What you notice about Michael Port is his dynamic, enthusiastic, upbeat energy. It radiates from him in way that is engaging and fun, not overpowering or stress- inducing. It's the ideal friendly charisma for someone who believes in being of service to others -- of giving more than you promise and then giving some more.

Michael Port is "the guy to call when you're tired of thinking small about who you are and what you have to offer others." His Book Yourself Solid business coaching programs, presentations and best- selling marketing book of the same name have helped some 20,000 professional service business owners in the last two years attract more of the ideal clients they desire.

I recently had the opportunity to experience one of Michael's presentations at the national eWomenNetwork conference in Dallas. His contagious energy inspired me to invite him to talk with me about the great learning process of his career path -- a path that has resulted in such great success for himself and his clients.

Awareness moves a career forward
I began by asking Michael to explain a bit about his career progression and the points of awareness that led him from acting to the corporate world and then to his current incarnation as a marketing "guru."

With easy candor he recalled, "When I got into acting I thought it would be an interesting opportunity for self-expression. Yet, after a while it became troublesome to me that I wasn't being fully expressed so much as I was doing things that I thought would make me cool, rich or famous. After some reflection, I realized that I didn't really have the personality for the unevenness of the business; sometimes you worked, sometimes you didn't. No matter what I did as an actor, and who I knew, I didn't know what the future held. My personality is more suited to looking at an opportunity, considering what I need to do to get through the dip, and then approach the opportunity with as much "spit and vinegar" as it takes to succeed."

Us Using transitions to bring career in sync with personality
According to Michael, he thought being a CEO might make life mean something more. Yet, he admits, this career choice was still ego driven. He did well in the corporate world, but realized that he was still pursuing something for the wrong reasons, for the wrong ideas of success and what would make him happy.

Describing his self- awareness at the time, he commented, "I realized that as an actor I wasn't an artist. Then in the corporate world I grew bored because when I tried to lead through service it became a battle."

Self- review as a business tool
Michael looked at his strengths -- at what he had been good at: performance, leadership, communication, writing, and creating community. "I came to think of myself as a 'creative commercialist.' I decided my creative pursuits needed to build something. I wanted to find a way to combine profit and my desire to be of service to others. I wanted the freedom to be creative and in charge of my success or failure. My sense of self, my awareness, told me I could handle that," he stated.

Reflection about how he saw himself in the world helped Michael move forward in the creation of a powerful business model. As he points out, it's hard to improve without reflection and it was critical to get feedback from "people who wouldn't pander to me." "I continuously reflect on what works and what doesn't so that I can do the most evolved work. It's not my penultimate work, it's the best I'm capable of now. You need to ask yourself the right questions and to develop a habit of being reflective and aware on a daily basis, rather than waiting until a crisis is at hand."

Taking an inquiry approach to life
This means taking an "inquiry approach" versus a "knowing approach" to life. Michael promotes having different learning styles and ways of being, based on the different environments you operate in. I asked him to cite an example. "Take the military man who is very successful working in a highly regimented environment and then tries to raise his kids like his troops. That probably isn't going to be so successful," he explained. "Here's another example: I know a man who says that he's an auditory learner so he doesn't read. Think how much you miss by not reading. Yet, he wants to be a writer! This man has no awareness of the problem in his thinking process. It's important to be careful with the stories we tell ourselves. If we want to grow, awareness helps."

The power of honest reflection
To Michael, honest reflection includes being aware of the lies we've told ourselves in the past. "When acting wasn't working out, I told myself: 'you really have a business mind, you should really in business.' True, I had a good head for business, but it wasn't the reason I shouldn't be an actor. I wasn't ready to admit that I hated the rejection part of acting. So, I made up a story that made me feel better."

As Michael affirmed, as we change over time, our viewpoints change. "For example, by reflecting, say on my marketing, and getting feedback, I've come to be less hype-y than when I started. I realized that it's not about the money so much as it's about the fact that I love being the creative commercialist. I have a real reverence for creativity: writing, speaking, etc. When I completed my first book, I expected comments on the completeness of the program, but I was a little surprised by comments like, 'I felt like you wrote the book for me.' My readership felt a personal connection. That tells me that I'm creating value for others and I love that I can help people. I want people to say, 'There's the guy who has the highest integrity!' I know standing for integrity will move me forward."

Michael Port's next book, Beyond Book Yourself Solid, is due out spring 2008. It focuses on innovation that takes the business owner who has clients to the next step: more profit and less work -- living their ideal lifestyle. Find out more at www.bookyourselfsolid.com.

Special Report Special!

If you are interested in having more small talk confidence, get my Special Report: Making Meaningful Business & Personal Connections with Smart Small Talk. I'm offering this 50-page report for $10 to the first 50 people. This report is normally $21.95.

Upcoming Speaking Engagements

Dinner & A Dream Board
September 13, 2007, 6:00 - 8:30 pm
Watercress Asian Bistro
Redmond, WA

Dream Boards & Vision Collages for Business Success
October 5, 2007, 11:45 - 1:45 pm
Everett eWomenNetwork Meeting
Everett downtown Holiday Inn

Melissa Wadsworth is a self-help author, conscious communications expert and guide to radiant intentional awareness. Through her writing, presentations and seminars, she emphasizes the vital importance of wide-awake living and mindful communications to a fulfilling and successful life path.

We are all inventors, each sailing out on a voyage of discovery, guided by a private chart, of which there is no duplicate. The world is all gates, all opportunities."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Reprinted from Living Awareness, a fr*ee ezine from conscious communications expert Melissa Wadsworth featuring interviews, articles and exercises to inspire more life clarity, focus and joy. To sign up go to:
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August 2006: The Law of Attraction

September 2006: Successful Self-Awareness

October 2006: Personal Responsibility

November 2006: Change

December 2006: Balance

January 2007:New Year Planning

February 2007: Human Connection

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