Empowered

by Dominica Lumazar

  EMPOWERED

  The Business Owner’s Guide to Leadership and Success

  Dominica Lumazar

  Copyright © 2019 Dominica Lumazar

  All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical or electronic, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author or publisher (except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages and/or show brief video clips in a review).

  Disclaimer: The Publisher and the Author make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales or promotional materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation. This work is sold with the understanding that the Publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. If professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. Neither the Publisher nor the Author shall be liable for damages arising therefrom. The fact that an organization or website is referred to in this work as a citation and/or potential source of further information does not mean that the Author or the Publisher endorses the information the organization or website may provide or recommendations it may make. Further, readers should be aware that internet websites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read.

  Disclaimer: The cases and stories in this book have had details changed to preserve privacy.

  First Edition 2019

  ISBN: 978-1-949696-16-5 (Mobi)

  ISBN: 978-1-949696-18-9 (Epub)

  ISBN: 978-1-949696-19-6 (Paperback)

  ISBN: 978-1-949696-17-2 (Hardcover)

  Printed in the United States of America

  Published by:

  Lasting Press

  615 NW 2nd Ave #915

  Canby, OR 97013

  Project Management and Book Launch by: Rory Carruthers Marketing

  Cover and Interior Design by: Rory Carruthers Marketing

  www.RoryCarruthers.com

  For more information about Dominica Lumazar or to book her for your next event, speaking engagement, podcast, or media interview, please visit: www.SweetDMarketing.com

  I dedicate this book to all of the hardworking individuals who ever had a dream for something more. To those who ever felt stupid or never enough. To those entrepreneurs or business owners looking to better themselves so they may inspire present and future generations.

  For my daughter Emma, may you find what you love to do early in this life

  and be the best at it. Mama has your back, no matter what.

  Table of Contents

  Preface

  Introduction

  Part I - Leading For Success Chapter 1: Leadership Fundamentals

  Chapter 2: Shining a Light on Your Business

  Chapter 3: Company History

  Chapter 4: Mindset: How Our Thoughts and Emotions Affect Us and Our Work

  Chapter 5: Finding the Work-Life Balance

  Part II - Business Value Chapter 6: Valuing Relationships

  Chapter 7: Establishing Branding

  Chapter 8: Maximizing Marketing

  Chapter 9: Retaining Customers

  Part III - Business Clarity Chapter 10: Habits of Effective Leaders

  Chapter 11: Course Correction

  Chapter 12: Stay the Course

  Conclusion

  Acknowledgments

  References

  About the Author

  Notes

  Preface

  Perhaps you're just now embarking on this new journey, or you’ve been in business for years. Either way, ask yourself, why did you want to start your own business? Go ahead, take a moment to really think about it. There must have been a reason. Perhaps it was out of necessity, or you discovered an untapped market. Perhaps you wanted to create jobs and experience being your own boss. Were you born to be a leader?

  Now, consider where you currently are in your business. Do you get frustrated if something isn't going properly? Of course, you do; we all do. But something we all have as business owners is the original intention that put us where we are today. Maybe you’re not very happy with where you’ve landed within your business, or maybe you’re extremely happy but looking to further your leadership and business education.

  It’s our responsibility to strive to be better for ourselves, our families, our employees, and our customers.

  It is essential to have a goal-oriented mindset focusing not only on business operations but also on big-picture goals. What are your big picture goals for your business? Where do you see your business in five years? Is your business set up so you can sell it if you want to?

  I wish someone would have taught me at least half the things I had to learn the hard way. But the good news is, I’m here to share my experiences with you so you can hopefully avoid making the same mistakes. It’s my privilege to share what I’ve learned over the last decade about being a leader and what it truly means to OWN your business. Whether you’re currently a successful business owner or just starting out, this book is for you.

  By reading Empowered, you will be equipped with the tools to develop personal leadership strategies that will take your business to the next level.

  Start with Where You Are and What You Have

  I invite you to be here and now with what you have and where you are in your leadership and entrepreneurial journey. If you learn one thing from this book, my best advice is to simply start. Take action, and don’t wait for all the stars to align. Be open to not knowing how something works. Vulnerability and the willingness to learn will only make you stronger and better at what you want to accomplish in this life.

  As a bonus, I created a priceless list of resources that I have curated over many years to fast track your business success and help you achieve your business and leadership goals. This includes the unreleased chapter—“How to Stay Grounded in Your Business so You Can Be an Effective Leader”

  Go to www.TheEmpoweredBook.com/bonuses now to get these bonuses!

  Introduction

  Early Struggles

  From elementary until the day I graduated from high school, I struggled. I didn't learn like the other kids. I had a hard time focusing, and I didn’t test well. My teachers couldn't figure out why I learned the way I did, why I couldn't read well or put full sentences together on paper. Every subject took me so much longer to understand than most of my peers.

  Teachers couldn’t figure out why I couldn’t conform to their norms and most looked at me as a lost cause. When they couldn’t help me, I was tossed into "special needs" classes. As you can imagine, for any young mind, it was demoralizing and embarrassing. However, I trusted my teachers, the so-called educators. After awhile, I started to believe maybe I really was stupid, not realizing I just learned differently.

  As my peers were excelling in math competitions and debate contests, I watched from the sidelines. I’ll never forget my junior year in high school, speaking with the school counselor about my future education. I asked her why I wasn’t put into an SAT prep class, or why I hadn’t received any information about applying to colleges. To my dismay, her response was, “Oh, honey, maybe you’ll go to community college. You’re not ready to go off to a four-year university.” No counselor ever asked me, “What colleges are you interested in? Have you started the application process? How can we help you?” It was just assumed I was not going to college.

  I was always a bit of a loner, the kind of kid with many acquaintances, but very few I’d consider true frien
ds. While I watched classmates rush around discussing their dream schools, I started to wonder what their purpose was for going to college. Some looked forward to the parties, some aspired to work for tech companies. When I really took the time to sit down and think about what I wanted to do with my life after high school, I knew that continued education was important, but I also knew I didn’t want to work for anyone but myself.

  When I met with the same counselor the day before graduation, she asked, “What are you going to do after this?” I confidently shared, “I'm going to be my own boss.”

  My Inspiration

  Even though some had their doubts, I knew I wanted to be my own boss, and I was determined to make it happen. I had no clue what I was going to do or what sort of business I would create. To my parent’s credit, they believed in me and made it crystal clear that whatever I wanted to accomplish in life was achievable. As long as I worked hard and smart, the possibilities were endless.

  My mom has always been a savvy businesswoman. From a very young age, I watched her create a business out of ribbons and lace. She didn’t answer to anyone, and I’ve always admired her for it. I, too, didn't want to work for anyone. I wanted to work with people. I didn't want to work for a company. I wanted my own company. I wanted to be able to design my own schedule and work on my own terms.

  My father has also been a true inspiration. After enduring a daily two hour commute and rigorous travel for a high stress tech job, my dad decided to take everything he learned from the semiconductor industry and start his own business. Now ten years later, he’s the happiest I've ever seen him. While it was an uncomfortable transition into the unknown, I watched him navigate through his entrepreneurial journey, which led to epic success and the freedom to make his own decisions.

  I knew that continuing my education was important, and I wasn’t entirely sure what my future as an entrepreneur would look like, but the one thing I was most confident in was my voice. Whenever I felt down, I always turned to music to guide me back to center. I was singing before I could even speak in full sentences. I’ve always been passionate about music. Throughout my younger years, I performed in talent shows, local festivals, and at football games, and even won a few local singing competitions. With that passion and talent in mind, I decided to attend Santa Rosa Junior College to study music.

  The phrase all these counselors, supposed mentors, and teachers kept asking, without really wanting the answer was, "Why don't you get it?” I wish I could have been able to look forward in time, to see where I am today and just smile and walk away. As a young, sensitive girl, I carried around the weight of being called “stupid.” I realize now that those teachers gave me a huge gift. I knew there was something more for me. Just because I didn’t fit in their small-minded, mandated educational curriculum, they figured something was wrong with me. In truth, they just didn’t understand the way I learn. Now, I wish I could reply to their question of, “Why don’t you get it?” in kind.

  The Accident

  I was eighteen years old and incredibly excited to leave home for the first time to attend junior college. I was driving along the coast on my way to school, and I made the decision to turn right into a parking lot to check out the beautiful ocean view. While I slowed down to turn, a truck going about 60 miles an hour slammed right into the back of my car.

  The brutal impact caused my chest to hit the steering wheel, and my head to hit the window. It was by the sheer grace of God that I was okay. I was able to walk away from the accident, but I had severe whiplash, fractured my neck, and badly bruised my ribs. I also sustained a concussion that greatly affected my memory.

  After the accident, I struggled to remember basic things, I couldn't turn my neck to the right, and every time I so much as took a few steps, my whole body felt like it was on fire. I was left in a position where I couldn't walk very well for a few months. From there, it was many long, grueling months of different types of therapies. Acupuncture, chiropractic work, massage, osteopathy, rolfing, traditional sports therapy. You name it, I've had it.

  Although I had a lot of great mentors along the way to help me, I was in an unfamiliar place in Santa Rosa, living with roommates I didn’t know very well, and struggling to keep up with my college classes. I felt that no matter what I did to try to heal myself, I was struggling to recover from the car accident.

  Eventually, I made the decision to move back home. I realized that I didn’t need to be in a formal education setting in order to reach my goals. I could continue to learn, but I was still struggling and needed to focus on my health. Due to my memory loss, I had to relearn basic things. There were some people from high school I didn't recognize and recent conversations with friends I didn't remember. It was an embarrassing, frustrating, and extremely humbling time in my life.

  When I moved back home to Santa Cruz, I reconnected with my high school sweetheart, who is now my husband. Although it was a tough season in my life, I recognize just how many amazing things came out of that traumatic experience. The accident ended up being one of the best things to ever happen to me. It forced me to do a major course correction in my personal life; without it, I wouldn’t be the woman I am today. I was determined to make sure the accident didn't define who I was. I didn't want to be a victim. I wanted to rise above my misfortune, push through the physical and mental pain, and keep going.

  Becoming an Entrepreneur

  While recovering, I had an opportunity to focus on my original goal of owning a business and being my own boss. My older sister, Franchesca, had started making delicious raw, vegan chocolate, and she was selling it at local farmers markets. It was becoming quite popular, and she quickly needed an extra set of hands to help. This was the perfect opportunity for me to move beyond my limitations from the car accident and embrace a new passion. Chocolate!

  Franchesca and I put our time, energy, and hearts into Love Bird Chocolates. I loved making something for others to enjoy and knew I was in the beginning stages of becoming my own boss.

  Within just a few short months of fully immersing myself in the world of chocolate, my sister decided to give me complete ownership of the business. I hit the ground running by rebranding, redesigning, and creating new recipes. Love Bird Chocolates had a lot of ups and downs. I failed in many ways, but I learned a lot and have had a great deal of success with the business. Early on, my interpretation of success was making $500 a week. I was amazed that I could make a product, someone would actually buy it, and then I'd get money. It became a little addicting. The gears started turning. How could I continue to make things and then get paid for them?

  I know firsthand what it's like to be really passionate about one’s business and to also be flat broke. I remember making a decision with Love Bird Chocolates: was I going to buy groceries, or was I going to buy ten pounds of raw cacao so that I could continue to troubleshoot and make my recipes better? The raw cacao always won.

  Eventually, I needed a new website to support the volume of orders coming in. I hired a company that promised me a stunning website I was going to love. Within a few weeks, and little to no communication from the company, I realized they took the money and ran. At the time, I put up all my savings and had no funds left for other marketing outlets.

  Sad, frustrated, and extremely disappointed, I had to figure out how I was going to get the website up and running myself. I suppose one might say this was the event that planted the seed to become what I’ve built today. When the company over-promised and never delivered, I was determined to be the businesswoman who never over-promised but always over-delivered. I quickly enrolled myself in online courses and learned how to build a website, launch a brand, and become a social media marketing ninja.

  Music and Marketing

  While my memory was still rocky, one of the best healing experiences for me was creating music because I could effortlessly remember lyrics and melodies. I met up with Rory Carruthers, who had an ad out looking for a lead singer for a band. I responded, and we starte
d creating amazing music, which eventually turned into our band, Forever Yours. During this time, one of my friends took their own life. That led us to create the band’s mission, purpose, and message: You Are Enough. Rory and I became passionate about spreading the word about suicide prevention through our music and giving back to our community.

  Slowly but surely, my brain started to heal, and we started to figure out ways to market our music online. That's where my passion for marketing really began. I realized I could start running a few Facebook ads and get an immediate response from them.

  Eventually, other bands contacted me and asked if I could help them with their Facebook ad campaigns. Meanwhile, I was also running Love Bird Chocolates and designing websites for local businesses. I had other chocolate companies reaching out to me for tips and tools for how they could develop their brands. It started very slowly and organically and ended up turning into something bigger when, through word-of-mouth, I became the social media manager for some large events: New Living Expo in San Francisco, Green Peace rallies, and various music festivals. Doors continued to open up for me in different industries. At the time, being that I was a one-woman operation, there was often a waitlist to work with me. It caught on like wildfire: I was the person to talk to about successful online marketing campaigns, because I consistently got epic results for my clients.

  However, I was struggling to find out what I really wanted to do with my life. I needed to pick one thing to focus on. Now being an entrepreneur of many hats, I was hyper-focused on making money, but eventually, I realized I wanted to add more value to what I was doing, which meant picking one thing and being the best at it. This realization moved me to shift my entire focus to marketing and into helping other businesses grow.