The Bright Balloon

Email marketing for my balloon business is always the thing that falls by the wayside... can you relate?

After feeling the relief of handing off email marketing for the podcast (then watching it grow in the way it has) I quickly knew I needed to find a similar solution for my balloon business.

And thanks to the help of some familiar podcast guests... we've made it happen!

In this week's episode, Jeff, Nicole and I talk about some important tips for effective email marketing, and how we've rolled those tips into our brand new collaboration: The Creative Current.

I'll be a subscriber, too, and can't wait to see what it does for my balloon business!

>> see an example of what we'll be sending!

TIMESTAMPS:

02:37 - why email marketing is important

06:02 - 3 rules to follow for effective email marketing

16:04 - what The Creative Current is

20:40 - you're a good fit for this if...

22:20 - how it works for you as a business owner

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

The Creative Current

Havin' A Party Wholesale

BalloonCoach.com

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The LASER Focused Solopreneur

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@thebrightballoon

It was such a complete privilege to interview Amanda Rae, COO of 17hats, for this episode! We talk about all things owning a business... customer service, mindset, mental clutter and growth. She also solves a current problem of mine in real time!

I always say, 17hats is my employee of the month, every month and this episode will let you in on why that's the case.

Even if you don't use the platform I know you'll hear some nuggets that will help you clarify your processes and improve your relationships with your customers.

Thanks so much to Amanda Rae for taking the time to be on the podcast!

TIMESTAMPS:

03:22 - the 17hats development story

11:52 - where to start with a CRM

18:27 - mental clutter, focusing on your passion & going for it

23:21 - figuring out your processes & how they change over time

34:44 - underutilized features

44:55 - investing in your clients

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

17hats CRM discount

Asset Lab

Havin' A Party Wholesale

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The LASER Focused Solopreneur

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@thebrightballoon

I've been hearing about the idea of "red x month" for a while now and have been wondering how and when I would be able to try it. Then when I noticed my July calendar was somewhat setting me up for the experiment, I knew I had to go for it!

In this episode, I'll walk you through:

- what it is

- how I'm implementing it

- why I feel compelled to try it

- what steps you can take to make one of your own happen

- the challenges involved

- what I'm looking forward to by trying it

Follow along on Instagram as I give some updates on how it's going! And tell me... do you think you'll go for it?!

TIMESTAMPS:

02:21 - my initial reaction to the idea

06:16 - the rules I've set for myself in this experiment

09:20 - how much is enough?

14:49 - what steps you can take to implement your own "red x" time

20:57 - what I'm excited about with this experiment

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Grab & Go Bundle Course

Havin' A Party Wholesale

BalloonCoach.com

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The LASER Focused Solopreneur

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@thebrightballoon

Alissa of Twee Partees actually runs her shop out of my hometown, so this episode was extra fun to record! We talk about her new pop-up retail space and all the plans she has for it... inventory, shop aesthetic and more.

But even if you run your business out of your home, listen in for some fun business-building ideas that come up in our conversation. I think we'd both love to hear if you go for any of them!

Follow Alissa's pop-up shop journey this summer by connecting with her on Instagram below.

TIMESTAMPS:

05:19 - how Lissa got her free retail spot

09:00 - the hours, staffing & inventory for her shop

15:12 - what benchmarks she's using to decide if she should stay

17:26 - her recommendations for making the best of your work space

28:55 - the pop-up shop trend

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

@tweepartees @twee_a_balloon_boutique

Havin' A Party Wholesale

Asset Lab

____________________________

The LASER Focused Solopreneur

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@thebrightballoon

It was so fun to chat with another super lean balloon business owner. Kelsey has so much to share about how she left corporate for balloons, how she provides customer service, her booking process, and yes, we even talk about her infamous TikTok moment in this episode!

She's always sharing such helpful tips on Instagram and this conversation was no different.

TIMESTAMPS:

06:20 - what Kelsey's employee helps with

10:35 - making pricing & time decisions

13:56 - her abundance mindset

21:46 - pumpkin clients

27:12 - booking process

33:59 - her TikTok moment

41:19 - what's next

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

BalloonCoach.com

Havin' A Party Wholesale

That Balloon Girl on Instagram

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The LASER Focused Solopreneur

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@thebrightballoon

I started offering Grab & Go Garlands after the initial interview with Ali of Charming Garlands (episode 48), and what a difference it has made to my business! I'm now able to help more customers and make more sales when I would have otherwise been booked out and unavailable.

Because they work so well, Ali and I have collaborated on a course, linked in the show notes, that will set you up to quickly succeed with Grab & Go's, too. It'll cover:

- the difference between making a Grab & Go Garland and an installation garland

- direction cards for your customers

- list of hanging kit supplies

- photo & language for your website

- email template to suggest a Grab & Go

- tips for promoting

In celebration of this super exciting collaboration, we're re-releasing the original interview so that you can hear more of Ali's genius around the Grab & Go process.

Enjoy!

TIMESTAMPS:

1:34 - my results since the original interview

3:05 - all about our course collaboration

6:10 - the original interview

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Grab and Go Garland Bundle

Havin' A Party Wholesale

Asset Lab

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The LASER Focused Solopreneur

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@thebrightballoon

One of my pet peeves as a consumer is a lack of communication by service providers... don't be that service provider!

Even without a CRM, there are ways to save email or message templates that will help you move your decor requests along smoothly, while still being friendly and personal.

In this episode, I share five of my top-recommended templates... two of which often turn into sales!

Take a listen and if you're in need of help in this area, check out the download in the show notes.

TIMESTAMPS:

03:26 - packed up auto-responder

05:47 - letting them know you're available

08:12 - letting them know you're not available

10:05 - suggest a Grab & Go instead

11:35 - the breakup template

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Customer Booking Workflow and Templates

BalloonCoach.com

Havin' A Party Wholesale

____________________________

The LASER Focused Solopreneur

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@thebrightballoon

When I started my balloon business six years ago, I had the hardest time figuring out how much things cost and what I should charge.

Eventually I discovered how much easier the whole pricing, quoting and invoicing process would become if I just put my prices out there for everyone to see.

In this episode, I'll share with you the six key reasons why I'm a huge fan of having your prices displayed on your website.

And I'm encouraging you to do the same! Tag me on Instagram @thebrightballoon when you've published your prices... and don't forget - charge what you're worth!

TIMESTAMPS:

03:01 - creates a filter

04:31 - saves time

05:55 - sets industry standard

07:42 - it's fair

09:44 - keeps them accessible

11:55 - makes increases easier

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Garland Pricing Guide Template

Havin' A Party Wholesale

Asset Lab

17hats CRM

____________________________

The LASER Focused Solopreneur

planner | courses | templates

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@thebrightballoon

In this episode, I'm talking with my bookkeeper, Elizabeth from Fiore Tax Services. She and her husband Joe are now Profit First Professionals so we are revisiting one of my favorite books, Profit First.

If you haven't listened to episode 51 where I introduce Profit First, make sure to do that first!

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

BalloonCoach.com

Havin' A Party Wholesale

____________________________

The LASER Focused Solopreneur

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@thebrightballoon

If you've been listening for a while, you know that I have a lot of thoughts about using Instagram for business. I love some aspects of it, but I recognize how draining it can become if you let it.

In this episode, I'll share with you how I honestly kind of stumbled upon a new strategy that has helped me book more repeat jobs - despite all of the turnover within the events industry.

Listen in and see how easy it actually is!

TIMESTAMPS:

02:16 - why I needed a new strategy

05:57 - how I reach out to venues and corporate clients

08:33 - why this should be considered a backup plan

09:12 - some encouragement

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Havin' A Party Wholesale

Asset Lab

____________________________

The LASER Focused Solopreneur

planner | courses | templates

Support the show / Join the book club

@thebrightballoon