Are you running a frazzled business? Maybe you’re not sure what that means, but you do feel like something is off these days. In this replay of Episode 1, I’m sharing with you five ways to tell if your business is frazzled and what you can do to start making changes today. 

 

We know that things are about to get busy as the holiday season approaches. NOW is the perfect time to determine what factors in your business are making you feel frazzled so that you can recenter before the craziness of November and December sets in.

 

Begin by taking a moment to think back to how you felt this past Sunday. Were you excited to dive into a new work week or did the Sunday sadness come over you? If it’s the latter, that’s a clear indication that something has got to give in your business. You shouldn’t go into the week feeling miserable about the business you have built. If that’s where you’re at, it’s perfectly normal, but don’t stay there!

 

How do you feel when your clients message you? Do you get excited to hear about the next new project or do you immediately start worrying about what you did wrong or what new thing is being added to your monumental to-do list? I’ll let you guess which one indicates you’re working in a frazzle-based business.

  

Listen in to hear the other indicators that frazzle has entered your life. If you find yourself nodding along with each one of these, then it’s time to do an assessment to find out where in your business you’re feeling frazzled so that you can start getting back to work that fulfills you. 

 

Your business is meant to evolve and change with you, your life, and your desires! Don’t be afraid to take a deeper look at what’s causing your stress and start making changes today. 

In this episode:

 

[02:52] How do you feel on Sundays? 

[05:18] Do you feel stress when someone messages you? 

[07:03] What do you do to get out of a stressful work environment? 

[08:41] Are you in a cycle of avoidance? 

[10:49] Last but not least, are you delivering on your promises? 

[13:34] If you’re nodding along with all of these situations, then it’s time for an assessment. 

 

Connect with Amy: 

Amy’s Website

Amy on Instagram

Amy on Facebook

Do you have an onboarding process that you absolutely love? You know--you want to tell anyone and everyone that your process is amazing and creates the experience you want your clients to have? If not, this episode is for you.

 

I’m diving in and discussing allllllll of the nitty-gritty details involved with creating and managing your onboarding process for your clients and why it's the most important system in your business that you can (and should) continuously audit.

 

Once you exchange money with someone, you want to make sure you're wowing them. The onboarding process is your chance to get started with this. If you razzle dazzle someone in the beginning and then you don't explain anything and leave them wondering what is happening next, it can leave your new client feeling like they’ve had a bait and switch experience. Not good. We want our clients to feel like they've made the right decision, right from the start. 

 

I'm sharing my top tips to impress your clients with your onboarding process: from what kind of information to include in your welcome e-mail to the specific systems I use to automate the process and keep things moving in the right direction. 

 

Take a listen, then plan to spend some time this week auditing your own onboarding process. It may just be the game changer you need to leave your clients saying, "Wow!"

 

In this episode:

[01:52] We're never done auditing.

[02:27] Your onboarding is where the real work starts.

[05:27] Onboarding is a step-by-step process.

[06:21] We can't always depend on tech.

[06:52] What can you do to make your onboarding system something that wows?

[07:15] I talk about the systems I use for onboarding.

[08:08] What do you include in the process?

[10:30] You always want to explain what will happen next. 

[16:20] I like to send out small gifts through Amazon.

[17:56] What can you do to uplevel your onboarding process?

 

Connect with Amy: 

Amy’s Website

Amy on Instagram

Amy on Facebook

Who's ready for a little story!? Today's episode is a little different. We’re taking a look at two different service based business owner personality types and determining exactly what kind of person they need to hire. If you’re wondering what your next steps are and how you can get the most growth for your business, I’ve got you covered.

 

A Busy Betty does tasks all day long and cannot keep up. Things feel like they should be easier and she always feels overwhelmed. 

 

A Scaling Sarah works on her projects and knows what she needs to get done and when. She puts off the conversations about the specific things that need to get done and focuses on her own specialties.

 

These two types of people both need help, but they should not be hiring the same type of person.

 

Tune in for insight on which type of person you are, what kind of person would be most helpful for you to bring on, and the best way to do it. (Hint: Communication is key!) After you listen, join me in the Frazzled to Focused Facebook group at the link below to share your hiring plan and learn more.

 

In this episode:

[03:00] Amy describes Busy Betty.

[04:17] Amy describes Scaling Sarah.

[05:50] What type of hire is right for BB?

[06:33] What type of hire is right for SS?

[08:24] It's important to know what your end-goal is. 

[09:14] What do you have to do to be successful? 

[10:57] Clear communication is essential. 

 

Connect with Amy: 

Amy’s Website

Amy on Instagram

Amy on Facebook

Frazzled to Focused Group for Service-Based Entrepreneurs

Episode 18: 3 Tips to Optimize and Life Workflow to Work Less and Make More Money

 

Does it ever feel like no matter what you do, you're running behind? I've been there, done that, and unfortunately, go back there every so often. There are things we can do, though, to work less, stress less, and make more money. I have three tips (plus a bonus!) to improve your mindset and the day-to-day of running your business.

 

You have to start off by focusing on what the most important thing is for business and in life. Is it getting your kid off the bus? Making sure there is time to hit the gym in the morning? We have to make sure we protect the space around your most important thing. Then you can put these tips into place:

 

1. Identify where you are showing up as the hair-up-in-a-bun, comfy-clothes version of yourself vs. the dolled-up, makeup-done version of yourself. Setting up days where you have no calls frees you up to completely focus on tasks that do not involve being "on."

 

1. Always end your workday with close out prep time. Ending your last call and heading straight into your regular life activities will not set you up for success for the next day. Having a plan ready for the next day is a complete game-changer!

 

1. Integrate your project management tool and your Google calendar. 

 

Bonus Tip: Save space for communication. If you don't do this, you will become frustrated when you are interrupted during your work time. 

 

Listen for the details on how to implement these practices and guard your most precious asset--your time! 

In this episode:

[02:50] What is the most important thing?

[04:38] Identify where you are being yourself vs. your video self. 

[05:47] Always end your workday with close out prep time.

[07:24] What is close out prep time?

[08:38] Integrate your project management tool and your Google calendar.

[09:50] Save space for communication.

[10:38] How exactly does this make me more money?

 

Connect with Amy: 

Amy’s Website

Amy on Instagram

Amy on Facebook

Frazzled to Focused Group for Service-Based Entrepreneurs

Believe it or not, 2021 is about to come to an end. ​​Did you know that the fourth quarter is the best time to analyze what's happening in your biz? We’ll talk about what it looks like to do a 4Q audit on your business and how you can possibly save time and money by streamlining. 

 

We break things down into four simple questions you need to ask to audit your business. This is about looking back and doing a self-check to see what is working...and what’s not. You can even turn this into a wild Friday night activity with your beverage of choice.

 

Start off by asking what exactly are you paying for? It’s good to know that what you’re paying for will actually be helpful in the future. If you’re not using something now, you probably won’t be in the future. Just-in-time learning and just-in-time using are important concepts. Remember that just because you got the lifetime deal on the amazing new software, doesn’t mean you need to continue with it. 

 

Next, ask if your team actually needs the items you’re paying for. Make sure that this software is something that is making things easier for them. Is the team using a system or program that is simply bringing enjoyment? There is value in this, but you need to identify the reason for keeping it.

 

Now we have to make sure you know what you are actually offering. What are you doing to stand out from the crowd and get the client? Things change over time as you adjust your offers, so pausing to ask this question is important. If you have an offer that’s not selling, it is okay to let it go. You need an offer that is going to thrive and be fun. Amy is all about making money and having fun while doing it!

 

Then you need to identify who is on your team, and who is in your circle? Are you using the services you’re paying for? Take a look at the next 90 days and determine where you can shift. How can you make the change, and what will it mean? 

 

The last thing you need to determine is what you are marketing. Growing is sales and marketing together. If you’re putting something out there that is not related to your current offer, you have some work to do. What is your platform? If you aren’t sure what it is, you don’t have one. Pick one and choose to connect with people there. 

 

I encourage you to take an hour or two this week, go through these items and jot down some notes. DM me on Instagram with any questions or exciting revelations you have. I can’t wait to hear from you! 

 

In this episode:

[03:01] What exactly are you paying for?

[04:21] Will I be using this in the next 30-60 days?

[05:24] Does your team need the items you’re paying for?

[05:49] We look at Zapier as an example. 

[06:36] Are you paying for something that causes you enjoyment?

[07:16] What are you offering?

[08:12] Amy gives permission for you to let go of an offer that isn’t selling.

[09:23] Who is on your team, and who is in your circle?

[12:43] When you look at the next 90 days, where do you want to shift?

[14:26] What are you marketing?

[16:54] What is your platform? 

 

Links & Resources:

Episode 16: Are Your Systems Slowing Down Your Service Business Growth? Live Coaching with Wynter Noel Chatman

Connect with Amy: 

Amy’s Website

Amy on Instagram

Amy on Facebook

Frazzled to Focused Group for Service-Based Entrepreneurs

When you’re just starting out, it’s tempting to try and know and understand EVERYTHING. Every system, new-fangled software, and certainly every process that a business could, should, or does use. But all those systems will slow down your service business growth. 

 

Wynter Noel Chatman and I know each other through a mutual client and she’s been struggling with dialing in her tech stack. We sat down to go through what she’s using, why she’s using it, and what steps she can take to reel things in and start making forward momentum in her business. 

 

You see Wynter knows what she’s doing, but in many ways she’s been stuck in the “shoulds.”

 

First things first, we tackle her project management systems. At first glance it appears that she’s using three different project management systems, but instead she has one because she thinks she should, one because of all the fun and free boards, and one that she actually uses. 

 

Coaching moment: if the tech doesn’t actually fit your brain, then it’s not for you!

 

Listen in as we dig deeper into her learning time as well as the other systems she’s using. Impostor syndrome comes in all shapes and sizes, but know that you don’t need a degree in business to be successful in business. 

 

Experience is the key! Keep working in your business. Keep tweaking and testing. Soon enough you’ll have way more knowledge about business than the person down the street with the MBA!

 

In this episode:

[01:20] Welcome Wynter to the show!

[02:50] Why did she start WynterStar Virtual Solutions? 

[07:27] Where does she need help in her business? 

[10:48] Are we working on her systems or systems for clients? 

[11:12] What is she using her project management systems for? 

[13:14] Which tool does she use when she starts her day? 

[17:17] How would it feel to release the systems she doesn’t need? 

[19:41] As soon as you can give yourself permission to bless and release you’ll feel better.

[22:18] Track your learning time for a week and then cut it in half. Learn why!

[26:31] How she processes her impostor syndrome around having formal business learning. 

[30:18] A quick rundown of her tech stack. 

[32:56] Why she should create a resources area in her Asana. 

[35:22] Wynter’s next steps. 

[36:33] Connect with Wynter.

 

Links & Resources:  Connect with Wynter:

WynterStar Virtual Solutions

LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook

Email: [email protected] 

 

Connect with Amy: 

Amy’s Website

Amy on Instagram

Amy on Facebook

Frazzled to Focused Group for Service-Based Entrepreneurs

Live events are coming back. Are you ready? 

Without going into all the politics and procedures regarding live events, I wanted to provide some insights on how to make the most out of them. I actually just got back (as of the time of this recording) from a live event and it brought back memories from the early days of building my business. 

Many of my ongoing business connections and initial client wins happened at live events. This wasn’t by accident. As an introvert, I made sure to go into each live event with goals in mind to help move my business forward. 

Because why go through the hassle and exhaustion of meeting face to face if you walk away feeling like it was a waste? 

So, as you plan your next live event, keep these three things in mind: 

1. Know what your goal is in attending. 
2. Focus on your communication. 
3. Be willing to lead conversations to the next step. 

Listen in to hear all of my tips, tricks, and thoughts on maximizing your next live event as a service provider and then hit me up in the DMs, are you excited about going live again?

 

In this episode:

[00:25] Live events should work for you in building your business. 

[03:43] Events can be super fun and exhausting, but they are what you put into them. 

[05:05] Know what your goal is while attending the event. 

[06:10] Examples of what NOT to do. 

[06:50] Focus on your communication. 

[09:10] If you have the opportunity to meet someone in particular, do you know what you’ll say to them? 

[13:08] You should be the person holding the next step and letting them know what’s next. 

[14:30] The connections we make on the peer level come back to us ten fold. 

 

Links & Resources: 

Episode 13: Building Positive Peer Relationships with Marylin de la Hoz

 

Connect with Amy: 

Amy’s Website

Amy on Instagram

Amy on Facebook

Frazzled to Focused Group for Service-Based Entrepreneurs

The entrepreneur’s journey is filled with twists and turns all designed to help you find your truest self and your best business fit. That’s the long way of saying we do a bunch of stuff until something sticks! Listen as Kayla Wells shares her crazy curvy journey from virtual assistant to VIP days. 

 

Kayla started her business after having twins and realizing that the corporate commute wasn’t her jam. After Googling ways to make money from home… legitimately… She found the world of virtual assistance. 

 

Fast-forward to today and she has niched down into podcast management and editing and is shifting her services to offer a VIP Launch Experience. 

 

Listen as she shares her story and why she decided a VIP day model fit her business and life more completely. She’s also sharing her tips and strategies for implementing a VIP day in your business and what to consider as you transition.

 

In this episode:

[01:26] I am so excited to have Kayla on my show today!

[02:09] Who she is and what she does.

[03:30] She discusses how she is making money launching podcasts.

[06:38] Listen as Kayla talks about why she switched to VIP days along with her retainer model.

[08:47] How to determine who should be a VIP client versus a retainer client.

[14:22] One thing she wishes she knew when she started her VIP days.

[17:35] Kayla goes into whatever project management tool the client is comfortable with.

[20:55] Learn the goal she had when she launched her VIP experience option.

[23:16] The differences between her VIP clients versus her retainer clients.

[26:35] Kayla shares why she does sales calls and what she learns from them.

[28:16] Listen as she gives some advice for someone who wants to move their retainer model to a VIP day model.

[33:22] Thank you for being on the show!

 

Links & Resources: 

Episode 3 - Why Your To-do List is Keeping You From Success

 

Connect with Kayla:

Email | Instagram | Facebook

 

Connect with Amy: 

Amy’s Website

Amy on Instagram

Amy on Facebook

Frazzled to Focused Group for Service-Based Entrepreneurs

This conversation was 100% fire! Marylin and I have known each other for many years now and we’ve worked together and around each other for much of that time. We are biz besties, life besties, and cheerleaders for each other and we both believe in the power of positive peer relationships. Listen in to learn more.

 

Marylin and I met at an in-person conference. She was still breastfeeding her youngest and we were in the middle of a session. I knew that she was going to be my people when she used iced pop cans to relieve the pressure of a missing baby. 

 

Since then we’ve helped boost each other’s businesses by referring clients, working in each other’s businesses and keeping each other accountable and on track. This is one relationship that has changed the trajectory of my business several times. 

 

Listen as we chat about our history and why relationships in business are so important. We’ve both built several businesses based on relationship marketing alone so there is definitely tons to learn.  

 

In this episode:

[02:00] Learn more about Marylin and her work in the coaching space. 

[04:33] Marylin shares the special moment that she and I met and how we knew we were each other’s people.

[06:27] Ways we’ve helped each other through the years in building our businesses. 

[09:27] How does she create space for relationship building and work? 

[12:20] Authenticity is one of my key words for life. Learn more.  

[14:28] What are her thoughts on how to handle relationships that no longer feel authentic? 

[18:09] Another thing that may feel awkward but is important is finding gratitude in the relationship.

[20:04] How can we prioritize relationship building while also bringing in money? 

[22:48] If you’re truly enjoying talking to people, they will feel that interest.

[24:41] Don’t judge yourself when you’re building relationships. 

[26:08] Connect with Marylin.

 

Links & Resources:  Connect with Marylin:

Marylin’s Website
Creative Conversations with Marylin Podcast

Marylin on Instagram

 

Connect with Amy: 

Amy’s Website

Amy on Instagram

Amy on Facebook

Frazzled to Focused Group for Service-Based Entrepreneurs

You cannot serve everyone. It’s impossible for one person to cater to everyone in their niche, no matter how small it is. When service providers realize this, they start to wonder how they can shift their business to serve more people. Listen as Jenn Bays shares how she’s shifted from virtual assistant to agency owner for photographers. 

 

Jenn started her business like so many of us, after having her first baby and realizing that she wanted to be more available for him. She looked up work from home jobs for moms and found the world of virtual assisting. Within 6 months she left her corporate job and hasn’t looked back. 

 

She quickly realized that she wanted to increase her ability to earn money without adding to her overall number of hours worked. She wasn’t sure how to do it though. After we had a conversation about potentially shifting to an agency, she finally did it and her business has flourished. 

 

She’s sharing her story and her advice for service providers who are looking to build their own agencies. Success as an agency owner is not guaranteed. Jenn has approached her agency’s mission, clientele, and hiring in such a way that she is thriving. 

 

Take notes. Jenn’s advice is brilliant.

 

In this episode:

[01:49] Jenn started in the virtual assistant space and is now an agency owner. Learn more!

[03:52] What was her motivation to start her business? 

[06:01] How did she find virtual assistance and her first clients? 

[08:44} When did she realize one to one work wasn’t going to fit her goals? 

[09:54] Why photographers? 

[11:04] What is the differentiator between her agency and one to one work? 

[12:13] How has she set up the agency to deliver on her promises? 

[15:39] Ways that she has approached hiring while building her agency. 

[17:03] Jenn shares the moment that she realized she wanted to be an agency owner. 

[18:47] What was her most important hire as an agency owner? 

[21:32] Her advice for service providers who are looking to scale into agency ownership. 

[24:12] Connect with Jenn. 

 

Links & Resources:  Connect with Jenn:

Success Beyond the Lens

Success Beyond the Lens Podcast

Facebook | Instagram

Jenn on Instagram

 

Connect with Amy: 

Amy’s Website

Amy on Instagram

Amy on Facebook

Frazzled to Focused Group for Service-Based Entrepreneurs