< Previous19SMART HEALTHY WOMEN MAGAZINE...discretion is the better part of valour...Fundamentally, the noisy chatter that spews excitedly from our mouth is in fact a manifestation of deep insecurity. Not listening is reactive, not responsive. Fear of not being heard or understood is driving the bus. The expression “it is better to be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt” also works in reverse. If, when you speak, what you say it is thoughtful and responsive to the person you are engaging with, you are more likely to say something that is helpful in moving you both in the right direction. Many people with the gift of the gab are convincing but often light on depth of content. If you are able to harness not only the confidence to speak up, but when you do so it is thoughtful, meaningful communication, you have a super power. Developing a sense of timing and perception is the solution to the ‘listening issue’ and can actually be one of the best confidence building exercises of all.In an age of instant feedback, where thoughts are shared and validated indiscriminately to a large audience, we can develop a sense of righteous entitlement to our views. While on one hand we are inundated with people sharing thoughts all around us, thoughts that hit a collective nerve and are shared widely can affect societies, industries and governments. The expression of our thoughts have power. Listening to the thoughts of others is even more powerful. Given the power of sharing thoughts, it would be prudent to reflect on Falstaff’s advice that “Discretion is the better part of valor”. Even if you fervently believe yourself to be right, having a thought does not necessarily mean it is beneficial to you or those around you to share it. It may be more powerful to exercise restraint and instead of speaking, listen.20SMART HEALTHY WOMEN MAGAZINE21SMART HEALTHY WOMEN MAGAZINETHE RURAL VETAccessing veterinary care can prove almost impossible for those living in remote areas of Australia. Life can be harsh for both animals and humans, and a lack of vet care can become a death sentence.One veterinarian who lives daily with this reality is Dr Sue Samuelsson, who has been working as a vet in Darwin for over seven years, and also running “a little practice in a place called Nhulunbuy. It’s 800km away (from Darwin) on a dirt track all the way in East Arnhem Land.”A true Territorian, Samuelsson loves where she lives, but not in a dreamy ‘wouldn’t it be nice to live in the middle of nowhere’ kind of way. She is well aware of the challenges. In the early days of working in her remote community, Samuelsson would often receive calls from pet owners who were unable to access veterinary care, desperate for any sort of diagnosis or advice she could offer over the phone.Jon Michail and his team at Image Group International partner with smart and ambitious individuals to achieve breakthrough results with contrarian and disruptive ways to grow and monetise their personal and business brands. A veteran, multi-award-winning coach and author with a Who’s Who clientele, Jon is the CEO and Founder of Image Group International, an Australian-based corporate and personal brand image advisory and coaching organisation that conducts transformationalseminars, workshops and one-on-one coaching in over four continents. He is recognised as Australasia’s No. 1 Image Coach.by Jon Michail22SMART HEALTHY WOMEN MAGAZINE “I felt frustrated for clients that lived in the bush and could not easily get in,” Samuelsson explains. “I felt that my advice over the phone was potentially prone to error. When I could see the pet it made diagnosis and a treatment plan more accurate. So Samuelsson set about coming up with a solution. They say necessity is the mother of invention, and those living in remote communities know this better than most. On a mission to create an accessible vet service for her community, Samuelsson started i-Vet, the world’s first virtual veterinary clinic, so that those stranded by distance, disability, or illness could access the care their animals need. “We aren’t a fancy, high-tech referral centre with all the bells and whistles, and sometimes we just need to improvise to get the job done,” Samuelsson says. And improvise she does - with pet owners becoming Samuelsson’s assistants on Skype calls as they help her to examine and assess their pets. Samuelsson’s foray into entrepreneurship came about almost accidentally. When she followed her partner to the tiny mining town of Nhulunbuy it soon became apparent that making a living as a vet in a place with such a small and sparsely spread population would be tough. Fortunately she found her groundbreaking solution, but it wasn’t all luck, and finding solutions to your customers’ pain points that also solve your own business problems is at the very heart of entrepreneurship. Another important aspect is innovation, and just because Samuelsson has found her business niche doesn’t mean she is about to stop innovating any time soon.“I am always researching the market trends of my industry and trying to stay on top of what is happening,” Samuelsson says. “It’s easy to get carried away with an idea, over-invest in it and be blind to the fact that people are wanting something different.” 23SMART HEALTHY WOMEN MAGAZINESO DOES SHE HAVE ANY FURTHER TIPS FOR WOMEN WANTING TO MAKE THEIR MARK AS ENTREPRENEURS?“Build your team,” she says. “Getting mentored, and connecting with other entrepreneurs and listening to their journeys has helped me, and when I have felt all is lost I know I always have someone to talk to who has been there before and who can talk me through the crazy roller coaster of building something from nothing.24SMART HEALTHY WOMEN MAGAZINE“Trying” is failing with honor.- Ann Marie Sabath25SMART HEALTHY WOMEN MAGAZINETHE HIGHS AND LOWS OF BEING A FEMALE ENTREPRENEURby Kim SpeedSome decisions can just land on you when life corners you with a curve ball. You hit rock bottom, and indeed you are blessed, if only from the ‘vantage’ point of being at rock bottom. You see that the only way from the bottom is up. Entrepreneurship is certainly one of those ventures that people find they have landed themselves in when the security of a corporate job with a regular paycheck is snatched away. That is what happened to me when major cuts in my reputable company meant that my well-paying job as a Creative Director was going to be part of the cut. After a series of some helter-skelter scrambling for other corporate jobs, it became clear that it was time to really change the direction of the sails and turn my boat into a totally different direction — that of launching my own business. Kim Speed is an experienced branding expert, a graphic designer, author, speaker, and workshop facilitator. Kim is the owner of Purple Moon Creative, Brand and Marketing Boutique where she helps start up companies and small business owners to become visible to their prospects, and to turn those prospects into clients. Kim’s passion is to help business owners find the clients they love to work with and turn them into loyal fans. She educates and teaches them that getting brand clarity and focus will build a strong business and increase their profits..26SMART HEALTHY WOMEN MAGAZINEHere are some pointers that can act as guideposts for all those who are called upon to run their own business: It was time to live the dream of wanting to help small business owners grow their companies with simple effective marketing. But, just because you changed the direction of the sails does not the mean that you are done with the rowing. No venture is without its highs and lows. And the best bet is to ride on the highs and learn from the lows. The same applies to running your own business. 1.KNOW THYAUDIENCEIn the beginning, it is very natural to want to take on any clients to keep the ship afloat. We feel we cannot afford to be picky, and that is true to quite an extent. But, beware, this is a double-edged sword. I had one client who paid a lot, but the association became more and more painful as time passed. Intuition kept saying, “Move away, this is a soul-sucking work” but it is very hard to listen to intuition when your cash flow indicates it is doing everything but flowing. The lesson of associating with the wrong kind of people in business comes with a very high price. With energy being sucked, creativity levels plummet, and it became difficult to attract the right customers. It was only when things became really painful that I had to drop this client. The relief I felt really did free up my energy, and I was finally able to attract the right clients that I am truly happy to work with. 2.MANAGE YOURCASH FLOWSteadiness goes out of the window — initially at least — when you start a business. The bills come on time, but the money does not. If cash flows are not managed, things can soon start to spin out of control. I learned this the hard way and realized soon that hiring a financial coach was one of the best investments for my business. Balancing cash inflow and outflow eases the pressure immensely and helps keep you afloat.27SMART HEALTHY WOMEN MAGAZINE3.CULTIVATE YOURSUPPORT SYSTEMThere is nothing like your family supporting you through your challenges. Knowing they have your back is a big boost and acts like a rock when your self-esteem is flagging. And flag it does, on this exciting yet challenging journey of setting up your own business. Along with family, your professional networking community comprising of like-minded people helps you to stay on track. Establishing connections with my Mastermind group, being a member of other professional networking communities, and seeking expert coaches were the necessary fuel that kept me going strong on this journey. It is important to communicate with both family and friends what you are going through so that they understand and can support you adequately. Women always function well when they can connect with others, and having a secure fallback for your low moments is a great asset. 28SMART HEALTHY WOMEN MAGAZINEA regular routine has been invaluable in keeping me on track. It is a journey all right! And not an easy one. But I would not exchange it one bit. Why? Because there is nothing like finding your purpose and living it. Helping the right kind of people build their brand brings me immense pleasure. It gives me a sense of achievement and satisfaction that is hard to convey. And that feeling alone makes challenges easy to face. I am no longer miserable, but happy running my own business and would not exchange that feeling for anything in the world....there is nothing like FINDING YOUR PURPOSE and living it...The high moments will surely come as well, and that is when you will be celebrating with all those who were there for you. For me, it was the glorious moment of launching my own book that chronicled my journey where I celebrated with all those who had believed in me. 4.CREATE YOUR ME-TIMEAs women, it is natural for us to give. But then, we forget and keep on giving — it is hard to remember that we have to give to ourselves as well. Loving yourself is not a New Age fad, but a real necessity. For me, my Me-Time is my regular exercise. This is the sure-shot method of calming anxious thoughts. And since uncertainties abound, it is very easy for these anxious thoughts to have a field day. Next >