GSD Diaries with Angela Proffitt

In the past, we have talked about content and how it can make or break your business. Today, we are going to talk about personality types and how they affect your content creation process. Understanding who you are - and those around you - is key to creating content that is tailored for specific personalities; this will take your business from surviving to thriving!

Once you understand how other people think and process information, it feels like the missing puzzle piece that completes the big picture. But at GSD Creative, we don’t think of that understanding as the missing piece, but instead as the foundation for everything.

In this episode, I am diving in and sharing about each of the four personality types that make up the psychology methodology we use, and how it has become the foundation of everything we do - from team communication to how we assign tasks. We even use this methodology to help us serve our clients more effectively. 

If you want to know more about how this foundational part of Angela’s business works, she walks you through everything you need to know in GSD Academy. Click here to learn more about how this step by step program helps you build and grow your business. 

Main Topics:

Understanding team members

Communication methodology and framework

Key Takeaways:

Sometimes when unexpected things happen in your business - especially when communication with other team members or clients is involved - it may help to have a system to understand how others think and what they value most so you can meet them where they are.

When you’re being asked to make big decisions with limited time, having a foundational system like our psychology methodology allows you to make decisions with confidence.

Today, we’re pulling back the drape and sharing some deep, deep stuff with you guys. We are definitely not holding back today, so you are in for a treat! Our guest is Eva Kaszychki, and together, we are talking about freedom and passion and inspiration. We are talking a lot about how much we all need a sense of purpose, so if you’re feeling a little lost right now, this is the episode for you. 

When you’re searching for a sense of purpose, the first thing you should listen to is your intuition. Most of us spend our entire lives in our head, but life isn’t always logical. It doesn’t always make sense on paper. You have got to connect to your spirit and heart to really understand what you should be doing. Also, you may think that you have to search outside of yourself for your purpose, but the truth is, your purpose is already within you. You’ll find out what it is when you learn to reconnect with yourself. 

Going after your passion or your purpose is scary, but you have to get over your imposter syndrome. If you don’t, nothing will ever get done. Don’t buy into the idea that there isn’t enough success out there for you or that you’re not worthy of your dreams. You’ve got to believe that the success you want is available for you and that you are worthy of it. Once you have your mindset correct, things will go a lot more smoothly.  

As you find your passion, you’ll learn that you attract not only your dreams, but also the right people into your business. You’ll learn to say no to the people that will have a negative impact on your life. And when you truly love yourself, you’ll truly be yourself, and people will be drawn to you if they are compatible with you. By taking care of yourself, you’ll get the clients you want and need.

As you find your purpose, you’ll have to get over yourself, but you’ll find the people you need in your life as you do. Before you can worry about your productivity, processes, profit, and people, you’ve got to know the reason behind everything you do. Having a purpose makes the rest of it so much easier. There’s so much to learn from this podcast, so I hope y’all will give it a listen and join us again next week! 

Main Topics:

Finding a purpose

Overcoming fear and imposter syndrome

Attracting the right people

Key Takeaways:

“The most powerful thing we have is our intuition...but most of us spend our entire lives in our head.”

“I can guarantee you that if you start listening to silence and just quiet your thoughts, you are going to start feeling.”

‘Your feelings are powerful because they are a compass to get you where you need to go.” 

When it comes to growing your business, one of the things I’m asked about most often is creating content. Content is one of the most important things you can use to grow your business. But it can’t just be any content: it has to be good content that will actually help grow your business and brand. You can’t create great content by accident. You have to have a process. To create social media and other content that will actually help grow your company and brand, you have to be clear about the problem you solve and about what sets you apart from competitors who offer similar services or products. For this to happen, you need to have clarity and consistency.

Let's talk about what I mean by clarity first. When I look at your website, social media pages, and images, do I know what you do? Do I feel led to learn more about you? If not, then you have some work to do. Start getting clear on the problem you solve. When all of your content clearly conveys your role, then you have the right content. The right content is a magnet for your ideal customer. It attracts them like a homing beacon to find you, and they know they're in the right spot when they see you being clear and authentic through your content.

The next thing you need to make sure you’re hitting is consistency. Consistent content is made up of two parts: 1) remaining true to your visual brand and the clear message you've already figured out and 2) making sure you're showing up in a consistent way. You've got to figure out how to show up to communicate and to be social and to share content with your customers on a regular basis, and that takes productivity and systems. Clarity and consistency: both matter when it comes to creating content that will grow your brand.

If you try to make your content a little more clear and a little more consistent, you will gain followers and clients. In the long run, you will find the productivity, profit, and peace you crave. So try it out this week and let us know how it goes! Join us again next episode for even more exciting tips and tricks!

**Key Takeaways: - “Start getting clear on the problem you solve. If someone asks what you do, do you answer with your job title only? Or, can you enlighten the person with the problem you solve?” - “If you're wondering what the difference is between you and the successful business people you follow online, it's probably this: they're consistently creating, and you're scrolling and consuming.”

If you’ve already looked at our guest today, you might be thinking this is my sister because we share the same last name. Well, she is not my sister. I didn’t even know she existed until just recently, but I’m so glad I know her now! Her name is Krystal Proffitt, and she knows so much about podcasting from her experiences helping people create their own. So if you are interested in starting a podcast, this episode is for you!

The podcast world has really taken off, so you may wonder if it’s too crowded for you to join in. Though there are so many talented people doing podcasts, it’s not as crowded as you may think. If you choose a topic for your podcasts that is too broad, then yes, it will be over-crowded. If you get very specific, however, there will be an audience for you and, surprisingly, more success. Speak to a very specific audience, and you’ll find that that audience actually exists outside of your mind. 

Getting started is always the hardest part. There are two things that people usually get hung up on. One of them is that they are afraid that they’ll sound stupid. This is natural: no one likes the sound of their own voice. Krystal suggests that you practice talking to yourself so that you can get comfortable with your own voice. The other issue people have is that they don’t have a plan. Nothing gets done if you don’t have a plan! So to get started, practice speaking and start planning. 

Sometimes you might not even know what to talk about, but Krystal has some brainstorming ideas for you. Start with answering the questions you get asked the most. Then, create podcasts on all of the stuff you already know. Get that easy stuff out of the way first before you start diving into research topics. As you get established, choose topics that will lead you towards your goal, whatever that is. 

Podcasts are a great way to connect with people. If you, like me, want to make a difference in the lives of other people, then a podcast is a great place to start! It’s amazing how much influence your voice can have on your audience. It can be a point of connection between you and your audience. If you want to know more about podcasting, listen to this episode. Check in again next week for even more tips and tricks! 

Main Topics:

Is the podcast world overcrowded?

Getting Started

Brainstorming Ideas

Key Takeaways:

“Just keep trying, keep exploring those voices that say ‘Hey! Try me!’...because you’ll be very surprised at what you’ll find out about yourself.”

“The most important thing is to figure out who you want to talk to.”

“There is nothing wrong with your voice. You sound just fine, and there are people out there that need to hear the messages that you have.” 

How do you know if you're a leader? I think that real leadership starts with having a vision and a plan for your life and business. You have to know where you want to go, what success looks like, and how you'll get there. That’s the only way you can lead a team to make your vision come to life and the only way you can decide what to focus on with so many things competing for your attention. Today, we’re talking about the need for vision in leadership. Now, my vision isn't going to be your vision. You've got to find your own. But where do you start?

I recommend that you start by doing a vision board. If you're not familiar with this, it's something where you cut out images from magazines and glue them to poster board or cardboard in order of importance. When they're all put together in one place, your entire focus is clear right there for the world to see. Doing an exercise like this makes your goals and your vision visible.

The next thing to do is to start working on the steps that will get you there. You can't just allow your vision to be a dream: it has to have actionable items in it, things that are doable and specific for you as an individual. When you know what those actionable items are, you need to block off time in your calendar each week to get those things done! If the time to complete the task isn't blocked off on your calendar, it isn't going to happen! Eventually, week by week, that vision on your vision board starts to become real.

If you want to be a good leader or if you want to be profitable and productive, you need to have a vision for your life and business. You've got to know what you want your life to look like, and you've got to treat this like a business that supports that life. So my challenge for you this week is to take a step back and consider where you're headed. What is your vision for yourself as a leader in your business? What is your vision for your life five years from now? Ten years from now? If you decide to make a vision board, let me know! Share your experience on social and tag me @angelaproffitt and we can all work toward these goals together!

If you’re like me, you might not have any experience with franchising. You might even be a little confused about what counts as a franchise because some people claim their business is a franchise when it really isn’t. Franchising is a lucrative practice, but you’ve got to know what you’re doing. You’ve got to do your homework. Our guest today is franchising expert Lance Graulich, and he’s going to teach us everything you need to know about franchising. 

If you’re like me, you might get lots of people reaching out to you about franchising, and you might be wondering why this happens and if it is normal. According to Lance, it is super normal. If you’re an experienced entrepreneur, people know that you have what it takes to be a franchisee, and that’s why they all want you! 

2020 showed us just how weak our businesses can be and how important it is to make good investments. When you’re looking into franchising, there are definitely franchises that are more recession-proof than others. For example, let’s look at restaurants. During the last year, big box restaurants did not do too well because no one could come to their locations. Small restaurants, however, did very well because their take-out business increased. When you’re looking for a good franchise that will weather the storm, invest in the ones that people will always need, even when there’s a pandemic. 

There are so many really great things about franchising. One of them is that it gives you the freedom you crave with the support of the corporate company. There are so many things you don’t have to do because corporate takes care of it, giving you the time you need to really focus on making your part a success. Also, you can talk to other franchisees about the franchise to make sure that it fits your lifestyle before even investing. You don’t build from the ground up: you use the already existing platforms and processes to create success. 

Franchising is so fascinating, and entrepreneurs do really well with it. It can be a great wealth-building tool and lead to incredible profitability. Profitability is, of course, important to me, and this is a great way to go about increasing it. If you want to learn more about franchising, listen to this podcast or connect with our guest!

Good leadership starts with good communication. As you build your team and start to delegate and to give your team members tasks, the ability to communicate clearly is critical. The problem is that we all communicate so differently, and if we don’t have a system for communication, it can become one of the biggest time-sucks in our business. 

The first thing you want to keep in mind is that your team members cannot read your mind. YOU are the leader. It is on you to be clear. It is on you to communicate. And if you can communicate in a way that honors your team members and how they process information, even better. But where do you even start with that? Last episode, we talked about finding the best apps for your business. Today, I am talking about three apps my company is using to communicate. 

Right now, we are using Todoist, Marco Polo, and Loom. Each of these apps works a little differently, and they help us communicate in unique ways. I find that using more than one tool to communicate increases clarity and gives us versatility. I don’t force my team members to communicate in the exact same way as me. Instead, we find ways to communicate together, and this increases our productivity and creates bonds of trust. Using these apps has helped increase positive communication. 

All of these apps and tools have free versions, so if you think they’ll be a good fit for you and your business, give them a try! As you increase efforts to communicate, you will see so many productive rewards! If you want detailed information on all of these apps, listen to the podcast! I hope you’ll be back again next week for even more tips and tricks! 

Key Takeaways:

“Your team members cannot read your mind, and YOU are the leader. It is on you to be clear. It is on you to communicate. And if you can communicate in a way that honors your team members and how they process information, even better.”

“Many of the business owners I’ve worked with over the years are incredible people. However, they can also be intense, especially when there is stress involved! That intensity oftentimes means that they are reacting and not always creating a team environment that allows people to thrive.”

Today, we’re talking about one of my very favorite things in the topic of productivity: technology. I tell people all the time that if I could just set up people’s offices with Apple technology so that they could be paperless and wildly productive, I would be in heaven. Technology is an amazing tool if used properly, but it can get out of hand when you end up with more apps and technology than you could ever use and when you end up spending more time and money on apps and tech than you’re saving. When you’re looking at using technology to increase your productivity, there are three things you want to ask yourself:

First, what is the job that needs to be done here? You have to know what you're doing before you figure out how to do it or else you may spend much more time on a simple task than you should. Sometimes we get so set in our ways of doing things that we don’t take the time to think through processes and the steps it takes to get something done. So before you pull in technology, double check and make sure you’ve got solid processes in place, then use the technology to help things go faster.

Next, ask yourself “Is this app going to save time or money?” When I’m looking at a new tool or app to pull into my business, the thing I’m always thinking about is whether or not this is going to save me time. If something is going to save me 5 hours in a week, it’s a no brainer. Also, hiring an app or a piece of software to do a job is so much less expensive than paying a person (even yourself) to do it. 

Finally, you need to ask “Will this app fit into the way I like to do things?”  Consider if the app will be something that will play to your strengths and be something you will actually use. For me, I communicate better through videos than through messaging, but that’s just a personal preference. Just because I do it one way doesn’t mean that you’ll want to do it that way. You have to make sure that the technology you use fits your style. 

These questions may seem overwhelming, but this week, I want you to take some action. Take a look at the technology you’re using during the day. Do you know how to use it all? Are there things you’re not using right now? Are there things you need to learn? Are there new apps you need to consider adding to your stack? Asking these questions will help you answer the big questions we’ve talked about today. Getting your time back by using technology is a no-brainer, but you have to actually commit to trying new things and to using the things you have if you want to increase your productivity. 

Key Takeaways:

“It doesn’t matter if everyone is using a piece of technology if it doesn’t fit with who you are and how you like to do things.”

“We want these tools and technology to be a permanent part of how you think about productivity in your business.”

Pay attention, new business owners. Our guest today has something that I needed to know ten years ago, and it can fast track you as an entrepreneur. Even if you’re a seasoned business owner, you might learn something new today. Our guest, Sylvia Inks, is a finance expert, and we are talking about the five tools that every business owner needs. These tools are so helpful, and they lead to increased productivity and sanity of mind, so I know that you’ll get so many good nuggets today!

As all of you small business owners know, there’s a lot to invest in when you are first starting out. Sometimes, you don’t have the funds to get it all. Out of Sylvia’s five basic tools, there is one that she suggests investing in first: a scheduling tool. Scheduling tools will arrange your appointments for you and will save you from time-consuming emails as you try to schedule appointments. Sylvia’s preference is booklikeaboss because it offers multiple appointment types. Whatever tool you use, it will definitely have a positive impact on both you and your clients. 

Once you have the first tool, there are 4 other tools you should get as you’re starting your business. You will want a contract signing tool because it helps you get things signed faster, and that increases your productivity so that you can start working instead of waiting for something to get signed. Sylvia also suggests getting freshbooks to keep track of invoices and payments. This next one is so important: get a cloud system. You’ll never have the pain of losing important documents if you have them in a cloud. Sylvia suggests using Microsoft 365 because you are the undisputed owner of all documents you upload. Finally, make sure you have at least one business bank account. You can have multiple business accounts that serve different functions, but make sure that your business accounts are completely separate from your personal accounts. These five tools that we talk about are essential for every new and seasoned business owner. 

I absolutely love Sylvia’s five tools because they will increase your productivity, something that I am passionate about. Many of these tools simplify your processes so that you can make more money and have more time doing the things that you love. If you want more details on these tools so that you can increase your productivity, I invite you to listen to the podcast! 

Main Topics:

#1 tool business owners need to invest in

5 tools business owners should start out with

Key Takeaways:

“People don’t realize that if you don’t have a scheduling tool, and it takes 3-5 emails to get an appointment time with you or a consultation call with a prospect, you could potentially lose a sale.”

“If a prospect is excited and wants to work with you, get them committed. Once they sign the contract, they’re even more committed.”

If you’re like many of my clients, you might be sitting at your desk right now surrounded by piles of post-it notes or notebooks full of to-do lists. There’s so much we need to get done in a day, and I don’t know about you, but in the past, I used to look up and wonder where the day had gone. I was in meetings all day, and then I would realize I had a to-do list that was full of things to do and no time to do them! Today, I will be teaching you about time blocking, a practice that is foundational to my massive productivity. If you do it consistently, it will get you closer to your goal of having the balance and the peace of mind you crave.

Time block is not time tracking. Time tracking is when you figure out how long something will take to finish. Time blocking, on the other hand, is when we block off the time in our calendar to get things done. We’re removing that disconnect between writing things down on the to-do list and actually making time to accomplish those things. When you block off time to complete tasks on your calendar - even 15 minutes at a time - it changes the game. 

I’m going to walk you through how to do this real quick. The first thing you’re going to do is block off the things that you need to do for yourself and for your family. As an entrepreneur, you are the machine that keeps the business running, and if you don’t take care of yourself, if the machine breaks, the whole thing falls apart. You might need to block off time to eat or to exercise. You might even need to block off time to sleep. Make sure you block off these essential things first. 

The next thing you’re going to do is block off the meetings and appointments you need to attend on your calendar. Make sure that all this time is accounted for, including the time it takes to drive to the meeting or appointment. Then, with the time you have left, look at your to do list and allot time to complete those tasks on your calendar. If you’re not sure how long it will take you to complete something, make your best guess. You can always add a block of time later. Add the list items to your calendar until everything has a time assigned to it. Now your mind doesn’t need to be anxious! You can just move from thing to thing on your calendar and know that you aren’t missing anything and that you have time to get everything done. It’s so freeing!

I know that if you try this, it will make all the difference in the world. This habit, this practice is what allows me to show up in all the areas of my life present and focused and with the confidence that I’m getting shit done. My challenge for you is to give this a try! Plan some time tomorrow to block out next week. You can be present and balanced and have a great weekend if you give this a try!

Key Takeaways: 

“When you block off time to complete tasks on your calendar—even 15 minutes at a time—it changes the game. You know that you have allotted time to complete the tasks you need to complete.”

“Time blocking is the foundational practice and habit that turns your frustration into freedom.”