Is it Time to Leave Self-Employment Behind?

By Maria Marsala

Weigh the differences. Did you really go into business to be self-employed? If you're reading this, I doubt it. But that's exactly where you might be.

Kick Self-Employment to the Curb!

Here's the thing. If you started your company to have a little extra money and work a "little" weekly, this article isn't for you. If you started your company or became an independent agent to work 70-hour weeks and make just enough money to live by, this article isn't for you. However, if you're in either situation and Uncle Sam is letting you deduct business expenses from your taxes, then you're self-employed, not a business owner.

Let me explain.

The self-employed have done one thing for themselves – created a job with a pay cheque, a job with the burden of a lot of extra jobs and taxes.

On the plus side, they've created a system that includes tax deductions – whoopee! But what they've done is go from working for a company to creating a job for themselves AND added the stress of being the boss!

Face it – the self-employed are slaves to their businesses, because no one is working for or with them. Many go from one client to another, or they have only one big client and a few little ones. As they work, they keep reinventing the wheel because they don't have long-term plans or systems in place.

They can't take days off, let alone take a vacation! The words they use – often, and to anyone who will listen – are "overwhelmed," "tired," and "have no time for that."

Go All the Way – to Business Owner!

Business owners, on the other hand, give themselves the gifts of time and self-value, while they give others one of the most important gifts they can give – paychecks for doing what they love! And when the business is situated like they have dreamed of, they're then able to give the gift of philanthropy.

Business owners learn the importance of strategic, tactical, and operational planning. They monitor their marketing activities. They know exactly what is unique about their business and what they bring to it that adds to its uniqueness, and they know who their ideal client is. They run their business like the "big corporate boys," but without all the hassle – or lawsuits!

If you've been in business a while, you might think you're no longer self-employed or running a hobby. Beware. Over the years, only 2 out of more than 100 of my clients were really "running" a business. The rest had businesses stuck in "infancy."

And the amount of money you make doesn't determine whether it's a business. I remember Angela (not her real name), owner of a company with 19 employees, and making $8 million. After an hour's consultation, she asked me what I thought was keeping her company from making as much money as she knew it could. My answer: she was running a hobby. That didn't go over well, and I asked her to read "The E-Myth Revisited." Two weeks later, Angela called to start working on her first system – her company's business and marketing plans. Eventually, 4 others in her company created plans for their departments, and 9 months later Angela was working 1 day a month (yes, per month), and the income for her company was $14 million. So, just because you're making money doesn't mean you're running a well-oiled business machine!

Those who "shift" to the business owner's frame of mind take steps to start doing what successful and practical business owners do:

• They create plans for business, marketing, and finances. And they use them to monitor everything important about their business.
  
  
• They find alliances to bring in extra income.
  
  
• They network at least twice a week.
  
  
• They create their ideal client profile and market only to their ideal clients.
  
  
• They package their knowledge – turning it into classes, articles, CDs, etc., that bring extra income and recognition.
  
  
• They know their "rack rate" and stop giving away time and business.
  

And they hire employees, contractors, or consultants to do what they don't enjoy doing, eventually handing over even the tasks they do enjoy. Why? Because they want the time to pursue other goals. So, if necessary, they barter to get the process started. Why do they hire help? Take a really good look at the list below. You will see that there is NO WAY you can do everything yourself. Who in their right minds (or left ones, for that matter) could do ALL these jobs correctly and accurately – day in and day out? But most people who call themselves business owners sure do try! Which of these are you doing that you need to find someone else to do?

• President/CEO
• Salesperson
  
• Purchasing Manager
  
• Office Manager
  
• Technology Specialist
  
• Internet Guru
  
• Human Services Manager
  
• Marketing Director
  
• Accounting/Finance Manager
  
• Compliance/Legal Manager
  
• Desktop Publisher/Designer
  
• Customer Service Rep
  
• Inventory Person
  
• Quality Control Manager
  
• Insurance Manager
  
• R & D Team
  
• Unbiased Business Advisor
  
• Organizer
  
• Trainer
  
• Writer
  
• Janitor
  
• CEO Assistant
  

If you think that you can't yet afford to hire consultants or employees to help you, consider this. What is your usual hourly rate? Let's say it's $100. What tasks are you currently doing where you can hire someone at less than $50 per hour. Bookkeeping? Filing? House cleaning? Database management? What else? Well those are the tasks that you could be outsourcing.

Still think you're unable to hire help? Chances are that you're unfocused. Look at the critical initiatives that will help your business grow. Seriously consider creating your one-year business and marketing plan now so you'll be able to hire some much needed help soon.

© 2006 From Get Paid What You Deserve by Maria Marsala, nationally known author, strategist, trainer and owner of Elevating Your Business. If you know that you’re underpaid or if you find yourself Boundary Challenged, visit www.ElevatingYourBusinessU.com Published in Networking Today, October 2006.

How to Manage Email Overload: 7 Steps To Get You Started

By Karen Susman

One of the biggest time-wasters is handling or not handling e-mail.

There are people who have a backlog of 2000+ e-mails they can't figure out what to do with. There are computer programs such as Outlook that can help you manage your e-mail. There are spam filters that can reduce the number of irritating, unwanted e-mails you receive also.

Here are a few ways to get all those other e-mails under control.

1. Keep track of how long you are spending on e-mail. If you get fifty e-mails a day and spend three minutes reading and responding to each, 2.5 hours a day get chewed up. If you make $40,000 a year, it's costing you $50 a day to process e-mail.
   
   
2. Take yourself off as many lists as possible (except for this one, of course).
   
   
3. Ask your friends and co-workers to delete you from their automatic nearest and dearest list of 300 they send jokes and chain letters to. Some e-mails take a minute just to scroll down through all those addresses to get to the message. When you find out it's a cartoon that will take four minutes to download, you then feel the need to respond to your friend. This just encourages him or her to send you more stuff you could live quite nicely without for the rest of your days.
   
   
4. Answer e-mail at two or three set times a day. To help you adjust, turn off the bouncing icon on your desktop and the voice that announces, "You've got mail." The bouncing icon always makes me think of a two year old jumping up and down demanding attention.
   
   
5. If you usually put your contact information in your e-mails, save time by creating an automatic signature.
   
   
6. When you're on hold on the phone, delete twenty emails.
   
   
7. Set a good example for your e-mailers.
   
   Summarize your content in the subject line. For instance, instead of saying "Let's talk about the party plans," say "Recommend two large tents. Must order by Friday, August 25."
   
   Write a complete message. Instead of writing a response that says, "Cool," respond by saying, "Jim, I like your idea of having two, 5 x 7 foot panels behind the stage so that we can display banners." This will help your reader know what you're referring to without having to go back and search. Your records will me more complete, too.
   
   Consider why you're “CC-ing” people. I found myself on a list that I had no reason to be on. I asked to be removed, which I was. I'm still getting blast e-mails from other people I don't know who were on the list. A recent one asked if I'd like to carpool to a meeting in Indianapolis. Considering I live in Denver, I don't think this e-mail concerned me at all.
   
   If you're sending your e-mail to multiple recipients, send blind copies. Your receivers don't like to see their e-mail address broadcast willy-nilly. This is more personal and private, too.
   

Save time by letting people know your preferred means of communication. If you've ever received an e-mail followed by a fax to confirm the e-mail and then a phone call to confirm that the fax was received, you know what a waste of time this duplication can be for the sender and for the receiver.

Karen Susman is a Speaker, Trainer, Coach, and Author of 102 Top Dog Networking Secrets. Karen works with organizations that want to maximize performance. Programs include Humour at Work; Balance In Life; Networking Skills; Presentation Skills; and Building Community Involvement. Order new guidebooks on humour, networking, time management, and community involvement by calling 1-888-678-8818 or e-mail Karen@KarenSusman.com. www.KarenSusman.com.

Published in Networking Today, October, 2006.

Profile: Lovers atWork…Changing Directions

By Susan Regier

For years, computerized workstations have forced office workers to face a wall or corner. But with the latest innovation from atWork Office Furniture, we’ll see dramatic changes in the way people conduct business. “Forward-facing” has taken on a whole new meaning when it comes to working people in office environments.

Belair Office Products, an affiliated company of atWork Office Furniture, has designed and built the new forward-facing Phoenix Collection – a commercial quality line that focuses on facing computer users toward guests. Panels and desk tops are constructed of durable one inch thick melamine in various colours and come with a ten year warranty.

Over the past decades, time spent working on computers has substantially increased, but the computer’s location on desks has relatively stayed the same – on the back or to the side. Now days of facing back walls are gone as face-to-face first impressions can again take priority. Just as technology rapidly advances to meet demanding needs, this new style office furniture has been adapted to accommodate those dramatic changes.

“People are absolutely the main thing. Facing an office worker away from coworkers and guests while working on a computer screen destroys the first impression of a welcome. Others just become a bother. This is totally wrong and we want to change that,” said Rodney Lover, Director of Sales for London’s Lovers atWork store. “Our furniture is a solution that even Feng Shui supports.”

Many office designers today use the ancient Chinese art and science of Feng Shui when creating functional office spaces. This includes making sure the worker’s back is toward a corner or wall – never toward a door. Symbolically, business comes through the door, so you should never turn your back on it, and this includes co-workers as well as clients.

For more than twenty years, the atWork Office Furniture group, which includes seven locations throughout Ontario, has offered a complete line of new and used office furniture and accessories. Each location is independently owned and well established in their communities. atWork combines the names people trust with the power of a chain. Find them at www.atwork.ca.

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Susan Regier is the publisher/editor of Networking Today and owner of Vantage One Writing, a professional writing service for businesses. (519) 471-8726 E-mail: susan@vantageone.ca Web site: http://www.vantageone.ca/

Published in Networking Today, October 2006.

The Power of One

By Kelley Robertson

One is a very tiny number. However, it can have a tremendous impact on your revenues. Here are some ideas to consider:

• Make one more cold call every day. One extra call a day equals 260 calls in a year. How many meetings could you set up with this number of calls and how many of those meetings could you turn into sales? Consider your current conversion ratio and think of the impact on your business.
  
  
• Suggest one additional item to every customer. This is particularly important if you sell lower priced items or work in a retail environment. Too many sales people are focused only on getting the initial sale. However, almost everyone has additional items, products, or services that could benefit their customers.
  
  
• Invest one day per month developing your skills. Many of the most successful people in business invest in themselves. They attend workshops, conferences, and participate in Webinars and tele-seminars on a regular basis. Considering that the majority of people do not invest in developing their skills, you can quickly out-pace your coworkers and competition.
  
  
• Read one book every month. Expanding your knowledge will help you become more successful. Read books related to your industry that will provide insight to helping you improve your skills in a specific area.
  
  
• Ask one more question during each sale's call. Before you start “pitching” your product or service, ask your prospect one more question. This question might give you the additional insight you need to more effectively position your product or service.
  
  
• Pause for one moment longer than usual before responding to a prospect’s question or request. Known as the pregnant pause, this often prompts the other person to blurt out something they had not intended to say. The secret behind this strategy is that most people are uncomfortable with silence and will begin talking to fill the “dead” air space.
  
  
• Get to the office one hour early. Remember the expression “The early bird gets the worm.” That one extra hour first thing in the morning can be the most productive time of day. You have a better chance to reach decision-makers, there are fewer distractions, and you can often achieve more in those 60 minutes than in several hours.
  
  
• Address objections one more time before giving up. Too many sales people give up too soon when faced with objections. I’m not suggesting that you beat your customer into submission in order to close the sale. However, I do recommend that you tackle each objection one more time before you give up.
  
  
• Send one more email to the prospect who has been sitting on the fence. Sometimes, people need that little push and encouragement to move forward. But, many cases, their time is occupied by other projects and priorities, which means they are not focused on your solution. Gentle reminders are often appreciated providing you don’t follow up so frequently you appear to be stalking them. Even though they may not be ready to make that particular buying decision, you will help keep your name in their mind.
  
  
• Ask for an endorsement or testimonial one more time. Endorsements and testimonials are greatly under-utilized by most people in business today. Quite often, we ask a client for a testimonial but because they have other priorities, they forget. Call them or send an email and politely request the testimonial again.
  
  
• Suggest one more idea to help a customer improve their business. Schedule a breakfast meeting or lunch with your customers but instead of trying to sell them something, focus on learning more about their particular challenges. Offer solutions that do not include your products or services and your customers will begin to see you more as a partner than a supplier.
  
  
• Send one more thank you card or note. Very few sales people make the effort to thank their customers. You can stand out from the crowd by sending handwritten notes to thank customers for their most recent order, meeting with you, or sending an on-time payment. You can also send a note when you see their company mentioned favourably in the news.

Although it is a tiny number, one can make a powerful impact both on your top line sales and bottom line profits. One extra sale every day, week or month – depending on your business – can make a significant impact on your sales by the end of the year.

The next time you think about giving up on a high-potential prospect, consider the fact that you might be just one phone call, email, or letter away from making the sale.

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Kelley Robertson, President of the Robertson Training Group, works with businesses to help them increase their sales, negotiate more effectively, and motivate their employees. Receive a FREE copy of “100 Ways to Increase Your Sales” by subscribing to his free newsletter available at www.RobertsonTrainingGroup.com. Kelley speaks regularly at conferences, sales meetings, and corporate functions. For information on his programs contact him at 905-633-7750 or Kelley@RobertsonTrainingGroup.com.

Published in Networking Today, October 2006.

How to Manage Email Overload: 7 Steps To Get You Started

By Karen Susman

One of the biggest time-wasters is handling or not handling e-mail. There are people who have a backlog of 2000+ e-mails they can't figure out what to do with. There are computer programs such as Outlook that can help you manage your e-mail. There are spam filters that can reduce the number of irritating, unwanted e-mails you receive also. Here are a few ways to get all those other e-mails under control. Keep track of how long you are spending on e-mail. If you get fifty e-mails a day and spend three minutes reading and responding to each, 2.5 hours a day get chewed up. If you make $40,000 a year, it's costing you $50 a day to process e-mail. Take yourself off as many list as possible (except for this one, of course).Ask your friends and co-workers to delete you from their automatic nearest and dearest list of 300 they send jokes and chain letters to. Some e-mails take a minute just to scroll down through all those addresses to get to the message. When you find out it's a cartoon that will take four minutes to download, you then feel the need to respond to your friend. This just encourages him or her to send you more stuff you could live quite nicely without for the rest of your days. Answer e-mail at two or three set times a day. To help you adjust, turn off the bouncing icon on your desktop and the voice that announces, "You've got mail." The bouncing icon always makes me think of a two year old jumping up and down demanding attention. If you usually put your contact information in your e-mails, save time by creating an automatic signature. When you're on hold on the phone, delete twenty emails. Set a good example for your e-mailers. Summarize your content in the subject line. For instance, instead of saying "Let's talk about the party plans," say "Recommend two large tents. Must order by Friday, August 25." Write a complete message. Instead of writing a response that says, "Cool," respond by saying, "Jim, I like your idea of having two, 5 x 7 foot panels behind the stage so that we can display banners." This will help your reader know what you're referring to without having to go back and search. Your records will me more complete, too. Consider why you're “CC-ing” people. I found myself on a list that I had no reason to be on. I asked to be removed, which I was. I'm still getting blast e-mails from other people I don't know who were on the list. A recent one asked if I'd like to carpool to a meeting in Indianapolis. Considering I live in Denver, I don't think this e-mail concerned me at all. If you're sending your e-mail to multiple recipients, send blind copies. Your receivers don't like to see their e-mail address broadcast willy-nilly. This is more personal and private, too. Save time by letting people know your preferred means of communication. If you've ever received an e-mail followed by a fax to confirm the e-mail and then a phone call to confirm that the fax was received, you know what a waste of time this duplication can be for the sender and for the receiver.

Karen Susman is a Speaker, Trainer, Coach, and Author of 102 Top Dog Networking Secrets. Karen works with organizations that want to maximize performance. Programs include Humour at Work; Balance In Life; Networking Skills; Presentation Skills; and Building Community Involvement. Order new guidebooks on humour, networking, time management, and community involvement by calling 1-888-678-8818 or e-mail Karen@KarenSusman.com.. www.KarenSusman.com.

Published in Networking Today, October, 2006.

Burn Your Boat!

By John Boe

I believe that the great NFL Hall of Fame coach, Vince Lombardi, had it right when he said, “The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.“ Do you agree with coach Lombardi or are you the type of person who has difficulty staying focused and keeping commitments? Do you allow the negative influences of fear, anxiety, self-doubt and worry to dominate your thinking and sabotage your results?

Sadly, most people fail to achieve their goals; not because they're lazy or lack self-motivation, but because they were never “fully committed” to succeed! I can't think of a single great achievement that has ever been attained without first a plan of action and then an unshakable commitment to its accomplishment. Walt Disney was arguably one of the most creative dreamers and determined men of the twentieth century. Walt understood the power of commitment and would frequently tell those around him; “when you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionably.”

The ancient Greek warriors were both feared and respected by their enemies. In battle, the Greeks established a well-deserved reputation for their unsurpassed bravery and unshakable commitment to victory. The key to their overwhelming success on the battlefield had far more to do with how the Greek commanders motivated the warriors than it did with tactics or training. The Greeks were master motivators who understood how to use a “dramatic demonstration” to infuse a spirit of commitment into the heart of every warrior.

Once the warriors had been off-loaded from their boats onto their enemy's shore, the Greek commanders would shout out their first order, "burn the boats!” The sight of burning boats removed any notion of retreat from their hearts and any thoughts of surrender from their heads. Imagine the tremendous psychological impact on the soldiers as they watched their boats being set to the torch. As the boats turned to ash and slipped quietly out of sight into the water, each man understood there was no turning back and the only way home was through victory.

In your sales career your battles are not fought with weapons on foreign shores, but within the confines of your own mind. A truly committed salesperson does not have the luxury or the time for the self-indulgence of negative thinking. The true underlying motivation for all success is a deep and unwavering commitment to the task at hand. The sales profession is a demanding and challenging career, but it is also personally rewarding and financially lucrative for those who are fully committed to becoming successful.

If you are being pushed around mentally by thoughts of fear, anxiety, self-doubt and worry, it's time to “burn your boat” and become fully committed to your sales career!

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.“

- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

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John Boe presents a wide variety of motivational and sales-oriented keynotes and seminar programs for sales meetings and conventions. John is a nationally recognized sales trainer and business motivational speaker with an impeccable track record in the meeting industry. To have John speak at your next event, visit www.johnboe.com or call 877 725-3750. Free Newsletter available on website.

Published in Networking Today, October 2006.

“No Problem” Attitude Builds Customer Loyalty

By Barbara Bartlein

We recently completed a two-week cruise of the Mediterranean on Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. After embarking in Barcelona, we cruised over two thousand miles to five countries and eight ports of call. Celebrating our 25^th wedding anniversary, this dream vacation resulted from years of saving and months of planning. We were not disappointed.

From the Coliseum in Rome to the ruins of Pompeii, we were dazzled with scenery, sites and history. We listened to tour guides, ate Gelato, and swam on the Italian Riviera. We mustered, tendered and ate way too much. Much to our delight, we enjoyed the finest service I have ever experienced.

The attitude on board ship was “no problem.” With a crew meticulously trained, it was clear from the moment we boarded that whatever our interest, request or problem, they were there to serve. This was no easy task as the ship accommodates more than two thousand guests; each with their own agendas, preferences and anxieties. There are tourists who lose their cameras, their itineraries and their children during the course of the day.

At one point I purchased tickets for a boat trip to shore that were not needed as it was included in another excursion. Though the ticket said “not refundable,” I sheepishly went to the counter to inquire about a refund. The answer? “No problem.”

Craving guacamole one afternoon, I arrived at one of the restaurants looking for the avocado treat. Though not open, one of the chefs raced back in the kitchen and brought out tip and chips. When I thanked him, he said, you guessed it, “No problem.” In spite of several thousand guests who also had various needs, issues, and requests, we were made to feel special.

The “no problem” attitude can work well for any business. What small things can you do for your customers to make it clear you value their business and the relationship? Here are some ideas:

• Adopt the “no problem” attitude. Train your staff to use that phrase on a regular basis regardless of the request or the inconvenience. In a sometimes hostile and argumentative world, it is refreshing to do business with people who don’t argue about the small stuff or make a transaction more difficult than it needs to be. The phrase works well to make it clear that the customer comes first.

• Accommodate as much as possible. I frequently observe customer interactions that appear to be nothing more than a verbal shoving match. Staff may argue about a detail that really doesn’t make any difference just to win the skirmish but lose the war. Don’t make the customer feel that you are doing him a favor by taking his money. He won’t be back.

• Ban the “P” words. Nobody cares about your policies, procedures or protocols. They only care about what you can do for them. Nothing will annoy a customer more than hearing that what they want is not allowed because of policy and procedure. Standard operating procedures are for your benefit, not the customers.

• Under promise and over deliver. Exceed expectations and you will create customer loyalty. People have come to expect poor customer service these days, and those businesses that focus on quality stand out. Go the extra mile and do the unexpected. Customers will remember the service.

• Train staff in customer relations. Jeffrey Gitomer refers to it as buying all the staff Chap Stick. Staff will need it for kissing all the customers. Make it clear to all employees that their paycheck comes from the customers, not the payroll department. If the customers weren’t spending, they wouldn’t get paid.

• Maximize the first encounter. It is said that you only get one chance to make a first impression. That is especially important for businesses. Who is answering your phone? Do customers encounter a friendly voice or a burned out robot? This critical position needs to be trained and retrained so that each and every encounter is positive, friendly and helpful.

• Don’t forget the follow up. Service doesn’t stop once the transaction is paid. Stay in contact with your customers through newsletters, mailings and phone calls. Offer them helpful resources that position your company as the experts. The next time they need your service, you will be the one they call.

Adopt the “no problem” approach for your business. Let your customer know how much you appreciate them and their confidence in your goods and services. Long-term relationships are the key to growing any business. make sure that you are thinking of the third and fourth transaction when you are making the first.

Sign up for Barbara's FREE email newsletter at www.ThePeoplePro.com

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Barbara Bartlein is the PeoplePro. She offers keynotes, seminars and consultation to help you build your business. She can be reached at 888-747-9953, by e-mail at: barb@thepeoplepro.com or visit her website at www.ThePeoplePro.com

Published in Networking Today, October 2006.

By Dr. Priya Joshi

We all know someone affected by breast cancer. One in nine women will develop breast cancer. As women, what can we do to prevent this and other breast tissue diseases?

Early detection is key to prevention. Digital infrared breast thermography is a medical diagnostic tool that has been used for years in Europe as a first step screening procedure. It has been offered in Canada for the past ten years, with clinics across the country.

Breast thermography is a sensitive, non-invasive method of detecting early functional changes in breast tissue. Functional changes are the abnormal cell activity demonstrated by cancer cells and other breast tissue diseases. Abnormal cell activity tends to release more heat to feed their rapid growth. Thermography is able to measure the heat radiating from the breast, chest, and armpit areas.

The main difference between thermography and mammography is that the latter detects structural changes. A lump or mass is already present in breast tissue by the time it is detected. It is important to note that it takes about ten years for breast cancer to grow to a detectable size. Breast thermography is able to detect tissue abnormalities five to eight years before an abnormality can be seen with a mammogram or detected by clinical exam. This ability for early detection makes thermography extremely useful and cost-effective as a screening tool. Thermography is done without the risk of radiation, contact, squeezing, pressure, or needles.

Women of all ages and all breast types – puberty, fibrocystic breasts, during pregnancy or breast-feeding, with breast implants, on hormone replacement therapy or birth control pills – can be screened using thermography. Known risk factors for breast cancer account for only 30% of women diagnosed with breast cancer. The remainder is related to lifestyle choices, many of which can be controlled.

Naturopathic medicine plays an important role in encouraging healthy breast function and healthy lifestyle choices, and help in the treatment and prevention of breast cancer and other breast tissue diseases.

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Dr. Priya Joshi is a Naturopathic Doctor practising in London. She has a well-respected practice with a special focus on children’s and women’s health especially breast health, hormonal health, and infertility. For more information on breast thermography or naturopathic medicine, please contact Dr. Priya at (519) 471-1917 or at doctorpriya@rogers.com.

Published in Networking Today, October 2006.

By Dr. Priya Joshi

We all know someone affected by breast cancer. One in nine women will develop breast cancer. As women, what can we do to prevent this and other breast tissue diseases?

Early detection is key to prevention. Digital infrared breast thermography is a medical diagnostic tool that has been used for years in Europe as a first step screening procedure. It has been offered in Canada for the past ten years, with clinics across the country.

Breast thermography is a sensitive, non-invasive method of detecting early functional changes in breast tissue. Functional changes are the abnormal cell activity demonstrated by cancer cells and other breast tissue diseases. Abnormal cell activity tends to release more heat to feed their rapid growth. Thermography is able to measure the heat radiating from the breast, chest, and armpit areas.

The main difference between thermography and mammography is that the latter detects structural changes. A lump or mass is already present in breast tissue by the time it is detected. It is important to note that it takes about ten years for breast cancer to grow to a detectable size. Breast thermography is able to detect tissue abnormalities five to eight years before an abnormality can be seen with a mammogram or detected by clinical exam. This ability for early detection makes thermography extremely useful and cost-effective as a screening tool. Thermography is done without the risk of radiation, contact, squeezing, pressure, or needles.

Women of all ages and all breast types – puberty, fibrocystic breasts, during pregnancy or breast-feeding, with breast implants, on hormone replacement therapy or birth control pills – can be screened using thermography. Known risk factors for breast cancer account for only 30% of women diagnosed with breast cancer. The remainder is related to lifestyle choices, many of which can be controlled.

Naturopathic medicine plays an important role in encouraging healthy breast function and healthy lifestyle choices, and help in the treatment and prevention of breast cancer and other breast tissue diseases.

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Dr. Priya Joshi is a Naturopathic Doctor practising in London. She has a well-respected practice with a special focus on children’s and women’s health especially breast health, hormonal health, and infertility. For more information on breast thermography or naturopathic medicine, please contact Dr. Priya at (519) 471-1917 or at doctorpriya@rogers.com.

Published in Networking Today, October 2006.

Healthy Breasts for a Lifetime

By Dr. Priya Joshi

We all know someone affected by breast cancer. One in nine women will develop breast cancer. As women, what can we do to prevent this and other breast tissue diseases?

Early detection is key to prevention. Digital infrared breast thermography is a medical diagnostic tool that has been used for years in Europe as a first step screening procedure. It has been offered in Canada for the past ten years, with clinics across the country.

Breast thermography is a sensitive, non-invasive method of detecting early functional changes in breast tissue. Functional changes are the abnormal cell activity demonstrated by cancer cells and other breast tissue diseases. Abnormal cell activity tends to release more heat to feed their rapid growth. Thermography is able to measure the heat radiating from the breast, chest, and armpit areas.

The main difference between thermography and mammography is that the latter detects structural changes. A lump or mass is already present in breast tissue by the time it is detected. It is important to note that it takes about ten years for breast cancer to grow to a detectable size. Breast thermography is able to detect tissue abnormalities five to eight years before an abnormality can be seen with a mammogram or detected by clinical exam. This ability for early detection makes thermography extremely useful and cost-effective as a screening tool. Thermography is done without the risk of radiation, contact, squeezing, pressure, or needles.

Women of all ages and all breast types – puberty, fibrocystic breasts, during pregnancy or breast-feeding, with breast implants, on hormone replacement therapy or birth control pills – can be screened using thermography. Known risk factors for breast cancer account for only 30% of women diagnosed with breast cancer. The remainder is related to lifestyle choices, many of which can be controlled.

Naturopathic medicine plays an important role in encouraging healthy breast function and healthy lifestyle choices, and help in the treatment and prevention of breast cancer and other breast tissue diseases.

Dr. Priya Joshi is a Naturopathic Doctor practising in London. She has a well-respected practice with a special focus on children’s and women’s health especially breast health, hormonal health, and infertility. For more information on breast thermography or naturopathic medicine, please contact Dr. Priya at (519) 471-1917 or at doctorpriya@rogers.com.

Published in Networking Today, October 2006.

The Meaning of Hunger

By Mary Desaulniers

In the weight-loss industry, hunger is a dirty word, the villain that must be stopped in its tracks. It is this determination to eradicate hunger that has created the worst propaganda for diets. “Diet” has become a dirty word. Diet is associated with pain, starvation, and all things "undo-able." If we look at hunger more closely, we will see that villainy is only part of its heritage. Hunger can be viewed more appropriately as an interim stage, part of a process of transformation. What we learn from our hunger is the key to long-term success in weight management.

There are different kinds of hunger. An example is the real hunger for sustenance that comes after a hard day's work. This hunger is necessary for our survival as it tells our body that it needs to replace the energy that has been expended.

Another is the hunger we feel when we are bored—the Sunday afternoon variety that creeps into our bones like a bout of flu. You feel hungry even after a meal and you can't seem to shake it off.

A more insidious form is the hunger we feel at the end of the day; a hunger that is ravenous. Partly because we are hungry, but mostly because we are carrying the ravages of the working world home and we have no other avenue to tame the beast. This is the form of hunger that leads to unbridled bingeing and weight gain. As long as the issues (at work or at home) remain unresolved, the body will deposit layers of subcutaneous fat much like an armor to shield itself against what it feels to be an unjust grievance.

This hunger is the most redeeming of the three as it places in our path a problem that is actually an opportunity for personal growth and transformation. Change is inherent to the nature of the body; it is through change that we evolve; through change that matter is transformed into light. "Many physicists believe that all matter is ultimately composed of trapped light," so claims physicist Fred Allan Wolf in his book "Mind into Matter."

We are "trapped light" when we are confined by the "unconscious ideas that we've been taught" such as:

• I am this or I am that.
• I am not good at this.
• I am meant to be fat or slow or lethargic.
  

These are all part of the armor that keeps us tied to the ground.

This trapped light can be released when matter is brought into motion. We are not only talking about physical motion like exercise; but creative motion—the meaningful activity, which we all know is capable of birthing the unknown or suppressed self. The self trapped by inertia and fear, the self that sees no way out of its misery other than bingeing to oblivion. Jungian analyst, Marion Woodman, calls this inertia "the Great Mother crocodile," that prefers "sleeping in the mud to transforming in the fire" ("Dancing in the Flames").

It is with us as well. We need to find out what the source of our hunger is.

• What is the grievance that is eating us?
• What unrealized dreams lay dormant under our cold spell?
• What possibilities for growth and spiritual awakenings have we stifled because of work, relationships or fear?
• What changes need we make to resurrect those dreams and desires?
  

Will the path be difficult? Yes! Will it be fraught with danger? Yes! Need we fear it? No! We have the power within us to "birth" this new self. As long as we keep our vision steady before us, we will succeed. Moreover, there are guides along the way—weight loss coaches, well-meaning friends and family, our own intuitions. These can provide us with the tools to make the journey successful.

It is far more dangerous to keep things the way they are. The armor of fat and denial we have built around us becomes more impenetrable with time. Unless we choose to see and create a new reality, “the great Mother crocodile” prevails.

It is so important for us to understand the meaning of hunger. Sometimes hunger is not simply hunger for food. It is hunger for the emergence of a new self. Hunger for a birth that, like any other birth, is a labor in progress. Are we serious enough about our well-being to confront our hunger? Turn its energy around so that it serves, rather than stifle us!

A runner for 28 years, retired schoolteacher and writer, Mary is helping people reclaim the wisdom of their bodies. Nutrition, exercise, positive vision and purposeful and creative engagement are the tools used to turn bodies into creative selves. You can visit her at http://www.greatbodyat50.com/ . Tune in to her new Internet Radio Show Reclaiming the Body’s Wisdom.

Published in Networking Today, October 2006.