Turn Your Ideas into Income (With IMPACT©)

“Good ideas are not adopted automatically.

They must be driven into practice with courageous patience.”

~ Hyman Rickover

     How many times have you had ideas churning in your head…little ones; big ones; dreams; goals; intentions; projects? How many times have you acted on those ideas? Even more telling, how much income have you realized from your ideas? What stops you? What challenges you?

     There are a plethora of books, seminars and programs on creativity and how to get ideas. Yet once you have them, how do you organize your thoughts and make sense of them to determine which ones to pursue? How do you communicate your ideas and convince people to act on them? How do you determine your own actions? Which ideas are your “money ideas”?

     You typically want your ideas to have an impact whether they are for an invention, a solution to a problem, an easier or more efficient way to do something, a change to a process, the next book or movie premise, a way to better establish a relationship, or a suggestion for working smarter rather than harder. I define a methodology for organizing, communicating, selling, and acting on ideas as a process I designate IMPACT^©, detailed in my book Hey, That’s My Idea! . Let me overview this process that takes you “from idea to implementation” so that you turn your ideas and suggestions into income and being impactful.

     IMPACT^© is my mnemonic that helps you recall the six stages you navigate to take your ideas from mind to money and matter. This diagram visually represents the sequence of thoughts and actions for you to follow to organize, document, communicate, and encourage action on your ideas.

The IMPACT^© process comprises six stages:

I - Initiate your idea.

Choose your “money idea” with import.
Apply critical and creative thinking to develop it.
Capture your thoughts.

M - Mold your message.

Take inventory of reasons, data, and facts – ask questions for more details.

Edit them down to their essence.

Organize the elements for persuasion.

Clear them up, write them down for visual perspective.

P - Plot your strategy.

 Use sales strategies to “sell your idea” (even if it is not for sale).

Pace yourself: before, during, and after.

A - Attention…command It.

Consider your audience’s norms.

Capture their attention in a way to which they’ll respond.

C - Communicate for action.

Listen purposefully.

Use positive verbal and nonverbal techniques.

Integrate effective presentation skills.

T - Terminate assertively.

Tell ‘em what you want; make your call for action.

Make the tone commensurate to the request.

Be gracious and grateful.

     Let’s explore each stage in a bit more depth. For the record, I use “idea”, “suggestion”, and “thoughts” interchangeably to indicate the “stuff that’s in your head”.

Initiate your idea.

     This first stage of the IMPACT^© process is where you examine your ideas and determine the one on which you will focus your energies this time. Capture your other ideas so that you don’t lose them, yet choose one with the most import to the time, situation, and target audience on which to focus.  Apply critical and creative thinking techniques to develop your chosen idea. Once you experience the IMPACT^© process you will be able to return to your other ideas and repeat the process.

Mold your message.

     This second stage is where you do a “ideastorm”—a transfer of everything you can think of and learn through research that relates to your idea—from your head and disparate notes, into the documentation of your choice (paper or electronic) so that your idea is physically in one place. It must be highly visual so that you “see what you’ve been thinking”. Then use proven organizational patterns to sort and shape the bits and pieces of your idea to see it more clearly.

Plot your strategy.

     This third stage is where you fine-tune your organized idea. Plot your implementation action strategy so that you effectively communicate and persuade other people to accept and act on your idea. Create your sales strategy to figuratively “sell your idea” (even if it is not literally for sale). Work out how you will present your idea to your target audiences.

Attention…command It.

     The first three stages of the IMPACT^© process involve thinking, planning, organizing, and writing—so not sexy, yet necessary before you implement a strategy. Legendary Quarterback and Hall-of-Famer Roger Staubach said that spectacular achievements are usually preceded by unspectacular preparation. The first IMPACT^© stages are the unspectacular preparation for communicating and implementing your idea. The last three stages are your ACTion ones.

     This fourth stage is where you fully develop your communications strategies and start presenting your idea. Research your audience to determine how your idea best meets their needs. Use effective presentation techniques to capture your audience’s attention and interest them in your idea.  Communicate with authority to command respect, and return focus to your idea when discussion goes off on a tangent.

Communicate for action.

     This fifth stage is a seamless continuation of the previous one where you hone your persuasion and presentation techniques. Employ positive verbal and nonverbal communication skills. Listen purposefully. React appropriately to challenges and questions. Persuade your audience with your messages, reasoning, and public speaking skills.

Terminate assertively.

     This sixth stage is where you “seal the deal”—make your call to put your idea into action. Present an action plan and schedule next moves. Involve your audience in your plans and get commitments, with deadlines. Be specific. Communicate the pay-off for acting on your idea. Make your tone commensurate to your request. Express your appreciation. Remain in control of your idea by steering the course for its implementation.

Increase your income IMPACT^©-fully: stop churning and start earning

     Anyone can have a great idea. Yet, the leap from inspiration to implementation is too wide for many to make. The gap between idea and income is even wider for so many. By following the IMPACT^© process, the giant leap becomes manageable because you have tools that help you stop churning and start earning. As an entrepreneur; professional; person seeking to experience the “next chapter” in your life; a leader...implementing a system, with tools and resources, to move your thoughts and projects from your head to intentional action enables you to increase your income and make an impact on your bottom line, your family, your community, and even the world. You turn your dreams into dollars, your concepts into cash, and your ideas into income and impact!

 

About the Author:

Sylvia Henderson, Implementation Strategist, moves individuals and teams to get out of their heads and into action with their ideas for profit and purpose. Clients call her the “Maven of Implementation”. Using her design thinking process called IMPACT^©, Sylvia helps you build a foundation and develop strategies for, take action on, and be accountable to your ideas. Sylvia is the author of multiple books including Hey, That's My Idea! How to Speak Up & Get Recognized for What You Know and Think, and hosts a cable TV program and radio show on implementing ideas. Turn your dreams into dollars, concepts into cash, and ideas into impact with Sylvia’s expertise & experience to guide and encourage you. Meet Sylvia at the  Unlimited You Weekend, April 10- 12, 2015, Baltimore, MD. www.hwhn.org for details.

5 Ways Blogging Can Help You Build Your Brand, Grow Your Business and Advance Your Career

Now that social media has fully infiltrated every industry in the world, blogging has finally started to be seen as more than a fun hobby for moms and college students. We now know that blogging is a useful professional tool for learning, networking, job-seeking, personal branding, business-building and leadership. 

Have you been hesitant to jump on the blogging train or maybe inconsistent in your blogging efforts thus far? Chances are, you could be passing up opportunities for greater visibility and success online.

Here are five ways that blogging can enhance your brand, business and career.

1. Blogging can help you become a better writer. 
Blogging is great writing practice, especially if you commit to doing it at least once a week! Knowing that you have an audience (no matter how small) pushes you to bring your "A" game in how you express your thoughts and ideas. Getting better at the craft can definitely help if you aspire to publish a book or do any freelance writing work.

2. Blogging can help you get found easily when people search your name in Google. 
Have you Googled yourself yet? If not, go ahead and do it now. I’ll wait. Chances are, if you have a blog, it’s very likely to come up in the first page of results when you search for your name. Because Google ranks blogs pretty highly in their search engine, having a blog makes it easier for potential clients and employers to find you and see how awesome you are.

3. Your blog can get you noticed by traditional media outlets. 
Because of the knowledge I share on my blogs, I’ve been featured in many press outlets such as JET Magazine, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, BBC London and The Washington Post. The side effect of this is that the more people see you in the media, the more they perceive you as an expert!

4. Blogging can get you invited to speak to groups about issues you care about. 
Since blogging shows people that you have something meaningful to say, it's a natural fit for event organizers looking for speakers. Since 2007, I’ve been invited to participate in almost 100 speaking opportunities – mostly through people who read my blogs!

5. Blogging can help you make extra money. 
If you're a good writer with good ideas, companies may be interested in having you write for them. I took advantage of this possibility a few years ago when I got paid to write a career advice column for Change.org. Besides freelance writing, you also have the option of advertising on your blog to earn extra income.

The best thing about blogging is that the possibilities are endless once you start putting yourself out there. Women’s voices need to be heard online and with today’s technology, you’re just a click away from becoming a part of the blogosphere! 

About Rosetta Thurman:
Rosetta Thurman is the founder and CEO of Happy Black Woman, a supportive community that empowers black women to create their ideal lives. She is also the creator of The Blogging School, a 4-week online course that helps you create a professional blog, build your personal brand online and become known as a leader in your industry. When she’s not writing or teaching, Rosetta enjoys good food, good drinks and good music. Preferably all at the same time. Rosetta will be joining us for 2014 HWHN Conference. Grab your seat here!

Happy New Year!

Hey there!

We are thrilled to say Happy New Year! We want to start off the new year in true gratitude, so thank you for being a part of our family. Last year was good to us. It wasn't easy but it was good. It had it's challenges but also its triumphs. With your help 2013 was powerful yet, we know that greatness is still available. We're clear that 2014 will be unrecognizable, because while we have big plans there bigger plans in store.

We encourage you to join us in knowing that you are Unlimited! That your future, your dreams, your goals are bigger than you can see right now. The impact that you're going to make in 2014 will surpass the limits that you see. We would love to be with you during the journey.

So let's go! Let's make 2014 the year that made a difference in our limitless life. 

In Sisterhood,
Maria, Monokia, Adia and Mothyna