You know that yucky feeling you get when you see something that has so much “build-up” that you just want to wash it all away?  Whether it’s the way you feel about your hair being coated in product or your brain jammed full with daily to-do’s or not knowing what’s in your bag, I am sure you’ve had this feeling before. 

There is so much going on that you don’t even know what to keep and what to get rid of unless you just dump it all on the table.

The same thing happens to our business after running it for some time.  Conducting a business detox by removing all the build-up can bring in so many new business opportunities without actually starting anything new. 

Imagine being free from the anxious thoughts of having to offer something new or to try new marketing to gain more traction.  You just need to detox your business first by eliminating stagnant areas, which will allow things to run smoothly & effortlessly.

This is, by far, the most underrated, low-hanging fruit when it comes to business transformation strategies.

Visualize a gem covered with thick mud and clay that gets purified with fresh, clear water, revealing its true form.  That can be your business!

If your business is in the season of growth and expansion, what you don’t want to do is to amplify your mess.  Many entrepreneurs tend to focus more on adding things to their businesses over subtracting time-wasting activities, and that’s not a way to go.  For more on how to find out whether your business is “scale-ready,” check out my previous post here.

“Oh gosh! Right, I’m ready to detox my business!  Where should I start?”

Glad you are game. But hold your horses for just a minute.  Here, I am going to unearth this one crucial step business owners tend to overlook.  It’s possibly because it’s not often discussed in the business community.  Can you guess what that is?

I’ll give you a hint: This has nothing to do with the actual detox. There is something that must be done before starting the detox.  Because I realized many capable entrepreneurs are unaware of this step, I have created an audio-guided program as a gift called, “10 Days of Alignment.”  (link to the cover page) You can find details later in this post.

Are you ready to discover the one crucial step?  Let’s begin!

Do You Like What You See?

My guess is that you are reading this because you want to overhaul your business, or you know your business can perform a lot better (but that’s not what’s happening right now).  In other words, you don’t quite like what you see right in front of you.  Am I right?

In this case, I welcome you with open arms!  I have gone through the same situation a few times over, and I have also helped many businesses go through similar challenges.  I am confident that this post will help you gain a new perspective on your business.

Here is the thing: You often hear some business owners say, "My business is my baby!" to say that she or he knows best about her or his business. Let me be blunt here. Your business is not your baby.  And if I may be so bold, I want to let you know that this is one of my pet peeves.

It’s because this belief (that your business is your baby) prevents you from being objective with what’s happening with your business.  After many years of consulting, this is what I offer as an alternative statement:

Your Business is a Direct Reflection of Who You Are.

Both good and bad.  Now here is the question I want you to ask yourself.  This is the one that I ask regularly to keep myself in check & this is one of those drop-the-mic questions/statements:

"What if what you see in front of you is the world YOU are actively creating and that this is the direct reflection of... who you are?"

This question had and still has a profound impact on the way I think about my performance as a business owner.  To be 100% honest, when this question entered my life, it... pissed me off, because it shed a light on the area that I wanted to keep untouched.

What is your immediate reaction to this question?  Take a minute and really give it a thought. 

If this upsets you even slightly as it did for me, then we are making progress. 

Every time I am tempted to vent about my business, this question gives me a chance to reframe the situation I am in.  It is a great little trick that keeps me from blaming things other than my actions and my decisions.

You want a change. You have desires. You have goals. You have something special that comes easily to you, but not to others, that you can help them with.

But are you taking responsibilities for what’s happening with your business? 

It's easy to blame external factors, i.e. your ungrateful employees, bad economy, ruthless competitors, your family being skeptical about what you do, people not taking you seriously, unfit clients who demand the world, social media being too crowded & noisy, or a lack of opportunities.  The list goes on...forever.

But what if external factors have absolutely nothing to do with the way you think or feel about what’s happening to your business?

I know.  This is tough, isn’t it?

As tempting as it is to just look away, don’t.  You can do this because you aren’t alone.  Not only that, you are way ahead of the game by just accepting what you see now is the direct result of what you created.  Most entrepreneurs are unaware of this, and their solution is to hustle & grind their way out. This just doesn’t work.

I, myself, had to come to terms with this question, and I had to analyze the kind of change I needed to make in order to start creating the new world; the world I want to see.

You see, as entrepreneurs, we are all too eager to jump on tactics and strategies to “fix” the problem we experience in our business.  What I am offering here is a healthy dose of self-reflection as the first step towards conducting a business detox.

So, let me ask, are you ready to override the current situation and start creating the world you want to see?  I hope your answer is a big “YES!”

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www.maikosakai.com

It Starts & Ends with YOU: Prime Your Brain & Prime Your Domain

The reason I dislike the commonly used expression, “My business is my baby,” is the high level of personal & emotional attachment associated with this statement.  By default, it undermines one’s ability to make sound business decisions if the thought of “I know my business best” gets in the way as a form of resistance every time. 

Think about it.  You love your business so unconditionally that you are willing to dismiss flaws and misbehavior as “charming characteristics” even if it is hurting itself.  Does that make sense to you?  To me, it resembles unhealthy relationships.

“Are you saying I shouldn’t care about my business?”

No. That’s not what I am suggesting at all.  Instead, what I am suggesting is to look at it more objectively from the intention of serving your customers’ needs, as opposed to fulfilling your own needs.  If you do that, making changes will come naturally to you. 

This is because you are consciously choosing “values your business can provide to your customers” over “what you think your business should be.”

If you feel like everything takes twice as long, and you are on the verge of a melt-down with all that is going on with your business, the first thing & the best thing you can do is to reframe the way you look at the current situation so that you don’t get on the grind & hustle train blindly.

This process is what I call, “prime your brain & prime your domain.” 

You will reframe your thinking from:

“I don’t understand why this is happening to me. I work so hard for it.” (Transferring your responsibilities to something else.)

To:

“I know I am the reason for the situation I am in & I will reframe my thoughts to seek new possibilities.” (Proactively changing the way you think.)

Once you make this mindset shift, you can prime your domain that includes:

1.     Your message about what your business offers

2.     Your website

3.     Your business profiles on social media platforms

This shift allows you to show up differently each day.  Soon you will take notice of any areas of stagnation or disconnect in your business that you may not have noticed before.

Here is a little surprise: By priming your brain & your domain, you are already on the path to a business detox, while many just skip this part and dive right into busy work involving tactics and strategies to change the course of their businesses.

But… I Don’t Know What to Do Next (I Got You Covered!)

I wish I could tell you that this step is like flipping a light switch, but I can’t.  On rare occasions, I’ve seen some who were able to make this mindset shift almost instantaneously.  What they will tell you though, is that the process requires small & consistent daily steps to get the maximum result. 

Just like you, I am also in the business of providing values and solutions to business challenges.  After seeing many creative entrepreneurs struggle with their genuine effort to grow their business, I decided to create a mini-program called “10 Days of Alignment Practice” that is:

• Easy to stick with

• Simple and repeatable

• Effective in priming your mindset for the new chapter in your business

This is a gift.  Only thing I ask for is your email address so that you will receive daily notifications for 10 days.  My reason for not charging for this program is quite simple:

In my business, I provide business & management strategies for CEOs and founders.  This may be obvious, but I have a tool box full of strategies I can give you RIGHT NOW.  Often, though, what I find is many aren’t quite ready to implement those strategies because they have not yet primed their brain.

This was a compelling challenge for me to solve because I want to help entrepreneurs just like you get strategies they need when they are ready to dive in.  To be honest, I am kicking myself for not doing this sooner, because, too many times, I found myself doing the prep work of priming my clients, which isn’t part of my core offerings.

This is the reason this program is offered as a gift.  This is NOT a tripwire, a lead magnet or click-bait.  My sole intention was to create a tool that is long-lasting and effective, as opposed to providing quick fixes or band aids that will not get you the results you are looking for.

From here, you can decide whether you want to work with me to further develop your skills as a versatile & resilient entrepreneur.  The choice is yours.

How This Works

10 Days of Alignment is an audio program to guide you through the process of opening up your mind to new possibilities.  By the end of the program, you will develop a new thought pattern that unlocks the key to a massive business transformation.

Once you sign up, you will receive an email from me each day with the link to an audio file.  You can listen to it right there by clicking the link, or you can download the file on your device to listen to at a later time.

There's a theme for each day, and the only thing you need to do is one assignment, which I will present to you at the end of each audio file.

You may want to have a pen & notebook handy in case you want to document ideas while you listen. Don’t be surprised at the number of thoughts and ideas that will start flowing out of you naturally.  This program is intentionally designed to foster a creative environment free of judgement.

Here is what you should expect:

The first 5 days are all about rediscovering what you already know deep within.  During these 5 days, you will gradually transition yourself into a new level of thinking.

The next 5 days are dedicated to accelerating the alignment process by defining & refining your vision for your business.

I realize I am not revealing too much here. I chose not to include the outline for these 10 days in order to prevent any biased thought, which may stem from skepticism, resistance, or fear.  This is intentional.

To get the full effect from this practice, I would like you to just trust the system without knowing what the theme is for the day. I'll be there with you every step of the way.

Once again, this is a gift from me to you in a most genuine manner (that I can possibly think of at this moment).  There is nothing to lose.  Sign up by using the below form to get started with the journey you’ve always longed for.