Small Stage, Big Impact

Have you realigned your business strategy yet?

When I set out to do the Summer Strategy Sessions in May, I never would have guessed where this summer would take us. Fortunately, what I like to call the Three C's of Sustainable Stewardship are designed to help us navigate rough waters. As we've discussed Care, Courage, and Creativity over these past few months, I hope you've been able to find some calmer seas for yourself and your business.

We'll be taking a short break as we prepare for our fall season. Why not catch up on any episodes you missed - or go back and listen to your favorite? Here are some of the highlights:

• In episode 22 we kicked off the series by talking about the three types of caring. Taking care of ourselves, our team, and our customers is especially vital in times like these.
• In episode 23 we talked with Dave White about practical ways to keep our employees safe so they can feel more confident on the job.
• In episode 24 we spoke with Lorraine Lane about how to keep our team safe emotionally and mentally so they are equipped to handle whatever the world decides to throw our way next.
• In episode 25 we learned about the transformative practice of actionable gratitude with Elena Anguita.
• In episode 28 we discussed with Lori Bainum how getting to know ourselves can be the most courageous step we take for our business.
• In episode 29 I introduced you to the Bouncy Floor Principle and the not-super-fun but incredibly important world of risk mitigation.
• In episode 30 we kicked off our section on creativity by talking about how to purposefully create space in your life for the creativity your business needs to grow and flourish.

If you're still struggling to find direction, let me leave you with a challenge:

What are you meant to be giving the world right now?

I'm not asking you to figure out the meaning of life. I'm asking you what you have to offer, right now, where you are.

I've recently answered this question for myself, and the answer has both realigned and refreshed my business strategy. I can't wait to share some changes with you over the next few months.

I'd love to hear from you!

I hope you've learned as much from these strategy sessions as I have. If you have a story or insight to share, please don't hesitate to let me know! You can leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts, or you can send me an email or DM. Hearing from my listeners is part of what keeps me going.

Enjoy today's episode, and I look forward to returning September 24th!

• [4:30] The three types of Caring to focus on during this time of physical and social pandemics
• [6:25] How you can provide safety for your team, both in the physical and the emotional sense
• [10:28] How active gratitude can carry you through rough times
• [12:15] What you need to sustain courage and how the biggest act of courage is really knowing ourselves
• [13:30] How risk mitigation strategies sustain our courage and give us space for creativity
• [16:00] How to create space for creativity in our lives and businesses
• [19:10] What I've learned about realignment and how it's affected my business
• [20:50] The one question I believe is vital to realigning your business strategy
• [23:52] What realignment really means
• [25:13] What to expect in the fall with the podcast and the new website

• Don't miss any of our Summer Strategy Sessions

Are you ready to be more creative in your marketing?

I imagine that for many of you, one of these two thoughts is holding you back:

1. "When would I have time for that? By the time I come up with a post and copy-and-paste it to all of my platforms AND interact with the users, it's time to come up with another post."
2. "Being creative is too risky. I'm putting everything into one specific platform. If I take a chance on a new idea and it fails, I've sunk my entire marketing strategy."

These are very real concerns that I've encountered with my own business ventures and with businesses I have worked with. That's why I know the solution I present in this episode works. I have used it myself and seen its incredible impact on many other businesses over the years.

Let me introduce you to the Trinity Principle.

The Trinity Principle states that any business only needs three marketing platforms - chosen properly and executed well - to get all the business they need for sustainable growth.

In today's episode, we talk about WHY this principle works. Among other benefits, the Trinity Principle:

• Frees you to be creative in your marketing without sabotaging yourself
• Enables you to do less while still growing your business
• Protects you from an algorithm apocalypse completely destroying your marketing strategy

We also begin to discuss HOW to put this principle into action. For example, I can already tell you exactly what one of your platforms should be, no matter your product or service. You only need to decide on the other two!

Ultimately, the Trinity Principle is about giving yourself the space to find creative solutions for your business. (If you missed that discussion, be sure to listen to episode 33.)

Listen to today's episode to find out how the Trinity Principle is the business solution you've been missing.

• [2:55] What the Trinity Principle is, and how it works to sustain your business
• [5:30] Which platform is essential for your business, no matter your product or service
• [7:12] How to avoid the algorithm apocalypse with your marketing strategy still mostly intact
• [11:58] What you need to consider when choosing your other two platforms
• [13:22] Why it's a bad idea to focus on only one marketing platform if you want to build sustainability

• Don't miss a single episode of the Small Stage, Big Impact podcast

Are you struggling with the concept of creativity in your business pursuits?

There's a reason that Creativity is our final section of the Summer Strategy Sessions: You need to understand how to care for yourself and cultivate courage if you want to make room for creativity in your life.

In today's episode, we talk with my longtime friend, yoga teacher, and sometimes lifeline, Danielle Rush. Danielle is also an ACE Certified Personal Trainer, Fitness Nutrition Specialist, and Life & Accountability Coach, to name a few more areas of expertise.

How does she do it? Danielle identifies as a "multi-potentialite." She has learned that being a generalist instead of a specialist doesn't have to be the stumbling block that our society wants to make it.

Like Danielle, I have several talents and interests that I could pull from to create a business. I have struggled over the years with how to bring all of my Big Ideas together into a cohesive whole. Can you relate? Danielle has a bit of advice for us:

"It's not always about the outcome. It's about the creative process."

When we create space for creativity in our lives, we find the solutions we need to find meaning and success.

How do we create that space? By taking care of ourselves. By slowing down that hustle. By allowing ourselves time to just play and enjoy life.

But doing all of that takes a little bit of courage, too. We have to learn to trust ourselves and trust in the process, even when we can't see the outcome.

When Danielle created space for her creativity to flow, she found direction for her varied interests. Her creative vision can be summed up into one objective:

"Supporting happy, healthy humans."

From there, all of her ideas find focus. Learn how she got to this point and what you can learn from her journey in today's episode.

• [9:49] What a multi-potentialite is, and what that looks like from a business standpoint.
• [15:40] What Danielle's 6 M's are for living a happy, healthy life.
• [20:45] Why it is important to make space for play and self-care to sustain a creative life.
• [22:45] How to see your children as motivation to be courageous in your creativity.
• [23:46] How to use block scheduling to make time for everything you want to accomplish.
• [29:43] Why it is important to avoid killing the things you love to do by forcing them to feed your family.
• [34:44] The logistics behind Danielle's creative vision and how she branded herself.
• [40:30] Why it is important to create space for the creativity you need to find solutions in your business.

• Check out Danielle's websites for services and online classes, www.redlifeyoga.com and www.redartliving.com
• Learn more about what it is to be a "multi-potentialite" from Emilie Wapnick's TEDtalk, "Why some of us don't have one true calling."
• Purchase David Epstein's book, Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World

Do your potential customers know exactly what it takes to do business with you?

Before you answer, take a minute to ask yourself these three questions:

• Does my website clearly display the first step for purchasing from me within the first three seconds with the clarity of a toddler asking for Teddy Grahams?

• Can every person who answers our phones clearly articulate the sales process and our price range to a potential customer?

• Do we have WRITTEN and EASILY AVAILABLE packages, rate sheets, or an estimating tool?

If you answered a sheepish, "Not really", to any of these three questions then you're missing the one thing every company needs in place for sales to be consistently strong:

A Clearly Defined Ask ™

Your ask might be simple. For example, a yoga studio could offer a class pack or a sample week.

Or, your CDA could be complex like mine. Those who sell high-ticket or long commitment products and services typically have more complex asks. For example, real estate agents and financial advisors might make five to fifty small asks before gaining the business.

Whether your CDA (Clearly Defined Ask ™ ) is a one-time simple ask or more complex, it must be well-defined and clear to everyone around you in order for your sales to be consistent and repeatable.

You might be able to sell someone with an unclear ask, but no one around you will be able to do it successfully. And, your time is limited. If you're relying on your ability to speak to someone to make a sale, you're in for trouble.

Next week, I'm going to share the steps to figuring out your potential customers' buyer's journey with you. The first step on this journey is figuring out your company's most critical Clearly Defined Ask ™ .

The other day I was talking to a friend about how much the Harry Potter books matter to me. I literally grew up with those books. The first one came out when I was in 6th grade. At 21, I stood in line at midnight, hugely pregnant with my first child, to buy the final book. For right around a decade, through all my pre-teen and teenage development, Harry, Hermoine, and Ron were growing up right alongside me.

J.K. Rowling took me (and most of my generation) on a journey like no other. Every adventure, obstacle, and milestone meant something to us on a level far deeper than any other of the 1500+ of books I've read in my life.

Novelists know the power of taking your reader on an emotionally-charged journey.

Great marketers know it too.

In fact, I bet you're in the middle of a buyer's journey with one of your favorite brands right now and don't even know it.

When we're on a grand adventure with a brand, we don't know we're being sold anything.

If you've ever been to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios, you've seen this in action. This elaborate and magical place is perhaps the greatest immersive sales experience ever created. When you spend time in Diagon Alley, every step is brimming with both magic and places to swipe your credit card. The magic of a journey through Harry Potter's world is only possible with intense planning. Every step of your walk through that corner of the park is carefully planned out, curated, and continuously polished for your pleasure.

Last week we talked about figuring out your CDA, the Clearly Defined Ask ™, that makes it clear what you are selling. The next step is to sit down and document how you walk beside your potential buyer as they move towards that ask.

Documenting your primary persona's buyer's journey is critical to making good marketing decisions. You will never have consistency in your lead generation until the stops, obstacles, and adventures on this path are clearly understood. The buyer's journey is the foundational piece of every company's marketing system.

What does your magical adventure look like to a potential customer?

• [1:58] What a CDA is, and why it is essential for an effective marketing strategy
• [2:58] The requirements for an effective CDA that can be duplicated by your sales team and let you focus on being the business owner
• [5:19] The first step to figuring out the buyer's journey so that your marketing is consistent and effective
• [7:23] That the best buyer's journeys are a bit magical, as you don't even realize you're being sold anything
• [9:04] The second step to figuring out the buyer's journey for a more compelling marketing strategy

• Don't miss any of our Summer Strategy Sessions

There's a faded sticky note that hangs on my writing desk with these words scrawled across it:

"Be the one who changes everyone else's luck when you walk in the room."

It's a quote attributed to Hafiz. I hung it there to remind me of how I want to show up in the world. These words remind me that it is my role to support the work of others. We like to think of ourselves as the heroes of our stories, but when you are called to lead other leaders this is what I know to be true:

Shining brightly means you are the spotlight, not the star of the show.

When I shine, it creates a bright space for your genius to step into the light.

When you do the same, who are you creating space for? (Reply to this email and let me know).

Reading Donald Miller's book, Story Brand, helped me articulate this. But it didn't answer the most important question for me and almost every business owner I know:

How do I find ease while serving my vision?

For me, ease meant finally getting my finances in order. For you, it might mean finding the time to go fishing once per week or detaching from your phone for a few hours. Whatever it is, most of us have fallen into the trap of believing that the only way growth happens is through constant hustle. So, we sacrifice ease for the painful pace that we think will buy us greatness.

What did answer this question for me, was combining Miller's wisdom about my role as a leader with a firm grip on what has become my number one business rule:

If that sentence reads cold to you, hang with me.

Too many of us are uncomfortable with money, for a multitude of reasons. For me, it was a verse from the Christian Bible repeated like a mantra by my family throughout my childhood:

It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.

The message was communicated to us like this: Money makes you sinful. The more of it you have, the less pure you are.

But this is dead wrong. That belief held my personal kindness revolution back for years until I finally realized that money only amplifies what we already are.

The reason that sales cure everything has nothing to do with how many vacations you go on, what kind of car you drive or the size of your company. Sales cures everything because of what it buys you:

Sales buy you the freedom to shine big enough for everyone you want to serve to stand in the light.

Sales make hiring that brilliant Mom at a respectable salary possible.

Sales make providing benefits to your employees possible.

Sales make sponsoring your favorite non profit possible. Sales make the vacation that renews you for another round of work possible. Sales make buying the building that revitalizes a downtrodden neighborhood possible.

Sales are the tool you use to change everyone else's luck when you walk in the room.

The reason the first pillar, the Sales/Marketing arm, of your business must be strong before we move on to anything else is that it makes everything else possible.

To change anyone else's luck, we must first fall in love with sales.

• [2:35] What it really means to shine brightly as a leader
• [3:48] Why "hustle" is not the answer to achieving our dreams and goals (and what is)
• [5:43] How our view of money could be holding us back from living our best lives
• [7:21] How sales are a tool for transforming the world around us and leaving a legacy of kindness

• Purchase Story Brand by Donald Miller
• Don't miss any of our Summer Strategy Sessions.

Which creative idea would you pursue if you knew you couldn't fail?

Today we kick off the third and final section of our Summer Strategy Sessions: Creativity. And what does every creative need to achieve their goals?

A strategic plan.

I know that sounds counterintuitive, but hear me out. Done correctly, a strategic plan isn't the restrictive dream-killer you're probably imagining. Done right, a strategic plan is a flexible, evolving companion on your journey to the life you want.

This episode is a fast and furious overview of flexible strategic planning. I'll introduce you to four essential elements you need to implement to set yourself up for success:

1. Rethink the way you set up your SMART goals by focusing on process, not outcome.
2. Use the Trinity Principle to mitigate risks in marketing.
3. Be willing to realign your goals when things change.
4. Remember the Bouncy Floor rule and its five keys we discussed in Episode 29.

And one more thing:

I want to hear from you.

Now that we're in the last few weeks of the Summer Strategy Sessions, let me know how it's going for you. Has anything really stuck with you or helped to realign your business in this strange new world we find ourselves in?

Send me an email, or leave a review on whichever platform you're using to listen to this podcast. I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

• [4:05] The major challenge every strategic plan faces and how to overcome it
• [5:57] The importance of rethinking your SMART goals by focusing on process, not outcome
• [12:00] How the Trinity Principle helps to mitigate risks in marketing while allowing for creativity
• [16:28] Why you should follow what lights you up and realign your goals as needed
• [20:13] The importance of remembering the bouncy floor rule and its five keys from Episode 29

• Discover what SCRUM is and if it might be helpful for your business
• Read about The Desire Map by Danielle Laporte
• Sign up for our Summer Strategy Workshop to download your worksheet
• Listen to Episode 29 to review The Bouncy Floor Rule and the 5 Keys

Nothing opens the door for spectacular success like taking a risk.

But taking a risk also opens the door for spectacular failure. So how do we ensure we go through the right door?

In our final Summer Strategy Session on courage, we take on the common adage credited to John Burroughs:

"Jump, and a net will appear."

How many of us have learned the hard way that if we don't build the net first, we will only fall flat on our faces?

What if I told you that there was a way to mitigate the risks that are necessary to grow your business? Failure happens to the best of us. But failure doesn't have to capsize us, taking our business and personal finances relationships down with it.

The 5 Keys to Effective Risk-Taking can help you mitigate risks and the potential for failure.

Did you know many of the entrepreneurs who are known for taking risks - and having them pay off - were really just skilled at risk mitigation?

Today I break down the key components to effective risk-mitigation so that you can give yourself the best chance at achieving your dreams.

Are you ready to change your mindset, budget your time and money, and walk through that door to success? If so, this episode is for you. Listen now.

• [8:54] How and why to build your own net, because no one else will do it for you.
• [13:25] What the sunk-cost fallacy is and how to avoid it in your business.
• [21:33] The importance of betting smart so you don't over-leverage yourself.
• [24:17] Going second so you don't have to seed a new audience.
• [26:57] Learning how to break down your timelines to better budget your time
• [31:17] The importance of noticing the gaps where new ideas and businesses are most needed.

• Don't miss a single episode of our Summer Strategy Sessions

Sometimes our biggest act of courage is getting to know ourselves.

Are you scared to be still and just sit with yourself?

Have you ever thought about why that is?

Have you considered that knowing yourself is essential to growing your business?

In today's episode, I talk once again with my longtime friend and coach, Lori Bainum. Lori's extensive career in the media industry has taught her that understanding our personal values is key to a leading successful organization. In the Courage section of our Summer Strategy Sessions, we're exploring how you can't grow your business without taking risks.

But how do we know when to be courageous - when to take risks - when we don't know what's important to us?

Lori shares with us that:

"Leadership begins with being centered in ourselves."

If we want to succeed in business, we must take the time to figure out our values. This exercise has the added benefit of strengthening your messaging to your target audience. As Lori states, "People won't understand what you're about if you don't understand what you're about."

Empathy is essential to effective leadership.

People naturally follow leaders who understand them, their fears, their desires, and their values. Empathy is understanding what it is like to be in another's shoes. Lori challenges us to consider, "How are you going to be able to put yourself in somebody else's shoes if you're not willing to be in your own shoes?"

In today's episode, we discuss what courage looks like when we choose to lead from our values. Listen now!

• [4:15] Lori's definition of courage and how it may be counter to what we've been taught
• [8:53] How we can figure out who we are during chaotic times
• [15:30] The connection between being rooted in your values and being rooted in your sense of self
• [19:04] The two types of procrastination, and how one type can help you make the right decisions
• [22:40] How leaders need to be empathetic in order to connect with the people they are leading
• [28:00] How we can keep our workplaces from being toxic by remembering each other's humanity
• [44:30] Why embracing positive conflict is essential to becoming a high-functioning team
• [54:28] How the focus on productivity can be like dieting (and true productivity requires self-awareness)
• [1:00:10] The type of courage that is required of leaders who want to have truly productive meetings
• [1:08:00] Tips for handling anxiety over feeling like you don't have enough time left to live the life you want
• [1:18:00] What you can do now to courageously transform how you lead your team and your business

• Patrick Lencioni's book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
• Don't miss a single episode on courage during our Summer Strategy Sessions

What does it mean to have courage?

Even thinking about taking a risk, especially a business risk, can leave us feeling apprehensive. And while a single act of bravery can be difficult, repeatedly taking risks can be downright scary.

But what if I told you that sustaining courageous action is exactly what your business needs?

Sustainable courage is essential for maintaining forward progress.

Businesses must change and adapt to remain relevant to their target market. Change requires risks. In this kick-off episode for the Courage section of our Summer Strategy Sessions, we discuss how to develop intentional, sustainable courage.

What exactly does this kind of courage look like? No matter the times we live in, taking appropriate risks with our companies requires three things:

• Leading from our values
• Understanding risks
• Asking for help when necessary

In Episode 27, we're looking ahead at the second leg of our strategy framework. In today's climate, we are being asked to be more courageous than ever. How do we do that? Listen now to learn what you can expect over the next few weeks as we explore courage in the world of business.

• [3:35] How understanding your values as a business is central to developing courage
• [4:42] Why we must revisit what our top values are as we learn and grow as individuals and with our businesses
• [6:12] What our business values are and how they help guide our company
• [9:25] How mitigating risk helps make risks less risky
• [12:19] Why timing is critical to your courageous action being successful and accepted
• [14:24] Why we have a responsibility to make sure our risks are sustainable
• [18:15] The importance of asking for help when you need it

• Sign up for the Courage kick-off call

How do we show up to serve others, when showing up is dangerous?

In our final episode on care, we discuss the unique challenges businesses are facing right now with customer care. Health, safety, and social issues dominate our news feeds. Our daily routines have been restructured. Anxiety is spiking for everyone and impacting our relationships.

In today's tense environment, customer service is more vital than ever. We could unintentionally erode customer trust and loyalty without ever speaking to a customer in person. How do we avoid losing customers when our usual methods of communication have changed?

The way you serve your customers must evolve to fit this moment.

Consider the way that you are currently interacting with your customers. If you are still able to engage with them in person, are you:

• Being purposeful with your body language
• Finding ways to greet them while maintaining social distance
• Learning to accommodate customers who are hard of hearing

If you speak with customers on the phone, are you:

• Giving them your full, enthusiastic attention
• Being clear in your speech to reduce misunderstandings

If you interact with customers online, are you:

• Using available resources to ensure quick responses
• Making it clear how you want customers to contact you

We address each of these issues with action items you can put in place today to improve customer retention and loyalty.

• [5:28] Why your customer care needs to evolve to retain clients in 2020
• [9:15] How mask-wearing impacts in-person customer care and solutions for building rapport
• [13:11] How 30 seconds can change your demeanor and positively affect customer interactions
• [16:23] Training on ways to communicate with the deaf and hard-of-hearing community when mask-wearing provides an obstacle
• [19:35] The need to develop new habits in our body language when greeting or welcoming customers
• [22:11] The vital importance of empathy right now when everyone is stressed
• [25:00] The transformative power of the "mirror trick" to help your team be enthusiastic and engaged on the phone
• [27:20] Training your team to speak slowly and clearly to avoid misunderstandings on the phone
• [30:04] How a quick response is the most important part of online service
• [33:20] The importance of cultivating trust with your customers by making it clear how they can get service from you

• Sign up for the live sessions and get the worksheet.