You Were Never Meant to Fit In

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Your unique wiring isn’t something to fix — it’s the foundation of your spiritual success.

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On a recent flight, I watched a film I hadn’t expected to move me so deeply — Temple Grandin.

Maybe you’ve seen it. Maybe you’ve never even heard of her. But Temple’s story stayed with me.

• She didn’t speak until she was four.

• Doctors urged her mother to institutionalize her.

• Teachers didn’t know what to do with her.

• The world told her she was broken.

But Temple saw the world in pictures. She felt life more intensely. And she refused to let other people’s discomfort define her path.

She went on to revolutionize not just one industry — but two.
First, by designing humane livestock handling systems.
And second, by changing the conversation around autism forever.

She once said:

“I am different, not less.” — Temple Grandin

And that sentence cracked something open in me.

Because here’s a truth I don’t often say aloud:
I’ve never struggled with the idea that I’m “enough.”
In fact, I’ve always known — sometimes even felt too much.

But the phrase I’ve wrestled with?
The one that still softens me when I say it?
“I belong.”

That’s what Temple’s story stirred in me — and maybe it stirs it in you, too.
The deep, quiet ache of wondering: Do I belong in this room? In this world? In this space where my brilliance doesn’t always look like everyone else’s?

If you’ve ever felt that too —

• As a woman.

• As a spiritual entrepreneur.

• As someone who leads with heart and works with energy in a world obsessed with outcomes…

Then this is for you.

Thinking Differently Is a Superpower

Temple didn’t try to become like everyone else — she doubled down on what made her her. And that choice led her to create what no one else could.

That’s your invitation, too.

You don’t need to market like everyone else.
You don’t need to hustle like everyone else.
You don’t even need to sound like everyone else.

Your unique blend of intuition, energy, creativity, and empathy isn’t a liability — it’s your leadership. It’s your leverage. It’s your legacy in the making.

Spiritual women often feel “different” — and for good reason.

• We think in waves, not straight lines.

• We process energy as much as information.

• And our business strategies are just as likely to be birthed in a dream or meditation as in a spreadsheet.

But too often, that gets dismissed.

Especially in the spiritual space — where many still reduce this work to “woo-woo,” mock what they don’t understand, or even fear what they can’t explain.

• They don’t see the depth.

• They don’t understand the discipline.

• They don’t recognize the power behind the practices that look “unusual” on the outside but are often profoundly transformational within.

And yet, what they call “woo,” I call wisdom.
What they call “weird,” I call wiring.

And like Temple, you don’t need to justify it — you get to lead with it.

And the Lessons Don’t Stop There…

There were so many other profound lessons in Temple’s story — each one echoing something I see women like us face every day in the spiritual business space.

Over the coming weeks, I’ll be diving deeper into each of these:

2. Beyond Inheritance: Rewriting Your Money Story

Why wealth without freedom isn’t true abundance — and how to unlearn what you were taught about money.

3. Systems for the Sensitive Soul

How to build a business that honors your nervous system, energy cycles, and spiritual rhythm.

4. The Advocate Effect: One Voice Can Change Everything

Why your voice (and the people who believe in it) are essential to your success.

5. From Lived Experience to Legacy

Your challenges aren’t detours — they’re the curriculum your soul came here to teach.

6. Brilliance Doesn’t Ask for Permission

Why trusting yourself — especially when others don’t understand — is the most radical thing you can do.

Want Help Aligning Your Brilliance With a Business Model That’s Uniquely You?

Let’s co-create your next bold step. I’m offering a limited number of complimentary brainstorm sessions for women who are ready to lead with soul — and build something that doesn’t follow the rules, but follows their resonance.

This isn’t cookie cutter.
This is custom — to your gifts, your goals, your rhythm.

✨ Book Your Free Brilliance Brainstorm

Your Difference Is Your Direction

The world doesn’t need another polished pitch or formulaic funnel.
It needs your frequency — unfiltered, unapologetic, and fully expressed.

So here’s your permission slip (not that you need one):
You get to do it your way.
Because the way you’re wired is not a problem — it’s your portal to impact.

Temple said it best:

“The world needs all kinds of minds.” — Temple Grandin

And that includes yours.
You don’t just belong here — you’re building what’s next.

Keep shining in your difference — it’s where your magic lives.
- Janet

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✨ Ready to break away from the cookie-cutter mold and build a business that truly resonates with your energy and gifts?

I’m offering a limited number of free brainstorm sessions — grab yours while they’re open.

Book Your Brilliance Brainstorm Now!

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3 Ways to Get the Universe’s Attention

“Clarity opens the door,
but action invites the Universe in.”

— Janet Hutchens

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The Universe Will Meet You Halfway, But First…

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There’s a sneaky little myth floating around the spiritual world that goes something like this:

“If it’s meant to be, it will just… happen.”

But here’s the truth no one likes to admit:


The Universe doesn’t reward stagnation.


• It meets momentum.

• It meets movement.

• It meets you — halfway!

• You need to meet it halfway!

Too many brilliant, soulful women sit on the edge of their dreams waiting for a sign, a miracle, or a sudden windfall. They hold the vision — but forget their part in activating it.

They’re twiddling their thumbs, hoping the Universe will deliver — without realizing that the first step is theirs to take.

You don’t need to hustle or push.

But you do need to participate.

Just like the old physics law says:

An object in motion stays in motion.

Energy multiplies. Intentions amplify. Action aligns.

So how do you create that soul-aligned motion?

3 Simple Steps to Get the Universe on Your Side

1. Get Clear — Not Controlling

Clarity is magnetic. When you declare what you truly want — without hiding, doubting, or diluting it — you create a powerful energetic blueprint.
But clarity without intention is just a wish.

Your intention is the engine beneath your desire.
It’s the decision to participate in its creation, not just hope for it.

Say it out loud:

“I desire to receive five new soulmate clients this month.”

“I am ready for new streams of income to flow to me with ease.”

Let clarity lead, let intention fuel it, and then… let go.

Don’t micromanage the outcome. Control can choke the flow.

Trust that once you’re in motion, what’s meant for you can meet you — halfway.

2. Take Aligned Action (and Ask!)

No, you don’t need to do everything.

But you do need to do something.

Email that lead. Post the offer. Write the blog. Book the coffee chat.

And yes — ask for what you need. Ask for the sale. Ask for support. Ask for the opportunity.

You are not meant to do this all alone.
There are people who would love to help you — more than you know.

Asking is not weakness — it’s wisdom.

Movement tells the Universe, “I’m serious. I’m here. Let’s dance.”

3. Stay Open to the Unfolding (and Be Willing to Receive)

Most manifestations don’t arrive in the packaging you expect.
That “no” you just got might be the redirect to the aligned “yes.”

Stay curious. Stay receptive. And above all — be willing to receive.

So many women entrepreneurs feel they have to know all the answers, wear every hat, and carry every burden alone.

I used to be one of them.

Afraid to ask for help.
Afraid I’d be seen as a fraud.
Afraid I’d be “found out.”

Hello, imposter syndrome.

But here’s what I’ve learned:

Receiving doesn’t make you an imposter. It makes you available.

Whether it’s money, mentorship, collaboration, or compassion — open your hands and your heart.

Let the Universe give back to you.

When in doubt, I return to one of my favorite money mantras — one I first heard from Bob Proctor:

“Money flows to me from multiple sources, in increasing amounts, on a continual basis.”

And here’s the beauty:

You can substitute money with whatever you’re calling in:

✨ “Love flows to me...”

✨ “Adventure flows to me...”

✨ “Peace, health, creativity, opportunities…”
Make it yours. Make it true.

What if…

• …you don’t need to be ready — you just need to be willing?

• …the Universe is matching your energy, not your wishes?

• …the signal the Universe is waiting for isn’t your vision — it’s your movement?

Action Steps to Call It In

• Write down your current desire in one clear sentence — then take one aligned action toward it today.

• Repeat your mantra out loud every morning and night for 7 days.

• Do one bold thing this week that says, “I trust the process — and I’m all in.”

The Universe is generous.

But it’s not your genie.
It’s your co-creator.

So… what step are you taking today to meet it halfway?

And if you need a reminder — let it be this:

You are not here to figure it all out alone.

You are not here to suffer or prove yourself worthy.

You are here to grow, to receive, to rise — and to be supported while doing it.

Because at the end of the day, I believe this with every fiber of my being:

The only reason we’re here on this Earth is to help one another.

Period.
End of discussion.

We are a collective of brilliance — each one of us holding a spark that brightens the whole.

And as James Keller said, 
“A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.”

Together, we shine brighter. Together, we rise.

The Universe is ready.
Are you?

Here’s to rising, connecting, and leading with soul,
- Janet

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✨ Ready to take your next step?

Let’s meet halfway!

Book a Complimentary 30-minute Brilliance Brainstorm session with me to:

🌟 Gain clarity on your next right step

🌟 Explore what’s ready to unfold in your business or money journey

🌟 Turn waiting into aligned action

Click here to schedule your free session now.

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Email Marketing Wisdom for Soul-Led Women Entrepreneurs

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3 Soulful Lessons for Growing Your Business — Without Feeling Salesy

"Your words are not an interruption — they are an invitation.
An invitation to connection, to reflection, to possibility."

— Janet Hutchens

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Are these the quiet thoughts that swirl in your mind when you think about emailing your list?


• "What if I'm bothering them?"


• "I don’t want to sound salesy or pushy."


• "Who am I to show up in their inbox like a big brand?"

If so, you’re not alone — maybe women entrepreneurs do, especially those who have been called to serve, however…

What if your care, your thoughtfulness, and your integrity, and your message were the very thing your email connections needed right now?

You care about connection, integrity, and alignment.

And that’s exactly why email marketing positions you to build something deeper and more powerful—the soul-led way.

Unlike social media, email is a place where your voice lands directly in someone's trusted inner circle — no algorithms, no noise, no fighting for attention.


✨ Think about it: Who’s in your inbox regularly?

✨ Whose messages do you open, savor, and trust?


✨ Wouldn’t you love to see your name right there — as one of those trusted voices?

Claim this truth: You’re not “smaller than” the leaders you admire.
You’re already standing among them — rising into your own brilliant, abundant leadership.

Whether you're building your soul-led business from scratch or expanding into your next evolution, your inbox is a sacred space for connection, service, and growth.


Here’s how to approach it:

Lesson 1: Honor Your Email List as Your Inner Circle

Your email list isn’t just a list.
It’s a gathering of souls who have already said yes to being closer to your energy.

Unlike social media, the inbox feels more intimate — more considered — and it's where true relationships take root.

✨ They don't just know you — they like you enough to trust you with their email address.


✨ They’ve given you permission to speak directly to them, in a space that feels more personal and protected.

The numbers back it up:


📈 Consistent email communication can increase customer loyalty by up to 80%.


📈 People are 4x more likely to say yes through email than through social posts.

Your list is not casual — it’s committed.
Treat it like a sacred circle, not a marketing channel.

Nurture your community first — with real wisdom, insights, and encouragement — and invitations to work with you will naturally feel aligned and welcomed.

✨ Two Soulful Tips to Nurture Your Inner Circle:

Send more value than you ask for.

1. Aim for a 3:1 ratio — three nurturing emails for every one offer.

2. Write to one soul. Imagine you're writing to a cherished friend, not an “audience.”

Lesson 2: Focus on Energetic Presence, Not Instant Results

Marketing magic doesn’t happen from one perfect email.
It’s created by the energy and consistency you weave over time.

When someone says yes to you, it’s not usually because of a single message — it’s because you’ve been present, real, and trustworthy through many small moments.

“Marketing is just communicating.
 Sales is just educating”.
— Janet Hutchens

✨ Energetic Practice:
 Set aside a small group (5–10%) of your list and stop marketing to them for a short season.


After a few months, compare their engagement to the nurtured group.
You’ll see: consistent presence creates loyalty and growth.

✨ Two Energetic Tips:

1. Create a simple "presence calendar" — map 3–4 non-selling touchpoints a month.

2. Track quiet growth, not just fast metrics — trust the relationship you’re building.

Lesson 3: Playfully Test and Trust

You are intuitive — but you are not the sum of your whole audience which likely has 5-7 avatars (ideal clients).

Sometimes the things you personally love (or avoid) aren’t what your dream clients respond to best.

Testing isn’t about being sneaky — it’s about being open, playful, and willing to grow alongside your community.

✨ Simple Experiments to Try:

• Start your subject line with a number. (Ex: 3 Ways to Amplify Your Inner Circle)

• Capitalize the first word or two. (Ex: INSIGHT for Your Next Launch)

• Use brackets at the beginning. (Ex: [New Resource] Build Deeper Trust)

✨ Two Playful Tips:

1. Run one experiment (like brackets or numbers) for 30 days — then review.

2. Ask your audience simple questions like: “What would support you most right now?”

You don’t need to chase perfect.
You need to stay connected.

Bonus Thought: Inclusion Is the Future of Heart-Led Business

Inclusion in marketing isn’t just about visuals — it’s about who shapes the message, who feels welcome, and whose voices are honored.

As AI-generated content rises, your humanity — your intuition, soul, and care — becomes your greatest business advantage.

When people feel truly seen and valued, they stay longer, engage deeper, and naturally amplify your work.

The future belongs to heart-led women like you — building businesses rooted in authenticity, abundance, and inclusivity.
And you, brilliant woman, are already leading the way.

✨ Questions of the Week — from the Aligned Abundance Circle:

🌟 Where are you being called to lead with more heart — even if it feels a little vulnerable?


🌟 How can you weave that deeper authenticity into your next email (or offering)?

(These are the soul reflections we explore each week inside our Aligned Abundance Circle — a community for women entrepreneurs rising into greater wisdom, wealth, and leadership.)

Here’s to rising, connecting, and leading with soul,
Janet 🚀✨

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Don’t Be Distracted By Criticism

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How Trusting My Intuition Kept Me from Shrinking—
and Expanded My Brilliance and Business

“Don’t be distracted by criticism.
Remember, the only taste of success some people get
is to take a bite out of you.”

— Zig Ziglar

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Every woman who chooses to lead, create, or build something meaningful will eventually face it: the sting of someone else's projection.
Their judgment.
Their dismissal.
Their silent exit.

And if you’re not careful, it can make you question everything.
It can make you pull back your light, shrink your power, and second-guess the very brilliance you were born to share.

Recently, I faced one of those moments.
A client I had poured time, energy, and heart into for months—supporting them in building a new brand, a new platform, a new way of being—chose to exit our working relationship without acknowledgment, gratitude, or even a conversation.

They simply disappeared.
Revoked access.
Vanished.

No thanks.
No closure.
Just an abrupt door slam in a house I helped them build.

A Note from the Heart:


I want to be clear—this isn’t about blame or badmouthing.
I deeply value the sacred nature of client relationships and hold them with respect, always.
I’ve never had an experience like this before with a client, and it took me by surprise.
I share it now not to point fingers, but because it became a turning point in my own journey—one that reminded me of the power of intuition, the importance of energetic alignment, and the responsibility we have to share these moments when they can serve others.

At the heart of every collaboration, I believe in communication, clarity, and kindness.
Those are the three values I always strive to embody—and the ones I trust will build the most aligned, abundant relationships moving forward.

And Here’s the Real Story:

The end didn’t actually start when they removed access.
 It started three weeks earlier—when I received a thunderbolt of a download right in the middle of an ordinary afternoon.

I wasn’t meditating.
 I wasn’t seeking. 
I was simply working on another client’s project when it hit—sharp, powerful, and utterly unmissable.

I felt it: a strong sense in my gut that they were front-loading tasks, pulling energy, and preparing to end the relationship once they had everything they wanted.

I didn’t react.
I didn’t panic.

Instead, I placed that download close to my heart—literally—right next to my daily crystal.

Each day, as part of my daily ritual, I choose a crystal from my altar—the one that jumps out at me for that day’s energy.
 Sometimes I carry it in my pocket.
 Other days, I slide it into my bra on the heart side, letting it anchor me in clarity and guidance as I move through the day.

That day, when the thunderbolt download struck, I honored it the same way I honor my crystals: without questioning, without forcing—simply trusting the energy that chose me.

I let the knowing settle.

I reflected.

I observed.


I stayed awake to the unfolding, without jumping to conclusions. And sure enough, the signs started showing up:

• Urgency around tasks that didn’t make sense

• 
Resistance to deeper collaboration and streamlined solutions

• 
Shifts in body language—nervous energy, scattered responses, and the inability to make direct eye contact

• 
Rushed conversations that felt more transactional than collaborative—like checking boxes instead of building something meaningful together

The Transformation That Followed

By the time the relationship ended, I wasn’t blindsided.
 I was already standing firmly in my knowing.

And in that knowing, something profound happened: I had leveled up my worth.

This wasn’t just about setting a professional boundary.
 It was about stepping into a deeper energetic truth:

• That my intuition is non-negotiable.


• That my time, energy, and brilliance are priceless.


• That the more I honor my worth, the more the Universe responds—with clients, opportunities, and abundance that match my new standard.

And perhaps most importantly:
 I gained a deeper appreciation—and a fierce honor—for my intuition.

In the past, I might have dismissed it.
 Brushed it aside as overreacting, overthinking, making a mountain out of a molehill.
 The way so many women are conditioned to do—especially when that old-school masculine energy tells us to "be reasonable," "calm down," or "stop making it a big deal."

Not this time.

Not anymore.

I honored what I felt.

I trusted the download.

I stood firm in my wisdom without needing external validation.

And when I did, I could feel it—my wings grew longer and stronger.
 Rooted in truth.
 Lifted by trust.
 Anchored in authenticity, aligned purpose, and the values I hold dear. Moving forward with my head held high—not hardened, not closed, but wide open to aligned expansion.

This experience didn’t take anything from me.

• It gave me everything.

• I didn’t just walk away from misalignment.


• I walked deeper into self-trust, self-honor, authenticity, and even greater connection with my highest calling.

I was reassured—and powerfully reminded—that my values have always been grounded in trust, authenticity, and aligned purpose.
That I am a woman who leads from the inside out, always connected to her mission, her heart, and her soul’s deepest truth.

Criticism and Exit Aren’t the Same as Failure

Sometimes the greatest sign of success isn’t who stays in your world—it’s who energetically filters out when you step fully into your leadership.

Because when you stop bending, softening, or over-delivering to “keep the peace,” those who were only comfortable with a lesser version of you will often leave themselves.

And that’s not failure.
That’s evolution.

The Money & Abundance Energetics Beneath It All

This experience wasn’t just about boundaries—it was about money and abundance alignment too.

Clients who drain you, delay you, or demand discounts aren’t just difficult.
They are energetic blocks to your next level of abundance.

Why?
 Because every minute you spend over-explaining, justifying, or resuscitating a misaligned relationship is a minute you’re not magnetizing a client who pays joyfully, trusts fully, and expands alongside you.

True abundance requires true alignment. Not just in pricing, but in energy, respect, and partnership.

“Believe in your wisdom, then elevate your worth, and watch your wealth rise.”

— Janet Hutchens

Closing Reflection for My Fellow Spiritual Entrepreneurs:

• Where are you tolerating criticism disguised as "feedback"?


• Where are you minimizing your intuition because you don’t want to be "too much"?


• Where are you letting someone nibble at your success because you’re afraid of looking selfish if you say no?

Your wings weren’t made for cages.

The next time someone bites at your brilliance, don’t dim it.
 Don’t get distracted.
 Just smile, soar, and trust: Their exit is the space your expansion has been waiting for.

And if you’re reading this, let me remind you:

• You are too.


• You are a woman who leads from the inside out.


• You are a woman whose power is grounded in mission, anchored in heart, and aligned with the deepest truth of your soul.


• You don’t have to shrink, question, or explain your knowing.
You simply have to honor it.

Because when you do, your wings will grow longer and stronger too.
 And the aligned abundance, opportunities, and connections you seek will rise to meet you.

Final Blessing

Your wings are already strong.

Your brilliance is already burning bright.

Your abundance is already within you, waiting to be fully claimed.


Trust it.
Rise with it.

Lead with it.


And watch the world rise to meet the woman you were always meant to be.

Keep rising, keep shining, keep leading,
Janet 🚀✨

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Ready to Move Forward in Your Intuitive Alignment?

When you honor your brilliance, the next steps naturally rise to meet you.

Here are a few powerful ways to keep moving forward in full alignment with your intuition, your worth, and your rising abundance:

1) Download the Client Energetic Check-In
 - Trust your knowing before it has to shout.
Get instant clarity on where your energy is aligned—and where it’s being drained.

👉 Download the Client Energetic Check-In Here

2) Join the Aligned Abundance Circle
 - Step into a sacred space where your intuitive journey is honored, your growth is celebrated, and your abundance rises naturally.
The Aligned Abundance Circle is where we share, support, and strengthen each other—no shrinking, no second-guessing, only rising.

👉 Email Me and Let’s Get You In The Circle @ janet@janethutchens.com

3) Book a Free Brainstorm Session (and Get “The Script”)
- Need help navigating that client conversation?
 I've written dozens of scripts for clients facing sticky, tricky moments—always rooted in clarity, ease, and integrity.
 During your free session, I'll share the exact script I used to stand in my power—and help you craft your own next move with confidence.

👉 Schedule Your Free Session Here

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Peeling Our Onion

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The Benefits of Releasing Our Vulnerability

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

I’m watching Ted Lasso (for the second time) and midway through the 2nd season. Keeley is gathering her strength for her upcoming Vanity Fair photo shoot.

Roy questions how she could possibly be nervous. He reminds her of all of the amazing and daring things she’s done in the past like jumping out of an airplane topless, eating a hamburger for a client’s advertisement.

“You can’t be more nervous than that?” Roy queries.

“This isn’t that. That was about how I looked. This is about me. They’ll ask me about my thoughts and my feelings, and my goals for the future. When people read this article they’re going to see me. See the real me,” Keeley nervously responds.

Vulnerability is a strong thread in that episode appearing in each character’s journey.

Do I. Don’t I? What will happen if I do? What happens if I don’t?

It’s natural and absolutely right to highlight our expertise and authority in our field, and frankly, I feel women tend to not shine theirs brightly enough.

But what happens when we peel back our own onion to reveal and release our vulnerability along side our strengths, to compliment them, and give them context?

I’ll tell you what happens… every single time… People Lean In.

Sure, you may shed a few tears in the process but that’s onion peeling, Honey. Comes with the territory.

People want to know you, they want to know your journey. There will be some who choose to use that vulnerability against you (Nate???) but more often than not, others will relate to it, appreciate the honesty, the vulnerability, and use it as a springboard of inspiration for themselves.

Release Your Vulnerability.

By releasing your vulnerability, and the ego you have carefully cocooned around it, you will expand your relatability and become more approachable. And damn it feels good too!

Know… Like… Trust, Baby!!

Question(s) of the Week:

• Does your ‘About Story’ on your website and marketing include any of your struggles, your low points?

• What feelings come up for you when you think about sharing the lows of your journey with your customers and clients?

• Where do you feel those feelings in your body? Pay attention to that - it’s a clue as to what to focus on (voice, heart, etc).

• What’s a vulnerability you could include in your ‘About Story’ today?

• How can you blend it into your website, marketing, elevator speech?

Roy’s response to Keeley:

“The real you is fxxking amazing. Now the whole world is going to get to see that. You are Keeley Fxxking Jones, The Independent Woman. You’re gonna kill it.”

Get out there and kill it, Girl, by being ALL OF YOU!!

Best, Janet

PS: Live Your Light!!

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“Greatest Growth In Our Darkest Days”

- Janet Hutchens

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JOIN THE CONVERSATION!
Join our Brilliance Builders Alliance!

It’s FREE!

We meet every Thursday from 6-7:30pm EST on Zoom to discuss these questions and other women entrepreneurial topics!

JOIN THE CONVERSATION!

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The Three Brains

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Which one is holding you back?

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

In our Brilliance Builders Alliance call last week, a common thread presently itself - Getting out of our own way.

We all do it. It’s instinctual in fact, but there are ways to move beyond it.

Do this? Don’t do that? Should I? Shouldn’t I? What if? Ahhh… the endless mind games we play with ourselves as we creep into further and deeper self doubt. Man, it is exhausting!!

I have a little trick I use when Sally Self-Doubt appears to question me. And Yes, I actually gave her a name – we’re on a first name basis.

“Not right now, Sally! I appreciate your concern for my safety but not right now. I need to get out of my own way and out of my comfort zone. I’ll be fine. Everything will be fine.”

Years ago, I did a seminar on the Reptilian Brain and how to apply it to your Marketing. (Hmmm… may be time to do that seminar again!).

We have three brains in fact - the Thinking Brain, the Emotional Brain, and the Survival or Reptilian Brain.

The Reptilian Brain is the oldest and most basic part of our brain, concerned only with our survival and keeping us alive. It is responsible for our fight or flight reactions and biological drives like hunger and sex.

The Emotional Brain (limbic cortex) is responsible for emotional processing such as happiness, anger, love, hate, etc. Other animals possess the Emotional Brain, such as dogs and cats, that’s why they purr and snuggle up to us. In many ways, it is our Comfort Zone Brain.

Lastly, the Thinking Brain (neocortex) is the part of our brain that is responsible for logic and creativity and frankly makes us the dominant species on the earth. It takes up about 76% of our brain.

Why do we stay in our own way? What it is that is holding us back from living the life we dream of? When we know what we want, we actually know exactly what to do to accomplish it or at least who to ask to get started. Yet, time and time again, we hold ourselves back due to primal fears and old emotions.

This week, I am posing only one question (a statement really) for you to consider.

The catch… I’d like you to consider it in all of the areas of your life - Business, Family & Friends, Love & Relationships, Financial, Health & Well-Being, Time & Freedom.

As you release to expand, release your reptilian and emotional fears around survival and acceptance.

You are far stronger and capable than you believe, Girlfriend! And your brilliance is worth shining for all the world to see and benefit from!

Question of the Week:

Fill in the black - “I no longer want to feel _____________________.”

Have fun with it!!

And tell Sally I say Hi!

Best, Janet

PS: Live Your Light!!

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“What if I fall?”
”Oh, but Darling, what if you fly!”

- Erin Hanson

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JOIN THE CONVERSATION!

If you’d like to join our Brilliance Builders Alliance (BBA) just email me - janet@hutchensmedia.com

We meet on Zoom - Thursday Evenings from 6-7:30pm EST to discuss the Questions of the Week (and lots of other things too!)

Join Us!

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Expanding

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QUESTION OF THE WEEK

I went to North Carolina over the weekend for a wedding. It was beautiful and prefect in every aspect! The best part-just about everyone was up and dancing the whole time! Even the few wallflowers kept time with a tapping toe, knee, shoulder or head bob.

Earlier that day, a group of us ventured downtown to check out the local vibe. While some tested out the local bartender’s Bloody Mary’s, I bought his book instead, Hints 4 Happiness.

I asked him what his three words were.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“Well, I have three words of how I want to live my best self, my best life. I even have them set as an alarm in my phone which goes off a few times a day to remind me, keep me on track. What do you think your three words are?” I asked him again.

It didn’t take him long.

“Would you like me to sign your book?” he asked.

“Absolutely!” I responded.

The girls finished up their Bloody’s and off we went. On the car ride back, I opened the book and read his message to me.

One of my favorite sayings is “Everything you’ve ever wanted is right outside your comfort zone.”  Usually all that’s required to cross into the “Golden Zone of Possibility” is a tiny step, a baby step, however that gap between 'Here and There’ sometimes seems impossibly cavernous! Hmmm… how to cross over? Do I focus on the goal, the horizon or something else?

While reading the bartender’s book on the plane home, he talked about that gap and what has helped him to cross it. It wasn’t looking at the horizon and dreaming of what he wanted that pushed him over the edge, it was turning around and facing what he didn’t want. That proved to be a far stronger catalyst for him - what he no longer wanted in his life.

We both agree that the only way to move forward is to let go. It’s not about letting go of what makes you feel safe but what you no longer need or want. And our needs and wants do change as we age and grow.

To expand we must contract. To expand we must release. To expand greater we need to release deeper.

The theme for November is Expanding.

This week, let’s focus on what you no longer want in your life and business.

Question(s) of the Week:

• When you started your business how did you envision it to be in three years? Be specific - income, employees, clients, location, etc.

• What do you no longer need or want in that vision of your business?

• What do you no longer want that is currently in your business? A demanding client, worry over the financials, a long commute, disorganized files?

• What do you no longer need in your personal day-to-day life? A big car, an office space, coffee, a passive-aggressive friend?

• What’s one thing you can let go of today? A physical thing, a task, a judgement about yourself (I’m not smart enough), a judgement about someone else (They won’t like me if I…)

Release to Expand. Just like breathing, the deeper you exhale, the more space you have to inhale and expand.

We are all works in progress in both life and business. The most successful and longest lasting companies in the world practice releasing and expanding regularly to stay relevant, clear, and growing.

What can you release to become clearer about what you want?

“Janet, I appreciate your question or statement involving 3 words. I’m working on my succinctness. My 3 words: Dance With (the) Universe!” - Mojaf (the bartender).

Best,
Janet

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“To hold on is to suffer. To let go is to be free.”

- Laminita Saviuc

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JOIN THE CONVERSATION!

If you’d like to join our Brilliance Builders Alliance (BBA) just email me - janet@hutchensmedia.com

We meet on Zoom - Thursday Evenings from 6-7:30pm EST to discuss the Questions of the Week (and lots of other things too!)

Join Us!

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What do you want? Really want?

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QUESTION OF THE WEEK

OMG! Where has the month gone? I can’t believe it’s almost July!

I know you’ve been doing a lot of cleaning and clearing of both physical and mental clutter. Now I have one more task to springboard you into next month’s theme-Clarity.

Lately everything I see and hear is asking me “What do you want?”

About 10 years ago, I went to an art gallery reception in Boston. I was drawn to these particular photographic works. There was a man standing nearby.

“Is this yours?” I asked. He nodded affirmatively.

“Where was this?”

“India,” he said. “I finally took the trip.”

“Why finally? What stopped you before?”

“Well, I was hit by a truck, but that wasn’t why I didn’t go. That’s why I finally went.”

Heck, who can turn away from a conversation like that!

“Tell me more,” I begged.

“I love photography. Always have, even as young kid. The whole idea of seeing something from a different eye, a different perspective, fascinated me. But I grew up in a very traditional New England family, a family of lawyers. The only path I was told was viable and sustainable was Law. So I gave up photography in college and went to Law School.

Then one day, out of the blue, as I was walking across State Street, I was literally hit by a truck.

As I lay there, going over my life, I told myself, ‘If I survive this, I will give up law and go back to photography.’

And that’s what I’ve done. I’m traveling the world now taking photographs and I couldn’t be happier and more fulfilled. You know, sometimes you just have to get hit by a truck to course-correct and regain your vision.”

The Question of the Week involves decluttering the voices from the past and zeroing in on what you want for your future.

It’s a three step process. Detaching what others want and need from you. Defining what you really want and then asking for it. And don’t wait-thinking things have to change for you to live the life you want. The only change necessary is in your thinking and belief in yourself. There is no time like the present. Everything can shift on a dime.

• What messages have I been told about who and what to be?

• Do I want that for myself or something else?

• What do I really want my life to look and feel like 3 months from now?

Here’s something I use to help me forecast my future and tap into what I really want - I have a conversation with my future self and ask her what she really wants.

By asking her instead of myself, it removes a lot of the stigma of what I think I can have, and more so, what I think I can’t have.

I usually use mediation but honestly you can have the conversation anywhere - on a walk down the road taking to the trees, writing in your journal, driving your car. Being with yourself is what really matters so you’re not hindered by another’s presence.

I hope you have fun with this. Life is truly meant to be fun, not hard, not sad, not full of worry. There are no right or wrong questions or answers to anything. Just ask away - your future self knows what she wants and needs to be happy.

Oh, and that beautiful photograph that man took - it’s the one above in this post.

Each time I look at it, it simultaneously grounds me into my purpose and catapults me into possibility.

Best,
Janet

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“I honor my self-worth by asking for what I want.”

- Anonymous

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If you’d like to join the BBA conversation just email me - janet@hutchensmedia.com

We meet on Zoom - Thursdays at 6-7:30pm EST.

Tuesdays at 9am and Noon are also options - let me know if that’s better for you.

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Pivoting Pet Peeves

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QUESTION OF THE WEEK

This past weekend I was having a conversation with a friend about pet peeves

“You know what drives me crazy?” I expressed

“Men who wear socks with sandals?” she asked

“Yes, yes of course, that’s huge and so completely wrong. But what really bothers me is people who don’t get back to me. And I’m not talking immediately, but in days. People who don’t respond to emails, texts or calls. I know I too fall short but there’s something about it that really, really bothers me.”

So I decided to do some unpacking of my biggest pet peeve. I looked at the feelings that come up around it and it led me directly back to my childhood.

As the youngest of six, I often felt invisible. For years, I joked about how there were no baby pictures of me unless it was a group shot but the truth is that I often felt unheard, unvalued, and unloved. It was no one’s intention and there was plenty of love in my family. It just can happen in big, active families. So much to do and so little time.

Clearing out the cobwebs of those feelings has allowed me to shed light on new perspectives, how I may have allowed those pet peeves to jade my view of the actual situation and hold myself back in business by deflecting responsibility. It’s also allowed me to explore new ways to communicate effectively so I do feel heard and valued.

In this Question(s) of The Week, you’ll be taking an honest look at your pet peeves in order to declutter and detach some of those old cobwebs.

• What is your top pet peeve?

• Does it show up in your business life as well as your personal life?

• How does it hold you back and/or jade your perspective and actions?

• What will you do to unpack and declutter your feelings around your pet peeves?

Full disclosure: I held back on writing this eblast/blog for fear of it being too personal and not seeming relevant to business. However, as I thought more about it, I reminded myself how completely intertwined our personal and business lives. There is no separation.

Decluttering of things, emotions, feelings, judgements, and more always sheds light and opens space for new and better, for progress.

Pivot your pet peeves… from feeling peaved to positive and productive!

Happy cobweb clearing!

Best,
Janet

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If you’d like to join the BBA conversation just email me - janet@hutchensmedia.com

We meet on Zoom - Thursdays at 6-7:30pm EST.

Tuesdays at 9am and Noon are also options - let me know if that’s better for you.

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“Anything I cannot transform into something marvelous,
 I let go.”

- Anais Nin

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No Mess - No Stress

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QUESTION OF THE WEEK

In India, it is believed that the Goddess Lakshmi only steps inside if your home is clean. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity.

In China, it is believed that good luck enters through the front door of your home so each morning the women sweep away any negative energy from the threshold to open space for abundance and good fortune to enter unhindered.

The simple act of sweeping each morning not only prepares for the new day but also amplifies the importance of letting go of the past to welcome the present.

As we sweep and clear the energy of our space, we are also clearing our own energy systems - emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually, creating space that feels clean, clear, and open.

Making sweeping part of your daily ritual tunes one into the continuing cycle of releasing the old and welcoming the new that is the hallmark of a healthy energy system. One only needs to look at nature to see how true that is.

Be sure to think welcoming thoughts as you sweep, intentionally manifesting what you want to come to you. You’ll be astounded by what will flow into your clean open space that will enrich you and your life.

The theme for June is Clearing Clutter - out with the old and in with the new!

Girl, if you really want that new car you absolutely have to get that old junker out of the garage first to open up the space for the new one!

Ok, let’s get to it.

Grab your broom, fellow Sorceress, and let’s start cleaning and clearing!

And when you’re done you can take that broom for ride ;)

The question(s) of the week involve a few action steps as well.

Let’s start with a Treasure Hunt!

• Loose Change - Go through your purse, wallet, coat pockets, the junk drawer, under the couch cushions, under the couch, under the seats of your car, EVERYWHERE! and gather up every bit of loose change you can find. Put it all in a ziplock bag and take it to bank. Deposit it into your savings account not your checking account.

• Gift Cards and Gift Certificates - Gather up any and all you can find. In the next week, use them, cash them in, or gift them to someone else.

A few questions:

• How much did the change total to?

• Are you surprised by the amount?

• Now that you have this additional cash what will you do with it?

• If you spend it will it be on you or someone else?

• How does it feel to not only find that money but also to clean out those spaces?

Now that you feel lighter and richer, think about what else you can declutter.

Here a few ideas to get you started:

• Declutter your calendar (an obligation or appointment you want to decline)

• Stop old subscriptions or software you’re not using (or downgrade the service)

• Plug up boundary leaks where you’re working for free or too long for too little

• Your inbox - delete old emails; unsubscribe to emails you don’t read

• Delete apps on your phone you’re not using

• Your workspace - distractions are stressful and slow you down

• Your file cabinet - old client files especially if they were PITA’s (pain-in-the-ass)

• Your underwear drawer

I’d love to hear what you decluttered and how it made you feel! Just respond to this email.

You’ve heard me talk about opening channels of abundance.

Clearing the clutter is one of the best and fastest ways to remove the money blocks you’ve likely unconsciously placed in your way. And it’s something to do on a regular basis.

Let your River of Abundance flow, Girlfriend.
Happy Clearing and Cleaning!

Best,
Janet

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If you’d like to join the BBA conversation just email me - janet@hutchensmedia.com

We meet on Zoom - Thursdays at 6-7:30pm EST.

Tuesdays at 9am and Noon are also options - let me know if that’s better for you.

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““Outer order contributes to inner calm”.”

- Gretchen Ruben

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The Cracks in Your Ceiling

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QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Kintsugi, meaning ‘golden seams’, is the Japanese art of repairing ceramics with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum, leaving a gold seam where the cracks were.

The practice of Kintsugi highlights and emphasizes imperfections, visualizing mends and seams as an additive and an area to celebrate and focus on.

Modern artists and designers experiment with the ancient technique as a means of analyzing the idea of loss, synthesis, and improvement through destruction and repair or rebirth.

Ok, we’ve all been through our fair share of shite and I’m willing to guess that the majority of us, myself very much included, have done our best to hide it, suppress it, gloss it over rather than highlight it.

Now is the time to leverage your cracks, your experience, your failures, your growth, your wisdom.

“Greatest growth in your darkest days.”

Years ago, anthropologist Margaret Mead was asked by a student what she considered to be the first sign of civilization in a culture. The student expected Mead to talk about fishhooks or clay pots or grinding stones.

But no. Mead said that the first sign of civilization in an ancient culture was a femur (thighbone) that had been broken and then healed. Mead explained that in the animal kingdom, if you break your leg, you die. You cannot run from danger, get to the river for a drink or hunt for food. You are meat for prowling beasts. No animal survives a broken leg long enough for the bone to heal.

A broken femur that has healed is evidence that someone has taken time to stay with the one who fell, has bound up the wound, has carried the person to safety and has tended the person through recovery. Helping someone else through difficulty is where civilization starts, Mead said. We are at our best when we serve others. [Credit: Ira Byock]

I am staunchly tied to the belief that the only reason we are here is to help one another. No more, no less - simply here to help one another.

To help is the purest purpose of all humans. The purest form of help is to share our wisdom along with the cracks that led to it. Our wisdom is the gold that joins our pieces stronger.

The Question(s) of the Week are about Leveraging your Wisdom.

• What are two ways you consider yourself to be wise, exclusive of your academic training?

• Ask three people close to you what they consider your greatest wisdom(s) to be.

• What was the lesson(s) you learned from your most painful setback in your life?

• What’s one way you can share those insights to benefit your clients and prospects in the next week?

Share your brilliance and light!

It matters more than you realize.

Best,
Janet

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If you’d like to join the BBA conversation just email me - janet@hutchensmedia.com

We meet on Zoom - Thursdays at 6-7:30pm EST.

Tuesdays at 9am and Noon are also options - let me know if that’s better for you.

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“There is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in.”

- Leonard Cohen

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Crayons, Quitters, and Doors

Oh My!

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QUESTION OF THE WEEK

One of my clients went to a conference this weekend and as she put, “Took some brave steps.”

She gathered her gumption, stretched into possibility, took action, and as a result opened opportunities.

There was a door, a literal door, with ‘Writing Workshop’ taped to it. As nervous as she was, she choose to open it, walk in, and accept the opportunity.

I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I held back from walking through a door of opportunity and instead stared at it hoping, wishing, wanting it to open.

You know the one - it’s that door that you think “should” and “could” be the path to a brighter, better, and more profitable future. Yet there it is - still closed and you’re still staring at it. Hmmm…

What are you waiting for? What are you waiting to happen?

• For the door to open itself?

• To be invited inside?

• To be told,“We’re so glad you’re here. We’ve been waiting for you.” ?

Here’s a hard cold fact I ran across this weekend while reading an article about women and confidence.

Women tend to be quitters. Seems harsh but sadly it’s true.

Girls are 80% more likely to quit a sports or team during middle and high school than boys are. And the percentages don’t change much as we age either. Oh, we do get savvier but only to simply take even less chances.

Why do we quit?

It’s a combination of both nature and nurture that lead women down this path of least resistance and holds us back from unabashedly opening doors.

NATURE: While men and women’s brains are primarily the same, certain areas are different. In particular, the hippocampus which regulates learning, memory encoding, and memory consolidation. It’s larger in women and as such our memories are pretty darn good.

However, that also means it’s harder for us to forget both good feelings and bad feelings so we instinctually minimize risk by staying on the safe path to approval.

Boys on the other hand do forget (well, that explains a lot!). When boys say nasty things to each other, they can more easily let it roll off of them.

NURTURE: Girls social skills develop earlier than boys. We learn at an early age that being good receives approval which we associate with love. As a result, we limit risky behavior to be loved. Boys rough and tumble risk-taking behavior however is not only tolerated it’s rewarded and celebrated.

Boys learn that failing is a natural path to winning whereas girls learn that pleasing is a natural path to being loved.

We quit because we want to be liked and loved. We quit before we can fail.

And so we continue politely and quietly staring at those closed doors, waiting and hoping for them to open rather than getting up and opening them ourselves.

A woman at one of my MasterMeals revealed that her secret to confidence and resilience comes from being a lifelong athlete as it taught her more about failing then it did about winning.

The question of the week is about Leveraging Opportunities.

• What doors are you going to open today?


  I know you have a person or persons you want to connect to. Will you just request a connect on LinkedIn or are you going to take that extra step and write a personal note?
 Or better yet, will you set up a Zoom meeting, a coffee, a lunch?


• What doors are you going to finally walk away from?


  There are doors you have been staring at for way too long - the ones you “hope” will be it. Hope doesn’t make things happen only action does. Either open the door or walk away. Chances are there’s a better door right behind you.


• What doors are you going to build yourself so you can open them?

  
Remember Harold and the Purple Crayon? Well, just like Harold you can draw yourself a door and open it! 
I’m betting there’s something you’ve always wanted to do, to try. Want to be a writer, pick up a pen. Want to be a speaker, start talking. Want to be a painter, grap some paint. Just do it, if for no one else but yourself!

The conclusion of that article I referenced earlier, The Confidence Gap, is that while both nature and nurture adversely affect a woman’s level of confidence, we can still get in the game and make solid strides.

Confidence is a game, an internal head game, which (you will remember because you’re a women) is one of our strong suits - the head game thing.

By recognizing our thoughts, understanding them from a different perspective, and having mini-touchdowns, as I call them, we can rewire our brain and leverage those thoughts to our advantage.

“Confidence is the factor that turns thoughts into judgments about what we are capable of, and that then transforms those judgments into action.

Confidence is a belief in one’s ability to succeed, a belief that stimulates action. In turn, taking action bolsters one’s belief in one’s ability to succeed. So confidence accumulates—through hard work, through success, and even through failure.”*

* The Confidence Gap by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman. The Atlantic.

Confidence is built and improved by taking action.

Opening your opportunity abundance channels happen when YOU take action - not by waiting for someone or something to find you and open the doors for you.

Get in the game Girl!
Take some brave steps towards those doors and let’s swing ‘em open!

Best,
Janet

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If you’d like to join the BBA conversation just email me - janet@hutchensmedia.com

We meet on Zoom - Thursdays at 6-7:30pm EST.

Tuesdays at 9am and Noon are also options - let me know if that’s better for you.

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“You don’t have to be great to start,
but you do have to start to be great.”

- Zig Ziglar

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I can see you! Or can I?

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QUESTION OF THE WEEK

At last week’s Lady-Preneur MasterMeal, one woman shared some exciting news! She’s moving her business down from her second story location to a street level space.

“Oh, wow! That’ll be great visibility!” I excitedly remarked. She agreed but I detected a slight apprehension.

I asked her if she would have been ready for this move three years ago.

“Oh no, not at all. I’ve had to remind myself often that it’s OK to be visible.”

Visibility … funny thing isn’t it.

We want it; we don’t want it; we want it only in certain areas of our life while other areas stay hidden and private. We place so many conditions on it.

But are those conditions actually our limiting thoughts and blocks of abundance?

The reality is… if you stay in the dark you’ll never be seen.

For some that’s just fine. But if you’re truly committed to sharing and shining your light and brilliance in the world then… I’m just going to say it…  you just have to stop being so damn selfish!

Yup, that’s exactly what it is! Being selfish! Selfish and greedy with all those gems you possess - your phenomenal knowledge, experience, insight, wisdom, and heck… your all-around girl chutzpah!

People, other women, need your brilliance!!

“OH NO! Do I have to do videos now?!?!”  you cringe.

Not necessarily, although video is very powerful.

In fact…. and don’t freak out… you’re already more visible than you may realize.

Let’s just leverage what you have for starters. That may be all you need to level up and attract more of your ideal clients.

Last week, we leveraged why your ideal clients buy and what turns them off based on their (and your) money personalities.

Continuing with those insights you discovered from last week…

Here are this Week’s Questions:

Identify 3 ways you can you leverage your visibility…

• On your website

  • Can people easily contact you? (Should be in the top fold of your website)

  • Is your message clear?

  • Are you talking your ideal client’s language?

  • Do your images reflect your ideal client (they need to see themselves)

  • Does your branding (colors, fonts, layout) reflect your ideal client

• In your Social Media Channels

  • How consistent are you in your posts?

  • How frequent are you in your posts?

  • Is the message and branding consistent?

  • Is there a CTA in each post? And where does it go?

• In your Community / Locally

  • Are you going to Local Chamber/Biz Groups events

  • Do you volunteer?

  • Do you bring your business cards? (Do you even have business cards?)

• To your Near & Dear’s (FYI - that’s your email list)

  • How often do you send Eblasts?

  • Are they consistent?

  • Are there 2+ CTA’s in each (it’s OK if they link to the same destination)

One more Question and it’s the important one!

• What’s holding you back from being more visible? (I have a quiz for this one ;

  • What’s Holding You Back Quiz - defines the 5 Primary Fears

Do you see a pattern as you identify the three things in Questions 1-4?

It’s likely connected to your answer to the last question.

It also likely related to the challenges you identified in your money personalities? Hmmm… Food for Thought!

I love food for thought!

AH HA! Maybe that’s why I started those MasterMeal dinners?!?

Keep Leveraging Sweet Brilliant Ladies!

Live Your Light and…  please, please, please Share & Shine it!!

Best,
Janet

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FREE Money Personality Quiz - 8 minutes tops ;)
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If you’d like to join the BBA conversation just email me - janet@hutchensmedia.com

We meet on Zoom - Thursdays at 6-7:30pm EST.

Tuesdays at 9am and Noon are also options - let me know if that’s better for you.

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“You never lose by loving.
You always lose by holding back.”

- Barbara De Angelis

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SMarketing… Like a Lady

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QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Happy Monday!

Continuing with this month’s theme of Leveraging, I’m going to dive into a subject many get squirmy about and frankly do their damndest to avoid.

Oh, they’ll pretend they have it all figured out but honestly, most rarely go as deep and specific as they could and should.

Are you ready? OK… Here is it!

The Question of the Week is about Leveraging your Ideal Client Profiles.

[YOU SPEAKING]  “Hmmm…. Ideal Client profiles? Sure, I know exactly what mine are. They’re people who are motivated, have the money to spend, and see value in my work.”

Girl, if I had a dime for everyone who told me that, I’d own a bank and closets full of shoes!

The reality is that everyone wants clients who are committed, have money to purchase your goods and services, and value what you do. Everyone wants that but those are the results of having specific and targeted ideal client profiles.

Often, ideal client profiles focus only on the outer elements, demographics like location, age, income level, interests, pain points, etc.

But what they’re really about is YOU!

Who YOU REALLY want to work with… and not the other way around.

You want to work with people you have a connection with and can communicate with naturally and easily. That’s when doing your work is effortless, rewarding, and FUN!

We’ve all had clients that were a struggle and 99.999% of the time it has to do with poor communication. They didn’t understand you and you didn’t understand them. It’s no one’s fault. You both speak the King’s English fluently but you just didn’t speak the same language.

Here’s my big secret to not only nailing your ideal client profiles but also leveraging your marketing to them.

Know why they buy.

I’m not talking about outer level pain points, which are important to identify. I’m talking about the finer inner details of why someone buys and what stops them. It honestly can be as simple as the font you’re using and it’s all tied to their inner money motivations.

You may have clearly defined and niched down the specifics of your ideal clients however until you’ve identified why and how they buy and use the right language, images, and style in your marketing to them, you won’t reach them. You’ll just be marketing generically and when you try to talk to everyone you talk to no one.

Since the people you want to work with are kinda like you and communicate like you, by knowing your money motivations, i.e. why you buy, you can determine the finer details of why and how they buy.

If you haven’t taken the Money Personality Quiz now’s the perfect time!

It’ll give you all the clues you need to start niching down and leveraging your ideal client marketing to be on target and attract the clients YOU want to work with! Your new BFF’s!

[TIP: Your top 3 personalities are the most important to pay attention to.]

So here are the Question(s) of the Week:

• What draws you to buy something? (style, language, images, etc)

• What turns you off from buying?

• What are three elements you can improve in your marketing this week?

Happy Leveraging Lady!

Niche Down to Profit Up!

Best,
Janet

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If you’d like to join the BBA conversation just email me - janet@hutchensmedia.com

We meet on Zoom - Thursdays at 6-7:30pm EST.

Tuesdays at 9am and Noon are also options - let me know if that’s better for you.

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“As you become more clear about who you really are,
you'll be better able to decide what is best for you,
the first time around.”

- Oprah Winfrey

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Strengths, Superwoman, and Springsteen

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QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Happy May!

Spring is on its way!!

My theme for May is all about Leveraging! And with that come some other cool things, like Spring Cleaning! Yes, the house but also of the mind, your marketing, your brand, your website, and more!

Why are these the big sticky points for so many of us?

I believe it has to do with us forgetting what our innate strengths are and that we can tap into them anytime to level our confidence and sense of worth. Equally important, arguably more important, are our weaknesses which we may have resisted identifying or even admitting. Heck, us Perfectionists are going to admit we have any weaknesses!

Admitting and releasing my perfectionism was HUGE for me! Sure, I can do a lot but do I really want to do all that stuff? Heck No! It felt so good to finally admit, release and delegate things! Besides, I realized I was also allowing someone else’s strengths to shine although to me they were weaknesses.

So here’s the Question(s) of the Week:

• Do you know what your innate strengths are?

• Do you know what your weaknesses are?

• How can you leverage your strengths this week?

• How can you delegate your weaknesses this week?

If you’re not sure about your strengths or weaknesses, ask a close friend or colleague. You’ll be surprised by their insights. You can also take my quick money personality quiz. Don’t worry, it’s not painful and there are no bad personalities. All of them are great and wonderful just like you!

You see, while the quiz may focus on money, it’s really about how you do everything. That’s because how you do money is also how you do relationships, business, health, play, exercise, everything! You’ll learn some cool things about yourself, I promise.

Sunday I watched an interview with Bruce Springsteen. He said something I just can’t get out of my head. “You can not succeed yourself out of pain.”

Lots of people become successful financially but still feel stuck and unhappy in their lives. It reminded me of the importance of self-awareness, growth, learning, sharing, openness, community, connection… Hell, the simple act of a word, a touch, a thank you, a nod, a smile.

Ladies, even Superwoman and Wonderwoman had their weaknesses. Yet what made them truly powerful and impactful was their ability to recognize and leverage both - their strengths and weaknesses!

Take the FREE Money Personality Quiz - 8 minutes tops ;)

Live Your Light!!

Best,
Janet

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If you’d like to join the BBA conversation just email me - janet@hutchensmedia.com

We meet on Zoom - Thursdays at 6-7:30pm EST.

Tuesdays at 9am and Noon are also options - let me know if that’s better for you.

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“You can't think caterpillar thoughts and live a butterfly life.
Spread your wings and soar."

- Kimberly Harrell

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Masters, Amateurs, and 40 Years

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QUESTION OF THE WEEK

The Question of the Week is a regular thing in my Brilliance Builders Alliance groups.

I pose a question at the beginning of each week which we discuss during our Zoom calls. The conversations are truly amazing and impactful!

Questions range from marketing, money, mindset, women in business, pricing, community, all sorts of things. What’s really amazing is what those conversations morph into.

Lucky you! Welcome to the conversation! Now I’ll be sharing the Question of the Week with you each week too!

This week’s question starts with a statement that I recently ran across - ’Don’t wait to do something.’

I have a bunch of passions. One of them is golf. Two weekends ago was The Masters tournament in which both amateurs and pros can participate. Rarely does an amateur qualify to play in the last four days. This year however, Sam Bennett, a 23 college kid, was the exception and gave all those veteran pros a real run for their money. He placed 3rd going into Saturday!!

Sam has a tattoo on his left forearm. It’s the very last words his Dad was ever able to write having been stricken with early onset Alzheimer’s at the age of 45. His Dad passed in 2020.

“Don’t wait to do something.”

Painting is one of my others passions.

Last week, I heard that two paintings I had submitted to a show at AVA Gallery, a local gallery here in Cow Hampshire, sold! The same person bought them - I love that - they belonged together.

This was my first art show in 40 years! 40 years! My last one was in 1983, just 2 years out of college, at Boston City Hall.

Then life got in the way - I got married, had 4 kids, got divorced, raised 4 kids as a single mom, created a business to survive and rarely took a moment to focus on me.

Now I make and take time for myself, painting and golfing, semi-free of guilt (still working on that).

The question of the week is for anyone who has ever doubted and/or set aside their passions, as I had for over 40 years.

Do not wait to do something any longer! PLEASE!!

So let me ask you….

• What have you been waiting to do?

• Why haven’t you done it i.e. what have been your excuses?

• When are you going to do it?


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If you’d like to join the BBA conversation just email me - janet@hutchensmedia.com

We meet on Zoom - Thursdays at 6-7:30pm EST.

Tuesdays at 9am and Noon are also options - let me know if that’s better for you.

Live Your Light!!

Best,
Janet

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“Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that?
We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves.
We must believe that we are gifted for something
and that this thing must be attained.”

- Marie Curie

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Mastering Feedback

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The Art of Asking & Receiving

I had a conversation with a friend a few weeks back.

It started out around Einstein’s quote, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result.”

She had heard it lots of times in the past but this time it really hit her. Her new job was exactly the same as the previous one. The only difference she realized was that she was actually making less pay in the end.

“What makes it the same?” I asked.

“It’s the same thing. I work hard and do a really conscientious job but I never know how I’m doing in their eyes. No one ever tells me.” She lamented.

Her complaint was not new. It was the same complaint everywhere she worked as far back as I could remember.

“Looking back, how often did you ask for feedback instead of waiting for them to tell you?” I asked.

“Oh, I don’t think I should need to ask. It’s just common courtesy, isn’t it, to offer words of appreciation and encouragement to the people who work for you?” she replied.

I immediately thought of Gary Chapman’s book, The Five Love Languages. Gary condensed our needs for connection and love into five actions. Some are more important to us than others. He believes, and so do I, that once we know what matters to someone we can improve our relationships with them. It’s also vital for us voice what matters to us.

Here are the five love languages:

• Words of Affirmation

• Physical Touch

• Receiving and Giving Gifts

• Quality Time

• Acts of Service

“It may be a common courtesy for you,” I offered, “but obviously not to them. It’s just not one of their love languages.”

I continued, “So if the definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results, what’s one thing YOU can change?”

She knew about the Five Love Languages. I had told her about it a year ago and she took the quiz. Her number one love language was Words of Affirmation by a large margin.

As she pondered what she could change, I offered up a suggestion.

“How about you just ask them how you’re doing instead of waiting for them to say something? Be proactive. It obviously bothers you so take control of the conversation. Just say, ‘Hey, I’m just checking in to see how I’m doing. Is there anything I could improve upon?’ Make is casual.”

I saw her freeze. “Oh, I don’t know.”

“What are you afraid of? The asking or the receiving?” I questioned her.

Feedback is vital to us humans, we are a social species. We need to know how we are doing to feel safe and valued in our tribes, both personally and in business.

When I ask clients to get testimonials from their customers to use in their marketing I often hear excuses like “I don’t want to bother them” or “They’re not the type of people who do that.” Even, “But what if they don’t want to or give me a bad review?”

You can’t improve what you don’t know. We are all a work in progress. Learning how to ask, but more importantly how to receive, keeps us moving forward, growing and progressing. It’s a simple action that can shift Einstein’s theory of insanity into insight. And with insight doors open and opportunities appear. Instead of wondering why, find out why.

• What’s one bit of feedback can you ask for today?

• Who will you ask?

• How will it feel when you hear their answer?

• What will you do with their answer?

• Don’t forget to say ‘Thank You’ ;)

3 simply ways to start gathering feedback:

• Ask your clients for testimonials (People love being asked for their opinion)

• Send out a Survey (Mailchimp has a function for that - easy-peasey)

• Allow comments and reviews on your website and social media channels (Yes, you will need to monitor them but you should be actively involved with your media anyway)

If you never taken the Five Love Languages quiz or it was a while ago, I highly recommend it. The insights you will gain can be applied to all of your relationships - personal and business . Here’s the link: https://5lovelanguages.com/learn

The most successful, fulfilling, and longest lasting businesses are laser focused on relationships and building community. Relationships require open and on-going communication. Gather feedback - it’s like money in the bank.

So how is your relationship with money?

I ask because how you do money is how you do everything. Do you know what your Money Language is?

You have one and it’s likely your Money Language is connected to your Love Language.

Are you a Maverick, a Nurturer, a Connector, a Celebrity, an Accumulator, Alchemist, a Romantic?

Find out. Take the Free Money Personality Quiz: https://www.buildingtobrilliance.com/masteryourmoney-quiz

Shine on Lovely Lady!! Keep growing, keep learning! Your brilliance is showing :)

Best,
Janet

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“A lot of people are afraid to say what they want.
That’s why they don’t get what they want.”

- Madonna

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A Woman’s #1 Self-Sabotage

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When I first started out in business I made a classic mistake. One that would cost me dearly for over a decade in both money, time, and energy. And worst of all, I kept doing it!

It’s extremely common when you’re starting out and it can creep back in even when you think you have it licked.

What was it?

Well, it was actually a combination of three common mistakes - each one leading and feeding into the other. Looking back, it was a bad loop I continued to allow to play out and all because I questioned my worth. The more I allowed it to continue the more I questioned my value and worth. It was a vicious cycle yet completely preventable.

I was speaking with a client this week who recently relocated and there it was - that nasty self-sabotage again. She was wondering if she should lower her pricing.

The #1 business self-sabotage for women is Pricing.

She had looked around and it seemed that people charged less than her. Not people doing the same thing as her, but people in general offering services.

We explored why she felt this way.

• Was it because she was new to the area and wanted to fit in and please others?

• Was she taking on others money blocks?

• Was she questioning her worth and value?

Turns out it was a combination of all three.

I encouraged her to stick with her current pricing, get to know the people and area better before making assumptions about what they value.

“Stand proudly in your worth and value. You know how much you bring to your work and the benefit it brings others.”

Truth be told, you don’t want to work with anyone who doesn't see value in what you do. It’s not only a waste of your time, it’s waste of theirs too.

If people really want to work with you they will find a way, they always do.

Once I let go of that vicious cycle of self-sabotage and stepped confidently into my worth everything changed for the better. The right people showed up with the right mindset, focus, and dedication. Even more importantly, we’ve established long-lasting relationships.

So... what were the 3 common mistakes I was making?

#2, #3, and #5.

Check them out.

They’re in my ebook - The 5 Biggest Pricing Mistakes Women Make.

Enjoy!

Best,
Janet

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“"Elevate Your Worth by Believing in Your Wisdom and
Watch your Wealth Rise
Magically!””

- Janet Hutchens

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Your Ikigai & Your 3 Legged Stool

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Iki… What??

I know, I know… it sounds kinda ‘icky’ but really it isn’t. It’s frigging amazing!

Ikigia is a Japanese concept I use in my Discover Your Brilliance Course and when working with clients on everything from branding to marketing. Even with money blocks and sabotages.

It’s about bringing together the 4 essential elements for success - your talents, your passion, your mission, and your worth.

And when I say success, I’m talking in business, in life, in love, in health, in community, in… everything!!

'Iki' in Japanese mean 'life' and ‘gai’ describes value or worth. Your Ikigai is your reason for being, your life purpose, your bliss, what lights you up. It's what brings you joy and inspires you to get out of bed everyday.

My mission is to inspire one million women leap out of bed each morning, excited and charged up to share their brilliance with the world.

Ikigai is what I’m talking about!

Your Ikigai is the convergence of four elements:

• What you love - your passion

• What you’re good at - your talents (BTW - your talents can be vastly different from your passion)

• What the world needs - your mission

• What you can be paid for - your value & worth

Those who have all four figured out and in balance will live and lead a joyful, meaningful, abundant and fulfilled life.

But wait! There’s more!

To gain and maintain a healthy Ikigai there are 10 daily actions to follow:

• Stay active

• Don't retire

• Take it slow

• Get in shape

• Live in the moment

• Reconnect with nature

• Smile

• Surround yourself with good friends

• Give thanks

• Follow your Ikigai

What’s a 3 Legged Stool got to do with it?

If you’re unsure about what your passion, talents, and mission are, that’s where my 3 Legged Stool tool comes in handy. By answering 3 essential questions you can keep your Ikigai in balance. Those answers are the legs of your 3 Legged Stool.

When your business feels out of balance, like a wobbly 3 Legged Stool, look to your answers and remind yourself why you do what you do. Then make the necessary adjustments to get back in balance. Business is not so much staying on track as it is staying in balance.

Here are the 3 questions:

• What’s your All About You Why?

• What’s your Emotional Why?

• What’s your All About Them Why?

Ponder these. Canoodle on them. Even meditate on them. They are essential to staying in balance and in abundance - both in business and in life.

As women entrepreneurs we spend so much time on our business - doing, thinking, dreaming. It should be completely enjoyable, fulfilling, fun, exciting, inspiring and profitable. It should light us up!

Best, Janet

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“Get your Ikigai in shape!
Change Your World to Change The World!”

- Janet Hutchens

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What’s a Mastermind?

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No time to read right now? Click below to listen to this blog.

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And Why Should I Care?

I get this question enough that it's really worth discussing... and you should care... you should always care :)

A mastermind group is a small group of like-minded achievers who understand the value of sharing and crowdsourcing ideas, wins and challenges.

It’s different from having a mentor or a coach because there is no one person looked to for solutions. The facilitator does not coach the individuals but rather moderates the discussion. Members challenge each other to set strong goals, and more importantly, to accomplish them. The members act as catalysts for growth, devil’s advocates and supportive colleagues.

Mastermind Groups are Nothing New

Andrew Carnegie, the billionaire steel tycoon, credited his entire fortune to his mastermind group. Napoleon Hill introduced the concept of the “master mind alliance” in his 1920’s book The Law of Success, and expanded on it in his 1930s book, Think And Grow Rich. - both worth a read! Thomas Edison, Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone had their own small mastermind group and one of the most famous mastermind groups of all time was The Inklings, an authors’ group with members like C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and Owen Barfield.

What are the Benefits of a Mastermind Group?

While Masterminds offer a combination of brainstorming, education, peer accountability, validation, empowerment, and support the true value of being in a Mastermind ultimately depends on you.

Are you willing to:

• Be completely honest, humble and realistic about where you are and what you could be doing better?

• Set solid goals and actively reach for them?

• Be accountable?

• Accept constructive ideas and feedback?

Should competitors be in my Mastermind?
Should I join an industry-focused Mastermind?

I am a big believer and doer in thinking abundantly not from a sense of lack, therefore it doesn’t concern me to have what some may view as competitors. Everyone is different, and everyone has their own talents and brilliance. Some choose an industry-focused Mastermind, like finance, real estate, travel, etc. however that too can have it’s advantages and disadvantages. It can be very valuable to have an outsider/customer viewpoint when looking for solutions.

I started the Lady-Preneur Mastermeals because I was missing thoughtful, deep, caring and insightful conversations with like-minded women achievers. I wanted to get the hard conversations going and flowing to benefit all of us.

Then after the MasterMeal dinners women were asking “What’s next?” So I started Brilliance Builders Alliance - an online platform where we can continue the conversations weekly and in real-time chats as well as lots of other cool features!

If you’re interested in either or both let me know OR check out the info on my website about them. Ladies, let keep the conversations flowing!

Best, Janet

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“My husband is great and listens well but I needed a different kind of support.
Women just communicate differently and have different problems than men.”

- a Lady-Preneur MasterMeal attendee

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