I had my first ever Soul Proprietor Book Club last week graciously hosted by Janice Weinstein in West Hartford, CT. Twenty women attended, many of whom were business owners, but also several who were there simply to soak up the energy of entrepreneurship. There was plenty of that on hand.

Jan gave a heartfelt introduction of me which I followed with a self-revelatory lesson from my book. Then the evening turned interactive as attendees selected from a list of provocative statements I had provided.

It got really interesting when I opened the session to questions on the minds of the women there. One that particularly stood out was: What do you do when you have too many good things coming at you in your business?

First, I congratulated the woman who raised the issue. She’s in a rare position these days as most business owners I know are scrambling to find business. Then I asked her what she was most interested in having her business look like. And how many of those opportunities fit the template of her vision? All of a sudden she began to nod and recognize that while her phone was busy ringing, not every opportunity would take her in the direction she wanted. It’s hard to turn down money, but if you’re too busy, this is the time to start.

Think of your long-term goals. Think about what makes you happiest and keeps your business thriving. Then hold that up to the offers that are coming your way. Where is there a fit, and where can you say no? Last year I turned down an opportunity to partner with a team for an international mastermind program. While it sounded very tempting at first–they would reach an audience of 250,000–having to turn over my database and being bombarded by the other team members’ email blasts quickly soured me on the deal.

Please let me know if you’d like to host a Soul Proprietor Book Club in your home or virtually (via Skype).

The Soul Proprietor Book Club is a members-only, opt-in community of women formed in celebration of Jane’s book, Soul Proprietor – 101 Lessons from a Lifestyle Entrepreneur. Offered free of charge, and based on lessons from the book, members receive exclusive invitations to special events including teleseminars, discussion-over-dinner events (next one is 11/30), book readings and coaching sessions. (Members may opt out of the Book Club at any time via the unsubscribe link.)