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Back a couple of years ago I had the opportunity to interview Les Wexner (founder of Limited Brands and retailing legend). I asked him about whether he observed any common traits among those who had achieved high levels of success. He responded that most of the people he considered successful displayed what he called "Courageous Optimism". He said that it was a particularly important trait since it enables leaders to move forward with a new idea that breaks with the conventions about how people have done things in the past.

"And the ability to do that is ultimately what separates those who build businesses that stand out and are unique from their copycat competitors."

The challenge then becomes, how does one develop or maintain an appropriate level of Courageous Optimism? From Mr. Wexner's perspective, part of the ability to do so is to have "Systems" in place that one can rely on. For example in his retailing empire very little is left to chance. Stores are designed to draw visitors in and engage them. (Much as a good website does.) Promotions to attract customers are specifically crafted to appeal to specific needs or wants of highly targeted groups of people. (Similar to any highly effective lead generation program.)

As Mr. Wexner told me, "By having a system one can avoid the natural tendency to second guess oneself or place too much negative emphasis on an isolated set of circumstances."

Obviously this has implications for marketing your business regardless of your field. Speaking from personal experience and the experiences of my clients, having a marketing system in place that consistently attracts brand new prospects and then converts large percentages of them into paying clients enables one to face these difficult economic times with Courageous Optimism. Mr. Wexner's advice is certainly worth thinking more about.

One other thought.

We are so barraged with negative news these days that it's sometimes difficult to draw from our own personal well of courageous optimism. I consider myself an extremely positive individual but I'd be less than honest if I said that the unrelenting drumbeat of depressing economic news didn't have an effect. That's why I've found the services of clinical hypnotherapist Marian Massie (< a href=" http://www.MarianMassie.com">http://www.Marianmassie.com) to be so valuable. I don't know how familiar you are with the process of hypnotherapy, and Marian would explain it better than I, but it basically revolves around planting at the subconscious level the visualization of what you want to accomplish.

I've found it to be an extremely powerful tool that's helped me avoid getting in a downward mental spiral. Her sessions have enabled me to keep focused on doing the things I know I need to be doing in order to grow my business. Marian works with people both nationwide and internationally so I encourage you to visit her website and arrange for a free consultation. Again you can learn more at http://www.MarianMassie.com

Finally, let me leave you with a reminder that as my 87-year-old father says, "This too shall pass." Those business owners who approach these challenging times with Courageous Optimism and develop Systems that they can rely on to grow their businesses, will both ride out the current difficult times and be extremely well positioned for the future.

That's all for now. If I can ever be of assistance to you please let me know, by emailing me at mark@GentleRainMarketing.com or calling 770-643-8566

Speak with you soon.

Mark