Blessed {thank you}

Its taken me a few days to get time to sit down and write this.

Firstly, a HUGE thank you to everyone who helped me with my crowdfunding campaign… it was a SUCCESS!  & I cannot even begin to describe how grateful I am to you. Words cannot portray the love & gratitude I feel in my heart.

 

‘Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.’ Harriet Tubman 

The truth is, it was a big risk {and scary as hell}, to put myself and my brand out there and just say ‘hey, I need your help’.

As mush as we say its ok to ask for help, how often do we? Yet instead most of us chose to act strong & like everything is perfect with our rose tinted glasses on.

I can honestly say, something had to change for me. This made my decision about the launching the campaign. I couldnt keep doing the little things I was doing, working harder not smarter and making slow progress (yes, progress is still progress). But I knew I was close to burn out.

‘Oh, I was never a businessman. I was a visionary, a dreamer.’ Jim Bakker

With my business, its never had a $ of investment, instead it was created from a need to pay my own living costs and grow itself. & truth be told I love this about my story. I dont even have a credit card so I can instead chose to grow organically. Now, this is great & all, but it can also mean that growth may be slower, or in my case I was struggling to keep up with the growth & needs of my clients (more so on a time limit).

‘I think of myself not just as a dreamer, but as a dream chaser’. Sarah Brightman

So because of you, & my leap of faith, today Im sending of the brand new packaging to China for my first sample…

I AM IN LOVE…

 

 

What do you think? {The Muscle Ball range is Mint Green & the display box is Kraft cardboard}

You see, what you have done, by showing me love, pre ordering & sharing my campaign, is restore my faith (that was getting a little tired from hrs of exhausting myself & Adrenal Fatigue) that I am exactly where I need to be, doing exactly what I should be doing (my recent Angel reading also said this). Youve shown me that there is a need for a product like mine (1 year of business also shows this), and that together, we, the people can make a change. This is EXCITING.

You know just the other day I read an article that McDonalds is losing money… This is success. WE can create a change by learning to love ourselves and  make healthy changes. By learning to listen to our bodies. Instead of focusing on the things you dont like, focus on the things you do and all the good you are blessed with.

Because of the campaign success, I also decided its time to STEP up my game, and my own health so I can be the very best I can be. No more excuses. No more mistreatment of my body (too much sugar, not enough self love). Its time to honour the beautiful body I was created with & give it everything it needs to give me what I need. You eat well, you feel well…such a good circle.

For me, & for my business, but for you. Anyone that takes the time to read my blogs and share my journey with me.

Because I have BIG dreams & I believe in them with every essence of my being. YOU have given me a new opportunity to shine (I CANNOT WAIT TO RELEASE THE NEW PRODUCT).

And Im doing the work. So many people say they want to do their own thing, but their not prepared to do the work. Not prepared to get up an hr earlier, go to bed an hr later, say no to social engagements & commit themselves fully to their dream.

I am. The next 3 months I have given myself to do everything I can to bring a better & improved product & company to you. Regardless of the weekends missed, I know what Im running towards, the dreams that are becoming my reality. Im prepared to go without do my business can go with.

Can you see yours? Do you know where your going? What are you running towards???

Its so easy to get confused & off track, I mean theres so much competition out there & entrepreneurship isnt easy. But if you believe, even 2 steps forward, 1 step back…sideways or upside down…it doesnt matter. Your headed in the right direction. Trust, faith & believe in yourself always.

‘There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.’ Colin Powell

My current frame of mind is taking from one of the greatest businessmen in history; Henry Ford, who knew nothing about the Steel industry but built a team around him of people who were experts with what they knew so he could do what he did best. And its a pretty special place to be, to be able to have a business coach (who makes me do homework & get out of my own mind), a graphic designer to bring a professional product to you, a lawyer to get everything that needs to be done, done, an accountant to look after all my figures, an intern to do the little things and today interviewing staff for the kitchen, so I can do what I love doing & do best… including writing, coaching & being the dreamer I am.

‘Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.’ Gail Devers

I am blessed & grateful. Thank you.

Love & light, Charlie x.

Because together, we can make a change in the world.

#Boss life.

I wrote this last week when I was feeling inspired, to share with you the true journey of an entrepreneur…hustling AND struggling, making mistakes AND growing.

Because we see inspirational people who have achieved ‘success’, yet we dont see their struggle. What happens in all those in between years? So youve started a company…how do you go from small business to big business and when can you say youve ‘made it’? The actual reality that is behind starting your own business you have to wake up chasing your dreams, you have to create a sense of self so strong that you are able to always get back up after failing or being pushed down. You have to believe and have a strong sense of self that cannot be broken.
I’m on a flight to Melbourne for the Filex show. Clean Treats is having a stand, my 2nd event of this type {read big scale, 30,000 visitors} in 4 weeks.

I feel a quiet contentment in my soul.
There is no stress, no worry, no concerns for I know now, especially after the first expo and this whole year of business, my first,  that what will be will be.

It was just over one year ago today that I didn’t even have any #balls. I was trying to make my life & living being a health coach and speaker in a field that is influxed with ‘professionals’. What I have found that success in this takes not only a long time but its all about who you know and being honest, your social media following.

 “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.”  Michael Jordan

It was with desperation to pay my rent that I created a product (I was actually lucky, the #balls happened. I was surprised myself that they did with no recipes  but worked first go for my first 3 love ball range flavours).

Now 1 year on, as I continuously read personal development books (currently the E myth & Inspiration from Lisa Messenger) my business that has no business plan, a business that was created out of desperation not to be homeless, is it’s at its adolescent stage. Grown from being a baby business, something I wasn’t quite sure was real or in fact sustainable…just operating week to week, now has its own little legs and is starting to run {if your familiar with the book and the reference of adolescence you’ll also know that at this stage my business is running me, I’m not running it and that’s my the best place to be).

 “If you are not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you’ve launched too late.”  –Reid Hoffman

{the above quote! So true…Ive done so many things and have later thought what was I thinking? But its good to laugh, look back, change and move forward}

I cannot begin to write the extent of struggles I’ve experienced; from not being able to pay rent on several occasions, not being able to pay power bills. To having to put $5 petrol in, or do deliveries with the E light on. To breaking down emotionally in public then having to walk into a meeting with a potential new client. Having to rush to a the nearest bathroom facilities to throw up (stress sickness). To feeling all alone with no support (even though I have a world of support around me). 

To now, 1 year later about to exhibit with my own team of #ballers, at the largest fitness and health exhibition in Australia after making a statement lat year that I would have my own stand this year. To expose my business: something I have created from nothing, product to logos, design….everything that is Clean Treats to approximately 30,000 people.

To the moments that I have cried tears of happiness. To feeling my heart so full it could burst. To feeling 200% in tune with my passion and my purpose. 

 “Whether you think you can, or think you can’t — you’re right.”  –Henry Ford

And truth be told not everyday I awake with passion stronger than caffeine. Some days it is about one foot in front of the other.

I’m now ready to pass on the things that give me headaches: finances, tax etc so I can ensure allll of my energy is focused on the things I now how to do and can do them well (sales, sharing love, playing with balls 🙂

Business is my game & creating a healthy happy change in the world is my goal.

“The critical ingredient is getting off your butt and doing something. It’s as simple as that. A lot of people have ideas, but there are few who decide to do something about them now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. But today. The true entrepreneur is a doer, not a dreamer.”  –Nolan Bushnell

I truly believe the universe gave me an avenue (because believe me I am not a great cook, & sometimes I don’t particularly like 14hr days in the kitchen, or having to spend the 4 day easter weekend in prep with 5000 balls before the fitness expo) to be the best that I can be. To test every skill I have ever acquired from working for some of the best companies in Australia; Pevonia Botanica, Flush Fitness, Napoleon Perdis. All companies created by someone with a dream. Someone with drive, belief and the tenacious self belief to say yes to a world that will say no. I remember to this day when the CEO of pevonia Botanica (a leading proffessional skin care company) inspired us, his team of 15 sales reps that he once had to go out door knocking. He had to walk the streets to get accounts. 7 years later the company was turning over $8million and awarded best skin care distributor (this was a while ago). Because he believed. And he did the work.

 “Don’t be afraid to assert yourself, have confidence in your abilities, and don’t let the bastards get you down.”  –Michael Bloomberg

The purpose of this post (I have missed writing!!) is to say thank you.

To everyone who has been or is still part of my journey. Whether you hate me or love me, like me or don’t…you have influenced me in some way.

If you have a dream chase it.
Do everything you can.
(You have to let go of your ego and pride sometimes; for example when you have to ask your baby brother to bail you out for rent #loveyou)
Back yourself. And be prepared to do what needs to be done. To say no to dinner or a social engagement because you have to work.
There is no balance in the beginning. This I know. You have to live and breathe your business, because you are everything and the only thing it has. When it’s you, and only you trying to make ends meet with no financial backers, you’ve got to do what needs to be done…hrs upon hrs of work…commiting to a goal, a dream noone can see but you. You have be the the chef, the social media pro, the business manager, the admin assistant, the delivery man, the accountant, the communications, strategist, product packer… everything above and beyond any lines. Its all you. 

I have HUGE dreams. And they scare me.
I’m getting tired of being the small guy to some companies, told no repeatedly or just treated with a blaze approach (think orders/suppliers etc) so it’s time I put in place some big systems and take action to be where and who I want to be. 
In writing that, I also know I am exactly where I should be, in this exact moment. Learning everyday. Taking a jump, running fast, falling down, and sometimes barely even crawling towards my dreams. But I am always going in the right direction towards them.
I am excited (especially for new packaging, new procedures and some new partnerships that I am creating/will make happen because I want to run my business not have it run me).
I’m not perfct. I make mistakes (everydayyyyyyy) but I am trying (and yes I left that spelling mistake there).

And so should you. Because together we can be the change the world needs.

Love, Charlie x.

{from The Clean Treats Factory}

I believe. Do you?

7 Traits of Truly Sensational Startup Employees

My first blog of the year and I read this and thought…perfect!

 

As Im currently aiming to give 200% in my business, targeting a 200% growth and hiring my first employee, this read was perfect. So naturally of course, I had to share.

“Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion.” Jack Welch

{Original posted on Entrepreneur, by LinkedIn Influencer, Dharmesh Shah}

While you might think a great employee is a great employee no matter where she works, what matters in a small, growth-oriented startup is often very different from what matters in a huge, stability-oriented corporation.

For one thing, the ability to successfully navigate politics-filled waters is usually a lot less important in a startup. Plus, since the organizations tend to be flatter, standing out is often more a matter of what you accomplish than of whom you know.

(But then again I love startups and I love startup cultures… so I’m probably biased.)

I’ve been in an around startups for a long time and known some great startup folks (including many that work at HubSpot). I think I have a sense for what makes for truly sensational people at a startup.

Here’s my (partial) list:

1. They would much rather act than deliberate.

I’ve only written one business plan in my life. It was while I was in business school, and it was required. Generally, I think business plans are pretty useless (but the planning process can be quite useful).

The problem with business plans is that things change so quickly in the startup world. Before the ink is even dry on that 100+ page business plan as it shoots out the printer, things have already changed and “the plan” is already outdated. Stuff happens: Good stuff, bad stuff — and every now and then, amazing stuff.

Very few startups I know – or companies I’ve invested in – resemble their original business plan. (And that’s a good thing, because it means they’re shaping their businesses to meet the needs of their customers.)

Great startup employees are the same way. They think a little and then do a lot. And then they adapt and modify.

The best companies often don’t start with a brilliant idea, they iterate into one.
It’s hard to learn from thinking. It’s much easier to learn from doing.

2. They don’t care about what’s behind the curtain.

In some corporations, offices – and the perceived status that come with them – are everything. A corner office makes you better than someone with a hallway office. A hallway office makes you better than someone in a cubicle.

(At my company I don’t have an office – I’m not sure what that makes me.)

Startups generally avoid politics. Instead of obsessing who has the bigger desk/office, they obsess over the customer.

Sensational start-up employees understand calories are best spent making a real difference for customers. Every business has finite resources. The key is to spend as much of those resources as possible on things that matter to the customers — or, at least genuinely matter to the team. Fretting over trivial things doesn’t help anyone. It’s just a waste of energy.

3. They don’t see money as the solution to every problem.

Sure, capital-intensive ventures that require extensive investment may need significant cash to get going, but most businesses require little funding to get started. (A quick glance at the Inc. 5000 list shows just how many startups were founded with relatively little funding.)

One of the key lessons first-time entrepreneurs need to learn is resourcefulness. How do you take limited resources and turn them into something remarkable?

That’s also true of the best startup employees. They’re remarkably resourceful. They’re not looking to build an army of people to do their bidding They’re not looking to spend thousands on advertising to avoid the hard work of writing a blog. They’re constantly looking for creative ways to make the most of the resources they have.

In short, they throw brains at problems, not money. And the solutions they come up with are almost always better. And, the connections built between people from solving problems creatively are some of the strongest connections that can be built.

4. They see every customer as an individual that deserves respect.

Maybe you have hundreds or thousands of customers. If so, that’s awesome – but that also can mean you face the danger of thinking of your customers as a nameless, faceless group of revenue-producing entities.

But no matter how many customers you have, each is an individual. The day you start thinking of them as this amorphous “collection” and stop thinking of them as people is the day you start going out of business.

Great startup employees never lose sight of the fact that every customer is a person: a person with hopes, dreams, expectations, needs… and a person who ultimately wants to be treated as a person. Yes, they worry about the “market” and work to build a business that can scale as it grows. But, that’s shouldn’t be an excuse for not caring about customers.

Great startup employees solve for the customer – and in so doing, they solve for the business.

5. They love a meritocracy.

Sensational startup employees hate politics. They hate hidden agendas. They hate the “good old boys” network.

They’re willing to succeed on their own merits – because they believe in themselves.

And they believe in others, too.

6. They care much more about their peers than the perks.

Catered meals. Free massages. Lavish parties. These are all perks — and they’re great if you have them. But, the best people care much more about who they work with (their peers) than the perks they get.

This is for a very simple reason: The #1 benefit of working at a startup is that you get to learn. And, how much you learn is largely a function of how much autonomy you have — and who you’re around.

Also, stars know intuitively that life is short. Too short to work with people you don’t enjoy.

7. They instinctively focus on the company’s mission.

Walk through any huge corporation and you’ll find people who have created their own jobs (and not in a good way.)

Some will have developed databases filled with data (but resulting in no usable insight) because they love building databases. Some will have created fancy charts (again resulting in no usable insight) because they love creating fancy charts. Some will schedule meeting after meeting (none of which resulting in meaningful decisions) because they love being in charge… and they love hearing themselves talk.

Great start-up employees focus on the core mission of the company. They build products customers want. They meet customer needs. They help other employees succeed. The best people don’t just bide their time while they’re at work. They squeeze as much value out of that time as they possibly can in furthering the organization’s mission.

They try to make tomorrow better than today for everyone around them – because that’s what they love to do.

{LOVE the last statement!!!}

“If anything goes bad, then I did it. If anything goes semi-good, then we did it. If anything goes real good, then you did it.” Paul “Bear” Bryant, American college football coach

Love, Charlie x.

If you are looking for a position within a start up company, I am currently hiring. Im looking for an all round superstar; someone with social media, PR skills, Personal assistant and kitchenhand.

You  must be prepared to start from the bottom to grow with my business (and it is, 4 new stockists this week alone). Ingenuity and outside the box thinking is rewarded.

Email me resumes charlie@charliedehaas.com.au

Experience in the health, food, wellness industry is preferred.

If its worth having, it wont be easy.

What some people don’t tell you when you create your own business/chase your dreams/work for yourself…

*It can be hard to self motivate…everyday.

*It can be challenging to always search for the positive in a negative situation.

*You have to fake it til you make it.

*You have to let go of the guilt when you make mistakes.

*You will make them. Plenty of them.

‘I am not the richest, smartest or most talented person in the world, but I succeed because I keep going and going and going.’ Sylvester Stallone

*Its not easy to always be your own greatest fan.

 

*You have to find a source of strength and resilience within yourself.

*You will have to actively change any self doubt thoughts to self belief thoughts, the minute they start to occur.

*You will have to say I CAN in a world that will tell you you cant.

 

{AND IT WILL ALL BE WORTH IT}

‘Determination gives you the resolve to keep going in spite of the roadblocks that lay before you.’ Dennis Waitley

We view people, our inspirations, mentors, and the great leaders with such awe and a ‘how did they do it’ attitude. What we don’t realise is what they have endured to achieve their great success. In fact I personally love to read, listen to these success stories. Recently I heard about the creator of Carmens muesli who after 5 years in business (she started in her garage) was out doing deliveries and ran out of petrol, and she had no money to refuel. But she found a way to keep going and do what needed to be done, and now Carmens is a nationwide known entity.

Its been nearly a year of working for myself and it has easily been the best, the most challenging, self developing and learnt, (yes I realise that isnt correct english), interesting, happy year of my life.

But yes, it has been challenging, in fact there are many days when I want to crawl back into bed (today for example, feeling completely exhausted) or contemplate just going back to a paid career.

The easy way out. (You can never fail if you never quit).

What I have found to be of utmost importance is to create your world with motivational triggers, inspiration go to sources; emotional, mental and physical that you can reach for in your time of need. Because there are times you dont want to do what needs to be done. There are days where your light might not be shining so bright. There are days where you question what do you think your doing?

Today I needed this:

{The below is reposted from Dan Waldschmidt}

You have to make the call you’re afraid to make.

You have to get up earlier than you want to get up.

You have to give more than you get in return right away.

You have to care more about others than they care about you.

You have to fight when you are already injured, bloody, and sore.

You have to feel unsure and insecure when playing if safe seems smarter.

You have to lead when no one else is following you yet.

You have to invest in yourself even though no one else is.

You have to look like a fool while you’re looking for answers you don’t have.

You have to grind out the details when it’s easier to shrug them off.

You have to deliver results when making excuses is an option.

You have to search for your own explanations even when you’re told to accept the “facts”.

You have to make mistakes and look like an idiot.

You have try and fail and try again.

You have to run faster even though you’re out of breath.

You have to be kind to people who have been cruel to you.

You have to meet deadlines that are unreasonable and deliver results that are unparalleled.

You have to be accountable for your actions even when things go wrong.

You have to keep moving towards where you want to be no matter what’s in front of you.

You have to do the hard things.

The things that no one else is doing. The things that scare you. The things that make you wonder how much longer you can hold on.

Those are the things that define you. Those are the things that make the difference between living a life of mediocrity or outrageous success.

The hard things are the easiest things to avoid. To excuse away. To pretend like they don’t apply to you.

The simple truth about how ordinary people accomplish outrageous feats of success is that they do the hard things that smarter, wealthier, more qualified people don’t have the courage — or desperation — to do.

Do the hard things. You might be surprised at how amazing you really are.

WOW. Yes, definitely going on my vision board as a daily ‘JUST DO IT” mantra. You see, I truly believe that you have it within you to be anything that you dream of becoming (and I have it within me), you just have to be prepared to do what you dont like doing, give up on some of the things you enjoy (for me, my passion for fashion is compromised at the moment) and FOCUS everything on your goal.

Love & Light, Charlie x.

Time to get into my admin/figures/reporting.

‘Don’t listen to what anybody says except the people who encourage you. If it’s what you want to do and it’s within yourself, then keep going and try to do it for the rest of your life.’ Jake Gyllenhaal

 

Monday Motivation…Kim Peirce (BabeScrub)

Did you wake up this morning with the opportunity to chase your dreams? Or excited thoughts of ‘what change will I create today?’ Gratefully, I did.

‘The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.’ Eleanor Roosevelt

I can honestly say that I am doing the work, every day…choosing my thoughts, actively changing automatic negative thoughts (ANT’s) to beautiful positive seeds. I am working on the garden of my mind…everyday. You can to. It just takes small steps, thoughts & actions every day. But you have to do the work.

One of those actions is to surround yourself with people who inspire you (otherwise they will drain you). I’m happy to introduce you to one of own personal sources of inspiration…Kim Peirce, entrepreneur & creator of Babe Scrub. As much as you can control your own thoughts and actions, you are still a product of your environment, so make sure its a good one! (I create my environment with the dream chasers, the believers, the opportunity makers).

Charlie: You are the creator of Babe Scrub, an in demand, ‘must have’ product. What do you attribute this success to?

I’ve always been entrepreneurial and for a long time used this skill set to benefit the organisations I worked for! Two years ago I gave up my career in the corporate world to pursue my own entrepreneurial ventures and in this light, my success as an entrepreneur is founded on an inherent belief in myself. As Beyonce famously said “I don’t like to gamble, but if there’s one thing I’m willing to bet on, it’s myself”.

This belief, served with a shitload of tenacity, and sprinkled with an openness to try anything is definitely the formula for my success!

Charlie: When did you decide to you wanted to be involved in the wellness industry?

My last job in the oil & gas and mining industry required travelling every month to all corners of the earth, leaving my children behind, and passing my husband like ships in the night. It was grueling. A weekend visit to Gwinganna Health Retreat in QLD was the catalyst for taking the step out of corporate and into the wellness and lifestyle industry.

Charlie: What inspired you to follow your passion?

Reading Tim Ferris’s 4Hr Work Week!

Charlie: How do you feel as an inspirational figure/mentor?

On some level, we all inspire others in different ways. Encouragement is sometimes all that is needed to inspire others to take action, and this is a beautiful gift to give from ourselves to those around us.

Charlie: Has there been any challenges along your journey?

I was a single mum when I took my first major career pivot deciding to go to university full time to get my undergraduate degree. Bringing two little babies under the age of 3 to university with me to my lectures and trying to keep them occupied under the desk while writing my essays was a challenge for sure, but it just made me more determined to succeed and I would not be where I am today without making that happen all those years ago.

Charlie: How do you maintain balance between your Career and personal health?

I begin every day with a walk early in the morning before I have to engage with anyone – including family! It helps me get my mind right and clear my thoughts for each day! It also helps me open my eyes!

‘Hope is the dream of the waking man.’ French Proverb

Charlie: What do you believe are the keys to success in business?

Determination. Manners. Determination. Educating yourself. Determination. Manners!

Charlie: What is your advice for anyone who has a dream?

Start NOW!

‘Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.’ Harriet Tubman

Charlie: What can we look forward to next from you?

We have a new line coming out in the next couple of months as well as an extension to the Babescrub range. Yey!

Charlie: Top 3 healthy tips/advice?

#1 Move your body.

#2 Drink buckets of water but not just before, during or just after meals.

#3 Meditate.

“When the mind goes beyond the thought of ‘the me,’ the experiencer, the observer, the thinker, then there is a possibility of a happiness that is incorruptible.”  Jiddu Krishnamurti

I sincerly thank Kim for her time.

Sharing is caring, if you would like to enjoy a little self love action or perhaps give a beautiful gift with some Babe Scrub, enter the code Charliesbabes at checkout to receive a discount.

Be sure to follow:

IG: Babe Scrub

FB: Babe Scrub

Love & light, Charlie x.

You are the only one who can create your dream reality; choose good thoughts over bad, love over hate, and be a good human for the hope of all humanity (kind, honest & caring).