Alissa Finerman

Los Angeles Executive Coach, Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, Facilitator and Author

Declare it…You’re Awesome!

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Last night I went to see Marianne Williamson speak in LA. On the ride over my friend simply declared…

“I AM AWESOME!”

She wasn’t bragging or having a big ego, she was simply stating her truth. I smiled because you don’t usually hear people making this declaration but then I realized it’s the truth so WHY NOT say it? It’s empowering and energizing to share positive statements.

Many of us are trained to make declarations that are negative such as, “I’m not good at marketing,” “I can’t get a job,” or “I’m so unlucky.” Please stop this!

My friend followed up her “awesome-ness” declaration to share that she had just received a job offer in Real Estate after only three weeks on her job hunt! Clearly evidence that she is in fact AWESOME.

What do YOU want to declare?

I’m declaring that I’m “inspiring!” And that I have a thriving business that I love and a beautiful and loving relationship. Why not?

What about you? Are you a compassionate listener, brilliant business partner, wonderful mom, creative writer, talented teacher, or innovative CEO?

Declare it and own it! Now’s the time…I believe in you! And thank you Alicia for the inspiration and being awesome!

Truly awesome,
Alissa

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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

Redefining Possible

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“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.” ~ Steve Jobs

Everyday we have experiences that can make an impact to our one and only precious life. Yesterday, the truly brilliant, game-changer, and visionary founder of Apple, Steve Jobs, passed away. Everyone on Facebook immediately posted his inspiring quotes and amazing 2005 Stanford commencement speech. His words and actions are truly incredible and make a great case to always believe in yourself and live an authentic life. He transformed industries and changed the way we think about what’s possible forever.

How many people will actually take action and make changes to their life as a result of being inspired?

Reading a quote and clicking “like” on Facebook will only take you so far. Don’t get me wrong, I love good quotes and I post them all the time. Change and growth comes from putting an idea into action, taking a small step forward and doing something different, something new, something outside your comfort zone. Yes, it’s challenging because we have to bring greater awareness to our thought patterns and habits and take action.

Let me ask a simple question: what changes are you willing to make to “follow your heart and intuition?”

Steve Jobs lived in his top 1% and made many amazing contributions to the world (and don’t forget even the greats have setbacks — Steve was fired from Apple many years back before he regained the helm). It’s the perfect time to reflect on what it means to live your best life and what your top 1% looks like. Doing things the same over and over will only take you so far. Living in your top 1% is a choice and a way of life. Everyday you can make choices that allow you to share your best self with the world.

Now is the time to redefine what can be in your life and focus on what’s possible rather than why something can’t be done.

Simple yet powerful.

The choice is yours.

I choose to live authentically and to reach for my personal top 1%. What do you choose?

“It always seems impossible until is it done.” – Nelson Mandela

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

The Power of Story

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The Power of Story is one of the most meaningful ways to shift our life upward or downward.

We all tell ourselves certain stories to explain why we can or can’t do something. We can’t change jobs because there’s nothing else we can do or we can’t start a business because we’ve never done it before or we can’t lose weight because we have no time…the stories go on and on.

So whether or not you play mind games with yourself, which many of us do, you can also change these stories. That’s the only reason I’m spending any time on this topic because we can re-wire the stories we tell and what is possible.

We have stories in every area of our life — work, relationships, health and finances. The issue is that when most people tell their stories, they get the facts and story part mixed up.

So let me share a few stories with you that had a positive ending. Just think of all the other inventors, entrepreneurs, and TV hosts who told themselves a different story and missed out on sharing their greatness.

* Thomas Edison tried over two thousand experiments before he invented the light bulb. He could have easily told himself he was a complete loser after 1,999 experiments. I’m grateful he tried one more time!

* Tony Hsieh, CEO of the online retailer Zappos, was told he could not sell shoes online or build a brand around customer service. He did not believe that story, and instead, sold his company to Amazon for $1.2 billion in 2009. He almost lost everything but continued to believe in himself.

* Oprah was fired as a TV reporter because she was told she was unfit for TV. Well, I’m glad she didn’t believe that story and stayed in TV and created the Oprah Show which positively impacted millions of people. And there’s still more to come.

Stories are powerful. Be mindful to use stories to lift yourself forward rather than limit what’s possible.

Take a moment and think about the dreams, goals, and projects you are currently working on. Where could you change your story to get different results in various areas of your life, including your career, relationships, and even your golf game? Often a small shift, can make a huge difference.

Believe in yourself,
Alissa

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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

The Should Factor

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Please note: This article originally appeared on Virgin.com.

“A man should look for what is, and not for what he thinks should be.” – Albert Einstein

Ten years ago I thought I should put my MBA to good use and work on Wall Street. I thought a corporate job in finance where I got into work by 7am and was at my desk until 6pm was what I should do. I wrongly believed that all of these shoulds would make me happy and bring success.

The problem was that my life was filled with so many shoulds that there was little time in the day to do the things that were fulfilling and made a difference in the world. I eventually changed my life and left my finance and corporate job and decided to leave the shoulds behind.

As a coach, I now work with many clients who often feel overwhelmed by all the shoulds that fill their day – volunteering at their kids’ school, being part of a book club, getting involved in the recruiting process at work, attending unwanted social events, working in a corporate job when they would love to have their own business, and giving up valuable personal time for others.

The should factor takes many people off course. If you find yourself living with shoulds there is still plenty of time to change paths.

One day someone will write a book about the should factor. It’s about someone who is full of potential but never has time to focus on his top priorities because he is too busy expending time and energy on all the things he should do. For most of us, a life filled with shoulds will not excite you or leave you feeling fulfilled.

Take the should quiz to find out if you need an intervention. Do these phrases sound familiar?

I should…

1. Workout more often
2. Have a corporate job
3. Spend more quality time with my kids and spouse
4. Be more involved in the community
5. Eat out less
6. Attend a social event when I really need to sleep

WHAT IT ALL MEANS: If you answered yes to two or more of these questions you may want to examine how you invest your time and energy in people, ideas, and projects. Are these things you want to do or should do?

Don’t confuse responsibilities with things you should do. Responsibilities stem from choices you have made that require certain actions to sustain.

Here are four ways to minimize the should factor in your life and step into a world of possibilities and potential:

1. ASSESS YOUR WORDS: listen to the words you use and be mindful when you say you should do something. Is it something you want to do or what someone else wants you to do?
2. SET A GOAL THAT MATTERS: When you are honestly pursuing a goal that excites you and adds meaning to your life, you have less time to spend on shoulds. Ask yourself how important your goal is to achieve? If it’s really important and a top priority, it will take priority over any shoulds.
3. SCHEDULE YOUR PRIORITIES INTO EACH DAY: Double check what’s on your schedule each day to confirm that you are focusing on YOUR top priorities. I encourage my clients to do at least one positive thing a day for themselves.
4. BE THE CEO OF YOU INC: You are responsible for running one very important business and that’s you. To do and deliver your best self into the world you need to make sure you are meeting your needs and making yourself a priority. There is not a lot of time to focus on shoulds if you want to deliver your ‘A game’.

TOP 1% BOTTOM LINE: Living in a world of ‘shoulds’ will take you nowhere quickly. The should factor is one of the most widespread terms that prevents us from reaching our greatest potential. Don’t be afraid to take ownership of your actions to determine how they help you share your talents with the world. And most importantly, say goodbye to shoulds.

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

 

10 Great Quotes

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I love being inspired and one of the best ways to get a quick boost is to read a quote that you love. Here’s my top 10 list of inspiring quotes:

1. If we did all the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves. ~ THOMAS EDISON
2. We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. ~ SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL
3. To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe. ~ ANATOLE FRANCE
4. Achieving genuine happiness may require bringing about a transformation in your outlook and way of thinking. ~ DALAI LAMA
5. Love life, engage in it, give it all you’ve got. Love it with a passion, because life truly does give back, many times over, what you put into it. ~ MAYA ANGELOU
6. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? ~ MARIANNE WILLIAMSON
7. Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people. ~ ELEANOR ROOSEVELT
8. If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy, and inspires your hopes. . ~ Andrew Carnegie
9. You are never really playing an opponent. You are playing yourself, your own highest standards, and when you reach your limits, that is real joy. ~ Arthur Ashe
10. Timing, perseverance, and ten years of trying will eventually make you look like an overnight success. ~ Biz Stone, co-founder of Twitter

Please add any of your favorite quotes that inspire you and stay in touch.

Believe in yourself,
Alissa

www.AlissaFinerman.com
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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