I'm going a little Woo Woo...

Andrew Ford, e-ttraction, MrWooWooLogo-CROP.png

People are sometimes a little surprised when I tell them I grew up in Ashrams as a kid.

I know I look pretty white bread and corporate-like. It's all the years of personal branding that honed the edges off my spiritual soul, into more of a business machine that works hard and likes the cut and thrust of entrepreneurship.

But back in the day, I grew my own food, studied metaphysics, went to personal development courses and was a vegetarian - at 10.

My mother, you see, was a yoga teacher, personal development junkie and a health fanatic. She did Tarot readings at home and I was surrounded by tapes, books and people who introduced some very different concepts about life that weren’t taught at my haughty private school.

Of course, I rejected all that when I became an 'adult', working in corporate IT companies selling stuff for big money, studying an MBA and eating as much white bread as I goddam wanted! I sure showed her...

That was until I had a bit of a mid-life crisis. Not being into motorbikes I avoided the Harley Davidson cliche, the secretary and instead had a spiritual re-awakening. Basically, gave it all away and started again. I realised Mum was right (don't you hate it when you become your parents!) but I kept the useful business skills and created a new life.

I realised that I have a foot in both camps. One believing in things like the law of attraction, the power of thoughts and meditation. The other laying the practical frameworks for businesses to actually make money. Kinda important these days.

So why am I writing a Sunday morning overshare?

Because I 100% believe that your mindset in these troubled times can massively impact your business.

If you believe your business will drop income, fail or become harder. It probably will. Not to say there are not challenges and for some those are inescapable as you might be forced to close down completely.

However, if you focus your thoughts on what you want to happen. That your customers will stay, or if they don't new ones will appear, you will generate new ways to make money. Your mind gets productive, out of scarcity and into flow. Then you will attract more positive result. I have been experimenting with this myself as I ride the waves of ups and downs in my own business and it's mighty powerful stuff.

In the past, I have found myself attracting negative things into my life because of my mindset. At the time I couldn't help it. So it works both ways. As the old teaching goes, if you believe you can or you can't, you are right.

Of course, you may have to pivot, start something new, do things differently to accept the new work or customers. But that's the process. Do the work, overcome the fear of change and just go with it.

My main point here is, it's not just the actions of doing something new. It's your energy and thought process while you do it. It's equally as important. That's the woo woo part.

If you don't get what I am on about, keep drinking your coffee and just watch this video at least it will give you a laugh...

Andrew

P.S. Keep safe and home everyone. If you feel overwhelmed, reach out to someone close or a professional, it's not the time to isolate mentally, only physically.

Andrew Ford
Marketing expert Andrew Ford, the founder of Social Star, has discovered the secret of ‘Powerful Branding’. With a fire for unleashing people’s inner brand and developing business models to generate profit from an individual’s passions, Andrew leverages ground-breaking digital and social media marketing techniques to create digital strategies for clients to attract maximum opportunities. Having established a strong name for himself in the field, Andrew blends traditional business techniques with now-necessary tools for entrepreneurs to achieve scale, quality, and influence in their niche. Andrew’s comprehensive business background and qualifications consist of a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) (RMIT 2003), a Graduate Certificate in Management (MBA Executive Program, University of Sydney 2005), and a Masters of Entrepreneurship and Innovation (Swinburne University 2011). Continually on the cutting edge of his own education, Andrew has tested his marketing theories in forums such as the BCG Business Strategy Competition, which he won in 2005 against all Victorian MBA schools, and the Venture Cup Business Plan Competition (Swinburne University 2003), which he won in the Masters category. With experience working at Hewlett-Packard, Sensis (Telstra) and IBM, Andrew also has mentored dozens of junior staffs to help them achieve their professional goals. Meeting and influencing high-profile public figures helped Andrew to realise just how many professionals require more understanding and control of their public brands or appearance, and need help with the skills to use the many amazing free tools at their disposal to generate success. At Social Star, Andrew consults with clients to uncover their personal brand – both where it is today and where it can be tomorrow – and refine and define how that should be displayed in social media in order to attract their perfect target audience. Andrew mentors his clients to rapidly grow their business’ audiences, resulting in larger potential client bases and higher revenue. Applying formulas that integrate over twenty years of Andrew’s business experience and fifteen years of formal business education, Social Star specialises in building clarity and velocity for clients’ brands using the ‘Understand, Build and Leverage’ methodology. ‘Having a Personal Business enables people to have an authentic, congruent connection with their valued clients and partners, using their brand as the bridge,’ says Andrew. ‘I’m highly driven to work with the new breed of entrepreneurs and small business owners – people who have a passion for making the world a better place. Traditional business models are stepping aside as people follow their innermost dreams and my role is to see them operate within their values while creating wealth. Some people think you have to sacrifice what you love to be successful in your business, yet it is actually the opposite. Follow your passion and success will come.’ Lecturing at Swinburne University from 2009 to 2011 on brand dynamics and digital marketing, presenting at numerous conferences, and consulting to hundreds of clients, Andrew has seen his philosophy work that if you follow your unique path, based on your skills, experience, values and goals, you will automatically attract the opportunities you desire and achieve the success you deserve. Living his mantra, Andrew has created a successful business and attracts high-profile clients including musicians, athletes, authors, models, entrepreneurs, professionals and small business owners, helping them find their ‘why’ in their business and fulfilment in their lives. Business for Andrew is more than work, it’s personal. Running a personal business means that he is able to fulfil all of his values rather than separating his life from work. It supports his two boys while providing social opportunities, educational development, fitness opportunities, spiritual fulfilment and many valuable friendships. Social Star has now become the vehicle for Andrew to crystallise his mission in the world, to help people love what they do, supporting his ‘why’, that if more people loved what they did, the world would be a better place.
http://www.andrewford.com.au/
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