Take charge
By Patty Jessome

Entrepreneur, author and international speaker LuAn Mitchell-Halter shares philosophy

LuAn Mitchell-Halter has some words of wisdom for those who constantly complain about their dead end job.

"Don't blame your boss or your job if you're miserable, blame yourself," she says.

The entrepreneur and self-taught businesswomen has a past that reads like a made-for-TV movie, with all the twists and turns you'd expect from such small screen dramas. She was a pregnant teenage runaway, a beauty queen and businesswomen before marrying the late president of International Packers out of Saskatchewan, Fred Mitchell.

Today the entrepreneur travels the globe speaking at numerous engagements. She tells her story and teaches others to take charge of their lives. And she has the credentials to do so. When her late husband passed away she found herself holding the reigns to a large business and dived in headfirst. She earned her dues and was consequently named Canada's Number One Female Entrepreneur for three successive years by Chatelaine and Profit magazines.

"Some people complain that they don't make enough money yet they treat themselves to cigarettes and a six pack regularly, virtually living paycheck to paycheck. That's not putting your best interests forward," says Mitchell-Halter, who now calls Banff home.

She suggests that we make decisions that will lead us to a more productive life and hopefully, prosperity.

"Be smart," she says. "If you are wasting money, you're not investing well."

She admits that people get caught up in life and they can become robotic. They get stuck in a routine; one they just can't seem to get out of. But it doesn't have to be that way.

She says that people need to get to know who they are and find something to be passionate about. Read, go online, and find topics that interest you, she says.

If you are passionate about something, "don't suppress it, applaud it," she says. When you are passionate about your job, success is sure to follow but do everything you can to stay on track.

More than anything, she says it's important for people to follow their dreams despite obstacles. "Don't let anyone take you down," she says, referring to those who will insist you're heading for failure. If you have a dream, go for it. She found success because she says she was committed to finding it.

And when it comes to committing yourself to your job or anything in life, Mitchell-Halter doesn't mix words. "Don't dabble. If you want to do something right, give it your full commitment."

Mitchell-Halter just released Eye of The Tiger, an audio series that includes six inspirational CDs. Her best selling book Paper Doll tells her story and offers advice to readers about breaking the barriers that others can build around you. For more information go to www.luanmitchell.com.