Article first published as Sandy Crushed Me on Technorati.

Recently my business-sense was thrown for a loop. I had a discussion with a colleague about marketing efforts and how frustrated she was that she wasn’t seeing the increase in sales that she desired.

Accountability Cop-Out

Hiding behind natural consequences

What it is

Lying about your role in the mistake your child made.  It’s also known as weaseling out of something to avoid blame.  Parents cop-out when they hide behind tough love and natural consequences.

Natural Consequence

Without Interference

The natural benefit directly received by a kid because of something she did or didn’t do.

Tory Burch launched her brand from relatively humble beginings.  While working in the fashion industry, she created an "image book". She explained her "start up process" during a ecent interview with Rock Center's Brian Williams. According to Rock Center: 

I was having a discussion with a long-time friend and one of my favorite people in the world this week. She was telling me about completing her accreditation as a personal trainer and was in the process of deciding which course to enroll in next.

Interviewing is daunting enough without the added burden of wanting a flexible schedule - working from home either FT or PT, etc.  When companies advertise, many do not hang a NEON sign that says "come work for us.  You can work from home".  At least not right away.

So how do you handle the job search process when you know - up front - that you need a flexible work arrangement?

Network.

The balancing act - every mother’s nightmare. Many days we feel like circus jugglers with more plates in the air than we can possibly handle. Over the years, however, I’ve learned a few secrets that help me keep things in perspective:

Keep God First

In Matthew 6:33 we’re told to seek God’s kingdom above all else. Like the apostle Peter who saw Jesus walking on water and asked to join him - as soon as we take our eyes off of Christ and begin to doubt, we sink.

Avoid Debate Bait - When you’re explaining, you’re losing

What is debate Bait?  Intentionally triggering an emotional reaction in another person to avoid answering a question or to control the argument. 

Mulligan

Rewind and Try Again

What it is:  Golf slang for a do-over.  It's rewinding to the point at which things went south.

Why it's Important:  It takes time to change old habits.  Communicating with powerful influence vs. forceful control means you'll need a graceful way start over when old habits sneak in.

Confession: Why do I always over commit? When will I learn my
lesson? When I worked in my employer’s NY office I was so guilty of this. My
manager would come to me on a Monday morning with an innocent request, like
“When do you think you can have Project XYZ complete?”(Isn’t he kind? I’ve
worked for some who would not ask but demand