You don’t have anyone to go to when you have questions about something. You don’t have a colleague that you can rant with when you’re not happy with a project. You can just easily miss new technologies being introduced in the market because you don’t have time to check. There may be new ways of doing things that you have not heard about because you are all caught up in your own space. You can find yourself lost on how to deal with clients on a variety of situations that arise. When you network with other WAHMs, you address all these things, and more.
Let me share with you what I think are the top ways you will thrive when you reach out and leave your comfort zone.
1. You’ll find joint venture partners
One of the ways that you can grow as a WAHM is to join forces with other WAHMs as joint venture partners. This is exactly what I did back in 2013, when I partnered with The Techie Mom. Her strength is my weakness, her weakness my strength, so we joined forces. We offered a workshop together and we offered complementary services.
Having a partner means you can plan to host events together, do a course together, start a membership site together and so many more things that you may not have ever seen yourself doing on your own. The best way to find a partner is to network with other WAHMs and look for someone whose strengths are your weaknesses, and vice versa.
2. You’ll find friends
When you are an employee working in a normal office environment, you usually form close friendships with co-workers. The reason is, you’re with them eight or more hours a day, five to six days a week. There is little time to make friends outside of the office anymore. But when you work at home, it’s even harder. If you are like me, then most likely, you hardly leave your house, so when do you find time to be with people and make friends? When working online, you’ll have more in common with other online workers and you can share your wins and losses with them just like you would at work in a way that you both understand. This will make you be happier where you are at.
3. You’ll feel less lonely
The number one grievance of many who try to start a WAHM career is they feel isolated and lonely. You can be the world’s most introvert introvert (if there ever is someone like that), and still there will be moments that you will want to have someone to talk to. Finding other WAHMs online to chat with is a great way to avoid this feeling. You can join Facebook Groups, WAHM Forums, and other types of online communities, and if you participate, you’ll always have them when you need them.
4. You’ll stay on top of new trends
An awesome part of networking with other online workers is that it helps you stay on top of what works best in the industry you’re in. One thing that helped me succeed is my ability to set up systems and procedures. If you are within my network, it is most likely that I have shared with you these systems. What I’m saying here is…The successful WAHMs who started before you already have it worked out. You can learn from them. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Just network, and you’ll find gems along the way.
5. You’ll get referrals
You might think that networking with your fellow WAHMs is networking with your competitors. In some cases, that is true. But not all WAHMs are in the same niche as you. That means many people can be sources of referrals for you and vice versa. To get more referrals, give more referrals.
6. You’ll be more inspired
I do hope you are the kind of person who celebrates other people’s success. I am. I do. I use the triumphs of other WAHMs as my inspiration to do better, my motivation to work harder. Because I know they did not get to where they are by being complacent. They work hard, and so do I.
7. They’ll help you
People, for the most part, do like helping each other and seeing others succeed. I know I do. And this is especially true in the WAHM communities I’ve been fortunate to be in. We’re a a sisterhood of WAHMs who “get” each other, and we do like it when we see our friends succeed and bring their respective businesses to where they want it to go. My advice is, get an accountability partner. Or a mentor, if you will. Someone you will be comfortable to share ideas with, and brainstorm and remind each other of your respective goals and help each other achieve them faster.
8. You can build an expert status in your chosen niche
When you are in a community of WAHMs and you sincerely try to help, younger and less experienced WAHMs will look up to you. Those people you help will pass that information to others, and you can build a real reputation as an expert within your niche.
Networking with colleagues is all about building relationships. A business relationship can lead to a real friendship. Having friends in the industry can help you get through the toughest of times, and celebrate the best of times. These connections can make all the difference in how you’ll achieve success in your journey as a WAHM.
Do you have questions, comments or feedback about this post?
Please leave me a message, or post them at my Facebook Page.
If you are following me on Facebook, you must have noticed the number of times I’ve posted an inbox zero status. Thanks to FollowUpThen, inbox zero is now more a way of life than an occasional achievement.
As a virtual assistant, I receive an average of a hundred emails daily. And those are just for my main client in my VA business. I’m not even counting the emails for my side hustles.
My inbox is pretty organized. I have folders according to recipients so I know which ones to attend to as soon as I log in. I have folders according to events that I’m organizing for the client, so I know where to look for expenses that need to be reimbursed or where to look for communication threads should there be a time that they need me to look for references. I have folders according to contact category, like affiliates, consult clients, coaching clients, podcast guests and suppliers.
But the challenge has been in keeping track of email threads. Not all people are prompt responders. Some would really require several follow-ups before they would respond. And with the sheer volume of emails that flow through my inbox every single day, some would tend to fall through the cracks. These are few and far between, but yes, there have been times that a scheduled consult would be due the next day, only to realize that the client has not replied to confirm the call.
The fix that I creatively used was to mark emails needing follow up as unread, star them, so that they all go to one folder, and because they are unread, they stay at the top of my inbox for me to see each time I log in, as a reminder that I have to send a follow up.
Another tool I used was the mighty pen and paper technique with post-it notes and my daily planner.
But that was stressful! Not to mention time-consuming. And messy.
Imagine having, say, ten clients who do not check their e-mail everyday. That’s an additional ten unread emails to the new hundred that I get each day. Or having to write the same reminder on the pages of my planner each time I turn the page to another day.
Then I found FollowUpThen.
Not only was I able to clear out my inbox, I’ve also been able to keep my planner almost blank. No more writing down notes to myself. I just keep my task list in my e-mail, and they pop up at the time that I need to be reminded.
Another fun feature is that when I send an action item to my client, I’m also able to remind him when he forgets to respond. 🙂
If this is the first time you are reading about FollowUpThen, go ahead and check out all the cool features at their site.
You can use it for free, and you can set-up up to 50 reminders in a month. Or subscribe to a monthly plan (as I did) so you can set up as many reminders and tasks as you need. And what’s really cool is that you only need to subscribe to one plan, and you can link your other email addresses to it.
Do you have questions, comments or feedback about this post? Please leave me a message, or post them at my Facebook Page.
Astragalus is an herb. The root is used to make medicine.
Astragalus is used for many conditions, but so far, there isn’t enough scientific evidence to determine whether or not it is effective for any of them.
Some people use astragalus as a general tonic, to protect the liver, and to fight bacteria and viruses.
Astragalus is commonly used in combination with other herbs. For example, in combination with Ligustrum lucidum (glossy privet), astragalus is used orally for treating breast cancer, cervical cancer, and lung cancer.
Astragalus is sometimes applied to the skin to increase blood flow to the area and to speed wound healing.
There are several different species of astragalus. Some species contain a toxin called swainsonine and have been linked to livestock poisonings. Some of these species include Astragalus lentiginosus, Astragalus mollissimus, and others. However, these species of astragalus are usually not found in dietary supplements used by humans. Most astragalus supplements contain Astragalus membranaceus.
How does it work?
Astragalus seems to stimulate and increase the immune system.
Proven Effective for
Reducing side effects of chemotherapy. Early research suggests that giving astragalus intravenously (by IV) or using Chinese herbal mixtures containing astragalus might reduce nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and bone marrow suppression (a decrease in the cells that provide immunity) that is associated with chemotherapy treatments.
Diabetes. Early research suggests that astragalus, given intravenously (by IV) or taken by mouth as a combination product, might help control blood sugar and insulin levels in people with type 2 diabetes.
Siberian ginseng is a plant. People use the root of the plant to make medicine.
Siberian ginseng is often called an “adaptogen.” This is a non-medical term used to describe substances that can supposedly strengthen the body and increase general resistance to daily stress.
Some people use it to improve athletic performance and the ability to do work. They also use it to treat sleep problems (insomnia) and the symptoms of infections caused by herpes simplex type 2.
It is also used to boost the immune system, prevent colds, and increase appetite.
Don’t confuse Siberian ginseng with other types of ginseng. It is not the same herb as American or Panax ginseng. Be careful about which product you choose. American and Panax ginseng can be a lot more expensive. It is said that years ago, the Soviet Union wanted to provide its athletes with the advantages offered by ginseng but wanted a less expensive version. So, Siberian ginseng became popular, and this is why most studies on it have been done in Russia.
You should know that the quality of Siberian ginseng products varies a lot. It is often misidentified or contains “adulterants,” which are other ingredients that do not contribute to the benefit of the product but take up space in the product. Silk vine is a common adulterant of Siberian ginseng.
Siberian ginseng contains many chemicals that affect the brain, immune system, and certain hormones. It might also contain chemicals that have activity against some bacteria and viruses.
Proven Effective for
Bipolar disorder. Taking Siberian ginseng plus lithium by mouth for 6 weeks appears to induce a similar response rate and remission rate as taking lithium plus fluoxetine in people with bipolar disorder.
Relieving symptoms of the common cold, when used in combination with an herb called andrographis. Some clinical research shows that taking a specific combination product containing Siberian ginseng plus andrographis (Kan Jang, Swedish Herbal Institute) by mouth improves symptoms of the common cold when started within 72 hours of symptom onset. Some symptoms can improve after 2 days of treatment. However, it generally takes 4-5 days of treatment for the maximum benefit. Some research suggests this combination of Siberian ginseng and andrographis relieves cold symptoms in children better than echinacea. Also taking a specific product containing Siberian ginseng, echinacea, and malabar nut (Kan Jang, Swedish Herbal Institute) for 6 days appears to improve coughing and congestion better than taking the drug bromohexine.
A viral infection called herpes simplex 2 (HSV-2). Taking a specific Siberian ginseng extract, standardized to contain a specific ginseng ingredient called eleutheroside 0.3% (Elagen), seems to reduce the number, severity, and duration of herpes simplex type 2 infections.
Schisandra berry, also spelled schizandra, is a vining shrub native to Northern and Northeast China, areas of Korea and Russia. In Chinese, the berries of Schisandra chinensis are called Wu Wei Zi, translated as the “five-flavor fruit”, based on it’s salty, sweet, sour, pungent and bitter flavors, It has been used as a natural medicine for thousands of years and prescribed by physicians in China.
The use of schisandra berry in North America is limited; only small number of studies have currently been published in English. Most of the published research is in Chinese, Japanese and Russian. In the 16th century, the largest description of materia medica in traditional China was written in a pharmaceutical book titled Bencao Gangmu (Guidelines to Roots and Herbs). In Traditioanal Chinese Medicine, schisandra berry has been widely used as a kidney tonic and lunch astringent. Schisandra helps promote the production of body fluid, increase the body’s resistance to a broad spectrum of adverse biological, chemical and physical effect and help the body handle stress.
Schisandra fruit has been found to have a variety of active constituents including essential oils, vitamins A, C and E, flavonoids, triterpenic acid, citric acid, ganwuweizic acid, and more.
Health Benefits of Schisandra Berry
Antimicrobial Effects and Liver Health
Scientific studies have found that schisandra berry works as an antibacterial, a stimulants and it protects the liver against toxins. Liver problems lead to immune disorders because of the build up of toxins. In vitro and in animal models, schisandra extract has been examined for its anti-inflammatory effects. A constituent of schisandra has been shown to inhibit inflammatory cell infiltration in animals with liver injuries. In vitro, schisandra chinensis extract has also shown antibacterial activity.
Other Benefits
Schisandra is used as an “adaptogen” for increasing resistance to disease and stress, increasing energy, and increasing physical performance and endurance.
Schisandra is also used for preventing early aging and increasing lifespan, normalizing blood sugar and blood pressure, stimulating the immune system, and speeding recovery after surgery.
It is also used for treating liver disease (hepatitis) and protecting the liver from poisons. The Chinese have developed a liver-protecting drug called DBD that is made from schizandrin, one of the chemicals in schisandra.
Other uses for schisandra include treatment of high cholesterol, pneumonia, coughs, asthma, sleep problems (insomnia), tiredness and irritability associated with emotional disturbance (neurasthenia), premenstrual syndrome (PMS), chronic diarrhea, dysentery, night sweats, spontaneous sweating, involuntary discharge of semen, thirst, erectile dysfunction (ED), physical exhaustion, excessive urination, depression, irritability, and memory loss. It is also used in children to reduce the frequency and severity of attacks of fever associated with an inherited disease called familial Mediterranean fever.
Some people use schisandra for improving vision and muscular activity, protecting against radiation, preventing motion sickness, preventing infection, boosting energy at the cellular level, and improving the health of the adrenal glands.
Common Name:
Schisandra Berry
Botanical Name:
Schisandra chinensis
Part of Use:
Berry
References: 1. Natural Standard: The Authority of Integrative Medicine 2. Louise Tenney (2000). Today’s Herbal Health. 5th Edition 3. WebMD
