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Powerful Ways to Make the Most of Your Brainstorming Session

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Most of Your Brainstorming Session

Coming up with new ideas takes work. And if you’re tasked to come up with fresh ideas frequently, it can be easy for you to hit a brick wall. This is when brainstorming sessions are essential. Brainstorming is the process of collecting as many ideas as you can and filtering them to get the best ones. During a brainstorming session, every idea should be heard. The goal is to just let the creative juices flow and gather as many ideas as possible without criticism. Remember that there are no bad ideas during brainstorming.

Here are five ways how you can make the most of your brainstorming session:

  1. Be clear about your objective

For a brainstorming session to be effective, make sure that you communicate your objective clearly. A well-defined objective will prevent your team from losing focus and going astray. It’s futile to gather your team, hustle them in a room, and ask them to throw ideas without a goal in mind. Effective brainstorming needs a plan and a plan must have an objective.

  1. Start the session relaxed

The mind works best when it’s rested and relaxed so start your brainstorming session on a light note. Encourage easy conversation and allow your team members to speak out. Everyone is encouraged to participate. The goal is to get people unstuck and urge them to come up with thoughts and ideas. When the mood is light, ideas are bound to flow.

  1. Time the session

To get the thought process rolling, make sure to time your session. A clock is a good reminder that there’s a deadline and this will help propel your team to think quickly. You can keep the session to as short as five minutes or it can run to as long as 45 minutes. Make sure that you make your session long enough for ideas to flow freely.

  1. Write everything down

Make sure that all ideas, good or bad, are noted down. Use a whiteboard so that your team members can see all the ideas that have been shared and add more suggestions. Do not judge or favor any idea and just welcome everything: big ideas, bold ideas, and even totally ridiculous ones. Brainstorming sessions are all about quantity, not quality.

  1. Evaluate the ideas

After you have gathered all the ideas, the next step is to evaluate them one by one and separate the good from the bad. Remove all duplicate ideas and assess all the remaining ideas one by one. Is the idea fresh? Is it unique? Does it provide a solution? In choosing the best idea, you need to go back to the objective and ask yourself if an idea meets your objective.

Brainstorming sessions are one the effective ways to come up with new ideas. If used wisely, it can a very effective tool to come up with great ideas and help take your company to the next level.

Keetria is an entrepreneur, wellness advocate, and brand strategy coach for creatives & entrepreneurs with 16 years of public relations expertise working with some of the world’s leading brands, startups, media personalities, and entertainers. If you would like to work together, don’t hesitate to reach out!

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5 Top Fitness Trainers to Follow on Instagram

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Fitness Trainers on Instagram

What’s the best thing about following fitness trainers and your “body goals” inspiration on Instagram?

Scrolling through your feed and pausing to watch a video or appreciate a post gives you instant fitspiration. You think to yourself, “If they can do it, I can do it.” And before you know it, you’re off your couch where you’ve spent too much time going through your social media feeds and off to the gym or rolling out your yoga mat.

Here are the top 5 fitness trainers on Instagram that you should definitely be following if you need motivation to get back on track:

  • Jennifer Nash Forrester | @jenniferforrester

Jennifer is not only an Instagram star but also an entrepreneur. And on top of that, she’s a new mom. In fact, she took all her Instagram followers on her pregnancy journey, proving that pregnant moms can still be active. Now her feed is also filled with her gorgeous son who often joins her on workouts! Be inspired by Jennifer’s quick workout videos and motivational quotes.

  • Amber Karnes | @bodypositiveyoga_

Amber Karnes teaches us all about self-acceptance and making body peace through body positive yoga. We love her for spreading fat positivity and proving that yoga is accessible to us all. Her Instagram feed is filled with yoga poses, and she often features the beautiful women who embody the #bodypositiveyoga campaign.

  • Tanya Popett | @tanyapoppett

Tanya Popett has a killer body that she achieved despite a business lifestyle. She gives nutrition advice and workout ideas. All the images on her Instagram feed are beautiful shots, making her not only #fitnessgoals but her Instagram account is #feedgoals too!

  • Christmas Abbott | @christmasabbott

Christmas Abbott offers inspiration daily. She’s doing it all – a motivational speaker, transformational guru, branding advisor, and professional athlete. As an online fitness coach and the creator of Badass Body Diet, expect her feed to be filled with fitness and lifestyle goals.

  • Estelle Archer | @estellearcher

Estelle Archer has been an inspiration to her followers for how she gained control of her health and well-being by battling her depression. Her focus has been to help people do the right thing. We’ve watched her go from a size 18 to a size 6 and so motivated not only by her body transformation but how she also transformed her entire outlook on life.

Who’s your favorite fitness instructor on Instagram? Are you looking for exercise tips or meal ideas? Or are you most inspired by body transformations? Tell us about it!

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5 Ways Social Media Influences Consumer Spending Habits

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Social Media Influences and Consumer Spending Habits

If you don’t believe that social media has the power to influence shopping decisions, it may surprise you to learn that consumers who involve social media in their shopping process are four times more likely to spend more on purchases. And according to Sprout Social, a whopping 74% of shoppers make buying decisions based on social media.

Sure, social media started out as a platform for people to share their thoughts and photos with their network of friends and family. However, it’s evolved to become so much more than that. We’ve listed 5 ways that social media influences consumer spending habits and you may be surprised to admit that some of these are true for you:

  • Product reviews by friends and family

Consumers are 80% more likely to purchase an item based on a friend’s suggestion. Word-of-mouth marketing is that powerful.

Have you ever posted something you bought or saw a Facebook post by your friend raving about a product? One of your followers may have seen your post and clicked the tag that leads them to the store you bought it from. And admit it, your curiosity peaked over your friend’s new purchase.

  • Social media ads

Marketers are able to place themselves right in front of the consumers they know will be most interested in their products with targeted ads. And as a person scrolls their feeds, ads that appeal to them appear either within the feed or on the side. Either way, it’s enough to call their attention and click through to ultimately make a purchase.

  • Reviews from Influencers

We love seeing what our favorite social media celebrities are wearing, eating, and hanging out. And while we recognize that their posts are probably sponsored, that certainly doesn’t stop consumers from buying the same brand of lip gloss or buy designer desserts that they too can post on social media.

  • Seeing what’s popular or trending first

Facebook and Instagram’s algorithm have changed over the years. You’ve probably noticed how posts you’re more likely to engage with appear first in your news feed. And beyond that, so do posts that have received the most engagement; these “trending” posts could be the latest line of makeup or newest gadget. Whether it is a product, service, or a social media celebrity posing in the lobby of a 5-star hotel, it gets consumers thinking. And maybe they’ll end up buying a tube of lipstick or book a night in a luxury suite for the weekend.

  • A business’s social media presence

Some businesses know how to command social media to their favor. They post content that people love to consume and share. They have strong feeds that attract more engagement. They know how to play to the fantasies of their target market. They have a way of strategically placing their product in the hands of influencers and celebrities who also have strong followings on social media.

Whether we care to admit it, social media has an impact on our purchasing decisions. While we may not buy anything on the spot, the visuals and reviews certainly leave an impression that we may act on eventually.

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5 Powerful Movies that Inspire Entrepreneurship

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Creativity Exercises Movies

Running your own business is extremely challenging. To be a successful entrepreneur, you need much more than the love of selling. You need to be passionate about your business, stand by your products or services, and stay motivated.

We’ve listed the top 5 movies that will inspire you as you make it through your entrepreneurial path. We hope these movies will motivate you to persevere, ignore the naysayers, and get you in the right mindset for business success.

1. The Pursuit of Happyness

“You got a dream. You gotta protect it. People who are unable to do something want to tell you that you are incapable of doing it. If you want something, go for it. Period”.

Based on the true story of Chris Gardner, this movie is filled with heartbreaking scenes, and it doesn’t seem like things will ever go right for the main character. Will Smith plays Gardner who has to support himself and his son during an unpaid internship.

With barely any money, they end up sleeping in shelters and at one point, on the floor of a subway station bathroom. We don’t want to spoil things for you by giving away the ending but the takeaway is never to give up, and that passion and sacrifice are essential to success.

3. Forrest Gump

“I just felt like runnin’.”

While many would think that Forrest Gump’s phenomenal business success was purely accidental, it’s his good-natured spirit behind it all.

People will tell you how cutthroat the world of business is. While that’s true, some people succeed by doing what they feel is right, giving credit where credit is due, and that your most brilliant ideas can come to you when you least expect it. This movie epitomizes how good things happen to good people.

3. Jerry Maguire

“Help me help you.”

Yes, Jerry Maguire is a romantic movie, for the most part. I think the beautiful lesson that this movie teaches any entrepreneur is that you define what success means to you. Success doesn’t mean having high-profile clients, multi-million deals, or the biggest billboards. Stick to your values, have a vision for yourself, and don’t lose them in the hustle.

4. Steve Jobs

“The musicians play their instruments. I play the orchestra.”

Every entrepreneur needs to see the reality of failure in business. This movie shows its viewers just that by being both an inspirational yet cautionary tale for entrepreneurs as Steve Jobs struggles to keep Apple a leader in the tech industry.

5. The Social Network

“If you were the inventors of Facebook. you would’ve invented Facebook”

Let’s excuse the fact that The Social Network was an overdramatized version of how Mark Zuckerberg went from a Harvard student to launching the biggest social network in the world. Watching this movie will give budding entrepreneurs a look at what it takes to get a startup rolling and how personal relationships can often get in the way.

Are you an entrepreneur? Is there a line from a movie that’s been particularly inspiring for you? Is there a movie that made you want to go into business for yourself? Tell us about it.

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5 Upcoming Art Festivals this Fall 2017

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woman yellow background

Visual arts, music, literature, crafts, tattoos, photography, and performances. The list of what goes on in art festivals is endless and don’t we just love it all?

Whether you’re looking for crafters like you or want to listen to book readings or see art in action, we’ve listed 5 upcoming art festivals that you may fancy. Pick one that interests you or make it a plan to check them all out!

  1. Art for Art’s Sake 2017

When: Oct. 7, 2017

Where: New Orleans, LA at the New Orleans Art District on 798 South Liberty Street

Don’t miss Art for Art’s’ Sake 2017, the annual street party that attracts tens of thousands every year. There’s something for everybody! At New Orleans’ Warehouse Arts District, you’ll find galleries showcasing work ranging from classic to contemporary across all medias. Magazine Street is lined with art galleries, antique shops, and jewelry stores. And the Contemporary Arts Center offers new exhibits and musical performances.

 

  1. 17DAYS Arts & Culture Festival 2017

When: Oct. 13-29, 2017

Where: Greensboro, NC at multiple locations

It would be amazing if you could be there for all 17 days of this art festival as more than 70 artists spanning various art forms will throw together over a hundred events showcasing their creativity and craft. There will be live music concerts, craft beer, dance and theatre performances, body painting, visual arts and loads more!

 

  1. Hyde Park Village Art Fair 2017

When: Oct. 14-15, 2017

Where: Tampa, FL at the Hyde Park Village at 1602 W Snow Ave

Held in the upscale Hyde Park neighborhood in Tampa, Florida, the Hyde Park Village Art Fair is a celebration of art and the finer things in life. This two-day event will feature over 150 artists and crafters who will showcase their unique works. We’re talking about jewelry, life-sized sculptures and one-of-a-kind decorative pieces which include paintings and other crafts.

 

  1. ARToberFEST 2017

When: Oct. 21-22, 2017

Where: Galveston, TX at Downtown Galveston on Post Office St & 22nd St

ARToberFEST is an annual fine art festival in Historic Downtown Galveston where local and regional artists working across a variety of media are featured. Come on down and purchase an original piece from one of these artists for your collection. This outdoor art party features live music. And because it takes place right on Post Office St, you’ll be surrounded by restaurants and cafes.

 

  1. Full Moon Tattoo & Horror Festival 2017

When: Oct. 27-29, 2017

Where: Nashville, TN at Hotel Preston on 733 Briley Pkwy

Don’t want to miss one of Nashville’s more unique events and the largest festival of its kind in the South. The finest tattoo artists from across the country are attracted to this festival each year. But wait, you don’t need to be inked to appreciate the artistry behind tattoos.

This is also the best place to be right before Halloween as the Full Moon Tattoo & Horror Festival delights in the scary and relishes in all things twisted. You’ll see horror film stars and esteemed tattoo artists as they gather for 3 days of horror film screenings, tattoo competitions, and costume contests.

Art is such a broad term. What’s your favorite art and which of these upcoming art festivals will you likely be at?

 

How to Draw Useful Tips from Notable Speakers, Coaches and Mentors

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How to Draw Useful Tips for Notable Industry Professionals
 

As an entrepreneur who is always interested in learning from experts and leaders in other industries, I am familiar with the vast amount of material available from well-known coaches and mentors. There is an overwhelming load of information and advice on a daily basis. So much, in fact, anyone seeking to hone their skills and need tips or advice on a particular subject can easily obtain this information online.

Here are 5 ways you can take advantage of your Internet connection to learn from leading professionals across multiple industries. Whether you’re just starting out or have been working in your line of business for several years, there lies a significant advantage in listening to other people’s perspectives on an assortment of topics, especially when it comes from someone who has the background and knowledge on the subject at hand.

Check out the tips below on how you can glean advice that will contribute to your overall worldview, increase your knowledge, or just learn something that you might not have known before.

Blogs & YouTube 

Many of the prominent and well-known speakers, personal development coaches and influencers have personal websites or Youtube channels where they regularly upload content. This material may consist of helpful blog posts or articles which will give you an idea about their perspective. If it’s a Youtube video, most of the time it’s a clip of them speaking at a conference, talk or seminar where they often provide their audiences with valuable information.

Either way, take the time to scour over your favorite speaker’s online content. If you’re unable to attend their events, checking out what they have available online for free is an excellent way to learn something new or to get their take on certain topics.

Newsletters

While some speakers and mentors post new content on their websites on a regular basis, others use newsletters that are mostly exclusive to those individuals who have signed up to receive their content. From experience, I’ve found the information provided in newsletters very helpful, and within my weekly newsletter, even though most of the content is not exclusive to my subscribers, I always include a recap of the recent articles on my blog.

One suggestion is to subscribe to a handful of newsletters of insiders or influencers within the industry you would like to learn more about. Subscribing to a variety of newsletters will not only give you a different perspective but also allow you to sift and sort through helpful tips and the information you need to get you further along. 

Teleseminars

Teleseminar is another great way to learn something. If you’ve subscribed to a newsletter, you might have already received an invite to join or participate. Similar to the newsletters, sometimes you have to be a subscriber to the speaker’s or mentor’s newsletter to receive the invite. Professionals on Facebook and Instagram also promote their teleseminars for free and use these as a vehicle to offer their paid services.

While some teleseminars cost a fee to join, there are plenty available each month with minimal to no sign-up fee. Whatever your industry, check to see if your speaker of choice is hosting a teleseminar anytime soon.

Blinkist

It’s been some time since I’ve read a book on Blinkist but as I write this, it instantly reminds me of how useful their service truly is. Services similar link Blinkist thrives because they allow us to consume the main gist and most valuable information in a minimal amount of time. Maybe you’re interested in a 300-page book but don’t have a chance to read it. Blinkist pulls the book’s main content and cuts it down to the minutes for reading or audio consumption.

With my present schedule, I’m unable to read as much as I’d like but I find having the option to scan for relevant info or to learn more about a topic without having to dedicate hours to thoroughly reading a book handy. When the time doesn’t permit you to soak up as much knowledge as you’d like to check out Blinkist’s library to see if they have books written by your favorite speaker or coach – you’d be surprised as to what you’ll find.

Keetria is an entrepreneur, wellness advocate, and brand strategy coach for creatives & entrepreneurs with 16 years of public relations expertise working with some of the world’s leading brands, startups, media personalities, and entertainers. If you would like to work together, don’t hesitate to reach out!

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4 Documentaries Any Entrepreneur Can Learn Something From

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Films are designed to entertain us, but also to inform us. When it comes to documentaries, these qualifiers are usually reversed — information comes first with entertainment being inserted via cinematography, editing and storytelling techniques.

To be informed is to be at the top of your game…at least, that’s the case for entrepreneurs. These four documentaries are guaranteed to teach entrepreneurs valuable lessons about business and success, as well as providing some much needed entertainment along the way.

  1. Something Ventured

If you want to get a company going, you likely won’t only be funneling money you make into the endeavor. Investors are an important part of the process, though they’re often overlooked when we talk about businesses. Giants like Apple and Intel may be self-sufficient today, but they wouldn’t be here without investors believing in the business from an early age.

This is the basis of Something Ventured. The documentary covers Apple, Intel and Atari and the investors who believed in them enough to funnel money into the business. Obviously, their initial faith paid off.

  1. Jiro Dreams of Sushi

While this documentary isn’t directly related to business topics, it does contain a lesson that all entrepreneurs need to learn. This film covers the life of Jiro Ono, an 85-year-old man who is considered to be the greatest sushi chef in the world. His restaurant in Tokyo is acclaimed, mostly due to Jiro’s dedication to his craft. Jiro goes out of his way to make sure his sushi will be the best, going as far to massage an octopus for an hour to enhance the quality of its texture.

So what’s the takeaway? Anything worth doing is worth doing right. If you’re passionate about your dream, you’ll do anything for it AND be as dedicated as necessary to make it come true.

  1. She++

This is definitely one to look into if you’re a female entrepreneur. If you thought being a professional woman was hard as it is, imagine being a woman interested in a field like tech or gaming. These industries are notorious for being boy’s clubs, and women are just now beginning to find their footing within them.

This Vimeo documentary focuses on women in tech who are taking the industry by storm. When any industry stagnates based on discrimination, creativity is lost and innovation is abandoned.

  1. Freakonomics – The Movie

Freakonomics is a book that’s on many an entrepreneur’s shelf, but just as many haven’t seen the documentary based on this best seller. Knowing what motivates people is essential when you’re an entrepreneur. This is how you sell a product or service, market it to the public and develop the bones for your initial idea. Freakonomics takes this idea and makes it fascinating and entertaining with intelligent and amusing studies that go into the mind of the consumer.

Why limit yourself to only four documentaries about entrepreneurship? Pop open your Netflix or open up your Amazon bookmark and see what other suggestions you can find. Never stop learning and never stop watching.

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4 Blogs to Follow for Great Women’s Fitness Tips

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Women’s fitness is a booming industry right now, and that’s certainly a good thing. It means women and girls are thinking about their health — not just their looks and their bodies, but their lifespan and wellness. This is certainly important. Through fitness, we women can help lower our risk for heart disease, various cancers, diabetes and other physical ailments like obesity.

Fitness is a complicated issue because everyone’s body and journey is different. Are you looking for more information on fitness that takes into consideration the needs of women? Here are four blogs you need to add to your bookmarks bar.

Lift Like a Girl

Twenty, even ten years ago, “like a girl” was an insult popular among men and boys. “You throw like a girl,” “you hit like a girl,” and so on — it usually referred to how men were supposed to be stronger than their female counterparts. Fast-forward to our modern era — we’ve had rampant discussions about how harmful “like a girl” can be, and we’ve also showcased how strong women truly are. Lift Like a Girl is run by Nia Shanks, a strength trainer who aims to empower women through fitness motivation.

Black Girls Run!

In 2009, Toni Carey and Ashley Hicks looked at the growing obesity epidemic within the black community and asked themselves an important question: how can we help to solve it? Their answer was Black Girls Run!, a foundation and blog built on encouraging fitness and exercise among young black women in America. Black Girls Run! is now host to almost 200,000 members and discusses fitness, beauty, lifestyle and valuable nutrition information.

Fit Bottomed Girls

As women with full schedules and busy lives, we don’t always have time to work out. When we do find the time, sometimes it can feel like a punishment at the end of a long day. Fit Bottomed Girls is run by two women, Jennipher Walters and Erin Whitehead, who fit that description to a T. Instead of making exercising a chore, they come up with practical, fun approaches to fitness that are rewarding. They don’t just discuss fitness, either; Walters and Whitehead discuss their lives, motivation and other related topics.

Girls Gone Strong

Finally, Molly Galbraith recently became well-known on the Internet thanks to a body-positivity that went viral on Facebook. What you may not know is that her dedication to women’s fitness goes beyond that video alone. Her blog, Girls Gone Strong understands that fitness should be an issue of health, not an issue of attractiveness or thinness. She offers workout tips for women who want to shape their body and their life in a myriad of ways, from gaining muscle to eating better.

We all come from different places, have different body types, schedules, styles and genetics. These blogs look not just at women as a collective, but as individuals. Look for other blogs that speak to your specific interests. What fitness blogs do you recommend?

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The Benefits of Endurance Training and How You Can Start Today

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Benefits of Endurance Training

There are various types of fitness. Some of us like to focus on long-distance running, others are all about quick cardio boosts or cross fit. One form of exercise training that I find to be very effective and rewarding is endurance training.

What are the Benefits of Endurance Training? According to Wikipedia, endurance training can be defined as “the act of exercising to increase endurance. The term endurance training generally refers to training the aerobic system as opposed to anaerobic.” Aerobic exercise refers to exercises that get your heart pumping — swimming, skiing, running. Exercises that work out your heart and your lungs.

Now let’s ask another question: what exactly are the benefits of endurance training?

● Obviously, endurance training is a health benefit. Training your body for endurance means you’ll have to make lifestyle changes to take up the cause. No more drinking, smoking, excessive eating, and fatty foods. You need healthy lungs and healthy blood to get the full benefit of endurance training.

● By training your muscles and growing them, you also develop your bone density. This is also helped by changing up your diet and eating better.

● When you train your body, you train your immune system. You may not know it, but being unhealthy in a variety of ways can also make you more susceptible to diseases and bacteria.

● Have you ever complained about your metabolism? Your metabolism isn’t something you have to just live with. Endurance training enhances your metabolism, making it easier to burn fat and build muscle.

● If you have diabetes, endurance training helps you improve your insulin sensitivity. If you don’t have diabetes, The Benefits of Endurance Training can help to prevent its onset.

● Finally, endurance training gives you…endurance! The more you train, the easier exercising becomes. This also applies to all forms of exercise because your muscles build and your lung capacity grows.

How to Get Started on an Endurance Training Journey

Now you know the incredible benefits of endurance training…now how do you go about making it work for you?

● First, get used to drinking lots of water. You’re doing to need it if you want to begin the Benefits of Endurance Training.

● Start small, then work big. You won’t be running a marathon after only a month of endurance training.
● Warm up before you exercise. Stretches, squats, jumping jacks, lunges…they all help prepare your body for harsh training.

● Get the right wardrobe. You don’t have to spend lots of money — just make sure you have the right footwear and clothes that help you stretch and stay cool.

● Also focus on strength training. See those weights up above? You’re going to need those to regularly train your muscles to be strong and flexible.

● Endurance training isn’t a game of working out three times a day. It’s about the quality of your training and the longevity of your training program.

● You’ll also need to add more protein and carbs to your diet. These promote energy, and you’re going to need a lot of it.

The Benefits of Endurance Training sounds sort of intimidating, doesn’t it? Don’t worry — while it’s a commitment, and certainly not easy in the beginning, the results are certainly worthwhile.

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Business Meeting Mistakes Many Entrepreneurs Make

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You can’t call yourself an entrepreneur if you haven’t gone to at least one business meeting. Business meetings are a useful tool and standard part of business. They allow you to share ideas, knowledge and projections with a team of people or your staff so that everyone is on the same page.

As an entrepreneur, you’re likely to be the one heading these meetings, which means you’ve got some responsibilities here to set the tone and lead the team. If you can’t successfully accomplish this? Your meeting is in trouble.

The best way to fix this problem is by knowing what mistakes NOT to make before ever setting foot into your meeting location. Here are a few that are common, but that should be avoided at all costs.

Not Being Prepared

This is one of the biggest meeting sins: not being prepared before starting the meeting. As the meeting leader, it’s your job to make sure that you know exactly what you’re talking about. You need to be able to answer questions correctly and inform the team as accurately as possible.

Whether you can achieve this by writing an outline or using notecards, know that you HAVE to make sure you’re prepared to the best of your ability. There’s no faking it until you make it in meetings — if you aren’t prepared, it WILL be obvious.

Being Robotic

On a similar note, there is such a thing as being TOO prepared. Let’s say you write down all these important facts and figures on notecards and read them off to your team. Someone asks you a question about the information…but you totally draw a blank and have no idea what to say.

You can’t just go into a meeting with hard facts — you also have to have comprehension and confidence. Be able to talk about what you want to discuss fluidly and accurately at the same time. Be prepared to answer questions that you may not be totally confident in.

No Purpose In Mind

It’s great to have weekly staff meetings…but why? Do you have an objective every time you call your staff together?

You should. Whether it’s something as simple as refining an existing business practice or talking about a new partnership, every meeting should have a clear purpose and talk about a problem to solve. Without an agenda, you’re really just rambling co-workers.

You Don’t Listen

Finally, one of the worst things you can do in a business meeting is make it all about yourself. When you bring people together, the idea is that you can all communicate and share ideas with one another. Many bosses decide to use business meetings to push their own thoughts and agenda, but that’s not respecting their employees.

Even if you have explicit directives you want to give employees, make sure that they also have time to share their thoughts. Listen to what they have to say. Even in cases where you disagree, employees appreciate knowing that you listened and thought about what they had to stay instead of not caring to listen at all.

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