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According to a Persian Proverb, you should "Use your enemy's hand to catch a snake." While I bet you aren't too worried about snake catching, it is a reminder that your enemies (AKA your critics) can be useful.

With this in mind, I just read "Bright-sided: How the relentless promotion of positive thinking has undermined America" by Barbara Ehrenreich. I heard the book slams Life Coaches and I decided it was important for me to know what she has to say.  I actually enjoyed much of the book. She is smart and has a dry humor that made her somewhat grim perspective palpable.

As a breast cancer survivor who couldn't tolerate the pink ribbons and positive spin on cancer, Barbara offers her critique through a very personal lens.

She will be happy to know that I agree with her on a few points. Positive thinking, without also acknowledging feelings and understanding reality, can be delusional. And I do believe that as a country, we have over-reached economically and ended up in a very unsustainable position.

Where she goes wrong is in lumping all Life Coaches into a big messy New Age pile and assuming we all use magical thinking (affirmations) and our only tool is positivity.

Reading this book helped me understand some of the misconceptions people might have about my industry and also clarify how I am different than some of my colleagues.

Who are your critics? What are people most confused about when it comes to your products or service? Don't be afraid to reach out and grab your enemy's hand...you might just catch something useful!


Savannah Mayfield is the mama to two boys and a Life Coach and Massage Therapist for women. She is passionate about inspiring women to greater clarity and positive change in their lives. For more information, visit Nurture Life Coaching.

Do you ever get those moments when inspiration hits you, you're someplace completely inconvenient, and yet you know - you know - you must either act on that flash of brilliance, or at the very least, jot it down before it escapes your tired, frazzled, over-worked mom entrepreneur mind?

That was my entire week last week. Little flashes. I'd be in the kitchen making dinner. BOOM. I'd be with the kids at the bookstore. FLASH. I was on a phone call with a client and TA-DA! A vision of an answer to a question I had been asking for weeks popped into my mind. And just now, I was in bed (before midnight!), ready to turn in & start the week fresh. But then it hit. Another flash.

These flashes may not always bring about ease to your business. There were some I endured over the past week that, while I know lead me to make some of the smartest decisions I've made in recent months, also lead to difficult situations. Some could have been avoided had I listened to and acted on previous flashes.

So why don't we always act on these flashes, these moments of awakening and clarity? For me, I've realized I sometimes freeze up in moments of pause, in fear; I paralyze myself with self-doubt and sabatoge my possibilities. I gravitate toward the easy route of being a people-pleaser, a fixer; but when I try to make everyone else happy, I'm usually left standing alone and miserable.

The only person to ever hold you back, truly, is yourself. Life is as difficult as you make it. No one can "make" you feel a certain way or make you believe in an idea - only you hold that kind of power. And only you have the power to thrust yourself forward, to catapult your ideas from thought to paper to discussion into action and into reality.

You are the only gatekeeper between you and your success, between you and your happiness. This was the flash I had tonight, and I just wanted to share. While I'm a very happy person, I stand in my own way quite a bit, and I think it's about time to stop that nonsense once and for all.

This is my time. This is my life. This is my dream. No one else can take credit, and no one else is to blame. So I'm going to go for it. How about you?

Marlynn Jayme Schotland is the Founder/President of The Power MOB, Principal of Urban Bliss, LLC, and Editor of Urban Bliss Life. She lives in Portland, OR with her two young children, ages 3 and 6. Follow her on Twitter @designmama.

I've been waiting for this day. A  work-at-home mom for almost three years, I have figured out, same as as many of you, how to cram a day's worth of work into two short hours of preschool.

But next Tuesday my little boy starts all-day kindergarten at a German immersion school that begins at 8 a.m. and ends at 3 p.m. M-Th, with an early release on Friday. I'll have five extra hours to devote to myself and my business, with some left over.

Let's see, organize the office? Take a run? Fix up the web site? I'm almost shivering in anticipation. But some things will be different. I've figured out how to work in the midst of SpongeBob Squarepants, a whining dog, and the sound of a fierce battle for galactic supremacy going on in my basement. I can talk to clients around requests for chocolate milk, peanut butter and jelly, and trips to the park. Whatever will I do with the silence?

Part of me is afraid I will see this portal of extra time and fill it up too much, too fast. I need some boundaries, as crazy as it sounds. Any suggestions?

Along with MANY of you Mobsters, summer for this mama is faaaar from lazy. I go from a mom of two running two businesses while her children are in school to a mom of two running two businesses while her children are at home (or possibly at work with me).

To be blunt, this summer has really sucked so far. After many therapy sessions with Dr. Gin & Tonic on the front porch after the wee ones are put to bed, I still haven’t nailed down the cause of this colossal suckiness. I cannot determine whether after 11 years of being self-employed and carrying the household “kid” load of the summer breaks, spring breaks, winter breaks and every holiday PPS deems necessary to throw at me in between “breaks” I have finally hit my limit. Or maybe it is because this summer I was forced to say goodbye to two friends (both mamas of small children) who unfortunately left this planet way before they should have. Or maybe it is the fact that Portland has been so menopausal, shifting between cranky mood swings and mega-hot flashes and can’t seem to regulate a normal body temperature, leaving us all heat-slapped and exhausted. Then again, maybe it is because I have turned into human duct tape while two of my most fabulous teachers decided to give birth just two months apart (they work in the same classroom, and for the record I completely adore them).

All of this occurring, while I held my breath as my sweet children have turned into devilish, forked-tongued bicker-bots who seem to forget that we have 2000 square feet of living space to occupy, and would rather plant themselves not more than three feet from me at all times. Nope, not really sure why.

In past years, I have enjoyed this time and embrace the challenge of the summer balancing act. This summer has been very, very tough for this normally super-positive mama. I have had an extremely overwhelming/emotional/suffocating/stress-filled/no-time-for-mama summer and have experienced some pretty low lows. This mama is ready to stick a massive fork into this summer and welcome fall with a ticker-tape parade complete with floats, marching bands and maybe even a baton twirl or two. Who is with me?

I was reminded yesterday after a call about some writing (that could have left me deflated) that with every step forward there are times where you take two back (sometimes those two feel like five, I know).

As business owners, our identities are closely tied to the product or service that we sell. I am often surprised when I see a business owner complaining on Facebook about "having to go to work" with an overtone of dread or even openly criticizing a customer or colleague. 

When do I need to trademark a name or process I have created?  How do I do this?

 

A trademark is a mark (name, word, phrase, symbol, etc) that is used to indicate that the associated product or service has originated from your company. Therefore, trademarks are critical components of any company’s brand. Once you begin using a given mark on your products or services you are creating your trademark and you will have certain limited rights to protect that mark. In order to broaden those rights and enhance your ability to protect your mark, you need to register it. You may register with either the state or federal government. Where you register depends upon the geographic expanse of your market. Click here for more information.

 

To register with the State, you will need to contact the Secretary of State and fill out an application and provide any supporting documentation requested. For Federal registration, you may begin the application process at www.uspto.gov.

 

 

When do I need to formally copyright something I've written?  How do I do this?

 

Copyrights indicate a bundle of rights that give the owner the sole right to reproduce, copy, sell, or distribute a copyrighted work. You may have copyrights in any expression of an idea that you have recorded in some tangible format such as by writing it down, or recording your performance. You do not have to register your copyrights in order to have those rights. However, registration will enhance your ability to protect those rights. Click here for more information.

 

To register a copyright, visit the US Copyright Office at www.copyright.gov.

Thanks for the questions and keep them coming by sending them to: AskQuestion@SarahAdamsLaw.com. I will answer questions in the order received and post them here on this blog and on my website at www.SarahAdamsLaw.com.

When do I need to trademark a name or process I have created?  How do I do this?

 

A trademark is a mark (name, word, phrase, symbol, etc) that is used to indicate that the associated product or service has originated from your company. Therefore, trademarks are critical components of any company’s brand. Once you begin using a given mark on your products or services you are creating your trademark and you will have certain limited rights to protect that mark. In order to broaden those rights and enhance your ability to protect your mark, you need to register it. You may register with either the state or federal government. Where you register depends upon the geographic expanse of your market. Click here for more information.

 

To register with the State, you will need to contact the Secretary of State and fill out an application and provide any supporting documentation requested. For Federal registration, you may begin the application process at www.uspto.gov.

 

 

When do I need to formally copyright something I've written?  How do I do this?

 

Copyrights indicate a bundle of rights that give the owner the sole right to reproduce, copy, sell, or distribute a copyrighted work. You may have copyrights in any expression of an idea that you have recorded in some tangible format such as by writing it down, or recording your performance. You do not have to register your copyrights in order to have those rights. However, registration will enhance your ability to protect those rights. Click here for more information.

 

To register a copyright, visit the US Copyright Office at www.copyright.gov.

Thanks for the questions and keep them coming by sending them to: AskQuestion@SarahAdamsLaw.com. I will answer questions in the order received and post them here on this blog and on my website at www.SarahAdamsLaw.com.

Happy World Breastfeeding Week! In Portland, if you're a nursing mom, you can participate in the Big Latch On this Friday, August 6th: efforts to break the world record for the most women breastfeeding simultaneously. Events start at 10:30am.

Check out participating Power MOB member locations:
Milagros Boutique
Zenana Spa & Wellness Center
Grandma Leeth's Restaurant
Mother Tree Birth

Also be sure to check out Big Latch On sponsors who are Power MOB members:
Parenthood Academy
Hoot-N-Annie
Baby Boot Camp - Portland
Mindful Parenting

In order to better serve all you MOBsters I'd like to get to know you better and answer your burning questions about general business law and estate planning, or any legal questions you have at all! This blog series will now do that.

How it works: You send me your questions to AskQuestion@SarahAdamsLaw.com and I will answer them in the order received. I will turn your question into a blog post (keeping your identity generic, of course) and respond by email to let you know that your question has been answered. You will also be able to visit my website (www.SarahAdamsLaw.com) to see additional questions that I answer there. Thanks for playing!

Disclaimer: Keep in mind that any questions I answer are intended as general information to raise some issues for you to discuss with your own lawyer and do not constitute specific legal advice. Therefore, such communication does not create an attorney-client relationship. It is always best to consult an attorney in your state if you want a specific question answered. End disclaimer.

So,  if you have any questions that you'd like answered,  please feel, free to email them to me at AskQuestion@SarahAdamsLaw.com. I will, respond by email and turn your question into a blog post (keeping your identity generic, of course). Thanks for playing!

Cheers to your family's health & prosperity.