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8 Signs You Are Meant To Be An Entrepreneur

2014-11-14 By Monica 6 Comments

If you’re anything like me, being an entrepreneur isn’t really optional. It’s in our DNA. It’s how we think and feel about the world around us. I started my first business at age 12, mowing lawns. Since then I’ve gone on to create and co-create several other successful businesses, including working with CEO’s and other entrepreneurs in the healthcare industry.

We entrepreneurs certainly vary in our styles and in the processes we use for creating businesses. However, some traits seem to be universal. If these signs resonate with you, even if you don’t have a history of starting a company, you just might be an entrepreneur.

Entrepreneurs are: [Read more…] about 8 Signs You Are Meant To Be An Entrepreneur

5 Steps to Changing the World Doing What You Love

2014-10-20 By Monica 11 Comments

Sometimes people make light of the idea that each of us is a “special snowflake,” but guess what? It’s true. There is no one else exactly like you in the universe, and there’s no one else exactly like me either. We each have a unique way of doing things and a form of expression that no one else has.

This uniqueness provides each of us with a rare and priceless opportunity to provide a unique gift to the world. Even when we do work that is similar to others’, our presentation and expression is guaranteed to be different.

The Dagara tribe in Africa understands this concept well. The Dagara know that each person brings an irreplaceable contribution to the world, not just to their family and community. When a tribal elder dies, it’s seen as the equivalent of a massive library burning to the ground. In death, the elder’s knowledge and gifts are lost to the world. [Read more…] about 5 Steps to Changing the World Doing What You Love

7 Ways You Can Help Change the World

2013-11-17 By Monica 2 Comments

I woke up at 4am, and all I could think was “What am I doing with my life?” I was in my early 30’s and living in the corporate world, working long hours with high levels of stress. I felt burned out and depleted. What happened? Growing up, I always dreamed I would change the world and make it a better place.

At that moment, I definitely didn’t feel like I was changing anything. I was just earning a paycheck. Just surviving. I didn’t have time to think about changing the world. I had deadlines to meet and never enough time for anything extra.

Does that sound familiar? Many people I know are in the same situation. How can you take on the problems of the world when there’s so much to do already? It can be overwhelming, no matter how good your intentions might be.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. You can change the world, just like you always thought you would. You can make a positive change. You can do meaningful deeds and make a positive impact on other people.

Following Your Passion – The Story of One Wildlife Photographer Who Does Just That

2013-10-30 By Monica Leave a Comment

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of seeing Suzi Eszterhas speak at a Science Pub event in Portland, Oregon. Suzi is able to live a life that many of us dream about: traveling to exotic locations to photograph rare and endangered animals in their natural habitats. Suzi is one of the only women in her competitive, adventure-filled industry, and is well known for her unprecedented work with newborns, including lions, cheetahs, tigers, gorillas, orangutans, penguins, bears, and sea otters. Her work is helping bring attention to the plight many of these animals face every day as they live on the verge of extinction.

In addition to being inspired by Suzi’s amazing photos, I was struck by how passionate she is about her work and how she’s been able to do things that most of us would be too afraid to do. Suzi has traveled to some of the most remote and potentially dangerous locations on her own to pursue her passion. She lived on location in Africa for several years, spent five and a half months living at a jackal den, and spends a significant amount of time living and working in extreme conditions in the desert, arctic, jungle, and natural elements.

How You Can Help Create Strong Women Through Education – Human Rights Blog Action Day

2013-10-16 By Monica Leave a Comment

LifeOhm is participating in Blog Action Day 2013 #BAD13 along with more than 2,000 other bloggers in more than 126 countries worldwide to bring attention to human rights issues. There are so many human rights issues that need attention that it was difficult to decide where to focus. I chose to discuss the right for girls to receive an education because of how important education has been in my own life.

7 Things About Business That I Didn’t Learn in College

2013-09-17 By Monica 2 Comments

Back to school time is always fun and exciting and I loved the years I spent in college. I learned a lot of great things, made a few lifelong friends, and also experienced a few hard knocks. As I work toward finishing my master’s degree, I’ve been reflecting on some important lessons learned while working in the corporate world and as an entrepreneur – lessons that I most definitely did not learn in college. Here are seven things that I had to learn on my own:

1. Advocate for Yourself

In business, you continually need to advocate for yourself. Whether its negotiating a salary, or a promotion, or establishing boundaries about working overtime, being able to support your own cause is vital to survival in the real world. In order to successfully advocate for yourself, it’s important to know your own value and priorities. I was happy to learn recently that some local high schools are working with students to develop self-advocacy.

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