Listen to your body and you will have a more balanced business life

I recently had the opportunity to host an event called The Marketing Next Expo. It was held in Daytona Beach on September 11. We had 48 energized exhibitors, 22 amazing speakers and 200 excited attendees. It was such an honor to be part of this unnatural event. The mission was to educate and empower and based on feedback I can say that most walked away with one if not both! Coming down from the expo I found myself in hibernation mode much like a bear in winter. I barely spoke to anyone the two days following and the weekend after was filled with feedback forms, returning emails, calling to say thank you and so needless to say, the hibernation didn't last long enough. The following Monday I found myself overwhelmed with my ever growing to-do list. Because my focus and time had been so set on the expo in preparation for the past four months, I had rearranged my appointments, templates and monthly duties to accommodate my new schedule of meetings, speaking engagements and runs to the nearest office supply store. I hadn't been sleeping right, eating right or working out like my usual routine. All focus was on making the expo a success for all who involved. Keep in mind, this expo was no way a profit machine. Being a first year and not having sponsorships in advance meant that hitting the pavement and having the phone glued to my ear was the only way the hope of breaking even was possible. So why do this, you ask? I believe so strongly in the mission and in marketing. I felt that we have such great talent in our community that it's silly to travel to neighboring markets to become educated and empowered. Instead of sitting around complaining about why we didn't have a platform like this I decided to do it myself. I had recently pulled away from my non-profit organizations so I felt I had some extra time to donate. If I broke even, then I would be a happy camper. Well, what was I thinking? The expo completely consumed me, reminding me exactly why I got out of event production. I developed issues with my relationships, I never slept, I felt exhausted all the time and my health began diminishing. As I stand here today in an airport coming home from Indiana where just a short week after the expo I was scheduled to speak about email marketing in the 21st century, I am committing to not allowing myself to lose focus again. I will remember to take care of myself first. To stay focused on eating right and sleeping my typical eight hours. When stressed I will get into downward dog instead of complaining to a girlfriend over a bottle of vino. I will stay focused in my meditation practices and will continue to be the positive person I am. Because I allowed the opposite to happen, on this trip, I missed out on an opportunity to gain more interest in my company potentially bringing in more business. I ended up traveling hours to sleep in a foreign bed for an entire day. I had to cancel my presentation and explain why. Embarrassing, disappointing and overall, my fault. I loved everything about the expo and am so proud of the work we all did. Our positive outlook and inspiration made the event a success but my health took a beating. With all events in life there are lessons to be learned. I definitely learned mine. Here are some great tips on ways to listen to your body! When it's talking to you, please don't ignore it! It's the same as a girlfriend giving you advice, your parents saying you're pushing it too hard, like your kids pulling at your arm screaming "mommy, mommy"! Listen when your body talks and you won't end up like me today. I'm privileged to be "in the know" and to be a living, growing being that makes mistakes and learns from them! Namaste! Listen to your body!