But then, you call to do second interviews and Sara slips the fact that she is planning on going shopping for baby clothes this weekend for her child-to-be. A sinking worrying feeling starts to infect your brain, and you start rationalizing that Jill’s interview went better than you thought; and, you hide the notion that you aren’t interested in Sara because she’s pregnant and will need to go on maternity leave in a few months.

Just like that, a woman has been discriminated against because she is pregnant. It’s so easy to do, and male hiring managers are not the only offenders, fellow females do it too.  If you are hiring a new team and a pregnant candidate walks into your office, really stop, and be honest with your thoughts and evaluation.  If that pregnant lady really does have great skills and a matching personality, then hire her!  Building a great team and a profitable business is a long term thing, and maternity leave won’t stop a great candidate from delivering boatloads of value.

How many of us have put off a phone call, interaction, or a decision because we were hesitant or just plain scared?  Disguised fears make projects take ten times longer.  All the various kinds of fears we have can cripple our goals so that they never really make it far out of the gate.

If you get that funky feeling when it comes to calling that potential client, or volunteering for that assignment, give yourself a kick in the seat of your pants! doing the very thing you are afraid of could be the best thing that happens to you!

As an individual, you at least have control over from whom you will be influenced by, and to some degree, control over the extent of your crowd’s influence.  So, armed with this simple fact, what will you do?  Just stick with your friends who make you feel bad when they get a new wardrobe?  Or just continue to talk about soap operas and diapers cause that’s all your friend talk about?  Instead, build a circle of friends who when they do exert peer pressure on you, do so to help you to progress.  Find or encourage the kind of friendships that don’t force you into a mould, but instead nudges you to be your best.

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A good example can be found in the first few pages in the book  Rubies in the Orchard.

So inorder to be successful, does that mean you follow all the rules? Stick to a career plan or produce products and services that adhere to an established ideal?  Well, this approach may keep you employed for awhile, but increasingly, people who just do what they are told are the ones being laid off.  And, following all the rules will make a drab, unscalable start-up too.

Thus, how do you react to the phrase “rules are meant to be broken?”  The truth is, they are. You just have to use your head when breaking a specific rule.  No matter what, there are going to be people who don’t like it when you steer away from the rules and the status quo.  Forget about them, or take their anger as an indicator that you are in going in the right direction. But then, probe further. Does breaking “that rule” result in innovation, real wealth creation (not empty bubbles), or will it make the world (or workplace) a better place? Or, does breaking “that rule” mean hiding your actions from others, blatant exaggerations or lies, or do you find yourself justifying every step?

You’re a smart woman, you can figure it out. Now go break some rules, and truly know and feel good about it!

Here are just some childlike behaviors to remind you what it’s like to be a kid, then apply it to your work:

1. Keeping it simple – if a kid can get it, your colleagues can too.  Children have the fresh perspective to see things as they are and tell it like it is.  Such simplistic honesty can be great for work too.

2. Using your imagination – do you have to do everything by the book? Get creative in solving problems!

3. Have fun! – lots of normal tasks can be fun, don’t know how? Keep working on #2!

4. Don’t be scared, even if you should be – many times kids “just do it” whether or not mom thinks the chosen activity is safe.  As an adult, a lot of risks and dangers are only in our head.

Any other great childhood behaivors that should be put back into adulthood?

Many times, though, starting a business from scratch means starting with little or no funds.  You may choose to pitch your idea to smart associates to invest in, angel investors, or even the bigger venture capital funds.  That means you need a clear map or business plan. Now watch out! Don’t be like my friend you has a 20 page business plan that is boring, binding, and just plain unnecessary.  Some investors don’t even take a business plan, they just want to know if you got what it takes (may include experience, connections, team, skills, working plan, etc.).

Go ahead and make a business plan, but don’t treat it like your personal bible, full of rules not to break.  What is should do is help you clarify who your market or customers really are, challenges and threats you face, and the unique proposition you have to give.  To be successful, you need an idea of where you’re going, but you will have to be flexible too.  Many of the successful entrepreneurs that I have met had to change their business plans multiple time before they could really take off.  Enjoy the roller coster ride of starting your own business!

But eventually you will need to leave the warmth of that bag to hit the bathroom, grab a snack, or play a practical joke on the first girl to fall asleep…chills!  This is where the Selk Bag is great.  You can move around and stay nice and cozy.  A true on-the-go item!

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If you want one for yourself or family, check out these affiliate links!

Adult Selk Bag

Child’s Selk Bag

Perhaps you’ve been laid off, job searching for a year, or lost some clients from your business. Now creditors and maybe even repo-men are knocking.  In such situations it is only natural to lull in depression and shame.  But, you must fight such a pull of negativity because it will only keep you stuck.  Sticking to your drive to achieve combined with innovative thinking is what’s going to help you bounce back, being sad won’t.

Just think about the Great Depression and all the famously sad photographs and stories that come from that generation.  Tons of farmers and migrant workers were moping around hoping someone would hire them for a task anyone can do. How much shorter would the depression have been if some laid off workers formed a new kind of company to deal with the challenges of their time?  What if farmers who lost their land in the dust bowl partnered with others to make the land fruitful again, and then made a pitch to the struggling banks?

The point is, when times are tough–think positive and think different.  By being innovative not only will you bounce back, you just might strike it big. Best of luck to you!

My camp had been invaded by the enforcing type teachers.  The kind that interrupts a coloring preschooler to let her know that the sky is not pink and trees are not purple.  Great teachers allow children to truly be creative and will use every opportunity to help a child to think for herself, question, and explore the world around her.  Then there is the enforcing teacher who is only interested in control for convenience and drilling in rules of “how things work” in the world.

Watch out! Keep such bad teachers away from yourself and your family.  Such people will only lead you or your kids to be dependent and unimaginative.  Both are negative characteristics that will lead to a dead-end existence instead of a vibrant life based on achieving.  So what can you do if you are stuck with a bad teacher? Switch teachers or schools if possible. Have daily conversations with your children about what happened in class and ask questions that will encourage a child to think on his own and not be afraid.  Create your own home curriculum (full home school or something in addition to normal school) that focuses on testing and exploration.

If your child was told not to color trees purple, take her to a museum and show her how great artists “colored” their trees, did they stick to silly rules?  There are plenty of ways to melt away the false restrictions of a bad teacher’s classroom.  Enjoy being a rebel learner!