Just over fourteen years ago, I was introduced to a Mary Kay product that solved so many of my skincare needs.  At that time, I was not even aware of how much I also needed a circle of women in my corner supporting and cheering me on.  When I share products and services with customers it is so much more than a sale. It is about filling a need.

When I think of how the products and my service have filled a need, so many stories come to mind. I started out on this journey to be an entrepreneur and to support my family, not realizing how many lives I would touch and how many would forever touch mine.

About seven years ago, my family and I moved all the way across town to a new community.  That meant joining new networking groups and engaging in new Facebook communities to get to know the community and introduce myself.  I met a young mama who booked a makeover with me.  She did not have a sitter, so she brought her kids.  I asked my boys to entertain the little ones so this mama could have some quality “me time”. When we first met, she told me that she had not taken care of her skin or worn makeup since her kids were born 4 years prior to our session.  As she tried the products, I could tell she was really enjoying some pampering and fun.  We laughed a lot.  She then applied a “dash out the door look” with makeup.  My favorite part of an appointment with clients is to ask them to look in the mirror and give themselves a compliment.  This mama smiled so big, and I could tell she saw the woman she was before becoming a mom.

Another cool thing about this business is the opportunity and how it brings people together that might not have ever met.  Two young ladies chose to join my team about three months apart.  It was through our team training that they really got to know each other and developed a forever friendship.  About a year after meeting, they both, for different reasons, would end up moving to another state and living an hour apart.  Both ladies needed this friendship more than they knew.  This story has always touched my heart because their introduction to a product became an opportunity for a friendship to be born.

So, when I say that my mission is more than selling lipstick, I really mean it.  True, you give a girl the right lipstick, and she can conquer anything, but it is not lipstick at all; it is the confidence you give her.  This business has fulfilled so many needs for my family and me. It has helped me develop into the person I am today because of the relationships and people who have blessed my life. 

I am eternally grateful to the woman, the legend Mary Kay Ash for starting this company and giving so many women a place to bloom.  It is because of her courage that so many have great skin, confidence, and opportunities.

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By Jamie Allen Bishop with Jamie Allen Bishop Coaching

Mindset is the key to life and while having a fixed mindset can mean comfort to some, having a growth mindset is what makes life genuinely happy. To meet and exceed the needs of my clients, they must be willing participants in changing their mindset. That is why my title is “Mindset Coach” rather than Business Coach or Life Coach. While we do work on business and personal goals, I want it to be clear that our work together involves mindset above all other goals.

If there is a lack in my client’s life – a lack of happiness, a lack of love, a lack of money – they are (without a doubt in my mind) stuck in a pattern of self-sabotage. The only way I know to shift a “lack” experience is to embrace a growth mindset.

But growth isn’t easy. Think of your favorite plant seed that must shed its outer protective shell to sprout, then grow down into the soil forming its roots, then grow up into the world where it showcases its unique talent. There’s a lot to unpack in this analogy, and that’s why it’s a great metaphor for mindset. We must dig deep to have the foundation needed to grow a stable, healthy, and happy life.

In 2010, I had a client who came to me for help with her relationship. She was in a state of crisis.  Her health was struggling, her relationship was a mess, her child was ill, and her employment situation was a challenge. She was at a difficult crossroads, and her decisions would be life-altering – for more than just herself. (I felt so honored to be called upon to help her through this difficult time.)

In any relationship, making the best decision for you can sometimes feel like you’re hurting someone else, but that can also be a false perspective of the situation. The truth is that a decision best for you (your highest self, not your ego self) is ALWAYS best for all parties involved.

Here are a few examples. You want to be vegetarian, but your support system doesn’t believe in a plant-based diet. Who does your choice affect most? You want to volunteer every other year for Doctors Without Borders, but your family wants you to stay home, settle down, and “grow up.” Who does your choice affect most? Your business is struggling, and your family prefers that you “get a job.” Who does your choice affect most?

The thing is, when our decisions do not align with our family, friends, or significant others, there is not just one avenue we can take. There are multiple decisions that can be made. You can be vegetarian and still attend family BBQs. Or, better yet, you can meet for activities instead of meals. You can participate with Doctors Without Borders AND have a family life. It may not be a conventional life, but it’s a life that suits you perfectly. You can get a job AND focus on the uncomfortable steps necessary to grow your business.  It all depends on your perspective and mindset. Assuming your family wants what is best for you, they will adjust to any change you make that helps you thrive.

I am happy to report that my 2010 client is healthy, and appreciating her relationship more than ever, her kiddo is doing great, and they all live in a whole other state. She worked on growing herself deeper, setting up a stable foundation of love and respect for herself, and her decisions have created a life where she is thriving. (I couldn’t be prouder of her for getting the help she needed to work through the challenges.)

When we stand firm in our decisions with love and respect for ourselves and others, we create an environment where we can thrive, not just survive. That is why a shift in mindset is the need my business meets for my clients.

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The short answer to the ‘what’ would be to provide valuable assistance and help them achieve their real estate goals. The deeper answer, however, lies in the ‘how’.

For example: For a home buyer, it would be imperative that I understand their requirements and preferences, along with their budget constraints. Only then could I use my knowledge of the market to find them a suitable home in a suitable neighbourhood.  That would be followed by my ability to negotiate prices, terms, and contingencies to ensure they get the best deal and that the paperwork reflects that. After all, if it ain’t in writing, well, it ain’t so! 

If the client is a first-time buyer, my knowledge of mortgage options and incentives would be very helpful to this client.  Then there are these quality connections with lenders, contractors, inspectors, lawyers, etc. to ensure my clients are getting the best all-around professional care. With those pieces in place, I am able to support and guide my clients with due diligence through to closing time, professionally, accurately, and on time.

For a home seller, of course, it would still be imperative that I understand their goals. The process will be just a little bit different.

For example, a seller client would be requiring my professionalism and market knowledge to provide and explain a comprehensive market analysis of not only the current market value but the best marketing strategy as well in order to get them the best price in the shortest time. Sellers would also need to know the best ways to prepare their home even before it hits the market. Once on the market, they could depend on my reliability to be available to them and to potential buyers, as well as my negotiation skillset. They would be able to count on my ability to present the home in its best light, to widely market its best features, my timely communication, and my pristine transaction management. And then, of course, guide them smoothly to the close.

For a downsizer, it would mean all of the above, along with coordinating a smooth clean transition between both properties while transitioning them into a new community environment. My knowledge of financial planning in addition to having a professional financial planner on my team, is usually of great value to this client.

For an investor, it would mean all of the above, along with really understanding their business growth strategy, directing them to properties with the best income opportunities, and the best potential for market increase value. If they are new(er) investors, it most likely would also include guidance in securing the best tenants. Understanding how to redirect equity in existing properties would also be of importance to this client.

I cannot stress enough the ability to listen. Every client’s journey is unique. There will be that ONE thing that matters above all else. It is my job to learn and understand what that is and build their specific best strategy around that.

By fulfilling those needs, I will confidently know that I am providing valuable assistance to every one of my clients. They will have achieved their real estate goals.  Prioritizing my client’s best interests is essential to securing smooth closings, meeting objectives, and ensuring happy clients.

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What need does my business, Clark Strategies, meet for my clients?

I always like to use analogies.

Clark Strategies is the public swimming pool!

Learning to swim?  Come on in!
Learning to dive?  Come on in!
Want to sit on the side and dip your toes?  Have a seat!
Want to sit on a lounge chair and just watch?  Grab a chair!
Want to teach others how to swim?  Reach out and help!
Want to be a lifeguard?  Sit up there and keep an eye on us!
Want to help someone who is drowning?  Dive in!!

A place for entrepreneurs and business owners to gather and meet.  A place for all no matter what level they are at.  A place to learn, grow, or use your growth to help others.  A place to watch and witness others doing laps!  A place… to call ‘your community’.

At least all of that is my hope! 

#clarkstrategies has a few different angles but the connecting of the business community is my favorite.  Why?  I get to sit in their energy, their space, see them splash and play, then grow and go.  That is where it is at for me.

Is it how I monetize?  No.  Frankly, this aspect of my business costs my business weekly. 

My time to populate events, paying Zoom for the account we use to meet, working connections after, and postings about events, working calendars, and agendas so we are on task – costs – but the rewards far outweigh the costs involved for me and for many others.

Where my takeaway may not be in dollars – my takeaways in knowledge, friendships, and support are so valuable to me in everything else my business does and gets involved in.

As a result of the community “swimming”, I have learned how to dive, and know I have seasoned swimmers available if I holler for help, I have observed from the sidelines as others wade in the water and rested with them and so much more. 

Come on in!  The water is perfect and the company is even better.

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