Category Archives: Own It With Confidence!

We Need You To Come ALIVE! Right Where You’re At

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WE NEED YOU TO COME ALIVE! Right Where You’re At

Figure out what makes you Come ALIVE!
Do more of that. Be more of that.

Come ALIVE right where you’re at!
Now… not maybe, not later.
Here… not when you get, you know, there.

When you do, you inspire us to Come ALIVE too!

Your Success?
Your Happiness?
In Your Career, Your Business, Your Life?
It’s ALL Up To YOU!

Are you surrounding yourself with people who are as ALIVE! as you want to be?

DO ONE BOLD THING:  Promise yourself you won’t Sleepwalk thru another moment of this fleeting hour… another hour of this great day… or another day of your precious life.

Go BOLDly. Confidently. Success? Happiness? It’s Up To YOU! Own It.

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© 1993-2014  Ann Ulrich, THE BOLD! FACTOR® Catalyst, Strategist, Leader, Keynote Speaker & Mentor: “Navigating Success With Confidence! Self-Empowerment For Emerging Leaders & Motivated Professionals.” Subscribe to receive blog posts at:  AnnUlrich.com

PHOTO:  Title card in my 2-in-1 Inspired Action! Success Card Set: DO ONE BOLD THING.™ and SHIFT YOUR OLD TO BOLD!™ I lead thought-provoking table discussions with these cards, which feature favorites from my trademark strategies shared in BOLD… as round table topics in my interactive Keynotes, and in-depth strategy conversations.

Barbra Streisand’s BOLDest Of All

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photo-8I was looking forward to a great night’s sleep after fun holiday travels for Thanksgiving and before our big family wedding tonite…

And yet there I was, glued to the TV until 3am last night, captivated by Barbra Steisand’s stunning video concert, Back In Brooklyn.

A big fan of A Star Is Born, I later tried to replicate her tricky-nimble vocals of Queen Bee in our Summer rock band while getting that out of my system…

And I still love singing her passionate Lullaby For Myself, which drives my husband David nuts every time I do (if you know the lyrics, you’ll get why in our 34 years of marriage, well, he’s just never been a fan of that one ;)

I don’t watch much TV and especially not in the middle of the night… so what was it about this concert that pulled me in?

Her range is noticeably huskier now, which in a way makes her performance richer – still gigantic, enormous, powerful, soul-soaring, sky’s-the-limit-shattering range as ever…

And yet that’s not where her power lies…

The essence of Barbra Streisand comes alive in her quietest moments, where she takes all that big talent, her massive voice, her powerful wow, and laser-focuses it…

Drawing her own stark contrast… shifting on a dime to quiet… in an up close and personal kinda way… delicate, breathtakingly so, as tho singing and speaking only. to. you.

In her quietest moments, her voice, her impact… can be her richest of all.

Just as your Quiet Confidence can indeed be… your BOLDest of all.

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® 1993-2013  Ann Ulrich  THE BOLD! FACTOR®   BEST BOLD U™   AnnUlrich.com

PHOTO:  This purple bowl of red spoons are a favorite in our kitchen – they hang out next to a favorite soup cookbook authored by my friend, Paulette Mitchell. I am grateful every Thanksgiving (every day!) to have been so smart all these years to stay out of the kitchen, and instead sing the praises of my when-he-has-time hobby chef husband David ;)

5 Ways You Can DO ONE BOLD THING™ To Select Yourself For Success With Confidence!

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photo-2When you wake up tomorrow, Monday September 23rd, you’ll have 99 days until the new year begins.

99 DAYS… EACH DAY AN AMAZING GIFT!

We do not get today back. We don’t get a single one of these next 99 days back.

Be Your Own BOLD CAFFEINE! Promise yourself you won’t sleepwalk through a single day, a single hour, or a single moment!

By the way, naps and inspired downtime are not sleepwalking. You know when you need to step back to get ahead. Super SMART. And just because you’re Super Busy does not mean you’re not sleepwalking… in fact, I’m pretty sure it’s when we over-commit that we are MOST at risk of self-induced sleepwalking… right through our work, right through life.

99 DAYS… JUST THINK WHAT YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH OR CHANGE OR BEGIN…  BY STARTING. RIGHT. NOW!

It will only happen if you get focused, get committed, get going and keep going. I’m on this exciting ride too… and I’m here to champion you… so let me know in the comments below how I can help.

What’s inspiring me to inspire you?  Many things. Here’s the big one:

On our home calendar today, it wasn’t the *first day of Autumn* that caught my eye, it was this: 265/100. I’ve never noticed this countdown before. Today it not only caught my attention, this number urged me to stop and re-commit NOW- not waiting till, you know, *happy new year* – instead, taking action right now.

And since I’ve been at this awhile, I’m pretty good at taking my own BOLD action. How do I keep it fresh for myself? Keep walking my talk? By challenging myself that my own BOLD action needs to be the one I’m – for whatever reason – AFRAID to take. THAT’S the one I must do next… even when… especially when… it’s easier not to.

To keep reinforcing what I know I need to do, I create ways to reinforce YOU. Selfish? No, Smart. ;)

There isn’t a single story, trip-up or triumph, or lesson or BOLD Nugget of advice in all of BOLD that I haven’t personally and/or professionally faced or dealt with… or in some way experienced, too.

Where to begin? Start here:

DO ONE BOLD THING.

How?

SELECT YOURSELF FOR SUCCESS.

And then?

Here’s the 5-Way FORWARD-FOCUSED WHAT IF (by the way, Forward-Focused is the ONLY What If worth asking!) Question to ask yourself – to take a quick inventory as your own reality check – when you’re not sure where to start taking your next BOLD action to create your next Success:

It’s not about CAN You.  (YOU CAN!)

It’s about WILL You.  (WILL YOU?)

WHAT IF YOU WILL…

1.  CHANGE one thing you know is not working.

2.  CREATE one new way to share your gifts & talents. 

3.  COMMIT to making your next success happen.

4.  CALIBRATE your busyness based on your priorities.

5.  CHAMPION yourself first.

Your very first step is your BOLDest of all… whether your focus is work or life:

DO ONE BOLD THING.

SELECT YOURSELF FOR SUCCESS!

OWN IT WITH CONFIDENCE.

IT’S UP TO YOU!

I’m committing to my next One BOLD Thing.

Will You? BRAVO! If you share yours in the comments below we can help champion you!

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© 1993-2014  Ann Ulrich, Owning It! at THE BOLD! FACTOR®  BEST BOLD U!™   AnnUlrich.com

PHOTO:  While out on a quiet walk last Fall, I came across this beautiful scene… sort of nature’s bouquet hidden deep in the woods near our lake cabin. And now, with 99 days remaining in 2013, I’m reflecting on the amazing(!) adventures since launching my own business in 1993. As I step into high gear this Fall, taking my own BOLD-BOLDer-BOLDest action presenting powerful new BOLD Keynotes along with creating the next iteration of THE BOLD! FACTOR®… and launching BEST BOLD U!™ I’m blessed, thrilled and inspired to champion the BEST BOLD in YOU.

What To Do When Fear Of Failure Risks Your Next Success

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photo-73It’s not that you can’t. (You can!)

It’s not that you’re not willing. (You are!)

It’s not that you don’t want to. (You do!)

It’s not that you don’t know what to do or who to ask for help. (You know!)

It’s not that you’re lost. (You’re here!)

It’s not any of that…

So what is it?

What’s stopping you from taking that one next step?

What’s stopping you from moving forward to create your next success?

What’s stopping you from achieving that one dream that still keeps you awake in giddy excitement at even the thought of it? 

That one thing you would do… if only you could… if only you were willing… if only you really wanted to… if only you knew what to do… if only you could find your way there…

OK, just breathe for a minute and trust me on this one.

I feel your angst. I know your pain. I hold my breath at the thought of wanting to get there so bad you feel like you will explode – or implode – if you don’t.

I know the feeling when all you can produce are tears.

I’ve been where you are.

This morning I was there. 

And then I remembered the one thing I forgot to do. 

Trust me enough to hear me out… I’ve got your back on this one.

Instead of fighting forward, it’s time to step back.

To the beginning.

And before you can step back you need to

STOP.

STOP being afraid.

STOP being so certain that you will fail. Or that you’ll fail again.

STOP being so certain that you don’t already have everything you need to get there.

STOP being so certain about everything you are so certain about.

Where from here? Ready? Here it is.

You simply missed the very first step.

Start here:

SELECT YOURSELF FOR SUCCESS.

That’s it. THE KEY TO THE END IS HOW YOU BEGIN.

Name your Success. Claim it. Own it.

Get Going. Keep Going. Even if baby steps are all you can move forward on right now. Know, trust and believe YOU will succeed… and that it won’t be perfect… and that it will be tough and it will be exhilarating and just plain FUN to be on your way there.

Keep Going even when others insist you will fail.

You’re not doing this to please them anyway, are you?

Keep Going even when YOU insist you will fail.

Not everyone is going to buy in to what you’re doing… because what you’re doing is not going to be for everyone. It’s for the people you’re creating it for. And that’s enough.

And if you think for a moment that you don’t already have everything you need to succeed, scroll back and read the first 5 lines again.

So there you go. Watch you soar…

Send a postcard from the stratosphere of your renewed Confidence in you!

You had it in you all along!

You simply forgot to start at the beginning.

The place to start your next Success is right where you are:

Do One BOLD Thing.

SELECT YOURSELF FOR SUCCESS.

OWN YOUR SUCCESS WITH CONFIDENCE.

It’s Up To YOU!

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© 1993-2017  Ann Ulrich Inc.   AnnUlrich.com

PHOTO:  Last Sunday at our cabin, I had no idea my phone camera would capture the stunning essence of the moment: sparkling water and rippling sky in effervescent shades of blue. And in that moment I realized how grateful I am to choose to live my life without dreading blues on Sundays. Ah, the gifts we gift ourselves.

Owning Your Success Amidst The Ultimate Success Stifling, Confidence Crushing, Fear Fueling, Influence Immobilizing Impact Of Impostor Syndrome

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photo-46Years ago, when I first learned of Impostor Syndrome, I knew I too had (gulp!) experienced the lockjaw impact of its unrelenting grip.

Sound familiar?

Yes, Impostor Syndrome is real.

And yes, you are imminently capable of the Success you imagine for yourself …and yes, you deserve to own the SUCCESS YOU HAVE ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED!

Herein lies your challenge and your opportunity:

Owning It. With Confidence.

Owning Your Success… With Confidence! 

I am writing this post to introduce you to what has become one of my favorites among many great business-and-life-influencing books I’ve read: *THE SECRET THOUGHTS OF SUCCESSFUL WOMEN: Why Capable People Suffer From The Impostor Syndrome And How To Thrive In Spite Of It.* by Valerie Young, Ed.D.

First things first: Impostor Syndrome is NOT a Women-only derailer. 

It’s an equal opportunity success crusher for Men and Women – a potentially devastating confidence destroyer – knowing no bounds related to stage of work or life. 

In fact, I’m realizing now the concepts and realities of Impostor Syndrome may in fact be a subliminal driver behind everything I’ve created in my own business since 1993, including THE BOLD! FACTOR® CONFIDENCE and in work I’ll continue to create in this now-and-next stage of my business – inspiring, encouraging, championing and guiding inspired people like you to Own Your Success… With Confidence! The heart and soul of The BOLD! Factor all along.

BOLD Truth: You can create phenomenal success when you own your success.

These qualifiers (expressions you may be unknowingly crediting your hard-earned success to!) drive my passion for helping people claim their confidence and own their success… 

Valerie Young points out in her book the fascinating way Impostor Syndrome reveals: “in denying the existence of evidence of success in your own life… the problem is your compulsion to explain your success away with qualifiers:

photo-34*It was only because they like me… I was in the right place at the right time… It was luck… I don’t deserve this… Someone made a terrible mistake… I had a lot of connections… If I can do this, anyone can… It is only a matter of time before I am found out… I am a fraud… A fake… Phew, I fooled them again!*”

In her book, Young (who refers to herself as a recovering impostor and invites you to Join The Club!) notes the co-discoverers of Impostor Syndrome, Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes, identified four coping and protecting mechanisms: diligence and hard work, holding back, charm, and procrastination. In her work, Valerie has observed three more: maintaining a low or ever-changing profile, never finishing, and self-sabotage.

OUCH.

Any of those ring true for you? A few sure do for me. My work is and will continue to be better for this discovery. I hope the same for you, too.

Last night I picked up the phone and called author, now friend, Valerie Young.

It was a wonderful call, as she referred to it: “meeting a kindred spirit!” Valerie had some good advice for me on how to tackle writing my book, and what worked for her. We agreed it’s the hardest work either of us have done. We talked about where we’re at and our visions of what’s next.

A few more expressions – this time from accomplished people tossing their success to the wind – with powerful feelings of impostor-induced self-doubt. Sound familiar?

Who would think Meryl Streep would ever get cold feet at the beginning of every project, telling a reporter: “Why would anyone want to see me again in a movie? I don’t know how to act anyway, so why am I doing this?”

Or Mike Myers expecting the no-talent police: “At any time I still expect that the no-talent police will come and arrest me.”

Yes, even our beloved Maya Angelou: “I have written eleven books, but each time I think, ‘Uh-Oh, they’re going to find out now. I’ve run a game on everybody, and they’re going to find me out.'”

If you know someone who might benefit from knowing about Valerie Young’s book, I hope you will share this post with them. It’s the reason I paused my own book writing this morning, to spread the word – with, for, and through you – on how you can create massive Success & Happiness when you learn to release the grip of Impostor Syndrome… by owning your success with confidence.

Your Success is NOT about Luck. YOU earned it!

Thanks for stopping by and for sharing any Aha’s with us in the comments below… or not… as you wish. This is one uber-personal subject, that’s for sure. Till we meet again:

IMG_1621Do One BOLD Thing.

Own Your Success… With Confidence.

IT’S UP TO YOU!

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© 1993-2017 Ann Ulrich   AnnUlrich.com

Photos:  MASK: David and I found this glass mask during the fun week of our daughter Natalie’s and Dan’s wedding in Playa Del Carmen. And once we pick up a fabulous leather mask like one we found in Italy, we’ll have started a new collection. Masks – as art – can be fascinating!  RAZZLE DAZZLE FORTUNE COOKIE: A favorite blingy gift I’m inspired by everyday, sharing it with you here as a reminder that your Success is not about Luck. Own Your Success With Confidence.™ YOU earned it!

3 Ways Your Quiet Confidence Inspires Contagious Excellence

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photo-24Your quiet confidence and quiet leadership can be BOLDest of all. 

I was blown away the first time a smart professional told me she didn’t think of herself as a leader because she was not charismatic and not extroverted. She felt those were pre-requisites for being a great leader. Or in fact, for leading at all.

Ah, I smiled. Our conversation ended with a smile on her face too, as she saw for the first time how her inner strength, her quiet confidence *can be BOLDest of all*.  

Since that conversation years ago, when speaking or leading inspired team retreats I often include a segment I created on Valuing Others’ Expressions Of BOLDness.

In reflecting inward, and ultimately broadening our peripheral view to others, we begin to see the beauty in how we each bring BOLD differently… positively impacting our own success, as we create more success (and have more fun!)… individually and together.

3 Ways Your Quiet Confidence & Leadership Can Be BOLDest Of All, Inspiring Contagious Excellence! 

1.  When you step back to shine the spotlight on others, you inspire others forward. 

Be sure you don’t step so far back as to slip under the radar or become invisible. We need to see you. In shifting the spotlight, you’re offering others the opportunity to get known for – and remember by – their positive impact. Inspired by You. You’ve just magnified the impact of your positive leadership by inspiring another to lead, and in turn, inspiring the leader in others they lead…

2.  When you listen closely as you typically and beautifully do, people know you care.

When people know you care about them, they begin to trust that you also care about what matters to them. Imagine the possibilities! Your quiet confidence in listening to others – with genuine interest – can shift the frustration, malaise or disengagement in your team by inspiring them to start tuning in to each other, creating contagious excellence – and new success – as you build a team of people who actually care. About each other as team, customers, clients, community… translating beyond work to home, families, friends…

3.  When you speak, people want to hear what you have to say.

Your quiet confidence is shared in less words. Your select messages inspire what’s needed in this situation, meeting or conversation. The example you set can inspire and build a team of people willing to share their point of view, encouraging others to share theirs, too. Allowing people the opportunity to courageously build new confidence as they practice, develop and share their own points of view… whether quiet or not so quiet… is a gift that lasts a lifetime, contagiously rippling waves of excellence as new success. 

Do you consider yourself a Quiet leader?

Do you bring your BOLD by leading Quietly?

Here’s an important last (or first?!) step for you:

Do One BOLD Thing.

OWN YOUR SUCCESS WITH CONFIDENCE. 

It’s Up To YOU!

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© 1993-2017  Ann Ulrich   AnnUlrich.com

PHOTO:   While keynote speaking in Taiwan, after my sincere effort yet seriously-lackluster results learning to speak Mandarin Chinese, I was rendered helpless on stage if not for the calm confidence of kind Taiwanese Translators. This is when and where I envisioned creating my speaking business, back in 1990, in their year of the Horse. If you’ve been to our condo, you may think I love horses… what I really love is the vision that was born in me in that one experience of a lifetime, in the year of the Horse. And maybe being a Taurus gave me the guts to actually make it happen.