Deneen Troupe-Buitrago

Grow from your overflow

Expertise

When there is no more to offer

By 1 Comment

A while back I felt like I had nothing more to offer. I was going in so many directions, following so many ‘experts’ and trying to do it all to make my business grow.  I thought I was doing it right. I thought this was what God wanted. Then I crashed. The very thing I thought I was to be doing was taken away from me. It was hard.

I decided to rest for a while and regroup. During that time, I felt empty. I didn’t know how to pick up and start again. In this rest-time I also discovered God in a new way and He taught me to put everything before Him, allow Him to fill me, and wait. Waiting is hard for me.

It took about six months and I must say it was worth the wait. As I have given God each of my ideas, my programs, my personality, my gifts, my. . . well, everything, I have seen tremendous growth in my life and business.

Empty

How about you? After a day of kids, carpools, laundry, meal planning, cooking, cleaning, marketing, phone calls, meetings, networking, and clients you can feel like you are going in many directions. And, you can feel a little empty. Let’s face it, a lot of empty. I forgot to mention your self-care that includes exercise, eating well, and spiritual renewal (aka, time with God). Are you there? Do you feel that drain as you read the list?  I feel the drain just writing it.

It was like that for the Widow in Debt. Do you remember her (2 Kings 4)? She had run out of everything and now her sons were in danger of being taken from her. She was at the end of what she felt she could physically do. But what she did have was. . . a little oil.

You might feel empty, but I bet you have a little oil.

Filling

God wants us to trust Him with the little things. He builds our faith on what we hold out to Him. You may feel you have nothing to offer, but you do. Think about those tasks that come easily to you. Give it to God for His use. He will pour it out and bless it.

For the Widow, healing came from acting. She is given a project to do so she is focused on what she has, the little oil, and not on what she does not have. She displayed her complete trust in God by getting to work.

God asks you to offer what you have so He can use it (Rom 12:1). He asks you to start with the small things in your life- your schedule, attitudes, and relationship with Him. Then He expects you to look at the bigger things in your life and hold th’re you do. What qualities has God equipped you with for your business that you need to hold out to Him so He can bless?

Start offering the oil so you can pour it out on all that God has for you.

 

Be filled to overflowing,

Deneen

P.S. Schedule a FREE Clarity Session. I would LOVE to discover how you can use your ‘little oil’ to do MORE for God.

 

Build Personal Relationships that Matter

By Leave a Comment

Personal relationships are what matter for your business. Your customers & clients, colleagues & vendors, business & referral partners are attracted to you not just for what they can get from you but for who you are. God’s design for your Calling is one only you can do. And, He will bring those people into your life that will help propel you forward while allowing you to share your gifts with them.

One of the principles I have discovered is- I serve God and others by developing relationships in the marketplace. We each know that business, especially small business, is all about relationships. Have you ever thought about it as being as way to serve God?

Support Relationships

Develop relationships with like-minded people. We see this example in the Bible with Priscilla. Do you remember her? She and her husband, Aquila, were friends and business partners with Paul. They had a relationship that equipped them to live out their Calling, to tell others about Jesus, as they worked in their profession of tent making. Their relationship encouraged and supported one another as they grew the early church.

The GFYO Christian Women’s Network Group is this type of organization for you. We are a community of Christian Entrepreneurs & Business Women who come together to meet Personally, support and equip one another to go in to the marketplace. Do you have a place where people ‘get you’, want to come alongside of you, and challenge you to do MORE for God? Click here to connect with the GFYO Christian Women’s Network Group in Metro Detroit OR go to the Facebook Group to connect with Women from around the world.

Mentor Relationships

Develop relationships that allow you to share your expertise. This is the mentor relationship. You do have something to give to someone else. Again, we see this with Priscilla. She is introduced to Timothy, a young man who becomes a dynamic leader in the early church. Through her and her husband’s guidance many new leaders emerge. They were the power couple that fueled the early church movement.

In business, this mentor relationship is not new. No matter your personality you can find others who respect you and could use your guidance. We are Called by God to be leaders. Do you believe you are a leader? Do you understand how God has gifted you for leadership? The Clarity Leadership Conference may be the place you need to discover your unique leadership style and how to use it for better communication & connection in your business. Get started with a QUIZ to see if you are a heart, soul, mind or strength leader.

Your Relationships

Developing relationships that matter connects you in a way that brings out your own best qualities and improves you. Ask yourself: Who can I encourage and support both personally or professionally within a group? How can I be better committed in relationship with others so they grow?

Personal relationships serve God by giving us opportunity to show His goodness in the marketplace. As you work each day with integrity, consistency, and trust you build a reputation that reflects who you are in Christ. Continue to build relationships that matter so you have opportunities to share your faith. Continue to meet with like-minded people for support and lead your team & following in the way God designed for you.

Be filled to overflowing,

 

Deneen

 

Three Ways Your Personality SERVES Your Business

By Leave a Comment

By Design

God designed your personality so you stand out in your business. What is one thing about you that you know it is ALL you? Own it and use it to show YOU.

In my business it is my LOVE for learning new things and then teaching it to others in a way they can understand. I am especially fascinated with brain research, learning styles, and business strategies. It sets me apart in my coaching by creating personalized plans to meet each client’s needs.

How can your personality help you stand out in your business?

 

By Learning

Knowing your UVP (unique value PERSONALITY) attracts your ideal clients to you. What have your learned about yourself through assessments? Use these tests to get insights about how you function and lead in your business.

When I use my Command Strength to take charge of an event. I watch my tribe relax and become the participants instead of having to be ‘on’. It is FUN to watch these leaders take a break. They trust me to bring refreshing and refocusing to their businesses.

What part of your personality do you think attracts your clients?

 

By Acting

Don’t copy others. Show YOU all the time. Be your wacky, corny, serious, energetic self. How would others describe you to someone you just met? Showing up as your whole self is the way to be authentic so they know the real you. Never bring just part of you to the party.

Being who you are takes courage. Every day when I go out into the marketplace I prepare myself before by meeting with God (my CEO) and making sure I am aligning with Him. I can only be successful being ME by continually connecting with Him. This gives me courage to be ME.

What ONE thing can you do today to be more YOU?

 

By design, God created your personality so you can serve others uniquely. By learning, you can get to know specifically how He created you special and work within those qualities to attract those you were meant to serve. By acting, you can show up doing the things He has called you to do with courage because you know Whose you are and who you are called to serve.

 

Be filled to overflowing,

 

Deneen

P.S. Looking to know yourself better? Start with the Leadership Quiz.

 

 

Your PERSPECTIVE is everything

By 1 Comment

Let’s begin with this PERSPECTIVE.

God has got your back and He is leading you into your next grand adventure. Where you are now in your business may not be where you are forever. God has given you a vision and you may just be starting to understand how far He wants to take you.

The things you are doing right now are building blocks for you to do something bigger in the future. He says that if you are faithful with a small amount He will give you MORE and MORE. God keeps it real for us so we grow at the pace He sets for us.

Learn MORE about how He created and equipped YOU to lead in your business. God’s timing for your vision to come into right PERSPECTIVE will be amazing. Think about it this way. . . How far will you go in your business and who will it impact for eternity?

 

Is this your PERSPECTIVE?

God calls us to not be ‘worldly’ in our ambitions but this does not mean we cannot have ambitions. He has put in your heart what success means for you. Your ambitions are exactly right for you. It is not up to you or me to judge or criticize others’ accomplishments. If anything, we should be celebrating one another.

God designed you so uniquely so you could bring into the world your part in His Story. You have been given your skills, experiences, talents, gifts and more so your business can stand out in the marketplace and attract the clients you were meant to serve.

And, in His perfect wisdom He also brings resources into your life so you can grow and develop into the Leader He knows you can be. When you use these resources to complement your natural abilities you take your business to the next level. It is about following God’s lead to discern what is right for you and not be distracted by how others are doing it.

 

God’s PERSPECTIVE

Believe what God says about you. In His Word He calls you Royalty & a Living Stone (1 Peter 2:5) that He will use to show His goodness in the marketplace as He builds your business. You were created the exact way He desired and He will help you create the business that is your gift to the world through Him.

Don’t allow the lies of the enemy to tell you that you cannot do it because . . .  You have something powerful to share with the world. God has allowed all those experiences, both amazing & difficult, to be the foundation for those you will serve. He makes you trustworthy to your clients by having empathy.

God wants you to believe in yourself, in your abilities, in your message, because He created you for this. He wants you to align with Him for your success and become the Leader He knows is inside of you. The leader that will tell others about Him through your business.

___________________________________________________________________

Your PERSPECTIVE is everything. Make it one that that begins with God, has God working in it, and ends with God. Connect your Faith & Business and become the leader of your tribe, team, community, and industry. Make an impact for His Kingdom here on earth.

Are you all in? Do you believe you can be all God wants you to be? Join me at the Clarity Leadership Conference and connect to God, communicate as a Leader, clarify your abilities, and commit to God’s calling for you. Will you be there to learn how God wants you to show up as the Leader He sees in you?

 

Be filled to overflowing,

Deneen

 

The Person Driven Life Can Be Your Life

By 2 Comments

I have read through the Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren twice now. I went through the book the first time with a group at my church when it first came out. Then recently, I lead my Christian Women’s Network Group through the book for our Bible/Book Club.

What did I learn the second time around?

I want to change the wording. . . instead of Purpose-driven life I want to change it to the Person-driven life.

AND, I want to give you three ways to look at this Person-driven life for your Business.

Relationship

First, God has created you to be in relationship with Him.

This is the easy part for me because I truly believe that if you don’t fill up on God each day you will not overflow in your life in the way you are meant to. The vertical relationship with God is what He calls us to FIRST when we accept Him as Savior and Lord our lives. Don’t think anything will go the way it is supposed to go if this relationship is not consistent and growing.

Plan

Next, God has created you to do something specific.

You are part of God’s story. You are alive now to fulfill your part in that story, HIStory. I don’t want you to think though that it is ONE thing you are to do. God leads us to different parts of our ‘something’ as we live our lives. We can only stay on the path if we are willing to meet with our ‘boss’ and align our lives with Him. Staying in God’s Will means carving out time to allow Him to speak to your heart. Listening to what His heart is for you.

Belief

Last, God has created you equipped to live out your Calling.

You are the only YOU that will ever exist. God has given you the unique qualities that are designed to help you live out your Calling. He brings ideas, resources, and growth opportunities into our lives so that we can show up as our authentic selves. Your values, strengths, gifts, and experiences all work together so you are equipped to do what satisfies you most. He really does give you the ‘desires of your heart’.

All In

God is calling you to a life that is ALL for Him. There is no division between the personal, professional and spiritual parts of your life.

Does this mean you have no ambition? No, God has given you a will to be successful.

Does this mean you don’t utilize good business practices? No, God actually brings resources that are best for you.

Does this mean you have to give all your money away? No, God wants you to be financially independent.

It does mean that you have been given the opportunity to BLESS others through your business. God has given you a way to SOLVE the problems of your clients. That’s what a business is all about, solving problems. AND, as you build your business you can BLESS others who join your team.

By focusing on this Person-driven life you have your priorities in order. God filling you up in relationship with Him. Growing in your spiritual life as you become MORE like Jesus. God revealing your part in His story. Growing in your professional life with MORE of a passion for your business. God equipping you to live out your Calling. Growing in your personal life as you learn MORE about how He created you.

God’s vision for your life if so much bigger than yours. Trust Him and take the first step. Where are you not aligning with Him: in relationship, in His plan, in belief in yourself? Get these first three things in order; be Person-driven, you will succeed.

Be filled to overflowing,

Deneen

 

We have given away our POWER

By Leave a Comment

As a believer in Jesus I am sad that we have given away our power. We have God’s own Spirit living inside of each of us and yet we throw up our hands and say, “The world is getting worse. What can we do?”

We can CHANGE the Culture, that’s what we can do. How? By standing up and being counted as Christians in the marketplace. By not segmenting our lives so that we don’t take Jesus with us from the Sunday pew to the Monday workplace. By acting like we are in survival mode instead of on the front line in the fight for the very souls of those around us.

Christ says, “But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.” Matthew 10:33 Silence is also Denial. Are you silent about WHOSE you are? Are you silent about your FAITH?

The problem with many of us is that we believe in God when it is convenient. We are not really standing on His Truth, instead we are allowing the truth of society to corrupt and persuade us. If we truly believed that God has control of every part of our lives we would not give up so easily when confronted with the issues of the world. We would be Brave and stand up for what we are taught through God’s Word.

There will always be haters no matter what you do. Why not stand on the Truth of Christ in your life and give them a reason to TRY and hate you as you show God’s goodness each day? To live fully as a believer in Jesus you must embrace Him in every part of your life, ESPECIALLY in your Work.

The power of God is displayed when Christians unite and realize they CAN do something to influence the Culture. Where are you working in the Culture? Government, Business, Education, Arts & Entertainment, Economics, Media? YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. We can all Make a Difference if we work together.

Live in freedom! Stop following rules and just allow God’s LOVE to come through in all your interactions. Stop trying so hard to do good things, just show God’s GOOD in your life and in the world. Galatians 5:1 “So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.”

We must Connect our Faith to what we do each moment. We must be not only be physically and intellectually connected when we are in our every day activities, but we have to be spiritually connected as well. Do you see God moments in your moments? Do you see opportunities to step into your Truth as you work, play, and interact with the world?

God is CALLING you into His Vision for your life. A Vision of inclusiveness of all your parts. No more segments, no more compartments, no more Silence. Take the Power inside you, God’s Power, and use it to be ALL that He is Calling you to be.

Find out more about Connecting Faith & Business by scheduling a Clarity Session with me. Go to www.Calendly.com/deneen for your 30-minute FREE Session.

Be filled to overflowing,

Deneen

 

Take Time with God for Your Vision

By Leave a Comment

Each day I take the time to sit with God as my CEO and ask Him about how my business should run. With an open journal and my colored pencils, I allow God to direct my day, my path, my vision. God’s asks me to not look at anyone else and do what He is asking me to do. How do I stay on His path? What does it look like to follow His Calling? God’s vision for me is bigger than mine will ever be. Am I really trusting God with the vision He wants to give me?

God-sized visions are BIG. They take what we feel is impossible and make it possible.  What are your dreams? What do you want to do with your life?  What vision has God put on your heart and in your mind to do? Let’s explore this together.

I read a book about a year ago called, The 12 Week Year by Brian Moran. He claims you can get more done in 12 weeks than most people get done in a year. Impressive. I want to focus on one part, Your Life Vision. It is a tool for you to sit with God and your journal and work it out.

The first thing to approach is the way you think. We are going to look at it on four levels to help you work through your mindset. That is what is most important. We will go from the impossible → possible → probable → given. Are you ready to Dream Big and see the Vision God has for you?

Impossible

What would you do, could you do, if there were no restrictions? Don’t think about the credentials you need; the education you don’t have or the training it would take. What do you want to do? What is the deepest dream that you have not dared to even think about before? Go there, write it down. What is it? Write without thinking about the how for now. Just dream.

Luke 18:27 (NLT) He replied, “What is impossible for people is possible with God.”

Possible

From there, you can look at your list, your dream, and ask this question: What if? What if this dream happened in your life? What difference would it make for your life? What are the benefits to your life if this were true? At this point list all the benefits to you when your dream is realized.

One thing I have come to understand is that even if I can dream big, God always has a view bigger than I can imagine. I am always astounded by His adventure for my life.

1 Corinthians 1:25 (NLT) This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.

Probable

At this stage it is now time to go into planning for your new life. The question here is, How might I? How might I get from point A to point B? How might I put things in place that move me toward my goal? How might I take steps to see the dream a reality? I have found that it is not hard to create a plan; it is hard to take the first step. Inertia is the reason it always takes much more energy to get started than to continue once you are going. Get going. . .

Proverbs 16:3 (NLT) Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.

Proverbs 21:5 (NLT) Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.

Given

This last part is your final mindset shift. Now you take action and start to see results as you work your plan. This is the exciting part! Once you see small successes the momentum will carry you to have bigger and bigger successes. Make sure to write down your wins as they happen. Keeping an account and celebrating when you hit a goal is very important. Why? Because when the going gets frustrating and you think it may not be worth it these victories keep you focused and help you persevere.

Romans 5:3-4 (NLT) We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.

This breakdown for me is a process I can think through in order to create the life I want, the vision God is giving me. I hope it is an inspiration for you. Of course, there are more tools to use to actually set the goals, write the plans, and decide on the activities. Breaking it down into those 12-week plans is key (I actually like my 8-week strategy plan). I am here for you. If you want support, accountability, coaching I can help.

As always you can connect with me to get your 30-minute FREE Clarity Session and see how I can motivate you to Live the Vision God is giving you.

Be filled to overflowing,

 

Deneen

 

How God Uses YOUR Equipping

By 6 Comments

Equipping Deborah

Deborah was a judge and prophetess in her time. God had equipped her to do a special job. She was a political leader as well as a spiritual leader in Israel. I imagine there were great stories told about her around the tables of the women at that time and to future generations. Her sphere of influence was great.

She probably didn’t see herself that way. She was focused on what God had placed in front of her to do. So, when she gave the commander of the army the instructions she received from the Lord about how to defeat the oppressive army in their kingdom, she was working in her equipping from God.

However, when Barak, the commander, refused to fight without her leading the troops, she had a decision to make. Would she ignore God’s call to fight or would she become the commander-in-chief of the nation? She may have felt she did not have the skills to lead the army, she may have thought it was not her place. BUT GOD. . .

Though it was something out of her ‘comfort zone’, it was not outside of her skill set. There is a difference. Her trust in God gave her the confidence to move forward and lead the army. Her equipping had prepared her for this leadership role. Her faith in God allowed her to take that step of obedience.

Equipping You

You too are equipped with some amazing qualities. God has given you your personality, talents, values, expertise, spiritual gifts, strengths, and experiences so you can do the work He has for you. Your job is to understand how all this works together to live out the Calling He has for your life. It is exciting to think, you are the ONLY one like you that will EVER exist. And, His work for you is part of HIStory.

By knowing yourself better, you can better utilize the equipping you were given and shine in new ways. God is not the God of Sunday, nursery duty, volunteer outreach activities, or Bible study attendance. He doesn’t Call us to ‘fit Him in’ to our lives, He Calls us to ‘put Him in’ to our lives. To create a seamless life with Him front and center.

When He is first you can then access His power. His power to help you live out your Calling. When you know HOW He has equipped you, you can then focus on what is truly important for your sphere of influence. God wants that for you.

Equipping to SERVE

So, what is the Vision He has given you? How does He want you to move forward? Yes, it may be out of your ‘comfort zone’ BUT GOD. . .

He has brought you to the place you are right now with clients, customers, business partners, vendors and such. Now He is asking you to STAND OUT as the woman of God you were created to be. He wants you to understand HOW He has created you so you can show up whole, holy, and authentic in your marketplace.

Connect to this equipping by signing up for the Calling Clarity Course. God has placed this Resource at your feet so you can take that next step in obedience to His Calling. He wants you to do GREAT Things for Him. He wants you to know how incredibly unique you are. He wants you to FOCUS on what He wants to do in your life through your WORK.

Be filled to overflowing,

 

Deneen

P.S. There are only 5 spaces for this Course. Is God talking to your heart? Is this course the next step for you? Trust God, take that step.