I’m so excited to welcome you to my new digital digs.

Mi casa es su casa. Make yourself at home. Click around. Dive in deep. Enjoy.

I originally hired my divine graphics goddess, Natasha Lakos, for this site re-do way back in April. And then, after many starts and stops (including me not filling out the client questionnaire for weeks), I decided the timing wasn’t right.

I needed to muddle through some things. I needed to write my book. I needed to figure out what the heck I wanted to share with you.

I’m so glad I waited (there’s never much value in pushing through when it doesn’t feel right) because unveiling the next iteration of my online playground now feels so amazing and perfectly timed!

Here are a few places to check out on the site:

• About + Contact: With the help of wordsmith wonder Laura Belgray of TalkingShrimp.com, I clarified how I can help you. Check it out: http://www.katenorthrup.com/about-contact
• Events: I’ve got some great live and online events coming up and I’d love for you to join me at one or a few! Here’s the list: http://www.katenorthrup.com/events
• Just What You Needed to Hear: This is my favorite part of the new site. It’s where all of the salve for your soul lives. Needing a little inspiration? A boost? A sprinkling of faith? See what’s over there for you: http://katenorthrup.com/just-what-you-needed-to-hear
• Money Love Quiz: Enter your name and email in the box at the top of this page and take the free quiz now to:
  • find out what your relationship with money says about you
  • discover what’s blocking you from the abundance you crave
  • and get customized action steps to have a better relationship with your money.

It takes a village, and the new and improved katenorthrup.com is no exception.

Big kudos and thank you’s to:

Natasha Lakos for the patience, love, sophistication, and beauty with which she infused this site (and the whole process of creating it). I bow at your feet, gorgeous lady.

Dyana Valentine for eliciting my “Trust. Fun. Feel good,” essence from me and cheering me on in proclaiming it.

Christa Meola for the fabulous photographs and for making me feel glamorous and beautiful. And for seriously over-delivering during post-production.

Elsa Isaac for being my virtual shopping companion and putting together the fabulous looks for the photos. I felt not only well-styled, but also loved, and that’s a rare combo.

Laura Belgray for making my words pop and helping me to help the fine people who hang out with me online. You are a very, very funny and kind genius.

Mary Weise for her programming wizardry. Thank you for responding to my emails late at night within minutes and for knowing how to fix technical stuff that I can’t even fathom attempting to resolve.

Kathleen Thomas for having a come-to-Jesus chat with me and pushing me to take myself more seriously. Your gentle prodding was invaluable in this whole process.

Ann Moller, my dear sister, for your ability to spot a typo at a hundred feet and reword a sentence so that it makes so much more freaking sense. I am in awe of your brain and your support and love for me.

The very helpful and loving focus group that gave me awesome design and copy feedback along the way—love you all, and you know who you are.

Mike Watts, my man and my partner in all things, thank you for being there for everything and for pouring your skills and feedback and heart into this work right along with me.

And finally, to you reading this. Thanks for opening my emails, reading my stuff, watching Glimpse TV, inspiring me to make more and better stuff, commenting, reposting, liking, sharing, and showing up! Without you there would be no point in doing any of this. I appreciate you and am grateful for you every day.

As a celebration of this launch, please send this post to a friend who you know could benefit from what’s going on at katenorthrup.com and grabbing the free Money Love Quiz. Tell her why you love and appreciate her (or him) at the top of the email. She (or he) will be grateful, and I already am.

Let me know what you think of the new site in the comments below!

Enrollment closes at 3pm EST tomorrow, Monday, March 4th. All of the details about this life-changing course that helped me increase my revenue and my list size by 400% are here http://ow.ly/hS6R7.

Along with B-School, you’ll get my course, Heart Hustle (over $1,000 value), for free. More details on that bonus here: http://ow.ly/ig9Zq

I figured for every one person who emailed me there must be at least ten who are on the fence and didn’t email me. And the truth is, once you get your questions answered (and they’re ALL answered here http://ow.ly/hS6R7), you’re the only one who can make the right decision for you.

 If you have ever found yourself debating about whether or not you should do ANYTHING, this email is for you. 

 I wrote this for the fence-sitters.

Whenever I’m faced with making a decision, this is what I do to ensure that I make the right choice every time.

If you use this method you will never make a wrong decision.

Step 1: Get clear on what the options are.

Step 2: Close your eyes and take three deep breaths into your lower belly.

Step 3: Bring to mind your first option. Don’t think about it too hard, just focus gently on it.

Step 4: Notice how your body feels. Does it feel expansive or contracted? Expansive feels like when you’re playing with a puppy or holding a baby. It feels open-hearted and light. Contracted feels heavy, tight, limited, and darker. It feels like anxiety, depression, worry, or doubt.

Step 5: If you feel expansive when you focus on the first option, it’s a yes! If you feel contracted, it’s a no.

Step 6: Go through steps 3-5 for each option you have.

Your body will tell you what is right for you. She’s your wisest ally and she’ll never steer you wrong. (Click to tweet.)

Cool, right?

Now, you may ask, what if I feel fear? Is that expansive or contracted? 

Only your body will truly tell you which one it is. If you’re unsure, run through steps 1-6 again and really tune in to how your body is feeling.

Fear often comes up when we’re about to do something that takes us out of our comfort zone. But there’s a difference between the fear that comes up to keep you safe, like when you decide not to walk down a dark alley alone at 3am, and the fear that comes up when you’re about to leave your comfort zone.

If you truly tune in to the feeling in your body, the fear of leaving your comfort zone will feel expansive. My friend and speaking teacher, Gail Larsen, says: “Fear is just excitement without the breath.”

So, whether you’re on the fence about B-School or something else in your life, run through the 6 steps above.

And remember:

None of the good stuff happens on the fence.

Life doesn’t move forward on the fence. 

Businesses don’t get built on the fence.

Dreams aren’t achieved on the fence.

The world isn’t changed by people who hang out on the fence.

It’s time to get off the fence. 

If B-School feels expansive to you this time around (even if that means you’re a little scared), I’m SO excited to have you in my private B-School online community and Heart Hustle.

Register now so you don’t miss the deadline tomorrow at 3pm EST: http://ow.ly/hS6R7

And if it’s not right for you this time around, that’s okay too. I have no doubt you will rock your life and business through other avenues.

Leave a comment and let me know if this 6-step method to making the right decision every time was helpful to you! Also, share any other methods of making decisions that you use. I’d love to hear them!

P.S. Even if B-School isn’t right for you, don’t miss Marie’s free training video series. These videos are jam-packed with value to help you grow your business in practical, sustainable ways. Grab them now: http://ow.ly/htliD

P.P.S. If you want B-School, Heart Hustle, and my private B-School online community, or if you simply want to learn what all the buzz is about, click here: http://ow.ly/hS6R7.

How glorious is it that there are so many wonderful people with platforms promoting a course that gives you everything you need to know to start and grow a successful online business?

B-School has already changed a lot of lives and with this year’s launch and people shouting it from the rooftops everywhere, even more lives are poised for change as a result of this exceptional program.

Awesomesauce.

And guess what — the cart is open for B-School! If you know you want in already, go get ‘em, girl (or boy) — click here: http://ow.ly/hS2Ni

Over on the site, Marie has detailed exactly what you’ll learn — and what you won’t — in this 8-week training designed to help you leverage your online presence for more sales and higher impact.

B-School is one of the most comprehensive programs I’ve seen and Marie’s got thousands of graduate reviews to prove that it works — including my own happy testimonial that taking B-School helped me increase my revenue and my list size by 400%. Not too shabby, eh?

I heard from Marie that B-School won’t happen again until 2014, so if you want to change your business and your life in the near future, now is the time.

If you’re wondering if B-School is right for you, scroll down to the bottom of the page when you click over to the B-School site. In Marie’s classic no-BS fashion, she addresses virtually EVERY concern or question you could possibly have.

Need a little more enticement? You’re in the right place because I’ve cooked up a divine bonus for you.

Anyone who joins the program through my link (http://ow.ly/hS2Ni) will receive a complimentary seat in a brand-new online course I’m running with my man this spring, called Heart Hustle: Make a Profit and a Difference.

Heart Hustle is a digital experience in learning the fine art of service-based selling. It’s the perfect complement to B-School for people who:

• want to get better at moving potential clients or customers to buy
• want to become master communicators (in business and in life–the stuff we’re going to teach works for both!)
• want to be able to communicate what they do and how it can help someone without bumbling around or feeling like they’re trying to convince anyone to do anything
• want to get better at attracting clients/customers AND keeping them for a looooooong time
• struggle with what to say and how to say it in one-on-one communication about their products or services
• have trouble charging what they’re worth or asking for the sale
• have ever, in any way, felt that selling is sleazy or smarmy
• have an inkling that improving their sales skills in a really authentic way could majorly increase their bottom line

B-School will teach you everything you need to know to effectively build a profitable business online.

Heart Hustle will teach you everything you need to know when you’re building your business and interacting with people individually — in person, over the phone, or via email.

No matter how amazing your web presence is, as a business owner you’re still going to find yourself:

• having conversations with potential clients to explain how what you offer can benefit them
• networking with potential joint venture partners, referral partners, or clients in person
• pitching your ideas to business partners, investors, or donors
• talking to people on the phone, over email, or in person about how what you offer can help them specifically
• needing to find the words and appropriate attitude on the fly to effectively convey how your product or service can help people improve their lives

In Heart Hustle you’ll learn:

• the hidden talent you already have that, when unlocked, will have new customers banging down your door
• the single most important skill you need to never feel like you’re trying to convince anyone to buy your product or service ever again
• why women are perfectly wired for sales rock stardom, and how to take advantage of that fact in your business
• the 10 crucial steps to moving people to take action in a way that feels great, both to you and to them
• the kiss of death in any sales conversation and how to avoid it
• why what you think about sales might be holding you back from making the money you deserve — and how to get your mindset aligned for optimal success and service
• a foolproof formula for ensuring that you always say the right thing to every potential client/customer
• why the internet will never replace meaningful interaction with your clients/customers and how to stand head and shoulders above the business owners who are getting lazy about relationship building
• the crucial thing you need to do in order to have your prospects fall in love with your business and keep coming back forever
• the art of the “no” and how to use it to your advantage in any business conversation
• how to combine selling with service to make lots of money and a big difference in peoples’ lives
• a step-by-step blueprint for using effective, heart-centered selling to make the world a better place
• and more!

My guy, Mike, and me.

My guy, Mike, and I are top income earners and growers in one of the world’s leading direct selling companies. We also both have long histories excelling in sales. When Mike sold windshields door to door one summer he outsold the other guys on the job within 24 days of being hired. I won a 5-lb. Hershey bar when I was 12 because I sold the most magazines in a school fundraiser. We know from whence we speak, and we’re excited to share our collective Heart Hustle wisdom with you this spring.

Here are the details:

• In order to get Heart Hustle for free, you have to sign up for B-School through my link. This is the correct link: http://ow.ly/hS2Ni
• Heart Hustle will be sold later in the spring for over $400. You’re getting a major bah-gan on Heart Hustle if you sign up for B-School now. (That’s “Mainer” speak for “bargain.”)
• Heart Hustle will begin after B-School is completely over. You won’t have to worry about being overwhelmed with too much information because the two courses won’t run at the same time.

Need one more reason to sign up for B-School other than the amazing training you’ll receive from Marie in B-School and the spectacular material you’ll get from me and Mike in Heart Hustle?

B-School and Pencils of Promise have teamed up to build a school in Laos, funding all the supplies and teachers’ salaries for 3 years. Every enrollment in B-School helps provide funding towards this beautiful mission of educating kids.

It’s not for nothin’ that B-School’s tagline is, “Make Money, Change the World.”

If this is your year to learn the skills, mindset, and strategies you need to grow your business and help oodles of people, then click here to sign up for B-School: http://ow.ly/hS2Ni

When you sign up you’ll also get exclusive access to my private B-School online forum. You’re going to be learning a lot and I want to make sure you get the support you need during the process. The private online forum will ensure that this isn’t just another course you sign up for but don’t take action on. Me and the other ladies in there will cheer you on, hold your hand, and keep you accountable.

Just click “It’s Your Time” below to sign up for B-School and I’ll see you in the private online forum and in Heart Hustle later this spring!

And if B-School isn’t for you this time around, know this:

No program, coach, mentor, or teacher can ever replace your inner wellspring of wisdom. You have unlimited potential and everything you need to make your dreams a reality already within you. Teachers and classes might support you in getting where you need to go a little faster and with fewer diversions along the way, but you don’t need them.

You are whole and complete and lacking in nothing. And I love you.

P.S. Even if you’re not going to do B-School this time around, if you haven’t gone through Marie’s three free training videos on building a business online, do yourself a favor and watch them while they’re still up.  This is value-packed, free training. Marie could have easily charged hundreds for the information in these videos. But luckily, she didn’t, and they’re yours for the watching!

The 6 Pillars of a Successful Online Business: http://ow.ly/htliD

Marie’s Dirty Little Secret to Making Bank Online: http://ow.ly/hyw5T

Behind the Scenes of a 7-Figure Online Business: http://ow.ly/hH3sw

I know, because I’m one too. And you know what they say: birds of a feather.

So here’s the thing: when we think big, we often imagine the life that we are going to lead when our visions turn into reality. This life might include traveling the world, spending time with people who expand our hearts and minds, and giving back in ways that nourish our soul and the souls of the recipients of our gifts.

And often, our imagined futures include becoming well known.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be well known for your contributions.

Here’s the problem, though: a lot of people are chasing fame because they think it’s going to give them the lifestyle they want. But they’re chasing the wrong thing for all the right reasons.

You see:

There’s a big difference between fame and freedom.

For today, I’m talking financial and lifestyle freedom. (Emotional and spiritual freedom are topics I LOVE to tackle too. And it’s all connected. But for today we’re talking money and lifestyle.)

When I say financial freedom I mean the ability to wake up in the morning and do what you want to do with your time. (Click here for my recent post on what financial freedom means and how to get it.)

If the idea of being able to wake up every day and do the things that most speak to your heart without worrying about how the bills are going to get paid doesn’t speak to you, then read no further.

But if you’re like me, and millions, quite possibly billions, of others on the planet, and you want the ultimate freedom, CHOICE, then read on.

There are people making millions, even billions, a year who are not free. And some of these people are household names.

And there are people living in a way that  you and I might see as just scraping by who are totally and completely free.

I see some version of this desire, or marketers marketing to people who have this desire, a lot: “I want to be rich and famous.”

Let’s examine this one for a moment, shall we?

So I have this kind of well-known mother. She’s been on Oprah ten times. She’s written two NY Times Bestsellers. A lot of people know who she is.

I’m super proud of my mom and she deserves all the recognition she’s received because she’s helped millions of women around the world tap into the wisdom of their bodies. My work stands on her shoulders and I’m eternally grateful.

Early on, though, my mom figured out that going from book advance to book advance and speaking gig to speaking gig while waiting for Oprah to call was not the kind of life she wanted. She wanted freedom. So she created a real-live business that sustains her whether she’s doing anything or not. Of course she works on her business a lot because she loves it. But the key distinction here is that she doesn’t HAVE to.

The quality of the work she puts out is far more powerful because it comes from a place of choice instead of from a place of necessity.

I’ve spent a lot of time with people who are considered “famous.” And you know what? They’re human.

I want to inoculate you against thinking that being famous inevitably leads to wealth or freedom (or happiness, for that matter. But that’s a whole other conversation.)

The good news is that we all get to define for ourselves what rich means. Perhaps your version of rich includes lots of time to spend sorting out the mysteries of life with your girlfriends over delicious oolong tea. Maybe it includes unlimited time cuddling with your man and your little ones in the morning. Maybe it includes private aviation and Christian Louboutins.

If you’re like me and so many people I’ve met and worked with, your version of rich has something to do with quality of life. And that lifestyle doesn’t include being on the road 300 days a year, having to sell your next book to pay your mortgage, or having someone else tell you who, where, why, when, how, and how much.

One of the biggest mistakes I see people making as they build businesses is that they’re shooting for fame instead of freedom.

You may want to be recognized for doing great work in the world. That’s awesome. I think you deserve that.

You may want to feel seen. Rock on. You are a divine being worthy of that.

But what if you could get your needs for recognition and being seen met in other ways and build a business that allows you to live the lifestyle you desire?

This is not a what if. You can have this. I know because I help people do it.

The secret ingredient that the vast majority of people miss when building a business is this: Dispensability.

It’s the opposite of fame, my friends.

If you want freedom to live a life that’s deeply nourishing, you have to build systems and assets that pay you whether you’re there or not. You have to make yourself dispensable.

This probably flies in the face of every career preparation seminar you’ve attended and most “how to get ahead” types of advice you’ve ever read.

We’ve been taught that to be “successful” in life, whatever that means, we must make ourselves totally indispensable:

Impress your boss so you won’t get replaced!

Make yourself so necessary to the organization that they’ll keep you forever!

Do what you do so well that nobody could possibly ever do it as well as you!

Build FAME so that you can be rich!

The conventional wisdom has it all wrong.

If you want to make art, do that. The world needs your unique creative voice. The world craves the solutions that only you can offer.

But please stop steering your ship towards fame so that you can have freedom from a financial and lifestyle perspective.

Instead, build your business so that there are systems in place that bring in revenue with or without you. And then enjoy the expansive creativity that comes through when you’re no longer having to be physically present for income to come in.

When you free yourself up financially you can be more present to your purpose on the planet. (Click to tweet.)

Listen, your karma may be to become famous. And you may do some amazing service to your soul and to humanity by living in the spotlight. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. Follow your path and shine, baby, shine!

Just don’t confuse fame with freedom. The two are very different.

From a financial perspective, you create freedom to live the life of your dreams through building systems that make you dispensable. That’s it.

Getting famous is not a magic bullet to bring money in the door, or to keep it once you get it. And it certainly doesn’t ensure long-term, sustainable income.

So how do we create these systems or assets that pay us long term whether we’re present or not?

One of the best ways to do it is to leverage the power of the internet.

And the best teacher of leveraging the internet to create a business that pays you whether you’re working or not is Marie Forleo.

My man and I have done tons of research in the internet marketing world and have spent tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, vetting out the best of the best. Marie’s the real deal.

Marie’s third free training video in her B-School launch series drops today. In it, she tackles some of the common concerns that hold many women back from starting or growing a business. Plus, watch through the end of the video for a chance to win a free spot in B-School. Marie’s giving away scholarships and one of them might have your name on it!

Remember, if you’re thinking of doing B-School, keep an eye out next Wednesday morning, February 20th, around 10:30am EST for an email from me revealing the bonus I’m offering to those who sign up through my link. It’s the most valuable bonus I’ve ever given, it’s never been available to anyone before you, and it’s specifically designed to be the perfect compliment to B-School to help you launch your business. We’ve been cooking this one up for months, and really it’s the culmination of everything I’ve learned and created since I started my business when I was 18. And I want YOU to have it. So stay tuned next Wednesday for the details and the link to buy through to get it with B-School.

The take-home message is this:

Most people on earth want to live a life that allows them to choose how they spend their most valuable resource: time.

If you want that, build towards freedom, not fame.

I shall leave you with this final sentence a beautiful young lady said to Leonardo DiCaprio playing J. Edgar in the 2011 film of the same name:

“All the admiration in the world can’t fill the space where love goes.”

Go for the love. Go for the freedom. And trust that the rest will work itself out.

Did this stir you? What do you think of freedom and fame? I’d love to hear it so leave a comment below!

Marie, Josh, and me on the beach, Summer 2010

Two years ago I spent the summer living in Sag Harbor, NY to get out of the hot, smelly city.

One of the highlights of the summer was spending a ton of time at yoga, at the beach, and just plain hanging out with my friends Josh Pais and Marie Forleo.

Marie was in the middle of launching round two of a course I mentioned on Wednesday called B-School (stands for business school.) I got the blessed chance to absorb some of the mechanics behind the scenes of her seven-figure online business just by osmosis. It was awesome.

You see, Marie is a business genius. I don’t just say this because I love her and she’s my friend, though both of these things are true. I say this because every time I come to her with a business pickle she responds with golden nuggets, each of them worth thousands.

For example: The other day I had my panties in a wrinkle trying to fine tune a tagline for my new website (due to launch in a few weeks!) Her advice: a simple change in the order of the words that changed the impact of the copy immensely.

Lesson I learned: Make sure you put the words you want most emphasized first. Don’t put them last. Don’t put them in the middle. Put them right up front.

And this lessons is just one example from the treasure trove of Marie-Forleo-widom-land.

Elegance. Strategy. Heart. Proven business methods that work to make people tons of money while helping tons of people, too.

Why is this combination SO profoundly powerful when it comes to building a business that you love and that pays you well?

Because the times they are a changin’. The tactics that used to work to build businesses, on and offline, have to be updated to meet the demands of the savvy consumer who’s inundated with oodles of messages every day.

If we, as business women, are going to cut through the constant din of information overload that our customers are receiving, we have to be modern. We have to be smart. And most importantly, we have to care deeply about making our customers’ lives better.

This is where Marie shines the most. And this is why I’m telling you about her twice this week.

Not everyone will get the chance to learn from Marie by osmosis like I have. But, what’s great is that she’s packaged her best business wisdom into a free business video training series that just dropped this week.

Trust me, you’ll learn as much as I did that one summer in Sag Harbor from this series, if not more.

If you haven’t grabbed Marie’s new training series, go get it while it’s still up – it’s free.

Video #1 gives you a 6 pillar map that you can follow to start or grow your business online.

Video #2 gives you the inside scoop on a key to financial freedom that I haven’t talked with you much about yet, but that will make a HUGE difference in your bottom line and ability to move people once you get it.

Marie’s got one more training video for you to be released next week so keep your eyes peeled for that one.

Once you watch the videos I’d love to know how you plan to incorporate the information that you learned into your business. Sharing the action you’re going to take is a public commitment that sets things in motion that wouldn’t have happened were you not to make that declaration. I’m excited to hear fro you and to cheer you on.

P.S. Full disclosure: I’m an affiliate of Marie’s course, B-School, because I’ve taken it and have received HUGE value from it. This course has helped me increase my reach by over 1,000% and go from being stuck at five-figures for years to popping right into the abundant land of six-figures. And the jump wasn’t even close to as hard as I thought it would be.

Marie taught me simple, time-tested strategies that worked like a charm to grow my business significantly. And I continue to learn from her curriculum every day. (You’ll see some what I’ve learned in action when I unveil my new website in a few weeks!)

I’m offering a bonus to anyone who enrolls in B-School through my affiliate link. The cart opens on Wednesday, February 20th. I can’t tell you all the details of the bonus yet, but it’s worth over $1,000 and it’s the PERFECT compliment to what you’re going to learn in B-School.

So, if you’re considering taking B-School this year, be sure you watch your inbox for the details of my bonus on Wednesday, February 20th. Use the link in the email I send that day to purchase the program. You’re going to LOVE B-School AND what I’ve been creating for you. This one has been brewing for 14 years. Seriously. It’s gonna be good.