Tag: entrepreneur

It Might Not Look Like It, But Choosing My Dreams Was Scary

On By Rebekka LienIn business, entrepreneurLeave a comment

I went to a networking event and met a photographer….spontaneous photos!

The other day, I was speaking to another woman entrepreneur and was so shocked when she said “I was so intimidated by you, you look so up there!”

I was like ….WHAT?

Are you kidding me!!! It almost cracks me up when I hear that, it’s also encouraging to know that I may appear successful, but just like YOU- I have my fears and discouragements.

When I first started teaching Mandarin, I was intimidated. What if my students wanted to know words I didn’t already know? Mandarin has thousands of characters.

I learned to be humble and to show what I didn’t know, but to fully do the research for my students.

When I first started coaching, was I intimidated? Yes, I had picked up this book about coaching. The author suggested that I give free sessions, to just JUMP INTO COLD WATER and PRACTICE. 

My fears? I didn’t have the certification, the education for “coaching” (whatever that meant). I didn’t really know how. I started researching and learn from the best- Tony Robbins, Jonathan Mead, Ali Brown, Oprah, Carnegie, Marie Forleo, you get the idea. I borrowed books from libraries and listened to hundred of seminars and webinars. HUNDREDS. Yes, no kidding. I read a lot, I was definitely NOT LAZY.

Did this all happen overnight?

Nope, but I did think about it for years. I wasted energy just THINKING, but letting the fears take over my mind.

All I had to do was just DO ONE THING, TAKE ONE STEP. 

Even if that one thing fails….you try ANOTHER THING.

That’s how I got THIS far. I looked the lion in the EYE and TACKLED IT HEAD ON, OR MORE LIKE, I RODE THE LION. What did I do? I offered FREE Sessions, typed up analytical steps that I would take my clients through and incorporate every inch of my soul, wisdom, experience and spiritual healing powers. That’s why I know my coaching sessions are effective, because I have been through it myself in my life. 

Live boldly EVERYDAY and DO 1 SCARY THING today.

For a free consultation about how YOU can create the life you desire, schedule an appointment now. Don’t worry, I don’t bite!

Unlock Your Destiny Life Coach, Realtor & 
Creative Music/Fashion Instructor 
 
*Referrals appreciated! Please Share, Tweet, Refer Me!*

3 BIG TIPS TO START YOUR OWN BUSINESS

On By Rebekka LienIn businessLeave a comment

1. Don’t wait until everything is PERFECT– because life is not perfect and your life will always have ups and downs, take it from me!! I quit my full time job when I had just moved out for one month. Of course I had rent to pay, but somehow I followed MY GUTS.

If you wait for life to be PERFECT, you’ll NEVER DO anything worth doing.

2. Who said you had to GET A BIG LOAN to start your business? Start Small.

By business, you don’t need to be this BIG CEO of this BIG corporation….you just need to have your own idea, and run with it. Even if you are working out of your 200 sq ft studio and using your kitchen counter to create great crafts, writing your epic poems, or developing your own software.

By starting small, you have little risk to make big mistakes that may cost your whole life savings- if you have any. By starting small, you build on strong foundations and learn from every mistake you make.

3. Be a WEIRDO ALREADY. 

The number one fear people have is HOW PEOPLE WILL VIEW THEM. Don’t give a crap about what people think. IN THE END, it is YOUR LIFE, not theirs to live. The weirder you are, the more people will notice you. Trust me, I was voted MOST UNIQUE in high school. Did I care a lot before? YES. Do I sometimes STILL care? Yes.

PS- 4 BONUS TIP:

Write a general schedule, a general plan and goals….but let the SPIRIT take you. Allow ROOM to meander, flow in the zone.

I started my business (Business of Rebekka Lien) by trying things. I’m still trying things everyday. I was inspired by street vendors selling feather earrings in Australia, started reselling myself, wholesaled, then sold used items, etc. I tried everything. Then I started teaching, and when one didn’t pay enough, I started hiring myself to teach private lessons.

I got job promoted pretty fast- BY MYSELF.

ImageWhen I first started, I had no idea if what I was doing was “THE RIGHT WAY”.

There’s no right way. There’s only one way, the one you try.

Turning 25

On By Rebekka LienIn Uncategorized1 Comment

Turning 25

Hey friends!
It has been a long while since I wrote to you. Since awhile back, I turned 25. Nutty right? Time sure goes by fast. But I’m not going to write anything too generic right now.

I feel extremely SUPERBLY blessed. I am thankful to the Universe, To God for my EXTREME journey. A year ago, I was on a rocky journey of finding purpose and talent in myself. I was physically skinny because I wasn’t eating much, because I was broke, and I was also emotionally and spiritually broke. I was trying to find identity and worth in my work rather than my being….but also I had allowed myself to get on THIS journey towards fulfillment and LIFE ABUNDANT.

IT was HELLA DIFFICULT!

Ask any of my friends. It was amazingly awful just thinking about how I was unable to buy even a cup of coffee and yet, the small mysteries and JOY I found in the small things.

I watched “Queen of Versailles” on Netflix today. It really reminded me of HOW we can take things for granted. The founder of Westgate, time shares….one of the BIGGEST, going from owning millions, billions, and building a Versailles 30 room estate, going into foreclosure and liquidating everything due to being late on mortgages.

Somehow money controlled their livelihood and joy.

I feel more emotionally stable than I have EVER felt in my 25 years. That is because in our suffering, we build patience, which gives the power to practice….leading to perfection of an overflowing life.

So if you are at a point in your life where you feel like…”I’m NOT THERE YET”….All of us are right there with you. Wherever you are, it’s somehow called “here”. So BE present. Stop caring about your hair and what people think about your shirt….or simply being insecure, simply BE PRESENT.

And soon enough, you’ll step into the glory that you were meant to live….even if you don’t think you are THERE yet, you are here already inside.

A year ago, I was making minimum wage teaching sewing, now I make a lot more than that….because I know my worth now.

Rebekka Lien

Serial Entrepreneur, Real Estate Lady & Teacher

http://www.rebekkalien.com
http://www.houseslady.com
http://www.twitter.com/rebekka_lien
http://www.linkedin.com/rebekka.lien

The Promised Land

On By Rebekka LienIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

As you know the story of Isrealites trying to get to the promised land…well I feel that the last few days have been just that. My friend told me the story to encourage me.

He said, “you know how they had to go through Egypt and get to the promised land? Well, many elders never made it because even though God clothed, fed, and provided for them, they still complained…because it was taking forever and well, the journey was long”. We can complain, or we can trust God- he said. Some people will never get there because they keep complaining and never trust God.

“Sometimes we just need to shut up, let God take care of the people that bug us and trust that the promise is still there”.

Whatever you believe in, the universe, God, the forces will take you through to the promise land if we trust and focus on our promise.

As for the elements and people in our lives that hinder us from enjoying our life, shrug it off and trust. If we believe in our honesty, in what is true, then let the current take you.

Yes, let the flow of the river take you and focus on good.

For me, envisioning the times I traveled to various beautiful and heavenly locations in the world focused me on the beauty of life versus the negative circumstances. Why should you travel, because of this:

Me in Cairns, Australia. I was backpacking alone, had massive throw up sessions on the boat, but what do I remember? The oasis of the ocean, iridescent colors of fishes and ocean life; The ocean is my oasis.

When my body is embraced by the ocean, I only think of peace. Nothing else.

The Promise Land for me that month was the oasis of the ocean- the Great Barrier Reef. What it took for me to get there? I threw up about 5-6 times.

Other times? France – stranded and missed my airplane, slept in airport and didn’t shower for 4-5 days. Ecuador- saw the most amazing stingray snorkeling, got food poisoning and knew no spanish in hospital (got injected with what…I have no idea). China- feelings of culture shock, lived in a no AC apartment in 105 degrees heat, kept slipping and falling on my head stepping on rain puddles. I guess the list can go on a bit.

But last night, I thought about the good times. I thought about my promised land, the oasis, the quietness of the ocean, stillness, peace. This is what I thought about.

Watch this without sound:

“Don’t Ask What The World Needs. Ask What Makes You Come Alive…”

On By Rebekka LienIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” Howard Thurman

I have quoted him many times, ask not what the world needs, ask what makes YOU come alive…Yes, it’s true.

I suppose many of us have been working for our breakthrough, that breakthrough just seems so difficult. All you need is that one final push, and the baby is out. Yes, the baby is out people! The dream is coming alive, and all you need to do is …………..to DO IT.

Do it without fear of what people may think. That’s why, after attending the California Women’s Conference, I finally did it. I finally compiled my email list, created a video in less than 5 minutes, did the hard work of pushing…

Here’s my video, it’s not perfect, just bold. I just want you to see what I’m really like, without the BS, without the fakeness of reading words, writing words, just me. It’s time to shine and give what the world has been waiting for: me.

You can pre-order my book and receive VIP membership for only $14.99- https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=Y5CE…

The E-book will be released before Christmas. FREE MEMBERSHIP to VIP club with all pre-orders. This includes: weekly emails with practical entrepreneur tips, tips on increasing clientale, life lessons, positive uplifters, etc. Exclusive to members!

Why Take The Difficult Path For What You Want

On By Rebekka LienIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Now, I’m starting to see why this year had to happen. Nothing seems to phase me now. I’m surrounded by nature, hummingbirds, sun, I have my own yard, I live alone. I have personal space.

Every adversity is a stepping stone to who you want to be. And what you want.

Guess what? They are not stumbling blocks or even obstacles to your dreams. The adversities, the discouragements are only stepping stones. You step on them to get to the next stair steps. When you feel discouraged, you focus on your goal, you focus on the goodness of life.

I did not want to sit on my butt for 8 hours aday, so I had to create something mobile. I had to quit, I traveled, I saw the world, I started selling jewelry and clothes. After going to South America, I was stumped again. I was broke again, I had to reinvent the wheel. I started posting my private lessons on Craigslist, I started building my clientale. I started to hone my skills, now I teach sewing, mandarin, piano…

The great thing about being a creative entrepreneur, 2 days I can be on the road teaching. Today, I get to wake up and sit in nature, work on my online business, and write. Tonight, my friend and I are hosting our first meeting of Fashion Shares, a community of women for the purpose of empowering each other!

Question of the Day: How do you find out what you want to do in life?

Answer: You don’t, you live and learn. You try and learn from mistakes, but you can always have a big vision. For me, I always wanted to empower people, so I delved into things that allowed me to be with people. I also love managing my own time, and I didn’t know this until someone else started managing my time. That’s when I knew I couldn’t continue being controlled. There are very strategic ways to weed out options- if you have questions comment below! 🙂

Remember: The difficult path IS messy, you will cry many times, you will be frustrated even more, but the pay off is….after the messiness of trying things out, figuring out what works and what doesn’t, you’ll come out of it wiser and you’ll know MORE of what you’re good at and want to do.

How To Manage Your Time As An Entrepreneur

On By Rebekka LienIn FashionLeave a comment

The internet is pretty distracting, especially if you have 10 tabs up with facebook, gmail, calendar, ebay, pandora…AHHHHH!!!

So here’s my list of how to get organized tips:

1. Eat– When you schedule your own time, you dive into work without eating…and then you will get super brain dead. SO EAT.

2. Write down a schedule, time specific– right now is 10:43 am, I’m going to finish this blog post by 11am. At 11am, I’m going to start taking photos for my products, then list the items until noon. So on and so forth. Don’t let time be irrelevant, let it be very relevant. Put this schedule in FRONT of you, not next to you. IN FRONT, so when your mind suddenly goes “OMG, I have to wash dishes”, you can look at the schedule and remind yourself…not now.

3. Clear off your desk- Just as the computer needs to clear off the memory and desktop at times, clearing off my table helps me to focus on the screen, not the junk on my table.

4. Let yourself get distracted– guess what, we’re not meant to sit all day. Do something that inspires you, if you have been a hermit working on your own all day- go to a cafe and work there. I have met plenty of strangers this way. I love strangers, lol.

5. Play some samba music– I like to play music that helps me imagine I’m at the Ipanema beach or something. Play music that helps you create and work without pressure.

Check out my video on Hipswap.com!

Love, Rebekka Lien – HAPPY NATIONAL SEWING MONTH!

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Should I live alone?

On By Rebekka LienIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

I finally moved out! Yes, I did find the place a day before my move, but I did it!! Now I live alone and wanted to tell people how great it is! If you are wondering if you should live alone: I say, YOU DEFINITELY SHOULD if you’re not afraid of yourself.

Check out my flier to speak at Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising- FIDM!

Things you can do when you live alone:

1. Walk around completely naked- you start to feel a lot more free not having clothes on all the time.

2. Do whatever you want, whenever –when I go home and am tired, I don’t have to talk to anyone. I’m talking most of the day, teaching or hanging out with people, so coming home to read and organize is a great alternative to talking to another human being.

3. No more cringing when you hear your roommate do something weird.

4. Have friends over whenever you want.

5. No offense, but I no longer have to tell people where I am going. No offense, but I really hate telling people where I am going, why do you care? Seriously.

I have lived alone for 7 days and must say, there was only one day where I felt scared because I heard there was some drug raid by the swat time. The other day I heard 3 gunshots and a hellicopter. Besides that, I have a lot of peaceful times mapping out my goals and plans. Thank God for this week! So many great things happened- such as, I’m going to be on television!!! YES. ME! More to come….

Whatever Is To Come Is Already There

On By Rebekka LienIn Uncategorized2 Comments

Hi Friends!

Another day, another 101 items posted on my moving sale website! I hope you will find something you like- I’ll hand write you a special note when you order something!

I have finally cleared out most of my stuff and am simply awaiting the arrival of my perfect 1 bedroom studio. Yes, I have looked, with much vigour and passion, but to no avail. This leads me to believe that the perfect PLACE is not even listed yet! Because I, my friend, have faith that the perfect place for my next season of life IS ALREADY THERE. Somewhere, just not sure where. Yet.

That’s okay.

The more August 1 nears me, the more excited I get now! I’m not anxious anymore, because I’m excited about the perfect place. Yes, it’s 6 days away, and I have no place to go yet!

Psshhh. So Anxiety really has NO PLACE in our lives. Because the next thing, which is better, bigger, richer, healthier, happier is OUT THERE. All we have to do is listen to our hearts. Don’t let disappointment GET to you. Have faith and keep a smile on your face.

Gratefulness is the biggest weapon to fear. There is no such thing as fear when you know that the best thing is waiting for you.

Don’t worry about tomorrow because tomorrow will worry about itself. Live like you ALREADY have tomorrow down.

 

 

 

Unemployed? Tips From A Self-Employment Expert

On By Rebekka LienIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

My 1 year of self- employment has been a roller coaster ride of fun and not so fun times. But I have learned the art of hustlin’ – in a healthy way of course. I’m going to give you the insiders’ secrets to surviving and thriving for the first year of self- employment.

Tips from A Self- Employment Expert:

1. Do an inventory of your talents and skills– know how to sew, know how to do accounting, taxes, clean, fold clothes, carry babies, mow lawns, play violin, speak Arabic? Guess what, there are people on this earth who needs YOU.

2. POST on Craigslist – Craig is an amazing guy, he will help you reach the clients you need to reach, the people who want your drawers and beds, the people who need babysitters and musicians.

3. Sell stuff on Ebay– Things I’ve sold before: Clothes, shoes, jewelry, old cameras, toys. Guess what? It’s as easy as snapping pictures and posting. You get 50 free listings per month, so no fees up front. Other great sites to post books on are amazon.com and half.com. They let you post it and you don’t need to renew it.

4. Broadcast your services and skills- Social media sites I have used are: Facebook, Twitter, Hipswap,  Craigslist, Texting. If you have a service, CREATE a fanpage on Facebook. If you have items, pin-interest it, twitter it, use free applications on Ebay, Twitter that will automatically update FOR YOU. I do believe in conserving time and doing less.

5. Have a yard sale– The last 2 weeks I had 2 yard sales, I gained some muscle masses in my biceps and made a few bills. Not too bad for sitting out in the sun, drinking soda, and chatting with neighbors and potential clients. Not bad for networking.

6. Need cash fast? Sell to consigment stores or to high end thrift stores– For most girls, we have massive amounts of clothes and accessories. My choices of stores to sell to are Wasteland, Crossroads and Buffalo Exchange. They will select the trendiest items from you and give you 35% of their selling price. If you are a savvy shopper, you can actually make a profit even though you wore that old t-shirt for 20 years…BTW Wasteland loves vintage, so if you have a really old t-shirt they might just pay you $5 for it.

7. Build a Business– after you realize that you’ll never want to sit in an office again, get serious about your business. Whatever it is. I started selling old clothes and then started importing jewelry so I didn’t have to upload 10,000 original pictures. The more you work at something, the bigger your ideas will get. I started teaching cello and piano when I was 14, but everyone quit because of the economy. So I started teaching Mandarin because China is booming economically. Start thinking outside the box- what are services and needs that have not been met yet by other businesses?

8. Become an extra– If you live in LA and NY, you can sign up for Central Casting, which is one of the biggest extra casting agencies in the US. To be an extra, you basically sit or stand around until the film crew needs you.

In closing, I would like to say that there are so many more ways to make a living while you are discovering your life passion….or the more things you try, the more you realize what you hate and what you love. Go for what you love.