Small Stage, Big Impact

Are you struggling with framing your brand's message right now?

Maybe you're asking yourself if it's okay to promote your business, but you're not sure how to do it.

Me too. I was feeling pretty conflicted about branding during social distancing and Covid-19. So, I reached out to my new friend, Asia Rau for help.

Asia Rau is the founder and creative director of The Strategic Ampersand, a social media marketing, and digital strategy consulting firm based in Portland, OR. With lady-like moxie, a dash of humor, and coffee in hand, Asia works alongside clients, ranging from local shops to national brands, with their marketing strategies while helping them focus on what's important to them, the brand, and their community.

Asia reminded me of the power of knowing our personas, intimately. She drops some serious wisdom about how to handle your branding, marketing, and communication with customers during this time.

In episode 15 of Small Stage, Big Impact we discuss

• [4:29] The most important thing to do in this moment with your social media
• [5:59] Why blame is a bad idea always, but especially in moments where your community is experiencing a disaster
• [7:45] It's not enough to say you're helping the community. Do this too.
• [8:33] It's not a moment to say, Look at me. Instead, spotlight your community and how they are helping each other.
• [10:09] The One Dirty Sock Theory and why it's important in showing your vulnerability.
• [12:38] Too much negativity will cost you customers right now. This is why.
• [14:06] Pivoting from your set plan on social media right now. With thoughtfulness towards your persona.
• [16:11] Tips for stylists, estheticians, and other in-person services while in a virtual world.
• [17:26] Digital empathy for those still working out-of-the-home
• [19:30] At 5:30 pm every day, do this. Seriously, set an alarm on your phone.
• [24:52] How certain types of posts lock people out and how to avoid that happening to you
• [30:46] Doing a knowledge inventory to help others and yourself
• [32:56] It's really about your breathing. Yup, branding is about breathing. We're sticking with that.
• [35:24] Reality and optimism are a good coupling for all of us.
• [38:00] Example of handling health and wellness businesses handling social distancing and why what they are doing works.
• [40:45] Business messaging priorities and how to create them
• [43:12] Asia and I climb on a soapbox about personas
• [45:20] How personas increase inclusion and save your sanity
• [51:33] Balancing between your digital and analog life in normal times and crisis times

Resources mentioned by Asia and Renia in the episode:

• Sprout Social, Asia's preferred social scheduling platform
• Elizabeth DiAlto on Embodiment
• La La Land with Emma Stone
• Episode 5 on Branding and Personas
• Connect with Asia:
• • Follow Asia on Instagram: www.instagram.com/thestrategicamp/
  • Follow The Strategic Ampersand on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheStrategicAmpersandPDX/

Are you feeling stressed out and overwhelmed during these difficult times?

In today's episode, I am talking to my friend, teacher, and coach, Elizabeth DiAlto. She is the creator of an embodiment program called Wild Soul Movement that has been one of the most valuable practices of my adult life. Through working with Elizabeth I've learned how to embody the truths that are inside of me in a way that is deeper and more connected to who I am as a human being, as a soul, as a business person, and pretty much everywhere in my life.

Today, Elizabeth will be sharing about how to live an embodied life in difficult times. Plus, she'll share how everything we've always needed has always been inside of us and what that means for you.

This could be one of the most special episodes I've recorded so far because of how much this practice has impacted my own life. I hope you love these practices as much as I do and start implementing them right away.

In this episode we discuss…

• [4:50] Why Wild Soul Movement is built for challenging times and why it's crucial for dealing with difficulties
• [8:22] How Elizabeth came to believe that everything you've ever needed has always been inside you
• [11:16] What we learn by falling down and failing
• [15:05] How you can use embodiment work to move through paralysis and figure out what you can do to help others
• [20:40] The value of being sensitive
• [25:53] How to stop taking things personally
• [32:00] What to do to process your emotions
• [37:19] Practical tips for how to stop freaking out

Resources Mentioned in this Episode: Power Pay What You Can Program Untamed by Glennon Doyle Cord Cutting and Grounding Practices Truth Telling Podcast Episode 336: Divesting from Perfectionism with Jess Fish

About Elizabeth DiAlto: Known for her raw, honest, and grounded approach to leadership, growth and connection, Elizabeth DiAlto is the creator of Wild Soul Movement, an author, and the host of the popular Truth Telling with Elizabeth DiAlto podcast. She's been a teacher, leader, speaker, coach and trainer to groups and individuals for 17 years in three different industries.

Elizabeth works with women internationally through her digital programs and speaking engagements and more intimately through in-person intensives, retreats, workshops, Wild Soul Movement™ teacher training, and occasional one-on-one engagements. Her greatest mission in this life is to help those who identify as women worldwide to reclaim and redefine their own womanhood, and contribute to a new paradigm of culture where it is both safe and natural for women to love, trust, and accept themselves fully. In 2013, Shape Magazine listed her alongside Dr Oz, Ellen, Jillian Michaels, Tim Ferriss and more as a Top 30 Motivator. She has written for and been featured in Marie Claire, New York Magazine, SELF, Shape, The Huffington Post, US News and Health Report, Yahoo! News and many more. Before developing the current work she does with women, Elizabeth was a nationally-ranked Sales Rep and District Manager for Vector Marketing (with over $1 million in sales to her credit), a certified personal trainer, group exercise instructor and nutrition coach. She's a Reiki Master, has completed Energy Mastery trainings with Energetic Solutions, and is an avid student of many spiritual traditions and sacred lineages. Aside from being a prolific creator and community builder, she's an insatiable learner and a sensualist who loves spas, bathtubs, dancing (especially salsa!), reading, traveling, spending time in nature, and she has a laugh that has been described as, "a sound bath of sunshine and JOY."

Covid-19 has us doing things we never planned this week that can leave us feeling overwhelmed.

We're looking at what is happening over the next several weeks and what that means to us as individual Americans, humans, and local business owners, along with the impact we'll have on our small or large audiences. We are also thinking about the right things to say at this time.

After much contemplation, I wanted to share what is in my heart and what matters most to me in these uncertain times to give you comfort and direction as a local business owner.

I've got lots of great resources for you in this show so you can sustain as much as possible, your kindness, impact and empathy on your community during uncertain times. Helping each other is so important.

In this episode we discuss…

• [6:20] How to handle your upcoming scheduled events

• [7:11] Variables to consider and questions to ask in regard to your scheduled events so you don't waste time and money

• [10:08] How to migrate workers to remote work wherever possible

• [12:20] Reducing risk for employees that have to go out into the field

• [13:24] Supporting your team on how to work from home so they can be productive and manage distractions

• [14:30] Three things to implement if you're working from home for the first time

• [18:54] What you can do to manage your kids being home from school while trying to get your work done

• [22:02] Ideas for how to pay your employees during this time

• [24:05] What you should know when considering taking your business online

Resource List Mentioned in This Episode…

• Resources for Micro Businesses

Is your business succeeding or failing? Somewhere in between?

If you're struggling to answer that question, Peter Christian's debut book can help. In What About the Vermin Problem?, Christian shares the good, bad, and ugly business practices that he's witnessed over his long career as a consultant and leader for companies like Crayola®️.

We cover a lot of ground in this week's episode, including:

• [00:21] The most important policies and procedures to have in place from the beginning of your company
• [00:50] The main difference, from Christian's perspective, between a startup and an established company
• [02:50] The number one systems implementation issue companies face
• [04:30] What makes information systems difficult and how the right disciplines can protect you from pain.
• [06:30] How consultants help you understand readiness for new initiatives and projects
• [08:00] Understanding business tools versus personal needs and how the human element matters for good optimizations
• [09:23] Mitigating risk by knowing what we don't want or need to do in our work
• [12:10] How Christian helped one foodservice company save 15 million dollars on a new facility by optimizing the existing resources
• [19:10] The danger of using people to solve systems problems and what to do instead
• [23:30] How thinking about sunsetting products or services is critical to your planning process
• [27:14] Communicating differences of opinion in a way that makes your business stronger
• [29:51] Where the title, What About the Vermin Problem?, came from and how it relates to good communication
• [32:20] What it means when you continually don't get what you want at the end of a project (Perhaps the most important part of the whole conversation).
• [34:04] Peter and Renia go wayyy deep and nerdy on the importance and power of strategic planning.
• [37:50] Why consultants can be dangerous if you don't know where you're going
• [40:54] Anticipating industry changes and evolutions that require adaptation
• [43:28] What Peter learned from leading production at Crayola®️ about forecasting for future circumstances
• [48:00] The danger of growth and holding large amounts of inventory
• [50:40] Where to begin, when you don't know what you don't know
• [52:54] What the best consultants do, that isn't so common
• [57:45] Peter's hopes for what you will learn by reading this book

How to connect with Peter Christian

• Read more on Peter's Blog
• Connect with Peter on LinkedIn

Sustainability is sexy. It's the key to long term local business success.

Around here, we believe that small stages are more sustainable for most local businesses. When we think small, it's often easier to think big impact too. Five raving fans are the basis of sustainability for most local businesses, but most of us are thinking of trying to reach hundreds (or even thousands) of people. This thinking big mentality actually causes us to miss deeper connections with the raving fans who could help us in a deeper and more sustainable way.

Over time, five fans turn into 50. But the reality is that this takes months (and even years) for many of us.

We get sustainability not by developing an audience of thousands, but by thinking small and developing a small audience that is raving fans that we know we can count on whenever we need them.

-Renia Carsillo

In this episode we discuss…

• [2:23] How local businesses get themselves in trouble with Google My Business because of listening to so-called marketing experts.

• [4:33] How five raving fans changes your trajectory (hint: it's often the bases of sustainable sales).

• [5:54] The basis of TRA-digital with your first five raving fans

• [6:54] How to think differently about your marketing to overcome spotlight stage fright. Let's talk about what you're really afraid of.

• [8:11] What you can do TODAY to overcome stage fright.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode…

• The Local Rock Star Intensive

This episode is about sales versus networking, but it could also be called, Why listening to 25-year-olds about business strategy is a bad idea.

Today's episode is a recording from 2019 of an answer to one of the most common questions I am asked about business strategy:

"How much time should I spend on sales vs. networking?" To answer that question, I first have to confess that I taught people wrong on this subject for a long time. I'll share that story, the lesson I learned from doing it wrong, and what the right answer is the topic of today's episode.

Unfortunately, I was a pretty big know-it-all at 25. I liked to tell people, mostly in training for a company I worked with that was making its money selling business networking as a lifestyle, that sales were for neanderthals.

"There are stages in your life where focusing mostly on sales makes more sense than focusing on networking, and vice versa. It isn't only a business decision."

- Renia Carsillo

In this episode we discuss…

• [00:31] The confusion -- Yup, I was that asshole.
• [3:18] My number one rule in business strategy.
• [6:30] Understanding your sales cycle when making a choice about sales versus marketing time.
• [8:35] Why I think going to networking events when your business is brand new might be a bad idea.
• [9:22] Tools that we need to put in place BEFORE we head out networking.
• [12:19] Why sales are easier than referrals and why we tend to not realize that.
• [13:25] How your life stage impacts your choice about pursuing sales versus networking activities.
• [16:00] Why parenthood and other life stages might impact which choice is right for you.
• [18:13] My ideal ratios for sales time and networking time, based on the stage you are in.
• [19:30] Why going to networking events is often a way we hide from the big business asks.
• [21:30] Why networking-only is magical thinking for many local businesses.

Disclaimer: This episode is specifically meant for community-based businesses where the owner is the primary sales and marketing person. The options, ratios, and choices discussed here will be different for you if that isn't your situation.

Resources Mentioned in the Episode:

• The Local Rock Star Intensive

Why do I teach energy management instead of time management? Because we are all given the same 24 hours each day, the same 1,440 "nuggets" of time. However, when we manage our energy instead of our time we can maximize our work to find more joy, growth and meaningful production.

These techniques are not just for the "good days" when the "flow" just happens. They are to keep you moving forward on the tough days. Eventually you will find that you create more days where you find the flow and you'll get more done in business and life.

I want to offer you 3 battle-tested, client favorite, tactile tools to manage your energy. These tools will help you to stay in line with your vision, keep your energy high and give you the fuel you need to make progress.

I highly encourage you to listen to Episode 6 and Episode 7 featuring an interview with Lori Bainum to give you the context for the importance of these tools and catch the vision for energy management.

Are you ready? Navigate directly to each tool here:

[7:23] Tool #1: The Morning Routine - Start your day with keystone habits that will set you up to WIN the day

[9:30] Learn how meditation will make space in your mind

[12:23] Hear how writing will clear the deck in your mind

[15:30] Tool #2: Prioritize your day with the Daily Index Card

[23:47] Find out the biggest energy drain we experience when we complete things

[25:37] Tool #3: Using your smartphone as a follow up coaching tool

Resources mentioned in the podcast:

• Calm App for meditation: http://www.calm.com/gp/kxm5x5
• The practice of Morning Pages comes from "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron
• "Managing the Motherlode" by Rebekah Borucki

In this episode, I continue my conversation with Lori Bainum as we really evaluate self care and purpose. You'll learn how to develop a personal practice that will make you feel better as a person, give positive energy to those around you, lead from a place of vulnerability and embrace failure...whew!

Get ready for some deep discussion that will tackle personal development to improve your business performance and your team dynamics. Open up that journal and let's get started!

Learn more about Lori at Lori Bainum & Co.

Need to hear that piece of truth again? Jump right to it:

[3:48] Your Soul's Calling will help define how much time you need for self-care. It's not selfish because you can share good energy with those around you when you have a healthy practice.

[11:58] How to be vulnerable in the workplace. Vulnerability is the #1 trait in leadership and is a characteristic of high functioning teams.

[17:32] Failure is good. Find happiness and satisfaction along the journey, not just at the goals.

[27:13] How do you know if you know who you are?[32:50] Allowing others' impressions of you to define your truth is living without feeling.

[41:42] Don't chase Nirvana, don't chase ego. Allow the brain and mind to engage in good meditation.

[47:54] A challenge to find the good in everyone.

[54:25] Steps to start…

Books mentioned in this episode:

• "Educated: A Memoir" - Tara Westover
• "The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom" - Don Miguel Ruiz

We are all given 1,440 minutes every day, precious little gold nuggets of time. What are you going to do with yours? In this episode we are going to dive deep to help you dig out of the trip of "being too busy."

Find joy and satisfaction at the end of the day despite chaos and confusion by managing your energy and not your time. Maybe even find the answer to the meaning of life. Grab a notepad and get ready for some serious truths that you can implement in your life and business today!

Learn more about Lori at Lori Bainum & Co.

Short on time? Check Out Some Show Highlights:

[6:20] What is your personal practice and how can it keep you away from that dirty B-word… "Busy?" You can choose to have a full plate or not.[8:40] Find a rhythm and balance/integrate business and personal development. Gain clarity about who you are so you can stay in the flow.[10:39] Manage psychological time to avoid procrastination.[24:25] Take time for yourself to be more balanced and happy, with healthy boundaries so that you can be better for those around you, too.[27:18] Draw your timeline to make the most of the time you have left. Heal the deep hurts of the past and avoid the trap of the "glory days." Be in the present![31:00] Live in the realm of joy. Find balance between light and dark. Define your center on the scale of emotions.[33:58] See your thoughts as separate from you so that you can control them for meditation and reflection.[42:10] Feeling energy and emotion from other people? Be mindful and throw them back their negative emotions.[45:44] Tread carefully when dealing with trauma, yours or someone else's.[58:48] Discover the pain barrier to cost of services and how successful a member or client can be.

Books mentioned in this episode:

• "Outliers" - Malcolm Gladwell
• "Untethered Soul" - Michael A. Singer

What's the difference between a Country Star and a Rock Star? Think about a country song, one story and the progression of that story. Now think about a rock chorus, one big idea repeated again and again.

A business styled as a country star will ride on your experience, integrity, and expertise as an owner with a partner or small team. It's personal branding as a personal connection with the individual. With a rock star business, the customer might meet the owner, but most likely you are serviced by the team.

[5:00] Whichever style you choose, you need to be consistent.[6:05] Every growing company will hit a point where the personal brand of the owner no longer works and a transition has to be made.[7:45] Once you figure out what kind of star you are, it makes some of your marketing questions more clear.[9:30] Who are you in the context of the Hero's Journey? The hero of the story should be your customer.[14:40] Know which star you are and use it to inform your customer's Hero's Journey.

Books mentioned in this episode: Building a StoryBrand Book by Donald Miller