How You Pictured It

Erika Millard on Empowering Small Business Owners through Bookkeeping

This podcast episode features Erika Millard, a bookkeeping coach specializing in supporting female entrepreneurs. She educates listeners about her unique coaching services and her thoughts on small business owners doing their own bookkeeping initially to gain basic knowledge and understand the flow of day-to-day transactions. Erika explains the differences between accounting and bookkeeping, highlighting the importance of maintaining accurate, organized books to make informed business decisions. She talks about various mindset issues around money that can create roadblocks for potential clients. Erika also expresses her opinion about QuickBooks being the best software for bookkeeping and shares her process of using pre-recorded and custom video trainings to help her clients. The episode concludes with Erika touching upon the topic of business automation and workflows associated with her newly-launched podcast, 'Get Comfy With Numbers'.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Presentation
00:19 Erika's Journey into Bookkeeping
01:34 Building a Business Around Family Life
03:31 The Birth of a Bookkeeping Coach
04:30 Understanding Accounting and Bookkeeping
05:44 The Importance of Good Bookkeeping
07:45 Overcoming Roadblocks in Bookkeeping
11:41 DIY vs Hiring a Bookkeeper
14:17 Transitioning to Informed Bookkeeping
17:23 Overcoming the Fear of Numbers
19:33 Erika's Favorite Resources and Offers
22:10 Lightning Round Questions
25:36 Conclusion and Farewell

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100066650323250
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erika_millard/
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://erikamillard.com/

Be Your Own Bookkeeper in 6 Simple Steps  https://erikamillard.com/bookkeeping-checklist

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In today's milestone episode of the 'How You Pictured It' podcast, I talk about the idea of aligning personal values and priorities with entrepreneurial goals. I talk about the roots of starting the podcast and my experiences over 12 years as a small business owner. This conversation focuses on helping small business owners rediscover the freedom and flexibility they imagined at the start of their journey, often lost through the realities of running a business. I help you define what success looks like, identify your core values, and prioritize actions in alignment with those values. Through real-life examples from my own business, I share how you can revisit and modify business practices to reflect your personal values and priorities better. You have the liberty to run your businesses your own way. 

00:00 Introduction and Podcast Journey
00:19 The Heart of the Podcast
02:22 Understanding Values and Priorities
03:39 Exercise to Identify Your Values and Priorities
05:00 Analyzing Your Answers
05:55 Applying Your Values and Priorities
06:21 Aligning Your Business with Your Values
07:00 Examples of Value-Based Business Decisions
08:09 Keeping Your Values Close
08:27 Permission to Do Things Your Way
08:59 Closing Remarks and Future Plans

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Brittnie Renee is back for another episode of How You Pictured It!

Her business has taken a little pivot and she's launched a brand new planner designed for Photographers to help you manage your time and reach your goals. 

In this episode we talked:

• Brittnie's history with time management
• How time management and using a planner is beneficial to creative entrepreneurs
• The concept of time blocking and what that means for Brittnie
• How to set goals
• The value of goals based on your priorities and vision for your life
• Breaking goals down into tasks and how to get them done

Brittnie is offering a free workshop November 7th-9th you can join here: https://brittnierenee.myflodesk.com/3dayproductivity

Save on your planner with code Kate15:  https://brittnierenee.com/planner-collection

Find Brittnie:
https://brittnierenee.com/
https://instagram.com/brittnierenee_co

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Join me for the interview with Susan Coelius Keplinger, owner of Force of Nature.

Susan shares valuable insights on evaluating marketing efforts, utilizing AI, and harnessing the power of testimonials and influencers. Additionally, she shares her own experiences in building a successful business and the importance of balance within an entrepreneurial journey.

In this episode we cover:

• 2 types of audiences: With Intent vs Without Intent
• The way we can use story with each audience
• The data points to track and how they help us know how to market
• The importance of your story within your business
• Using your priorities to guide your marketing and business structures
• SEO vs SEM and when and how to use each

Find Susan at https://www.forceofnatu.re/ 
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanck/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sueck

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In this episode of "How You Pictured It," host I interview Ziza Natur, a visibility strategist and public speaking coach. Ziza shares her expertise on how speaking opportunities can help entrepreneurs grow their businesses successfully.

We discuss:
- Ziza's role as a visibility strategist and public speaking coach for female coaches, consultants, and service providers
- The importance of speaking engagements and visibility opportunities for business growth
- How public speaking helps build trust and confidence in your brand
- Tips for small business owners who feel nervous about speaking or being on camera
- The significance of starting with comfortable topics and gradually expanding your speaking abilities
- Common mistakes to avoid while speaking, such as taking too long to get to the point and overwhelming the audience with excessive details
- The value of structuring and delivering your message in a clear and concise manner
- Importance of the audience understanding and being able to summarize the main ideas of your talk
- The impact of clear communication on audience engagement and potential return viewership

Ziza emphasizes the need for entrepreneurs to develop their speaking skills as it plays a crucial role in their success. By starting with familiar topics, managing nervousness, and delivering content effectively, entrepreneurs can build trust, engage their audience, and see growth in their businesses.


- Learn more about Ziza:
Website: www.thevoiceofpower.net
Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_voiceofpower
LinkedIn: Ziza Natur
FREE High converting videos guide: https://zizanatur.ck.page/videos-guide

STUDIO BIZ 54: Visibility beyond social media in 4 hours/month for online coaches, consultants and service providers: https://zizanatur.thrivecart.com/studio-biz-54/

- Watch the full interview on the "How You Pictured It" YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/channel/@dearkatebrandstrategy

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In this episode I talk with guest expert, Rebecca Dollar, The Motherhood Mentor, about seasons of motherhood and entrepreneurship and how our businesses shift with our life. We talk about:

- Capacity
- Managing your energy and expectations
- How different seasons have different needs
-The comparison game

Find more from Becca at https://www.themotherhoodmentor.co/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themotherhoodmentor/

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In this episode, I'm doing a deep dive interview with Hannah Hoffman of Sunny Social Collective. We are talking all about Instagram and how to effectively market your small business with this platform. 

We cover:

•  How to get consistent
• When to post
• Optimizing your Instagram Bio
• What kinds of posts you should be creating: Carousel vs Static vs Reels vs Stories
• Where to get inspiration for content
• Making social media marketing simple and sustainable

Find Hannah and Sunny Social Collective on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/sunnysocialcollective/

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This week I'm sharing my newest favorite tools and softwares in my creative small business. I'm talking time management, AI, and SOP tools to get back hours and make your life as a creative entrepreneur easier.  Here's what I'm loving lately:

1. Descript - A powerful software used for recording podcasts, audio, video, and screen sharing. It also transcribes the audio and creates a script. You can then edit directly from the transcript, eliminating the need to work from waveforms and timelines! 

2. Otter.AI - Joins Zoom calls to create summaries, transcripts, and notes. Helps with keeping track of conversations without the need to write notes. Allows for easy referencing and searching through the transcript or summary. Can pull screenshots from the call for additional context.

3. Tango - A tool for creating standard operating procedures or tutorials for how to do something on the internet. It records each step users take on a web page, transcribes the process, and provides directions. Procedures can be shared via a link and include pictures of the steps taken. The transcription and directions can be edited and altered.

4. Reclaim.ai - A tool for time management and scheduling. It helps figure out where different tasks fit into a schedule, saves time, and allows for time-blocking. It automatically schedules and rearranges tasks as needed and locks in certain time periods to prevent others from scheduling during those times.

5. Cast Magic - A one-time purchase software that uses chat GPT AI technology to process long-form video or audio content. It can generate episode summaries , show notes, and help you share your content with things like instagram reel ideas or captions.

6. MissingLettr - A tool available through AppSumo that helps repurpose content by creating drip content for social media based on long-form blog posts. It breaks down the content into multiple social media posts, which can be customized and makes repurposing content so much easier! Get more traction out of the content you are already creating and drive traffic to your long form content.

Bonus:  AppSumo - A platform for software developers to launch beta versions of their products or gain a large number of users at once by offering discounted or lifetime prices. This is a great place to find new softwares! 

Anything that helps me save time AND do my job as a creative entrepreneur better is worth checking out! Let me know if you try any of these tools!

Check out more of my favorite tools and grab discounts for them at dearkatebrandstrategy.com/resources

*This post contains affiliate links which may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. 

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In this episode,  we dive into the  intersection between ADHD and entrepreneurship with our guest, Steph Zakas.  Steph is  a success mindset coach + alignment business mentor for photographers and creatives as well as an Elopement photographer.   Join us as Steph and I share insights and experiences  navigating the challenges and the strengths that come with ADHD while building a successful business.

Topics covered:

- Prioritizing tasks

- Planning and goal-setting strategies for entrepreneurs

- Tools and systems used to manage tasks and workflows

-Benefits of ADHD

-What neurotypical people can learn from neurodivergent

- Marketing and launching a new brand vs. maintaining an established business

- The impact of COVID-19 

- Leveraging the unique problem-solving skills of ADHD brains in small business

Grab Steph's Freebie: https://www.stephzakas.com/25-introvert-marketing-freebie

Get a 60 day trial of Scribd for unlimited audiobooks: https://www.scribd.com/g/1p2uky

Find Steph at https://www.stephzakas.com/
https://www.instagram.com/stephzakas/

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We're wrapping up our four-part series on websites for your creative small business today! In case you've missed the first 3, they were: 

Episode 39:Why Your Website Matters
Episode 40: The Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Guide to Building a Strategic Website
Episode 41: Mapping Out Your Website: The Purpose of Each Page

In this final episode, we'll be exploring how your website fits into the marketing puzzle. We'll discuss why a strategic website is crucial to creating an environment that encourages customers to buy, how to align your website with your brand message, and the importance of using your website as the central hub for all your marketing efforts.

Here are some of the key points we'll cover:

- The website as the central piece: Think of your website as the picture on the box of a puzzle. It serves as a reference point and central hub that all your marketing activities lead back to.

- Building upon a strong core website.

- Consistency and credibility

- Owning your online presence

- Nurturing and understanding your customers

Be sure to join me for the free Masterclass, "The Roadmap to Your DIY Website", where I'll teach you the exact three phase process you need to create a strategic website that aligns with your marketing goals. The Masterclass will take place on July 6th at 10:00 a.m. MST Even if you can't make it live, register here to watch the replay!
dearkatebrandstrategy.com/roadmap

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