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It’s the 4th quarter of 2019! Some of you are prepared, you saw it coming and planned accordingly. For most entrepreneurs and small business owners, you are behind the eight ball. You see the end of the year coming and you are a bit panicked. The end of the year means the beginning of the new year. A new year means planning, strategizing and preparing for what you want to accomplish. That planning needs to start now. If thinking about this stresses you out and makes you feel panicked, take a deep breath and calm down. You can still finish the year strong and plan well for the new year. You’ve got the tools, the know-how and have a network of people to help you. There you go. You have just been empowered. You have the permission to make the end of 2019 strong for your business along with the confidence that you can kill it in 2020. To be empowered, based on the dictionary definition is: give (someone) the authority or power to do something. make (someone) stronger and more confident, especially in controlling their life and claiming their rights. Others can empower you but you can empower yourself, by being stronger and more confident in claiming your own success and realizing you have the power to do it. This is already within you. You only need to open the toolbox and use the tools. Your Empowered Toolbox includes the following: Abundant Thinking “Over the years, I have noticed that there are two kinds of thinking. One kind leads to success, joy, and fulfillment. The other leads to failure, fear, and discontent.” - Michael Hyatt Best-selling author Michael Hyatt believes that for people to be successful they need to be abundant thinkers. Characteristics of abundant thinkers include: There is more where that came from. Want to share ideas, knowledge, contacts, etc. Can easily build relationships through trust. Embrace competition. Deliver more than expected. Are optimistic. Think big and take risks. Are confident and appreciative. Plain and simple, your abundant thinking tool is the foundation to the success of all the other tools in your toolbox. This is a complex tool that is tied to mindset. The thoughts that travel throughout your brain can make or break the way all the tools in your empowered toolbox work. If you want joy, success and fulfillment as an entrepreneur, utilize abundant thinking. If you struggle to get this tool working, seek help. There are thousands of high-quality, trained coaches that focus on mastering mindset right at your fingertips. Ask friends or colleagues for a referral, tap into LinkedIn, Google it, or send our team an email and we will refer you to one of our trusted advisors; connect@ensemblecoworking.com. Learn as You Go There is no way to know everything you need to know about what you are trying to accomplish in your business from one month to the next. Heck, even one day to the next. As a baby, you needed to learn to crawl before you could walk, before you could run, jump or swing on a swing. You cannot fly without trying to fly, trying different things to help you fly. Some will work, some won’t. To learn what will work, you will need to learn what doesn’t. As an entrepreneur, it’s a constant process of learning new things, testing them in your business, pivoting, learning something new, trying that, realizing that didn’t work, and so on and so on. The process repeats. You will constantly be learning as you go. If you think you are done learning, you are done. Period. The business world is ever changing and even more so today. Learning as you go is a part of an entrepreneur’s journey but it is also a incredible tool in your toolbox that empowers you. When you attack a challenge in your business that requires research, reading, training or teaches you a valuable lesson, you are empowering yourself as an entrepreneur. Learning is empowerment. It will give you more confidence to make better decisions when the next challenge arises. What do you need to learn or what do you want to learn? This is at your fingertips also. The internet has made any topic you need to learn about accessible in the tap of the keyboard. Jump in. It’s all right there waiting for you. Be a Problem Solver The strength of this tool for you as an entrepreneur cannot be emphasized enough. The problem solver tool must be used all the time. Business is a one big puzzle to be solved. In fact, on a daily basis, you will face multiple problems that need solutions. You solve problems for your clients. That’s why you went into business in the first place. You have a solution to one or more pain points of your customers. You know how to solve problems for others. That comes natural. Use those same skills on your business. This is about critical thinking. It’s easy when a problem arises, to turn to a coworker, colleague, or boss and seek their help. Sometimes that is even necessary. More often than not, you have the answer within you. Stop and take the time to analyze the problem. Reverse the steps that caused the problem and you will find the issue or the root. Then take a different path. Critically think about what you are trying to accomplish and you will solve the problem. Don’t give up either. There are always more than one way to get something done. Keep trying, and remember to learn ar you go. Critical thinking does not come natural to everyone. But that’s all right. You can learn critical thinking skills. In an article written on College Info Geek, the author simplifies critical thinking into this definition: Critical thinking is just deliberately and systematically processing information so that you can make better decisions and generally understand things better. He further explains ways to critically think about information include: Conceptualizing Analyzing Synthesizing Evaluating That information can come from sources such as: Observation Experience Reflection Reasoning Communication And all this is meant to guide: Beliefs Action Critical thinking is about being a problem solver. To solve problems, you need to think deliberately. When the problem arises, stop and think deliberately. Initiate Action As empowered entrepreneurs, you don’t wait around for permission to from others to do something. You take action. This ties into being a problem solver. When a challenge arises, you take action. When an opportunity arises, you take action. When you have an idea, take action. To act on a new idea, you first need to believe in yourself, have the confidence to proceed with learning what you need to know to make it happen. Then you take what you have learned and try to fly with it. You then assess, reflect, reason, evaluate what happened (critical thinking and problem solving), in order to take further action. Action needs to be now, not later. Don’t over think an opportunity. You know the saying you snooze you lose. Don’t wait until you have all the I’s dotted or the T’s crossed because you can miss out. As an empowered entrepreneur, you will sometimes need learn as you go when you take initial action. You don’t always have time to wait to learn all the things you don’t know that you don’t know. Go. Jump. Take action. Don’t wait for anyone else to tell you that your idea is good. Trust yourself. Trust your gut. You know all too often what to do. There is a little voice in your head that wants approval from someone else, to get a head nod from others BUT you know what you need to do. It’s all right inside you. You are empowered. You have the tools. Use them. Empower yourself and take action today! 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. #entrepreneur #entrepreneurship #empowered #learning #action #problemsolver #abundantthinking

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

Some people are natural born leaders. That’s a frequently heard statement. But are they really? There are people who are called leaders simply because they are in leadership positions. Then there are leaders that others want to follow and are thrust into leadership positions. You want to be a person that you would follow into the darkest nights and brightest days. When you would follow you, then you become a leader others will follow. In a world of million dollar CEO’s making headlines on a daily basis, one has to question if those big buck leaders are inspiring others to follow them. If we held a leadership choice awards in your local area, where would you rank as a leader? Would you make the top 10, 25 or top 50? Ask yourself, are you inspiring others to follow you? Just being in a leadership position doesn’t mean others want to follow you. You have to earn it, work for it, be an active participant and take responsibility for what you do and say because others are watching you. There is a huge misconception of leadership in today’s world due to social media, the “online” presence of someone and the celebrity of reality television. People follow people not because of their status or their ability to work a room, not because of the platitudes they ramble or their ability to BS with the best of them. People follow leaders who provide the most simplest of things to those around them. Things like respect, empathy, appreciation, embracing new ideas, openness, patience and even the ability to ask questions to understand. Leaders who are passionate about the needs of others stand out. These leaders are concerned with what they provide to others more than their own needs. Their ego does not supercede their focus on serving others. It’s the character of the leader that places others before him or herself that makes others want to follow. What character traits do good leaders need to create a following of people who will go into battle for them? There are many of them. Here are three we feel stand out in today’s complicated business world. Be humble, share your weaknesses Man’s ego is powerful. It can be used for good and for harm. Staying humble as a leader is the foundation for inspiring a following. No matter how long you have been in business, you are still learning, making mistakes and growing. When leaders are honest, share their weaknesses and admit their mistakes, they elevate their position. Others learn from the mistakes of leaders, especially when they admit them. Share how you overcame them. Be real. Stay humble because when you look back at those following you, remember that you were once the one following someone else. Be empowering, lifting others The word empower is a bit overused in today’s society but should still carry significant weight when it comes to good leadership. A leader who empowers others to succeed or reach their full potential will develop loyal team members. To empower someone is to make them stronger and more confident, giving them authority to do something, to contribute to their competence and satisfaction. When leaders empower others it’s like depositing a part of themselves into the other person, like a giving a small gift that keeps on giving. Be appreciative, recognize others No one gets to the top by themselves and no leader stays on top without the help of many others. Good leaders are keenly aware of this and make it a priority to show appreciation to the people that hold them up on a daily basis. Human desire for recognition is strong. Everyone loves a pat on the back, a shout out or "good job." Good leaders make the effort to give others the limelight, to share the stage. Sometimes, the smallest appreciation and recognition goes a long way; simple things like a day off, a handwritten note or a mention in a newsletter. The best of leaders do this often because showing appreciation is a form of humility and empowers others to be more productive and feel more satisfaction. 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 #boss #success #leader

How we handle failure is more important than how we handle success. We are all going to experience failure at some point in our lives, and our attitude about that failure is what determines whether we bounce back or fall hard. Success is often attributed to hard work, but the truth is that mindset is what makes it all happen. According to Carol Dweck, a researcher at Stanford University, there are two types of mindsets: a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. Having a growth mindset is what allows us to see failure as opportunity and not letting it stop us on our drive to success. In a fixed mindset, people believe their qualities are fixed traits and therefore cannot change. These people document their intelligence and talents rather than working to develop and improve them. They also believe that talent alone leads to success, and effort is not required. Those with a fixed mindset avoid difficult tasks so they can avoid mistakes. Alternatively, in a growth mindset, people have an underlying belief that their learning and intelligence can grow with time and experience. When people believe they can get smarter, they realize that their effort has an effect on their success, so they put in extra time, leading to higher achievement. The growth mindset person allows challenges to make them stronger and find opportunity to grow through failure. Which mindset have you been employing? Are you fixed and limiting yourself or are you growth minded, seeing opportunity in all the good and the bad? Being prepared with a growth mindset will strengthen your perseverance and ability to bounce back when you face failure. 25 Ways to Develop a Growth Mindset 1. Acknowledge and embrace imperfections. Hiding from your weaknesses means you’ll never overcome them. 2. View challenges as opportunities. Having a growth mindset means relishing opportunities for self-improvement. Learn more about how to fail well. 3. Try different learning tactics. There’s no one-size-fits-all model for learning. What works for one person may not work for you. Learn about learning strategies. 4. Follow the research on brain plasticity. The brain isn’t fixed; the mind shouldn’t be either. 5. Replace the word “failing” with the word “learning.” When you make a mistake or fall short of a goal, you haven’t failed; you’ve learned. 6. Stop seeking approval. When you prioritize approval over learning, you sacrifice your own potential for growth. 7. Value the process over the end result. Intelligent people enjoy the learning process, and don’t mind when it continues beyond an expected time frame. 8. Cultivate a sense of purpose.​​ Dweck’s research also showed that those with a growth mindset had a greater sense of purpose. Keep the big picture in mind. 9. Celebrate growth with others. If you truly appreciate growth, you’ll want to share your progress with others. 10. Emphasize growth over speed. Learning fast isn’t the same as learning well, and learning well sometimes requires allowing time for mistakes. 11. Reward actions, not traits. Take a look around at your colleagues, your friends, coworkers, business partners and employees. When they’re doing something smart, not just being smart mention it to them. Tell them! Reward them with your words. 12. Redefine “genius.” The myth’s been busted: genius requires hard work, not talent alone. 13. Portray criticism as positive. You don’t have to use that hackneyed term, “constructive criticism,” but you do have to believe in the concept. 14. Disassociate improvement from failure. Stop assuming that “room for improvement” translates into failure. 15. Take regular opportunities for reflection. Reflect on your learning at least once a day. 16. Place effort before talent. Hard work should always be rewarded before inherent skill. 17. Highlight the relationship between learning and “brain training.” The brain is like a muscle that needs to be worked out, just like the body. 18. Cultivate grit. People with that extra bit of determination will be more likely to seek approval from themselves rather than others. 19. Abandon the image. “Naturally smart” sounds just about as believable as “spontaneous generation.” You won’t achieve the image if you’re not ready for the work. 20. Use the word “yet.” Dweck says “not yet” has become one of her favorite phrases. Whenever you see colleagues struggling with a task, just tell them they haven’t mastered it yet. 21. Learn from other people’s mistakes. It’s not always wise to compare yourself to others, but it is important to realize that humans share the same weaknesses. 22. Make a new goal for every goal accomplished. You’ll never be done learning. Just because your midterm exam is over doesn’t mean you should stop being interested in a subject. Growth-minded people know how to constantly create new goals to keep themselves stimulated. 23. Take risks in the company of others. Stop trying to save face all the time and just let yourself goof up now and then. It will make it easier to take risks in the future. 24. Think realistically about time and effort. It takes time to learn. Don’t expect to master every topic under the sun in one sitting. 25. Take ownership over your attitude. Once you develop a growth mindset, own it. Acknowledge yourself as someone who possesses a growth mentality and be proud to let it guide you throughout all your business endeavors. 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. Resource: https://www.opencolleges.edu.au/informed/features/develop-a-growth-mindset/ #failure #mindset #growth #smallbusiness

We are all familiar with the “F” word. It’s a dirty word, with a negative connotation. When we hear the “F” word, it evokes fear, sympathy and lots of questions. FAILURE! It’s the “F” word that we give a lot of power over our lives and our emotions. But why do we do that? Failure is a part of life. From business to personal accomplishments, we fail every day. How we respond to failure is the key. How you respond to failure, setbacks or the no’s in life...is a choice. Sometimes life feels like nothing can go right. One thing after another goes wrong, falls apart, doesn’t come to fruition...and you simply feel like a failure. Each and every one of us have been there; one, two and even three or more times. It’s the choice to be empowered by those failures and setbacks that creates success. Running a micro of small business is hard. It’s harder than working for someone else. Gone are the forty-hour weeks, especially in the first five years. You hustle and work harder than you ever have. But the joy comes in doing what you love. For Ensemble, the joy is making a difference in the businesses and the lives of the people who come through out door. Hundreds of people have come in and out of our space over the years. Some as members, others for classes, workshops or networking events. We approach each person we connect with the same way, with our mission at the forefront: growing businesses and investing in people through connections, collaboration and community. Back to the “F” word. Failure is a stepping stone to success. It’s all in how you choose to respond to it. Each failure or small fail is a step on the ladder to growth and what you want to achieve. Let failure empower you to find another path, pivot your product or services, adapt to a new way of thinking and keep pushing on. We are not encouraging you to work harder, but to let your failures empower you to work smarter. Learn from your mistakes. See the pitfalls as opportunities to improve and come out even stronger. Here are a few steps to empower you to grow through failure. Create a failure board. You can actually write out all of your failures on a whiteboard that is visible to you at all times. It can be cathartic also. You can snap a photo of it and erase it or keep it face forward to remind you to keep pushing on. You may find that you haven’t failed as much as you thought you did. You can also do this in a journal if you prefer. Write the lessons down. Writing out things releases them from your head and your heart. Our mind plays tricks on us, often telling us things that are incorrect. When you force yourself to write out what you learned from times of failure, it will flip the switch in your brain and allow you to be empowered by what you just learned instead of beaten down. Talk it out & be humble. These two items are tied together because one must be humble to share and discuss one’s failures. It’s never easy to talk about mistakes that you made. Be humble. Stay humble. Humility keeps your feet planted on the ground. By talking about your failure with others, you will give positive power to what you’ve gone through. You will empower not only yourself but others on what you did wrong and what you did right. Keep going. No matter the failure, you must keep going. Maybe the failure illuminated another passion or completely different path for you to take. Either way, you must keep going. Once you stop and do nothing, the getting started is really hard. Take in the failure. Process through it with the first three steps and then let it empower you to grow to the next step and then the next step. The next time you get a big ‘ole “F” - embrace it. Share it. Let it be your friend and let it be what propels you to the next level in life and in business. Remember these people who failed to success. #growth #failure #smallbusiness #success

The word “bossy” is linked to leadership. When a little boy asserts himself, he’s considered a leader. When a young girl asserts herself, she’s called bossy. This is not a thing of the past. This stereotype still exists today and leads to many young girls holding back their natural leadership talent from an early age. This trend leads into adulthood with fewer women stepping up and fosters a lack of confidence in young girls and women alike. The Ban Bossy campaign, founded by Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and backed by world renowned women leaders and luminaries, argues that from a young age, girls are trained to be quiet and submissive, and when they break these gender norms, they are often criticized, disliked, and called “bossy” — a word that can discourage girls from growing up to be leaders. The Center for Creative Leadership conducted research on the role of the word “bossy” in the workplace. After surveying 201 U.S. leaders, this is what they discovered: The term isn’t a synonym for assertiveness, or other positive executive leadership skills. Women are called bossy in the workplace more often than men are. Bossy coworkers are described as unpopular and unlikely to be successful in the future, and bossy women coworkers are seen as more unpopular and less successful compared to bossy men coworkers. When we look at bossy behaviors — without the label — men are just as likely as women to exhibit bossiness in the workplace. Acting bossy is related to being seen as less promotable by bosses for both men and women. However, the relationship was stronger for women. Altogether, our results show a consistent trend that bossiness in the workplace has negative consequences, and those consequences are particularly harsh for women. They found that 33% of women and 17% of men reported that they have received feedback that they are bossy at work. In other words, women were twice as likely to be branded as bossy in the workplace. Another way to look at the findings is: Being bossy is a sign of bad leadership. Bossy is not a synonym for positive executive leadership skills, such as assertiveness. Women are called bossy in the workplace more often than men. Women were twice as likely to be told they are bossy (33% of women, 17% of men). All bossy coworkers are described as unpopular and unlikely to be successful in the future, but bossy women are seen as less popular and less successful than bossy males. Women are twice as likely to be called bossy at work, but they are not more likely to act bossy. Men are just as likely as women to act bossy in the workplace. Supervisors view bossy women and men as less promotable. Because the relationship was stronger for women, the consequences of being bossy are more serious for women. Bossy = Bitch, First-hand experience from Tamara Payne, Founder of Ensemble Strike 1: I was born and raised in New Jersey. Strike 2: My mom was a tough cookie, bold, strong and assertive. I have many of her traits and characteristics. Strike 3: I am good at what I do, I know it and I do not hold back when I feel strongly about something. I own two businesses, both of which require strong leadership skills and the ability to manage various types of clients; from heavy involvement and strong hand holding to completely hands off and doing what I know is the right thing for the client. At times, clients push to do what they think is best when it comes to the marketing they hired me to perform. I listen intently, with a focus on the results they desire. I am assertive when necessary, especially when it comes to knowing what needs to be done. After all, that’s why they hired me. I am also a leader in the small business community. I have led multiple networking groups, for chambers of commerce, international organizations, national companies and on my own. I have been an organizer for startup events, mentored over one hundred micro and small business owners, and developed and executed small to large scale events. I feel that I am respected in the community for my marketing knowledge and experience (20+ years), small business ownership (18 years), and community building (16 years). However, as I have sat in committee meetings, big and small, where everyone is invited to share and give input, I am hesitant to share freely for fear of being perceived as bossy, and even a bitch sometimes. I can think of several situations when I shared my thoughts on how something was being mishandled or gave a different point of view. When I did, the men in the room sat back in their chairs, tilted their heads and stared at me as if to say “who do you think you are?” The information I shared was valuable and actually correct but when I assert myself in most situations where men are the majority, I get that same look or reaction. Quite frankly, the negative effects of asserting myself and getting that reaction is long term. All it takes is a few people (mostly men) to say that I am a bitch (when I’m really just being a leader) and then I’ve got that reputation. The word bossy is synonymous with bitch when it comes to women in business. It’s negative and leaves a mark on women like me. It causes me to hesitate in sharing my thoughts and my expertise when I’m in certain situations because I don’t want to be perceived as a bitch. The hard part is that it's difficult to judge the crowd and know when it's okay to be yourself. Even men I've known for some time, with good hearts and good intentions, act poorly when myself or another women with leadership skills assert themselves in a meeting. I don't think they mean to do it. To reference the survey that was conducted by the Center for Creative Leadership, women are called bossy in the workplace more often than men. Women were twice as likely to be told they are bossy (33% of women, 17% of men). This applies to the entrepreneurial world as well. This is a reality, and still exists today no matter how far we have come. I am not complaining but I want to bring awareness to this so men can be more observant of their own behavior. This is a learned behavior, from the everyday happenings of our world, what we see on television, it's picked up unconsciously and has been happening for hundreds of years. Next time you hear someone call a woman bossy or a bitch because she is a strong leader, who stands up for what she believes in, who leads from strength and knowledge, speak up - stand up for her, for me, for women! #banbossy Ensemble is a collaborative business community and coworking space with multiple locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. 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. #women #womeninbusiness #herstory #entrepreneur #smallbusiness #boss

It was once a man’s world. 2018 was the year of the woman. All statements that we’ve heard or read in the last year or so. March is Women’s History Month and so we are revisiting these statements as they pertain to the importance of this month. Women's History Month commemorates and encourages the study, observance and celebration of the vital role of women in American history. Women have made a tremendous impact in the world we live in. Not just in recent decades but hundreds of years of impact. From science to music, education to technology, HERstory is woven into America’s rich past, today’s vibrant society and tomorrow’s innovation. Rich Past Medicine: “If society will not admit of woman’s free development, then society must be remodeled.” - Elizabeth Blackwell Elizabeth Blackwell requested admission to a number of medical schools only to be rejected over and over again. Some of the letters stated that Ms. Blackwell was “intellectually inferior.” She was eventually accepted to Geneva Medical College, graduated first in her class and became the first female doctor in America. She went on to create a medical school for women. A grand visionary who created opportunities for female physicians of the future, Blackwell published several books over the course of her career, including her 1895 autobiography Pioneer Work in Opening the Medical Profession to Women. Music: "Only a few of the many women [songwriters] in America had their music published and heard during the late 19th and early 20th centuries."[6] According to Richard A. Reublin and Richard G. Beil, the "lack of mention of women [songwriters] is a glaring and embarrassing omission in our musical heritage. War More than 400 women disguised themselves as men and fought in the Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War. During the Civil War, however, American women turned their attention to the world outside the home. Thousands of women in the North and South joined volunteer brigades and signed up to work as nurses. It was the first time in American history that women played a significant role in a war effort. By the end of the war, these experiences had expanded many Americans’ definitions of “true womanhood.” Today’s Vibrant Society The role of women in the United States has changed dramatically over the past few decades. More women have taken on responsibilities outside the home than in the home. According to a 2017 U.S. Department of Labor Blog: There are 74.6 million women in the civilian labor force. Almost 47 percent of U.S. workers are women. More than 39 percent of women work in occupations where women make up at least three-quarters of the workforce. Women own close to 10 million businesses, accounting for $1.4 trillion in receipts. Female veterans tend to continue their service in the labor force: About 3 out of 10 serve their country as government workers. Seventy percent of mothers with children under 18 participate in the labor force, with over 75 percent employed full-time. Mothers are the primary or sole earners for 40 percent of households with children under 18 today, compared with 11 percent in 1960. Women are also stepping up to lead the country; a record number of women ran for public office in 2018, and a record-high percentage of women are serving in Congress. In addition to making progress on issues of economics and leadership, women have made progress on health issues, which impact women’s personal well-being, as well as their economic security. One only need to hear the words “me too” to feel the impact of women’s voices in today’s society. Me too is more than bringing about awareness of the hideous sexual harassment women have endured for decades. It has blossomed into giving women a rightful voice in creating gender equality in America and the world. From equal pay to an equal voice, women are demanding to be valued for their knowledge and their incredible contributions to society. Despite women’s advancements, however, substantial inequalities remain. Although an increasing number of women are either the sole breadwinner for their family or share the role with their partners, women in the United States are paid only 77 cents for every dollar a man makes. The pay gap is even larger for women of color. On average, African American women make 64 cents for every dollar that white men make. Tomorrow’s Innovation Because of the conversations of today, the women of tomorrow will have more opportunities, chances to be equal, to be seen on the same level. Most importantly, they will be empowered to stand up for themselves and for each other from the beginning. Women and men are lifting women to higher levels today which will open the door for incredible innovation tomorrow. We see an America with gender parity. We see tomorrow as a better today. At Ensemble, we are each a part of the whole. Together we make beautiful music, impactful businesses and authentic connections. Celebrate International Women’s Day with Ensemble on Friday, March 8th from 9 - 10:30 for Coffee Talk, Create Balance for Better. This is an inclusive conversation about most the common ways gender bias plays out in the entrepreneurial world and create action items to help create gender balance. More information HERE. Ensemble is a collaborative business community and coworking space located just minutes from downtown Ft. Worth in the popular Near Southside. We offer busy entrepreneurs, small businesses and remote workers a warm and welcoming place to be productive. #women #womeninbusiness #collaboratin #herstory

For some, when they hear collaboration, they don’t really know what that means or more importantly, how to make it happen. Collaborative thinking is a different process than thinking solely about уоur work for yourself. Collaborative thinking is аn interactive process that involves a higher lеvеl оf communication and a mindset that іѕ different than working alone. Collaboration is when individuals or groups work together, combining their strengths and negating weaknesses to accomplish a set of goals as quoted by Steven Dale in a 2012 blog (stevendale.com). This is a powerful statement because of this portion: “combining their strengths and negating weaknesses.” If only we would leverage the strengths of each other, we could negate all of our weaknesses. That is collaboration in a nutshell. Here are a few tips to consider when you set out to collaborate. - Opportunities to collaborate are all around. They start with an idea, a project, a goal that you want to accomplish, and a desire to seek collaboration from someone, even if you don’t know who that is. - To really make the project succeed, incorporate masterminding principle and techniques. There is a ton of information online. Just Google mastermind principles. - Take a look at the project objectives and the necessary skills to make the project most successful. Analyze what skills you bring to the project that are strongest and which ones in which you need help. - Open up your rolodex (contacts), to see who you know that has strengths, skills or specializes in the area(s) that you are weakest. Utilize the ѕkіllѕ that аrе specific to that person. Recognize each person's аrеа оf expertise and bе willing to ѕіt bасk and let the other реrѕоn ѕhіnе іn their unique way. Trust іѕ the kеу. - Reach out. Text. Call. Email. Ask for their collaboration on a project BUT...before you do…(see #6) - Determine how much time you think you will need from them and be very clear on what you need. Be clear on whether or not they will benefit on the collaboration as well. If not, then you are asking for FREE help from someone who might get paid for the same skill. **STOP** A note about picking someone’s brain or asking for a little advice. More often than not when someone does this, the help being sought crosses the line into consulting or training or simply doing for free what others pay them to do. Be careful here. Many a relationship has been ruined because we say, can I pick your brain. Our knowledge and experiences are special, proprietary and should be handled with care. Guard what you know like a mother bear guards her cubs. Value your knowledge and charge what you’re worth. - Be sure of your collective objectives when you start. Have a specific vision or common outcome that you share. Having уоur own, separate agenda will undеrmіnе, and еvеn ѕаbоtаgе, уоur collaborative effort. It must be a mutually beneficial outcome. - Unconditionally ассерt the other person's ѕkіllѕ and methods of working. Do nоt expect your collaborator tо work the same way as уоu do. It will саuѕе a situation оf constant frісtіоn and tеnѕіоn. Park уоur ego аt the door. - If the project is ongoing, you might dеvеlор a contract with еасh other that can bе notarized. Bе ѕресіfіс about monetary and time commitments and the dіvіѕіоn оf bеnеfіtѕ from the рrоjесt. - Liking the реrѕоn уоu are working with first really energizes your рrоjесt. If уоur collaborative relationship іѕ built оn friendship, mutual rеѕресt, trust and lоtѕ оf humor, the work wіll bе effortless and fruitful. The most important factor when collaborating is to communicate consistently and openly. Dо not bе аfrаіd tо express уоur feelings, doubts or concerns, but dо nоt bесоmе lost іn them either. Kеер the lіnеѕ оf communication ореn and equal between collaborators. At the ѕаmе tіmе, recognize іf уоu аrе colluding with еасh other іn any fеаrѕ that уоu may have. Getting "stuck together" in уоur doubts wіll steal energy from уоur project because when you collaborate, a new energy is created and you want to keep that energy positive. Ensemble is a collaborative business community and coworking space located just minutes from downtown Ft. Worth in the popular Near Southside. We offer busy entrepreneurs, small businesses and remote workers a warm and welcoming place to be productive. #collaboration #skills #productivity

Working Alone Sucks! Let’s be honest. We aren’t always as productive as we should be and we allow silly things to distract us. It’s just human behavior. Personal discipline only gets us so far! As an owner of 2 micro businesses with only one employee, I know all too well how easy it is to let myself off the hook, push tasks to another day, only to find myself at the of the week wondering what I’ve actually completed. Here’s what I’ve noticed about the “getting stuff done” work style. This is from personal experience, reading about successful business leaders, and from watching firsthand the productivity of group working at Ensemble. When I sit in the same room as someone else who is also working, head down and really focused on a project, I feel more motivated to do the same. When I sit at the same work table or at the adjacent desk, I feel even more motivated. It’s an energy and accountability thing. Seriously. The positive energy is contagious and makes me want to get work done even more. The accountability comes in when I see someone working hard, not playing on their phone or Facebook, then I feel like I should be doing the same. I don’t want to be the one goofing off. Getting stuff done in a group can be even more effective. When four or more people come around a table with the sole focus of finishing a project, it happens. By working in groups for a specific amount of time, people are energized and motivated to keep their head down and finish up tasks. Be More Productive at the Monthly Work Sprint To help you be more productive, Ensemble is now hosting a monthly Work Sprint, with more to launch in March. A Work Sprint is a highly effective way to focus, get a lot of work done, and actually enjoy it. While you can do a Work Sprint all by yourself, you’re much better off with at least two to three other people working along with you to keep you focused and on task. In this group work concept you will be surrounded by other professionals who are also working hard to accomplish a task. Work Sprint Bonus: connect with like-minded business people that need know you and what you do. How does it work? Over 3 hours, you will experience 3 work sprints along with breaks to stretch, grab a snack and refresh. Everyone in attendance introduces themselves and shares a project or task they are working on. Then it’s all about heads down and getting it done. At the end, you’re invited to share your accomplishment and experience. Work Sprints are held monthly on the 1st Wednesday from 1:30 - 4:30 to help you kickoff your month in a powerful way. ONLY 20 seats! | Members: FREE | Guests: $10 Fee includes facilitation, snacks, water and connections and... Guests who register to attend a Work Sprint have ALL day access to work in open coworking for FREE!! That's right...a FREE DAY PASS! So now that you see the value in a Work Sprint, make sure you prepare properly and get your seat for one of our upcoming Work Sprints. Ensemble's Eventbrite page. How to prepare for a Work Sprint: Choose 2 – 3 specific projects or tasks that need to get accomplished. Social Media scheduling Financials Proposals Website updating Bring all the necessary items to work on the task(s). Computer Paper files, if needed Pen, notebook, etc. Other things to bring: Business cards Water bottle, if preferred (we have infused water) Snack of your choice (we will provide a few small snacks) A great attitude Tasks to NOT do during a Work Sprint: Phone calls Any type of meeting Arts and crafts or building something Ensemble is a collaborative business community and coworking space located just minutes from downtown Ft. Worth in the eclectic Near Southside. We offer busy entrepreneurs, small businesses and remote workers a warm and welcoming place to be productive. #productivity #worksprint #getstuffdone #workgroup #worksmart #collaboration