Crystal Uncorked

I love talking about authenticity and people’s superpowers and their importance whether we’re marketing online or just simply showing up. I value creativity and I have never been the kind to stick to what everyone else is doing.

Quick story: back in college, I went to a Halloween party with a friend of mine and everybody was in costumes. My friend dressed up as a cute sexy cat – there were a lot of sexy cats, nurses, and teachers at that party by the way - and there I was as a bag of jellybeans, covered in bright balloons stuffed in a clear trash bag. And honestly, I stood out and got so much attention.

This story makes me think about how I like to have that uniqueness that makes me and my business different from other people. And what I’ve found and realized over the years of running my own business is when you are yourself and uniquely you – not faking it or trying to be anybody else; just YOU – that shines through and that is what people connect to.

It can be scary to be ourselves and show who we really are but it’s important we push past the comfort and be comfortable in discomfort. A lot of the doubt we feel about ourselves really comes from comparing ourselves to someone else. This is more about you as a person and your personality versus your unique abilities, strengths and the things you’re good at. 

Yes, it’s easier said than done but I encourage you to let WHO YOU ARE shine through – your uniqueness, your characteristics & your true authentic self. Because there is nobody else on this planet who is exactly like you and that’s what people want to connect with.

Go ahead and be scared but do it anyway, put yourself out there and be more vulnerable. The more you do it, the more confident you’ll be. In the words of my wise grandmother, “DO IT AFRAID.”

 What’s Inside:

What it means to be comfortable in discomfort.
Why letting WHO YOU ARE shine through is important in your business and personal life.
You are uniquely you and you can leverage that.
Vulnerability and putting yourself out there.

Mentioned in the Episode:
Be Bold! Boost Confidence and Spark It in Others
EVOLVE 2023 in Denver, CO – Crystal Media
Crystal Media
Crystal on Instagram
Crystal Media on Instagram
Crystal Media Co – YouTube

Let's stay connected:

• Follow my journey on Substack: https://buildingmyepicempire.com
• Email me: [email protected]
• Instagram: @crystalvilkaitis

I'll CU on the next CU! 😎

Vi Wickam has been my web guy for over a decade. He is a digital expert, an incredible fiddler, and a dear friend to me. Every time I have a crazy idea or question when it comes to my website, Vi is right behind it saying anything is possible. He believes you truly CAN do anything, as long as you are willing to put the time, effort, (and money) into it.

Are you worried your website isn't getting the traffic you need to be successful? Vi explains that the majority of websites get a shockingly low rate of 10 visits per day. If you're getting that….you're right in the majority of other website owners. But how can you build that up and turn 10 visits into 10,000? Vi shares some tactical tips like how to increase your value to Google with links and citations…as well as blogging.

That's right, blogging isn't dead. Blogging may look different than when the internet first started like a daily diary. Today, blogging is how business owners cover information and answer the questions that are relevant to their customers. Thoughtful, good blog posts will garner more and more visits over time. The more posts, the more visits. It's unlikely you'll write any one-post that will bring in 1,000+ views, but instead, patience and persistence with consistent good posts will bring that number up.

Vi shares some great insights on how to improve your trust online. Google gets smarter year after year, at determining websites that are working for the benefit of the customer and when you are working for that too, your value online increases.

Before we wrap this episode up, Vi talks about his life in the music world as a fiddler. He is actually a member of the GRAMMY's and you can check out some clips at one of his websites I've linked today! Between the great conversation, wine, and visits from my dogs this was a really fun episode, and I hope you're leaving just as inspired as I am.
I’ll see you on the next CU.

What’s Inside:

• How to get more traffic on your website.
• Tactical things to drive traffic and show up for your customers.
• The importance of patience in marketing.
• What is blogging today?
• How to improve your website's value to Google.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
Vi Wickam, Digital Marketing Expert
Vi Wickam - Wizard of Ads Partners
Vi Wickam
Get Listed Now - Crystal Media
EVOLVE 2023 in Denver, CO - Crystal Media
Crystal Media
Crystal on Instagram
Crystal Media on Instagram
Crystal Media Co - YouTube

Let's stay connected:

• Follow my journey on Substack: https://buildingmyepicempire.com
• Email me: [email protected]
• Instagram: @crystalvilkaitis

I'll CU on the next CU! 😎

I’ve recently shared about my therapy journey and how helpful it has been and continues to be for me. In a session, my therapist asked me, “What does it feel like to feel free”? Closing my eyes I was instantly taken back to a childhood memory of riding my bike. Alone or with friends, happy, no weight of the adult world on my shoulders, completely detached from the world. A memory that brought me to tears; Will I ever have this true feeling of freedom again?

Now as an adult my brain is rewired. I have adult pressures. I have a social media business. I’m constantly connected to the world online. Even if I go out and ride my bike to feel the wind on my face and leave my phone at home, it won’t be the same freedom I felt in that childhood moment. I’m different now, I’m older, and the people I know and love are older.

It’s hard to see the people around you get older. It’s hard to see life-changing. Since that memory of when I was a child, we have experienced a lot of progression as a humanity. And beautiful things have come out of that but life will also never be the same, I think we just have to grieve and accept that.  I now have a new sense of feelings and appreciation for those who feel left behind by technology.

But are freedom and fun dead? No. In order to invite these feelings into your life, you have to understand what charges and frees your adult brain, what evokes that true freedom? What brings youthful fun to your life now? If you are not caring for yourself and making time for the things that bring you joy and make you feel free, you cannot perform the best in the other areas of your life.

My Freedom List:
Good Music
Self-Care
Open Day
Camping
Time with friends
Karaoke

I challenge you now to make your own freedom list. What recharges your battery? What things can you do to invite fun and freedom back into your life? DM me and let me know!

I’ll CU on the next CU!

What’s Inside:

• What does it feel like to feel free?
• The emotions that come with true freedom.
• What does freedom look like for you personally?
• Tips to create balance in your life.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Arndt Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, 2017
EVOLVE 2023 in Denver, CO - Crystal Media
Crystal Media
Crystal on Instagram
Crystal Media on Instagram
Crystal Media Co - YouTube

Let's stay connected:

• Follow my journey on Substack: https://buildingmyepicempire.com
• Email me: [email protected]
• Instagram: @crystalvilkaitis

I'll CU on the next CU! 😎

Oh my gosh! The shock of last week's episode!! Cheers! *decaf coffee in hand*.
If you missed last week go back and check it out because I’m engaged!!!

Leaving off from talking about my tearful company meeting and the appreciation of vulnerability I got from one of my employees. I’m just so thankful for the feedback I got from multiple employees in the subsequent hours and days after that meeting; so much support, appreciation, and meaningful connections.

Personally, I don’t like the fluff, I’m a cut-to-the-chase open, honest, meaningful kinda girl. Which can be challenging, and that’s where I’ve been struggling. I don’t know about you but I tend to feel alone in my problems; like no one else has been going through whatever I’m going through. But I can’t stress enough how much you can benefit and impact others by being vulnerable and being open and sharing what you’re going through. Every single time I open up, I continuously get this outpouring of support, “me too’s”, mutual feelings, and common stories that just mean so much to me.

Through all these moments and stories of vulnerability I’ve shared, I’ve seen how people, like me, are really letting fear, and the fear of what people think to hold them back. But when you just let go, you can be your authentic true self. So what if you were TRULY you? What if you let down your walls? Would you show up in work and life differently?

I challenge you to move forward after listening to today’s episode ready to be vulnerable and ready to take down your walls. It might be scary, but I promise you can do it. When you commit, the world provides. Lemme know what happens, DM me on Instagram and share your story.

I’ll see you on the next CU.

What’s Inside:

• What can happen when you’re vulnerable?
• The sense of community and support that can come from being vulnerable.
• What's keeping you from opening up and letting go?
• How can being your authentic self open new doors and opportunities?
• A challenge of vulnerability from Crystal.

Mentioned In This Episode:
​​How to Launch a Podcast, Gain Real Confidence & Have Courage to Be Your True Self - It's Time to Podcast Series Cathy Heller Presents Don't Keep Your Day Job
Part 1: Thank You For Being Vulnerable
EVOLVE 2023 in Denver, CO - Crystal Media
Crystal Media
Crystal on Instagram
Crystal Media on Instagram
Crystal Media Co - YouTube

Let's stay connected:

• Follow my journey on Substack: https://buildingmyepicempire.com
• Email me: [email protected]
• Instagram: @crystalvilkaitis

I'll CU on the next CU! 😎

Vulnerability is such an important quality but can be so challenging to reach. I'm at a place in my life and my business where it’s happening a lot more organically and I'm finding myself sharing and crying and opening up in a way that isn’t really typical of me. The feedback I'm getting for that….Thank you! Each time I'm vulnerable those listening have really truly listened and then thanked me for being vulnerable.

Being vulnerable in a position of leadership is particularly difficult, especially because you can have this fear that it makes you look weak but that is just not the truth. I recently went to a 3-day conference and had the opportunity to take the “hot seat” and before I knew it I was there in front of everyone opening up and crying and being vulnerable. The coaching that came from that experience was truly helpful and I had so much support from the audience. That vulnerability was the key to pushing me to believe in myself and to give myself the courage to step into my vision.

Believe it or not, even though we’ve just celebrated our 10-year milestone, the last 5 years have been really challenging for me in my business. I’ve experienced burnout and feelings of depression. I’ve felt trapped, confused, and unhappy. I really felt it was time to share that with my team, as I'm internally being called to speak more about that on the show. So again I got vulnerable on a company call and I'm so thankful I did.

… And that is where I’m going to leave you until part two next week, because during this recording, speaking of vulnerability, something pretty amazing happened…

I’m ENGAGED! Dustin proposed right here on the episode for all of my people to be a part of this incredibly special moment. I'm over the moon and will see you on the next CU.

What’s Inside:

• Creating meaningful connections through vulnerability.
• How to break past the struggle to open up.
• How fear can hold you back from your vision.
• The challenge behind being vulnerable as a leader.
• A very SPECIAL surprise ending!

Mentioned In This Episode:
EVOLVE 2023 in Denver, CO - Crystal Media
Crystal Media
Crystal on Instagram
Crystal Media on Instagram
Crystal Media Co - YouTube

Let's stay connected:

• Follow my journey on Substack: https://buildingmyepicempire.com
• Email me: [email protected]
• Instagram: @crystalvilkaitis

I'll CU on the next CU! 😎

We’re back with part two, Celebrating 10 years and finishing up my list of my top 10 tips and lessons learned in business. If you haven’t listened to last week's episode, Part 1, go back and listen for tips 1-5 and then come back to finish it up!

Tip 6: Have a Support System
This is not your work team but your personal support as an entrepreneur. You need someone there for advice or an ear and to bounce ideas off of. Reach out to this network of support through all the “swings of your pendulum” before involving your team.

Tip 7:  Know your Numbers
For a while, in my first years, I didn’t really know my numbers and that can really be a problem. This year we are spending a lot more money investing in the growth of the business and it's really necessary to know your numbers and look at the big picture. When you know your stuff you can hit your goals.

Tip 8: Be Human
Be human with your marketing and with your business. Be who YOU are. If you are not doing this you’re not doing this you’re falling behind the competition, because others are really out there, putting a face to the name and showing up in their brand. Write your emails and posts from the heart, like you’re talking to your best friend.

Tip 9: Know Your Strengths and Your Weaknesses
Not only should you know your strengths and weaknesses but you should follow through by doing what you’re good at and not what you’re bad at. I’ve linked the CliftonStrengths Assessment anyone can take to assess their strengths, and talents, and maximize potential. How you use this information is so important for delegating out the things you don’t want to do so you have time to focus and succeed on your strengths and things you really want to be doing.

Tip 10: Build a Team
You cannot run a business alone. You may have heard the saying “hire before you’re ready”. This is true in some cases but you should definitely first get really clear on your vision of what you need your team members for and what success looks like for them. 

BONUS TIP: Celebrate and Reflect!! Pay attention to the things you’ve done and been through during your journey. Reflect on it and always celebrate it!
If you’ve noticed I haven’t been filming and recording and putting out new episodes, I’ve missed you! I needed a break and if I’ve learned anything it’s that you have to listen to that. So I’m back, I’m excited, and I’ve got some great things coming! Cheers to 10 years!

What’s Inside:

• Celebrating 10 Years in Business with Crystal Media.
• Why you need a support system beyond your work team.
• Can not knowing your numbers stop you from reaching goals?
• Being human might be one of the most important pieces in building business connections.
• What to do with your strengths and weaknesses.
• When is the right time to build your team?
• The importance and joy in celebrating and reflecting on your business.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Crystal on Instagram
EVOLVE 2023 in Denver, CO - Crystal Media
StrengthsFinder 2.0 | EN - Gallup
Kolbe.com
Burtech Family Vineyard
Crystal Media

Let's stay connected:

• Follow my journey on Substack: https://buildingmyepicempire.com
• Email me: [email protected]
• Instagram: @crystalvilkaitis

I'll CU on the next CU! 😎

Can I get a WOOHOO!? *Pops Champagne* While I’m not drinking on today’s episode, I am certainly celebrating. We have reached 10 years in business at Crystal Media!! I am so proud and honored to reach this milestone along with my team. In honor of this exciting milestone, I am sharing my top ten tips and lessons learned in my last 10 years of business.

Tip 1: Mentorship
I wouldn't be where I am today without a mentor.  In episode 4 I talk about mentorship and my personal mentor, Patricia Norins. I recommend a 1 on 1 mentor for sure as well as taking advantage of support from Masterminds!

Tip 2: List Building
I’m still working on this, even 10 years in! Use creative ways to build your email list. Email marketing is one of the top sales generators for Crystal Media, and I think we could be a lot more strategic in building the list.

Tip 3: “Happy to Help”
This has been the Crystal Media motto from the very beginning! This is a no-BS slogan, I genuinely mean it. People recognize it, they’re grateful, they give you their trust, and they become lifelong customers.

Tip 4: Give Value
Over the last 10 years, I’ve focused on over-delivering. I give away free info and high-value information during speaking events because it’s more important to me to REALLY help someone even if I don’t make a sale right then… because those clients will remember me and my content when they need me.

Tip 5: Find Like-Minded Partners
When you find partners that are at the same level as you and with the same expectations, you have an audience that is primed and ready to receive you! Big shout out to one of our partners, WhizBang! Training, who has been a huge asset for growing our speaking events and so fun to work with!

Stay tuned for next week, where I pick up with part 2 and my last 5 tips of lessons learned during the last 10 years in business!

What’s Inside:

• Celebrating 10 Years in Business with Crystal Media.
• Top 10 Lessons Learned in Business.
• Why you need a mentor to excel in business.
• The importance of strategic list building.
• Why being a genuine helper is a great tool in business relationships.
• Can you be more successful when you provide high-value content for free?
• The advantage of like-minded partnerships.

Mentioned In This Episode:

Episode 34: The Burtech Family Vineyard
Episode 4: 3 Entrepreneur Lessons for Next Level Business Growth
WhizBang! Retail Training: Retail Training For Store Owners
EVOLVE 2023 in Denver, CO - Crystal Media
Crystal Media
Crystal on Instagram
Crystal Media on Instagram
Crystal Media Co - YouTube

Let's stay connected:

• Follow my journey on Substack: https://buildingmyepicempire.com
• Email me: [email protected]
• Instagram: @crystalvilkaitis

I'll CU on the next CU! 😎

If you're a listener or a follower of mine, you have probably had the chance to see some of Christina Gressianu’s work. Christina is a dear friend of mine, whom I met on Twitter nearly 15 years ago! Today, she is joining me on the show from her photography studio in Loveland, Colorado. I am so happy to finally be close by and continue to work with her often. In this episode she shares some insights she has on photography, being a photographer, and even being photographed.

Christina makes this really beautiful statement, “A photograph is just a slice of life.” This is so true, it's really just a small peak at a moment, and many times clients can get worried, concerned, and at times displeased with how they look. As a photographer, Christina’s focus is truly about making her clients and subjects feel comfortable. One of her cardinal rules is to never let a client become the butt of a joke, she loves to crack jokes but they will always be at her expense to get her clients laughing, having fun, and feeling good during a session. She calls it a “human experience”.

Behind the camera, photographing her clients, is where Christina feels the most in the zone. For her, sales and marketing is nerve wracking and her most difficult feat in her business. She is so genuine and wants the experience to be exactly what the client needs and can afford. She talks a bit about what it's like as a photographer making sales, and the investment good photography is for someone. We even chat about a big ticket conversation: iPhone versus professional photography.

Whether you're an adult or a child, showing up to a photography session can really feel like the pressure is on. Christina shares some stories about how she helps lighten the pressure and some tidbits of advice to make your next shoot go in the desired direction.

Check out Christina Gressianu’s portfolio and social media to see some of her work!

What’s Inside:

• How should you prepare for a professional photography session?
• iPhone versus Professional Photography, which is better?
• How to loosen the pressure during a photography shoot?
• The importance of honesty and authenticity as a photographer.
• A photographer's cardinal rule for keeping clients comfortable.

Mentioned In This Episode:

Christina Gressianu Photographer
Christina Gressianu (@photocg) • Instagram photos and videos
Christina Gressianu Photographer - Home | Facebook
EVOLVE 2023 in Denver, CO - Crystal Media

Crystal Media
Connect with Crystal
Crystal on YouTube
Crystal on Instagram
Crystal on Facebook
Crystal on TikTok 

Let's stay connected:

• Follow my journey on Substack: https://buildingmyepicempire.com
• Email me: [email protected]
• Instagram: @crystalvilkaitis

I'll CU on the next CU! 😎

My guest Sarah Goldberger, CEO and Founder of Lord Jameson: Organic Dog Treats, joins me today with some really great advice for those in the pet industry but also for business owners in general. We talk about the importance of mentorship, embracing failure and uncertainty, and SuperZoo, an incredible conference for pet retailers and others in the pet industry.

Sarah so eloquently phrases her Zone of Genius, as the ability to “find the inner center”. When it comes to products, market voids, and even employees Sarah has a unique talent to guide with intuition. I know personally, I got where I am today because of influential mentors and guides along the way. Sarah and I really believe it’s your duty as a leader to pay it forward and guide and mentor those special people you encounter in your business journey.

We also talk about the F-Word: Failure. A lot of business owners and entrepreneurs are scared of that word. Sarah and I talk about what it really means to fail and all of the beauty, learning, innovation, and even success that can come when you accept failure as a step along the way.

Unusual for Crystal Uncorked, I have never actually met Sarah. But we are slated to meet at SuperZoo in August. If you haven’t heard of SuperZoo and you’re in the pet industry, it is the spot to be. With over 700 products, 70 big-name buyers, and 1000+ exhibitors, it is the largest and most comprehensive trade show in North America. 

This episode is such a treat, literally! Sarah even gives us a special Crystal Uncorked secret in her new favorite, unreleased flavor for the upcoming season! She also shares about a  great resource for pet retailers that Crystal Media actually partners with, WPA365. Check out Lord Jameson on their social media channels to learn more about Sarah and her incredible products!

What’s Inside:

• Tips, tricks, and advice for leaders in the pet industry.
• The other F-word: Failure
• The importance of mentorship.
• The new and secret flavor for Lord Jameson’s upcoming seasonal treat.
• All about SuperZoo, the largest and most comprehensive trade show in North America.

Mentioned In This Episode:

Lord Jameson
Lord Jameson (@lordjameson) • Instagram photos and videos
Lord Jameson - Home | Facebook
SuperZoo Conference August 22-25 SuperZoo
Why WPA365 - World Pet Association
EVOLVE 2023 in Denver, CO - Crystal Media
Crystal Media
Connect with Crystal
Crystal on YouTube
Crystal on Instagram
Crystal on Facebook
Crystal on TikTok 

Let's stay connected:

• Follow my journey on Substack: https://buildingmyepicempire.com
• Email me: [email protected]
• Instagram: @crystalvilkaitis

I'll CU on the next CU! 😎

Janel Dickin is a former client who left her retail business to become a retail consultant. She works with Management One to help independent retailers operate more efficiently through merchandise planning. She has been a colleague and friend and a big inspiration for me getting started with Crystal Uncorked, the entire conversation over this episode is fun and funny and full of amazing tips and insights for business owners.

“Don’t even worry about it”, is Janel’s catchphrase as she calls it. She is such a light and encouragement to her clients and everyone who knows her. When it comes to working in an arena she is fit for, Janel describes her Zone of Genius as a love for business, retail, and helping people. As a retail consultant, she is doing just that. She uses her staple phrase to remind business owners that they are the biggest priority when it comes to operating their business, and putting themselves first will only increase their success. 

As Janel and I talked today, we really break down something we all experience. Chronic Guilt. So what is Chronic Guilt, the chronic illness you never knew about? When we’re at home spending time with our family… we’re feeling guilty. When we’re at work, zoned in on the business, we’re feeling guilty for missing something at home. It doesn’t matter where we are or what we're doing, there is this never ending guilt engrained deep within us. So what do you do and how do you fix that?

Janel shares several incredible tips to set boundaries and operate with priorities to recharge and combat that chronic guilt.

• Email Hack #1: “Out of Office” Queue up that out of office message, so you don’t feel obligated to reply when you’re not working. Draft an automatic message that lets people know you’ll get to it when you’re available.
• Email Hack #2: “Send Later” Most email applications have a send later function that allows you to type and prepare an email to get it off your to do list but send it at a later day or time to either 1. Be courteous of emailing others on their weekends or 2. Not set the expectation that you’re available during “off time”. 
• The Fake Employee: Create a fake persona to answer emails, customer service replies, social media comments, head up departments etc. This sets a filter for responses as the business owner AND makes your business appear bigger and more organized.
• Recharge: Whether it's an hour a day or an entire month, whatever getting away looks like for you, do it. You will always come back with new ideas and more energy. 
• Prioritize: You only have one life and limited opportunities to spend time with the people you love, make time for them when necessary and don’t feel guilty about it.

If there is anybody in the world that wants to see you succeed, it’s Janel Dickin. She will celebrate you and encourage you for the smallest of things. If you want to learn more about Janel you can find her online, through Management One or through her firm Authentic Consulting Group.

What’s Inside:

• What can a retail consultant do to improve business for independent retailers?
• What is chronic guilt and how can you manage its effects?
• Prioritizing yourself and your personal needs to drive your professional success.
• Hot tips for setting boundaries via email and online interactions. 

Mentioned In This Episode:

Janel Dickin — Management One Inventory Planning
Mindfulness and Business Success with Bob Negen of WhizBang! Retail Training 
EVOLVE 2023 in Denver, CO - Crystal Media 

Let's stay connected:

• Follow my journey on Substack: https://buildingmyepicempire.com
• Email me: [email protected]
• Instagram: @crystalvilkaitis

I'll CU on the next CU! 😎