tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75547259416020523292024-03-05T22:40:47.369-08:00EntrepredoctorColleen Long has a doctorate in clinical health psychology and combines this background with her endeavors as an entrepreneur.
This blog is designed to discuss the psychological aspects of being an entrepreneur.Dr. Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932616454651443485noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554725941602052329.post-24813031070213232922009-06-23T09:59:00.001-07:002009-06-23T10:01:55.946-07:00What are you so afraid of?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ5y9EWy1pQ5Tqz5n4xxwjpSEB6id6h_R-joqnm_Q-5YTrKXxmW1nAa7f6Lml3QTfS2VDOvCb3-pBjDm-hodxA2k48Njn1xsKGfLQkloUz2q3ApFf8FqZXDCs2FJuIx_WLR6Jevyxmpef8/s1600-h/ent-mag-2009-07-tn.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 80px; height: 108px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ5y9EWy1pQ5Tqz5n4xxwjpSEB6id6h_R-joqnm_Q-5YTrKXxmW1nAa7f6Lml3QTfS2VDOvCb3-pBjDm-hodxA2k48Njn1xsKGfLQkloUz2q3ApFf8FqZXDCs2FJuIx_WLR6Jevyxmpef8/s320/ent-mag-2009-07-tn.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350569133880740402" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://tinyurl.com/nm24kj">Dr. Entrepreneur addresses the psychological fears behind entrepreneurship in this month's issue of Entrepreneur Magazine:</a>Dr. Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932616454651443485noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554725941602052329.post-23304530935470724542009-02-19T09:22:00.000-08:002009-02-19T10:06:16.637-08:00Does "Everything Happen for a Reason," or Do We Just Make Some Killer Lemonade?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhziXd_kskhLFgiDRfeurZXrnhAhA0nopIoKgKRxuxX77kp_OF5Eak01SWNfUqSqckAaLl64NLNRtvgnUXvGN_JmarssobURQ1A7XdOy_8xe672pc07NDRMhBOdIwa64XA4DI908pbkX35T/s1600-h/lemonade.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 256px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhziXd_kskhLFgiDRfeurZXrnhAhA0nopIoKgKRxuxX77kp_OF5Eak01SWNfUqSqckAaLl64NLNRtvgnUXvGN_JmarssobURQ1A7XdOy_8xe672pc07NDRMhBOdIwa64XA4DI908pbkX35T/s320/lemonade.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304571354677442642" /></a><br /><br />We've heard it time and time again, often during moments of significant strife- "you never know why things happen the way they do, but everything happens for a reason." It provides us with a sense of comfort after the loss of a loved one, a job, or a goal that we were not able to achieve. It gives us the mental image of a higher being in the heavens, sitting back and holding the puppet strings of our destiny, with a calm and maybe even smug demeanor, knowing that everything "will work out for the best." <br /><br />I have fallen victim to this mentality myself. I reasoned, it sure would be spiffy if there was an old wise man that was busy behind the curtain working out the kinks of my future. After all, I've had many moments where I would have been happy to blame my life circumstances on someone else, and after feeling like you're not doing a very good job "behind the wheel," sometimes having someone take over doesn't seem like a bad idea.<br /><br />I am willing to wager this is one of the main reasons organized religion has existed for so long. Humans share a common need to put order and meaning to chaos. When the world is uncertain, and there is the thought that tragedy could strike at any moment- the idea that there is some profound meaning is a comfort to us all. As they say in times of war, "there are no atheists in fox holes."<br /><br />However, Buddhism, which is somewhat of a hybrid between a religion and a philosophy, is based on the principle of <span style="font-style:italic;">annica</span>. The concept of <span style="font-style:italic;">annica</span> holds that everything is changing and nothing is permanent. At first, when I learned of this philosophy, it went against my very nature. My first reaction was, "so am I just supposed to be indifferent to every tragedy that strikes?" <br /><br />Case Scenario:<br />Friend: "My mother just died."<br />me: "yes that was expected, what are you doing for lunch?"<br /><br />However, Buddhism warns against indifference. In fact, indifference is the very opposite of the intentional practice of awareness that Buddhism advocates. We are not supposed to just float through the world unfeeling, yet we also should not become attached to the current circumstances, as they are always changing.<br /><br />Consider this ancient parable:<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">There was a farmer who had a strong, hard-working horse. This horse could plough fields all day and carry heavy loads. The farmer's neighbors, who did not have such a prized animal, often said to him, "You're so lucky to have that horse."<br /><br />The farmer, going about his work, simply replied, "Maybe, maybe not."<br /><br />Then one day, the farmer's horse broke through the farm gates and ran away, leaving the farmer without the animal that he had come to depend on. The farmer's neighbors said to him, "Gee, you're so unlucky that your horse ran away."<br /><br />The farmer, getting on with life without his horse, simply replied, "Maybe, maybe not."<br /><br />A little while later, the farmer's horse came back with ten mares, all strong, fit and healthy. The farmer's neighbors gasped and said, "You're so lucky to now have 11 strong horses to work on your farm!"<br /><br />The farmer, grooming his 11 horses, simply replied, "Maybe, maybe not."<br /><br />The farmer's only son decided to take a ride on one of the mares. On the way home, the mare bolted and threw the farmer's only son to the ground, crushing his legs, which became infected, and later leading the son into delirium, balancing on the brink of death. When the farmer's neighbours heard this, they said, "Oh no! Your only son is dying! You are so unlucky."<br /><br />The farmer, while aiding his son, simply replied, "Maybe, maybe not."<br /><br />Before long, war was declared, and officials came to the village to draft the village's young men to serve in the army. Upon seeing the condition of the farmer's only son, the officials decided he could not fight, and so they did not draft him into the war. A few days later, the son's fever broke and he regained his health. The farmer's neighbors, whose sons had all been drafted into the terrible war, cried out to the farmer, "Oh, you are so lucky that your son did not have to go to war!"<br /><br />The farmer, while hugging his son, simply replied, "Maybe, maybe not."</span><br /><br />I am always comforted when I think of this story. It demonstrates how we must be the puppet string handlers of our own destiny, even when we don't feel like it. Although, it may seem as though we've lost our security blanket- when we let go of the idea of the "divine plan," we are actually evolving into a higher eschelon of thinking. A way of thinking that detaches us from destructive emotional states and frees our energy to take life by the reigns. <br /><br />When I look back on the downfalls I have experienced in life so far, I can say in hindsight that I am glad they happened. If a professor from my past never called all my internship sites and ruined my chances of matching for a pre-doc residency, I would have never ended up in San Diego, having one of the best internship experiences of my life. Had my high school sweetheart never cheated on me and broke my heart, I might have never gone on to graduate school and earned my doctorate. Had my mom never been forced to take care of herself at an early age, she might not have found the reason to have a family, and this blog would have never existed, etc.. <br /><br />I guess what I am trying to say (in the least eloquent way possible) is that life comes at you. Life's a bitch. It throws you curve balls, and just when you think you have it all figured out, you are knocked on your knees, praying for some sort of clarity. <br /><br />The very nature of the entrepreneur is that you are self-sufficient. Somewhere along the line, you have decided that you are in control. So whenever you find yourself in the midst of one of life's lemons, get up and make some lemonade, no one's gonna do it for you.Dr. Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932616454651443485noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554725941602052329.post-53269330639910164062009-01-20T11:16:00.000-08:002009-01-20T11:26:44.389-08:00Dreamers and Doers..<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHrlq1MYvyRHRllzkq8x24RhDz-3OIgC5EYtdSzlksFWb-e6ZhogJVk0X9FqEEPAw00r0zb2rrLj5lJ4JWxnISM8sfvfARlPRb1fY1Nps4xi8n2g4cBYYWZ-Zy4j_uSeGWeYgM9688dlGo/s1600-h/dreamer.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 123px; height: 123px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHrlq1MYvyRHRllzkq8x24RhDz-3OIgC5EYtdSzlksFWb-e6ZhogJVk0X9FqEEPAw00r0zb2rrLj5lJ4JWxnISM8sfvfARlPRb1fY1Nps4xi8n2g4cBYYWZ-Zy4j_uSeGWeYgM9688dlGo/s320/dreamer.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293459574168652130" /></a><br />Dr. Entrepreneur is a blog made for entertainment purposes only. This is not intended to dispense psychological advice. If you need help, please seek the services of a licensed professional.<br /><br />So I am ashamed to admit that I was reading Russel Simmons latest book "Do You." I usually do not make a habit of picking up what appears to be a gimmicky self-help book. However, I was bored and began scanning. The book captured my interest so much that I actually bought it. I have tried to set aside time each night to read another chapter. Last night's chapter was about acting on one's dreams. <br /><br />Simmons went on to say that we must not wait for something to happen to us, but let ourselves become swept away by our ideas. It is only then that the world becomes a magical place and our deepest dreams are realized. <br /><br />As I thought about this, I realized, this is the vital tipping point that turns a dreamer into a success. "Just doing it," is the pivotal action that separates the successful entrepreneur from those with mere ideas. Yes, it is inevitable that if we follow all our ideas, we will fail. We will fail more than we succeed, but we will never succeed without trying.<br /><br />So many people have ideas, but wait for the right time, the right investor, the right life situation. There is no more right time than the present moment. I remember distinctly a time, late in my graduate school career when I was told that I tended to "act without much consultation." This was framed as a negative trait. I think in some way, I have carried this notion, always questioning whether my actions are courageous or just plain foolish. After reading Simmons' take, I feel that he confirmed something I always knew, but never quite articulated.<br /><br />I hope that if you are an entrepreneur, reading this, maybe it will ignite in you that flame that carries you from stagnation to action.Dr. Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932616454651443485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554725941602052329.post-73642140880895845812009-01-15T08:55:00.000-08:002009-01-15T08:59:51.948-08:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLnGSD1YaobdTOoMesgLqoE5WLdiDg5J7y2m-gF_cm94haM1dFB68sonS_fseAVJxUveRMsH0ys4pgoHOk1hNLF98cyZzVQkvGDm1frX_nFUxKebk225puFHUSnGS9rdp3_a2Fc49qkykg/s1600-h/look+at+me.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 116px; height: 116px;" 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mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} /* List Definitions */ @list l0 {mso-list-id:1016036694; mso-list-type:hybrid; mso-list-template-ids:-425411480 67698705 67698713 67698715 67698703 67698713 67698715 67698703 67698713 67698715;} @list l0:level1 {mso-level-text:"%1\)"; mso-level-tab-stop:none; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-.25in;} ol {margin-bottom:0in;} ul {margin-bottom:0in;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" >Look @ Me! How to Get Noticed in 2009</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><br /><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" >More and more we are hearing the term“online press room,” or “online media room.” These are buzz phrases that you should become well-accustomed to if you are going to further develop your professional practice in 2009.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><br /><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" >Psychologists are quickly making it in to the world of media, whether it be through online web talks, news outlets needing expert guidance, or community forums. By having a solid online press room, you are establishing a name for yourself and making it easy for journalists to quickly find out who you are and how you can help them. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" >Here are some quick and dirty tips for making the most of your online press room:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ><span style=""><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ><span style="">1)<span style=";font-family:";font-size:7;" > </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" >Diversify your media- make sure you have multiple forms of media on your page. This should include video clips, online seminars, radio recordings, and photographs (professional head shots). Unfortunately, the media is a place where looks count, and you want to put your best foot forward when presenting yourself and your practice. Journalists want to get a clear picture that you are “camera-ready,” without having to sift through a multitude of websites.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ><span style=""><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ><span style="">2)<span style=";font-family:";font-size:7;" > </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" >Pay a little extra to grab the spotlight. If a site offers a spot on their site with more exposure, it is always worth it to pay a little extra. Oftentimes, journalists are not going to spend their time going to the 33<sup>rd</sup> page to find you. At <a href="http://www.freudtv.com/">FreudTV</a>, clients are given the option of being in the spotlight for only $10 extra dollars a month. Over a year’s time, this only amounts to $120 and can pay for itself with one media spot.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ><span style=""><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ><span style="">3)<span style=";font-family:";font-size:7;" > </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" >3..2..1..ACTION! You have approximately three seconds to grab the user’s attention. This means that you need to make your online press room pop, and pop quickly. This can be done by developing an interesting headline or creating a “point of difference,”a.k.a P.O.D. (see below).<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ><span style=""><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ><span style="">4)<span style=";font-family:";font-size:7;" > </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" >Your P.O.D. is the characteristic(s) that sets you apart from everyone else. Are you skilled in two unique areas of study? Are you coined the <a href="http://www.happinessdiva.vpweb.com/">Happiness Diva</a>? Anything that can set you apart, immediately gives you a hefty advantage over the competition.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ><span style=""><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ><span style="">5)<span style=";font-family:";font-size:7;" > </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" >How can I help you? Focus on how you can help your target market. If your specialty is anxiety related illness, then really focus on your work in this area. How can your previous experience apply to future programming? If you are a jack of many trades, really be creative about all the areas that you specialize in. Remember, some journalists may think these areas are called something different (i.e. “Multiple personality disorder” vs. “dissociative identity disorder”), so be broad and inclusive.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ><span style=""><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ><span style="">6)<span style=";font-family:";font-size:7;" > </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" >Make it easy for them to find you. Make sure your contact information is displayed prominently at the front. This may seem like a no brainer, but so many times, a professional may only have a link to their website. Many journalists will not take the time to sift through multiple links to find an email address.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ><span style=""><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ><span style="">7)<span style=";font-family:";font-size:7;" > </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" >Be active! The more presence you can develop through multiple venues on the internet, the more buzz you will generate. This can be through blogging, holding webinars, twittering, or posting your articles on your online press room. At <a href="http://www.freudtv.com/">FreudTV</a>, users are able to both hold and attend webinars, as well as post multiple articles that appear on the homepage. These articles are then found by search engines, generating even more traffic to your online press room.</span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><br /></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: normal;"><br /><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; font-style: italic;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" >Dr. Colleen Long is the owner of FreudTV and Aesthetic Genetics. Her book is title Happiness in B.A.L.A.N.C.E and can be found on her professional site. She is a professional coach and has helped many entrepreneurs build their businesses with her techniques. Her most recent work has been featured on About.com as well as The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Dr. Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932616454651443485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554725941602052329.post-21315153502721289292009-01-14T13:57:00.001-08:002009-01-14T13:58:40.383-08:00An Entrepreneur's Guide to Meditation<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicuHP3AD_I0NTCnvfwoJj2XBOUab4pxoMNGtQSIbOaZOhXCBkaKs1QYZkaF0947XNuFMSTa-4gxVQg1liRKC0r0AbGJvQPgx90ln6OgBLmZDt_D4m25RpAoFQF2M0C82SLm1BBbbyI-8Ai/s1600-h/meditate.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 124px; height: 125px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicuHP3AD_I0NTCnvfwoJj2XBOUab4pxoMNGtQSIbOaZOhXCBkaKs1QYZkaF0947XNuFMSTa-4gxVQg1liRKC0r0AbGJvQPgx90ln6OgBLmZDt_D4m25RpAoFQF2M0C82SLm1BBbbyI-8Ai/s320/meditate.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291272102779966978" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Dr. Entrepreneur is a blog made for entertainment purposes only. This is not intended to dispense psychological advice. If you need help, please seek the services of a licensed professional.</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><a tip="" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&hs=zcP&q=jon+kabat-zinn&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&resnum=5&ct=title#">John Kabat-Zinn</a> and many other psychologists have discovered that meditation has a profound effect on how we feel. Studies have shown that in six week weeks of only three 20 minute meditation sessions per week, subjects were demonstrating profound changes in the left pre-frontal cortex, an area responsible for one’s feelings of well-being. <p>Not only does meditation help us in the long-term, but it helps us in the short-term, as well. It is through the practice of meditation that we are able to accept all the negative aspects of life without identifying with them. Although it is certain that we will all experience grief, suffering, loss, pain, anger, and despair at some point- by being practiced in the art of meditation, we are equipped with the tools to prevent them from taking us under.</p> <p>Meditation is ours for the taking. It does not cost us anything but a few minutes of our time and patience. Meditation has also been shown to have various other health benefits, most notably with its connection to the <a tip="" href="http://www.thetaobums.com/index.php?showtopic=7997">Vagus nerve</a>, which helps to decrease cortisol production (the hormone responsible for giving us those little stress guts).</p> <p>I have run hundreds of “happiness” groups, focused on helping patients increase their feelings of well-being without the use of drugs or alcohol. A core pillar of these groups is the exercise of meditation. Many of those patients initially showed some resistance to the idea, likening it to some “new-agey” or “hippy” trend. Most were unsure of what it really was, and most importantly- whether they could do it right. Meditation is not an easy practice. It can often feel like changing the course of a river. The following are the basic tips for meditation that are sure to get you started in the right direction:</p> <p>1)Posture- Make sure that you are sitting on a firm surface or firm pillow. You can either sit on the floor with legs crossed or in a chair with legs shoulder width apart. Just make sure that you are not leaning back on the chair back. Ensure that your back is upright, as if you are sitting on a horse. This posture helps remind the body that the mind is in control. It is a posture of dignity and respect, and symbolizes the act of meditation for yourself each day.</p> <p>Make sure your chest is lifted and open. This shows that you are open and receptive to what this meditation brings. Make sure that your shoulders are back and relaxed, and that your mouth and jaw are also loose. <a tip="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thich_Nhat_Hanh">Thich Nhat Hanh</a> recommends you try slightly smiling.</p> <p>2) Detachment- A common misconception is that meditation should be an absence of one’s thoughts. This is not possible. View your mind’s energy as you would a flowing river. Each leave that passes, represents a thought. It is your goal to observe those thoughts without judgement, like leaves on a river. Once we are able to separate ourselves from our thoughts, they can no longer bring us the same pain they once did. We soon become comfortable just being with our thoughts, even the most painful. As a thought comes to view, we might think “oh that is interesting that thought has come up now,” and let it pass down the river.</p> <p>3) Routine- Make sure that you set aside some time for meditation at least three to five days a week, at first. My guess is that once you start to notice the benefits, you will be doing it seven days a week. Most of my patients were on a medication regimen, so I advised them to set aside time for their meditation at the same time they took their medication every day. Another favorite time is right after you wake. This is when the mind is the freshest and most restored. Some prefer right before bedtime. Just make sure that you are not confusing meditation with napping. Meditation requires an alert state of mind.</p> <p>4) Hands- Your hands can be in one of several positions. These are known as mudras. Each position envokes different feeling states, such as balance, openness, or groundedness. One is the classical forefinger to thumb position. This can signal to the mind an on-the-spot concentration that is often needed for meditation. Another hand position is each hand on the knees, palms facing up. This signals a receptivity to your meditation, an openness to what comes. Some people prefer the traditional Christian prayer position, with both palms pressed together under the chin. The last position is hands on each knee, palms facing down. This envokes a feeling of groundedness, strength, and balance.</p> <p>5) Eyes- Many people prefer that their eyes are closed. This can be a good thing in that you are not distracted. However, if you find yourself becoming sleepy, you may want to pick a spot about 4-6 inches on the ground in front of you and focus on this during your meditation.</p> <p>6) Sound- You can meditate quietly or use music if you are more musically inclined. I prefer to listen to<a tip="" href="http://www.liquidmindmusic.com/"> Liquid Mind </a>on <a tip="" href="http://aestheticgeneticsdoc.wordpress.com/2009/01/13/get-happy-in-15-minutes-how-to-meditate/www.pandora.com">Pandora radio</a>, which helps to put me in a tranquil state.</p> <p>7) Breath- As you get started, simply focus on the breaths coming in and out of your body. You can start by inhaling for four, holding for two, and exhaling for four. This puts the body in a deeper state of relaxation (you may even find yourself getting a slight buzz from the amount of oxygen you are taking in) because we do not normally breathe at this slow pace. As you inhale, notice your belly start to rise, as you exhale notice it grow smaller. Remind yourself that each breath is cleansing, like a broom sweeping out the cobwebs of the soul.</p> <p> <img src="http://s.wordpress.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_cool.gif" alt="8)" class="wp-smiley" /> Ending- At the end of each meditation, many choose to clasp their hands together in the traditional prayer position, bowing their head in gratitude for the meditation as well as showing respect to a higher order in the universe.</p> <p><em>Dr. Colleen Long has a doctorate in Clinical Health Psychology from Spalding University in Louisville, Ky. She is the author of Happiness in B.A.L.A.N.C.E and is a successful coach to entrepreneurs around the world. Her professional site can be found on <a tip="" href="http://www.drcolleenlong.com/">www.DrColleenLong.com</a>, and she is the founder of <a tip="" href="http://www.aestheticgenetics.com/">Aesthetic Genetics</a>- a site focusing on helping couples who struggle with infertility combat stress, which has been proven to be responsible for around 30% of infertility issues. She is the creative director for <a tip="" href="http://www.freudtv.com/">FreudTV</a>, which is the only site of its kind, developed to help psychologists and psychiatrists connect with the media, as well as each other.</em></p> <div style="margin-top: 1em;" class="possibly-related"><hr /></div>Dr. Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932616454651443485noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554725941602052329.post-21551015065832312352009-01-05T20:23:00.000-08:002009-01-05T21:15:18.350-08:00New Year- A Time for Rekindling the Flame<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwYXTCPnFozrCsTLAKEgkF81iOXR8AeZOPCpy6kPHA8jqa4Ii5oCXVE0N_ZSVPnrzr8Qpx56o4RoX_9mlz-VfLWN4V8h6um0sYeFlwKnyZ4Irm3rjIEFWAR0KOjG-iiz_DOHpHhDKJHvRO/s1600-h/einstein.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 230px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwYXTCPnFozrCsTLAKEgkF81iOXR8AeZOPCpy6kPHA8jqa4Ii5oCXVE0N_ZSVPnrzr8Qpx56o4RoX_9mlz-VfLWN4V8h6um0sYeFlwKnyZ4Irm3rjIEFWAR0KOjG-iiz_DOHpHhDKJHvRO/s320/einstein.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288044775917505154" border="0" /></a><br />Entrepsychologist is a blog made for entertainment purposes only. This is not intended to dispense psychological advice. If you need help, please seek the services of a licensed professional.<br /><br />After reading <a href="http://www.chrisbrogan.com/">Chris Brogan's</a> very helpful blog about writing a great blog, I decided to - yep you guessed it- write a great blog. Well, I tried my best, and I'll let you be the judge of its value.<br /><br />So, per Mr. Brogan's advice, I added a catchy photograph (see above) and I began taking inventory of what I might have to offer fellow twitterattis (just made that up, not really sure what it means). I was trained for six years in grad school as a clinical psychologist, so I decided to put that education to good use (might as well, I'm paying for it now).<br /><br />The theme of my entire blog persona is that of the hybrid entrepreneur/psychologist. Its meant to be a blog discussing the psychological aspects of entrepreneurship. While, I think other entrepreneurs can commiserate with my ups and downs along the path that I have chosen, I think giving some helpful advice on being an entrepreneur from a psychological standpoint might prove more beneficial, so here goes:<br /><br />1) Going the Extra Mile- A friend of mine who is a former Olympic athlete once told me that his coach would motivate his teammates by saying, "of course everyone wants to go to the Olympics, but not that many have the dedication and drive necessary to get there." The same is true for entrepreneurs- ask yourself if you just like the idea of working for yourself, or if you truly possess the drive, dedication, and discipline it takes to be one.<br /><br />2) Fueling the Fire- Do you sometimes feel like you have lost your entrepreneurial spark? All of us do at some point. <a href="http://85broads.spaces.live.com/">Janet Hanson</a>, Founder of <a href="http://www.85broads.com/">85 Broads</a> was quoted in <a href="http://www.oprah.com/">O</a> magazine as saying that she had to sit and write out a list of all of her accomplishments during a very traumatic setback in her entrepreneurial path. We can all take a page from Hanson's book by sitting down and writing out all the things that inspired us to set out on this path in the first place.<br /><br />3) Gaining Inspiration- It has been said that the best part of being an entrepreneur is working on your own terms, and the worst part of being an entrepreneur is working on your own terms. Don't let yourself be your own worst enemy. Expose yourself to inspirational stimuli daily. This may be in the form of reading another's blog, or reading a book about an entirely new subject. Inspiration can be found everywhere.<br /><br />4) "Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing the activity, but in doing it," Greg Anderson (1964) This quote can be applied to the experience of being an entrepreneur. Watch out for unrealistic thoughts like, "once I reach > 4.5 million in revenue, I will finally be happy." Focus on your life today, and experiencing joy wherever you are along the entrepreneurial path.<br /><br />5) Mind your thinking. A cardinal rule in therapy is that we feel how we think. If you notice that you are feeling skeptical and critical of your future success, begin monitoring your automatic thoughts. How many times during the day are you comparing yourself to fellow entrepreneurs and telling yourself that you don't quite measure up? These thoughts are normal, and it is natural and human to compare ourselves to others. However, make sure that these thoughts aren't outweighing the positive thoughts. If they are, a simple trick can be implemented- start implementing thought stopping: Choose it, Check it, Change it<br />Choose the negative thought pattern, check it to see if it is a realistic thought and what other rational arguments could be used to dispute it, and then change it to a more positive thought, using the rational arguments you have gathered.<br /><br />This will seem like a tedious process at first, because you are creating a new cognitive thought pattern. Eventually, this will become your modus operandi and may notice a dramatic shift in your daily mood.<br /><br />Ok, that's all I've got for now. Does any of this make sense or does it seem a little too "Dr. Phil-esque" ? I would be interested in hearing others' tips for maintaining stamina along the way.Dr. Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932616454651443485noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554725941602052329.post-18399882785856265532008-12-24T10:01:00.000-08:002008-12-24T10:14:03.889-08:00Christmas Eve<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_LpFexDihIhr4n0KNKwTAWGUaQ6Qzcpk_HgoMPolzbllyqARSpKYAhY-703KFDKpa9mznG68o63x2CELDs8jAi5rkw53HeYBYQ6QNjV-Y1lQIf5v2ofct_A0MQ2FvJumSUY66cn56w2WD/s1600-h/minesweeper.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 112px; height: 125px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_LpFexDihIhr4n0KNKwTAWGUaQ6Qzcpk_HgoMPolzbllyqARSpKYAhY-703KFDKpa9mznG68o63x2CELDs8jAi5rkw53HeYBYQ6QNjV-Y1lQIf5v2ofct_A0MQ2FvJumSUY66cn56w2WD/s320/minesweeper.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283421539401649506" border="0" /></a><br />Entrepsychologist is a blog made for entertainment purposes only. This is not intended to dispense psychological advice. If you need help, please seek the services of a licensed professional.<br /><br />Since I have not posted on here in a while, I thought it might be appropriate today...Ahh the holidays. A time for giving. A time for sharing. This is what I would like to share:<br /><br />Starting your own company can be a bit like that game of minesweeper. For a while you are only uncovering one block at a time in a grid of thousands. Yet, the learning curve is exponential and is anything but gradual. Today, I felt like I uncovered one of those magic squares where hundreds more opened up.<br /><br />I was able to secure a very important contact for one of my media companies that will be a huge benefit to my clients at FreudTV. From there, it opened up a whole new world of contacts, that may again uncover another huge chunk of "minesweeper blocks."<br /><br />If the metaphor has lost you at this point. Here is my lesson very simply put: Just when you think you are getting nowhere, just push a little further. Success can be right around the corner.Dr. Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932616454651443485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554725941602052329.post-33490167771101825142008-11-16T21:36:00.001-08:002008-11-16T21:43:22.573-08:00Wal-MartEntrepsychologist is a blog made for entertainment purposes only. This is not intended to dispense psychological advice. If you need help, please seek the services of a licensed professional.<br /><br />I am watching CNBC and they are saying that Wal-Mart receives up to three new law suits per day. This puts things in perspective for a lone entrepreneur.<br /><br />I find it interesting that Sam Walton took himself from the ground up. He built a business that is a giant in the retail industry. There were days where he probably doubted himself and nights when he lost sleep. Yet, he trudged on and made Wal-Mart what it is today.<br /><br />Now that Wal-Mart is hugely successful- people want a part of that. Lawyers wake up each morning and ask themselves how they can get a piece of the pie. Employees drum up employment scenarios which might afford them their day in court. How different would the world be if people devoted their time to making others' lives better vs. figuring out how to make them struggle.Dr. Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932616454651443485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554725941602052329.post-51948545383998976352008-11-10T21:40:00.000-08:002008-11-10T21:43:26.834-08:00Christmas Eve<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrWzuOu18UCjBIM75vYyNneK_DlrLgxSG5UgVgHeapPA6QuXE4kBXPgCkRpUwCLKcoe-0WLvU339aJSv2D7_wo6qLAG4DHUiF4J_57IQMQHfyRF8k611zc-NrF7rlr0z7g_BkrF4TTANb4/s1600-h/christmas+tree+presents.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267271433228082002" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 116px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 116px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrWzuOu18UCjBIM75vYyNneK_DlrLgxSG5UgVgHeapPA6QuXE4kBXPgCkRpUwCLKcoe-0WLvU339aJSv2D7_wo6qLAG4DHUiF4J_57IQMQHfyRF8k611zc-NrF7rlr0z7g_BkrF4TTANb4/s320/christmas+tree+presents.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><em>Entrepsychologist is a blog made for entertainment purposes only. This is not intended to dispense psychological advice. If you need help, please seek the services of a licensed professional.</em></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbwggY3hFWiVtn47jfp1HrNow46IvEU4qyZidiERz6kIW5CprrDry4Ir3TDQS4KvJc0H5LSPN_p6GvuOlB3_2AA0p14MPMcQL2_gFep8ocPkss4FuufwE7h_SKVOQG63q69UQ1nT-a9WMb/s1600-h/christmas+tree+presents.jpg"></a>Entrepsychologist is a blog made for entertainment purposes only. This is not intended to dispense psychological advice. If you need help, please seek the services of a licensed professional.Ahhh...So after firing two previous web developers and frantically hiring a third over the weekend. I managed to pull my site together just in the nick of time. My huge ad was due to hit mailboxes today. Ironically, my site finally made it to the server around 5 pm, when most people are arriving home from work and checking their mail.I learned a very time consuming and costly lesson this weekend: There are WEB TEMPLATES that make life much easier. All the programming is already DONE! Yes, that means those nice little "forgot your password," and other programming conveniences are already written into the template. All you have to do is plug in your content.I could have been up and running months ago had I known this. In any case I am finally up and running with my first venture TONIGHT. All there is left to do is sit and wait. I feel like I did when I was a child, wondering what Santa would bring me under the tree in the morning.It is difficult for me to fall asleep because I want to hear the clicks come in on my inbox. Yet, I am also anxious to get to sleep quickly so I can see what awaits on the other side. This is the absolute thrill that entrepreneurism brings, and I don't think I will ever get tired of this.</div>Dr. Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932616454651443485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554725941602052329.post-3247171605562265392008-11-06T03:59:00.000-08:002008-11-20T07:27:59.956-08:00Who says Im not using my degreeEntrepsychologist is a blog made for entertainment purposes only. This is not intended to dispense psychological advice. If you need help, please seek the services of a licensed professional.<br /><br />The entrepreneurial lifestyle is such a bipolar dynamic. Yesterday was such a great day. I was told by my webprogrammer for FreudTV that it would be finished by 5pm, and I was busy testing and debugging Aesthetic Genetics for its live date next week. I actually had a full work day and felt like I was finally gelling. I even had lunch with my mom and kind of smirked under my breath as I saw all the corporate herds coming in and out of their cages...er..offices.<br /><br />I was up until 11:30 pm last night and my web programmer for FreudTV was still telling me that the site would soon be up. I could wait no longer, but woke up around 5 am in a cold panic, realizing I hadn't actually seen any product from the new guy I hired on Sunday. I thought "Colleen you dumb*&% ! What if this guy has completely taken the piss and is sleeping soundly with his family. " I had already paid him, so what motivation would he have?<br /><br />I saw that he was online this morning and told him my thought and asked him to atleast show me something because I couldn't wait any longer. He became rather upset and told me to shove it. Ok, he didn't tell me to shove it, but he said that he was going to refund my programming fees and only charge me for design, because he was "bothered" that i was accusing him of scamming me.<br /><br />I hired him at 12:30 yesterday to fix my programming. I felt like I had just been punched in the gut. I immediately called him, thinking that it might help to hear my voice. He was obviously ruffled but finally relented, and agreed to finish the programming.<br /><br />Lesson Learned- Sometimes electronic communication is not the best method. Humans need to hear actual humans some time. Tone can be misinterpreted and it certainly was in my case.<br /><br />I guess being trained as a psychologist doesn't hurt either. My first instinct was to jump down his throat and ask him how he possibly could think anyone wouldn't be skeptical after not seeing any product after four days. However, I bypassed this notion and instead told him I appreciated how he could feel after working on something so long and being accused of the opposite. I explained to him how I felt vulnerable as a rookie entrepreneur and didn't want my site to reflect that during my first opening. This resulted in a much better outcome (1) he didn't hang up on me (2) he did not shoot a virus through my phone and zap my computer (3) my programming and complete website will be finished shortly (fingers crossed)<br /><br />all in a day's work...Dr. Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932616454651443485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554725941602052329.post-29990400760871560532008-11-03T20:27:00.000-08:002008-11-03T20:36:52.977-08:00Treading Water...<span style="font-style: italic;">Entrepsychologist is a blog made for entertainment purposes only. This is not intended to dispense psychological advice. If you need help, please seek the services of a licensed professional.<br /><br /></span>Well they say you have to "have the courage to lose sight of the shore if you want to discover new oceans." This quote pretty much sums up how I have felt the past week. I feel a bit like I am swimming in a huge sea without a life preserver. I am just treading water, waiting for something to give, something for me to grab on to, to keep me afloat.<br /><br />Recently my dad expressed his doubts about what I am doing with my life and said that I needed to get a "real job." This is likely something many entrepreneurs have encountered. It's interesting how much more impact a parent's criticism can make. Ever since we've had that talk, I have noticed my thoughts becoming more negative about my career outlook. I find myself longing for the security that a regular job provides.<br /><br />Yet, there is a bigger part of me that calmly states, "just wait." That is what I am doing tonight. I have a very expensive ad in an upcoming magazine that has been mailed out today. I asked for feedback about my website from craigslist and boy did I get it. I received at least 75 emails telling me what was wrong with it and how ugly it looked. I hired someone within the hour to redesign the site.<br /><br />At the same time the original web developers still have not got the payment gateway to work. Images are not uploading correctly, and to register is a completely other mess. I feel like I am holding my breath and just praying that this all comes together at the right time.<br /><br />Why is it that web developers jump to get your project, yet once you hire them, you never hear from them? or you hear from them on their own time (which by the way appears to be between the hours of 11pm and 4 am).<br /><br />I know that this is part of what I signed up for, but the stress is really wearing me down tonight. I hope that I can sleep and wake up to a beautiful, well-programmed site. <span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span>Dr. Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932616454651443485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554725941602052329.post-12356833856864068252008-10-29T06:21:00.000-07:002008-10-29T07:12:11.131-07:00Home...not so sweet home<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAh8UPFBDKdpT6yIGSMdAUATYE3DZU73kATD02saPNzpeu-kSWhv7KxKW33TyP-2I-1AV-2Es54yV4nG5g5shdxor1fsLN7_Je-GCCZMr_RF1KlhH0iALfPKafPHdht4WBwsd1vG1cFJrx/s1600-h/home.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 90px; height: 118px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAh8UPFBDKdpT6yIGSMdAUATYE3DZU73kATD02saPNzpeu-kSWhv7KxKW33TyP-2I-1AV-2Es54yV4nG5g5shdxor1fsLN7_Je-GCCZMr_RF1KlhH0iALfPKafPHdht4WBwsd1vG1cFJrx/s320/home.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262578405066911538" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Entrepsychologist is a blog made for entertainment purposes only. This is not intended to dispense psychological advice. If you need help, please seek the services of a licensed professional.</span><br /><br />So recently I made the journey back to my hometown. I had a dream last night that I was flying, which usually is correlated with one feeling happy in their life. Despite the symbolism of this dream, I must say that it is very difficult to be an entrepreneur at home. In fact, I would be willing to venture that most entrepreneurs have made the move away from the original hometowns.<br /><br />Besides the fact that I am going out to eat with relatives and friends at a rate of one meal/ every three seconds, and don't have time to put towards my companies...I am once again back in the comfort zone. If my businesses go completely belly up- I still have the safety net of knowing a roof will always be over my head.<br /><br />On top of all of this- being an entrepreneur doesn't exactly lend itself to smooth conversations with family. While in graduate school, "what are you up to now?" was always a welcomed question. I enjoyed telling them whatever year I was, how many more years I had to go, and the job I was doing at that time.<br /><br />Now, the question is a dreaded conversation. Within eight seconds of telling them about my various companies and what they are for, there eyes have already glazed over. This can be very disconcerting for a person who has spent the majority of their life in a structured environment such as academia. I can see now, why many people choose the normalcy of a "regular" job- it affords understandable conversations with others.<br /><br />Success is a funny thing. You usually need to have an extraordinary amount of confidence in yourself to reach it, yet it's a difficult persona to maintain until you have achieved it. As rookie entrepreneurs we all have to maintain a brave and tenacious facade, with an underlying faith that we will eventually make it. Yet no one makes it easy for us along the way, sometimes not even those from where we came.Dr. Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932616454651443485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554725941602052329.post-9802788623121632992008-10-26T11:08:00.001-07:002008-10-26T11:39:53.410-07:00The Dark Side of Success<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgQA8wppoQScYmOU8f6_L4Wvmn7wphzGjNpWpwBZ1saHpWcX35tAR4bv9dR4M9ab1CAnK1vhL8C7r5Jml-iTj5sDgWXlxOkjQaJTUu7ZcYS_pdXe3f9UflvWAxAfmiEBFW4YUNQETy9Nba/s1600-h/jennifer+hudson.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 93px; height: 124px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgQA8wppoQScYmOU8f6_L4Wvmn7wphzGjNpWpwBZ1saHpWcX35tAR4bv9dR4M9ab1CAnK1vhL8C7r5Jml-iTj5sDgWXlxOkjQaJTUu7ZcYS_pdXe3f9UflvWAxAfmiEBFW4YUNQETy9Nba/s320/jennifer+hudson.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261530706798962194" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_rJt_yLQF56_bFzBtZqARtDgbdpDXl5VKxOpjQU6G6D-XFW1zrotfqACpncxxjjiyOoyXgsNo988CxMXszQk-gsOOqubt6bfoGWw3PlmfPDN5j7dEzxSR2UUcL-V0LKcpyLYFznWRHcwi/s1600-h/anne+pressly+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 79px; height: 97px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_rJt_yLQF56_bFzBtZqARtDgbdpDXl5VKxOpjQU6G6D-XFW1zrotfqACpncxxjjiyOoyXgsNo988CxMXszQk-gsOOqubt6bfoGWw3PlmfPDN5j7dEzxSR2UUcL-V0LKcpyLYFznWRHcwi/s320/anne+pressly+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261530490889094114" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapAmCftsj7lZEkV55KXfHME5JPmuy3OyZZzfzi_VYtLXXLA2FEPMYbPZ58xUP_zpUySIW5acW2_d4S_lBGPgsEwT824WuipCe6b4YQWS1pNz5qDlngPM9YiD42cwkNuHfmnP7c0AQwzF2/s1600-h/anne+pressly.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 1px; height: 1px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapAmCftsj7lZEkV55KXfHME5JPmuy3OyZZzfzi_VYtLXXLA2FEPMYbPZ58xUP_zpUySIW5acW2_d4S_lBGPgsEwT824WuipCe6b4YQWS1pNz5qDlngPM9YiD42cwkNuHfmnP7c0AQwzF2/s320/anne+pressly.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261530336035496578" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />After hearing the news about the deaths of actress Jennifer Hudson's family and news anchor Anne Pressly over the weekend, I felt I should write a follow up to the "Entrepre-hater" blog. These events are tragic and relevant to the last blog in that they are extreme examples of how one's success can attract such hatred from others.<br /><br />These women were guilty of nothing but achievement. Jennifer Hudson was a talented singer, discovered through American Idol and later burst into the Hollywood scene due to her enormous talent as both a singer and actress. Anchorwoman Anne Pressly, was a rising star herself in Little Rock, AK and recently nabbed a role in Oliver Stone's latest movie W.<br /><br />However, the jealousy and envy that these women attracted caused horrific events to take place. Ms. Hudson's mother and brother were found murdered in their Chicago home and Anne Pressly was beaten so badly that she remained in intensive care for four days and later died.<br /><br />I must say that it is quite sad that we live in a world where one's family can be at risk, or worse- your own life, just because you have acquired some success. While most people who have jealousy or envy will resort to scare tactics or insults, there are those few that are so miserable that they are willing to take that person's life- to remove them from existence, just out of hatred and spite. The irony is that if they only used a portion of the energy that was wasted on coveting someone else's life, they might have found some success in their own lives.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Entrepsychologist is a blog made for entertainment purposes only. This is not intended to dispense psychological advice. If you need help, please seek the services of a licensed professional.</span>Dr. Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932616454651443485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554725941602052329.post-84039281710273985642008-10-24T16:37:00.000-07:002008-10-24T16:49:18.425-07:00TGIF<span style="font-style: italic;">Entrepsychologist is a blog made for entertainment purposes only. This is not intended to dispense psychological advice. If you need help, please seek the services of a licensed professional.</span><br /><br />This morning the lady on the news started her monologue with "TGIF folks, we are this close the weekend." This made me realize how many people actually still have this TGIF mentality, living for the weekends and becoming unconscious during the weekdays.<br /><br />This is a horrible existence. I know this from personal experience. I used to be one of those people. I used to work 30 hours a week, attend graduate school full time, and work a practicum 8-10 hours a week. Somewhere in there, I fitted in studying and a social life. Although I have a degree to show for all that work, it was a wasted existence. I wasn't fully conscious in life.<br /><br />In today's age, there are more and more people that are beginning to seek the path of entrepreneur. In the rise of computers and technology, we no longer need to be in a cubicle forty hours a week. We can fax from computers, have conferences through webcams, and send official documents through email. With all that extra time we are now afforded the luxury to figure out what we really want to do.<br /><br />Being an entrepreneur usually means doing something no one else has done before. This entails understanding the market inside and out and knowing where its headed tomorrow. If you can do this (with a modicum of intelligence and a significant amount of drive), you no longer have to wait until Friday to live your life.<br /><br />Although I was working on one of my websites around 10:30 last night, I was also surfing at 9 am on Monday morning. Determining your own career means determining your own life- every day. Here's to doing what you love, when you want. Happy trailblazing!Dr. Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932616454651443485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554725941602052329.post-48921548586272047042008-10-24T13:28:00.000-07:002008-10-24T16:49:55.020-07:00Entrepre-haters<span style="font-style: italic;">Entrepsychologist is a blog made for entertainment purposes only. This is not intended to dispense psychological advice. If you need help, please seek the services of a licensed professional.<br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:ARIAL,HELVETICA,TIMES;color:BLACK;" ><b><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><br />It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.</span><br /></b></span><span style=";font-family:TIMES;color:BLUE;" ><b> -Theodore Roosevelt<br /></b></span><div style="text-align: right; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(255, 153, 255);"><b>"The Man In The Arena" </b><br /><b>Speech at the Sorbonne </b><br /><b>Paris, France </b><br /><b>April 23, 1910<br /><br /></b><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The above speech is by far one of my favorite speeches in history. An excerpt from this was painted on my bedroom wall at home and it is quickly becoming the directive for my life.<br /><br />This blog is intended simply to be a diary of the ups and downs that come along with being an entrepreneur, from someone who holds a doctorate degree in clinical psychology. Possibly, this blog will offer someone inspiration along the way of their own entrepreneurial pursuits. Yesterday, I was contacted by a former colleague from graduate school who asked me to take down the term "entrepsychologist" from this site, because she was "concerned" that this might confuse those in the community.<br /><br />Now usually, I don't tend to spend much time beyond a simple "get a life" response, but I think this event has some definite relevance for the purposes of this blog.<br /><br />During the course of one's entrepreneurial pursuits, it is likely that you will encounter a few of these "entrepre-<span style="font-style: italic;">haters</span>." This term refers to individuals who are dissatisfied with the monotony and normalcy of being a working stiff and seek a false sense of purpose and meaning by attacking those that had the courage to think outside the box.<br /><br />This can be quite disconcerting and even upsetting if you are a beginning entrepreneur just starting out. Part of the entrepreneur's psychology is that they are emotionally vulnerable to outside attack. Until you are successful- you have a sense of vulnerability. You, yourself are in doubt of your chosen path, and when others try to bring you down, this can feel like a punch to the gut. However, do not be deterred. Let me say this again DO NOT BE DETERRED. This is one of the hardest lessons learned by most entrepreneurs. They have acquired a thick skin that is impermeable to outside attacks. They understand that there will always be criticism if they put themselves "in the arena."<br /><br />Throughout graduate school I was the decided victim of one of the clinical faculty. For whatever reason, she decided that she would make my life a little more difficult than the rest. While I was doing a supplemental practicum (to earn extra money while in school), she wrote an email informing me that because a year had passed, she was afraid I would have to become licensed if I wanted to continue working. Determined to keep my employment, I did exactly that. I took three months to study for the EPPP and paid thousands in registration and study materials.<br /><br />A year later, she called numerous meetings to talk to me about my lack of respect for her and how she felt a "push" in one of my emails. A few months later, when I made a mistake at a practicum, she jumped on this like a blood thirsty shark and told me that "out of professional integrity" she felt she needed to place me on academic probation and contact all of the internship sites I had secured an interview with (this was after thousands had been spent to fly to these interviews for my pre-doctoral residency). I did not match with the rest of my classmates because of her actions. Undeterred, I contacted non accredited sites and found a site willing to take me on for about $3.60/hour. I said yes immediately, and I was off to San diego!<br /><br />A year and a half later, I am now Dr. Long and these emotional scars have started the foundation for a thicker skin. They say the best lessons learned are often the hardest lessons earned. That was certainly true in my case. I hope that during your pursuits you never have to encounter people of this "entrepre-hater" magnitude, but I can guarantee you will encounter opposition. Take it as a pat on the back that you are now an officially an entrepreneur, and leave the entrepre-haters to bother someone else.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></div></div>Dr. Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932616454651443485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554725941602052329.post-42772327814549661992008-10-11T22:35:00.000-07:002008-10-24T16:50:11.402-07:00Why Socialites seek Prozac<span style="font-style: italic;">Entrepsychologist is a blog made for entertainment purposes only. This is not intended to dispense psychological advice. If you need help, please seek the services of a licensed professional.<br /><br /></span>So, I was thumbing through my W fashion magazine and saw pictures of various socialites. I have never before heard these womens' names but apparently they were famous for simply being rich. I decided to look into this further and google them. Many of these women appeared to be privileged only out of sheer luck, the product of extraordinarily wealthy aristocrats...As Jason and I talked this over, we wondered why so many of them ended up addicted to some kind of illegal drug, or in a psychiatrists office being prescribed prozac. We came to the conclusion that they have nothing to strive for (see the third factor "learning" www.drcolleenlong.com). These socialites have nothing much to get up for other than the next party, with the same people. It is up to them to create some type of meaningful existence. The sad part is that they are usually too asleep in their drug of choice to come to this realization.Dr. Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932616454651443485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554725941602052329.post-3831271171312661772008-10-08T16:25:00.001-07:002008-10-24T16:50:23.505-07:00A Day in the Life of an Entrepsychologist..<span style="font-style: italic;">Entrepsychologist is a blog made for entertainment purposes only. This is not intended to dispense psychological advice. If you need help, please seek the services of a licensed professional.<br /><br /><br /></span>Ok, so I've made up an entirely new word. I feel it is only right to give as much detail about what this phenomenon actually is. Unfortunately, I am still figuring this out myself.<br /><br />So, it's funny being an entrepreneur. Kind of like riding a roller coaster. No, that was just a lazy cliche. If it were actually like riding a roller coaster, it would be fun at all times, even in the down part. However, it is not fun in the down part. I repeat. It is NOT fun in the down part.<br /><br />Some days, I feel like I am really doing the right thing with my life. Take yesterday for example. I just got out of a two hour meeting with my web developer and was so pumped from seeing the site. It looks so sleek, and I really think it's going to impress future clients. I checked my phone and saw an email from a customer on Jason's site (Jason is my boyfriend) wanting to purchase around $1,000 of gear. Since I had created the shop through ebay earlier in the week, it was really gratifying to see it come to fruition. The entire ride home, I was cruising down the highway singing as loud as I could, thinking "this could be it."<br /><br />However, those days are currently few and far between. There have been days where we have gone to Chili's (you will likely hear about this establishment a lot as it is one of our FAVES) and shared a diet coke. Really? Yes.<br /><br />I am getting ready to put forward a significant amount of money to market another project, which will run in the nov/dec issue of a psychotherapy magazine. The magazine has 55,000 loyal subscribers and 144,000 readers. If the stat on marketing is true, and I get 1% return- I will have garnered 550 new subscribers to my project. Then, that will be well worth the money.<br /><br />I keep questioning myself as I do this. Some days I have to remind myself that I do actually have a doctorate and am just as capable of being a successful entrepreneur as anyone else. Yet other days, I feel like a five year old setting up a lemonade stand.<br /><br />So let me just start off by telling you how many different pies I have my hands in at the moment.<br /><br />Book- I have completed the majority of a book about happiness, and am waiting to hear back from the publisher. I still have to write more query letters to other publishers in case this one falls through. I also have to add my references and fully complete the book.<br /><br />Website 1- I have a consulting company <a href="http://www.drcolleenlong.com/">www.drcolleenlong.com</a> that does everything from executive consulting to life coaching. I am needing to develop marketing material to send to corporations about my services and figure out how best to market myself. This also involves writing articles for various magazines and hoping someone publishes me so that I can plug my site.<br /><br />Website 2- This site has been in the works since last year and should be ready for debugging next week. This will be the largest company I am running and is still super top secret... I have to write marketing material describing the company to doctors and lawyers, and hopefully establish relationships.<br /><br />Website 3- This is the site I am most excited about. Probably because it is more related to my field. I am working on creating the ad that will run in a psychotherapy magazine and trying to scramble around enough money so there is room on my credit card for payment.<br /><br />So today started with waking up, answering emails from J's ebay shop. I also got excited because we had another inquiry (which often translates to order) so that momentum was carried into me writing several high school and college field hockey coaches and telling them about our site. Next, I went to the gym for about an hour, returned home and started contacting graphic artists about my ad and seeing if someone can revamp it for me by Friday (when it is due). I also spent about an hour figuring out which credit card has enough room for this blood letting tomorrow.<br /><br />Then, I set up and verified my paypal premier business account as well as my 1800 number for site number 3. Right now I am feeling very gratified that I have actually developed a full days work, but also a little stressed (but good stressed).<br /><br />In other news, I received an email from a graduate student asking if she could interview me. She said the assignment was to interview one person who has reached all the goals she wants to accomplish in her career. Apparently she got me off of a psych directory. I can't believe someone wants to interview ME! I remember when I was that student (like four months ago)...it felt very good to have come full circle.Dr. Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932616454651443485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7554725941602052329.post-75957065004100078412008-10-06T21:38:00.000-07:002008-10-24T16:50:45.412-07:00What is an Entrepsychologist?<span style="font-style: italic;">Entrepsychologist is a blog made for entertainment purposes only. This is not intended to dispense psychological advice. If you need help, please seek the services of a licensed professional.<br /><br /></span>Entrepsychologist -<span class="me">en·tre·psy·cho</span><span class="me">·lo</span><span class="me">·gist</span> <span class="pronset"><img class="luna-Img" src="http://cache.lexico.com/dictionary/graphics/luna/thinsp.png" alt="" border="0" /> <script type="text/javascript"> var interfaceflash = new LEXICOFlashObject ( "http://cache.lexico.com/d/g/speaker.swf", "speaker", "17", "18", "<a href="\" target="\"><img src="\" border="\" /></a>", "6"); interfaceflash.addParam("loop", "false"); interfaceflash.addParam("quality", "high"); interfaceflash.addParam("menu", "false"); interfaceflash.addParam("salign", "t"); interfaceflash.addParam("FlashVars", "soundUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fcache.lexico.com%2Fdictionary%2Faudio%2Fluna%2FE02%2FE0219700.mp3"); interfaceflash.write(); </script><noscript></noscript> <span class="show_ipapr" style="display: none;"><span class="prondelim">/</span><span class="pron">ˌɑn<img class="luna-Img" src="http://cache.lexico.com/dictionary/graphics/luna/thinsp.png" alt="" border="0" />trə<img class="luna-Img" src="http://cache.lexico.com/dictionary/graphics/luna/thinsp.png" alt="" border="0" />prəˈnɜr, </span><span class="pron">-ˈnʊər; </span><span class="labset"><span class="ital-inline">Fr.</span> </span><span class="pron">ɑ<span style="font-family:Lucida Sans Unicode;">̃</span><img class="luna-Img" src="http://cache.lexico.com/dictionary/graphics/luna/thinsp.png" alt="" border="0" />trə<img class="luna-Img" src="http://cache.lexico.com/dictionary/graphics/luna/thinsp.png" alt="" border="0" />prəˈnɶr</span><span class="prondelim">/</span> <a class="pronlink" onclick="pk = window.open('/help/luna/IPA_pron_key.html', 'PronunciationKey','height=700,width=560,left=0,top=0,resizable,scrollbars');if(pk){pk.focus();}" onmouseout="status='';return true;" onmouseover="status='Click for pronunciation key';return true;" title="Click for pronunciation key">Pronunciation Key</a><span class="pron_toggle" style="display: inline;"><span class="prondelim"> - </span><a class="pronlink" onclick="javascript:show_sp()" onmouseout="status='';return true;" onmouseover="status='Click to toggle pronunciation';return true;" title="Click to show spelled pronunciation">Show Spelled Pronunciation</a></span></span><span class="show_spellpr" style="display: inline;"><span class="prondelim">[</span><span class="pron">ahn-tr<i>uh</i>-<span style="font-style: italic;">si</span>-<span style="font-weight: bold;">col-o-jist</span>] </span></span></span><span class="pg">noun </span><table class="luna-Ent"><tbody><tr><td class="dn" valign="top">1.</td><td valign="top">a person who uses their expertise in psychology to promote entrepreneuralism both in and outside of the field<br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Dr. Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932616454651443485noreply@blogger.com0