K. Edmiston & Associates Inc.

Let's jazz things up, shake things up, and get UNSTUCK! The Creative Circle is a program that I was just getting started with before Covid hit. You know the story... one of those things that was meant to be offered in-person but it needed to be put on the back burner. The first several sessions we WERE able to have were wildly impactful and FUN! We had people gather from all different industries and perspectives to learn innovative brainstorming and creative thinking strategi...es. We applied these tools and techniques right in the moment and together - fed off of one another's energy, ideas and imagination! Game changing breakthroughs were made! Well, our Mastermind group recently had a special "Creative Circle" Session and it felt SO good to dig back into this workshop. I wasn't sure that it would be as effective over zoom as it once was in person, but I was pleasantly surprised! We had SO many fantastic ideas come to light (and some really great belly laughs too). And so... I'm planning to offer these sessions virtually now, until we can meet again in person! What is the Creative Circle? It's a place for us to solve problems, identify new opportunities and creatively brainstorm for business breakthroughs! We'll walk through different activities and exercises and expand our thinking beyond the status quo. Who is the Creative Circle for? Anyone looking to get their thinking out of a rut. Or those who are looking for a little extra inspiration. Or those who are curious and inventive and want to start or build or offer something new in their business/career. Or those just needing a break from the 'heavy' right now. With enough interest, I'm planning to make this a monthly offering! Don't think you're creative? I believe you are! Come and prove me wrong ;) First session is on April 27th, 7-8:30 PM via zoom! Everyone welcome, $25/person. Come to expand your creative thinking skills, network, and have some fun too! Drop me a message to reserve your spot or see link in bio

Left? Right? Straight? Do you ever feel like you're longing for a sense of direction? Sometimes as small business owners, the duty to navigate the journey on our own can feel overwhelming. If you've ever gotten lost in a maze before - I think that same panic-y feeling happens for entrepreneurs too. Yet it doesn't always show on the outside, does it? How many times have I heard people say... "I feel like I live with imposter syndrome"?... So here's the honest to goodness truth. WE ALL FEEL that way sometimes. It's not just you. You are NOT an imposter. The maze exists for all of us. Sometimes we get overwhelmed and sometimes we pull on our logic and tame down our hearts just enough to trust our instincts enough to help us navigate our way. It really does boil down to mindset. First things first, though... know you aren't alone out there! Step one - breathe. Step two, get objective or ask for help. Step three, shift your mindset to a place where you're aligned with your 'why'. Step four, TRUST YOURSELF. You'll be out of that maze in no time! Happy Monday, friends!

Thank you, Rebecca for your kind words about our Inside Edge Mastermind Group! Your feedback really means so much! Starting a business is a bit of a rollercoaster running within a tornado - or so it feels sometimes! I've learned from my own experience that taking the time to outline your processes at the get-go, getting really clear on your direction, and then having some assistance to navigate the first 2 years can really make all the difference. The rollercoaster ride is mo...re fun than scary. The tornado carries you quickly - sometimes in directions you didn't really anticipate. I'm so happy to get to work with new business start ups! I love being on the ride WITH my clients and seeing their success is directly aligned with my 'why'. To say I'm grateful for these opportunities is a massive understatement! If you are at all curious about what you might need for your business plans right now, I'd love to hear from you. I always offer confidential (complimentary) 30 minute discovery sessions with no risk and no obligation. I'd love to hear more about your story, your why and where you want to go! Happy Friday, friends! I hope you have a fabulous weekend.

Listen carefully! Your answer is there

What a great read!! And there’s a lot more to what @practicallyminimal can offer in terms of helping you get organized! This concept of decluttering (and regaining focus) is a big part of what our KEA Inside Edge Mastermind group is covering this month. We could likely ALL use some help in this department, am I right?? Shawna, thanks for sharing your expertise in so many ways!!

Another Monday! I've made a conscious decision today to set some very clear intentions for the week ahead. I hope you'll join me! There's this 'little' thing that I believe can completely change our life paths. It holds us steady in the most uncertain waters. It lifts us up and dusts us off after each and every fall. It is completely intrinsic and self-generated. It inspires us, motivates us - and rescues us from the darkest days. It makes virtually ANYTHING possible. It has... actual biochemical effects in our body. It feels good in both our heads and our hearts. What is it? HOPE. Lean into your hope this week. It's a beautiful place to start, especially if you're feeling weary or overwhelmed. Hope for something new, something to change, something to stay the same. Have hope for yourself, your business, your loved ones and the situation we're all living in right now. Or maybe go the other direction and get super-specific with your hope. Pick ONE thing that you want to direct all that hope into. What will happen? Will there's no guarantee that what you're hoping for will come to be. But if you truly LEAN INTO that hope - you WILL shift your mindset. You will magnetically attract the people, energy, and opportunities that connect to your hope. You will release more dopamine in your brain and feel a little more peace and a little more joy. Your motivation will ratchet up (even just a little) and this will make it easier to put one foot in front of the other to take ACTION towards your goals. Note - this is not the same as 'speaking to the universe'. This is rewiring our thoughts to connect in such a way that we put ourselves on the open, free flowing track to our goals. The work still needs to happen... but with hope you'll most definitely have the upper hand! What are you hopeful for this week?

What's top of mind today? GROWTH It's been a strange year to say the least (we all know the list of reasons why is long...). But there's been a bit of a dichotomy in my world. On one hand, I've been working with clients who have been forced out of their careers and are taking the leap to start something of their own. I've been working with clients who already own a small business and are looking for some help to stay afloat amongst shutdowns, uncertainties, and massive pivots.... And - I've also worked with clients who are absolutely flourishing in our current environment and they're needing faster running shoes to keep up. Quite the diverse line up, am I right!? Well what's the common denominator here? GROWTH. One way or another - growth is ALWAYS a part of the equation. When I say "growth" instead of "change" - does that make it sound less intimidating? More exciting? More inspirational? If you're nodding your head with me... well I think it's because GROWTH is something that we can universally recognize as a positive. New growth, re-growth... it's good stuff, right? But it's one thing when we're navigating the path of growth before us (either through force or good fortune) and it can be altogether something else when we GO LOOKING for the growth. But growth is generally a good thing, no? So why aren't we all actively seeking some form of it? Why do we sit back and wait for it to tap us on the shoulder (we could be waiting a long time)? What growth do you need, desire, long for, wish for, aspire to achieve? For you - is growth learning? Shifting your mindset? Doing more, achieving more? Getting smarter, working more efficiently? Reaching more people, helping more people, diversifying your products/services? Are you ready to grow?

Scattered much? Sometimes we all fall into that pit So how do you climb out? Here are some ideas to consider: 1 What is cluttering your mental space? 2 What is cluttering your physical space? 3 What needs your attention THE MOST right now?... 4 What's sucking your attention away from what matters the most? It can be hard to get focused when there are too many things pulling on our attention. So - start with a big deep breath and then try to get as objective as you can. Remove as many distractions as you can. Remind yourself of your "why" and what your BHAGS really are. Now... ALIGN yourself. Are your actions bringing you closer to those goals? Is your cup being filled up as you live out your why? When you're aligned - it's like everything becomes more clear. The crosshairs line up and your focus will return. Still struggling? Try talking it out with a trusted colleague, mentor, or coach (try to find someone who's objective ). Your focus is waiting for you - now go get it back!

April is upon us and it feels like a new chapter is about to start - or is it just me? I have this feeling that the next quarter needs to be reasonably paced (I have a lot of big things coming to the surface soon!) and so I'm already proactively planning how to keep as much balance in my routine as possible. Did you know that routines are one of the secret (not-so-secret) success factors for high performance? Do you have specific routines that get you through peaks and surges...? Could it be as simple as taking a brisk walk around the block half-way through the day? Or moment to enjoy a cup of tea? Maybe some deep breathing exercises or some meditation? YES! It can absolutely be the 'little' things. So - what are you anticipating for this quarter? What are your routines that help you to stay at your peak performance?

CPD - ANOTHER acronym Kristen!? NGL - I do love my acronyms. Everything this one stands for matters to me though. Let's start with a reflection question or two: 1"How important is learning and development to you?" ... 2"Do you make learning a priority for yourself?" 3"Have you sat down and really thought about what training and education you need?" Now - for some of the reality checking that might be going through your mind right now: 1"Too much to do - not enough time..." 2"There are more important priorities and course work doesn't get the REAL work done..." 3"I'm not trying to climb a career ladder - I'm in business for myself. I don't need this sort of thing..." Or maybe... you're waving your arms in the air right now saying, "Kristen - I'm always looking for new ways to learn. I LOVE professional development stuff!!" Well - wherever you land on the spectrum... it's a journey. There's a right time and place for everything but I do have some thoughts to share on why I believe CPD is so valuable. Scroll through... do any of these top 5 reasons for investing your time, money and energy into CPD jive with you? I have about 500 more reasons to dive into it but this is a good start!

I feel so grateful for the opportunity to get to work with passionate, brilliant and driven small business owners. While my goal is to always help them - any way that I can - I always find myself receiving so much in return. That's the magic (I think) with Strategy Partnerships, workshops and for Mastermind Groups too. The learning and insights and ah-ha moments go both ways. If you've been following along lately, you'll know that we started a Mastermind group in January (called the "Inside Edge") and it's been an incredible journey so far! Jenna has kindly share her reflections on it all here and I thought I'd share it so that others can get a hint of what the experience is like for our members. Thank you Jenna your feedback means so much!

So here's something that's top of mind for me these days... Education, Learning, Personal and Professional Development and... teaching! One of my favourite aspects of my work is bringing forward the latest research, knowledge, tools, tips and tricks to my clients and in my workshops/classes. The sheer act of curating the latest and greatest fills my head with all kinds of new ideas and insights - so I'M GROWING in the process too. Then... when I bring this good stuff to share... - I learn even more by seeing how others process it, use it, and integrate their own ideas into the mix. Seriously - the BEST 'job' ever! But I do get pretty particular (and nerdy) about how knowledge is disseminated and how to qualify 'good content'. This is something that was absolutely drilled into my head in both my undergrad and MBA programs. I had to take full length courses on discerning research and statistics. While this sounds a bit dry - it's really - REALLY important. So - in terms of educational, learning and personal/professional development - what topics are you diving into right now? Are you reading/listening to a great book at the moment? Curious minds want to know!!

WOW! I'm still sort of reeling over the many things that came to light last night during our monthly KEA Inside Edge Mastermind session. Who knew that a priority-setting discussion would go so deep ! This question snuck into the conversation and I think we all caught our breaths for a moment to dissect just how on-point it really is!! What REALLY goes into you decisions around what matters most? There are several lenses to look through here... not just "what's most important..." or "what's most urgent". If you're 100% honest with yourself - how much of a role does your HEART play in deciding your priorities (aka doing what you 'feel like') vs. your HEAD strategically analyzing your tasks, aligning them to your BIG goals and sorting your priorities accordingly? Sending out a HUGE thank you to our group members for another fantastic session last night!

Are you up for some real talk again? Can just reflect for a moment on how important PRIORITY SETTING is? If you're struggling with any of the following issues... improved priority setting strategies might make a REAL difference: Always behind on deadlines Struggle with multi-tasking... Feeling overwhelmed with to-do lists Feeling disorganized Dropping the ball Feeling stressed and pressured from other's expectations Feeling exhausted but see no end to the work in sight Struggling to see projects through to completion Putting off the dream Temptations to escape from the grind Procrastination to the max Trust me on this one - YOU are not the problem here! It's easy to beat ourselves up when we're running on that hamster wheel. With a few shifts in your processes and refresh on your mindset - you can realize so much more control in your business and your life! Priority Setting - it's a skill. There are tools. There are strategies! We're digging into all of this and more during tonight's Inside Edge Mastermind Session. If you're interested in learning more about this membership and all the great things we're getting up to, please reach out!

Happy Friday, friends. I was chatting with a good friend and business colleague of mine today and we wandered onto the topic of "being real". Synonymous with "authentic", I suppose but we were talking about how things are just so much easier when it all aligns, when you're working on the things that fill your heart with joy and you're working with the people that amplify that joy to the highest level possible. Then - all you really need to do is keep showing up for the job a...nd let things play out as they should! I love this quote from author Elizabeth Gilbert because of her ideas around trusting our inner genius. When we get out of our own way, stop overthinking and overcomplicating and start trusting our intuition and in our capabilities. When we do so... POOF! The magic happens. Suddenly everything aligns, things get easier and the success we've been working so HARD for begins to flow. I hope you're making it a great day! Drop me a note below if you feel like your genius is showing up for you today and how they're helping you out. PS. Have you seen EG's TED talk about this topic? It's SO good!

CREATIVITY IDEA: Contrasting and Monochromatic ideas Maybe you'll remember playing with colour in art class. We learned about complimentary colours that lived on opposite sides of the colour wheel. We learned that depth and interest can be created not just with different colours but with monochromatic colour schemes too. Once upon a time we were encouraged to explore and be curious about imagery through art and creativity. We learned to find beauty and appreciation through ...art and creativity. Do you still allow yourself to learn and grow through creativity? Well that doesn't mean you have to do so with a paintbrush or pastels. In the business world - we can be equally creative with our IDEAS! What would it look like if we took our ideas to the level of contrast and monochromatic spectrums? What if we explored ideas that were completely contrary to one another and looked for sweet new ideas that could come from it all? What if we took a single idea and surrounded it with similar ideas? My go-to strategy when feeling stuck is to lean into creativity. Thinking differently ALWAYS results in different solutions. Give it a try! #YEGchange #businessopportunity #businessstrategy #businesstrategies #businessadvisor #changemanagement #workplaceculture #teambuilding #workplace #change #growth #businesschange #peopleandchange

ALIGNMENT: Things are just so much easier when our goals, priorities, strategies and actions are aligned, aren't they? So what gets in the way of finding and sustaining that alignment? SO many things...... Unexpected events Loss of focus Boredom, frustration, fatigue The opinions of others (invited or otherwise) Self doubt Too many options Not seeing enough options Lacking clarity (on goals and priorities) Fear of failure (and success) How are you feeling about the year ahead? Have you taken a moment to think through what you want to achieve and sorted through some ideas on how you're going to get there? Are things feeling aligned or does it all still feel like a struggle? #strategicplanning #strategicthinking #businessopportunity #businessstrategy #motivatingideas #getmotivated #learning #quoteoftheday #businessquote #mindset #mindsetter #reframe #newperspective

Your Plate: What is on it right now? What do you want to be on it? That's right - you get a lot of choice here but are you accepting and leveraging that power? It's your time, money and energy. Your valuable resources and it is so critically important that we are present and selective on how we allocate those resources.... To make the most of our time, money and energy is to optimize our productivity. To become hyper-efficient and preoccupied with excellence. Shouldn't we be striving to those standards - especially in a time when there is uncertainty? So I leave this hear as a reminder that you get to select what's on your plate. You also get to decide how you want to work through what's on that plate. You get to set the priorities, select who you want to work with and how you want to run your business (and your life). You get to choose how you show up, what your mindset looks like and who you want to be for others. So... please share! What's on your plate today? What are you planning for your plate tomorrow? #strategicplanning #strategicthinking #businessopportunity #businessstrategy #motivatingideas #getmotivated #learning #quoteoftheday #businessquote #mindset #mindsetter #reframe #newperspective