Tag Archives: inspiration

Today’s Confident Content Tuesday Tip was delivered via Facebook live stream (Access Today’s Facebook Live) while Imade gluten-free banana-nut muffins.Simultaneously.🙌 Am I proud when I successfully do double duty?Sure!But what I love most is that I give myself permission to make mistakes and to keep going. The Confident Content Tip of the Day is all about that.

**Perfection Is NOT Required **

If you like cooking as much as I do, you learn your way around the kitchen and during all the trial and error you learn the strangest things, for example, what you initially think is a tragedy is often found totally delicious by other people.It’s similar with your content delivery.Especially as a coach, consultant, artist, or other high creative being, when you are delivering the “gift of you”, perfection rears it’s ugly head way too often.So just think, what would you do if you were in the kitchen and wanted to serve up something tasty even if you had a little bit of doubt? Here’s 5 things that will help in the kitchen, in life and definitely in the business of creating your content.

5 Keys to Confident Content (That Work In The Kitchen Too!)

Prepare for your niche. Ever had a dinner party and invited guests who adhere to special diets? You try to accommodate, right? You wouldn’t cook Shrimp Alfredo for someone with a shellfish allergy and is gluten-free. You would know what they needed and then what they needed and then give it to them. It’s the same with your content. Know your audience and give them exactly what they need. They are not looking for perfection, but consistently tasty prepared just for them.

Use what you have on hand. Your pantry is chock full of goodies and you can create something great from there even in a pinch. With your skills, talents, education, passion and gifts, it’s the exact same thing. Don’t try to cook from someone else’s kitchen – yours is way more than good enough!

Know the art of substitution. There is no sense lamenting over not having enough oil when you can usually exchange equal amounts of applesauce while cutting calories but keeping the moisture and even adding a bit of flavor. In your content if something is working, change it. One platform isn’t performing, try a different one. A particular CTA doesn’t engage, move on. Getting it right may take a couple tries but in the meantime you are learning what works best and you can never go wrong with that lesson.

Be flexible. The toothpick test doesn’t always come out clean after 45 minutes on a 350 oven. That’s life. If you stubbornly (perfectly) follow the recipe at all costs, you might end up with something half-baked and inedible. Especially when you are delivering your content on live stream realize that a few curve balls might come your way. You might have the notes, nerve and the notion but life will happen! Today during my Facebook livestream I realized that there was gluten-free flour on my, um, let’s just say right upper torso area…. I had to pivot in the moment. My allergies kicked up smack dab in the middle of chatting and stirring. Imagine if perfection got the best of me and I abruptly ended. Not a good look. But it’s spring and it happens, so I walked off camera, took care of my runny nose and got right back to the recipe of my content. You can do just the same. Be Flexible and go with it.

Questions are your ally. I think the reason women love Pinterest so much is because we often come from families that don’t cook and we want an ally, a tribe. We need to know that someone is out there that has done it too and can tell us how to do it. But then if our banana nut muffins don’t turn out just like the picture we are bummed out. You don’t have to respond that way if you don’t want to. Realize that your niche market/ideal customer has questions too. She is looking for a “recipe” for her problem and you have the answer. What you know and will share is more than what she has. Perfection is never placed in a search engine. Ask what she needs. Check your recipe to make sure you will deliver it and start consistently cooking and delivering your content!

Here’s the gem I want you to take away: Perfection is not needed. You are ready and should not delay another day waiting. If I can help, let’s schedule a strategy session. In the meantime:

Specializing in content creation, confidence coaching, consulting and strategy for women-owned small businesses, Chatone is the owner of Chatone Morrison Consulting. As a highly creative, high energy, heart-led, coach, consultant, mentor, leader, speaker and author, Chatone is absolutely passionate about helping her clients to script their unique brand story, know their niche and find their voice, systematize their message and move past the negativity so they can confidently sell their services on and off-line. She believes that you can absolutely release negativity so positivity can reign in your brain and in your business. To work with Chatone, go to bit.ly/contentkickstartcall or visit chatonemorrison.com

For the last few years I have been taking a moment to focus on something really small and really good every day. Yesterday this photo was taken during one of these moments.

It’s more than just gratitude. Acknowledging the good stuff, however minor, and being thankful is an energy changer.A mindset shifter.

In 2012 hubby and I decided it made sense for me to leave Corporate HR and Training communications behind. It was the right decision but the shift in routine and a series of illnesses threw me for a loop. Anything like that ever happen to you?I was accustomed to feeling great and serving others and feeling relatively happy, then suddenly it was all gone. Even though I was busy concentrating on getting well, it was almost unbearable.I had to think of something. Scaling back from trying to find my perfect life and instead working to embrace the present was a much better choice.

A little later I started keeping a list of 5 things each day that I loved or experienced or appreciated or enjoyed. The rule I set was I couldn’t make the list in advance (I cheated a few times) and I would take 1 minute to just reflect on each of the 5 things.Guess what?It was magical.

I put the list on my original blog with the goal of recording 3000 positive memories and experiences. I invited others to participate. It was beautiful how a few moments spent mining for gratefulness changed me and those around me.That’s why I always hashtag “focus and take time”.

Daily we simply cannot “overcome” all the difficult people and encounters or inner feelings we meet. But we can use the law of substitution to shrink the present negative circumstances.Just by creating this simple practice and teaching others how to do it got my is shift in gear. 5 little thoughts are amazing when you want to quickly move the energy in an otherwise negative room.Or yourself.

Mining yesterday was easy. I took off my consultant hat and put down the laptop and toured a historic factory in upstate New York with my family. I found so many but here are just 5:

Construction workers waving hello

Huge red-orange Flowers

Meeting Matilde from France

Groundhogs in the garden

Ice cream sandwiches by the fire truck

Try this. Focus and take time. Challenge your employees and teams and kids and spouse and self.Who knows what might make tomorrow’s list?

We pass treasures every single day. Be determined to see them.

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As a small biz owner, are you reluctant to tell your brand story on livestream?Are you gripped with uncertainty at the suggestion of using IGTV, YouTube or creating edited video?Do you get sweaty palmed when you think about scripting daily social media posts, your next blog, or your “about me” page or bio?No need. Helping you lose the negativity while finding your voice is what I do best. Get on my calendar for a free 20-minute catalyst session. Together we can do this.

For the last several days I’ve been in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic without my family. For someone else that might seem normal enough, but that just means they haven’t met me yet. Traveling? Check! Traveling internationally? Check! Traveling internationally without my husband? That would be an automatic no for me.

However we had an issue with our kids passports; I had no choice. I needed to come and welcome our family and guests, all the while praying hubby could get 24 hour passport renewal without me being in the room. DO NOT…I REPEAT…DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!!

(I will save the details for another blog once I can find the humor in it. That hasn’t happened yet! But to whet your appetite It includes the following: nine school children who wouldn’t get out of the street, an irate customer care agent who should hand in her resignation NOW, a monsoon, 15 hours of hunger, struggling up a steep cobblestone hill on a golf cart with no windshield through the previously mentioned monsoon, 4 defunct Internet cafes, a lawyer who can no longer hold his own pen but has the notary stamp, holding back the traffic of 489 aggressive motorcycle drivers, to run through the traffic and that blasted monsoon and at least one donkey.)

Now that my family is here I am once again reminded why it’s so important to authentically focus and take time. To slow down and be present. To cherish the moment. To know that: “one day it could all be otherwise”. To learn more about this concept, check out the last episode of, The Sunday Corner™, on YouTube: bit.ly/ChatoneYT

Last night we celebrated with a special dinner. And while this is not a restaurant review it just might make you hungry to visit the DR and come to this fabulous spot.

Travel with me….

We dined at at “Saffron”, a private restaurant here in Puerto Plata. How it lived up to its name!!

Fresh healing herbs infused into every bite. Yes, the food was amazing. Mediterranean hot and spicy lentil and root vegetable soup, smooth hummus and eggplant purée in tiny white bowls served alongside pickled carrots and beets and thick pita bread straight from the oven. The tender roasted lamb chops the size of beef ribs, the chicken tangine arrived at the table atop pearl potatoes, tiny okra and in a sauce with the perfect bite. All of this feast paired with a delectable deep red wine, then finished with crispy phyllo stuffed with apricots and drizzled with warm honey. We were directly at the ocean in a evening so dark, we could hear the surf and waves and the song of night birds, but see nothing. Not even the sand. It was truly a gorgeous experience.

And yet it became pale because I was in the midst of cherishing that my “forever boyfriend” had finally arrived. Mark Morrison is better than the best dinner in the best location in the best part of the most beautiful island. I have cherished him since I was 14 years old. I want to continue.

When you stop to focus and take time, you notice all the tiny hints of moments to cherish and enjoy.

Are you a make it happen woman in public, need who is hiding behind a facade of confidence? Could you benefit from support around your mindset, body image, motivation and self-talk in private? Are you ready to ease your way into releasing your negativity so your positivity can reign? I’d love to help you up level your game.

Complete the questionnaire to apply for a free 20-minute strategy session with me. http://bit.ly/Ready-now

When is the last time you felt that nothing compared to you? You know that feeling when you are “sitting pretty” without even trying? When you are in the midst of the best you, doing the things that make you feel great from the inside out? If it has been a while, this blog is just for you. If you can’t remember when, you may have fallen victim to someone else’s hype. If you can’t remember, it’s been way too long.

Guess what? Contrary to popular belief…nothing compares to you. It wouldn’t sting so badly if this statement weren’t true. But it is true. Your specialness precedes you, even when you don’t see it.

Why You Don’t See It

You don’t see where you don’t look. As women we are oftentimes looking for the good in everyone around us. It becomes our singular job to uplift, empower, encourage and nurture. The family, the job, the school, where we volunteer, all get our best. They may or may not give us compensatory thanks. We are literally living our specialness and giving it away simultaneously, so much so that we personally miss it altogether. Search. Look deeper. It’s still there.

You Have A Distorted Mirror

Your standards of “best you” are not quite right. you using to compare your Have you ever looked in a old, cloudy or cracked mirror? How did you look? Even if you could make out all your features, would you trust that mirror to put on your makeup? Do your hair for an evening out? Dress yourself? What might the chances be for you to make an error in judgement and totally miss it? Fairly high, right?

How often are your standards set by you instead of strangers? When an important path is set by someone who doesn’t know how unique and lovely you are, you will never feel that you measure up. Period. Take a look at your mirror. If it can be cleaned up, do it. If it needs replacing, throw it away and start again.

La, La, La…I Can’t Hear You!

Sound like a child you know? This is a fan favorite with small children. They tune out what they don’t want to hear. Have you taken on this childlike behavior? Is it wrecking havoc on your self-esteem and confidence? You can get so busy hearing what people you don’t know are whispering to you that you don’t hear what those who know and love you are screaming. This social media monster is in a constant chase for our hearts. It’s a necessary evil that can replace the human interaction in our lives if we let it. Next stop? No longer listening to important people who know you, love you, understand where you have been and where you are going. Hand over ears and eyes, you make others out to be wrong; no longer believing the truth. It’s gradual and insidious and happens way too often! It’s annoying when kids do it. (Newsflash: It’s annoying when adults do it too!)

What Can You Do?

If you nurture others; nurture yourself too. Give away some of your best self, and keep some for yourself. It’s easier said than done, so practice is needed.

Take a good look at your mirror. If the standards you are working with no longer fit you make a change. Evolve them. Remove them. You will not stay the same woman, especially as you gain more life experience (age/wisdom, etc). Expect the metamorphosis and accept it for what it is . . . Something Wonderful.

Unless you are a very tall, feathery and fast bird running on the plain, you can no longer use ostrich-like habits to excuse away who you are. Rejecting reality does not change it. When others acknowledge you, it is a blessing. Develop your listening and appreciation skills. Very few people have the desire to flatter you for no reason. Listen. You just might hear something great.

The late artist Prince said it best: Nothing compares to you. However, if you don’t allow yourself to go to your own party, the party will go on without you. Since it’s being thrown in your honor, you might as well enjoy it.

Are you a make it happen woman in public, in need of support around your mindset, image, motivation and self-talk in private? Are you ready to ease your way into releasing your negativity so your positivity can reign? I’d love to support you. Complete the questionnaire to apply for a free 20-minute strategy session with me.

Do you have an autumn ritual? Something that automatically makes your mind turn to red and gold leaves and the shedding of trees? For our family that means camping. Although we won’t be able to fit it into our October schedule, we will no doubt spend time on our patio, enjoying a crisp, dusky evening, making s’mores around the fire pit, telling stories, watching the release of the beautiful, glowing energy.

Speaking of stories, which ones have you been telling yourself lately? What renewal are you in the process of experiencing? As I mentioned the other day in a blog post here, this time of year has become the new starting point for so many folks. Autumn truly is the “New Black”. For me, it’s all about writing more, meeting new people in both my coaching and Mary Kay business, and working a revised, more robust schedule for my Deaf ministry.

Each of us has the unique privilege of having a dream, an idea, a mission, some specialness that we want to bring to fruition. To do it well, you need to ignite a “fire” in your spirit to make it happen. And no matter how excited you might be about your big idea, without the elements of fire behind you to make it happen, well it won’t happen.

Setting fire to your idea, your dream without the strength of the right elements is like setting a fire with wet wood. It will smolder and smoke, but never get to a full burn. The right stuff is missing; the dampness is killing the energy! But how can you know what the right stuff is, and how do you get it?

In many ways it’s simple. It’s all about strength. The cool thing about this strength is that you can adopt it. Grow it. Develop it. Evolve into it. It’s not about pushing or prodding. It’s about asking the right questions.

My specialty is about helping women ask the right questions of themselves so they can learn how to release negativity, let positivity reign, and set a fire within to get things moving in the right direction. Is that your journey? Are you ready to start? Be sure to check out this past week’s Sunday Corner™ video. You can get so much done when you turn up your flame!

Ready to get your positive energy in check? Looking to clean up your self-talk, create a personal affirmation plan or ease your way into releasing your negativity so your positivity can reign? Complete the questionnaire for a free coaching strategy session.

All photos courtesy of Unsplash.com

Like this:

This morning while driving my son to school I had an epiphany. I was cold! Well not cold exactly. But just enough to get my attention. It’s October here and although the early mornings turn to warmth and sunny afternoons I need to remember to simply dress for the weather that snow. Not just the weather to come. When I do that, there are no surprises. Just one extra layer and it all somehow works in my favor. And no, this is not a blog post about “what not to wear” in fall or how to be a fashionable mom in the car loop, well unless that is how you choose to take it. This is a blog about feeling the duality of the reality what is in front of you and dealing with it just as it is. In other words, want to have a positive enjoyable October morning in the northeast? Add an extra layer. Wear a jacket.

Do you own a “jacket of positivity“? What color is it? Is it so well-worn that it fits your body like a glove? Is it among the favorite pieces in your closet, so much so that you wouldn’t dare leave the house without it? Did you lay it down and now have no idea where it is? How’s that going for you?

For at least the time being, people are going to continue to be rude, nasty, full of road
rage, and Target waiting in line rage, and kindergarten rage…etcetera, etcetera. It’s like an elementary school playground at recess, all the jackets of positivity have been left in a pile on the ground. Is yours in there someplace?

Even as I write this and make an off-the-“jacket”-cuff metaphor about the way we show up for ourselves and our family as women, I hope it makes sense. Ultimately it’s up to each of us to decide what to put on each day. An armor of positivity is the exact opposite of not standing up for yourself. It means you face and flight what matters most, all the while being an example, a stand, an elevated platform those blessed to be in your presence. And in the end the recipient of the biggest blessing is you.

Go find your jacket. Pin it. Tweet it. Put it on the Gram. But most of all wear it. It will fit over your t-shirt or your evening gown. You will be the most fashionable in every single room. And maybe, just maybe, you will start a new trend.

Ready to get your positive energy in check? Looking to clean up your self-talk, create a personal affirmation plan or ease your way into releasing your negativity so your positivity can reign? Complete the questionnaire for a free coaching strategy session.

This morning my hands lovingly squeezed fresh lemons, making an attempt at distracting me from more senseless killing. The fragrance lingered behind and I was reminded that a 5-minute act can still create joy. There is still beauty created in simple acts.

The thing about our hands is that we use them every single day. All day. With our hands we smooth the skin on our face and body. We rouse awake. Wash our children. Hold our spouses.

With our hands we plant the garden. Cook the food. Make the coffee. Cook the breakfast. Pack the lunches. We sign the homework. Check the backpack. And then we sit them on our hips as a sign. A sign to move on with our day.

These same hands held my 11 year old’s (when no one was looking) when he was a bit nervous on the first day of middle school. They applauded when he could find his locker and got his first “A” of the semester. And in their versatility, they wrung repeatedly when consecutive hurricanes hit and the worry was as deep as the falling rain. Then, my hands became an essential oil diffuser and massaged my temples when I was sleepless.

When I was 18 months old, my right hand was badly burned. The scar is a reminder of my mom and dad screaming through the house, taking care of me. When the weather is cold the skin is ashen, tight, itchy and draws attention. My hand holds this secret that spans my entire life and the memory never ceases to bless me.

Whether I’m in a place of curiosity and courage or gloom and grief, I ask my hands to be on a mission of service. Days like today, I don a black leather “CLARITY” bracelet on my right hand. It’s a nudge in the direction of understanding, gratitude and as much positivity as possible.

Focus and Take Time with your hands. The secrets they tell need never be spoken. Use them to do something simple yet powerful. Change a moment. Change an evening. Change a year. Change a life.

Ready to get your positive energy in check? Looking to clean up your self-talk, create a personal affirmation plan or ease your way into releasing your negativity so your positivity can reign? Complete the questionnaire for a free coaching strategy session.