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Alissa Finerman

Los Angeles Executive Coach and Gallup Certified StrengthsFinder Coach, Speaker and Author

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Uncertainty Is A Good Thing

June 20, 2013 By Alissa Finerman Leave a Comment

This post was featured on Positively Positive

“Uncertainty and mystery are energies of life. Don’t let them scare you unduly, for they keep boredom at bay and spark creativity.”– R.I. Fitzhenry

Uncertainty can be challenging but ultimately it’s what keeps life meaningful.

Uncertainty is…

Stressful and exciting

Fear invoking and empowering

Unnerving and confidence building

The process of uncertainty is called life. It’s what keeps things interesting, engaging, and fulfilling. If you knew what to expect at all times, my guess is you’d get bored, very bored. Yes, of course there are plenty of areas where we don’t welcome uncertainty. From simple things such as having your morning coffee taste just right to knowing your car will start to more major things such as getting a clean bill of health from your doctor each year.

You may feel uncertain when you step into the unknown and decide to be your own boss, start a family, buy a home, change jobs, or even sign-up for a class. I felt lots of uncertainty when I left my finance job in NYC and started a new career as a Business Coach, and then again when I moved from NYC to Los Angeles. I also built a lot of confidence by making it through each of these transitions. You have to step through the phase called uncertainty to create something bigger in your life.

Many people condition their mind to view a change in their situation as a bad thing when in reality it’s neutral. The event only takes on a positive or negative spin when we classify it. Typically, we are excited for “positive” events and uncomfortable with “negative” events because they fall outside our comfort zone. Feeling unsure or being in the uncertain phase is similar to being outside your comfort zone.

People who turn ideas into action agree that the magic happens outside your comfort zone. 

Here’s why uncertainty can be a good thing in your life:

1. Uncertainty Leads to Major Breakthroughs

Think about major shifts and successes in your life. Were you 100% sure of the process the entire time or did you have some doubts?

One of my clients had a catering business in NYC that was highly respected but she was always struggling to get her next gig. She wanted something better for herself. She researched other careers and together we decided that her strengths matched a career in Residential Real Estate. Everyone told her it was a difficult time to enter the NYC market, and it was, but she was determined. She became a broker at a well-known company and became Rookie Broker of the Year in 2011. She’s on track to be the top broker in the office this year and, most importantly, loves her career. She had to step into the unknown to discover what she could accomplish.

2. Uncertainty Leads to a Confidence boost

When you successfully move through challenging periods such as starting your own company, changing careers, losing weight, or taking on a new project, you gain one more data point and prove to yourself that you can do it. These are called “wins” and they need to be acknowledged. There’s nothing new about the concept of uncertainty, just that it pushes you outside your comfort zone, which is naturally an uncomfortable feeling.

We all have uncertainty in our lives—sometimes we just need to remind ourselves of what we’ve achieved and leverage these wins to build confidence.

3. Uncertainty Leads to Growth

After twenty-five years, Oprah said goodbye to her number one-rated talk show. Few people would part with this level of success to start a network. Initially there was much doubt around the network but they continue to take small steps forward each day and make progress. Oprah always wondered what her initials could be used for and when she started her network, OWN, it finally made sense (OWN = Oprah Winfrey Network). All achievers and entrepreneurs have to move through uncertainty to continue to grow.

The simple truth is that you need uncertainty in your life because it’s the fuel that helps you Live in Your Top 1% and reach for your highest potential.

TOP 1% BOTTOM LINE: Challenge yourself to condition your mind to realize that uncertainty leads to extraordinary opportunity and potential. Becoming comfortable with uncertainty is one of the key ingredients to success.  And to share your best self, you need to produce genius level work and continuously move through these transition periods.


About Alissa

Alissa Finerman is an Executive Coach and Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, speaker and author of Living in YOUR Top 1%. She works with managers, C-suite executives and teams to leverage strengths, shift beliefs and achieve meaningful goals. Alissa has an MBA from the Wharton School and a BA from the University of California, Berkeley. She has worked with Ross Stores, Petco, BNP Paribas, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Brookfield Property Partners, Neutrogena and Bristol-Myers Squibb. To learn more about coaching with Alissa, please visit her website and follow her on Facebook

 

Filed Under: Overcome Obstacles Tagged With: breakthrough, comfort zone, personal growth, success, uncertainty

Breakthrough To YOUR Top 1%

March 8, 2012 By Alissa Finerman Leave a Comment

“Ask what you want, WHY you want it, and HOW you are going to get it.”
– Anthony Robbins

And set a GOAL! By now I hope you know I’m a big fan of setting goals. The YOU INC. blueprint from Ritual One of my book, Living in Your Top 1%, is what I use with my clients to help them set goals in each area of their life. This tool is highly effective to assess where you are and where u want to go.

Living in Your Top 1% is a process, not magic.

WHY GOALS?
Goals are the best way I know to turn yourself into a dream maker from a day dreamer (see 5 Strategies for Success to achieve your Goals).

When you take a vacation you think about two things for starters:

1. Where you want to go? (warm vs. cold, beach vs. skiing, domestic vs. international, etc.)
2. When you want to go?

The same two questions apply in your goal-setting process:
1. Where do you want to go? (write a book vs. change jobs)
AND
2. By when? (this year or in five years)

If you have no idea where you want to go for your vacation, you probably won’t go anywhere. The fact is most people take more time to plan their one week vacation then they do to plan their goals for the year. This sounds ridiculous but it’s true.

This post is going to push you one step further with your goals. Read on only if you want to move into YOUR Top 1%…

BREAKTHROUGH GOALS
A powerful tactic I love is to set a breakthrough goal. This is a goal that would catapult you to the next level in your career, finances, brand, confidence, or knowledge etc. Breakthrough goals take you into your Top 1% and present a world of possibilities. They make your eyes light up and put a huge smile on your face. They provide a spark of energy and excitement.

Let’s take a moment and dream about what would be thrilling to achieve this year…

Will this be the year you become a bestselling author, complete your masters degree, start your own profitable business, move from NYC to LA (yes, go for it!), be on Good Morning America, say goodbye to a toxic relationship, work with ten Fortune 500 companies, be the keynote speaker for a conference inspiring women around the world, be on the cover of Forbes for developing a product that changes lives or finally be debt free?

Breakthrough goals are empowering!
They are game changers!
They are a little crazy!
They are possible!
They are available to all!
And most importantly, they HAPPEN!

TOP 1% BOTTOM LINE: It doesn’t cost you anything more to set a BREAKTHROUGH GOAL. We were meant to dream and think about what’s possible for you to Live in YOUR Top 1%. The real question is what does it cost you NOT to set a Breakthrough goal? Can you afford THAT?

***

About Alissa

Alissa Finerman is an Executive Coach and Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, speaker and author of Living in YOUR Top 1%. She works with managers, C-suite executives and teams to leverage strengths, shift beliefs and achieve meaningful goals. Alissa has an MBA from the Wharton School and a BA from the University of California, Berkeley. She has worked with Ross Stores, Petco, BNP Paribas, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Brookfield Property Partners, Neutrogena, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Dress for Success. To learn more about coaching with Alissa, please visit her website and follow her on Facebook

Filed Under: Success Tagged With: achievement, Be the CEO of YOU INC, living in your top 1%, personal growth, setting and achieving goals, success, top 1%

Own Your Results For Greater Success

January 23, 2012 By Alissa Finerman Leave a Comment

Editor’s Note: This article appeared on The Change Blog.

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” ~ Albert Einstein

Have you ever had an important project or goal not turn out as well as you had hoped? Don’t worry, we all have! It’s time to reverse this trend by re-evaluating the actions we are taking in our lives to see if they are setting us up for success. Here’s what we know:

* Change is constant
* We control our actions
* Our actions and results are connected
* We can all turn our ideas into action and enjoy amazing results

The powerful formula below tells the truth every time! You must be proactive in each area to enjoy optimal results.

Your Actions + Your Leadership = Your Results

Three Areas to Evaluate for Better Results:
1. ACTIONS

Are your actions aligned with the results you want?

Often, we wait until the end of the year to decide that our results are not what we wanted. Perhaps you are not entirely satisfied with your business, relationships, health, or finances. We have to be honest and ask ourselves, “If the actions we are taking today will lead to the results we desire tomorrow?”

First, we need to know what we want to accomplish or bring into our life and then we can align our actions. For example, one client wants to get her art career back on track and is working to put together a small event for her friends at the end of the year. As a result, one of her actions will be to spend time each day in her studio.

What are the actions you consistently take to enhance your life? If you want to build your business, do you attend networking events to attract new clients? Do you attend conferences to broaden your knowledge? There is no right or wrong answer to these questions. You have to decide what you what.

The encouraging part is that we have control over our actions.

2. PERSONAL LEADERSHIP

Are you taking personal responsibility for your life?

One of my core principles is to Be the CEO of YOU INC. It’s about accountability, responsibility, making yourself a priority, and choices.

Life is a series of choices.

Each day you must decide how to invest your precious time and energy. Will you step up and be the CEO of your life or franchise out different areas and let others make key decisions for you? If you want a specific set of results, you must take an active role in your life and be proactive. If changing jobs is a core priority, then what steps are you taking on a daily basis to own the situation and create a new path?

You make the decisions, not someone else!

3. RESULTS

Are you doing everything you can to get your desired results?

Make no mistakes — results are not arbitrary. In a world where there is much uncertainty about the future, we can be certain that we will always get results. The uncertain part is if we will view the results as desirable or undesirable.

It all comes down to you.

Are you clear on the results you want to accomplish and are you taking the necessary actions to get there? If health and being in shape is a core value, does it make sense to order a high calorie coffee drink at Starbucks every morning and only exercise when you feel motivated? It’s one thing to say what you want but another thing to do it. Again, there are no right or wrong decisions, just the ones that work the best for you. Don’t be fooled, your results are directly related to your actions!

TOP 1% BOTTOM LINE: The good news is that you control your actions, which means that your results are dependent on what you do on a consistent or inconsistent basis. Many people want success overnight (this would be a good time to identify what that means to you), but success is a process that is created by the actions and ownership we take over time. Be honest, will your actions lead to the results you want in 2012? There is still plenty of time to assess where you are in different areas of your life and decide what shifts, if any, to get on the best path for success.

It’s time to make choices that position you for success in every area of your life!

Believe in yourself,
Alissa

***

About Alissa

Alissa Finerman is an Executive Coach and Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, speaker and author of Living in YOUR Top 1%. She works with managers, C-suite executives and teams to leverage strengths, shift beliefs and achieve meaningful goals. Alissa has an MBA from the Wharton School and a BA from the University of California, Berkeley. She has worked with Ross Stores, Petco, BNP Paribas, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Brookfield Property Partners, Neutrogena, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Dress for Success. To learn more about coaching with Alissa, please visit her website and follow her on Facebook

Filed Under: Success Tagged With: Be the CEO of YOU INC, inspirational thoughts, living in your top 1%, personal growth, success, top 1%

Living in Your Top 1% with Violet Zaki – One Mind, One Body, One Life

November 15, 2011 By Alissa Finerman Leave a Comment

The goal of the “Living in Your Top 1%” interview series is to break down the qualities of people who excel and to show that you can be successful and achieve personal greatness from any starting point in your life. The interview series looks at people from all different careers and industries. Some names will be familiar and others may not. The purpose is to understand and borrow from the “best practices” of winners to develop a roadmap to YOUR TOP 1%. We will share a new story each month.

This week’s guest is Violet Zaki, regarded as a master fitness instructor. She started her journey in Australia as an overweight teenager. She decided to take charge of her life when she was 15 and set out on her fitness adventure. Violet is an adidas Global Fitness Ambassador in Martial Arts and travels around the world introducing her programs and inspiring people all over the world.

I first met Violet in NYC while taking one of her classes at Equinox. She has amazing energy and inspires hundreds of people every week in her packed classes. She believes we all have one mind, one body, and ultimately one life to live. It’s how we choose to use these tools that makes the difference in our journey through life. We are responsible for the choices we make and how we influence others. Take charge of your life…dare to live an extraordinary ONE.

Alissa Finerman: What’s the most important strength you possess that allows you to be successful in your role?
Violet Zaki: Clarity, perspective, and being persistent in the face of challenges.

I have very specific goals so I have a clear idea of what success looks like
and how my goals fit into the big picture. This helps me evaluate my progress and course correct as part of the journey. Another part of the process is to be persistent and have the guts to face failure and to learn from any mistakes. Ultimately, these strengths help me instill the right beliefs and patterns of behavior to make changes.

AF: What does success mean for you?
VZ: For me, success is a product of my self-expression and creativity and is a reflection of my drive, motivation, and discipline. I always look for opportunities to step into my greater self and to find joy and inspiration.

AF: What role does mindset play in reaching one’s potential?
VZ: Mindset is key and there are several areas to consider which include:

* Self Awareness: reflects my core strengths, talents and abilities
* Focused determination: enhances my stubbornness by not taking “no” for an answer
* Curiosity: makes me take more risks
* Intuition: tells me to listen to my gut instincts when I’m not in an emotional state
* Accountability: makes me show up every single time to keep my commitment
* Integrity: keeps me honest, dependable, and responsible
* Emotional/Mental fuel: gives me the mental/emotional strength I need when I want to give up
* Willingness: opens my heart and mind to do whatever it takes to learn
* Assertiveness: reminds me never to act like a man in a skirt to achieve success
* Ability to pivot: keeps me on my toes so I know when to give up, stop what I’m doing and head in another direction.

AF: What motivates you on a daily basis to keep going?
VZ: Failure

AF: What role do goals play in your life? Tell us a few words about your goal setting process.
VZ: Goals give me a sense of productivity. Being an avid user of lists and someone who likes to stay highly organized, I create a vision board. I start by creating a list of what my big picture will look like and how I will be once I have achieved this goal and then I continue to chunk it down with my “to do” list and target dates. I review this monthly with a “status report” to evaluate my progress.

For example: GOAL: Become a Body language expert
“To do” List:
• Explore Classes
• Sign up for classes by Oct 2011
• Buy books on the topic
• Attend classes

AF: What challenges have you overcome on your path?
VZ: The biggest obstacle really was two-headed, one external and the other internal. In 1993, determined to challenge myself, prove my independence and evolve out of cultural/familial limitations, I set out on my own and moved to the U.S. (New York) as a first generation Egyptian Australian female at the age of 25, tethered only by an impromptu commitment to volunteer at a non-profit children’s summer camp run by the Association for the Help of Retarded Children (AHRC). Unsure what to expect, I hoped to establish a foundation in human services, backed only by my undergrad degree and a couple years experience in the field of disabilities in Melbourne, Australia. My ultimate aspiration, though, was to build a top-flight career in the fitness industry.

A seemingly insurmountable external hurdle surfaced in my effort to secure a green card, requiring eight years of simultaneous work at two jobs—career development counselor at my sponsor AHRC and volunteer fitness instructor at the YMCA—including a four-year setback when my day-job manager failed to file the appropriate paperwork before deadline. I certainly questioned my resolve during this period, especially for a brief time when I had little money to eat more than bagels at each meal after paying rent. But I stayed focused, set ascending goals, and made the most of the process, including obtaining my black belt at the YMCA (after being physically attacked in a NYC subway). This gave me a sense of safety and belonging while being a single Aussie female whose family was thousands of miles away.

Yet, like many people I have worked with on a daily basis for the past seven years as a full-time fitness instructor, particularly women, the toughest challenge was probably the internal one of building self confidence and self esteem – really believing I had what it took to excel at my passion and rise to take advantage of each greater opportunity that came my way. Even today, after many gratifying years rallying others to self empowerment, along with unimaginable achievements as a fitness personality, I still have to give myself a pep talk every now and then.

AF: What are some of your most meaningful accomplishments?
VZ: I am most proud of going from being a self-perceived underdog (I was underdeveloped as a child, viewing myself as the “runt of the litter,” and then somewhat overweight as a teenager) to becoming a support system for those who face similar personal struggles.

The ability to dig deep and become a successful, self-made professional female, especially when remembering the personal reinvention necessary at times along the way, is very much part of this gratification. I relate back to this and the feeling gets reinforced every time a student of mine shares the emotional, mental, and physical strengthening they are undergoing as a result of my teachings, authentic engagement with them, and efforts to create a positive environment allowing them to grow while still challenging them to get out of their comfort zone.

AF: What do the top performers do differently to excel?
VZ: People who excel: set goals, constantly re-evaluate, correct and change course, maintain flexibility, are kind to themselves, and have a mentor.

To learn more about Violet, please visit:
www.ZakiFitness.com

***
A

About Alissa

Alissa Finerman is an Executive Coach and Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, speaker and author of Living in YOUR Top 1%. She works with managers, C-suite executives and teams to leverage strengths, shift beliefs and achieve meaningful goals. Alissa has an MBA from the Wharton School and a BA from the University of California, Berkeley. She has worked with Ross Stores, Petco, BNP Paribas, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Brookfield Property Partners, Neutrogena, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Dress for Success. To learn more about coaching with Alissa, please visit her website and follow her on Facebook

Filed Under: Interview Series: Living in YOUR Top 1% Tagged With: inspiration for women, living in your top 1%, personal growth, setting and achieving goals, success, top 1%

Top 1%er Interview Series with Evan Bailyn – Believe in Yourself!

October 4, 2011 By Alissa Finerman Leave a Comment

TOP 1%er INTERVIEW SERIES

The goal of the “Top 1%er” interview series is to break down the qualities of people who excel and to show that you can be successful and achieve personal greatness from any starting point in your life. The interview series looks at people from all different careers and industries. Some names will be familiar and others may not. The purpose is to understand and borrow from the “best practices” of winners to develop a roadmap to your TOP 1%. We will share a new story each month.

This week’s guest is Evan Bailyn. Evan is an internet entrepreneur, bestselling author, and child advocate. He is primarily known as a search engine optimization expert, having used his ability to rank at the top of Google to build and sell five businesses, including one of the largest children’s websites online. His first book, Outsmarting Google, debuted to amazing reviews in mid-2011. Its sequel, Outsmarting Social Media, comes out in early 2012. Evan has been interviewed on ABC and Fox News and featured in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. He is a frequent speaker, having keynoted numerous social media conferences, including Digital Hollywood and Social Media For Nonprofits. In 2010, he established The Evan Bailyn Foundation, which awards grants to groups that promote emotional awareness in children. In short, Evan is a social media genius and incredibly good person who cares and wants to make a difference in the world.

Alissa Finerman: What’s the most important strength you possess that allows you to be successful in your role?
Evan Bailyn: An inspired optimism, and the complementary ability to ignore negative voices and distractions in order to focus on getting things done.

AF: What inspired you to start on your current path?
EB: The truth is that a fear of failure is what drove me to be successful as an entrepreneur. I wanted to do something that was my own, that nobody could control or take away from me. I believed that if I put everything I had into it, it had to succeed, and it turns out I made the correct bet. When you believe in yourself, it is easy to bet on yourself, and you often come out ahead (though not always). But the times when I failed worried me so much that I just worked harder than the next guy to correct my errors and succeed next time.

AF: How do you define success?
EB: Success is feeling comfortable each day being you and, simultaneously, preparing for a time beyond yourself by contributing energy to something that will outlast your time here on earth.

AF: What motivates you on a daily basis to keep going?
EB: A love of life and people and a desire to experience my emotions fully and connect with others purely.

AF: What role do goals play in your life? Tell us a few words about your goal setting process.
EB: I don’t do anything formal with regards to goal setting. Instead, I think of things that excite me and allow that excitement to evolve into a real thing.

AF: What’s the toughest challenge you successfully overcame?
EB: When I was younger, I had trouble being myself – I was focused on pleasing others and being a good kid. I was essentially untrue to who I was. Through a huge amount of self-reflection, writing, and conversation, I eventually found my way.

AF: What are some of your most meaningful accomplishments?
EB: My best accomplishments are being comfortable with who I am and my relationships with people I love and respect. The creation of the Evan Bailyn Foundation is one of my greatest accomplishments as well. I am also proud that I have authored 2 books, built a successful speaking career, and started one of the largest children’s websites online.

AF: What do the top performers do differently to excel?
EB: They care, and they know how to get things done.

To learn more about Evan, please visit:
www.EvanBailyn.com
www.FirstPageSage.com
www.EvanBailyn.org
Evan’s Facebook page

***
The “Top 1%er” interview series is presented by Alissa Finerman, a Professional Life Coach, motivational speaker, and author of the book, “Living in Your Top 1%: Nine Essential Rituals to Achieve Your Ultimate Life Goals” which is available on Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. She has an MBA from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania and a BA from the University of California, Berkeley. To learn more please visit, AlissaFinerman.com and Facebook.com/AlissaFinermantop1.com.

Filed Under: Interview Series: Living in YOUR Top 1% Tagged With: achievement, confidence, entrepreneurship, inspirational thoughts, living in your top 1%, personal growth, success

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To contact Alissa about executive coaching, presenting a seminar for your team, leadership consulting or inviting her to speak at an upcoming event/conference, please email: Alissa@FinermanLiving.com

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