utilities, electricity, natural gas, phone, internet, water, lease payments, car payments.  The 52 week cash flow spreadsheet is a cash story book, it tells you where you have been, how you performed and the variances that have occurred, which will allow you to realign how you are managing cash.  At the end of the spread sheet it tells you if there is lots of cash left over for the following week, or not enough to cover you, so then you can plan to borrow or adjust what will go out.

You can purchase the weekly cash flow management tool to your right for $225, equal to $4.33 a week, which is equivalent to less than one Vente latte.

Why manage cash weekly? This is the path that provides knowledge and direction for your financial goals for your business and life. This is a tool used to see where you are and where you are heading at all times. Knowledge is power. Mapping out cash coming in and going out weekly, allows you to see and plan what is needed.

A question I am constantly asked - Why do I need to manage cash flow daily when I use QuickBooks.?

Great question - the answer - CASH is KING. Cash is worked daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly.  Cash is the lifeblood of every business. If you don't manage the cash coming in from accounts receivable and going out, accounts payable you run the risk of putting yourself out of business.  When you don't manage sales and accounts receivable you run the risk of missing income. (See previous post ) If you are not managing your expenses. i.e. accounts payable you can run the risk of negative circumstances where you have to scramble.  The numbers are only information, with that information, you make choices and decisions how to move forward.

Business's fail with poor cash flow management, so why run the risk?

As I have shared in earlier posts, create that new muscle, a new habit and learn how to work your cash flow differently.  Cash happens right now, in this very moment when you receive a payment or are purchasing goods or services. Working cash daily and weekly forces you to look at and plan.  You are the CEO of your business and the CFO. Lead your finances as you lead your business.

Remember, CASH is KING, so you need to know where you are at all times.

Creating simple, easy baby step habits opens the door to new possibilities for you and your business.

Get in to action, invest in yourself and your business. Purchase the weekly cash flow management tool and get cracking on managing your cash. If you have any questions please leave below or e-mail me at d.rosenfelt@cfomadeeasy.com

Warmly -

Debbie Rosenfelt

Chief Heart Officer

CFO Made Easy - First Radio Spot Commercial

I am so EXCITED, this is my first ever radio spot commercial.  It is 30 seconds and it was created for the radio program I was on earlier this week on KKNW, called Conversations that Heal with Susan Jacobi.  A very powerful conversation.

Listen and share the 30 second spot with others.

Have a question or a comment, leave it below or e-mail me at d.rosenfelt@CFOMadeEasy.com

Warmly -

Debbie Rosenfelt

Chief Heart Officer

DAILY SEEDS FOR FINANCIAL SUCCESS

This has been an exciting week for me.  I completed creating and launching Daily Seeds for Financial Success.

Boy have I learned a heck of a lot.  I know finances like the back of my hand . . yet when I am learning something new, something I have never done before as an Entrepreneur, it takes forever just to get that new thang accomplished.  Do you find that as well?

First, let me share what Daily Seeds for Financial Success is.  It is a daily inspirational message that you receive 5 days a week and the message is around finances.  One message a day, Monday through Friday.

You receive an inspirational quote, an inquiry posed around (business) finances and then a daily affirmation. The concept, how to encourage, empower and motivate you to work consciously on your finances.  Business or Personal.

I have 28 years of experience in the finance world working with CEO's in privately held companies and I made the decision to start working on achieving my own dreams and get back to being an entrepreneur and support many, many, many CEO's, entrepreneurs and business owners at one time. 

Yet know, as you are reading this if you are not an entrepreneur or business owner YOU are the CEO and CFO of your own life.  So this does apply to you as well.  Just remove "business' from finances and there is only finances.  Treat your life, your finances like a business and you too can achieve success.

Back to the story of the creating part . . . so creating Daily Seeds for Financial Success came about last March though my meditation practice and I started writing messages.  Check . . .

Next I learned about what it would take to launch Daily Seeds for Financial Success . .

Purchase a URL that supports Financial Success ..  √ www.dailyfinancialsuccess.com

Set up hosting for the URL . . √

Set up Word Press . . √

Purchase Optimize Press . . √

Create a Banner for the Opt in page - find a designer . . . √. . Thank you Holly Firth Russell

Find someone on Odesk to set up Opt in page . . √

Create Welcome and thank you videos  . . 5 tapings later . .√

Set up all messages on Aweber and ask for help from Aweber. . √

Start promoting . . . √

These one liners do not even describe the length of dedicated time it took to get through little hurdles.  The point is, when you are committed to your DREAM . . to achieve what you see for your business, you will take all the steps needed to accomplish what you want for you, your business and the world. 

First . . go and subscribe to Daily Seeds for Financial Success so you too may be encouraged, empowered and inspired to move forward with your business and personal finances.

And be inspired to share below what your dream is for your business.  I love hearing each of your unique stories of how you started your business in the entrepreneurial world.   Be proud and celebrate every little success . . it makes our hearts stronger.

Thank you for reading and listening . . I look forward to connecting with you next time.

Warmly -

Debbie Rosenfelt

Chief Heart Officer

FINANCE GYM 101

I have this morning ritual that supports me for my day.  I quietly get up at 4:45am, put my workout clothes on, brush my teeth, take my daily vitamins with "Fired up", (it's an orange flavored powder with vitamin B) and since my hubby is still sleeping, silently read the Four Agreements 'Gratitude Prayer' fill my water bottle and then off to the gym.

This morning my trainer had me work on new core exercises that I have never done before.  One exercise was using a HUGE yellow ball, where I lie on it, place one leg up over my knee and balance on the one leg that is on the floor, holding position.  Now when I saw my trainer do it, it looked easy, peasy and simple. 

OH MY LORD - NO.  I could not balance on one leg for more than 5 seconds. Switched to the other leg, the more difficult side . . Uggghhhhh.  However round two, I was able to balance a couple seconds longer.

Inside my head I was thinking, "you're not trying hard enough." "if Rhonda can do it, why can't you."  I was getting frustrated with myself.  Then that little voice in my head said, gosh, you work out every day,  "why can't you do this simple exercise?" 

After the workout, Rhonda praised me and acknowledged how far I got with each core exercise and then preceded to say "these are advanced core exercises."

I felt a little better inside, yet immediately thought, I need to practice more to build my core muscles.  "I want to get this."

So then I thought I have to share this with my community and how it applies to "the heart of your business"  Your business finances are the core muscle that communicates to you when your business is on track.  Our core mucles are what hold us upright, and the core muscle of your business, finances is what is able to hold your business strong and grow. Such as revenue, profit, and cash.  Creating a solid organized foundation is about building a muscle.

A solid organized financial foundation is like our bodies, a communication tool.  It guides you to tell you what is needed.  Build revenue, increase prices, and/or decrease expenses to increase the bottom line.

I have learned it takes time and persistence to learn a new exercise, build strength in my core.  DARN IT . . .There is no magic pill for results to magically appear to build body strength or brain smarts with business finances.

What can you do? . . be gentle with YOU.  . with patience and persistence.  Practice, practice, practice each day, as if you are going to the gym of finance, and take baby steps.  Challenge yourself to learn something new every day. This finance stuff can get so serious and stuffy, so have some fun with it.

Each step you take is a success.  And share your successes each day with someone, a friend, mastermind colleague, even me, I would LOVE to celebrate with you . d.rosenfelt@cfomadeeasy.com. and acknowledge out loud to yourself.

So, I ask, what is to be tickled with the heart of your business?

And I can't let you go without a homework assignment.  . . for today  -  Create two colorful 2012 folders, with your favorite picture on it or colorful design.  . have some fun and be creative.  One for income receipts and the second for expense receipts.   

Here's to a colorful, sparkly, solid organized financial foundation.

Warmly - Your Chief Heart Officer - Debbie Rosenfelt