For almost 3 months I have been eating a 90% vegan diet. I feel pretty great. I’m finding that I have so much more energy, my mood is consistently good, I haven’t gotten sick even though I’ve been surrounded by people with the flu, AND I weigh less today than I’ve weighed since I was about 19 years old.

I share this with you not to brag – but rather because, for me, this has been a pretty significant breakthrough that I think brings lessons I can apply to other areas of my life. For as long as I can really remember, certainly since high school, I have struggled with food and maintaining a healthy diet. For years I have known that I wasn’t eating particularly well – but dealing with it in any sort of lasting and meaningful way – has always seemed more than a little bit overwhelming. At least twice a year, I’ve discovered a new book at Barnes & Nobles, with the latest low carb or high protein or food combining “solution,” and have convinced myself that finally THIS is the diet I am going to follow. THIS one will be the answer to those extra pounds. THIS time I’m going to stick with it. I get started with a vengeance, making lists, hitting the grocery store, sorting through new recipes. And time after time, usually in less than a month, one day “off the diet” turns into 3 days, which turns into a full week…you get the picture. Read more »

I arrived this afternoon to pick up my 2-year old from preschool. As I generally do – I hung back in the doorway so I could observe him for a while before he spotted me. He was sitting at a table with a small group of children doing a craft. A little girl next to him was using what seemed to be the only glitter stick and it was obvious that my son was practically desperate to get his hands on it. Like all parents – we’ve tried to encourage the idea of “waiting your turn” and I’m certain his teachers work on this as well. It was incredibly funny and precious to watch as he valiantly struggled to exercise patience. Picture him – eyes glued to the glitter as though willing it to come to him – while sitting on his hands, literally trying to force himself not to reach out and snatch it right out of the fingers of his classmate.

It was wonderful watching him try so hard and as I stood there, I realized that even 35 years later in life, I too struggle to wait – and to let things happen in their own time. As I speak with entrepreneurs, I find that a common ailment amongst us, is patience. We want our efforts to pay off now! We want to see our labor unfold into immediate success. Small business owners often must work months and even years at a time before achieving the goals we’ve set for ourselves. And while it’s not quite as simple as sitting on our hands, we too must find a way to stay the course, even when things take longer than we would like. Read more »

Recently I went through a challenging time when a business associate that I very much respect, felt that my ethics had been lacking in the way I had handled a particular situation. This caused me an enormous amount of anxiety and upset because my integrity is probably the thing on which I place the  most value as a business owner. Having that called into question will never be something I would take lightly.

I spent a great deal of time in thought about the whole situation. I turned to other business colleagues asking for their honest opinions about what had occurred. In the end, I absolutely accept that mistakes were made on my part AND can honestly say that I fundamentally disagree with the accusation that my actions, at their core, were in any way unethical.

At the end of the day, as painful a time as this was, I think it raised an important question that we must all address as business owners: How much are you thinking about business ethics? The truth is that the more your business grows – the more you will face decisions about the “right” way to handle things. Read more »

If you’ve been around the Abundance Bound community for a little while you probably know that in addition to being an entrepreneur I am also an actor.  I’ve shared my story about how I came to start Abundance Bound – so I won’t do that again here. But one of the biggest things I’ve come to understand over the years is that in order to be a successful artist, one must develop and apply the business skills of an entrepreneur. AND, in order to thrive as an entrepreneur, one must develop and apply the creative skills of an artist.

Owners who have experienced success in their small business are often masters of being creative. Thinking outside the box creates endless opportunities. Entrepreneurs who cannot force themselves to be inventive  and to become “creative problem solvers,” have a long, tough road ahead of them. Read more »

Just being completely honest – the first year I started Abundance Bound was really tough. Like many small business owners, I was so passionate about the work I wanted to do. I was going to help entrepreneurs create success – teaching them to build their businesses on strong financial foundations.

So here’s the thing: I had the very best intentions and absolutely NO customers.

I spun my wheels for months. There’s no question I was working hard. The problem was that I didn’t really know what I was doing. You see – I was an expert at financial education – I wasn’t an expert at marketing and client attraction and all of the elements of building a business that ensure you have a steady stream of prospects who can benefit from your products and services. Read more »