Weekly-ish notes on navigating big change

Month: June 2016

The Real Challenge: Consistency

The real challenge in your business is to show up consistently. But how? You need systems, support, and then... tenacity. It's a matter of sticking with it, day after day. To inspire you to become consistent, you may want to build your own challenge around whatever habit you'd like to develop. To learn more about how to start a habit with consistency, visit TaraSwiger.com/podcast113

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

The real challenge in your business is to show up consistently.

But how? 

You need systems, support, and then… tenacity. It's a matter of sticking with it, day after day. To inspire you to become consistent, you may want to build your own challenge around whatever habit you'd like to develop.

Some examples I mention: 

 

How to listen

  • You can subscribe to it on iTunes (If you do, leave a review!)
  • You can listen to it using the player above or download it.
  • Subscribe or listen via Stitcher (or subscribe in whatever you use for podcasts – just search “Explore Your Enthusiasm” and it should pop up!).

Find all the podcast episodes here.

If you want to get more consistent in YOUR biz, sign up below to get a FREE worksheet to go with this podcast episode!

The 4 foundations of your creative business (aka, where to spend your time)

What should you focus on to grow your business? What really matters? You can boil it all down to the four foundations of a crafty business. Work on these, and you'll see growth and expansion! If you want to work on these foundations in your business, join us in Lift Off (it closes tomorrow!). Over 6 months you will build each of the foundations, and get greater clarity about what to do in your business. Learn more at https://taraswiger.com/podcast112

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

What should you focus on to grow your business? What really matters?

You can boil it all down to the four foundations of a crafty business. Work on these, and you'll see growth and expansion!

If you want to work on these foundations in your business, join us in The Starship Program.

Over 3 months you will build each of the foundations, and get greater clarity about what to do in your business.

(In this episode I mention Lift Off, I program that I updated and improved based on feedback and success stories of students. It became the Starship Program.)

How to listen

  • You can subscribe to it on iTunes (If you do, leave a review!)
  • You can listen to it using the player above or download it.
  • Subscribe or listen via Stitcher (or subscribe in whatever you use for podcasts – just search “Explore Your Enthusiasm” and it should pop up!).

Find all the podcast episodes here.

 

 

Interview with Fiber Farmer, Lisa Check

I'm delighted to be sharing a conversation with Starship Captain, fiber farmer, and yarn dyer Lisa Check, of Flying Goat Farm. In this conversation we discuss: How she balances her fiber flock with organizing Maryland Sheep + Wool How she plans out big projects (Holiday Sanity, which is only available in Lift Off) What she's struggled with in her business. Listen in at TaraSwiger.com/podcast111

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

I'm delighted to be sharing a conversation with Starship Captain, fiber farmer, and yarn dyer Lisa Check, of Flying Goat Farm. To meet more Captains like Lisa, sign up here.

In this conversation we discuss:

  • How she balances her fiber flock with organizing Maryland Sheep + Wool
  • How she plans out big projects (Holiday Sanity, which is only available in Lift Off)
  • What she's struggled with in her business

 

How to listen

  • You can subscribe to it on iTunes (If you do, leave a review!)
  • You can listen to it using the player above or download it.
  • Subscribe or listen via Stitcher (or subscribe in whatever you use for podcasts – just search “Explore Your Enthusiasm” and it should pop up!).

Find all the podcast episodes here.

The magical power of celebration and review

I just celebrated a birthday! As I do each year, I looked back on the last year and, well, my whole life. Today I share what that review looks like, all of the other ways I build review and celebration into my business, and how you can review your last month. Listen to the episode at TaraSwiger.com/podcast110/

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

I just celebrated a birthday! As I do each year, I looked back on the last year and, well, my whole life. Today I share what that review looks like, all of the other ways I build review and celebration into my business, and how you can review your last month.

 In this episode:

  • My Annual Birthday review
  • Weekly celebration
  • Why I start with the question “What's going well?” in the weekly Starship chat
  • Monthly review (a part of both Lift Off and Starship)


You can find the Monthly Review questions in Challenge 6 of the #monthofbizlove workbook! Get it here! 

My past birthday posts:

  • 33
  • 32
  • 31
  • 30
  • 29 (I opened the Starship!)
  • 28 (I launched this site!)
  • 27

How to listen

  • You can subscribe to it on iTunes (If you do, leave a review!)
  • You can listen to it using the player above or download it.
  • Subscribe or listen via Stitcher (or subscribe in whatever you use for podcasts – just search “Explore Your Enthusiasm” and it should pop up!).

Find all the podcast episodes here.

What I’m reading: June 2016

I follow my enthusiasm by reading…a lot. And once a month, I share (some of) the books I read last month and the books I intend to read this month. You can join the informal book club by sharing your own list in the comments and find all the posts here.

What I'm reading in June: SuperBetter and lots of novels.

What I read

  • Smarter, Faster, Better, by Charles Duhigg
  • The Great Vegan Protein Book, by Celine Steen – Ok, so the title isn't all that compelling, but this book has more recipes-i'll-make-again than any book I've tried in the last year. The Caribbean tofu was inspired by one of our fave restaurants, Nine Mile, and it turned out delicious. We're buying this one, for sure.
  • Prep, Sisterland, and American Wife, by Curtis Sittenfeld – I've been on a Sittenfeld kick, as I waited for my copy of Eligible to come as part of my new Book of the Month membership!
  • SuperBetter, by Jane McGonigal – Oh man, this was an instant classic, I'm going to be referring to it and the studies it highlights about how to pursue a life you want again and again. A lot of it's lessons found their way into #monthofbizlove and the Starship voted to make it our reading choice for the informal book club!

What I’m reading

  • Sprint, at the suggestion of Joeli (You know we're doing an event together, in Manchester, England, right? Join us here!)

What I read last June.

And in June 2014 (Oh, wow! I read another Charles Duhigg book exactly 2 years ago!)

What are you reading?

I could use some recommendations! What are you reading and loving right now?

 

 

Disclaimer-y Disclaimer!  Or course I’m biased when my friends write a book, but I don’t mention things I don’t like. Read the usual disclaimer here.

How to have a business you love

How do you build a business you love? How do you transform the biz you have into one you love more? Sign up here to get the #monthofbizlove workbook/journal and answer the questions I ask in the episode! In this episode we discuss: The entire map of things you might need to fix in your business The very first step in loving your business What happens after you envision your dream business. Listen in at TaraSwiger.com/podcast109/

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

How do you build a business you love? How do you transform the biz you have into one you love more?

Sign up here to get the #monthofbizlove workbook/journal and answer the questions I ask in the episode!

In this episode we discuss:

  • The entire map of things you might need to fix in your business
  • The very first step in loving your business
  • What happens after you envision your dream business

 

How to listen

  • You can subscribe to it on iTunes (If you do, leave a review!)
  • You can listen to it using the player above or download it.
  • Subscribe or listen via Stitcher (or subscribe in whatever you use for podcasts – just search “Explore Your Enthusiasm” and it should pop up!).

Find all the podcast episodes here.