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Every January starts a new year and with a new year comes new goals, resolutions, hopes and dreams. Setting goals is something we all tend to do this time of year. Especially in business. We assess the past year, our successes, our misses, so we can identify areas of improvement. The problem with goals is that we say what we “want.” We create a well thought out list of the things we want to accomplish, the sales numbers, the number of clients, the books we want to read and so on and so on. The biggest reason we fail to reach the goals is we spend little to no time getting clarifying our vision and then creating clarity of vision. These two phrases are very closely spelled and interpreted. Let’s take a closer look at the differences and the steps that follow. Clarify Vision To clarify is to make understandable, free of confusion. Visioning often involves long term goals and desires but the long term can be hard to clarify. Because things happen over time that can change our desires and even place physical obstacles in the way that completely detour our path. At the beginning of the year, vision only the next 12 months. Then break those into quarters and focus on only 3 months at a time. This way your vision is understandable and free of confusion. The more your desire and attempt to achieve in a small time frame, the more difficult you make the success of your efforts. The more confused you can become and the more likely you will feel defeated. To set yourself up for 2020 success, make your vision, goals, expectations for the year clear, free of confusion and easily understood. Clarity of Vision While the dictionary defines clarity closely to word clarify, clarity of vision as a phrase changes the context of the word. Clarity is to quality of state of being clear. To have clarity of a vision means to have clearly identified the actions or steps to take to make the vision happen. If you are a leader in any capacity clarity of vision is having a clearly communicated vision from top downwards. It requires interpreting vision to actions so that you and your staff know what the expectations are to fulfill the vision. Having clarity of vision for yourself requires doing the work, taking the time to create the action plan, the actual things that need to be done, to calendar time to do them or delegate to the appropriate person. Intention and Focus You’ve created the vision and you’ve developed the actionable items to achieve the vision. Now you need to live and work with intention and focus. Wayne Dyer says, “Our intention creates our reality.” By that he means that when we live with intention, knowing what to focus on each day with the vision in mind, the actionable steps, then we will achieve that vision. Intentional action on a daily basis is hard. We allow many unnecessary distractions derail us from intentional activity. Discipline yourself to focus on the actionable steps that move you towards your goal, to complete the vision. Do this weekly. Work in small increments so you can experience small wins, achievements and feel as though you are making a difference. Allow yourself to celebrate when you finish something. Don’t forget to stop to assess where you are, to ensure you are still aligned with your vision. You may have to adapt quarterly, revisit clarifying your vision and establishing clarity of vision again. May 2020 be filled with a clear and actionable vision. Ensemble is a collaborative business community and coworking space in Fort Worth, Texas. We offer busy entrepreneurs, small businesses and remote workers a warm and welcoming place to be productive, to connect and collaborate while being part of a community.​ From offices to dedicated desks, cozy couches, open seating, members and guests alike are more productive, connect to a community and less lonely.

In today’s world, we put professional athletes on a pedestal, we gush over movie stars, and we strive to become famous performing dances on Tik Tok. News and social media along with the latest millennial applications “apps” have distorted our perspective on what is noteworthy. People are clamoring for attention doing crazy stunts, recording their dog doing silly things. We are hammered with an onslaught of selfies, self-promotion, selfie videos of where we eat and what we are doing. Yet all the while there are people who are making a massive difference in our world that are not even noticed. Because we focus too much on the lifestyles of the rich and famous and not reality of those around us who are leaving an indelible mark upon this world. It’s easy for those with money to give because they have the means to do it but often they don’t do it easily. It’s not easy for those with less to give...but they often do it easily. Because they see a need and it’s in their DNA to make that difference. The movie Harriet, released in 2019, resurrected the story of a black female American icon, Araminta Ross, also known as Harriet Tubman. This brave woman embodied the DNA of someone who did what she had to, at her own great expense, to help others. Harriet, determined to change the trajectory of her life and the life of her family, escaped slavery and became an abolitionist and a master of the underground railroad. This woman deserves to be put on a pedestal, to have paparazzi following her and news outlets fighting over an interview with her. She should be speaking in schools about courage, determination, and leadership. Obviously, she is not here for any of that but others are. There are thousands of people from small towns to big cities that do amazing things that have a long-lasting effect on the lives of others. Within each of our communities, there is someone determined to do good in any way that they can. He or she knows the road is not easy but they push on, they stick to it because, in the end, it is the lives that they touch that matters the most. Here are a few black Americans doing incredible things today to leave our world a better place. Meet Marley Dias, founder of #1000BlackGirlBooks. Marley was a voracious reader and at the age of 11 she realized all the books she was given in school featured white boys and their dogs. So, she set out to change that. By 13, she had collected more than 11,000 books that showcase black female lead characters. She then became an author herself. “Each of us has a magic inside of us that we can use to make the world a better place.” Way to go Marley. Follow #1000BlackGirlBooks on Twitter. Meet Adam McKinney, M.A. who, with his husband Daniel Banks, Ph.D, co-founded DNAWORKS in 2006. DNAWORKS is an arts and service organization dedicated to furthering artistic expression and dialogue, focusing on issues of identity, culture, class and heritage. DNAWORKS moved its headquarters to Ft. Worth in the summer of 2016 when Adam started as a professor at Texas Christian University. Though a humble organization, DNAWORKS leaves an gigantic impact on each and every community in which they share their unique dialogue-based social justice action and community building. DNAWORKS believes art = ritual = healing = community and that this philosophy and practice lead to a more peaceful and understanding world. Find out more about DNAWORKS and help them to continue breaking down stereotypes and improving the community. www.dnaworks.org Meet Tarana Burke, a civil rights activist from The Bronx, New York who founded the “Me Too” movement on social media to raise awareness of the pervasiveness of sexual abuse and assault in society. In 2017 #MeToo went viral as a hashtag after women began using it to tweet about the Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse allegations. The phrase and hashtag quickly developed into a broad-based, and eventually international movement (Wikipedia). In her Ted talk, Burke tells the story of how she wrote “Me Too” across the top of a piece of paper. What followed was an action plan for a movement that has gone global and could possibly be the most impactful thing for women’s rights since the right to vote. Who will you be? In this glamorized world we live in, who will you be? How will you be a Harriet in today's world? What are you ready to do to make a difference? From the smallest of gestures, you, too, can be a difference-maker today and tomorrow. Ensemble is a collaborative business community and coworking space in Fort Worth, Texas. We offer busy entrepreneurs, small businesses and remote workers a warm and welcoming place to be productive, to connect and collaborate while being part of a community.​ From offices to dedicated desks, cozy couches, open seating, members and guests alike are more productive, connect to a community and less lonely.

Ensemble is a collaborative business community and coworking space. We intentionally put coworking at the end because we value community and connection through collaboration over selling a desk or an office to work from. Collaboration is critical for all businesses to thrive and be sustainable. For women business owners and female professionals to rise to the top of their industry, we need to embrace collaboration as a smart business strategy. Collaboration is a tool that creates better business outcomes. Let’s face it, gender bias still exists in business; corporate and women entrepreneurs still face inequality. Wage gaps, glass ceilings, boardroom oversight, lack of advancement still exist and hinder women. The good old boys club is still here, in business, politics, and life. There is hope for women and it comes by working together. In an online article from November 2014 published by Fast Company, the author says for women to overcome these ingrained, intimidating challenges, we must embrace partnership as part of the solution. She continues by saying that “win-win relationships can accelerate growth, generate new opportunities and provide a network of supporters to help founders through the challenging times.” When women empower other women, powerful things happen yet somehow we still listen to that little voice in the back of our mind that says, don’t trust her, she may steal my idea or my customers. That’s competition, not collaboration. Competition is healthy but when it creates paranoia and builds a wedge between women something is wrong. To collaborate we must trust one another and communicate our needs and expectations. Open communication is critical because fear and negative’ thinking will inevitably become a challenge. In order to further trust and build loyalty when working together, we need to talk about how things are going, good or bad. We cannot go it alone. No one can. It’s the support of a great network and community of women that will propel our success and squash what’s holding us back. Each of us has weaknesses, areas that are not our strong suit. Collaboration allows for each of us to share our strengths and fill the gaps in our weaknesses. Seeking complementary partnerships makes us stronger, not weaker. Owning your weaknesses makes you approachable, likable and even someone others want to emulate. It’s a fallacy that the only strong win, because no one person is strong in all areas of business. We are stronger together. As a woman business owner, a leader in the entrepreneurial and women’s community, I want to collaborate with women. I seek it out, I encourage it. Not because I don’t like working with men. I have many great relationships with men in business who support me, encourage me and share about Ensemble. However, society is still stuck in its ways and men are a victim of societal biases towards women whether they realize it or not. Some men are unaware of their negative behavior or how something they said affects a woman, even the smallest of things can change the way a man or woman views or treats another woman. I seek female collaboration because I know that together our voices have more power, our work has more meaning and our lives make more of an impact. I want to look back at my life someday and know that I experienced more because of the relationships I built with women. I don’t want to look back and realize that I gave up opportunities to make a difference by working with other women because of my fears or judgment. Men inevitably support other men. It’s part of their nature. Women haven’t always done that. We have pandered to men in society, adapted our personas to fit their norm, instead of being feminine, owning our strengths and being emotional when we wanted to be. Women are emotional creatures. That’s what makes us great mothers, friends, leaders and great at business. The next time you find yourself judging another woman, check yourself. It’s you that should be judged. Do a double-take and find something in her that you admire. If she intimidates you, then admire her confidence. Then, reach out your hand and introduce yourself. Ask her if she ever struggled with confidence and boldly ask her to be your mentor. That is the power of collaboration which will bring you more joy, peace, and success in business and in life. I’ll finish by saying that I am not a crazy feminist. I am for empowering women and giving them a voice because as a middle-aged woman in business I have experienced bias of many kinds. I have witnessed the challenges women face in small businesses without their fellow women business owners and mentors lifting them along the way. It’s a tough road when you go it alone. I’ve felt beat down and alone many times. When my tribe surrounded me and carried me (along with God), I felt cared for and loved, I felt worthy and worth it. So, let's do this together. Reach out to me if you need collaboration, support, connections or community. Tamara Payne tamara@ensemblecoworking.com Ensemble is a collaborative business community and coworking space in Fort Worth, Texas. We offer busy entrepreneurs, small businesses and remote workers a warm and welcoming place to be productive, to connect and collaborate while being part of a community.​ From offices to dedicated desks, cozy couches, open seating, members and guests alike are more productive, connect to a community and less lonely.

Ensemble is a small business and is considered a startup since we are under 5 years in business. We are experiencing the same fears and feelings of unknown territory as our members and many of you. This pandemic has affected all of us, from corporate to government to small and micro-businesses. We want to provide a little bit of help in connecting you to resources that might help you during this time. There is no way that we can compile the most accurate list on our own so we are sharing lists from organizations that are larger and have more resources than us. The businesses that have been hardest hit are the service and retails industries. You can help them now to survive by purchasing gift cards for use now or in the future. You can also still get food To Go at most of your local restaurants...and you can get alcohol with the food to go also. That’s a nice bonus. Below are resources for Fort Worth, Tarrant County, City of Burleson (since we have a small sister location there), State of Texas as well as national. This list will continually be updated so keep checking back. Updated 3.23.2020 Fort Worth City of Fort Worth COVID-19 for Business: http://fortworthtexas.gov/COVID-19-business/ City of Fort Worth Business Survey: https://cityoffortworth.wufoo.com/forms/fort-worth-covid19-business-survey/ City of Fort Worth Restaurants: www.FortWorth.com/RestaurantUpdates Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce COVID-19 Resources: https://www.fortworthchamber.com/covid-19/ Fort Worth Chamber Facebook Page where they are hosting regular live videos for businesses to adapt to our new working conditions: https://www.facebook.com/FTWChamber/ Near Southside Inc. in Ft. Worth has compiled and comprehensive list of city, county and national resources here: https://www.nearsouthsidefw.org/private/COVID19_Update_for_Small_Businesses_3_20_2020.pdf Burleson City of Burleson Coronavirus Updates: https://www.burlesontx.com/2059/Coronavirus City of Burleson Gift Card Program: http://btxgiftcards.com/ City of Burleson Small Business Assistance: https://www.burlesontx.com/2060/COVID-19-Small-Business-Assistance City of Burleson Business Cleaning Supplies: State of Texas Texas State Comptroller COVID-19 Information for Employers: https://twc.texas.gov/news/covid-19-resources-employers State of Texas March 19, 2020 Governor Declaration: https://www.burlesontx.com/DocumentCenter/View/19990/State-of-Texas-Executive-Order-Relating-to-COVID-19-preparedness-and-mitigation Texas Department of Health on Coronavirus: https://www.dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/ National SBA Disaster Loans for Small Business: https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/Account/Login CDC Updates on Coronavirus: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2Findex.html Resource Articles Facebook announces $100M grant program for small businesses: https://techcrunch.com/2020/03/17/facebook-small-business-grants/ List Of Coronavirus (COVID-19) Small Business Relief Programs: https://www.forbes.com/sites/advisor/2020/03/20/list-of-coronavirus-covid-19-small-business-relief-programs/#681ac808e89d Small Business Relief Tracker: Funding, Grants And Resources For Business Owners Grappling With Coronavirus: https://www.forbes.com/sites/briannegarrett/2020/03/20/small-business-relief-tracker-funding-grants-and-resources-for-business-owners-grappling-with-coronavirus/#213bef7add4c Treasury and IRS to delay tax payment deadline by 90 days: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/17/treasury-and-irs-to-delay-tax-deadline-by-90-days.html Loans for small businesses affected by the coronavirus - Where to find free or low-interest funding to keep you afloat: https://www.finder.com/business-loans-coronavirus Help Small Business - Gift certificates to support small businesses: https://www.kabbage.com/helpsmallbusiness

Dear Ensemble Community: This has been a tough time for all of us. 😩 We miss the hustle and bustle of hard work within the walls of Ensemble. We miss the buzz of chatter and laughter. We miss you. We miss us as a community and we look forward to when we are all back together again “getting stuff done” together. 👫👬👭 As the new orders from the Governor came down a few days ago, the team discussed how we will begin to reopen Ensemble. Fort Worth and the rest of the state begins to wake up starting May 1st 😰 and before we made any decisions we took into consideration each and every one of you and what is best for you as our community. While we want Ensemble up and running as normal we are uber aware of continuing to stay safely distanced and keeping our space clean ✨ during this time. With that being said, the following are our new procedures starting the beginning of May📅 and continuing until the end of May or until new orders are passed by the Governor. 🕒 NEW normal operating hours: 9am - 5pm Monday - Friday. This is when Clint, a Conductor or myself will be in the space to assist you, make coffee, etc. 🚫 Conference rooms non-members: not available for booking 💢 Conference rooms members: available to book with the adjusted number of people as follows - Jam Session: no more than 4 Band Room: no more than 6 (2 per table) Orchestra Room: no more than 14 (1 per table) ✅ Conference room usage Book room as usual When booking, please tell us how many guests to expect Inform Community Manager or Conductor when done so we can properly clean the room Please remove cups or anything else you or a guest brought into the room We will not be providing water or coffee to your guests throughout the month of May until we get further away from the pandemic. You may fetch coffee or water for them if you choose. Do not let your guest enter the kitchen. Inform your guests to only use the restrooms or the room they are in. We discourage guests from taking tours or wandering the space at this time. ❗ Phone Booths We will not always know when you use a phone booth so we ask that you disinfect the phone booth desk, handles, light switches, etc. yourself. Your help is much appreciated. 🤸‍♂️ Open Coworking Open coworking members will be provided with one of the single desks in open coworking during the month of May with possible extension into June. This way only 1 person uses the desk and you can be assured of no cross contamination. This is first come, first serve. There are currently 5 sit/stand desks left, 1 under the Ensemble sign, and 4 next to the big wall. There are 3 non-adjustable desks under the Ensemble sign. Your desk will be appropriately labeled with your name and company so no one else uses it. The 4 seat sit/stand table will be used as come and go coworking along with the two tall-top tables in the middle of open coworking. 🛀 Cleaning Every day at the top of the hour we will disinfect handles, door pushes, countertops and sink handles in the kitchen, bathrooms and enter/exit doors. We need your help with assistance in cleaning as much as possible while you are in the space. Cleaning supplies are located in opening coworking and dedicated desk along with plastic gloves if you prefer. Face masks! We are not requiring the wearing of masks at this time. It is your preference to wear one if you choose. 🙌 Conductors To respect the wishes of our Conductors, they will not be coming back for several months. We have multiple conflicts with children at home and concerns about health. For the time being, Clint and Tamara will be covering the front desk and handling any member and space issues. We appreciate your understanding during this time. If you know anyone who might be interested in being a Conductor, please have them contact Clint. 👉 Events All events for the month of May will remain VIRTUAL We’ve added a weekly Work Sprint to further help those of you who are working from home in staying productive and getting stuff done. We conduct our virtual events via ZOOM. Download it to your computer or smartphone for meetings. 👀 Workspace Rules: we want to do everything we can to keep you safe and healthy now and always. We ask that you abide by the following guidelines as we reenter working together. Ok, let’s be real. Use common sense when it comes to getting back to some kind of normal. Do NOT come to Ensemble if you are feeling sick at all, have a fever (anything above 99), or a cough that is undiagnosed. We understand seasonal allergies. We’ve all got them. Do NOT come to Ensemble if you have been around anyone with COVID-19 within the least 2 weeks. Upon entering Ensemble, please 🧼🖐 wash your hands ...well wash your hands frequently throughout the day and don’t touch your eyes, nose and mouth if possible. Stay 6 feet apart when in common areas and as much as possible. Honor your co-worker's space and each other’s comfort when it comes to space. We appreciate all of you for your commitment to our community, to Ensemble and to helping keep us afloat during this difficult time. Please reach out to any of the team with any questions or concerns. connect@ensemblecoworking.com With Appreciation! The Ensemble Team

What an incredible time we are living in. Thank you for the continued support from our members, the extended community in the Near Southside, the city of Fort Worth, and our collaborative partners. We are doing our best to navigate the guidelines from local and state officials regarding COVID-19. We care about the health of our members and guests. Please note that to date no one at Ensemble has received a positive test for COVID-19. If that happens we will notify you, provide contact tracing information if possible, and do our part to properly disinfect the building. In light of the recent uptick in positive cases as well as the new executive orders for Tarrant County, we have created a Health and Safety Policy. The utmost importance has been placed on REQUIRING FACE COVERINGS for members and guests while in open and shared spaces and while not being able to physically distance more than 6 (six) feet. The Ensemble Health and Safety Policy can be read completely HERE. Below are a few additional things that are not covered in the official policy. We continue to clean regularly at the highest standards possible. Conductors, our front desk support, have returned for limited hours of 10 am - 2 pm. Conductors will wear a mask during their shift and gloves while sorting the mail. Ensemble employees will wear a mask according to our Health and Safety Policy. We will have disposable masks on hand for guests or members if one is forgotten. Hand sanitizer pumps are provided throughout the building. We have ordered NanoSeptic push bar and door handle sleeves that are self-cleaning to provide extra protection in between regular cleanings. Desks in open coworking have been separated for proper physical distancing. Regular coworking members have been assigned a desk in open coworking to provide designated workspaces. We are purchasing plexiglass barriers for the front desk, conference room and shared coworking tables (where necessary and applicable). All members who use the conference rooms after hours are required to fully disinfect the tables and chairs upon the end of usage. It is imperative that we continue to serve the small business community and remote workers in the area with a critical workspace that is safe and clean. Running a business and work must go on for the majority of people. Ensemble continues to be a place where productivity combined with community are a priority. Please reach out to us with any questions or concerns. connect@ensemblecoworking.com With Appreciation! The Ensemble Team

Churchill lead Britain through one of its darkest periods. With enemies threatening to advance across the English Channel, bombing London daily, the pressure to survive was paramount. But Churchill, like any entrepreneur worth their salt, understood that failure was part of the process. One learned from their mistakes, and the greatest lesson was that there was always another day to fight on. Fall is officially here. The weather is getting cooler. All signs that we are entering the 4th quarter of business. This time of year can bring a different set of challenges to business owners and professionals. The looming holidays can be a welcome distraction from the craziness of the rest of the year but can also thwart potential success in the coming months. As we round out the last quarter of 2020 - THANK GOD! - how will you approach it? From a failure or success mindset. If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s how to be resilient and innovative. The finish line is around the corner and you will need to push yourself harder than before. It’s important to keep your composure and power through the end of the year without losing momentum and maintaining productivity? When it gets tough and you feel like you don’t have any more energy, keep your eye on the finish line, not the tasks (or steps) that it will take to get there. Keep your head up with your eyes focussed on where you are going. By the 4th quarter, you’ve got momentum. Take advantage of it. Seeds planted months ago are blossoming. New and old opportunities may arise. Be uber aware of things you didn’t plan to happen that could bring the most rewards. It’s 12 simple weeks that will fly by in the blink of an eye. A strong 4th quarter is dependent upon extraordinary execution skills. The better you execute, the better you perform, and the stronger you finish. It’s that simple. What happened yesterday or months ago, happened. It’s in the past. Be like Churchill and learn from your mistakes. There is always another day to fight on, keep going, and get to the finish line. Ensemble is a collaborative business community and coworking space in Fort Worth, Texas. We offer busy entrepreneurs, small businesses, and remote workers a warm and welcoming place to be productive, to connect, and collaborate while being part of a community.​ From offices to dedicated desks, cozy couches, open seating, members and guests alike are more productive, connect to a community, and less lonely.

On April 4th of 2021, Ensemble celebrated the end of its 5th year in business, going into our 6th year. As I looked into the meaning behind the number five, I found myself feeling blessed to make it through our 5th year, which was 2020. Number 5 is mentioned in the Bible a total of 318 times. This number is directly linked to God’s grace, mercy, and favor. If there ever was a year to receive grace, mercy, and favor from God, then 2020 was it. The grace of God is described as an unmerited favor that comes as a result of God’s love. As a small business owner, I felt God’s favor over Ensemble in 2020. It was a tough year for many small businesses, and the coworking and flexible workspace industry was hit hard. I look at how Ensemble survived despite the pandemic and I feel incredibly blessed. I owe the blessings of 2020 to the following 5 things (or people): 1. God Through all the worries, fear, anxiety, and unknowns, God carried me through. Even when things looked bad enough to consider closing, God reminded me that everything was going to be all right. I had friends and family praying for Ensemble regularly. 2. Family Being a small business owner more often than not means the entire family is involved. Sometimes directly but most of the time indirectly. My family has listened to the woes and heartache of running a business that resulted from the great pause of 2020. They encouraged me and reminded me of my why; to make a difference and affect change in the lives of others. They were a shoulder to cry on when I felt like giving up and the kick in the pants at just the right time. People first was my priority. That’s how we built a strong community. It’s the community that continued to support us financially that carried us through the toughest months this last year and even still now. From the bottom of my heart, thank you to our members and extended community for your emotional and financial support. 4. Ensemble Team Our team went through a few changes in 2020 but one constant was the always cheerful, Clint Grimes, Community Manager. In a year when we all struggled mentally and emotionally, Clint stepped up and went beyond his regular duties. He cleaned light fixtures, changed bulbs, shampooed carpets, painted, and performed other odd jobs during the shutdown. He regularly touched base with members to ensure they felt connected and took on hosting virtual events through Zoom. That challenged us all in the beginning. When we had to let our cleaning crew go, he became part janitor also. When money got really tight, I was forced to reduce Clint's hours to part-time. Clint didn’t bat an eye about sticking with me until things got better. Through all of this, Clint was my sounding board and a constant prayer warrior. At the beginning of the summer, Julia Glidden joined the team on a part-time basis to help with social media, events, and marketing. Julia fell right into place with creative thinking and wearing many hats, including sitting at the front desk and cleaning. From mid-summer through November, these two amazing people kept Ensemble afloat while I was campaigning to be on the Burleson City Council. I was in and out of the office several times a week with little communication with either of them. Yet, they held it all together. I am privileged to work with such an amazing team, with hearts to serve and love people. 5. Friends and Professional Colleagues There is no handbook for how to get through a pandemic as a small business owner. We were all trying to figure it out at the same time. The best part is that we did it together. I received countless emails, texts and phone calls with information about PPP loans and grants as well as creative ideas on how to make money with my space. My friends, some business owners, some not, were always available to lend an ear, share an idea or cry with me. It is a blessing to have all of this support during the tough times and to celebrate when things are going well. When I think back to the last 5 years, I actually think about the legacy that I am leaving. I have met so many talented people, dedicated business owners, students, and wanna-be entrepreneurs. I have been blessed to mentor a lot of them. It makes me wonder what they will do in the next 5 years, where they will be, and whose lives they will have touched. I don’t know what the next 5 years hold for Ensemble but I know that I have been blessed by the last 5. Tamara Payne is the Founder | CEO of Ensemble Coworking. She is a seasoned entrepreneur, strategic business coach, and communications trainer.

What does it take to be a successful entrepreneur, build a growing company or be a newly minted business owner? Beyond skill, a great team, great products or services, money, serious planning and dedication, there are a few key actions that frequently come up when you talk to successful hustlers. Toot Your Horn Ever find yourself envious of others who have no problem talking about themselves? We don’t mean the over the top braggers who lead with their ego. It’s important to be humble but another to be a brash and a jerk. You need to toot your own horn. If you are afraid to promote yourself and your business, you are not hustling. Stay humble, hustle hard. Tooting your horn pushes you out of your comfort zone. It doesn’t always feel good but the results can be powerful. You need to make a conscious effort to promote yourself and your business, tell people what you are doing and be confident when sharing your accomplishments. Self promote like nobody’s business. Have Bounce Back Ability You are going to face rejection at various times as an entrepreneur. No one likes it. It feels personal and could be paralyzing. You are not alone. Hustlers have bounce back ability. They don’t get embarrassed or upset when things go wrong or don’t work out the way they planned. They keep going even when negative things happen. They push through, make the calls, look around the corner to what is next, they make it happen no matter what. You need to block out the negative people and the opinions of others when they say you can’t do something. Be strong, be flexible and have bounce back ability. Don’t Be Afraid to Say NO Opportunities abound and as a business hustler, you will be presented with many of them. You need to not chase the next big thing or the shiny objects. Be discerning and don’t be afraid to say no. Trust your gut. If the opportunity isn’t right for you, say no. If the time is not right, say no. If it doesn’t fit your brand or your plans for your business, say no. The most successful hustlers are not afraid to say no and stand by their decision. Knock Down Doors You can’t stand on the other side of the door waiting for someone to just open it. You have to make things happen for yourself. Knocking on the door sometimes is not enough, you have to knock down the door to get on the other side. It’s this "do whatever it takes" hustle that will make you a top entrepreneur. It takes times and a lot of sweat equity. There will inevitably be times when you need to knock on more doors than others, and sometimes you will need to knock them down. It's the hustle early on that will have the long term payout. Soak Up the Small Wins Building a thriving business takes patience, hustle and time. Unfortunately, we all underestimate the amount of time it takes to actually build a business from the ground up. Along the way, you will experience small victories. The key is to stop and enjoy those small wins when they happen. It’s those small victories that will hold you up when the road seems endless. The big wins will shine a bright light that will dim quickly but soaking up the small wins time after time will infuse a long lasting glow. To be on the top, be successful in your own right, stay the course and take action today, tomorrow and the next. Hustle hard and stay humble. Ensemble is a collaborative business community and coworking space in Fort Worth, Texas. We offer busy entrepreneurs, small businesses and remote workers a warm and welcoming place to be productive, to connect and collaborate while being part of a community. #workhard #planning #hustle #entrepreneur

Summer is HERE! Bring on the productivity distractions. The sun, the warmth, the blue skies are all calling us to go outside and have fun in one way or another. Ditch work, lay by the pool, jump in the car and go to the lake or take a 3 or 4 day weekend. Whew! We witness this firsthand at Ensemble. Members are digging in and working longer works days on just two or three days of the week, so they can work less and enjoy a longer weekend. In Fort Worth, Texas, this happens especially in June and July because triple digit temperatures and the excruciating heat arrive in August. Despite wanting to play more, business continues and we need to work. How to we keep our productivity in check during the summer season? First, get perspective on your productive times. Ask yourself when you are most productive throughout the year? There is a season for your business, whether you realize it or not. There is also a season where you are most productive as a business owner or employee. What if this season, time of the year, is your slower time of the year and meant to be less productive? On the other hand, are you less busy and less productive in November and December? Then summer is the time to kick it into gear so you can rest and relax at the end of the year. This doesn’t mean that you can’t take time off during your busy season. Take long weekends and schedule mini activities during the week that can keep you refreshed while you push through your most productive season. Remind yourself that this is just a season, a time in which you buckle down and do all that you need to do to get it done. The next season is just around the corner. We are all capable of pushing ourselves for a short period of time. Consider 12 weeks, 90 days, as a productivity push. It can be done. Short term goals to focus on and check off your list, makes the hard work worth it. Try reading The 12-Week Year by Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington, to learn how you can make the most of the next 12 weeks. Second, realize there are times of the day when you focus better, accomplish tasks more easily, feel less tired and your brain and firing on all cylinders. Put your most difficult tasks during that time of day. You will need to track you productivity for a week to identify your most productive times of the year. It’s a little bit of work up front for long term gain at the end. Take a look at your productivity for the year, year over year. Look back and see what you have actually accomplished, yesterday and beyond. We tend to focus only on what we did not get done. We want to strongly encourage you to recognize what you have finished and what you’ve crossed off your list. Productivity waxes and wains for everyone. Recognize the seasons, give yourself grace during the less productive times and dig in during your hot seasons. Enjoy the summer distractions. They might be just what you need. On Thursday, June 27th from 2 to 3pm, join Ensemble Founder, Tamara Payne, on her internet radio show, TREPconnect on JoCo Community Radio, where she continues the conversation about productivity and the challenges entrepreneurs experience with staying productive. This weeks special guest is Lauren Midgley, productivity and time management expert, author, coach and speaker. She will be talking about how to manage not only your day but also how to make each week as productive as possible. TREPconnect is all about helping enTREPreneurs, small business owners and their teams build thriving and sustainable companies by connecting them to the resources they need. Each week they have candid conversations about practical lessons, executable tools and tactical applications with experts, seasoned enTREPreneurs and early stage business owners. Ensemble is a collaborative business community and coworking space in Fort Worth, Texas. We offer busy entrepreneurs, small businesses and remote workers a warm and welcoming place to be productive, to connect and collaborate while being connected to a community. #productivity #summerblues #workhard #TREPconnect

When I first started in school and then business, I knew that I would need help getting through the challenges in my career. I often felt like Dorothy searching for the magic answers from the Wizard. On my journey down the yellow brick road, looking for advisors I could trust, I encountered mentors, some expected and some unexpected. Not all the relationships were successful for the reasons that I thought they might be, because I wasn’t always intentional in my search. I realized I had to learn and define what I needed at the time, and then take into consideration that “all” relationships are not successful. Think about your friends and work peers. There is also the fact that everyone is not meant to give advice. Face it, that’s an art in and of itself. I have also been honored to give back and mentor some amazing students and business leaders along the way. To me, it doesn’t matter which side of the table I am sitting on. I always consider the relationship to be great if learning was shared. But how do you find the help and support you need at the time you need it? There are several ways. I suggest going back to basics and using the five W’s. First, Who can be a mentor? Since a mentor is an advisor, pretty much anyone with industry experience who wants to help you can be a mentor. Saying anyone can be a mentor is a broad definition so let’s take it a step further. You will want to make sure you and your mentor are in sync. Your mentor should understand your business and who you are. They should have a background and skills relevant to what you need and be someone that you respect. You will need to be open to constructive advice and criticism from him or her. Then, What do you need your mentor to do? Consider how you want the relationship to work. You want someone who can offer advice, wisdom and support, not tell you what to do but to guide you. Define how you want the meetings to go and be clear on the takeaways. Streaming conversation is fun, but you should always have an action item or two for discussion at the next meeting. The relationship can be very formal or very loose, but I haven’t found the loose ones to be as effective for me. If you are goal-oriented, then make goals. No matter your style, be clear on what you need and what you want out of the relationship. Of course, Where do you find a mentor? It’s not always someone you might expect. It is usually someone you know, but not always. I have networked my way into mentoring relationships that turned into long-term relationships that have been invaluable in my life. Be open and attend local networking groups. Meet people. Make connections. Consider informational meetings with peers who can then refer you to other business leaders you may need or want to know. Ask others for recommendations based on what you are looking for. How will you know When it’s the best time to find a mentor? It depends. You might feel stuck in your career or your business has hit a brick wall. You might be anticipating change when working through a strategic plan. You might need help with your business or personal development plan. The key is when you find yourself seeking the next step but struggle which way to go, or fear is overwhelming you, or you just need someone to walk beside you during a period of time, be open to asking for help. John Maxwell said, “One of the greatest values of mentors is the ability to see ahead what others cannot see and to help them navigate a course to their destination.” Pursuing success in business and even your personal life takes a great deal of hard work, ambition and patience. A solid mentor relationship provides support and trust for those tough times when you need a push and that’s Why we should all seek those advisors. Be open to asking the right questions, because you have the right answers. It’s all about the questions. It helps to put you in the right place at the right time with the right people. It doesn’t mean you have to search far and wide. As Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz would say, you can almost always find the answers in your own backyard. Christine Kalish is a trusted advisor, solution provider, thought leader and strategist for emerging and expanding healthcare organizations. She is a management consultant with more than 30 years’ experience in the healthcare industry and is Principal at the Brittain Kalish Group, a management consulting firm, founded with the purpose of bringing well-matched resources together in a timely manner to obtain sustainable results while maximizing business success. Ensemble is a collaborative business community and coworking space in Fort Worth, Texas. We offer busy entrepreneurs, small businesses and remote workers a warm and welcoming place to be productive, to connect and collaborate while being connected to a community. #leadership #accountability #mentoring #mentor #connections #relationships

It is my belief that a true leader will never ask his followers to do something he wouldn’t be willing to do himself. In the first Shrek movie, Lord Farquaad offers a fabulous reward to anyone who saves Princess Fiona from the fire breathing dragon. As he gives his speech, he says he recognizes that some of the men will lose their lives trying to rescue Fiona but states he is willing to take that risk. At some point in time, we have all had that boss who was willing to sacrifice us to make himself look good. Anyone can be placed in a position of leadership, but it is the action of leading that separates imposters from true leaders. Shrek rescued Fiona from the dragon and created a team of misfits to save Far Far Away. He won the heart of Fiona and Donkey’s loyalty, and he became the hero of the entire land. It is important to identify who is leading your team. Are they loyal to you? Have you given them any reason to be loyal to you? Or are you more like Lord Farquaad, willing to lose others on your way up to personal glory? As an executive leader, we must evaluate ourselves as a leader. If you look at yourself through the eyes of your employees, do you like what you see? Or have you gotten so caught up in the daily operations of running the business that you forgot to take care of those around you? I’ll give you a personal example. Many years ago, I was in a position of executive leadership as a Risk Management Administrator for a non-profit health care system. An unnecessary death occurred when a surgeon made a horrible mistake during a surgical procedure–the patient bled to death. It was my responsibility to make sure the family didn’t sue the hospital. I settled that case for a mere million dollars. I did my job, and I did it well. However, the sacrifice I made in that situation, in addition to the grieving family, was – me. I could no longer look at myself in the mirror without disgust. I couldn’t play enough racquetball to work out the revulsion. I couldn’t eat enough chocolate or drink enough vodka to remove the disappointment in myself. I could no longer look my staff in the eye. I didn’t deserve their respect or their loyalty. Relationships at the hospital became strained. My marriage took a beating. It took my sitting in a formal leadership forum to realize that doing my job well had cost me personally more than I could have ever imagined. I had compromised everything I valued—my self-respect and the respect of my staff—to do my job ‘well.’ I realized in that experience that executive leadership was more than just a title or position. I realized that leadership starts from within. Like Lord Farquaad in the Shrek story, I had been willing to sacrifice others to do what was ‘best’ for the kingdom (hospital). Fortunately, I did learn from that experience and realized true leadership means being more like Shrek. A leader must be able to lead her organization to success without compromising personal values or other people. In the process, she creates an organization of people that can feel good about whom they follow. Leadership is a big responsibility and should be valued by those in the position. Shrek may not look so good on the outside, but his organization followed him for what he was on the inside. Are you a Lord Farquaad or a Shrek? How will your kingdom (organization) describe you? Penny Crow RHIA, MS, I-O, is a nationally recognized executive with progressive senior leadership experience in a wide range of healthcare organizations and within other industries. She is a Principal at Brittain Kalish Group, a management consulting firm, founded with the purpose of bringing well-matched resources together in a timely manner to obtain sustainable results while maximizing business success. With a Master of Science in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Penny is also an Executive Coach, helping executives think differently about themselves as leaders and the impact they have on their organizations. Her professional affiliations include the American Management Association, the Society of Industrial and Organizational Psychologists and SHRM. Ensemble is a collaborative business community and coworking space in Fort Worth, Texas. We offer busy entrepreneurs, small businesses and remote workers a warm and welcoming place to be productive, to connect and collaborate while being connected to a community. #leadership #smallbusiness