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First off, SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization.  SEO is all about tuning up your website so that it ranks better in search engines.  You want your website to show up on the first page of Google when someone types in a question.  

The goal is to get your website to show up on the first page of search results. If you are looking up local photographers in your area for example, how many pages are you going to scroll through before you decide to click on a website and check it out?  Probably not that far. Did you know, the vast majority of people never click past the first page.  That first page is prime real estate and where you want to be, and understanding SEO is how you get there. 

SEO is something you build. It takes time. There isn't just a button you can click and WHAM! Your website is optimized for search engines. However, even though it's something that you build and it takes time, it's not as hard or confusing as some might think.

The first thing we're going to talk about regarding SEO,  is 

1. Your content. 

When it comes to optimizing your content, the first thing you need to start doing is using keywords. Whether you're writing a blog post, or updating your website, keywords should always be front of mind. Now, what do I mean by keywords. I mean, you should be thinking about what it is your business and content is about, and think about what words a potential customer would type into google if they wanted to find you. 

So for my business, as a wedding photographer, I know a keyword for me would be "wedding photographer" or "wedding photography." Think about what basic keywords represent your business, or post specifically, and make a list! 

After you've brainstormed some basic key words, it's time to think of what they call "long tail keywords," which just means, more specific key words or phrases, that include more words, and are more specific! So if we go back to my wedding photography example, that's not a great long tail keyword. I mean, it's pretty general right? If I just used that, think of how many other wedding photographers are out there?! I'd be trying to compete with HUGE websites and blogs and business that are already ranking on the first page of google. A great way to turn this keyword into a long tail version, would be to add my location. Like Wedding Photographer Syracuse NY.

Now once you have a list of keywords, basic and long tail, it's time to use them to your advantage!

First, to optimize your website, you need to start utilizing the ALT text feature for all images on your website. ALT text refers to alternative text, and allows you to insert words or phrases as attributes to that image. Doing that, tells website viewers the content of the image, or purpose. You can't see the ALT text. The only time a viewer would see it would be if there was an error and the image didn't load. So essentially it's like an invisible way to jam pack your website with keywords so that you can rank higher on google.  Depending on what website platform you use, it will look different, but there is always a spot to add ALT text for images on your website and blog.

Now, keywords are also important for blog posts. Luckily for blog posts, you can download a plugin and Yoast has an AMAZING plugin for Wordpress blogs. If you don't have a word press blog, there are other plug ins you can download that will help you with your SEO. Yoast plugin gives the post that you write in WordPress a readability score and an SEO score. What I love about Yoast is the traffic light symbol that they use. Red means you need some work, yellow- it's alright, and green means you're good to go!

Yoast also has a spot for you to type in keywords associated with the post! Point blank- plugins are amazing when it comes to utilizing SEO. A few other keyword helpers besides Yoast are: 

Buzzsumo, Kwfinder, Keywordseverywhere. So do your research, see what works on your platform and do yourself a favor and download one!

Also, when you're working on a blog post, you want to make sure your metadata is relevant to your content and includes keywords relevant to your post. Again, we want to be thinking about what our potential clients would be typing in the search bar to find our business, our website, or our specific piece of content like a blog post. Make sure you're always thinking about search intent and make sure that your keywords, wherever you're using them are relevant to your business and the specific content they might be representing. 

2. Authority

You want to establish yourself as the authority. You don't want to be shy, but you want to be clear and concise in doing so and there are a few ways that we can do this.

First, make sure you have strong copy on your website. By copy, I mean wording. Make sure it's clear what you offer, and where you serve people or where you're based out of. If you struggle with writing information on your website, from your About me to your Contact page, there are so many free resources out there for you! Plus, if you really wanted to, you could hire a copy writer to do it for you! But bottom line, you need to make sure your copy is strong, naturally uses keywords, and that your copy makes it clear what you do.

Another great thing to do, is to work with guest posters or to participate in other collaborations. This allows other people to link to your site, or share with their audience, giving you new viewers, and again helping with your SEO. If you guest post on someone else's site, you will get what they call a "backlink." Essentially all a back link is, is when someone shares your URL on their site which will give you some link juice, and that's a good thing! It's great for your SEO.

Another tip, you want to see what your domain pops up as. So have you noticed when you go visit a website and you see "http://" Before a website? You want yours to say "https://." The S makes your website more secure and can help with your ratings. If you are someone who is still using http://. You can google how to switch to https using your host. For each host it is a different process, but that is also something else to consider! 

So working on your website copy, collaborating, and making sure your domain is secure, are all things on-site you can do to build your authority. But, there are also things you can do to build authority in the social world, because once you have and optimized website and content, it's time to start promoting that awesome site and content!

First, engage! I cannot say this enough. Leave comments on other posts, interact in forums or groups, and just be genuine. If you leave spammy, generic comments, people aren't going to be clicking over to your site to read more about what you have to say and that's the goal! To get people to visit and share your site! 

Bottom line: If someone is asking a question and you know the answer, help them.  Be kind, be you, and build connections online.   When you engage online, people will start to recognize your name and business which will help build your authority and trustworthiness- both of which are important components to ranking.

3.) Technical

Once you learn how to optimize your content, and you work on building your authority, the last thing to help boast your SEO is to make sure all the technical stuff is good to go. 

There are three things I want you to focus on in particular.

The first, is crawlability. Crawlability refers to how easy it is for a search engine to process ("crawl") the information on a website. A crawlable website has: a clear layout, a straightforward sitemap, and an easy-to-access internal links to each page of content

Search engines like these features because they make the site easy to navigate. This is pretty technical stuff, but crawlability has nothing to do with user experience, but instead has everything to do with a bot's experience. 

We want to make it easier for a bot to access and navigate the information stored on your site.

Now you're probably wondering Why does it matter?

Bad crawlability will hurt your search engine rankings. Google doesn't want to bend over backward to index your website. They want your site data to be clear, readable, and accessible for readers and their robots. If Google has a hard time processing your website, you will be penalized. Period. End of story. 

So what can you do to make sure your site is crawlable? 

First, Make sure your site has a simple, organized layout. The more complicated, the most problems can arise and the harder it can be for google to index you. 

Second,  make sure there are no broken links on your site. A broken link just means the link a visitor clicks, doesn't take them to where they want to go, it's probably happened to you where you get that annoying 404- page not found error code. These are bad for two reasons.

First, they obviously make for a bad user experience where a visitor might get annoyed and not want to come back and second, they negatively impact your SEO ratings which is what we DON'T WANT. There are tons of free resources for tracking broken links on your website. You can use google analytics, or Xenu!

Next, utilize internal links on your site! Crawlers like internal links for two reason. First, they help the crawler find more pages on your site and Second, if your link includes a keyword, that keyword will help tell the crawler what the next page will be about, making it all the easier for it to crawl more of your content. So utilize internal links when you can!

Lastly, keep updating your website!

Crawlers like to see new, fresh content on a website. By giving them something new, you'll keep the crawlers coming back to our websites and by having them come back, you'll see your search engine rankings constantly refresh and hopefully improve!

To wrap it up let's go over three action items we can do today to move the needle forward:

1. Action step #1: Start going through your website and add keywords via ALT text to all images on your site. 
2. Action step #2:  Install a SEO plugin to help optimize your content
3. Action step #3:  Check your website for broken links! Remember, broken links equals bad, we want a smooth, user friendly experience!

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Olesya Oligradska is an exercise rehab specialist turned business and mindset mentor. Her passion lies in helping women rewire their beliefs and reclaim their worth so they can sell and grow their business with confidence. She is on a mission to help women build a life of freedom and choice through holistic growth inside and out. She is also the host of The Soulful Selling Podcast, a platform where "sales" is no longer a dirty word and abundance gets to be the new norm.

1. Talk to us about what old programming means?

Old programming is anything that you've been taught from your childhood until really, you are able to make your own decisions. They're taught to us by our parents or teachers,, our coaches, our tutors, family members, like whoever is teaching us, especially when we're young kids, up to seven, we don't really know anything, we don't really have beliefs of any kind. So the first seven years are so important because we absorb everything that we're being told. Everything. Old programing is anything that you believe in to be true for you right now.

2. Talk to us about how old programming can hold us back from growing our current venture?

 One of the things that I that I talk to people about is we need to literally erase everything that we know about what it takes to work as an entrepreneur because it's literally backwards. We have to invest in ourselves first, we have to invest in our time. We have to totally rewire. And that's why I go so deep with people about their old beliefs, because I really, truly believe that if we rewire that, our business will just explode.

3. What strategies can we implement to start rewiring our old programming?

Number one, you need to start looking at what business means to you. What do you want and what are your definitions of what a business looks like? What are your definitions of what success looks like? So asking those questions, and really just sitting with yourself and saying, "What do I believe right now?" Like, what do I believe about what it's going to take to build my business say, to five figures or six figures? What is that going to take? What kind of energy is it going to take and what are my beliefs? If you don't look at that first and you just go head on into your new venture, there will come a point where you won't be able to move forward. And this is where people have a hard time scaling. Because they're like, I have this thing and it's working really well, and I don't understand why it's not scaling. A lot of that is belief based.

Second thing is honestly surrounding yourself with people who, are doing not the same thing as you, but who are chasing the same big visions.  I truly believe everybody on this planet has a different path. So, finding people who you can celebrate with when you get a new client or who you can bounce ideas with who you can talk to you when you're having, you know, a hard day to kind of just bounce you back because a lot of the times it's all emotional for us, especially because we're so close to our business. So that's number two. surrounding yourself with people that are going to empower you.

And then number three, I would say is to just really focus on who you are here to serve. So one of the biggest objections that I get when it comes to sales, and this is why I started my podcast is it's like, I don't want to sell because I don't want to sound sleazy, I don't want to sound like I want to make money off of this person. I don't want to sound like I'm trying to get something out of them. And a lot of the times the confusion comes from the fact that they don't actually know who they want to work with. Don't be someone who says "I'll work with anybody." Because guess what, you're going to get anybody and you're going to get people that are going to be excited and then they're not going to do anything, you're gonna waste your time. And it's the same thing with coaching when you are like "I'll help you with all the things," the reality is, is that when people go to find you, especially high level people who want to hire somebody for a really expensive price, they will be so confused about your messaging that they won't even look at you. So one of the things that I teach with my clients, especially about scaling is you have to be so niched down. You have to be so crystal clear on who you're here to serve. That clarity is going to show up in your Instagram posts, that's going to show up in your stories, it's going to show up on your website, it's going to show up in a podcast interview or podcast that you're doing. It's going to show up everywhere. And if you are sending out a confusing message, you're never going to make the money that you want to make in your business. You will always be chasing the next thing.

4. What mindset is required to grow and scale a business?

Essentially, you really have to believe that whatever you envision is going to come true. I know that that's really hard for some people to understand, because a lot of people will say, "Well, you know, it's circumstantial, or it really depends on my messaging, and it really depends on blah, blah, blah, blah." And I'm like, listen, if you don't believe that you can make six figures in your business- like truly, truly down to your bones, whether you see that number in your bank account or not, your business will never scale to six figures. You are able to control what comes into your life, you're able to control what kind of people you invite into your life. And that's why, l I say, getting super, super clear about what you who you want to work with is super, super important. If you don't believe that you can have certain things, they're never going to become your reality, because you're always going to say, I'm not enough. I'm not enough. I'm not worthy. I'm not enough. I'm not enough, and I'm not enough. We need to face that and say, "okay, but what if it was different? What if I was in that? What if I started to think this way and say to myself that I am a six figure entrepreneur? What would that feel like? Like if I were to give you if I were to put six figures into your bank account, what would that feel like?" I always tell people to dream big all the time. And the one mistake that I see people make is that they dream for like three months or six months and then they're like, it's not working. Then, they just give up and they're like, the, you know, manifestation doesn't work. What I'm attracting doesn't work. But what we forget is that we need to give the universe, God, whatever you believe in, time to rearrange your previous life to fit this new one that you want and sometimes it doesn't happen overnight. Sometimes you have to give a time, and the most important part is that you still believe even when it doesn't seem like it's gonna come true.

Most of the time people give up before the magic happens, before their manifestation becomes true. What I encourage people to do is always hold the faith, even when it feels like it's not going to come true. Because that's where the magic happens- when you hold the faith, when it looks like it's not going to happen. I think a lot of the times, you have to tell yourself that you're never going to quit, your business is always going to change, things are always going to move in different directions. But you have to promise yourself that you will never quit on yourself because essentially, in our business, if we quit, we're quitting on ourselves.

Grab Oleysa's Master Class HERE!: 7 Secrets to Making Sales with Unwavering Confidence

Creating a Freebie: Yes Girl, You Have Something to Offer

Today we're going to talk about creating a freebie because doing so gives so many benefits to your business, like for example it can help grow your following or e-mail list, it helps build trust between you and your following, and it helps position yourself as an expert, just to name a few. 

So first things first, how do you decide what to create a freebie on? Because that's the first and biggest hurdle right? Feeling like you don't have anything to offer, or that no one would want to learn something from you. First off- that's totally false. Because you DO have something to offer, and we're going to walk through how to figure out what that is. 

I should start by saying, a freebie doesn't have to be anything crazy and I think that's where people get hung up. They worry they don't have enough knowledge to share with the world in freebie form so they just don't bother. But here's the secret truth- it doesn't have to be this super detailed, crazy, life changing freebie. The purpose is to help someone in a quick, and easily digestible manner. 

For example, common freebies often follow the format: 5 Steps to… or 3 Tips for.. Or Quick Hacks about XYZ… so it doesn't have to be overwhelming. 

Now knowing that, you need to think about your niche and you need to think about what it is within your niche that you're SUPER passionate about, that you could offer assistance to others with. 

So for me, I nerd out over instagram. I nerd out because when I first started using Instagram for my business- I KNEW NOTHING. So what did I do? I stalked articles on pinterest, I binge listened to podcasts and youtube, and just soaked in all the information I could. And then, I realized I had a lot of knowledge about instagram that others didn't! 

From that realization, I took ONE aspect of Instagram and I decided to make a freebie about hashtags. Now I hope you're with me on this, because hashtags are only one piece of the entire instagram puzzle. So again, it wasn't crazy, it was just one piece of information I knew really well and decided "hey! I could take this knowledge, write it out, and create a freebie on it!" And that's exactly what I did. 

Now we need to put this in terms of your business. You are doing something that others do not know how to do, or do not know how to do as well. Again, I know it's so common to feel like this isn't true, that we don't have enough knowledge to be sharing with others, or certainly not enough knowledge to be creating a freebie on. But I want to be clear, you are one step ahead of someone- and that is all you need to be in order to create a successful freebie.

When we get stuck in entrepreneurial land, and we're watching all these boss babes who are killing and who are where we want to be, it can be hard for us to see our own special talents and it can be hard for us to realize that we have some knowledge that could benefit others! BECAUSE we're so busy following our role models, that we don't see the people who are following us because we inspire them. Remember, The kindergartner looks up to the first grader, and you only need to be one chapter ahead of someone in order to help them!

With that in mind, think about your niche and most importantly, think about your ideal client (because everything in business comes down to knowing our ideal client! And if this is something you're still struggling with, be sure to check out episode 4.) But knowing your niche and knowing your ideal client, what knowledge can you share with them, that will help them? 

It's really that simple!

Again, this would be based on your knowledge and what you feel comfortable and confident in sharing with your following but you just need to think of quick helpful knowledge that you can share, that your ideal client would find useful and helpful.

If you're still struggling, really take the time to sit down and think what your ideal client is struggling with. What are their fears? What makes them mad? What makes them sad? What are their goals? Once you know the answer to those questions, create a freebie that answers their struggle. Create something that brings them a solution to their problem, or if not a full solution, a helpful way to get started.

The hardest part I won't lie, is believing in yourself! If you know your audience and you know their needs, then thinking of a freebie topic should become that much easier. The struggle is getting past that mindset block and understanding you don't have to have 5000 followers to make a difference. You don't have to have a full time business. You don't have hit a milestone before you are capable of sharing your knowledge with the world. 

Now that we've gone over how you're capable, because you are, and we've made the idea of creating a freebie less scary, I want to share the actual logistics of creating a freebie with you. Because for some of you, THIS could be the part that's hanging you up.

Like I've learned from Jenna Kutcher, it can be as easy as opening up a word document, typing out your information, and then saving it as a PDF. BOOM. DONE.

I've actually downloaded freebies that use that very process and I didn't think anything of it. It's super simple and all you need is Word or Pages on your computer.

However, me personally, I'm a visual person, so I like when things look pretty. If you're like me in this department, I LOVE PicMonkey for all of my creating needs. It's a super easy design tool that gives you access to stock photos and videos, thousands of templates and graphics, and you can check it out HERE, but essentially, it's a super easy way to make beautiful graphics and freebies.

But what I want to be sure you understand, is whether you go fancy or not, you need something typed up and saved as a PDF. That's it. Once you've done that- you have your freebie! So time to pop the champagne, order takeout, do a happy dance, and CELEBRATE! I feel like creating a freebie is such an important step in the realm of business because, as I said before, it can help you gain more followers, it helps position you as an expert, and it just adds VALUE for your following. And if you've been following along with me, you know that as business owners we should always be thinking "how can I add more value for my clients?"

Now you might be wondering, "Molly, what the heck do I do once I have this saved PDF version of my Freebie?" That's a good question and honestly, it depends on what the purpose of it is. You could use your freebie to grow your e-mail list, or you can upload it somewhere like Google drive which is what I do, and get a shareable link for it! That way, you could just share the link with your audience or in your profile

To wrap it up let's go over three action items we can do today to move the needle forward:

1. Action step #1: Work on writing out your ideal client's struggles. Even if you've already done it, make sure it's up to date. Get them out of your head and write them down somewhere whether it's on paper or in your computer/phone.
2. Action step #2:  Brainstorm Freebie titles or topics. Start thinking about your skills, and think about what you know that someone a chapter behind you doesn't know.
3. Action step #3: Pick one of those topics and just start getting the information you want to share on that topic out of your head and onto paper or into your computer phone.

I'm going to start right off by saying: Having the right mindset is key to having a successful business. But all too often, we get into our own heads and we chip away at our strong mindset with our self doubt. We question ourselves, our products or services, we compare ourselves to others, we hit a bump in the road; and then that strong mindset we THOUGHT we had, starts to crumble and we wonder what we're even DOING on this journey and trying to be our own boss. Let me tell you something right now, mastering a strong mindset, has the ability to get you through anything, and I mean literally anything, on your business journey. So what are the things that we struggle with the most when it comes to our mindset? This episode is going to go over 5 common mindset struggles for boss babes.

Now you're probably wondering when you hear me talk about mindset, "Molly, what does my mindset have to do with my business?" Girl. It has EVERYTHING to do with your business. I love being a business owner. It's given me so much freedom and control over my life- which are usually some of the very reasons that people want to START a business but, there will be challenges on this entrepreneur journey. I'm just being honest. And mastering your mindset and setting your expectations is going to help you move through those difficult times with confidence and encouragement that you'll come out the other end. 

So what are some of the things that boss babes commonly struggle with when it comes to mindset? 

So often in the business world there will be periods of time where all you will hear are crickets, and that can be HARD. It can make you start to wonder if you're even WORTHY of success and it can make you want to give up before the crickets end and the success arrives.

So let's address this one. Getting constant praise would be nice wouldn't it? Not even just in business but in all aspects of life! I know I would eat it up. But the reality is, that doesn't happen. Again, there will be times of complete and utter silence in your business (except for the crickets). We all have slow periods or seasons. It's normal. But what you need to understand is that just because no one is biting, or liking, or commenting, or whatever, doesn't mean you aren't still making an impact or that they aren't still watching, and reading, and listening to what you have to say. 

While it's nice to receive constant praise, understand that while people might not be engaging, they're watching. They're seeing you show up and they're seeing you present yourself as the expert. Know that constant praise, isn't always an indicator of success. People can be "silently" praising and "silently" engaging in your business as well. Your job is to remind yourself of that when things get a little slow or quiet because you ARE WORTHY of that success that you're working towards! And you will get there!

It can be so hard for us boss babes because we tend to follow all of our role models online and we see all their success, but success doesn't happen overnight and it sure didn't for them either! Success comes when you put your blinders on, do the work, and show up for the people in your circle RIGHT NOW. When you do that, you'll start seeing the progress that you want. So when you feel like you're not getting any engagement, you're hearing the crickets, you starting wondering if you're worthy of that success- remember- who never know who's watching you, and you're worthy. 

Don't let the crickets drive you to giving up before that "success" arrives. It takes time! So keep showing up, do that work, and know that you've got this! You're impacting more people than you know!

So what do I mean by that? I mean, When you KNOW you have a good product or service and you know it can change lives, or make an impact, or just that you would be the best provider for them, but you struggle with getting that across to others. You struggle with sharing that passion. Because, whether you realize this is the problem or not, you hate feeling "salesy."

Let me start by saying if you AREN'T passionate about your product or your service then you're in the wrong business. You absolutely, 100% need to be PASSIONATE about what you're selling because people don't buy products or services, they buy your passion. They buy your story and your WHY. And if you aren't passionate about your product or service, why should they be? Why should they trust you and work with you?

When you're passionate about what you're doing, you need to share that passion. When you do, it makes "selling" so much easier. Selling doesn't have to feel slimy, or uncomfortable. If you, again, are passionate about your product or service, and truly believe in what you have to offer, then share your experiences, share your heart, BE OPEN AND TRANSPARENT and let your passion shine through all of your content. When you do that, you'll be showing others not just what you do, but WHY you do it. Why you're the best person for them to work with.

So if you're feeling weird about sharing your passion with your audience- you shouldn't. Being open, transparent, and authentic is what's going to help you move that needle forward in your business. It's going to build that know-like-trust factor with your following, and when you share your passion, your personality is going to shine through right along with it which will allow you to connect on a deeper level with your following!

If you don't believe me that sharing your passion is important, think about the people that YOU following and look up to! How often do you feel like they're actually just "selling" to you, compared to how many times they're passionate, real, and authentic? When they're real about what they do and why, doesn't that draw you in more? Don't you feel that connection with them? Like WOW, they're just like me! 

Don't be worried about letting your passion shine through your work and content. Again, if anything, it'll make your followers feel more drawn to you and what you offer!

Imposter Syndrome is unfortunately an all too real, and all too common stressor that all boss babes deal with throughout their business journey, and at all points of their business journey. It's not something you magically outgrow.   Sometimes, regardless of knowing that  you're  good at what you do and that you have many happy clients, sometimes we just can't seem to shake the "not good enough" feeling.

So what do you do? How do we work through this mindset struggle? Episode 2 dives deep into ways you can combat imposter syndrome, but if I had to sum it up for you in one point, it would be to put on your blinders. 

I think one of the biggest reasons we all suffer from imposter syndrome is because we get stuck comparing ourselves to what others in our industry, or heck! Just what other entrepreneurs are doing. When we start focusing on others in our industry, we start wondering "Should I be doing more? Should I be doing that?" or we think things like "I just want to be as good as they are! Or get as many likes as they do, or make as much money." instead of focusing on how we can serve our current audience well.

The best advice I can give is advice I heard from Jenna Kutcher earlier this year, she said when she was first starting, she unfollowed all similar accounts because she found herself comparing her work and business to others, and it lead to imposter syndrome feelings and analysis paralysis- which none of us want. 

So if you know that you're good at what you do, and you have happy clients to prove it but you're still feeling like you're not enough, it's time to PUT ON YOUR BLINDERS. Unfollow the accounts that make you feel "less than," and start focusing more on how you can serve your current following SUPER well.

Have you ever purchased something online and you loved it SO MUCH you actually went to leave a review? It's very rare I take the time to leave a review, but when I do, it's because I LOVED that product or service. Usually when I go to leave a review, I scroll through other ones.. Does anyone else do this? And when I see a bad one I'm always baffled. I really am. How could this person leave such a bad review when I absolutely LOVED this service or product?!

The answer? You cannot make everyone happy. People will always have their opinions. Whether they think you're crazy for starting your business, they think your product is weird or unnecessary, they just want to judge you to judge you- You cannot please everyone. You will never be EVERYONE's cup to tea. I hate saying that, because I hate thinking that I can't be everyone's cup of tea, and I hate thinking that you can't be too, but it's the honest to goodness truth. 

It's hard to put yourself out there if you're worried about what others will think. But if you don't put yourself out there, if you don't 100% commit to this business and share your passion with conviction, I can guarantee you will not last. 

I recently read a quote and it said something like "No millionaire ever got where they are by caring that someone thought their idea was stupid. They just went and did it anyway." That cannot be more true and was actually the case for one of Netflix's co-founders Marc Randolph! I listened to him at a conference where he was saying how people thought the idea of Netflix was crazy and would never work- GOOD THING HE DIDN"T LISTEN RIGHT?! 

It's hard NOT to care. And the only advice I have is to again put on your blinders- but to just DO IT. Take a deep breath, push through the anxiety, and just put yourself out there. Screw other people's opinions. And honestly, if you push through, I can guarantee you, you will see results. 

It's tough for sure, but once you do it a few times, it gets easier. And the only way to be successful in your business adventure is to be CONFIDENT about why you're on this journey in the first place. Because if you're not confident in your business, how can you expect your following to be? So who cares what they'll think? Again if it's something your passionate about and you know you're good at, take a deep breath, and just KEEP DOING IT. Keep showing up, being authentic, and being you.

At some point, someone might want a refund, or might be unsatisfied, or you might just meet a miserable person on your business journey, or you might genuinely make a mistake or let something slip through the cracks- we are all human after all. It happens to the best of us.

And when it does? It can be really hard to stay positive and not want to just give up and quit, or to defend yourself with all the sass your body can muster. 

But this struggle ties in with the last one. We have to remember, that we are not everyone's cup of tea. At some point, you might hit a negative or hostile situation in your business, and when that happens, I've learned to just apologize, no matter what, and offer to do what you can. It's really that simple. The golden rule comes into play here and you really just have to treat others how you would want to be treated. 

However, there are ways to hopefully avoid any negative or hostile situations and this goes back to being as authentic and consistent as possible across all your platforms. If people can get to know you and see your work and its consistent, they're going to know what to expect. But if you're showing inconsistent work across all platforms and your personality is all over the place (like you're the fake you online only for them to meet a totally different boss babe in person) , then they're NOT going to know what to expect when working with you and you're way more likely to run into an issue. 

So while, back in common struggle #4, you might be worried about what others will think, it's a lot better to push through that fear and be your true self, than to put on one persona online, and another persona comes out when a client works with you. 

One of the biggest secrets to success is consistency, so make sure you're consistent in your work, and your messaging. 

Put on your blinders, Be authentic, be consistent,  and let that passion shine through. When you do those things, all these common mindset struggles will become easier and easier for you with practice!

Let's go over three action items we can do today to move the needle forward:

1. Action step #1: Make a social media post today that's personal. Share about your passion for you business and why you're so passionate about your product or service!
2. Action step #2:  Unfollow the accounts you feel you tend to compare yourself to. You can always re-follow them later in life but for now, do yourself a favor and unfollow them so you can focus on YOU, Your following, and your business. 
3. Action step #3: Review the content and wording that you have across all platforms so you can make sure you, your products, and your business are showing up consistently to your audience.

Ahhh Instagram. The ever changing, ever frustrating but necessary social media platform for business. Instagram is a beautiful thing for us boss babes! It's a great, and FREE, marketing tool! But even so, there are so many people who struggle with getting the most out of the app. One of the biggest struggles? Gaining followers. So today we're going to talk about three tips to help you gain followers- and not just gain followers- but how to gain followers outside of your circle.

How many can relate to this struggle? It can be so great to have supportive friends and family, and even just nosey people from high school who want to keep track of what you're up to, but how do you branch OUT of that circle? How do you reach those ideal clients that you DREAM of working with but don't know? That's what we're going to talk about today.

Before we dive into the three tips, you need to stop obsessing over vanity metrics. 

Right now in the world there is this current obsession with business owners, bloggers, influencers and the like to grow fast and furious on social media. And by fast and furious, I mean gain TONS of followers, likes, and all that fun stuff. 

We need to shift our focus from follower counts, page views, and likes, and start focusing more on ENGAGEMENT. Because engagement friends, is what it's all about. 

If you feel like you're stuck on your numbers- you need to get unstuck. If you feel like you're hung up on that follower count- you need to stop. 

Here's why. While follower counts, page views, and like are metrics with some merit, they're really just shallow indicators of success. Vanity metrics can (and will) fluctuate and they fail to show you what's going on behind the scenes! Because while it's cool to reach a large number of people, what's really going to move the needle forward in your business is quality over quantity. 

If you have 10,000 followers but none of them are your ideal client, none of them are engaging in your content, and none of them are buying what you're selling- then what does that even matter?

BUT on the flip side, if you have 100 ENGAGED followers, you could be raking in some decent money from people who ARE buying what you're selling, people are benefiting from your content, and people who are invested in who you are as a business! Engagement is what moves us forward in business. It's the engaged followers that support us, not the people who follow just to follow. 

Tips to gain followers outside of our circle:

1.) HASHTAGS!

I remember when I first started to use instagram for my business and I had no idea how powerful hashtags were! I honestly thought they were more of an optional feature, and maybe you feel that way too! But let me tell you right now- they are not optional- they are a NECESSITY! If you want to see growth in your business, then you need to start using them

Did you know that a post that has ONE hashtag gets 12.6% more engagement than a post that has 0 hashtags?! Crazy right?! Knowing that, I don't know why you wouldn't want to start using them TODAY.

A hashtag or the pound symbol, before a word or phrase, allows you to categorize and label your image on instagram, facebook, or other social media platforms. However, for today's tips, we're going to focus mostly on instagram. When you use a hashtag, your image will show up in searches under that tag, and allow you to connect with other people and content in that category. So, each hashtag has it's own feed or gallery so to speak. When hashtags are used correctly, they can help you speak right to your target audience and gain qualified followers that are outside of your circle. 

If you really want to see results from hashtags then you need to use hashtags with intention and efficiency. Using generic hashtags like #happy, or #swoon (guilty of that one,) isn't going to get you the engagement or the audience you're looking for.

So what can you do? The first tip with hashtags, is to be specific. Be selective with the hashtags that you use. Remember how I said hashtags are like a search engine? So before you use a hashtag, think to yourself "Would my ideal client USE that tag?" What is the point in using a hashtag, if it doesn't target your ideal client?!

Once you grasp that mindset, you're starting to think in the specific nature that hashtags require.

Tip two is to use location specific tags. For example, I live in Upstate New York, which is very different (and about 4.5 hours away) from NYC. If I just use the tag #nybride, that's all fine and well, but most likely my local bride isn't using that hashtag to find her wedding photographer. Using a location specific hashtag can put you in front of the clients who are looking for a service provider right in their area! Do not underestimate the power of location specific tags! Not only that, but it puts you in front of other people in your area that you might not have ties to! (the whole purpose of today's episode right?! To gain followers outside of your circle?!) The same goes for adding a location on your post in general. Add where you are whether it's a small town, a big city, a park, a fair- always add your location because again, you never know who might be searching for that tag OR that location! And just to prove this works, when I started using location specific tags, I was found by a local business who asked if they could add me to a directory that they run of other business educators in the area! So now, because I used a location specific hashtag, I was found by another business and am now on another platform for people to find me! 

Tip three is to make sure your ideal client is front of mind when creating a hashtag. Do you know who your ideal client is? If you don't, you need to figure this out. Episode 4 is all about how to nail down your ideal client so if you're stuck in that department, be sure to give it a listen! I want you to think of this: Have you had a past client that you just ADORED? Or, is there someone out there that you know you would love to work? If so, go and check out their page! See what hashtags they're using, if they're using any, or see what interests them! If the tags they use are in your realm of industry, it wouldn't hurt to pick them up because using the same hashtags or similar tags, will put you in front of like minded people! It also helps to do the same with your top engagers. See what hashtags they're using as well! 

Tip four? Go check out your competitors hashtags. You know, the ones that are killing it in the market and you're wondering how they're doing it? Well go look and see!

Side note: I'm not telling you to go and copy all the same hashtags that they're using, because some might not be on brand for you. However, if there are some that really resonate with you and your brand, then pick them up!

Now, I really just scratched the surface on information about hashtags but I really wanted you to see how powerful they are for your business and how they can get you in front of people outside of your circle! Those four quick tips will definitely help you get started but if you want more, check out my freebie on hashtag hacks to get alllllll the details about hashtags! You can snag it HERE!

2.) CUSTOMERS

I think one of the most underrated way to gain exposure in your business is to leverage your customer. Happy customers are another amazing source of free marketing. 

The first thing you need to do is to ask your customers for reviews. You should be asking this of all your customers. Reviews are amazing and there is so much that you can do with them. Today, we're focusing solely on growing our social media following outside of our circle so that's what I'm going to focus on, but there is seriously so much that reviews can do for you and your business. For example, if a client leaves a review, go on canva, make a quick but cute graphic with their review, and share it to your story! Or heck! If you aren't a crafty person, take a screen shot of it and post it on your story! And then- tag them in it. When people get tagged by a business on social media, it makes them feel like a million bucks. Have you ever experienced the feeling? I know when a business shouts me out, I get all giddy inside and feel cool for like 5 whole seconds. But by tagging them in their review, you give them MORE happy feelings about working with you which can lead to them telling other about you and your business. 

So first, ask all your clients for reviews and then POST THEM. Whether in your story, or on your feed. Share the good things people say about you because it helps build trust between you, and future clients.

Second tip, is to encourage your clients to post about your service or product on their OWN pages. Say they bought a mug, or earrings from you. In your confirmation e-mail, add a part that say "Post a picture of you and your product and tag me for a chance to be featured on my account!" or something enticing like that. Then, when they do it, you can share their post in your story which will help build even more trust between you and your future clients, but more importantly, it encourages your client to do advertising for you because now that they've posted about your business, whether in their feed or story, your business is getting exposure to all of their followers- AKA people NOT in your circle! 

Again, the easiest way to make this happen is to encourage them with an e-mail saying if you do this, we'll re share it and you'll be featured on our page but once you get someone to start, and your followers see that you share customer posts and stories, they're going to know "oh if I buy from her and tag her she'll share it" because they've seen you do it with others!

Now if you're a service based business, you can still do this! You just might have to be creative on what you're asking them to share! So in my photography business, people just share the images I took of them and they tag me in them. But if you do coaching, maybe have them tag you in a results picture, or a before and after shot! There's definitely ways to utilize your clients in both product and service based businesses. 

But Now let's say you're still in the beginning stages of business, and your only customers have been your closest friends and family. That doesn't matter. Honestly, it can be better because you can harass them and make them post a picture of your product or service lol but even though they're already in your circle, when they share on their feed or in their story, you're still getting in front of their audience and you never know who will see it, love it, and then follow you as a result! Because even though it's someone in your close circle sharing about your busiess, you don't know EVERYONE they know, and if you can gain ONE outer circle follower from that post, that's all you need to get the ball rolling!

So when it comes to customers USE THEM! Ask them to leave a review and then share their reviews! Ask them to share about their experience or product on their pages for a chance to be featured and then reshare or repost all of that client love! 

People love being featured. So give them the opportunity and relish in the fact that you're making them feel special while also getting exposure to a ton of potential new customers. Again, this works like crazy. I can't tell you how many times I've seen a friend post about jewelry they bought and tagged the business and then I went and followed the account AND ended up buying something. I've even done this with photographers! I've seen someone post their pictures and I loved them so much I clicked on the tagged photographer, followed them, and booked a session! If you think about it, you've probably done this before too! So give your clients an amazing experience with you so they want to share all about it and then repost and reshare the heck out of it!

3.) KEEP AT IT

We all want to grow our businesses big and we all want to do it super fast. But the reality is the fastest way to do it, is to dig in and do the work which sometimes, isn't that fast at all. The real secret to growth is momentum. You really just need to gain momentum and start where you are. 

Look at the people you have right now and think about how you can serve them SO WELL that they talk about you and your products to everyone they meet. When you can do that, when you can focus on providing your customers with love and value, from there you'll grow. When it comes to growth and gaining followers outside of your circle, all it takes is for a friend to tell a coworker, and then that coworker buys something and then they tell their friends and so on and so forth! Again, you just need to gain some momentum.

To wrap it up let's go over three action items we can do today to move the needle forward:

1. Action step #1: Start using hashtags on all your posts- NOW. If you want to expand your reach and break out of your inner circle- you have to make sure your post is visible to others! Again, I have a freebie all about hashtags so make sure you snag it HERE so you can start getting started and seeing that needle move forward in your biz!
2. Action step #2:  Ask clients for reviews. If you've had recent clients, I'd say within the past three months, reach out to them and ask for a review! Start sharing them and tagging your customers in them! If you're working on something for someone now, whether a product or service, reach out and say "hey when this is done, would you mind posting a picture and tagging me?" Just ask! People are more willing than you would think to support small businesses in any way they can! And then moving forward, add it right into a confirmation e-mail or whatever way works best for you and your biz!
3. Action step #3: If you've don't something for a friend or family member in the past- no matter how long ago- ask them for a review TODAY. Seriously. Badger them. They're your friends and family so you can! Remember, the secret to growth is gaining momentum and sometimes as business owners, we have to create our own momentum. So look around at where you are and use what and who you've got! 

Meet Chaya!

Chaya Gutnick is someone who helps business owners create simple systems so that they can get things done faster. In her last full time employee position, she was able to complete her work in 15 hours a week. So when she was looking to start consulting and looking into how she could really benefit business owners, that's what stood out to her. I mean, what business owner doesn't want to turn their 40 hour work week into 15 hours of work a week!?

Her WHY is really to help you guys figure out how to get meet all your goals and really get there but not do it in a way that's overwhelming and all over the place where you constantly feel pulled in so many directions.

She has managed a team of 20+ people so she knows what it takes to keep things running smoothly while making time for needle moving activities. Chaya is pursuing a doctoral degree in organizational leadership and is always looking to learn something new!

You can check out her website at controlmychaos.com

The Interview Cliff Notes:

Molly: I love how you said that you help people know establish the system so that they're more productive. But I think a lot of people when talking about business don't even really know what a system is. Can you explain that? What is a system in your business?

Chaya: A system is just like a repeatable way of doing something. It can look like a checklist, it can look like a software that you use to do a certain thing. It can be like really simple things like book marking Facebook groups. So instead of going on Facebook, getting lost for 25 minutes wondering why I'm even on there, right? I just click on my bookmarks tab, open all and all those groups are open. So those are some relatable examples of what a system could be.

Molly:  What would you say to people that feel they're just too busy to take the time to create a system?

Chaya: I would say a few things. I would say if you're happy where your business is at right now, then that's fine. You don't have to create systems, right? Like, if your business is working well, you're happy with your life, you're happy with the amount of time you have and all that stuff, then you're not one who needs a system, and that's fine. But most of us don't fall into that category. And if you don't fall into that category, and you do want to create systems, I would just recommend time blocking it off in your calendar- set a time. First think what are the  things that you do every day that you'd like to create systems for? And then let's say you start blocking off an hour for creating one type of system or creating another type of system.

If you're not finding the time, you need to make the time, that's really what I would say. You need to decide that it's important to you. It takes discipline. And one of the things that, that I remind people all the time is, when you don't want to sit down and think about systems, think about your goals. Just think about your goal and say, I have to do this hard thing in order to get to my goal.

Molly: Do you have any tips to help people stick to a system that they've created?

Chaya: Okay, so I was actually talking to someone yesterday and we were talking all about personality, and how different people need different types of systems. Like some people need visual systems. Some people need a really technical system. Some people just like a simple spreadsheet, right? Try and think back to a system that has worked for you in the past, and think about why it worked for you and then try and replicate that.

As far as sticking to your systems, the first thing I always recommend is choose a system that's going to work for you. Figure out the type of system you need in order for it to work for you. The second thing is is that visualize your goals. For example, you could visualize where you want to be in five years, and what your life is going to look like and what you're going to do and what you're going to have, or, really what your day would look like. And every time you don't want to do your work, or you don't want to follow through, think about that. You can even above your computer, put a picture of the type of house that you'd like to live in. I was just working with a client who wants to move somewhere. So he's going to put up a picture of the neighborhood he wants to move into. Try visualizing as much as possible that goal that you have, and it can either be a five year goal or a six month goal- whatever works best for you.

Molly: I'm not gonna lie when I first started business, I didn't know what scaling meant. So I want you to just kind of talk about What does that mean to scale your business? And how do these systems help you do that?

Chaya:  So scaling your business really just means to grow your business, to make it bigger, whatever bigger means to you. Does that mean servicing more clients and making a bigger impact? Does that mean you're more profitable and therefore meet your goals in a different way? Does that mean you're more profitable, and you can therefore give back to your community to causes that are important to you? So, scaling means growing, everybody has a different goal when it comes to growing and it just means growing closer to that goal.

That's what I would say scaling means, and systems help you get there. So, systems help you do things faster so you're able to do more things in less time. But, also what I focus on when I'm working with people is simplifying and staying really focused because a lot of us get distracted easily. We're like, oh, I should be on Facebook. I should be on Instagram, I should be on LinkedIn, I should be on tik tok, right? And we come up with all this stuff that we're excited to do, but it's almost to a fault because you're all over the place and then not doing anything well. So focus on doing less things better. Quality over quantity.

So one of the first things we'll also kind of focus on is what are your goals and what are the fastest ways to get there. That's why I'm all about simple systems because they help you to get stuff done faster. Then, if you have a really good system set up, then outsourcing and delegating becomes so much easier because you already have systems in place for people to learn.

Molly: What are some tips you can give people so that they can grow their business faster and stronger?

Chaya:

Yeah, so the first thing that I would say is this: with tips, it's easy to like see a tip and do it or say you do it, but you really need to go all in. If you hear a tip, and you're not actually fully using it, you're not really going to get all the benefits. So this is going to be something that you've heard before, but if you're not really doing it fully, you're probably not at all getting the benefits of it. The tip is scheduling your day. Instead of having a to do list, schedule it on your calendar, so anything that you would otherwise put on your to do list, schedule it. It could be client calls, certain marketing activities that you're doing, sales activities that you're doing, content creation, whatever that looks like in your business, time block those things out.

I would also say see what you can eliminate and eliminate as much as possible. Anything that's not actually getting you to your goals, eliminate it.

The next thing I would say is like automate, right? You look at things that can be done automatically and set that up. Then if you're at the point in your business where you can delegate I mean, definitely looking at what can be delegated

Keep tabs on Chaya! Chaya has a Facebook group called Business Owners Scale Simple Systems that you can join HERE. She does a ton of free trainings in the group about every 6 weeks!

Are you struggling with productivity? Have you started on this business venture, or heck! Maybe you've been rocking it for a few years, but you're struggling with managing your time? Struggling to know how to prioritize? Struggling to know what to work on first? Let's get real. Time management is HARD STUFF and when you feel like you're always scrambling with a ton to do and no idea where to start, that's one of the worst feelings out there! So today, we're going to go over some tips on how to prioritize your projects and manage your time so that you aren't feeling stressed, panicked, and left suffering from a big ol' case of analysis paralysis.

Tip #1.) Create your To-Do list

The first thing to do when starting to establish an effective time management system is to write down all that you have to do and WANT to do. Now, I don't care if lists aren't your thing, because in order to manage your time effectively, you have to know what you have to do! Makes sense right? So write down what products, projects, and services you have to do or provide, and write down your other business to-do's that you want to get done! Whether that's updating your website, responding to e-mails, sending out contracts, catching up on blogging, scheduling social media posts- whatever you want to get done- write it down.

Don't worry about the order at the moment. The goal here is to word vomit all that's on your mental to-do list and we're going to work from there. 

Without knowing what we have to do, we can easily spend our days being "busy" but not necessarily productive. Remember, busy is NOT a badge of honor, being PRODUCTIVE is. 

There are so many ways to create your to-do list! The key to success with this whole process, is knowing what kind of person you are! If you're a sticky note person (like me) then do what works for you. You don't want to be a sticky note person and then start trying some new app for organization. When you do things like that, that's when you fall off the wagon and things are still left in a chaotic cloud of stress and disarray. You could use a journal, sticky notes, a planner, an app- whatever works for you. This is seriously not a one size fits all kinda deal here. So think about what method you prefer and stick with what works. Get your mental to-do list out of your head and somewhere where you can SEE it. That's the key. 

Tip #2.) Give it an ending

Now, I don't know you personally, so I don't know if you're a service based, or product based business. Either way, I want you to set a deadline for your products or services. For example, I'm a photographer. For all weddings, I have a deadline to deliver wedding galleries in 60 days, and all other galleries (like engagement, maternity, family)  in 30 days. This is not just a deadline in my head- this is something that I tell all of my clients during client meetings, in e-mails, and I remind them again at the end of each session or wedding. Sharing this deadline keeps me accountable.

I want you to set deadlines for your products or services. So when someone orders or books, how long until they receive a finished product or until their service is finished or shipped? Doing this helps keep you on a schedule and makes it 1000x easier to prioritize. 

Not to mention, people LOVE knowing what to expect. As a photographer, I obviously love pictures, so I get mine taken a TON. When I have my pictures taken and I'm not given an estimated delivery date, I get so annoyed. I become this obsessive creature who checks her e-mail 5 times a day in case the photographer magically did them overnight. Why? Because I don't know what to expect. It's honestly maddening! Have any of you ever experienced anything like this or is it just crazy old me? I LOVE knowing what to expect. Because of that, I always let my clients know what they can expect from me. I personally feel like it's good business!

So whatever it is you offer, give it a deadline. I don't care how small, or how big the product or service is- start by setting a realistic deadline so that you can effectively start prioritizing your to-do list.

Before we go on to the next tip for managing time effectively- here's a quick little tip for setting project deadlines. Make sure when you're setting a deadline that you allow for a grace period in case anything every happens. Even though I have a 60 or 30 day deadline for pictures. I almost always deliver before the deadline is up. However, when unexpected things come up, like when we had our miscarriage, or you get sick, or someone in your family falls ill, you're going to be happy you set a deadline that allowed for some grace time. So even if you feel like you can finish something in a week, it might be best to tell your clients or customers, that it will be done in TWO weeks. Not only does that give you a grace period, but it helps you practice the whole "undersell and overdeliver" philosophy. When they receive their product earlier than anticipated, they're going to be thinking Wow that was fast! This is awesome! I would totally recommend them and use them again!" Versus if you cut yourself short and miss a deadline because life happens, they're not going to be as happy waiting longer than expected. 

Just something to consider when setting deadlines! 

Tip #3.) Prioritize your List

Now that you have brain dumped your list, and you know how long it takes to complete an order or service through to completion, it's time to prioritize your list. Obviously, time sensitive stuff comes first. If you're having a slower period of business, then you can prioritize based on what you want to get done versus what you HAVE to get done. BUT if things are booming, it's time to take a look at what needs to get done first. This may seem like a no brainer but things that are due first get worked on first, and projects with due dates get done before projects that you're doing for "fun" or for business asthetic. The most powerful tool for your business is a happy customer, so if you have orders make sure you're working on them everyday and the fun stuff like website design or business rebranding comes after.

So sit down and look at your projects. The ones you have active right now, you most likely haven't communicated a deadline for, but think about who put the order in first and prioritize accordingly. In business, the goal is to keep customers waiting as little as possible so that's what you should keep front of mind when starting to get everything in order. Do you see how having a deadline for your products and services helps in this department? It just makes it so much easier to know what needs to be done first. 

For example, someone might have order or booked with you first, but depending on what service or product they purchased, maybe you have longer to work on it than someone else who purchased and product or service that doesn't take as long. For me, I may have a wedding and then 3 engagement session within a week. Even though I had the wedding first, the three engagement session will be due first, so I try to bang those out as soon as possible and slowly chip away at the wedding in-between!

Tip #4.) Set Office Hours

Once we can visualize our list, give our service deadlines, and then prioritize accordingly- It's time to get real. If you want to make this business thing work, you need to have some sort of structure. You also need to know how much time you have so you can know when to work on what. Now, we already know what we should be working on first because we've prioritized our to-do list, but now, we need to figure out how much time you can legitimately devote to your business daily- or weekly if you know you aren't going to be working everyday. Again, the key here is to be realistic so we know what we're actually working with.

Now for me, I'm a boss babe, but also a full time stay at home momma. So my business runs around nap times and bedtime. At this point in my life, I know I have 4 hours a day I can devote to my business. I leave the first nap free for me to clean, shower, nap myself if I need to, and do "me things," like binge watch the office! But second nap and after bedtime is when I work. 

So what does that look like for you? Are you juggling multiple kids and maybe you can only devote an hour or two after bedtime? Do you work a traditional 9 to 5 still and know that you don't want to be working all day everyday so you'll commit to 2 hours three times a week, like 6-8p M, W, F? What is realistic for you so that you don't get burned out, and so that you can still have a life? That's what you need to figure out. Once we know how much time we're working with, that's when we can start getting productive.

Tip #5.) Schedule it out 

Now we know our prioritized to do list, we know our deadlines, and we know how many hours we have to work with. So all that's left to do is to schedule it out! Let's go back to my previous example of have a wedding followed by three engagement session in one week. Let's also be real and throw in how I have a podcast episode, blog post, e-mail, and social media to get out weekly. Knowing I only have 4 hours a day to work, I might divvy it up something like this: 2 hours editing (what I edit would be based on what will be due first), 1 hour podcast episode (scripting/interviews/editing/and corresponding blog posts), 30 minutes social media planning (this could rotate based on the day of the week, like maybe Monday I plan out instagram, Tuesday I plan out Pinterest, etc) and then, 30 minutes working on weekly emails. 

So I look at how much time I have to work based on the office hours I set for myself, I look at my list and see what I have to do and what needs to be done by when, and I schedule around that. It's actually really easy! You just have to take the time to set project deadlines (which REALLY helps with time management) and you have to have some set structure as to when you work! When you do those two things, everything becomes so much clearer!

Now, I kinda told you how I might break up my four hour slot but there are a few other things that can help to make sure you stay on track, and that you keep managing your time to the best of your ability. 

First, USE A TIMER! No shame here. If you're someone who gets so absorbed into one project- set a timer so you know when you're allotted time is up and it's time to switch gears! Multitasking can be hard so if you need to juggle multiple projects, schedule them out and set a timer!

Second, leave your phone somewhere NOT where you are. It can be so easy to start answering texts, getting side tracked, wanting to check social media, or your e-mail. Seriously. I can't tell you how many times I've fallen down a rabbit hole. The best thing you can do is to leave your phone somewhere else- in another room, on silent, so it can't distract you. Plus, if you only have a few hours a day to work on your business, you want them to be as productive as possible. 

Lastly, don't OVER do it. This applies in two ways. First, do over schedule your time. I like to only schedule 3-4 things a day and that way if I'm really on a roll with something a go over my time a little, I still have time to finish my other tasks. By not over scheduling my time, I'm giving myself a cushion! That way if you're feeling super productive, roll with it! 

The second point, is to not multi-task too much. Focus the majority of your time on your most important task, and then add maybe 2-3 other small things you can work on for a short period of time! Again, multi-tasking is hard and sometimes juggling too many projects at once can result in us dropping or forgetting small details which we don't want. So again, check your list and focus on what is the most important priority and organize your time accordingly. 

Tip # 6.) BATCH IT UP!

Batching is a beautiful thing. Now you might be wondering what I mean when I say batching so let me break it down for you: if you schedule out a chunk of time for blogging, or social media, don't just focus on what you're going to post that day. If you can, block a larger chunk of time and batch a whole weeks worth of social media posts/captions. Or draft as many blog posts as you can. Or plan out an e-mail series. They say By concentrating on one task for a longer period of time instead of swapping from this to that and back to this, you are scientifically more productive and focused, which is why I said to make sure you don't OVER schedule yourself. Work on a max of ¾ things a day and focus on one task at a time! During your time slot bang out as much work as you can. Batching is wonderful and can save you so much time and brainpower. 

Tip #7.) REDUCE, REUSE, REPURPOSE!

Reduce your stress, reuse what you've got, and repurpose your content! I cannot stress this enough! If you're someone who is crunched for time and wondering how you're going to "do it all" start repurposing your content. Did you write a blog post recently? Instead of spending minutes thinking of a caption, pull a few lines from your blog post! Did you write a killer caption last year? Reuse it. Did you have an awesome post on FB last week? Share it on instagram this week. Seriously. No one will notice and you will start saving yourself a TON of time. When you start thinking of everything you put out there as reusable content, everything feels 1000x easier. Did you write a killer caption that got a ton of engagement? Maybe write a blog post about the same topic and just go a little deeper! I mean you already know it's a hit! If you want to start managing your time better, start looking at what you've already done and repurpose it. No need to reinvent the wheel everyday, for every platform.

Time management is a tricky sticky subject because it's definitely different for everyone. You need to find what works best for you and the best way to do that is to be real about how much time you have to devote to your business, and to make sure you're clear on your deadline. All the rest if I'm being honest, is going to be you figuring out what works for you!

To wrap it up let's go over three action items we can do today to move the needle forward:

1. Action step #1: Brain dump your mental to-do list. Let it allll out. From actual paid projects/services to things that you want to do for your business like marketing, blogging, website work, etc. Write down what it is you want to get done so you can start managing your time appropriately.
2. Action step #2:  Give your products and services a deadline. How long until you deliver a final product? Start sharing your deadlines with your customers so they know what to expect and you're held accountable.
3. Action step #3:  Figure out your office hours. Sit down and figure out how much time you have to truly commit to your business on a regular basis. 

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It can be really tough when you're starting a business to feel confident in what you do and what you're selling. Honestly, it can feel tough even when you've been doing it, for any amount of time. Sometimes we just all get inside our own heads and think of a gazillion and a half ways to self sabotage ourselves. Who can relate? I know I sure can! We start thinking, "what will others think, who am I to share this/sell this/teach this"- you name it. The Imposter Syndrome feelings take over and we're left with an empty tank, no motivation, and scared to put ourselves and our businesses out there. 

So how do we show up with confidence. How do we own where we are and what we do? How can we show people that we're in this because we care! We're passionate! And we're the right choice for them.

The first way to start owning where we are?

1. Personal Development

If you're struggling to feel ENOUGH- then you need to do some personal development. If you're hunky dory and loving life- you still need to do personal development. There isn't anyone in the world who won't benefit from personal development. It's how we grow! There are some great books that you can read and podcasts you can listen to that will help light a fire under your butt.

I know that it can be hard to show up because we often tell ourselves lies about ourselves, like how we're not enough, how our goals are ridiculous, how everyone else is doing this "life" thing with such success and we're barely getting by.. What's worse about telling these lies to ourselves, *because they are lies,* is that we BELIEVE them. The more we say them to ourselves, the more we believe we aren't enough, or that our goals ARE ridiculous, or that everyone is living their best life and we're not. It's a nasty cycle sister. 

What I also know? Is that personal development is embarrassing. You agree with me don't you? That's why when you hear me say personal development you cringe a little, or scoff and think you don't need it. You think personal development is only for whack jobs you are on the brink of losing their minds? Been there! Kind of ashamed to admit it now BUT I want to be real with you all and I've started to realize that the things we think, the things that we're scared of, the things that make us feel embarrassed- are all actually pretty common thoughts and feelings among others.

I'll tell you this: EVERYONE feels like they're not "enough" at some point in their life. Everyone has these moments. This is something we really need to remember when we start feeling any type of "less than." I've found that personal development has helped me feel so much less alone in these seasons of life, and has helped me to really own where I am! Because authenticity doesn't just sell, it's craved. It's relatable. People want to know they aren't alone in their thoughts and feelings! Honestly, it makes them feel a little bit more sane! It sure does for me! If we can learn to truly embrace where we are, even the messy bits, that's what people resonate with.

You know in Frozen 2 where Olaf says "Advancing technology is both our savior and our doom." He's so right. Social media has us seeing everyone's happy moments, everyone's perfectly curated and best work, all perfection all the time and it does affect us! It can actually make us lose our focus and wish we more more like THEM instead of owning where we are and what makes us unique! Don't believe me? Ever see someone actually get real on social media? Like a mom who shows up with super messy dirty hair and talks about how she pees when she laughs? It makes you laugh and giggle because you can relate! It's real and it makes you think "wow ok! It's not just me thank goodness!"

Challenge yourself to do 30 minutes of personal development a day. Whether that's a book, or a podcast, or reading someone's blog. Start working on yourself, and you're going to feel so much better about where you are and how you can show up as authentically as possible.

Here are a couple of my favorite books and podcasts!

Personal development books:

Girl Wash Your Face - Rachel Hollis 

Girl Stop Apologizing - Rachel Hollis 

Read This If You Want to Be Instagram Famous - Henry Carroll 

Brave, Not Perfect - Reshma Saujani 

Millionaire Success Habits - Dean Graziosi

Personal Development Podcasts:

Goal Digger 

SHE 

The Skinny Confidential 

The Broad Experience 

Girlboss Radio with Sophia Amoruso

1. Leaning Into Our Superpowers!

Superpowers are a unique mix of your knowledge and experience that only YOU have. No one has the same experiences in life, and no one absorbs knowledge in the same way. Because of that, you have something that others don't and it's time to OWN it!

We need to make a mindset shift to focus on our strengths instead of our weaknesses or what we're lacking. When we do that, our confidence will soar because we're doing what we're good at! If there is something you're not good at, but has to be done in your business- outsource it! Ask someone else to do it! That way you can focus on your strengths and let someone else handle the stuff you aren't a wiz at!

1. Kick Comparison to the Curb

Unfortunately, Comparison can be so stinkin easy to waste a lot of energy on, become distracted by, and get stuck in.

But I want to tell you something right now, comparing ourselves with others, is AGAIN, something that everyone has suffered from in some way, shape, or form. Whether that's comparing their business, their fitness, their looks, their jobs- it's common and you're not alone.

Jordan Lee Dooley said  "We spend a lot of our energy assuming and categorizing instead of empathizing and connecting and it needs to stop." I couldn't agree more. 

Comparing ourselves to the people around us is like racing the person on the treadmill next to us- it gets us nowhere and more importantly, it just distracts us from our own goals. 

Let me tell you something right now, you cannot run a successful life, business, or relationship if you're too busy trying to make it look like someone else's. 

So what can we do to overcome the need to compare our race with others? 

A.) Remember your purpose. 

If you aren't clear on your purpose it's like shooting into the dark. You'll be pursuing whatever your goal is aimlessly and open up allll the doors for distraction. Be clear and focus on YOUR goals, not anyone else's.

B.) Remember this: Her success, is not your failure. 

Just because you see someone out there killing it and doing what you want to be doing it, doesn't mean that you're any bit "less than." You don't know the circumstances surrounding her success, like how long she's been at it. So put your blinders on, focus on YOUR goals and what you can do to get there, and give yourself grace by remembering that cheering someone else on, doesn't hurt your progress.

C.) Communicate

Make the connection. If you find yourself comparing yourself to someone else- reach out to them. So often we compare ourselves to someone and get it in our minds that they put their pants on differently than we do. I don't know about you, but anytime I've had preconceived notions about someone, they're almost immediately shattered once I get to know them. Even though someone may seem super successful, put together, and intimidating, at the end of the day, she's just another girl trying to find her way through life. So if you find yourself stuck on them, reach out and make that connection. Become friends and learn from each other. Knock down those walls that make you feel like you're in a race that's totally made up in your head. The best way to do that is to communicate. So send the DM, the e-mail, the text, and get to know you're competition. 

1.  Crystal Clear Clarity

If you're in business, you have heard "find your why," probably a gazillion times. You know why you hear and read about it so much? Because it is SO IMPORTANT! Now I won't go too deep into this topic because I have a whole episode on The Business WHY! That you can listen to HERE. 

Finding and knowing our business WHY leads to crystal clear clarity. It helps us know our purpose and our mission for being in business. When we know our WHY, it is so much easier to make decisions, focus, and stay the course because fuzzy targets don't get hit, and knowing our WHY leads us to clarity in our businesses. 

Not only is gaining clarity important, but knowing our WHY helps us stay motivated! When you have a dream or a passion you will be inspired to go out and pursue it, but what happens on the hard days? What happens on the days people want a refund, someone leaves a bad review, someone chooses another business over yours? Having a WHY helps to keep you motivated and grounded. It pushes you on the tough days and reminds you of why you started your journey in the first place. 

Really think about your WHY. Think about your values. Think about what is important to you. Think about your goals. What are you doing everyday that aligns with that? What habits have you created that will bring you closer to where you want to go? And what habits have you created are holding you back from achieving those goals. 

1.  Goal setting

Goal setting is crucial in order to get where you want to do. Without goals, we're all just aimlessly going about life. 

Where people often  struggle with goals, is that they make them too big, and they don't know where to start. The secret to success is baby steps and imperfect action my friends. It's showing up consistently, and when we know what we're working towards, that imperfect action and consistency is much more doable.

Sometimes, we're so busy hustling that we can't see outside of the bubble of chaos around us. 

I love the exercise from Dean Grazisosi where he tells you to extract yourself from your current chaos, place yourself one year from now, and look back. What does that best year look like? When you know- write down what you would have to do, to get there. There are your goals. 

If one year even seems too big for you, break it down into quarters and what you'd like to accomplish in the next three months. Then think of the steps you need to take to achieve those goals!

Once you know what goals and steps you want to conquer- here are a few tips to succeed:

A.) Set a deadline. Hold yourself accountable. So many people will break commitments to themselves before anything else, but you have to change your mindset if you want to become successful. Write down your goals, and then set a deadline to hold yourself accountable. Shift your mindset so that you don't back down, or cancel on yourself. 

B.) Set a reward. Reward yourself when you make progress on your goals, whether thats taking a day off, going out to teat, getting your nails done, whatever is exciting to you, reward yourself. When you know there's a reward at the end of the goal, it can make finishing that goal that much easier

C.) Plan ahead. Prepare yourself for any obstacles that might come your way when trying to accomplish goals. If we prepare for set backs, and anticipate them, we're more likely to recover and pivot faster than if we hadn't prepared for the obstacles. So plan ahead and be ready to keep pushing on if an obstacle hits.

 6.) Celebrate the wins along the way

I am all about celebrating! In our house, we love celebrating any and all achievements because WHY NOT! And that's the same mentality I want you to have with your business! Maybe you hit 100 followers on your social media account- then celebrate! Maybe you book 5 clients in a month! CELEBRATE! 

Bottom line: Stop waiting until the end to celebrate! Small wins along the way are building up to those BIG victory moments and deserve to be celebrated. 

What is the point in chasing after something if you are not celebrating along the way? It's about the journey not the end point. Goals change over time there's never a true END because by the time you reach your current goal, you'll have set new ones! If you are always hustling with no celebrating, that makes for a pretty sad journey! So take time to pause and reflect on how far you've come and CELEBRATE!

I have a friend who has what she calls "success journals." In her success journal, she writes down all of her wins, no matter how small it may seem to a random person. When she's having a low day, a day where she feels unmotivated, a day where she questions what she's doing and why, she goes back and reads all her successes and they make her feel GOOD. They remind her of how far she's come and all she's accomplished! It reignites that fire under her butt and gives her to fuel to keep moving forward! 

So start celebrating your wins, no matter how big or small. Buy yourself a new top, treat yourself to a mani/pedi, go on a trip, go out to dinner, whatever it is you like but reward yourself and enjoy this journey and everything you accomplish along the way!

And there you have it folks! 6 tips for owning your truth. Owning where you are and sharing your journey with confidence. 

To wrap it up let's go over three action items we can do today to move the needle forward:

1. Action step #1: Determine your superpowers and strengths and start leaning into them! Focus on what you're good at! Remember where your focus goes, your energy flows. So hone in on the strengths and ignore your weaknesses.
2. Action step #2: Set goals for your business. When you feel yourself getting distracted, feeling down, and unmotivated- remember your goal and think of one thing you can do in that moment to get one step closer to your goal. Use goals as a way to keep you on track for what is important in your life and business. Everything else, that doesn't align with those goals, is white noise!  
3. Action step #3: Figure out what small win you've recently had that you can celebrate this week! Make a plan to reward yourself for the successes you've seen!

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Annie Bauer is a beautiful soul and business mentor for female entrepreneurs who I met during my business course with Dean Graziosi, Tony Robbins, and Jenna Kutcher! Her main passion is helping to lead female entrepreneurs and side hustlers to success in their careers.

Molly: What would you say is the biggest obstacle facing women who are trying to start their business or side hustle?

Annie: Self doubt and lack of confidence. Women have been conditioned and taught to play small. When it comes to running your own business, we have to learn how to have a bigger voice and to not be embarrassed to share that we have something (whether a skill set of physical product) that can help someone. This is tough not just for people in the beginning stages of business, but also for those who have been in business for years.

Molly: What would you say to women who feel stuck in the traditional 9 to 5 and want to start their own business and leave those traditional confines?

Annie: I want to help women set up a new model or system that doesn't include the 9 to 5. When we as women work in the 9 to 5 system, we often fine that we're sacrificing certain things, like being able to raise our children, for making money. My stance is that the 9 to 5 system isn't going to change anytime soon, so we need to go away and create our own system so that we can have more control over our destiny.

Molly: I think a lot of these women who feel stuck in the 9 to 5, who might have ideas on businesses they want to start, don't because the idea of money stops them. What would you say to the women who feel like it takes a lot of money to start a business or a side hustle?

Annie: That might have been true years ago, but with today's technology, you can start a side hustle with almost nothing.

Molly: What are three steps women can take away right now if they are feeling paralyzed with confusion, indecision, or not having enough to make that start?

Annie: The first thing, even if you don't have any followers, is to go set up an e-mail service provider and start talking to them!

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The second thing is to figure out where your ideal clients hang out on social media and to get on there! Social media is free. Get on there and tell people who you are, what you do, and what problem you solve.

The third thing is to set up a free zoom account. You can talk unlimited on one on one calls and you can start making those connections.

Molly: Why should women act now to build a life that they love and not later?

Annie: Now is always the best time. Get out of your head and get into action. Action leads to momentum. Time is your most precious asset. Taking action can be as simple as setting up a facebook page, or joining a group of like minded people; it can be just one small simple action.

Molly: Can you tell our listeners what a mentor is and how they can help entrepreneurs in their business?

Annie: So many people ask this. People say "why do I need a mentor, can't I just figure it out on my own?" But it goes back to what I said before, time is your most valuable asset. A really great mentor or coach will simplify and streamline things and get you where you need to go faster, with more clarity, and more purpose than you can get there on your own. Go to somebody who you feel is trusted person. Hire someone who is results and progress oriented. Hire someone who will help you save time and get there faster. Make sure you hire someone who is listening to YOU. What you want and your dreams.

Molly: What is a membership community

Annie: Membership communities are really unique. You pay a monthly free to be in the community but it's also a way to get advice, coaching, and direction so that you also have accountability and guidance along the way. With a membership community you also have the added benefit of all the other people in the group or community.

Annie's Freebie: 5 ways to go from Stuck to Started

One HUGE Business Success Hack That Isn't Talked About Enough!

Do you feel unseen in your business. Do you feel like you're shouting to the masses and you just don't know how to stand out? Then let's start on today's topic- A rarely talked about business success hack. Today we're going to talk about one business success hack that I don't think is talked about enough in the industry. It's a real truth, and something simple that you can start doing TODAY to gain the momentum you need to move forward.

This topic is a little golden nugget and here it is-  If you want to succeed in your business, you need to shift your mindset to always be thinking "how do I add more value." That's literally it. That's the big secret. And I feel like no one ever talks about it. 

Now even though it's a quick easy little tip, changing our mindset can be tough to do. Often times in business, we work so hard that we start to almost feel entitled. We start gaining this mindset of "I deserve this and the success that comes with it" because I put in all this time and I worked so hard. but in reality, everyone is working hard and the only way to success IS to work hard- there is no shortcut. 

But shifting our mindset to one that focuses on value over volume is one that will do WONDERS for you business.

So how do we set ourselves apart from all the other hustlers out here? We have to add more value.

People fail in their business because they're not thinking "how can I do more and add more value." They're just thinking money money money, bookings, bookings, bookings, followers, followers, followers. 

I was a total example for this when I first started. My biggest thing was just focusing on getting that next booking or client. But when I stopped doing that and shifted my mindset to serving my current clients SUPER WELL, like better than any one else, my business changed, and changed for the better. 

Tony Robbins said this during my business course "We're all equal as souls, but we're not all equal in the market place. It's our job to become UNequal in the market place!" The only way we do that, is to add more value. 

Now, let's dive into a way we can add more value as business owners to our clients.

Tip #1.) Get to learnin' - I could probably make this a tip for everything. You all know I'm a forever learner but there's a reason. There's always something to learn. For this topic, I want you to be working harder on yourself than you do at your job. You should be working harder to become more valuable to your audience. The best way to do that is to learn. Immerse yourself in personal and business development. This should be something that you never stop doing. I believe in doing some sort of personal or business development for at least 30 minutes everyday. When you start doing this, you're going to be able to gain advice and knowledge that you can pass on to your following. People don't always want to be sold to. They want to feel encouraged, uplifted, and inspired! When you work on yourself, you'll gain material to share with your following that will help them start to build themselves up and also, to start building your credibility and authority as an expert. Bonus points if you share with your following what you're doing to further your knowledge! Listening to a podcast- share it. Just read an awesome book- tell them about it. Taking a course- talk about it! People want to see what you're doing that puts you in a place to be called an expert.

Tip #2.) Think of your ideal client- I want you to think about who exactly it is you're trying to reach. You should be thinking about what they need, and what you can give them to add value to their life or experience. So for example, maybe you're a dog trainer, but your real interest or passion- is dogs with high anxiety- so there's your really refined niche. Once you know your refined niche and ideal client, you need to be focusing on that person only- so for our example, the person who has a dog with high anxiety. Your captions on social media should speak to that person directly. When you keep your ideal client in mind- brainstorming ways you can add value to them becomes easy! You could create a freebie with your top three tricks to help manage a dogs anxiety. Now notice- it's only 3-5 tips or tricks- or only a condensed overview of your expertise- you're not giving them everything because if you do that, then you have nothing to sell. But you're giving them enough where they feel that they get value from you, and they learn to trust you and start to see you as the expert on the subject. You can do this in your captions as well! You could write one tip in a caption that would benefit your ideal client. 

If you're interested in making a freebie and don't know where to start, I'm linking my favorite design app in the show notes! If you sign up and make a design through the link provided, you'll earn a free credit! So check it out! It makes designing content SUPER easy!

Tip #3.) Market Research- Study what other successful people in your niche are doing. I'm NOT telling you to copy them because that will get you nowhere! If you look at one person in your niche that's where you want to be- I want you to see if they're doing something that adds enormous value. If they're successful, I'm sure they are. But let that fuel you to figure out how you can add value to your business. See what kind of stuff they're offering. Your value will needs to be different than theirs because 1. YOU'RE DIFFERENT, and 2.) Because you're different, you're attracting a different kind of person or client. Look and see if it's a free download, a free webinar, maybe they post IGTV's with tips for that niche, see what they're doing so that you can brainstorm on the different ways on how to get your value out there.

Tip #4.) Engage- If you really want to add value- engage with your following. Don't be so focused on the numbers that you forget to create genuine connections. So how can you create those connections? When someone comments on your post, like or love their response, and then comment on it as well. Every. Single. Time. Do not let one comment go unanswered. If someone DM's you, answer. If someone replies to your story- answer! And use it as a chance to build connection! Ask them what's new, ask them about themselves- ENGAGE. 

Here's the truth- people want to interact with a human! They want to feel connected to you.  This could be another change to reflect on the people you look up to the most in your niche- why do you like them so much? Do they engage with their following? Do they feel real? Do they share their personal life as well as their professional biz? I bet they do! And there's a reason they do it. People crave connection and authenticity. So don't be afraid to show up and be you.

When it comes to adding value keep this front of mind: know who you're dealing with, know what they want from you, know what they fear/struggle with, know what excites them- and be able to meet those needs better than they can meet them themselves. Pull them into becoming a client by providing them with an irresistible offer or content that's full of SO MUCH VALUE. 

Keep this in mind though- adding value- doesn't mean you have to offer a freebie of some sort. It means showing up for your client in a REAL way. It can be small things like writing meaningful captions! As in, captions that are more than the word "swoon!" Talk about you so they can get to know you, talk about what you're working on, share some advice for them- right there in your captions! You could poll your audience and ask them what they would like to hear or learn about, ask them what they're struggling with right now, and then fill that need for them. 

It's like the bible says in Matthew 20:26: whoever wants to be a leader among you, must first be a servant. 

So think of ways you can stop selling and start SERVING. When you do that, people will see all this value you're giving them FOR FREE, and they're going to wonder how much more value they would receive if they were an actual client from you. When they see how much you serve them with meaningful content, their mindset is going to shift and they're going to start seeing you as an expert and authority figure in your niche. They're going to start trusting you, feeling like they know you, and they're going to want to give you their business over someone else who hasn't added that extra value to their life. 

Our job as business owners is to provide value to our following. We want to give them a REASON to follow us. So what value are you going to deliver that will leave an impact on their life?

This tip is seriously gold. If you're struggling with standing out in the crowd start adding more value to your business TODAY. You WILL see a difference. 

So to wrap it up let's go over three action items we can do today to move the needle forward:

1. Action step #1: Post on social media today using a caption that provides one piece of advice to your ideal client. Think of what their biggest struggle is, and address it! 

• Maybe you're a wedding photog- post advice about preparing for the wedding day
• Maybe you're a makeup artist- write something about how they can get the most out of their trial
• Maybe you're a coach- write an encouraging tip that people can start implementing day!

I could go on forever with examples but all you have to do is think of your ideal client, what their needs are, and how you can serve them. Then take that and bundle it up in a caption!

1. Action Step #2: I want you to sit down and write out a list of the top 3-5 things your ideal client is struggling with. Focus on those, and use those as ideas to write meaningful captions going forward. Or if you're feeling really wild, you could create a downloadable freebie addressing their struggles! Don't skip this step. It will only take a couple minutes but will give you so much clarity going forward!
2. Action Step #3: Engage with 5 people in your following. Do this by DMing the people who are most active on your feed (they like your content, and comment on your content the most), and strike up a conversation. Reply to all comments on your posts and stories from here on out in a personal way. Don't just reply with the same generic response to everyone. Really be intentional with your responses.

CODES

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