Women Leaders and Latina Leaders Follow Your GUT

A coach came to visit my office she kept asking HOW? HOW? HOW?

How will I achieve my BIG, Bodacious, OVER THE TOP Goal?

Maybe you keep asking yourself....over and over. 

• How will I achieve success?
• How will I close the deal?
• How will I manage the kids, the career, the relationships, the stress?
• How will I create the stepping stones to where I want to go?

WHO CARES HOW ---- thinking that way will only drive you crazy and to higher levels of stress

What matters is WHAT!  

• What do you want?
• What will the deal look like when it closes?
• What will the kids be like when they grow up?
• What rewards will you receive because of your career success?
• What do your relationships look like?
• What does living stress free look like?
• What does success look like? 
• What makes you smile, giggle, and enjoy life?

Get really specific. FOCUS on the what and the rest will follow. 

 Follow Your GUT

Get a grip on reality.   

You are powerful and have achieved much in your life. You know deep down that you have so much. So much experience and so much knowledge to share. What you see around you may not necessarily be the truth.  The TRUTH is what you want to do. The TRUTH is what you feel great about, happy about and joyous about. 

Don't get caught up in what others are doing, or receiving or achieving. You might see others passing you by, being promoted and cheered. Your perception may be wrong.  The employee might be placed in the new position so they can be put out to pasture or fired faster. 

Business may look like it is booming for others and not you ... until you check their accounts you don't know the truth (even then you don't know). Keep your eyes on your own life, see what you want for yourself and act on that. 

 You have what it takes.  Go after THE WHAT and win.  If you think "This is made for me. Then it HAS to be  yours." Then you will joyfully go after it.

Use your talents, leverage, connections and knowledge.  

There is no better way to market your abilities than to ask the people around for guidance, business and introductions. Know all the diamonds that you have within in you. The talents - the way you do what you do. Too often people discount what comes so easy.  I find it easy to promote and market.  I just do it and love it. For other people it is a chore.  Tamara is brilliant at keeping tasks moving forward. She is a master at doing what needs to be done "NEXT" you will hear her say. It is easy.  Both of us take it for granted until someone points it out to us.  We get to use our talents for good. 

We all know many people. People we can help and who can guide us. People we can offer our services to and people who can influence decisions being made about us. We have to use our talents, connections and knowledge to build the life we want.

Take the time to visualize every detail of what you want

Harder than you think. The blockages to your visualization may occur because you may not feel worthy of what you say you want. (Take this from me. Had to work through this one.) Do it anyway.  Start out with five minutes (two if that is all you can do) work your way up to 30 minutes. Live the life you want NOW by visualizing what you want. This is the work you must do so that the HOW just appears. You will know what to do because you SEE it clearly, everyday.

  Follow Your GUT the HOW will follow

Lessons from Les Brown, Zig Ziglar , Harvey Mckay, Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hanson & Bill Clinton

"I had no idea that being your authentic self could make me as rich as I've become. If I had, I'd have done it a lot earlier." -Oprah Winfrey

Les Brown, Zig Ziglar , Harvey Mckay, Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hanson &Bill Clinton are all men who would be described as confident, bold, courageous and charismatic. Most people would not call them authentic... except they are very much true to who they are.

Authentic as defined by  Merriam-Webster dictionary means true to one's own personality, spirit, or character.  

Being your true personality and character takes courage,  patience and tenacity.  Looking at my pictures you can see that as I've grown my business I grew into my authentic self.  Each year I gained more awareness, more confidence and courage to be me.   

Yes... at the top levels of the speaking industry it is a boys club. They make more money, get more gigs and are highly coveted. I think because most are more authentic, more confident, more bold and more courageous than most female speakers.  They really KNOW who they are, what they offer and don't care what you think of them. They are more concerned with being their best, being ambitious and sharing who they are, what they know being authentic - 100% - you either like them or you don't.   The more authentic I've grown the more I feel the same way. 

These men taught me powerful lessons that enabled me to discover my true authentic self.

People see your power before you do. 

After presenting on the same stage with then President Clinton I was SHOCKED when he thanked me for the book I sent him and Hillary Clinton.  He then told me the chapter and page that meant the world to him.  Someone captured the moment. 

I was honored and shocked yet it didn't hit me until much later that my authentic, bodacious self was beginning to be revealed. People around me saw it but I didn't.  

Faith in your potential, believe that you are blessed. 

 I had the privilege to have several conversations with Zig Ziglar. Zig was an amazing, gifted and brilliant man.  I was having an especially difficult time in my business ... really couldn't imagine how I could go one more step.  Zig took the time to share his own trials during a similar point in his career. He encouraged me to keep following the path that was being placed in front of me. He reminded me of faith and that my path was mine, uniquely mine to follow with faith.  

Find your voice by observing how others found theirs.    

   Les Brown has a style and power of his own. Many copy him but there is only one Les Brown. His power flows out of him.  I learned to be me by watching him. He is fiery, fierce, strong and dynamic. Seeing his willingness to BE ALL IN I began to find my voice.  To be the feisty, fearless, focused, fun female leader that I am. Bold, brilliant magnificent me. 

Leverage grows with authenticity.  

My first book came out and my fist national TV appearance happened when I met Mark Victor Hansen and Jack Canfield of Chicken Soup of the Soul Fame.  They are SO different from each other and so powerful in their own right. They each have their own style.  I watched, I listened, I learned. I began to embrace my own style, my own attitude and my own confidence. Expressing me began with applauding my experience, strength, hope and sharing it with others.  I was able to be an advocate for Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul and became one of their editorial readers.  I used my leverage to get them in front of some major talk show hosts.  They valued my connections and I learned to valued my connections. The more authentic I became the more powerful my connections became.

 You will find admirers where you didn't know they existed. 
As you grow in your authenticity you discover that you are more comfortable in your own skin. People who you admire will tell you they admire you.  When I had the chance to sit and speak with Harvey Mackay  he told me that he enjoyed seeing my career grow. Who knew he was watching!  He also asked for my book. I told him how much I loved all his books ( I have a library full of his books). He asked me lots of questions about my business and admired my growth.   WOW! I was in a perfect place, owning my own self, being my own. I was congruent and that makes me happy.



 Like Minded People Are Attracted to You



Freedom to be 100% authentic enables you to have fun, engage with like minded people, and be bold, bodacious, brilliant and believable.  I love being with one of the stars within the speaking industry. Brian Walters is a genius and to be with him is a true gift.  He is totally, 100% authentic and uses his gifts to the max.  He embraced my unique perspective of the world and continually supports my endeavors to be bold, bodacious, brilliant and believable. The more authentic I am the more I attract like minded people.






 Just like Oprah once I defined me and became ME my wealth and happiness followed. 

You Don't Need Permission

You don't need permission.

Time and time again I see the same thing among all women, women of color and prior service females in civilian jobs.  Why are you waiting for permission to speak, to sit, to ask, to be innovative and to ask for the sale?

You DON'T need permission.

What you need is courage, conviction, persistence and valuing your expertise.

Rear Admiral Grace Hopper said "It's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission." She was an American computer scientist and United States Navy Rear Admiral. She graduated from Vassar with a B.A. in mathematics in 1928.  She was passionate and NOTHING was going to stop her from going for the BIG ONE.

Last night I was at an event with senior female leaders. We were standing for a couple of hours at a cocktail party.  The group was pulled together in a circle and announcements were made. I was tired of standing so I walked off, grabbed a chair, went back to the circle and sat down in the chair.

Afterward I heard the following:

•     "Wow, my feet were hurting but I didn't want to disrupt the meeting"
•      "I wish that I did that"
•     "You are always stepping out of the norm"
•     "You were courageous"
•     "I don't know why we didn't sit?"

That was just to sit!

Now imagine it is a BIG deal... a BIG IDEA!  You know it is going to work. You know that it is going to bring money to the organization or change the industry you are in or it is going to make a big splash by creating BUZZ and POP!!!

What are you going to do? Be wimpy and wait for permission? Are you waiting for someone to hold your hand and tell you its okay you can do that?

The worries and fears of   "What will they think of me"... does that really matter?

What if you WIN!! What if your idea pays off? What if you are the ONE and ONLY! 

You get the payoff, the promotion, the power, the publicity, and the kudos.

Stop being such a nice girl or someone who is a yes woman, you don't need permission. You need GUTS.

Willing to Go After 60 Million Dollars? - 9 Lessons I Had to Learn

My company, Team Pegine Inc., is a woman owned and woman managed company. My senior leadership team is female.  One of my mentors, who knows me very well, asked several years ago why am I playing so small? Why am I going after the small potatoes when I have the guts, fearlessness and foundation to go after bigger deals? My mantra became "Fewer Bigger Deals."

Every year since then we have grown. This year we are going after bigger deals, 60 million dollar deals.  My team and I are having fun.  We are growing, expanding and increasing.... and with each proposal we learn more and become better prepared.

There are rules to closing a 60 million dollar deal - preparation is key.  So here are some of the steps I've taken to be prepared.  I know that some of you may never enter into this realm, however the steps for your great, big one are no different.

Confidence.  As a leader are you confident enough to be in the same room as the decision makers of a 60 million dollar deal? Can you sit in your chair and not squirm, wiggle or feel that you are a fraud? When you get your shot are you ready?

Actually, you may get two shots but you really will learn from the first.  I had the chance seven years ago to meet with the Asst Secretary of Defense in charge of Manpower. I went to the Pentagon and was prepared for the meeting (or so I thought).  I was ushered into his office where 5 other men in senior positions were in the room.  I was alone.

Lesson ONE if you don't have 'people' you aren't ready for a 60 million dollar deal.  I didn't have people, I had me, myself and I. I was already at a disadvantage and communicated to them that I didn't get how to close large business deals, I didn't get them. They were thinking in millions ... I was thinking thousands.

Lesson TWO   At the highest levels of decision making they want to hear three words - Scalable, Strategic and Systems. Watch the TV show "Shark Tank" and you will hear  the word 'scalable' over and over. You will hear 'systems' over and over and you will hear talk about your 'strategy'.

Can you replicate the experience in six different places, with a thousand client's/participants each,  and report back on a daily basis what worked, what didn't and issues encountered? Can you submit bills on time every-time according to their system?

Lesson THREE Know that people at this level are really smart. They know their business and know why they do what they do. You have to know that too.  I didn't. It took me seven years of learning to understand the depth, scope and systems needed to execute a project that met the needs of senior leaders.


Lesson FOUR You have heard 'fake it till you make it' at this level DON'T.  You might feel like a fake however you have to KNOW you can execute. You have to know that you have the connections and guts to get the job done. You can't fake the strategy and systems you need in place to execute a major event that is seen around the world. Working with the White House, Secret Service, all branches of the military, at least 15 agencies, 50 suppliers knowing that you have the careers of the senior most people in government on the line, if you fail they will pay the price. You better have systems in place and understand their strategy. I didn't have to know HOW to do every job, but I had to know how to MANAGE and COMMUNICATE with every official to ensure a seamless event.  Watch the two  minute video on my corporate home page to see the event.

Lesson FIVE  Patience is a virtue. The organizations that have the funds to pay you 60 million dollars have very detailed systems and procedures that your product will have to go through to ensure that your product meets their needs. We worked with Sodexo to develop, produce and implement a training for thousands of managers. The process took over four years of diligence, focus, faith and education.  The good news we made a huge difference and the product was fabulous (if I do say so myself). Sodexo, the US Navy, US Army, Marines, National Guard , PECO Energy, Rockwell Collins and the Coast Guard used the product.  The bad news... 'recession'. Oh well.

Lesson SIX Practice makes perfect. In our office we run strategy drills.  My team meets every couple of weeks to have 'what if' scenarios.  What if we have five 15 million dollar contracts come in with a 3 week start date for each what do we need to do? These exercises have lead us to invest in software, process manuals, project bibles, while building coalitions and collaboratives with amazing brilliant consultants and partners. The process highlighted weak spots that we needed to strengthen.  It forced me to look at financial resources, strategic training, leadership development needs and staffing.  While I'm at it, I had to make sure that our organizational chart could manage fast growth and that we had human resources covered, insurance needs satisfied, security processes and the reports needed to manage growth.

Lesson SEVEN It doesn't happen overnight. My friend Bob Frare reminded me years ago that it takes twenty years to be an overnight sensation. I'm so grateful for those words of wisdom. There are no overnight sensations. The rewards come from diligence, perseverance, conviction and clarity.  While we have goals and objectives I know that the outcome really isn't in my or my teams control. What is in our control is our ability to plan and work the plan - day in and day out.  No matter what.

Lesson EIGHT Embrace your differences, be unique and show up. We laugh often. So many times we have gone to procurement conferences, business partnering events and networking events that have people who can award us large contracts. Aside from the women who work for the corporations or government staff who are procuring business - my team are often the only other females.  Our road trip team is made up of a Black woman, a Hispanic female, a Blonde Midwestern female and a twenty something female vet.  We wear black with bling and sometimes have a red accent piece. It is who we are.We don't know why women aren't there, they just aren't. We are looking for opportunities to showcase and introduce our services, people are looking for us.


Lesson NINE  Keep on keeping on. We network, submit great proposals, network, spend time with experts to improve our skills. Listen, listen, listen and ask questions.  My staff are the most tenacious, focused, fun, fearless and feisty group of people.  We are dedicated to our clients and their success. We keep on keeping on with red lipstick on. It is who we are. We made a decision - We close 60 million dollar deals.


For those wondering. Yes we are a multimillion dollar company. Yes we are patiently waiting for word on some of our 60 million dollar proposals. Some will hit and some won't. We are ok with that. 

Owning Your Power as A Female Leader

This past weekend I had the privilege of coaching two extraordinary female leaders who are well known in the community, are in the C-Suite of their organizations and are on prestigious corporate boards.  I was called earlier in the week by one of them because she wanted Power & Presentation coaching. She knew that I had worked with female Admirals and Generals and worked often with senior female leaders in network marketing and direct sales on their presence and power.

They have something in common with you.
1- They are ambitious
2- They love being business leaders
3- They are goal focused

AND... 4- what they worked for, had arrived and suddenly they realized that there are new horizons for them to discover. To do that they needed to step up and be 'seen, heard and embrace their new power" for their next steps.

We worked on hand movements and the power of the hand. How you use your hands communicates a woman with strength, confidence and power .... or that you are just a nice girl.  How and where you place your hands on a desk or table during a meeting says something about who you are and what you want.  Strong hands lay calmly on a table, they don't flinch when things get tough. They are used to manage tension in your body. I also taught them bird flapping to relieve the anxiety before an event. (Hey you had to be there.)

We worked on planting your feet. A most important tactic, especially for women, to own a room.  When you firmly plant your feet on the stage, or in a room you are standing your ground. You are owning that area and when you combine that tactic with power thoughts you exude power and energy that is charismatic and attractive.  People come towards you and want to know who you are.

Look at the audience. There is a process you can use to make sure that the audience 'gets' you. That they know you 'own' the stage and own the room.  Don't hesitate to have eye contact.

Finally... break the rules. GET AWAY FROM THE PODIUM!  Communicate courage, power and determination to give the message that they want to hear. Be powerful and confident.

We had hours of discussion, role playing, practice and ahahas.  To be powerful you have to take ownership of your power and presentation. If you don't who will?

Powerful Mentors and Advisers are Found in the Books You Read

Growing up I didn’t know million dollar entrepreneurs. I didn’t have access to people who could show me the way or even what was possible in business.  As a teen I read Sidney Sheldon novels, many who had strong, powerful, successful, rich women heroines who became my role models. Honestly, I wanted what they had. Through them I learned about persistence, tenacity, focus, confidence and having a dream.

After selling my first business in Spain at 23 years old I returned to the US and quickly forgot what I had learned from the books.  I was surrounded by well-intentioned people who were scared of failure, risk and being in business. Many had lots of negative beliefs about money and wealth.  I forgot that the books inspired me to think "I AM powerful, strong, tenacious and wealthy in business". I felt great when I thought that way. 

 

 Once again I found my mentors and advisers in books. They educated me and inspired me. I read over and over “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill, studied (and still study) "The Science of Getting Rich" by Walter Wattles, made friends with Barbara Stanny author of “Six Secrets of Six Figure Earning Women” and devoured Mark Victor Hansen & Jack Canfield’s book “The Aladdin Factor”.

I found ‘real’ women I can model after reading their biographies. Women like Mary Kay Ash (founder of Mary Kay), Madam C.J.Walker known as the first female millionaire entrepreneur back in the 1910… and the first black female millionaire entrepreneur. Power house women entrepreneurs who teach and inspire me. I read books all the time about powerful, successful women and men. I think - If Donald Trump can do it - so can I, If Oprah can do it - so can I, if the people on Shark Tank can do it - so can I!!!!!!

I take advice from people who have been there and done that. Until you have been there you can't give advice about how to get there. You have no idea what it will take and how a person who got there thinks. The mentors I found in books know and for that I am grateful.

Ambition is GOOD!

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Being ambitious is good,in fact it is great!  It is the internal desire to do more, to push past your fears and past imposed limitations. 

It is the celebration of knowing that you were made to be someone great...and in order to be that person you are willing to push yourself, be uncomfortable and grow.

Ambition is desire in action. To be the best you and be powerful and successful.

You are the only one than can decide what is right for you. However, if you have desire to be more...and you don't go after MORE you will face that horrible, mind trash talk that stops you cold.

Every time I go after my MORE I can hear the rumblings in my head that say:

1: What will I have to give up?  My family? My relationships? Myself? Mind you the frantic, fear says it with drama.

2: What if I fail or if I succeed? These are two sides of the same coin. The WHAT IF are the two key words. You will never know the true outcome unless you go for it. Worrying about WHAT IF will only stop you.

3: "They" say women can't do this, or that. That statistically women don't achieve high ranks,  that the world is ready for a pushy, ambitious woman.  Don't believe that.  The world is ready for you exactly as you are.  The world is ready because you are in it.

You want to be something and have it all.... then do it.  I've had it all and I'm going after more of it. I've messed up, held myself back, limited my self and so what. I get back on the saddle and go after it with wisdom. I am ambitious and so are you.

Fight through the fear.

Fight through the limiting beliefs of your friends, family, associates and yourself. 

Fight through the statistics.

If I can achieve all I've achieved then so can you. Fight for your incredible life. You have the power right now.

Tell yourself how great you are.

Rally yourself for great things by celebrating your successes.

Ask for more, then shut up to receive more.

Thin strong, fabulous powerful thoughts.  My book Lead and Think BiG gives you the power thoughts you can be thinking right now.

Be powerful, strong, rich and determined. If you don't who will