Ask Christina First

In this episode of Ask Christina 1st, we get a big lesson on time management, which is more than a vital part of everyone's life regardless if you're an entrepreneur, agent, parent, coach, runner, etc… Time Management Now takes us to the part where immediate results directly reflect our organization and how well we are filing. Christina first talks about the David Allen system, which suggests we go over our to do list once a week. Christina, however, suggests that this part take place either every two weeks or once a month. Consistency with time management is crucial as your to do list can begin to get out of hand, which will make it difficult for you to catch up. Next, she goes into depth about the filing system she uses to organize her paperwork and her office space. Have a system organized by months so that your paperwork is easy to find. It creates a system that is effective, easy and can be traced back if necessary. This can pertain to both business and personal and Christina gives a great example of how she would plan a trip to the aquarium a month or so before the actual trip. She helps us find ways to stay clutter free while also incorporating tactics that create ease, organization and easy access to reflect. Another important time management tactic is the calendar system. Christina explains the importance of getting it all out during this phase. Making sure you fill your calendar with what needs to be done immediately as opposed to focusing on things that are far in the future.

In this episode you will learn more about:

1. The David Allen System.
2. What each system is and it’s basics.
3. The importance of time management and how it pertains to everyday life and overall productivity.

Time Management Now is a part of a larger series by Christina, which truly brings us closer to clarity and overall life management. This episode is an introduction to the series and lays an important foundation for all this series has to offer.

In this episode of Ask Christina 1st, Christina helps us clean up our inventory to find out what we have, what we need to get rid of and how. For small business owners that have inventory, a great place to start is finding out what it is you're selling the most of and what you're selling the fastest. Inventory can be both an asset and a liability depending on how well it's selling. If you deal with perishable items of course there is a system in place because those items are on a time limit. However, for products that don’t physically expire, there still is a time stamp on them and this will fall on branding and the market. For example, let’s say you wrote a book and the content of the book is talking about the crash of 2008? It’s clearly decade old information, but with the right marketing and rebranding tactic you can sell that item so that it is no longer collecting dust on your inventory shelf. In this episode you will learn how to:

1. Discover new ways to rebrand your old inventory.
2. Organize, label and catalog your inventory so that you can plan ahead.
3. Learn ways to market an old product.

Inventory is a vital component to almost every business. It is also extremely crucial to make sure you are handling your inventory properly. This show will give you some much needed advice and insight on where to go next with your inventory.

Today Christina talks about a very important question and that is do you really know what your product is? For those of you that do, congratulations, but for those who don’t, here are some ways to help you define what that might be. The first step in discovering what your product is is to understand and define the steps you have your clients walk through in the beginning. This can include how you greet your potential client, how you list out your services, what they can expect from you, what information is required from them and more. This not only defines your product, but it also shapes what your client will expect moving forward. The hardest part is always being able to say what it is you will be offering and what they will receive in return. This process could be harder for those who provide a service as opposed to an actual product, however all of this information applies to both. After you’ve been able to clearly define your product, the next step is going over the value each step will offer your client. As you know Christina always says pull out a piece of paper and a pen. Begin writing all of this down until you are comfortable with what you’ve come up with. These two steps will truly take you to the next level and will give you and your clients the confidence necessary in moving forward.

In this episode of Ask Christina 1st, defining a clear product is the goal. How do your clients understand the process of your product? Christina asks us to take out a piece of paper and a pencil so that, with clarity, we can begin to define the steps we use to get our clients to understand what they are getting. Despite the many differences that are associated with having different clients, there should be deep clarity into knowing what you offer and what they are getting. Your product is the overall service your clients are expecting from you. This can include your natural talents and gifts, the way you deliver your product the comfortability attached to your product and many other things. Once your clients have a clear understanding of your product then you can begin to charge them what you deserve to be paid. Some clients may require less and therefore you adjust your pricing accordingly. The fundamental take away from this show is to be able to be at peace knowing you and your client are fully aware of what you are giving and what they are getting.

In this episode you will learn:

1. How to clearly define your product.
2. Create a well written description that will help your customers fully understand your product.
3. How defining your product aids in marketing and sales.

Defining your product will bring you and your business much needed clarity. This will allow you and your clients the ability to communicate and progress so that you both feel secure and in alignment.

In this episode of Ask Christina 1st, Christina opens us up to all systems overview. Systems are the ways in which each part of your business functions. They also can go down on a scale of how well you are implementing these systems in your business and how you can improve them over time. Similar to the 9 Core Business Elements, systems are more so concerned with the functionality as each system pertains to something different and should have its own system. Of course giving detailed examples of each system, Christina starts us off with product. A system for a product could be the system you have in place from the time a customer purchases your product, how they receive the product and your inventory upkeep after the product has been sold. Are you responsible for your inventory or do you work with a company that handles it for you? Do you wait until there are only 1, 5 or 10 items left before you restock or do order product as needed? These are ways in which you can start to look at your systems and see if they are benefiting your business or hurting it.

In this episode you will learn:

1. What are systems and why they are important.
2. Why do certain systems work and others don't?
3. How can you implement these systems into your business for maximum usage.

All systems overview will give you a jumpstart to making those changes you have been thinking about for some time. Get out your pen and paper and start making your systems work for you.

In this episode of Ask Christina 1st, we talk about the 9 Core Elements and How Essential they are for small business owners. Starting off with product, customer service and systems we learn the key elements for each one and how to garnish all we can from them. The 9 elements are key components for starting and maintaining your business and the services and products you offer. Christina helps us break each one down providing examples and data to help us understand the importance of these elements. Depending on what you offer, not all of these elements may apply to you, but there is a good chance most of them are necessary. Each element is a category containing many subcategories that require concentration and research, which we then apply to our own lives and businesses.

In this episode you will learn:

1. What are the 9 core plus 1 core business elements.
2. Why elements are pivotal for any business development.
3. The importance of applying these elements.
4. Ways to help you implement these elements into your business.

The 9 core elements will help you to not only organize your business, but also find out what is necessary for overall impact and abundance. You can listen to the full episode of the Ask Christina 1st podcast located here:

In this episode of Ask Christina 1st, Christina continues with her spiritual principles in Business series. This show focuses on customer service and team management. Implementing your spiritual practices in these two forms of business can help in tremendous ways by bringing forth clarity, patience and understanding. All necessary tools when working with people especially those who are your customers and people on your team. As small business owners, a huge portion of our time goes into working with people who contribute to the foundation of our business, each requiring an approach that could help move everyone forward.

In this episode you will:

1. Be able to see how your spiritual practices help you run a smoother operation which will reflect in the overall business flow.

2. Learn to implement practices that help alleviate customer push over.

In this episode of Ask Christina 1st, Christina shares her insight on what it means to incorporate spiritual practices into your business. As a firm believer in doing your business that is your purpose, Christina forces us to dig inside why we hesitate to market ourselves. Drawing on experiences of the not so trustworthy salesman, Christina challenges us to look beyond the negatives attached to marketing and sales, reminding us that it is a disservice to ourselves. Christina’s goal in this show, is to convince us that our business is our purpose and therefore marketing is a part of the grander process. Once you have accepted your purpose and are proud of what you are offering the planet, you begin to start sharing what you do as opposed to trying to sell what you do. In this episode Christina will:

Help us identify our scarcity thinking when it comes to marketing.

Why spirituality is connected to our business and purpose.

Solutions for how to step into our light and not be afraid to share what you do.

The spiritual principles in business marketing will help us find clarity as to why we hide away from the things that will help us make it to the next level. Christina’s goal in this episode is to help us reconnect with our source and realize our potential and realize that sharing what we do is much different than trying to sell what we do.

In this episode of Ask Christina 1st, Christina encourages us to rethink how we spend time on our leadership skills and also our Cash Flow. As a small business owner, you hold the responsibility of making sure your employee’s and yourself are in a good space. Christina talks about us walking into our light and not apologizing for being who we are. In business so much of who we are is engraved in the foundation and direction of our purpose. Rethinking the roles you’ve obtained in leadership can help iron out some core issues. Another very important aspect is cash flow. Cash flow allows your business to deliver its promise to clients, employee’s and you. Using examples of hydrogen and oxygen molecules, Christina lays out a great way in which we can relate how we operate in business. In this episode Christina will explore:

Ways in which you can include spirituality into leadership and how leadership affects the outcome.

Why it's important for us to step into our light and not shun from what is meant for us.

Understand that cash flow is your duty as a business owner and how cash flow adds to your purpose.

Who are your customers and how do you keep track of them? Discovering what’s trending about your customers can help you better understand what your customers need. The three trends you need to pay attention to are who are your best customers, what are your customers buying more of and how do you keep them happy? Tracking is essential when making sure you are providing your services and products based on what your customers needs are. Finding out where most of your sales are made will be a great starting point for how you discover what your customers truly want. For example if your company sells hair products, it’s important to know what products are selling the most and which are stagnate. You can do this by tracking your products and sales for the past 6 months to a year. In that you will be able to fine tune your expenses and marketing efforts as well as update your inventory to match customer needs which leads to you knowing what makes your customers happy.