I hope you’ve had a great month since our last visit. Autumn is definitely in the air here, and pumpkin carving will soon be underway at the Christy home!

With October halfway over, do you think it’s too early to start planning for next year? I don’t; especially for your business. I’m already beginning to mentally prepare for finishing up my books for the year, and getting things in order for my accountant.

For me, having my books in order means using an accounting program that is simple and intuitive. There are so many really good programs out there, both desktop versions and web-based. It’s difficult to pin down just one as a favorite, since it depends so much on the user–their business, their work style, their level of bookkeeping knowledge, and personal preferences. I’ve worked with several programs; some I like better than others, and this month I’m sharing one that does rank pretty high on my list, and that’s Quickbooks Online.

Quickbooks Online Makes Managing Your Books Quick and Easy

There are several features about Quickbooks Online (QBO) that make it a favorite of mine. I love that it’s easy to get started; you can be up and running in no time. I also like that you can access your account from any computer or tablet, as well as your mobile phone. This feature has come in handy many times when I’m traveling and need to make a quick payment, or send that invoice I’ve been holding onto. I also really like the feature for tracking my expenses; this is also a favorite of my accountant!

A quick look at a couple of other features of Quickbooks Online that make it worth a trial run—

• QBO accommodates many different business types, from new business startups, professional and field services, to product sellers and nonprofits.
• QBO connects with other apps that you might already be using in your business, such as FundBox, BigCommerce, Square, and American Express Open, and so many more!
• In case you’re not into doing your own bookkeeping, or need a little help now and then, their website provides a way for you to connect with Certified Quickbooks accountants and bookkeepers near your location. This is great!

Try it out, and let me know how you like it!

Have you ever created a vision board? They’re fun to do, and extremely helpful for many of us who need that visual reminder of our goals and dreams. You can choose to focus only on your business, or on just your personal life, or combine the two, since that’s how life really works, anyway!

Try your hand at creating a vision board, with all of your visions, goals and dreams on it. Then hang it in your office as a daily reminder of where you’re headed and why. To get you started, here’s a step-by-step article from the folks at Simplify101.com.

And by the way…creating a vision board is a great exercise for older kids to do, as well!

If you’re new here, Welcome! I’m beyond excited to share business tips + cool tools + my Equus journey with you.

A little background on my heart’s true passion, Equus Coaching, and how I got here….

Have you ever thought, “I see others… (like my husband! Okay, I’m speaking directly about him)…always wanting for things, working harder to always have more and never seeming to have enough!”?

Growing up, I was taught things like–you should work hard to save your money; you should always be able to make in one week what your mortgage/rent payment is; you only spend money when it’s absolutely necessary; and on and on. Having this limiting belief has oftentimes made it a struggle when it comes to willingly fulfilling my husband’s wants and desires. Until recently.

I truly realize now how much of a gift it is to have him be this way and to be in my life. Once, when my husband and I were still dating, my dad made the comment, “He’s such a dreamer.” And you know what, it’s true. He is! But I can honestly say that ALL of the things he’s imagined for his life and for our life together have become a reality in the 19 years we’ve been together. Was I always willing to support him? Most likely not; not at first, anyway! The best part of it though–he’s encouraged me to take risks and chances that I never would have, had it not been for him.

I feel the need to share this with you because if it weren’t for his ability to dream big, and his unconditional love and support for me, and our children, I know I wouldn’t be where I am today. The Equus Coach Training is a huge journey for me right now, and a big shift in how I show up for my clients and family every day.

Check out the text conversation we had in April while I sat in the airport before I left for my first Equus group onsite training in California. Thank God for his understanding of what it means to pursue a dream like this.

Luckily, my husband understands that it’s time for me to make changes in how I do business. He knows that I’ve had this need to show up more as myself—someone who knows how to help people, and who loves horses big-time. Because of this, deciding to formally learn and implement the Equus Coach Training has turned out to be a perfect fit for me and where I’m at right now…right where I belong!

My Equus Journey

So, here I am, on this wonderful journey of Equus Coach Training. And you’re thinking…Say what? Coaching horses? Training horses? Training coaches with horses? I know; it’s not exactly a common household term, right? I get a lot of questions about it, and a few awkward looks! As it’s still new to a lot of my friends, family and clients, I want to share a bit of what Equus is…

First, it’s pronounced – eck-wuss, with a short “e” sound.

Simply put, Equus is a non-verbal language. It’s a kind and effective way of communicating with a horse, and of a horse communicating with you—all without even getting on a horse!

By learning to effectively and authentically have a “conversation” in this way, it allows us to create and maintain a solid relationship with the animal. Surprisingly, this process is also how humans work, which is what drew me to it.

Horses are so amazing in that they have such a strong sensitivity in non-verbal communication that they mirror back to us exactly what our body is communicating to them. This, in a teeny tiny nutshell, is how Equus Coaching works.  In other words, they are able to reproduce exactly what our body is internally communicating, helping us to see ourselves and show up in the way we want to, verses meandering through our lives and businesses.

For instance, if you’re feeling nervous before entering a space with a horse, but keep telling yourself you’re not nervous, or you don’t want the horse to know your nervous–guess what? He already knew from the moment you walked in. And since your actions aren’t congruent with what you’re feeling, chances are the horse will keep its distance from you. Once you become aware of this and are able to ground yourself and really honor how you’re feeling (because it is okay to be nervous in the presence of a 1,200 lb giant), oftentimes the horse will walk right up to you. It’s truly magical.

This amazing process allows you to see how your own resistance or nervousness shows up when you step out of the horse ring and into other areas of your life. When you need to perform at your very best for a client, host an amazing webinar that genuinely helps your prospects and turns them into customers, or you’re at that family birthday gathering where things normally go sideways 30 minutes into it, Equus Coaching gives you the tools to be fully centered and in greater control of how you show up, allowing you to get ahead instead of feeling like you just dropped the ball at that critical moment. The results of Equus Coaching are truly impressive and fully transformative.

Horses provide us with non-judgmental feedback. They show us when we are internally matching how we’re feeling externally and when we aren’t. They do it in such a gentle yet immediate way that it allows us to be honest about how we’re feeling in the moment, and play with it, experiment with it, and learn from it.

I can’t wait to share more on Equus Coaching with you, and I’d love to hear your initial thoughts on the subject! Or perhaps you’ve got an Equus story of your own that you’d like to share. Please feel free to comment below!

Throughout our lives, we all need to have someone in our corner acting as coach, mentor or cheerleader, as committed to our success as we are. Rarely does a day go by where I don’t see that in my own business and life. As I continue to build and grow my business, pursue my own personal passion of becoming an equus coach, and work hard at being the best wife, mother and friend I can be, I’m constantly reminded of how difficult all of this would be without these special people in my life.

I’ve worked with business coaches since I first launched my VA business, and let me just say there is no better single decision you can make for yourself and your new business than the decision to sign on with a qualified business coach. You have the vision and the goals for what you want your business to be. A qualified business coach can help you lay out the plan, work towards the goals and manage the pitfalls that all entrepreneurs face. They’ve been there, done that. It’s the same with life coaches. They fill in the details of your plan, and hold you accountable for working that plan. Most of my wonderful clients are coaches. I see the impact they have on the lives and businesses of those they work with, and I’m constantly in awe of  them!

Mentors are another treasure in our lives! The dictionary defines a mentor as “a wise or trusted advisor or guide.” Is that ever true! Whereas a coach may get more into the nuts and bolts of building a plan and helping you work through the steps, a mentor is often that person you look to as a role model. They can be the image of what you aspire to be; there to offer advice and guidance as you need it. Mentors can be anyone in your life or business that you admire and respect; a parent, grandparent, or sibling; a business leader or colleague; even your old high school teacher! Really, didn’t we all have that one teacher that we loved and turned to whenever we needed advice during those challenging teenage, high school years?! I know I did, and I still appreciate them for being there for me!

Along with your coaches and mentors, who may come and go in your life, your personal cheerleaders are oftentimes the ones you need the most! They are the family, spouses, and friends who are always in your corner, supporting you every step of the way as you journey through this wonderful crazy world! They get you; they understand who you are and what you want, and they encourage you to be your best self and live your best life. And when you fall, they lift you up, dust you off, give you a hug and send you on your way again!Life can be a sea of highs and lows, and we all need people in our lives to help us navigate the rough waters.

Find yourself a coach, a mentor and a cheerleader (actually, you can never have too many cheerleaders!), and let them help you become all you’re meant to be. And remember to pay it forward!