After the recent seismic shift in focus on strong women in business and popular culture, women entrepreneurs and creatives are boldly and successfully breaking records with their unique creative power all over the world.

No longer is it a profession dominated solely by men who have for a better part of the last century hogged the business limelight and headlines.

Post the abusive Harvey Weinstein fiasco and the implosion of Hollywood ethics, the equality storm still rages daily.

In the space of 12 months we have seen the release of numerous female led movies that unsurprisingly have performed exceptionally well including, ‘Woman Wonder’ $821m ,

‘Incredibles 2’ $519m and ‘The Shape of Water’ $64m to name but three.

This is all great news for new business and a balancing of the sexual Creative Power status quo.

It has also been shown with recent research that female-owned firms generate higher revenues, create more jobs, and perform better in terms of providing investment returns.

Also, women are more effective leaders and have a larger appetite for growth.

We are in a tremendous time of creative growth, new opportunity and equality for both men and women.

And, I for one think this is reason enough to celebrate and list what 10 of  the top women entrepreneurs and creatives have to say about their success.

1. SARA BLAKELY

Founder of Spanx, youngest self-made female billionaire in America

“It’s important to be willing to make mistakes. The worst thing that can happen is you become memorable.”

2. PATTY JENKINS

Director of ‘Wonder Woman’ and ‘Wonder Woman 2’ in production

“We’re all always wondering about our own limits, what we’re capable of.”

3. ELASTIGIRL / HELEN PARR (INCREDIBLES 2)

Voiced by Holly Hunter in Disney / Pixar biggest animated film of all time

“Leave the saving of the world to the men! I don’t think so”

4. CLARA BARTON

Founder of American Red Cross

“I may sometimes be willing to teach for nothing, but if paid at all, I shall never do a man’s work for less than a man’s pay.”

5. ANITA RODDICK

Founder of The Body Shop

“If you do things well, do them better. Be daring, be first, be different, be just.”

6. ARIANNA HUFFINGTON

Founder of The Huffington Post

“Fearlessness is like a muscle. I know from my own life that the more I exercise it, the more natural it becomes to not let my fears run me.”

7. J.K. ROWLING

Author

“Anything’s possible if you’ve got enough nerve.”

8. KYLIE JENNER

The Youngest Member of the Kardashian Clan created a $800 million dollar cosmetic company

“I felt insecure about the size of my lips and turned to makeup as a solution.”

9. MADONNA

Singer, songwriter, actress, director, writer, entrepreneur

“I laugh at myself. I don’t take myself completely seriously. I think that’s another quality that people have to hold on to… you have to laugh, especially at yourself.”

9. COCO CHANEL

Founder of Chanel

“May my legend prosper and thrive. I wish it a long and happy life

Film Director Coach and Consultant: Darren Cavanagh helps people unlock and unleash their unique creativity to attract more clients to boost business.

He is an expert at helping time-crunched Filmmakers and Creative professionals create their best marketing content with a 6 week one-on-one program that has proven processes and achieves results fast.

GET ESSENTIAL VIDEO & MARKETING TOP TIPS go to https://www.theverycreativegan.com/learn-video-content-top-tips-to-create-sales-fast/

I hope your found this blog entertaining and please list any other women creatives and entrepreneurs that inspire you in your comments below.

The post 10 Top Women Creatives & Entrepreneurs Who Use Their Creative Power For Success appeared first on Darren Cavanagh.

Well these methods are tried and tested by me for over 2 years now and I am have been able successfully save 5 hours and more a week to use as I see fit.

In 2017, I was producing and directing my first feature film and I was editing, grading, mixing, marketing and creating the final film all myself in a period of 12 months.

It was an insane schedule and one I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish without doing one or more of the suggested steps below.

You can apply the extra time to whatever you see fit and the idea is not to save 5 hours or more so you can do more of the stuff that is taking up precious time right now.

The idea is for all of you time crunched, busy creative professionals and entrepreneurs to GAIN a quality 5 hours or more for yourself and your business to use productively as required.

You won’t have to use the line again, ‘there are not enough hours in the day”.

There are the same hours in everyday and why is it that some creatives and entrepreneurs manage to produce more awesome content then others?

The answer lies here in some of these top pro tips.

So without wasting anymore time let’s get started:

STEP 1 – GET MORE SLEEP = 1 to 2 HOURS A DAY EXTRA

More sleep not less sleep will benefit your health, energy and increase your productivity that’s for sure.

Too many of us go to bed too late and don’t sleep great then get up with very little time to spare to get cracking on with our day.

Pro tip: Turn off all electronic stimuli after 6.30pm go to bed at 10pm at the latest. 9.30pm is ideal and rise at 5am.

Insane! I hear you all cry. No not really.

That’s seven and half hours of quality sleep and getting up at 5am adds an extra 2 hours a day on to most people’s waking time.

It’s incredible what you can achieve in this extra time.

The body and brain are refreshed and the most productive after sleep so it’s quality and productive time.
The world’s best entrepreneurs rise early and go to bed early.

It’s their secret weapon against the global “lazy-arse” way of most people’s morning routine.

By the time most of us sit down to start work they’ve had 2 to 3 hours of quality work done already.

When waking do not use social media, go to your email or do task driven work at this productive time. Use it to write and produce your best content. Do deep reading and research. Meditate to gain more clarity.

It’s a golden, precious time to be awake and create more time.

If 5am feels like insanity for the majority of you then aim to rise an hour earlier than you normally would for starters and work your way up.

STEP 2 – TURN OFF SOCIAL AND MEDIA = 3 HOURS + A WEEK EXTRA

I know Netflix is like crack cocaine for the eyes after a hard day at work and what better way to reward the system to catch up on the latest, greatest shows.

But alas, it’s a time and energy eating widescreen monster.

As you consume ‘Stranger Things’ and another season of ‘Black Mirror’ the only things getting stranger and blacker is your brain and the hours that fly by unproductively.

Pro tip: Unsubscribe for 3 months solid. Blitz Netflix and Youtube videos in fact all TV, news, sports and subscriptions to entertainment that are not about learning or boosting your business or more importantly sucking the hours from your precious week.

Write the book you’ve had on your to-do shelf for 5 years or more.

Attract and enrol the extra 10-20 clients you need to take your business to the next level.
Create a must-do project to focus the extra viewing time on and make it something that means a great deal to you and make the sacrifice work for you.

Netflix and Youtube are not going anywhere. After your 3 months of rehab see how you feel with the extra time and whether you want to resubscribe.

If you complete the project then reward yourself and re-subscribe and take a day or two out to catch up then cut it back again. This is so much more rewarding and enjoyable and more importantly it means you’re in control of it’s impact on you. Not the other way around.

However, in my experience I soon forget it’s there and I cherish the extra spend on creating my own content that is much more rewarding for me and my business.

Clearly, if reviewing content is part of your job or needed for you to offer value to your clients and business then use accordingly.

But, you will know it’s an issue when it’s literally taking over huge chunks of your evenings, weekends or social time.

If this feels too extreme and unbearable than moderate your viewing to one show a day and don’t binge watch.

STEP 3 – MAKE YOUR SMARTPHONE LESS APPY – 1 HOUR A WEEK EXTRA MINIMUM

Right now count how apps you have on your smartphone then go into the settings and see how many of them are set to notify you when they are active or have a new message to send you.

The results may shock you.

Now ask yourself how many of these apps do you really use daily and how many of them are supporting and are indispensable to you and your business?

If the answer is more than 3 then you have an app issue.

Honestly the world has gone app crazy and insane.

We do not need 99% of these annoying notifications.

The people that design apps study addictions, gambling and ADD triggers and create apps to induce this behaviour in their users.

This is not cool folks and ultimately a total waste of your time.

Pro tip: Delete all apps that you don’t use and only keep the ones that are absolutely essential for you and your business turn off vibrate and notifications on these.

Just check them at a specific time set by you in your day when you have the time to do so.
Just by doing this is making you more efficient than most of the apps claim to do.

For every notification it take another dopamine hit and a millisecond of your time and concentration to look, read, answer, click or response.

I know it feels like you’re super productive but all these apps add up over time and create a block to the flow of your work, concentration, energy and time.

While reading this blog if you looked at your phone more than once with an app notifying you then you need to address this issue and cull that smartphone.

Multitasking kills productivity focus and eats into your time.

STEP 4 – SPEAK LESS LISTEN MORE – 1-2 HOURS A WEEK EXTRA MINIMUM

Do you ever get the feeling you are talking too much and not listening more?
Or do you think other people talk too much and don’t listen to you enough?
What’s the right balance?

Pro tip: Do a test for one whole week. Reduce how much you talk by 50%.

Just discern the most efficient way you can communicate with other people verbally and when texting, sending emails or other written communication.

50% less then shut up!…Then listen.

Sounds weird. It is. But try it and see what happens.

Two things happen. You will feel somewhat calmer a lot more focused and time seems to increase.

I’ve tried it many times and coming from someone from Liverpool who is prone to waffle on if I get half the chance it’s a hard disciple to follow.

The bonus of the process is that friends, family and loved ones will start appreciating you more and may even comment on your new found silence and focus.

Trust me this one clients love as well.

It’s a winner and remember you’ll have less to talk about now as well seeing as you’re not watching endless Netflix and Youtube anymore.

STEP 5 – FILL OUT A CREATIVE POWER DAILY TIME SAVER LIST – 5 HOURS A WEEK OR MORE

The issue for most of us re time is that we don’t know exactly where we are spending most of it.

When we have a clear picture on how much time we spend on certain tasks and activities we can adjust what we spend it on accordingly.

The same principle applies to budgeting a job or our business and living expenses.

The more transparent and clear we see where we are spending our time the more productive we can get at using it more wisely.

A Creative Power Daily Time Log and Saver sheet is a really effective way to quickly log at the end of each day how much time we approximately spent doing certain tasks and activities.

I will give this sheet free to download with instructions on best usage to anyone who clicks
on the FREE CASE STUDY on my website.

SUMMARY

“Time is limited, don’t waste it living someone else’s life” – Steve Jobs

I am looking forward to helping and supporting more clients gain more time, productivity and clients with CREATIVE POWER Coaching and Consulting.

Film Director Coach and Consultant: Darren Cavanagh helps people unlock and unleash their unique creativity to attract more clients to boost business.

He is an expert at helping time-crunched Filmmakers and Creative professionals create their best marketing content with a 6 week one-on-one program that has proven processes and achieves results fast.

GET ESSENTIAL VIDEO & MARKETING TOP TIPS go to https://www.theverycreativegan.com/learn-video-content-top-tips-to-create-sales-fast/

I hope you found this blog of interest and please list any time and energy saving tips you have found on your creative and entrepreneurial journey in the comments below.

The post 5 Steps To Save 5 hours In a Working Week To Gain More Energy appeared first on Darren Cavanagh.

“We have technology, finally, that for the first time in human history allows people to really maintain rich connections with much larger numbers of people.” –

Pierre Omidyar, founder of eBay

On researching the 4 biggest problems facing entrepreneurs in 2018, I was surprised to discover that they all felt very personal as well as business orientated.

It goes without saying that the recent explosion in an entrepreneurial life style has been led by an huge increase in the success of entrepreneurial led online businesses making it look as easy as applying a few funnels then you are earning 6 figures in no time.

Also, the fact that a recent study said about 70% of employees in the United States hate their jobs and only go to work because they have to pay their bills and support their family.

The reality or belief that a long term job for a successful company will support your lifelong career is dying if not dead already.

So an entrepreneurial lifestyle is suddenly all the rage with the promise of financial freedom, huge potential riches and being one’s own boss forever.

However, the reality as always is somewhat less straight forward and is much more challenging.

The majority of entrepreneurs don’t like to share their problems or daily challenges on social media and prefer to show a tough and fearless exterior ready to do creative battle with anything.

But, entrepreneurship is still a pretty tough market and  80% of businesses don’t survive past their first year of operation, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration.

For every Tony Robbins there are thousands of tiny entrepreneurs struggling daily to create their own brand of Creative Power to succeed in a demanding market place.

So let’s look at what the 4 Biggest Problems are facing entrepreneurs in 2018 to get better perspective on the landscape.

And, don’t stress, I will be offering a solution at the end to deal with these issues.

MARKETING & STRATEGY

“Stop advertising to save money is like stopping your watch to save time”.

– Henry Ford

An entrepreneur today has to realise that marketing and strategy combined in a simple, original and cost effective way is one of the best Creative Power solutions to boost your business and growth.

Marketing alone is an essential component for any entrepreneur in business.

And, marketing with the right strategy behind it can create an evolving, thriving and ever pivoting business.

So what creative marketing content does the most effective job for entrepreneurial businesses?

With so many options available today it can become a digital minefield of choices all with a time and cost attached to them.

Whether the entrepreneur is just starting out or they are an established business who need to keep growing and innovating, the requirement to have it deliver remains the same.

Attention span online has been reduced to mere seconds of clickbait to engage consumers and traditional (ATL) above the line and (BTL) below the line marketing have been disrupted radically by (TTL) through the line.

The advent of social media has blurred the ‘line’ segregating the marketing techniques.

These days, companies use an integrated approach involving both ATL and BTL and it is called Through The Line (TTL) approach.

This approach allows brands to engage with their customers at multiple points and generate a solid perception regarding the company and the product, the main aim of Marketing!

Consumer engagement TLK the -Trust Life and Know factor has a become a gold standard requirement for the majority of the best marketing.

And, anyone with a smart phone today is filming and uploading marketing content every single second.

The number of mobile phone users in the world is expected to pass the five billion mark by 2019.

So how does a successful entrepreneur navigate this NOISE to create marketing with no brand recognition and a limited budget?

It is possible and it requires getting expert advice to get creative with your accessible resources to develop marketing and advertising strategies that work with your budget.

Whatever the best marketing strategy is for you depends on your business and there are plenty of options to choose from including; organic social media marketing, viral marketing, webinars, funnels, video marketing, and joint ventures with other businesses.

The real Creative Power key and main asset an entrepreneur and business has is to focus on it’s (USP) unique selling point or proposition.

This is as unique to you as is your own life experience.

It’s very personal as well as business orientated and can help you get clients and consumers regardless of the competition and how much you charge for your goods and services.

Your (USP) is where you add unique value and it’s your secret weapon against all competitors.

The main purpose of the best entrepreneurs and businesses is to refine this into all your marketing and strategy.

This is also where the best solution exist and the real Creative Power fun can begin.

PRODUCTIVITY

There a many ways to improve productivity and delegation is one of the best solutions used wisely.

Ask any entrepreneur about productivity and it’s their oxygen, life blood and one of the main focuses of their daily energy and expenditure.

It is measured on how many important tasks you get done each day for the soul purpose of making the business grow.

In reality, it is one of the most demanding of tasks to manage successfully and to find the right balance and focus on the most productive activities to benefit the business.

How does an entrepreneur decide on what task, product or service is more important productivity than another?

The ones who have this sussed this are the ones crushing it daily and getting the balance right.

There a many ways to improve productivity and delegation is one of the best solutions used wisely.

TIME OR LACK OF

There is an entrepreneurial epidemic of impatience for speed when in fact time is the one constant they can’t control.

Not really a surprise this one with the never-ending demands on everyone’s time these days but for an entrepreneur whose biggest asset is time – there never seems to be enough of it.

The traditional sense of an 8 hour working day was shattered when the internet and smart phones began to dominate our lives and in reality they never sleep, turn off, want a holiday or are out-to-lunch. So entrepreneurs have adopted the belief that they have to behave in the same way.

If they don’t then it feels like precious time wasted or another opportunity to reach out to a client is missed.

For any idea to be innovative, gain a proof of concept and became a success in the market place it takes time but there is an entrepreneurial epidemic of impatience for speed when in fact time is the one constant they can’t control.

There are also countless distractions to occupy the entrepreneur’s mind and more learning to be done continuously to stay ahead and predict market trends.

However, entrepreneurs who get the best support and use automation and don’t try to do it all themselves do manage use time well and get their work done and enjoy life.

MONEY, MONEY, MONEY

The majority of entrepreneurs have false predictions and expectations that their business will generate profits as soon as their products or services hit the market, and this is usually not the reality.

Some online entrepreneurs like Sam Ovens CEO of Consulting.com start out with no money at all and build a thriving business with blood, sweat, tears and eventual riches.

Others are lucky enough to have an early injection of capital to get them launched.

However, it’s usually the case that money initially is in short supply so funding and having access to a sufficient amount of start-up capital is desirable.

Most entrepreneurs will agree their main issue when starting out is money, money, money.

Gotta have it to make it, and make it to have more of it.

We all know how hard it is to pay off the mortgage or student or credit card debt and the majority of businesses fail to survive past their first year of activity because they ran out of money.

In my experience having co-owned a film marketing company for 20 years that started from scratch, our main problem was underestimating the cost of running the business. This coupled with clients paying late was always a stretch on financial resources.

And, new entrepreneurs and even established CEOs can also underestimate how much money it will really take to create the vision of their business.

It can also be a perception and marketing problem, as the majority of entrepreneurs have false predictions and expectations that their business will generate profits as soon as their products or services hit the market, and this is usually not the reality.

Creating realistic and rock solid budgets and target predictions can take a huge amount of the stress from money worries but more importantly give one a clear picture of where the business it at financially in any given moment.

Sounds simple buy ask yourself honestly, how effective are you accounts, budgets and predicted targets?

SUMMARY

“The true entrepreneur is a doer not a dreamer”

– Nolan Bushnall

For all the pain, challenges and sleepless nights the majority of entrepreneurs I have met told me it’s all worthwhile in the end. And, there is no such thing as failure just another result from action taken.

Inaction is the death of any entrepreneur and their business and I feel grateful to be in the same exclusive club taking risks and sharing the rewards daily.

“Everyone can tell you the RISK. An entrepreneur can see the REWARD”

– Robert Kiyosaki

I am looking forward to helping and supporting more clients than ever before with CREATIVE POWER Coaching and Consulting.

Film Director Coach and Consultant: Darren Cavanagh helps people unlock and unleash their unique creativity to attract more clients to boost business.

He is an expert at helping time-crunched Filmmakers and Creative professionals create their best marketing content with a 6 week one-on-one program that has proven processes and achieves results fast.

GET ESSENTIAL VIDEO & MARKETING TOP TIPS go to https://www.theverycreativegan.com/learn-video-content-top-tips-to-create-sales-fast/

I hope your found this blog of interest and please list any other daily problems your have faced on entrepreneurial journey in the comments below.

The post 4 Biggest Problems Facing Entrepreneurs in 2018 appeared first on Darren Cavanagh.