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How to stop fear from holding you back

1/6/2025

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I was super excited to be invited by a group of 6 kayaking friends to head out on the Bay of Fundy on a gorgeous September morning.

I have my own sea kayak but had only used it in the calmer waters of the local lakes and rivers at that point. The pit in my stomach grew just thinking about being on the open seas - far from shore (and a bathroom) - in my little boat. The water is cold. The wildlife can be big. 

Let’s kayak to the whales!


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Speak Volumes without Saying a Word

5/9/2024

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I flipped my calendar over to May 1st by the warm glow of our Christmas lights, still shining brightly through my front window. 

Hey, I’m not the only one still in the festive spirit. John, my new next-door neighbour, still has several strings of multi-coloured lights hanging in his tree - and they’ve been there since last November.


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Surprising Advice for Budding Entrepreneurs

9/16/2023

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What does it mean to have a teenage business?

Well, if you’ve been in biz over ten years, you already know. If you haven’t, it’s this: you’re probably pretty good at what you do if you’ve lasted this long. You’ve seen a lot. And you’ve got a lot figured out. 

So what about when your business enters it’s twenties?​


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What are you doing all the way to the bank?

3/13/2023

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I mean, what was I expecting from a place called The Orange Cat Cafe?

An orange cat, of course.

But I was pleasantly surprised by the sense of fun I felt as I entered this rural Maine eatery .
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The Orange Cat Cafe is on our route to Ontario from New Brunswick - we take a short cut through Maine and come back into Canada somewhere in Quebec. (it’s a long but beautiful drive)


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What a Mom of Twins does NOT need to hear

9/10/2022

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I joined a twin club in Ottawa when I found out we were in a BOGO baby situation. 
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They offered prenatal classes for moms with multiples. (yes, some moms were having more that two)

​And even though I had already been through this experience once before - and had what the twin community calls a “singleton” already - having one baby vs having two babies was a whole new ballgame, with it’s own unique set of rules.


You could have divided that prenatal class in half. 


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Have you got a secret sauce?

4/3/2022

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I found a loophole when I was in high school that allowed me to complete all the credits I needed to graduate early - one semester before my classmates. 

I know! 

How did that happen? ​

​​My school switched from full-year courses to a semester system when I was in grade 11 and, because I hadn't taken any "spares", I found a way to finish up at the end of January (instead of June) in my graduation year. 


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What Story Are You Telling Yourself?

12/4/2020

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How many people do you know who spell their name J-e-n-n-e?

Not very many, I'll bet.

My daughter-in-law is Jenne, with an "e". 

Because I'd never seen that spelling before, I just assumed it was super rare.

Then this happened.


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When the Rubber Hits the Road...

11/20/2020

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Have you ever seen your life flash before your eyes? No? Me neither.

But I have had the closest thing to it. I used to jokingly call these situations "brushes with death". But it's funnier than it sounds.

It all started with the sound of a summer tire bouncing onto the driveway. 


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How is your business like a marriage?

10/23/2020

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Do you remember the first word you ever said? 

I don’t even remember the first words my kids said. Maybe Momma? Dada?

But I DO remember the first word that Melanie ever said.

Melanie was the young daughter of a photographer I worked for in my early twenties. Some days I worked in the darkroom at his photo studio, some days I was sorting negatives. And some days I looked after little Mel if her Mom got called in to work. 

Those were the fun days.


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Having Fun Yet?

10/9/2020

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I don’t think my Dad ever drove by a wide open parking lot after a fresh snowfall without pulling in to do a few donuts. In the station wagon. With us kids in the back seat, loving it.

This same fun-loving guy sang inappropriate university drinking songs - with modified lyrics - when we were kids. Sometimes while making us breakfast, or getting us ready for school...“She’s got freckles on her BUT she is nice”. ​


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The Right Place at the Right Time

9/24/2020

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38 years ago today, I joined my buddy June and her brand new husband (Danny) on their honeymoon trip. 

Yes, I just revealed that I have friends that are way, WAY older than me.

The wedding took place in our home town, Brockville, and after the festivities subsided I needed to get back to Ottawa. 
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The newlyweds were heading through Ottawa to a honeymoon destination in Quebec that Sunday and they very generously offered me a ride. 
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It seemed like a good idea at the time.


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Just get out there.

9/9/2020

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You know when you are going shopping for clothes so you dress in an outfit and shoes that are super easy to take off and put back on? 

You feel pajamas and slippers are the best option but because you are going out in public, you have to take it up a notch? Yep.

So on a grey day in September, four years ago, when we were living on the upper west side of NYC, I decided I needed some new clothes. 

​I was living out of a suitcase at the time and was craving some new threads to replace the well-worn collection I'd been wearing for several months, on rotation.


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How Hard Can it Be to Describe What you Do?

8/28/2020

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​Last week, we packed up our sweet cape cod house, cleaned it from top to bottom and recycled a ton of stuff. 

But we were still left with a mountain of garbage, including three old, crappy garbage cans. 

What was the hardest part of leaving the house we've been in for 17 years? Was it leaving all the memories behind? Deep cleaning it from top to bottom? Packing a kazillion boxes?

​Nope. 


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Relatively Small Efforts for - wait for it - Great Results

7/3/2020

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Why was my foot suddenly in excruciating pain while I was hitchhiking from Brindisi to Pescara on that sweltering June afternoon back in 1981? 

I was stumped.

We were having a great day up 'til then. Spending more time in cars than on the side of the road.  No pain at all.

When I removed my well-worn sandal and looked between my big toe and the next one (you know, the piggy that stayed home), something a little familiar was sticking out.


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The Truth about Working from Home

6/11/2020

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I didn't know how much I wanted to ride my bike through Times Square in NYC until I realized it might be impossible!

For our two-month stay in Manhattan I was going to rent a bike but when I saw the crazy rental prices at the hole-in-the-wall bike rental shop in Tribeca, I decided to buy one of those cool turquoise city bikes instead. ​

​That bike was my favourite way to get around NYC. ​


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Got a Superpower?

5/22/2020

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I was a newbie at Banfield-Seguin Advertising & Design in Ottawa back in the late 80’s when I met Bill.

I had heard so many epic stories about Bill and his antics before I got to know him.

​Working with him every day was a hoot. I have never met anyone with more spirit and sense of adventure. He could figure anything out. He had an idea for every prank - no matter how complicated - and a costume for every event. Bill was legendary.


My favourite Bill story took place in 1988. ​


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6 Things You Can Do Now (that normally don't fit into your day)

5/6/2020

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A few weeks ago, on my quiet residential street, I saw Alexander’s cool, kinda vintage, burgundy car go by my window on the bed of a tow truck. 

Was this out of the usual? Yep. My typical entertainment through that window consists of commuters (some wave to me, hi!), random deer jaywalking, joggers jogging and dog walkers. Normally, I don't pay much attention to the comings and goings while I’m working.

Then Alexander’s car went by.


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    The Small Business Guide 


    Blog Author

    Kim Houlahan is a marketing consultant who loves helping small business owners improve their marketing.

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    View my profile on LinkedIn
    Small Business Guide ~ Archives
    ​

    How to stop fear from holding you back

    See the light at the end of the tunnel?

    Speak Volumes without Saying a Word

    Why you need to be different

    Surprising Advice for Budding Entrepreneurs

    What are you doing all the way to the bank?

    What a Mom of Twins does NOT need to hear

    Have you got a Secret Sauce?

    Have you Ruined any Surprises Lately?

    What Story Are You Telling Yourself?

    When the Rubber hits the Road

    How is your Business like a Marriage?

    The Right Place at the Right Time

    Just Get Out There.

    How Hard Can it Be to Describe What you Do?
    ​

    What's Your Best Productivity Hack?

    To Share or Not to Share

    Relatively Small Efforts for - wait for it - Great Results

    The Truth about Working from Home

    What's YOUR Superpower?

    6 Things You Can Do Now

    ​Perspective is (Almost) Everything
    ​

    Are You Sensitive to Customer Needs?

    Got a Process for That?

    Don't Get Attached!

    Aim DIRECTLY at your audience

    Know When to Ask for Help

    3 Things you Should Never Assume

    Avoid the Wild Goose Chase

    Where do you Draw the Line?

    Give'em a Memorable Experience

    Categories

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    Business Improvement
    Communicating Well
    Customer Service
    Rules Of Business
    Staying In Touch
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