Blog Review & Rebranding Survey Results

June 3, 2010 by Tia · 6 Comments
Filed under: Business, Inspired Action, Law of Attraction, Marketing & Branding, life coaching 

Whoa!

Thank you so so so SO much, blog readers, ezine readers, twitter & FB friends and everyone who took the survey.

I took screen shots at 32 responses (they’re still trickling in, a couple a day) to share with you.

A bunch of you told me that you enjoyed filling out this Questionnaire. Boy, am I ever glad to hear that cos I wanted it to be fun, easy and fast for you. Looks like it worked, yay!

If you haven’t had the chance to inject 30 seconds of fun into your day yet, no worries, head on over and play with the One Year Blog Review & Branding Survey & have your say too.

Then come back & read the rest. Oh who am I kidding, you’re gonna read 1st ;) I know I would. Settle in & Enjoy! Then, tell me what you think.

Q & A 1. What in your opinion is Coach T.I.A all about?

  • With a name like “T.I.A – Take Inspired Action” you all scored top of the class marks for saying “Take Inspired Action” - 85% of the responses. Did I make that too easy for you?
  • Law of Attraction and Personal Development scored as expected.
  • I snuck in Being Intentional & Making Choices (36%) after half the responses had already come in, so that’s a good show of hands.
  • Tips on Happiness and Fun at 72% - that surprised me! Apart from the Top Tips for Happiness manifesto I give away when you sign up for the Ezine, I hadn’t paid much attention to it so it’s very interesting.

Q & A 2. What would you like to see more of on the blog?

You all said you liked having a few options to choose from and as a result, came up with some fab answers.

  • Tops on the list with 70%, is How to Take Inspired Action
  • Law of Attraction at 50% wasn’t a surprise but the high 56 % of you for whom Life Balance is an issue is an eye opener. Many of you feel pressured to do it all & have it all.
  • Living Intentionally 45% - again, snuck this in half way thru the survey (by now you’ve guessed this is a recurring theme).
  • Snuck in Social Media Tips & Strategies midway & got many comments asking for more. I may keep that for the other site I’m launching specifically on Intentional (there’s that word again) Social Media.

Q & A # 3: How does the Coach T.I.A blog make you feel?

The Vibe question. Reading the answers makes ME feel Inspired, Happy and Energised! I put in the 1st two options after 70% of the responses had come in.

You’re probably wondering what those comments say, huh? I’ll share a few:

  • Entertained!!! :-) (and proud to know you!)
  • The content is great and I love the enthusiasm that shines through…but (I mean “and” ;) there’s so much going on in the website (links, Twitter feeds, etc.) that I’m left feeling a bit overwhelmed.
  • Optimistic! I can do it – Yes I can! Connected – as in “I’m not the only one who…”
  • You’re saying in your blog what most others allow themselves to only think, secretly. The world needs more people being open & honest – SOCIETY needs more. Who we really are – what we think, feel & do, be that ideal or not so – is the greatest teacher of all.

(Wow, some of this stuff you said was so MOVING! I’m just so touched by the comments. Thank you whoever said that!)

Q & A 4: What would you like to see me do next?

To the smart alecks who said “bake me cookies” and “sing karoake” I know who you are and I’m going to TP the tree outside your homes tonight. J/K I’m not going that far to do it, consider yourselves cyber-TPed!

The rest of you want to see me squirm in front of the camera, like the time I asked a stranger to shoot me making a Gratitude Video for Alex Karis’s Hurricane of Gratitude.

Or when I faced my fears by hugging strangers in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery last Thanksgiving.

Or huffed and puffed my way through a very mixed up spiel on Journeys and Destinations and Mothers giving birth, in Queenstown last summer...

Q & A 5: What’s your most pressing, current need / challenge?

Ok so I did this one a little differently – out of the 30+ responses, I’m only posting the 1st 9 cos the others have names & personal details that I’m not going to share for privacy reasons. I’ll state for the record that the top 5 challenges you’re facing (if any), are:

  • Money
  • Time Management & Energy
  • Staying focused
  • Dealing with resistance and negative thinking
  • Social media

Know this – you’re not alone! Nearly 80% of the responses included more than 2 of these areas. And I’ve had enough challenges and victories in each of these areas to provide you with tips, strategies and ideas.


What’s next? Stay tuned for videos, interviews & more.

Now that you’ve seen this survey, what do you think? Anything else jump out at you? What’s important to you that got left out?

This is your chance – hit the comment button and fire away!

  • Any specific topics for these courses or ebooks?
  • Got someone who inspires you that you’d like me to interview?

Many thanks for participating, reading and sharing. I owe you my left kidney.

Ps: If you haven’t done the survey yet, head on over to the Review & Branding Survey and let me know your thoughts. What, you didn’t think I was going to forget, did I? Oh, I guarantee you’ll ENJOY filling this one out.

Thanks again you’ll, this has been the funnest survey ever & I’m going to enjoy granting your wishes :D !

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Entrepreneurship & The Girl + Freelance Camp Vancouver

May 17, 2010 by Tia · 5 Comments
Filed under: Life, Passion, life coaching 

I just realised that Coach T.I.A turned a YEAR old last month and I forgot to celebrate.

The day I started this blog came and went without any fanfare.

Had I remembered, I’d have taken the time to pat myself on the back and congratulate myself on this journey.

You see, I am an Entrepreneur.

I didn’t know that a year ago.

Back when I finished coach training, started this blog, started my business, got certified and immersed myself in social media, I didn’t know that.

I do now.

Back then I thought that once I’d finished my coach training, everything else would just fall into place. Clients would find me, I’d happily write my blog every week, send out my newsletter every 2 weeks, grow my subscribers and readers, create eBooks and start a radio show.

Some of it happened like I imagined, some didn’t.

No one told me about the huge learning curve, or the moments of wanting to run away from it all to a safe cushy job somewhere where I could switch off at 5pm. Granted it’s rare when I feel like that, but it happens sometimes.

Being an entrepreneur is exciting, frustrating, tricky, energising, exhausting, insomnia inducing, gratitude inducing to say the least.

On the one hand there’s all the freedom in the world to wake up when you want, take afternoon naps, go for a walk in the middle of the day, and make your own schedule.

And on the other, there are those sleepless nights when your (ok, ok, my!) mind is full of ideas and plans for your business and sometimes, paralysing fears of doom and dismal failure.

If you’re someone who works from home, here are some tips to keep you sane:

  • have a network of trusted people to lean on
  • talk about your experiences, highs and lows
  • make sure you’re not going it alone!
  • get yourself some coach / mentor support
  • remember the big picture – your why (know your reasons)
  • connect with fellow entrepreneurs & share learnings

That’s just what I’ll be doing next week as I join a bunch of very talented and enterprising professionals Vancouver’s First Freelance Camp for Entrepreneurs on Sat, May 29th, from 9am – 4pm.

What’s that you ask? From the horse’s mouth:

  • An open agenda that participants create on the day of the event
  • All about discussion, interaction & learning
  • Share your freelancing experience & discuss challenges you’re facing
  • Get experience-based answers to your questions
  • Network, meet potential clients and/or partners
  • Explore different approaches to freelancing

Doesn’t this sound so innovative and exciting?

If you live in Vancouver or know someone who does, I highly recommend you bring yourself or send them along to this Unconference of local Creatives and Entrepreneurs.

Lets drink endless coffee, learn, share and connect! Check out the site for more information & see you there.

Oh, and a Belated Happy 1st Birthday to Coach T.I.A! We’ve only just begun… how about you?

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What Do You Make More Important Than… That Diamond Within?

August 11, 2009 by Tia · 8 Comments
Filed under: Conscious Creation, Intention, Life, life coaching 

diamond“I wish I could be like you”, she said. “To just up and travel the world, have adventures and be free… but I can’t, I’ve got a career, husband, children, mortgage, standard of living I’m used to and I can’t give that up!”

“Keep writing about your adventures, I’m living vicariously through you”, said another friend.

“Oh if only I had more time … there aren’t enough hours in the day to do what I want. I’m so tired”, says a third.

Sample sentences I’ve heard over the years. The question isn’t if you have the time, money, energy or desire. It’s about what you make more important than that.

And whatever that is, is perfectly okay as long as you know that’s what you’re doing consciously.

What do you make more important than your time?
What do you make more important than your happiness?
What do you make more important than your dreams?

What do you make more important than LOVE for your fellow human bee-ing?

As coaches we are taught to ask ourselves “what  am I making more important than serving my client” or “what am I allowing to stop me from acting with courage and calling someone forth”?

And the answers vary from looking good, to wanting to be liked, being seen as an expert, not wanting to make mistakes, not wanting to offend someone, keeping the status quo, being comfortable and so on.

And we learn that to step out of that comfort zone of fear (yep, it’s almost always some sort of fear), is a huge gift – for ourselves and for our clients.

It’s the SAME for you, no matter what work you do or what your life looks like.

How often are you willing to risk your relationship with people to get to a more truthful and intimate place? From openness and sharing comes a connection and level of understanding deeper than you may ever have experienced.

When you truly share yourself in vulnerable truth, you allow others to be more of who they are.

I’ve been thinking about these concepts a lot since I assisted my 2nd coaching course this weekend. There’s something truly magical about a room full of people who feel safe enough to drop their masks and really reach out to each other at a core, human level. To be seen as who they really, truly are – messy and beautiful all at once.

Oh my, can you imagine that!?

A world where we all operate from a space of love and authenticity instead of fear? Encouraging and supporting each other rather than protecting ourselves from each other?

We’ve all got that to some degree, I’m asking you to magnify it 10000 times and stretch it beyond your loved ones.

And to trust that whoever shows up will be loved and heard intimately, without judgement.

To be heard is one of our biggest “needs” in life. Just think for a moment – when you are in a conversation with someone, how much of it is you listening to them and how much is you forming a response to them before they’ve even stopped talking? Man I know I’m guilty of that.

Your presence (and that includes listening), is one of the most precious gifts you can give to anyone.

Today, what would happen if you reached out to someone close to you and really SAW them, HEARD them and EXPERIENCED them from a space of curiosity and openness?

No barriers, no judgement, just the core of them.  What would happen?

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Go on, I invite you to be a part of this little experiment. Try it for a day, an hour. How did it impact your relationship with your mother, father , husband, wife, child, friend, boss, employee, banker, bus driver, tooth fairy, dog, cat, minister? I’d love to hear your experience, thanks in advance for sharing!

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Where Do You Draw The Line between Ego and Self?

June 19, 2009 by Tia · 21 Comments
Filed under: Inspired Action, Life, Passion, life coaching 

Authenticity. Authenticity.Authentic Happy Joy

Also known as showing up fully.

This past month I’ve been living from ego rather than service. I let my authentic self be tarnished by feelings of competitiveness, living at 50% of myself, ignoring my values and not being fully present, real or honest with myself and others about my feelings and thoughts.

Nothing “bad” mind you – just restrictions everywhere I looked around. Life in this state is far from pure, joyous and happy. It can still be good but good isn’t enough for me anymore.

Who else feels they are sick of not expressing themselves fully?
Who else wants to shed their scales & emerge as they are?
Who else would like to live courageously & with integrity?

I for one am DONE with living an unauthentic life. With holding myself back for fear that I’ll be alone if no one wants to walk this path with me. With conforming and trying to look good (although those of you who know me may be giggling at the thought of me being a conformist hehe).

Since the last 2 days a lot has been stirring up for me (I learnt from Lynn Koiner and Sophie Lhoste that I’m not alone in this – apparently this summer solstice is a powerful time for changes and divine happenings – woohoo!) and I’m taking gulpy, brave steps to bring myself back from the edge of an ego-driven life, back to service, back to self.

Take the coaching competition I was entered in for instance. It all started as fun and games, asking people to vote for me, getting the word out about my blog, loving the traffic to my website, the supportive comments (esp the one from my mom – that rocked, thanks mum!) ·

Somewhere along the way though, I realised some uncoachlike behaviour was going on and allowed myself to be upset by the tricks other people were using to get to # 1. Everytime I saw people being voted down I would vote them up. And I’d wonder what I was doing in such a contest. Can you guess what happened next? Yep!

I wanted to play them at their own game. Survival of the best-est. And I didn’t like this feeling. That’s not me.

So yeah, it got to the point where I had to stop and question myself …. Why do I need someone to tell me my blog is the best? Would winning this contest make more people like me or make me special in some way? WHO gets to decide I’m the best (or not)? I’ve never liked competitions and in my LOA world, co-operation is a better feel-good place to be in over competition.

To compete fairly and test skills against another is beautiful, like athletes in their finest form. Because it brings the best out in others, rather than the worst. To bring others down while you go up? Not sooooooo much!

It started to not feel good anymore. And you who read this blog know this about me – I always follow my feel-good! If it’s not fun, I’m not doing it. I slacked in following my intuition. Ohh Bugggerr…

It’s scary and empowering to go out on a limb and saying what you need to, without fear of consequences. It’s easy for monkeys but to be a human hanging on the top of a branch, swinging wildly and suddenly letting go….!?  Bump, rumble and roll. Ouch. That hurt. Pain sucks. Yet, letting go can teach you to look for where the growth and learning is.

To be authentic, I first had to acknowledge what I’ve not been wanting to, face my frailties and imperfections, embrace them, forgive them, love them and finally, share them with others.

So my friends, In all my ego driven glory, here I stand unveiled. And as I ask myself these questions, I ask you too:

Who do you think you are to live half a life?
One that’s not passionate, fulfilling, authentic and happy?
Where do you get off blaming other people?
What are you not taking responsibility for?
What is the learning from this?
What do you really, really want?
The glory or the peace? True happiness or ego-driven accolades?

Feel free to ask me “who are you to get me to stand up and take charge of my own life”!? I am no-one. And I am everyone. You get to choose if you want to or not.

With this in mind, I decided that what felt good and authentic was to remove myself from this contest. My intuition says this is the right thing to do and this is the month I start trusting it. The little voice in my head saying “but you could win this and be more popular” can just go take a hike. Be sure to take a camel along, it’s a long trip where you’re going!

THANK YOU to all of you who voted me to # 1 – I’ve saved all your comments :) I am still glad I entered this contest for I know even more now that my worth does not depend on what someone says or thinks about me.

It depends on what I believe to be true. It’s reminded me AGAIN that real happiness and peace come from being true to oneself, and true to others. It showed me how many amazing friends and loyal readers I have. It re-inforced the power of synergy (where my friends and I voted for each other as opposed to taking each other down).

It helped me be kind and loving to myself and accept my imperfections. And my desire for you is to do the same for yourself.

I want you to live your best life ever. I want you to unleash your awesomeness on the world, warts and all.

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You can start by sharing your thoughts and feelings about how you want to show up MORE in your life in the comments section. I am here to listen, encourage and love you AS YOU ARE. You rock my friend :)

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Expectations – Mother of All Muck-ups or Vital Ingredient of Life?

June 9, 2009 by Tia · 13 Comments
Filed under: Conscious Creation, Intention, Life, life coaching 

Manage Your Expectations A late night tweet from me saying “Happiness is yours when you learn to manage your expectations from/of others and make it a preference instead of a need” brought on a flurry of retweets and replies from people.

As it turns out, I’m not alone when it comes to expecting things and being disappointed when I don’t get what I want. Astonishing, isn’t it ;) ?

Anyone who’s ever felt the same way, wiggle your pinkie finger now!

Hm, why do I KNOW you’d just as easily as me lay a wager on our expectations being the root cause of most unhappiness? Feel free to say it isn’t so if I’m being presumptuous.

In my experience, there are various types of expectations – from expecting love, respect, dignity, and justice, to expecting people to do certain things for you whether they like it or not, treat you like a prince/princess, spend more time with you than their friends, come home on time, buy you gifts, etc.

But here’s the thing. I’m not saying any of these are good or bad.

They just are what they are and will affect your mojo as much as you let them.

It’s when some expectations start affecting the quality of your daily life experiences and relationships and lead to disappointment, anger, insecurity, fear, grief, frustration, doubt and worry, that you might want to step back and ask yourself a few questions. If you don’t want to spend a lot of time in the cesspool of blame and disappointment, that is.

Questions that might go somewhat like:

  • Am I expecting too much from others?
  • WHY do I need that (from them)?
  • What am I asking others for that I’m not giving to myself?
  • What do I really want that’s behind these wants? I.e, do I want to be heard, loved, seen, respected, nurtured, validated?
  • Recognise the desire beneath the want. Then decide if it’s a non-negotiable or a whim.

What next? How can you go about learning to *manage* your expectations (and should you even do that?).

Call it acknowledging, changing, reframing, or anything you like but know that you create your reality and can choose to expect with attachment or detachment – that will be a big factor in how you ultimately experience it.

And while we’re at it,

Realise that no matter who you are, NO one owes you anything.

Yes, it’s bloody fantastic when people meet our expectations, just be aware that it won’t happen all the time and neither is that healthy. If you always got what you wanted, then what about others’ wants that might clash with yours? And where would your learning come from?

Make it a preference instead of a need.

Preference = unattached to outcome. Need = attached to outcome.

When there is a preference you would like something to be a certain way but regardless, your happiness doesn’t depend on it.

When you *need* something, you’re creating and focusing on the lack around you and letting it control your happy button.

Us humans will always have wants, needs, desires and expectations, some of which will come to fruition and some that won’t. If the ultimate goal is happiness, then consider this as one more tool to help you along the way.
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What role do expectations play in YOUR life? Was there a time you successfully changed an expectation that was keeping you stuck and what was the result? Looking forward to hearing your insights and experiences!

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