Contents In This Issue GUEST ARTICLE: Lessons From a Lemonade Stand by Carol Gegner COACHING CALL TO ACTION COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IDEAS AND INFORMATION A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR ABOUT ANDREA NOVAKOWSKI PASS IT ON

GUEST ARTICLE:
Lessons From a Lemonade Stand
by Carol Gegner

Three neighborhood kids set up a lemonade stand on the corner of our street this weekend. Watching these budding entrepreneurs at work was sheer delight! The idea started because they wanted to make a little money to go to the movies. Since they are only eight and ten year olds the options of making money are a little limited. Fortunately, the conditions were near perfect for opening a lemonade stand.

First, it was a warm sunny day. Second, it was late morning and lots of people were walking or driving up and down the street. Third, they picked a corner spot so they could attract business from two streets. Fourth, they made signs to hold up advertising their products. Fifth, they expanded their product line to include small bags of pretzels and they sold the rights to petting their cute 10 week old golden retriever puppy. Now I ask you, who can resist petting a puppy! Last but not least, their mom made really good lemonade.

The word on the street is these kids made $78. Not bad for a couple of hours of work on a Saturday morning. The reality is they weren't really working. They were having fun!

I want to share some of what I observed. Eight and ten year olds have a wonderful positive mental attitude. They believed they would be successful and make enough money to go to the movies. Negative talk and self doubt didn't stand much of a chance with this group.

Their selling technique was superb as they enthusiastically yelled, "get your cold lemonade here -- it's only 50 cents" to everyone passing by. Lemonade was the main drawing card. Next, the offer came for pretzels and petting the puppy!

This small group of three used great team work. While two of them had the task of attracting potential customers, the third one poured the lemonade. They easily moved back and forth sharing the team positions.

These kids were an eager, enthusiastic bunch. You could not help being pulled into their business enterprise. They had a magnetic power that helped create sales.

In a very naive way those kids demonstrated what it takes to create a successful business. Perhaps we need to ask ourselves how well we would do running a lemonade stand. Do we need to upgrade our attitudes, selling techniques, team work or enthusiasm to be more successful?

Have you forgotten what it is like to have that extra punch of energy, zest and joy in what you do? Are you having fun and enjoying your business? Maybe we all need to inject a little bit of that creative child-like spark into our lives and business. Having fun isn't just for kids with lemonade stands!

Carol Gegner, Principal of Executive Coaching & Consulting Systems, can be reached at http://www.coachexecs.com

	COACHING CALL TO ACTION
So, as this first week of summer unfolds, consider Carol's questions above, as well as: 1. Are you doing what interests you and what you are enthusiastic about? 2. Is it just a matter of reinstilling your work with that "spark" or is it time for a big change? 3. Why not do what you are good at, what you love, and can put all of you into? Look at what happens when you do!

	COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
July 4, 2004 Happy 4th of July! Next Friday is the beginning of the long 4th of July weekend in the United States. The Coaching Tip of the Week will be on vacation. Enjoy your holiday with family and friends honoring all that we have. We'll be back on July 9th with more new information. July 15, 2004 Pounce on a Project IV You asked for it, you've got it! Come to 'Pounce on a Project IV." Here's what participants are saying: "I had to get all of my marketing material organized and sent to my advisor. Where was I going to find the time? Pounce on a Project gave me 4 hours of uninterrrupted time to easily complete my plan!" --Business Owner, MA "Pounce on a Project enabled me to fulfill a long-time goal of mine, while energizing me to undertake other projects that I had been putting off." -- Lisa W. "The simple structure of commitment and accountability had me easily complete my project." --Business owner, England "I learned I can use this time to accomplish many small projects I've putting off. Hooray!" --Freelance writer, Boston, MA Did you know that incompletions and clutter can drain your energy? In anticipation of a summer of fun and freedom, are there projects or spaces you need to 'clean up' to fully move into this next season? In preparation for our next get together, consider the following: ** What do I need to let go? ** How can I simplify? ** What needs to be done to get better organized? ** What needs to be stored for future use? Join Andrea on Thursday, July15, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Eastern. We will join as a group by phone and declare what you want to accomplish: organizing your office, simplifying your filing system, cleaning under your bed, finishing your website, planning your pricing strategy for your new products. During the morning, the group will gather by phone a few times to check progress and get any support needed to finish with a bang. At noon, the group will celebrate their accomplishments. Who says projects have to be boring and tedious? Bring your lightness and fun and join us for energization. To sign up or learn more, call or e-mail Andrea by noon on July 14, 2004. Space is limited. First come, first served. Feel free to share this with friends and coworkers. (Cost of the program is only the cost of long distance phone calls.)

	IDEAS AND INFORMATION
I recently read Women and Money, Your Personal Finance Guide by Dee Lee. This book provides lots of good advice about money matters including the basics of setting up a financial plan. Especially helpful were the chapters on what you need to know as someone's wife, ex-wife, widow, mother, daughter and partner. It's easy to read and digest. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/097461100X /coachandrea

	A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
Welcome to the new look for our Coaching Tip of the Week. Please give me your feedback. Did you find it easy to read? Was it easy to find what was of value? Additional thoughts or ideas? Thank you.

	ABOUT ANDREA NOVAKOWSKI
This Coaching Tip of the Week is brought to you by Andrea Novakowski, Master Certified Coach who provides Business and Personal Coaching to Corporations, Businesses, and Individuals. Andrea is a professional coach who partners with people to set goals and create momentum to produce effective results in their business and/or personal lives. Andrea is available for individual coaching. If you are serious about reaching your goals and living with greater fulfillment and satisfaction, consider using a coach. To schedule a COMPLIMENTARY initial consultation, send an e-mail to Andrea at andrea@coachandrea.com.

	PASS IT ON
Please feel free to pass on the Coaching Tip of the Week to your friends and colleagues. To subscribe, click the "Subscribe" button below. You may also subscribe at http://coachandrea.com. We never send unsolicited e-mail. If you have received this message and you did not subscribe yourself or you wish to unsubscribe your e-mail address from the list, please click the link below. You may also unsubscribe at http://coachandrea.com. If you need to get in contact with us directly (if you have trouble subscribing/unsubscribing, or have questions about the list itself), send an e-mail to andrea@coachandrea.com. Copyright 2004. When you forward Andrea Novakowski's "Coaching Tip of the Week" to your friends and colleagues, please keep the copyright and contact information intact.

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