So, why does focus matter for faith-led, faith-centered entrepreneurs? Here are 4 powerful reasons.

1. Being focused allows you to act fast.

My friend, Kelly McCausey, has been a long time fan of focus. She even interviewed me about the topic a few years ago and compiled a resource called The Power of a Focused Business to help business owners become more focused. In a blog post entitled Being Focused Allows You to Act Fast, Kelly states that by focusing on a niche within a niche, she can:

“Stay in tune with their needs. When an opportunity comes to introduce them to something new I can spring into action with minimal additional research. I can decide fast, act fast and see results fast. Can you say the same?”

2. Being focused provides clarity.

In my quest to produce multiple streams of income between the time I launched my business in 2006 and that awful year in 2010, I became scattered. I was focusing on adding more prospects to my database instead of nurturing the relationships of those who already bought from me.

In 2011, I drastically changed how I did business. I removed all the Buy Now buttons from my product websites. I replaced them with applications that people had to fill out. If after reading their application I felt I could help them, I invited them to schedule a 30-minute slot in my calendar to discuss their needs. And if after having a conversation with them I felt they would be a great client, I invited them to invest in the program.

I ended up serving 30% less people in 2011, but made more money and all of that came from repeat customers. By being focused on relationships instead of product launches and transactions, I was more at peace. My mind stopped being so scattered. And I was able to hear God’s instructions much more clearly.

3. Being focused allows you to be excellent.

One of my friends, Christina Hills, promotes just one program every year. In fact, if you go to her website, you’ll notice that it’s not riddled with dozen of banners promoting dozen of programs. She has 2 signature programs – Shopping Cart Queen and Website Creation Workshop.

The Website Creation Workshop is launched once a year. And everywhere I turn, there’s someone promoting her program. Not just that, but Christina is able to provide optimal support to her affiliates and joint venture partners. She even produced 2 sets of videos to promote the program – one set is based on the Little Red Riding Hood story, the other set of videos are the more serious business type.

Christina would not be able to provide so much support to her affiliates and so many promotional tools to choose from if she was constantly in “launch mode.” Due to her focus on one big program per year, she can focus on providing excellence to her joint venture partners, her support team and those who eventually sign up for her program.

4. Being focused makes you more prosperous.

Another friend, Carrie Wilkerson, recorded a video on the topic of being focused. In it, Carrie states that because entrepreneurs have ALOT of ideas, it’s hard to pinpoint one and just get it done. However, as Carrie explained, it better to have 1 thing done that’s making you money, then to have 25,000 ideas that are incomplete. View the video from Carrie for more (if you’re reading this in your email, click here to view the video).

A focused mind helps you to complete projects. And when you complete projects, you can offer that project to the world. And if your completed project helps to solve a pressing problem, you’ll start making money. And when you make money, you become a blessing to others.

Need tips on being focused?

Being focused is God-inspired because it removes chaos. God is a God of order (1 Corinthians 14:40) and He desires that you operate a business with confidence. Say this short prayer during your devotional time to help you remove distractions from your business:

“God, I know that you have planned amazing things for my life. Please remove any idols or distractions that I have placed above you. Help me to strive for focus in my life and in my business so I can do what you have called me to do. Amen.”

Have a story to share? Please leave it in the comments area so your journey can bless others.

While it’s inevitable that distractions will pop up, if they’re allowed to remain in our lives and businesses, it can lead to dangerous results. Here are 5 reasons why distractions are dangerous for faith led entrepreneurs:

1. Distractions put us in touch with wilderness emotions

Distractions rob us of our joy and love and puts us in a place of worry. Pastor James McDonald once preached a series on promised land emotions vs wilderness emotions. He used the example of the Children of Israel who despite seeing all the miracles God performed for them after they left Egypt, they doubted, grumbled and complained. These wilderness emotions, ones rooted in fear, resulted in only 2 of the millions who left Egypt to make it into the promised land. These 2 men, Jacob and Caleb, were joyous, hopeful and filled with love for God. These promised land emotions, which are rooted in faith, results in us receiving all that God promised us.

2. Distractions prompt us to create idols

This is DANGEROUS. We are not to replicate things and worship them. Vision boards, product launches, and even money are not bad. What’s bad is when you place them in the position of God. If you turn to your vision board to will the objects on the page into existance, you have found a new god in your life. You cannot serve 2 masters; you must love one and reject the other (Matthew 6:24). As a faith led aspiring or established entrepreneur, I know that you want to love God. Hence, distractions, in the form of idols, will take you away from having a loving relationship with God.

3. Distractions prompt us to rely on our own (lack of) strength

Sarah was saddened that she didn’t have any children. So, she took matters into her own hands and commanded that her husband, Abraham, lay with her maid, Hagar, so that an heir could be produced. God already promised that Sarah and Abraham would have a son who would become “the father of many nations.” But Sarah lacked faith and couldn’t wait for God. Hagar, Sarah’s maid, gave birth to a son, Ishmael. Sarah then hated Hagar with an intense hatred. When the created takes the place of the Creator, the only outcome is disaster. And when we’re busy trying to find a solution to a problem that only God can fix, we’re on the road to destruction.

4. Distractions affect our health

Back in 2010 when my business was falling apart, I went from working 3-4 hours days to 12-14 hours. I had no clear focus and was launching program after program just to get money rolling in. I owed so many people money and that became the driver behind working long hours. But the biggest thing was my health. I wasn’t eating well. I wasn’t working out. Self-care was at the bottom of my list. My time was dedicated to earning the mighty dollar that I no longer treated my temple right (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

5. Distractions cost LOTS of money in the long run

When you’re distracted, your health suffers, your family is neglected and your business doesn’t run smoothly. An unhealthy body means a compromised immune system. A compromised immune system means you’ll have to spend money visiting the doctor or buying prescriptions. A neglected family means more money in the long run for therapists to help you heal. A poorly run business means more money in the long run as you pay for expensive mentors, systems and contractors to help fix the problem. And when you have to divert money to fix your distractions, it pulls you away from being able to return your tithes or donate to your favorite charity. Which simply means that you cannot be a blessing to others.

Do you have additional distractions you’d like to share? Do you have your own story of overcoming that you feel would help others? Please share in the comments area.

Here’s what you’ll learn in this video:

• The similarities Whitney Houston shared with Michael Jackson (aside from passing away too young)
• What faith-centered enterprising and established entrepreneurs can learn from Whitney’s life
• Why distractions pop up in our business and how to handle them with grace

Please leave your comments below regarding your thoughts about this video.

One of the things that can be troubling is knowing when God is talking to you. Because His voice doesn’t come through as a loud, thunderous sound, you may question what is God’s voice and what are just you convincing yourself of a decision you really want to take.

Through my almost 3-year Jonah Experience, I’ve come to understand how you can discern between God’s voice and your own thoughts.

1 – When God calls, it’s private.

When God called me, I was in the middle of a store shopping for some clothes. I had this strong urge to cry, so I flew to the changeroom with 2 random pieces of clothing to let go of my tears in a private place. This moment did not happen while I was standing in line at the checkout with tons of people watching me. When God is speaking, it’s private. It isn’t meant to be a show for others.

2 – When God calls, He uses unusual means.

Moses saw a burning bush. Jonah was swallowed by a whale. Balaam’s donkey spoke to him. These are examples of how God uses unusual means to get your attention. For me, it was crying inside a store’s changeroom. Who does that? God does when he’s trying to get your attention.

3 – When God calls, it’s repetitive.

When I was first called by God, it was back in 2009 at a 3-day event in Las Vegas. Every few weeks, I was reminded of what God had called me to do. Then towards the end of 2011, that still small voice was no longer small. It had become louder and louder. For example, I’d be reading a book or driving and all of sudden, a thought boldly pushes through re-confirming that I had been called. At times, I’d actually argue with that still small voice saying that “It’s not time,” or “This isn’t my problem,” or “I just don’t have the skills.” Yet, when God calls, we must yield to His voice.

4 – When God calls, it’s focused.

God is a God of order and when He calls you, it won’t be chaotic. For example, the still, small voice didn’t say to me “You’re called to open a clothing store,” then 12-months later, “You’re called to become a physical therapist.” On the flipside, the calling was focused on the same thing over the past (almost) 3-years. The still, small voice said to me in 2009 that “You need to speak, Leesa,” “God is calling you to appear in front of many,” “Your gifting is speaking.” And that message has NOT changed.

5 – When God calls, He’ll move you into a space that will challenge you.

Jesus went from being a carpenter’s Son to a Teacher to the Man who saved the world. Although Jesus started in one occupation, His Great Calling took Him elsewhere. Part of what I’m being called to do is to use skills that have laid dormant for close to 2 decades. I’m scared and frightened of what God is calling me to do, but I don’t question it. I know that based on my giftings, God will place the right people in my path to bring these ideas I’ve been blessed with to light. That way when it succeeds, I’ll know it’s God, and not me.

Here are some texts that have helped me as I wrestle between what God has called me to do and my desire to stay hidden:

• Proverbs 22:29
• Isaiah 49:1
• Jeremiah 29:11
• 1 Peter 2:9

Takeaway quote: “If you do your best, God will do the rest.”

To understand if you’re ignoring your Great Calling, you have to recognize the signs that you’re currently stuck. There are 3 telltale signs that you’re not pursuing your Great Calling and need to make a change in your life.

1. You’re bored.

Sometimes we do what is comfortable, not because it challenges us, but because it’s familiar. However, if you do the same thing over and over, you become bored and you no longer enjoy what you’re doing. When you’re bored, you do only what is necessary to get the job done and you fail to go out of your way to find a more innovative solution.

2. You’re making mistakes.

I can attest to this. I served on my church board for 4-years. What I did for my church, I did for clients in my business. So that meant I was doing the same thing 7-days per week. I started to make mistakes, not because I didn’t know what I was doing, but because I didn’t get any rest. Seven days a week, I was dealing with ezines, social media, fan pages and marketing campaigns. My brain was fried, my enthusiasm was low and the mistakes became more glaring. That’s when I knew that God was calling me to something bigger.

3. You’re filled with pride.

If you’re not willing to listen to God or admit that you’re on the wrong path, this will hinder you from being able to pursue what you’ve been put on this earth to do.

In my post tomorrow, I’ll share how you can distinguish between God’s voice and the many thoughts rolling around in your head.

1. We sense our own inadequacy.

When Jesus instructed the fisherman in Luke 5 to cast their nets despite not catching anything all day, the fishermen protested at first. But they dropped their nets in the water one more time and when they pulled up their nets, it was filled with fish. Upon seeing the miracle before him, Simon Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples, immediately dropped to his knees begging the Lord to leave him because he’s a sinner due to his unbelief.

You may sense that God can’t possibly want you simply because you’re too sinful and can’t match up to the glory of God. This is further from the truth. God made you in His image and doesn’t make mistakes.

2. We feel that we lack the necessary skills.

Moses was called by God to free the children of Israel after 400-years of bondage. Unlike the movie, Moses was actually a poor speaker. He even lamented to God that he’s slow of speech and tongue (Genesis 4:10). But Moses was called, not because he was a polished speaker, but because he was an expert in Egyptian culture. Moses was the only documented slave to live amongst the Egyptians as a prince. Whatever God is calling you to do, you will utilize your giftings.

3. We feel shameful.

I’ve met many entrepreneurs who say they’re going to launch a new product, sign up for a new coaching program or form a new alliance. I speak to them a month later and they’ve taken no action. I should know – I’ve been there. I’ve made promises I didn’t keep and was too embarrassed to make any more commitments out loud because I feared no one would believe me. So, we hide from our Great Calling because we’re shamed by our past failures.

Final Thoughts

All of these reasons are rooted in fear. By believing your fears, you’re putting them above the promises that have been. Faith replaces fear and while it can be tough, believing in the promises made will help you mitigate your fears and come out of hiding.

Please share your Jonah Experience below so that others can be blessed by your story.

I’ve learned alot from that experience and I explain it all in the video below. Please view the 7-minute below to find out why I attracted this speaking scam and how this distraction almost derailed me.

How do you overcome distractions in your business? Please share your thoughts below.

In fact, I call myself a motivational teacher (hat tip to John C. Maxwell for that clever term). If an organization wants to hire me to speak, my personal assistant gathers all the details, sends them our speaker contract, gets their signatures, the deposit is made into my account, then we know it is all legit.

So when she received the following email from a one Bishop Mark Jarrow from St. Paul`s church, my personal assistant had little to suspect that anything was amiss. She did do a quick Google search and found out that the Bishop and the church are real.

Here’s the email…

Name: Mark Jarrow
Email: bishopjarrow@gmail.com

Blessings to you from Jarrow, Leesa, I am Bishop Mark Jarrow, presiding Minister of the Saint Paul’s Church, Jarrow, United Kingdom. We are pleased to inform you that we would like to engage you for a speaking event here in Jarrow at the Church conference coming up on the 17th, 18th & 19th of February 2012. The conference is tagged: ‘Big things: How to start small’.

Please we would like you to convey to us your availability for one of the dates as it can fit in your schedule.
Also, please we would as well appreciate if you get back in-touch with us in ample time so we can start corresponding the details. Thank you and expecting to hear from you soon.

Remain Blessed.

–
Bishop Mark Jarrow
+44 7031873786

http://www.stpaulschurchjarrow.com/
St Paul’s Church,
Jarrow,
Tyne & Wear,
NE32 5QJ
United Kingdom.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
1 Peter 2:9
——————-

Given that I’m a woman of faith and I love speaking in front of groups where I can add principles from the Bible and not have people squirm, I was even more eager to visit St. Paul’s and speak to the Bishop’s conference.

The Bishop then introduced us over email to the Chair of the Organizing Committee, one Mr. Edward Smith. Edward would be responsible for getting my flight booked and for getting the contract signed. He sent over the contract, I signed it and my personal assistant sent the scanned pages to Edward Smith.

And that’s when things got a little weird.

Edward Smith said that I needed a UK work permit in order to speak at their event and that I needed to pay for it. He advised that I apply for the permit through his contact at the UK Border Services, a one Tambara Burks, as she could expedite the work permit.

I would need to send her £433 (equivalent to $670 CDN) and Tambara Burks would get me the permit within 2-3 business days (as opposed to 15-days as stated on the UK Consulate website for a fee of £190). All Tambara needed was my birthdate and passport number – which were provided to her by my personal assistant.

This isn’t my first international speaking gig. However, both my personal assistant and I were a bit miffed that not only did I have to incur a cost to get the work permit, but I also had to pay almost $300 more to get this Tambara to do it for me, rather than do it myself.

My virtual assistant’s radar was already going wild. In fact, it buzzing so loudly, she couldn’t sleep.

She blogged about her suspicions (with my blessing). She was a bit wary of how the English language was being used in the emails. It was choppy, full of spelling errors and just didn’t seem right. While waiting for a reply from Tambara on the best way to send the £433, my personal assistant started to do a more in-depth research.

• She dug around St. Paul’s website and saw no mention of the upcoming conference on their website
• She sent an email to the church to confirm that the conference was still taking place

That’s when the personal assistant to the real Bishop of Jarrow replied stating…

“I have been dealing with all these scam emails which have been involving the Bishop of Jarrow and the parish of St Paul’s in Jarrow. There is no such person as Edward Smith and there is no such conference. The police [in the UK] are aware of these scams [and] you will need to report it to your local police, as it would seem that the people who are sending these emails are probably Nigerian.”

I’m one not to judge people based on country of origin, gender, skin colour, sexual orientation, etc., etc., etc., so I wanted to disprove that this was yet another Nigerian scam. So, I went to the original emails and expanded the headers. In them, I found the IP addresses and did a lookup on each one in Google. The IP addresses of the computers that the fake Bishop of Jarrow, the fake Edward Smith and Tambara Burks used all originate in the country of Nigeria.

Here are the IPs…

• 41.220.69.71 (the IP from the Bishop’s emails)
• 41.206.11.30 (the IP from Edward’s emails)
• 41.206.11.36 (the IP from Tambara’s emails)

And of course, we started to spot what we should’ve from the start:

• The invitation letter and contract were not sent on official letterhead. I don’t know what the official letterhead of St Paul’s church would look, but I’m guessing it’s not like the ones that were sent to us by email.
• Bishop Mark Jarrow used a gmail email address – bishopjarrow@gmail.com
• Edward Smith used a hotmail email address – stpaulchurchjarrow@hotmail.com
• Tambara Burks used a workmail email address – tambaraburks.ukba@workmail.com
• The language used in the emails, although in English, was just weird. For example, when Edward Smith asked what date I wanted to leave Toronto, he said “please send us the departure airport that would best soothe Mrs. Barnes.” Frankly, I don’t need to be soothed and I’m not married.
• All 3 had explanations for EVERYTHING. When we proposed that they pay the work permit out of the speaking fee and just send the balance by bank transfer, Edward Smith said that they won’t have the money from the sponsor until I’m approved for the work permit and they don’t have any money at the church because they donate the excess from their annual conference to charity.
• And their webmaster is working on the website for the conference (which is now 2-weeks away from the day they wanted me to speak)

We now have a request from Tambara to Western Union the work permit fee to a UK address (which we will not). We forwarded that address to the personal assistant at St. Paul’s church who is forwarding it to the UK police.

This scam targets speakers and business people. The scammers often use real names of people associated with real religious or educational institutions. Back in 2009 when this scam targeted Colleen Francis, the man’s name was William Smith and he was inviting her to speak on behalf of the Holy Apostles Church in London for a youth conference.

If you got mixed up in this sort of scam, let me be the first to tell you…

There’s Nothing to Feel Embarrassed About. You are not a victim. You are an overcomer.

Event the brightest, smartest people on this planet get hoodwinked by con artists. This is the first time I fell for an online scam in the almost 20-years since I’ve been surfing the web. I usually tell people what scams to avoid and here I am almost a victim of one. I just thank God in heaven that my personal assistant was distrustful enough to do some more digging. She saved me almost $700 CDN.

Now that the criminals have my passport number, signature, birthdate and name, I had to do a pre-emptive strike to make sure that IF they plan to use my identity, I’m protected.

Whether you’ve parted with your money or not, you need to protect yourself. If you’re a Canadian citizen, here’s what you need to do…

1. Call the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501. They’ll classify it as a job scam and will collect details on the scam, then give you a file number. Don’t call the RCMP as they’ll just direct you to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
2. Report it to your local police. Because it’s a Nigerian scam, some police officers will wave it off, especially if no money changed hands. However, be insistent on filing a report and getting a file number. Then, ask for a copy of the report for your own records. Most likely, the police will not start an investigation, but will keep your report on file.
3. Contact your bank and credit card companies. Closing your accounts and reopening new ones may not help unless you gave the scammer your numbers. If you did not, just ask your bank and credit card companies to add an extra layer of security, such as a security question/answer that only you would know.
4. Contact your credit bureau. The 2 in Canada are Equifax and TransUnion. Let them know that your identity has been compromised (if you gave personal details online) or that you’ve been a victim of an online fraud (if you sent money). They will add a flag to your file so that any time someone makes a query to your credit report, you’ll get a phone call asking if you approve it or not. This flag will be on your file for a period of 6-7 years (depending on the credit bureau). Depending on the bureau, you may need to pay for this service, so just enquire.

Here are some other resources you’ll find most interesting…

• LinkedIn discussion about the St Paul’s church speaking scam
• Facebook discussion about the many Nigerian scams targeting speakers
• RCMP webpage on what the scammers really want to do with your identity
• Wisconsin business woman reports Tambara Burks to her local police

If you have resources for other countries or have your own story to tell, please leave it in the comments area below. I will not judge you and those in my tribe are quite supportive as well. Remember – don’t be embarrassed, protect yourself and don’t view yourself as a victim.

Update (Jan 30, 2012): It appears that sending $600 USD for the work permit is not enough. According to a commenter below, the scammers then ask you to pay for a $1,000-$1,500 security bond which will be returned once you arrive at the location of the conference. They also send an email with a hotel reservation, which on closer examination, is for a hotel that’s about a day’s drive away from the location of the church in England.

Another thing…the church in Scotland is real and so too is Bishop Mark of Jarrow. My personal assistant is working with the personal assistant of the Bishop who is forwarding all our emails to UK law enforcement. St. Paul’s in Scotland is as much a victim in this.

Update #2 (Jan 30, 2012): Here’s the deal – when applying for a temporary work permit, you need to physically go to the nearest consulate of the country you plan to work in. Fortunately, because I live in Toronto, every country has a consulate here in this city. You pay a fee, submit the invitation letter from the entity planning to hire you and you surrender your passport to the consulate. After the invitation letter is reviewed, a stamp is then placed in your passport. That’s the work permit folks. Someone overseas in the country you plan to work in can’t do this for you.

Updates #3 (Jan 30, 2012): There are 2 websites for St. Paul’s – one is www.jarrowparish.info and the other that the scammers are using in their emails is www.stpaulschurchjarrow.com. The interesting thing is that on the latter website, it has a warning about the conference scam. Not sure which one is the church’s official website…

Update #4 (Jan 30, 2012): The scammers have found this blog post. Here’s the reply from the fake Bishop Mark Jarrow (I didn’t edit)…

“We just came across a post online right now dated 26th January where Leesa Barnes 9I am sure with your knowledge) She was outlining blackmailing the Church and claiming she almost fell for a scam while you indeed are still in contact with us! Are we wrong in asking her to feature in this event? Why would she go around writing such gruesome things about the Church? I will pray for forgiveness for you both!”

Update #5 (Feb 1, 2012): According to some commenters below, the fake Big Things: How to Start Small conference has now moved to March 27, 28 & 29, 2012 and the Bishop’s name has changed to David Joseph Jarrow. Please note that the real St. Paul’s church has no such conference – even though the name of the Bishop is real. And if you go to the URL contained in the fake Bishop’s email, when you mouse over The Jarrow Lecture in the right side bar, you’ll see Conference Scam pop up. The church is aware that their name is being used fraudulently in this scam and are reporting this to the UK law enforcement to try to stop these people. We’ve been in contact with the Personal Assistant to the real Bishop and she’s been forwarding our emails.

That’s why it’s no accident that if an actor has starred in one sci fi show, they show up in others. For example, the actor who played Dr. Phlox on Star Trek: Enterprise showed up in Stargate Atlantis (the actor, John Billingsley was also the undead vice-president’s brother in Prison Break, so some sci fi actors are able to break into other genres).

Just over the weekend, I watched the campy Starship Troopers. In it, the actors who played the generals both starred in the film Total Recall. I had seen both movies many times and only made the connection over the weekend.

• Michael Ironside was a hard nosed general in Starship Troopers and was the corrupt cop who chased Arnold Schwarnegger’s character in Total Recall from Earth to Mars.
• Marshall Bell, who played the weak and scared general in Starship Troopers, was the mutant resistance leader, Kuato in Total Recall.

I asked myself with the sci fi genre being so small compared to others, why do these actors show up again and again in sci fi flicks? The answer is threefold:

1. You have to have a wild imagination.You have to be quite imaginative to see aliens that don’t really exist.
2. You have to wear itchy makeup. Just ask Andrea Martin why she didn’t reprise her role of Quark’s mom in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)
3. You have to memorize techie, scientific language about things that simply don’t exist or only exist in a research paper. And talk about things that could twist your tongue several times.