This month's features are more 'lessons' than 'stories.' Though they may not be as much fun to listen to, some aspects of Digital Alchemy require targeted training. This month's episodes address key elements of the formula we use at ABEM Digital Creations: Who --> Where --> What --> Result.

Today's lesson: Until you identify your ideal client, you can't build effective copy, create impactful design, or design the perfect offer stack! Once you know your ideal client, you need to know her/his temperature. Marketing to the perfect cold target market requires a different strategy than marketing to the perfect hot audience!

This month's features are more 'lessons' than 'stories.' Though they may not be as much fun to listen to, some aspects of Digital Alchemy require targeted training. This month's episodes address key elements of the formula we use at ABEM Digital Creations: Who --> Where --> What --> Result.

Today's lesson: How many times are you asked to provide your email address in exchange for "free" digital, downloadable content, such as a free PDF checklist, report, eBook, white paper, video, etc.? When the "free" item attracts the perfect potential customer, it acts like a magnet... hence the term lead magnet. What incentive do you offer to potential buyers in exchange for their email address or other contact information? Getting this right is critical for growing your business!

I treasure the times when I have deep conversations with friends. Join me as I talk with guest Sheila Henriksen Reilly about the entrepreneurial insights of her late husband and my friend Bud Henriksen. Bud was a serial entrepreneur before the term was coined. My main takeaway: every failed business venture comes with an opportunity! 

(To learn more about Bud's business, check out Henriksen amps! https://www.henriksenamplifiers.com/)

White noise is the 'sh' backdrop of ambient sound, creating an indistinct seamless commotion.  We can train ourselves to tune out (ignore) a majority of the white noise in our surroundings.  We can learn to live with and even learn to ignore the sound of traffic or the sound of a waterfall. We stop hearing the sounds of electric appliances humming in our homes. As long as the noise isn't disruptive, we frequently stop listening to it.  Being able to tune into or tune out the sounds around you can be both helpful and harmful aspects for the small business entrepreneur.  What are you missing because you're blocking input? What might you be achieving because white noise allows you to focus?

Sometimes it feels like stating the obvious, right? If the roof leaks, just fix it! Finding the place where a roof is leaking isn't always easy. It can take time and money to find that one spot where water's getting in... Until the leak is fixed, you'll need to watch for drips and position buckets to catch the water. Metaphorically speaking, when your business has the equivalent of a leak in the roof, you will be positioning buckets and the business may suffer irreparable structural damage!

 In the natural world and the world of marketing, ecosystem management is a long game approach that is highly effective. Beware of quick-engineered solutions that have unforeseen consequences or do not solve a problem!  Your ecosystem is where you develop your offer.  Ideally, your blue ocean is the place where you're not competing on price.  "Know your niche!" "Find your Blue Ocean!"

Even when you see something and have evidence to back up your conclusions, you may be wrong about a situation.

We can be and frequently are so wrong when there’s a failure to communicate. Effective communication, whether it's among members of your marketing team or between your team and a client, is critical to successful work!

When you set a goal or intention, like seeing a shooting star, there are some common sense strategies that increase the likelihood of success/fulfillment. In the case of the seeing a shooting star, your chances are better at night that at midday. They're better if you're looking up into the heavens rather than down at the ground. Be aware that where you look matters!

"Have you heard?" As you prepare to answer a question like this, notice the gap between the moment you hear the question and how you respond. Is this going to be some good or bad news? Should you prepare to jump for joy or to fall into despair? You are not victim to your emotions but are attuned to them and able to change them when you practice mindfulness. Mindful awareness of emotions is tied to how we manage stress and anxiety. This skill is critical for business owners and effective team management.