This jam session episode features Reina and Christina chatting about shopping small this holiday season. This episode is really for those who want to be conscious in where we put our money. The duo start by chatting about what entrepreneurs feel like when someone buys from them. The chat about Reina's Heart Centered Holiday Gift Guide and about how shopping can make you feel. In addition, Reina and Christina share some of their favorite small businesses to buy from. 

Main Takeaways:

• What having someone buys from you feels like [0:02:08]
• What the Heart Centered Holiday Gift Guide is [0:04:56]
• How to deal with decision fatigue [0:05:30]
• Why shopping from smaller online businesses is worth it [0:07:12]
• How to treat holiday guilt [0:13:20]
• How to accept gifts graciously [0:17:01]
• Why you are a driver of the economy [0:20:01]
• What some gifts that give back are [0:21:14]
• Reina + Christina's favorite small businesses + gifts [0:26:47]
• How you can buy products outside of Amazon [0:35:39]

Show Notes:

• Heart Centered Holiday Gift Guide
• Katie Williamsen - Creative Empire Podcast
• Elizabeth Cattell
• Erin Gerstenzang
• allume
• Rifle stationary
• Brittany Branson - Creative Empire Podcast
• Magnolia Shop
• Money Bootcamp with Denise DuffieldThomas
• Autumn Witt Boyd
• Julie Ball  - Sparkle Hustle Grow
• Tonya Dalton of Ink Well Press
• Pamela Corman
• Janet Gwen Designs - Creative Empire Podcast
• PopSockets
• Kuzeh
• Olive & Pearl
• Little Seed Farm
• June & December
• Pen+Pillar
• Norabloom Botanicals
• HoneyShea Studios
• Kristen Ley - Thimblepress
• Marigold & Grey - Jamie Kutchman Wynne
• Rachel Allene
• Pencils of Promise
• Glassy Baby
• Jenni Waldrop - Fuzzy & Birch

Today Reina and Christina are joined by Burgundy Fox co-founder Leslie Wong. Burgundy Fox empowers women to celebrate themselves by combining authentic lifestyle content with curated intimate apparel for all sizes. The trio start out by discussing how Leslie decided to start a subscription box service. They also discuss packaging and how to create changes in packaging, plus keeping it on brand. Lastly, they discuss what bringing on a co-founder looked like and how growing her team has helped the brand. 

Main Takeaways:

• Why she started a subscription service [0:04:21]
• How to have a mission behind your brand [0:08:28]
• Why packaging is important + changing  [0:13:16]
• How done is better than perfect [0:16:33]
• What hiring on a co-founder looks like + letting go of everything [0:19:29]
• What tactical things helped the transition to the entrepreneur world [0:28:20]

[ctt template="3" link="CupYr" via="no" ]As you continue growing, listening to your customer’s experience and the problems they’re having.[/ctt]

Show Notes:

• Burgundy Fox
• HoneyBook
• Birchbox
• Dollar Shave Club
• Victoria's Secret
• Paper Source
• The Lean Startup Book
• Gary Vee

[ctt template="4" link="5oIv0" via="no" ]It definitely takes time to create awareness and that is hard.[/ctt]

Bio:

Leslie Wong is the Founder and CEO of Burgundy Fox, an e-commerce brand on a mission to celebrate all bodies and empower women. After experiencing how unenjoyable lingerie shopping was, she set out to create a more modern and inclusive experience that celebrated all women's bodies and minds. Leslie has 10 years of marketing and partnership experience, is an advisor to companies HoneyBook, Cloudspotter, Curvy Unicorn and serves on Rising Tide Society's Creative Council. She spends her free time practicing vinyasa yoga, listening to business podcasts and enjoying all the great food Chicago has to offer. Connect with Burgundy Fox on social @burgundyfoxco

Social Handles:

• Website
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• Pinterest
• LinkedIn

Today Reina and Christina are joined by Marie Parks and Jessi Honard of North Star Messaging + Strategy. They serve purpose-driven entrepreneurs and help them figure out what is their outward facing message. The two started the conversation by talking about how they began working together. They transitioned into talking about finding uniqueness in your own brand as well as core values. Once you find those, the ladies talk about finding your core pillars that will drive your content strategy.

Main Takeaways:

• How the two women began their partnership [0:01:39]
• How to really find your uniqueness + stand out qualities [0:04:23]
• Why you should focus on core values [0:10:47]
• How to feel in control of your content + core pillars [0:14:17]
• What an example of an effective content strategy looks like [0:21:23]
• Why you need to find a place to start with consistency [0:27:20]
• What some pieces to create time for [0:29:40]
• What is important to notice about your competition [0:36:35]

Show Notes:

• Copywriting Character Quiz
• red.com
• Kurt Elster - the Unofficial Shopify Podcast - Kurt's Creative Empire Podcast
• Mark Manson
• Bushra Azhar - Bushra's Creative Empire Podcast

Bio:

Jessi Honard is a self-professed word nerd whose copy packs a powerful, persuasive punch. She puts her years in marketing + education to work, empowering entrepreneurs to achieve big results. Marie Parks is a compulsive writer with an eye for detail (thanks to years of nonprofit grant writing) and the coveted ability to combine heart + logic. Her copy makes readers stop, drop, and read. Together, they help purpose-driven entrepreneurs find their true north and make a lasting positive impact.

Social Handles:

• Website
• Facebook
• Facebook Community
• Instagram
• YouTube

This Creative Empire podcast episode Reina and Christina chat with Davey and Krista Jones of daveyandkrista.com. This power couple specialize in helping businesses create brands and websites that are, not just beautiful but also compelling, and encourage your visitors to take action. At the beginning the Davey and Krista duo dive head first into SEO and how it can really help your business. They share the 3 main pillars of SEO which are: strong content, building relationships (especially through linkbacks on your site), and user experience. After discussing the ins and outs of SEO they jump on to chatting about having a content strategy and how blogging needs to be deliberate for you. Lastly, we talk about mindset shifts and pivoting while in your business.

Main Takeaways:

• How SEO can optimize content for your ideal clients [0:03:27]
• What the 3 main pillars of SEO are [0:06:03]
• How they define content strategy [0:07:48]
• Why to be super deliberate on your blog [0:09:44]
• What shifts have looked like for both of them [0:15:32]
• What mindset shifts you need to make to pivot [0:20:54]
• Why "shiny object" syndrome happens [0:27:27]
• What some ways to get pre-validation [0:34:12]

Show Notes:

• The Rising Tide Society
• The Scobeys
• Krista Jones - Creative Empire Episode
• Davey Jones - Creative Empire Episode
• Graham Scobey
• Burbn
• Foursquare
• Instagram
• Elon Musk
• Jeff Goins + Seth Godin
• Neil Patel
• Jeff Goins - Creative Empire Episode
• The Dip by Seth Godin

Bio:

Davey and Krista are brand strategists and designers who specialize in helping businesses create brands and websites that are beautiful, compelling, and encourage action. After building a successful photography business and launching the Rising Tide Society, one of the largest communities for creatives in the world, Davey and Krista decided to make helping creatives run better businesses their full time gig. They believe in chasing hard after an intentional life—one that includes fulfilling work, palm trees and blue skies, time with the pups, and—of course—wine and pizza.

Social Handles:

• Website
• Facebook
• Instagram

Krista

• Instagram

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Reina and Christina are joined today by Katie Den Ouden and Katie is an entrepreneur, freedom lifestyle coach and holistic business strategist. She teaches ambitious women how to live and lead by design instead of by default so that they can become the womEn that they’ve always known they can be. At the beginning of the episode Katie jumps in to talk about the difference between living by default and living by design means. Shes asks us all why we are not living more intentionally and helps us to think about how to cut out the fluff. She talks all about the abundance mindset and why we should shift to that. 

Main Takeaways:

• What living by default means + living by design means [0:01:45]
• What it looks like to live by design [0:04:15]
• How to identify seasons + what is essential [0:06:49]
• How to start being intentional in your business design [0:13:43]
• What her 90 day set-up looks like + cutting out the "fluff" [0:15:22]
• What the abundance mindset looks like + how to shift into this [0:29:43]
• How to fit service-based activities in your business [0:34:02]

Show Notes:

• Tony Robbins
• Live By Design Guide

Bio:

Katie Den Ouden is an entrepreneur, freedom lifestyle coach, and holistic business strategist teaching ambitious women how to live & lead by design instead of default, so that they can become the woman they’ve always know they can be. Katie's work {programs, challenges, experiences} meet women in the season of becoming - as a woman, leader, and luminary - and gives the strategy, soul, sisterhood, and self-care to get there.

Social Handles:

Website
Instagram
Facebook
Pinterest

Photographer and founder of Avner Road Photography, Nicolette Fernandez, is Reina and Christina’s guest on The Creative Empire podcast in this Empire Mentoring Session. The trio dive right into talking about focusing in on aspects of business and what rescue time really means.  They share how time tracking can really help you as a business owner, to see what parts of your business are taking the most amount of time. The trio also discuss finding focal points in your business and how client communication is critical to help your business grow. 

Main Takeaways:

• How to figure out where to dive in and focus on investing time in a certain area of business + rescue time [0:01:58]
• How time tracking can help you figure out what you're spending your time on [0:03:30]
• What working or in your business looks like + finding focal points [0:06:39]
• Why to figure out where you clients have came from + ask them questions [0:12:52]
• Why to trade your services to build your portfolio [0:20:52]
• How to determine your focal points [0:24:46]
• How listening to people can help you figure out how your ideal clients feel [0:26:53]

Show Notes:

• Jenni Waldrop - Creative Empire Podcast Episode
• Text Expander App
• Rising Tide Society
• Social Glue Session

Bio:

Nicolette is a wife to her sweetheart, mama to an active toddler and believer that joy can be found in the everyday. After 9 years as a college administrator, she took a leap of faith to stay home with her son and launch her photography business full time. She realized her business could be used as a way to pursue her passion of motherhood and serve her family, while using her creativity to encourage and serve others. Nicolette specializes in lifestyle sessions for newborns and branding for creative entrepreneurs. These niches allow her to run alongside her clients, celebrating with them, pouring in words of love and support, while providing images that share their story.

Social Handles:

Website
Facebook
Instagram

Today Reina and Christina are joined by Ava Aslani of Essentia Law, an attorney from Canada. Ava is here chatting all about how laws in Canada are different. At the beginning Ava and Christina really bond over learning all of the differences and similarities of the law. They chat about things from a trademark registration, to a copyright registration, to online business structures. They also talk about what it looks like to work with people across the border regarding laws.

Main Takeaways:

• What some things to consider as a business in Canada [0:01:50]
• What the pros and cons of a BC Company and a Federal Company [0:05:33]
• What does a trademark look like in Canada [0:10:21]
• How copyright law works in Canada [0:13:03]
• What some examples of copyright infringement are [0:15:45]
• What moral rights are and how it works in Canada [0:18:18]
• How to do business across country boundaries [0:22:39]
• How to enforce your contracts + the benefit of taking payments [0:26:39]
• What the tax systems loos like when crossing the border [0:32:12]

Show Notes:

• Etsy
• Canada Eaton Centre

Bio:

Ava grew up in Toronto but the mountains and the ocean drew her to the west coast and she moved to Vancouver in 2010. She completed her law degree at the University of British Columbia, after which she articled at the Vancouver office of one of Canada’s largest national firms. She moved to the Okanagan Valley in 2014 and practiced as a general solicitor prior to launching Essentia Law to combine her legal training with her passion for innovation and Entrepreneurship. Ava’s business law practice is focused on providing effective and practical legal solutions to small businesses in a variety of areas including business formation, corporate structuring and reorganizations, and corporate governance. She particularly enjoys working with emerging and growth-stage companies in the technology industry and assisting on the unique legal challenges they face.

Social Handles:

Website
Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter
Google+

Today Reina and Christina are joined by Ava Aslani of Essentia Law, an attorney from Canada. Ava is here chatting all about how laws in Canada are different. At the beginning Ava and Christina really bond over learning all of the differences and similarities of the law. They chat about things from a trademark registration, to a copyright registration, to online business structures. They also talk about what it looks like to work with people across the border regarding laws.

Main Takeaways:

• What some things to consider as a business in Canada [0:01:50]
• What the pros and cons of a BC Company and a Federal Company [0:05:33]
• What does a trademark look like in Canada [0:10:21]
• How copyright law works in Canada [0:13:03]
• What some examples of copyright infringement are [0:15:45]
• What moral rights are and how it works in Canada [0:18:18]
• How to do business across country boundaries [0:22:39]
• How to enforce your contracts + the benefit of taking payments [0:26:39]
• What the tax systems loos like when crossing the border [0:32:12]

Show Notes:

• Etsy
• Canada Eaton Centre

Bio:

Ava grew up in Toronto but the mountains and the ocean drew her to the west coast and she moved to Vancouver in 2010. She completed her law degree at the University of British Columbia, after which she articled at the Vancouver office of one of Canada’s largest national firms. She moved to the Okanagan Valley in 2014 and practiced as a general solicitor prior to launching Essentia Law to combine her legal training with her passion for innovation and Entrepreneurship. Ava’s business law practice is focused on providing effective and practical legal solutions to small businesses in a variety of areas including business formation, corporate structuring and reorganizations, and corporate governance. She particularly enjoys working with emerging and growth-stage companies in the technology industry and assisting on the unique legal challenges they face.

Social Handles:

Website
Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter
Google+

In this Creative Empire podcast episode Reina and Christina chat with Julianne Smith, founder of The Garter Girl. The Garter Girl is a stylish wedding garter design company that began in 2004. The Garter Girl is dedicated to redesigning wedding traditions, helping brides make memories and creating family heirlooms through the art and design of wedding garters. The trip start by discussing how Julianne began blogging. Julianne shares tips for blogging and helps you figure out who you are blogging for. She also gives us tools for creating content and discusses permission to let yourself fail in your business.

Main Takeaways:

• How she started with blogging [0:04:28]
• Why you should blog + tips for blogging [0:07:48]
• What the difference is between a business with a blog vs. blogging as a business [0:09:57]
• Why you should repurpose content [0:14:53]
• What some helpful tools for creating content [0:19:27]
• How to use your blog to establish yourself as an expert + leading with value [0:26:09]
• Why you should give yourself the license to fail in your business [0:38:04]

Show Notes:

• United with Love
• Garter Girl
• Rising Tide, Tuesdays Together meetings
• Today Show
• Martha Stewart
• Style Me Pretty
• Engage! Conference
• The Knot
• Brides Magazine
• Jamie Kutchman Creative Empire Episode, Marigold and Grey

Bio:

Julianne Smith is The Garter Girl, a stylish wedding garter design company that began in 2004. The Garter Girl is dedicated to redesigning wedding traditions, helping brides make memories and creating family heirlooms through the art and design of wedding garters.

Julianne believes that a wedding garter is a small, but meaningful, way for a bride to celebrate her own personal style. The Garter Girl’s sophisticated wedding garters are designed to be modern heirlooms intended to be cherished for generations to come. Each and every stylish wedding garter in the The Garter Girl’s collection is meticulously hand created by Julianne and designed with a recognizable modern femininity that encompasses her signature style. The daughter of a seamstress and a surgeon, Julianne grew up in small town Pennsylvania surrounded by lots of family and tons of laughter. It was a love of politics that brought her to the nation’s capital where she fell in love with D.C. and city life. Before creating The Garter Girl, Julianne was a communications strategist and media specialist. She worked on Capitol Hill for a member of Congress and served in the White House’s administration. Combining her passion for DC, media and weddings in 2010, Julianne started the Washington DC area’s top wedding website, United With Love. Featuring locally helpful wedding planning advice, Julianne built United With Love to be a trusted resource and a well-known brand with thousands of readers every day. She was able to sell United With Love in 2016. Julianne is obsessed with style and is known for her passion and sophisticated attention to detail. She is also known for consistently being overdressed, a loyal friend and always ready to host. She is the mother of three small children and lives in the city of Washington, D.C. with her husband and family. Follow Julianne over on Instagram or check out her blog for more behind the scenes and the occasional family picture!

Social Handles:

Website
Blog
Facebook
Pinterest
nstagram
Twitter

Today is a jam session with our co-hosts Christina and Reina, plus Dannie Fountain. Reina and Dannie are jamming out about their new book, that was just released this past Tuesday. The Duo jump into what makes goal setting important and their reasons for wanting a book like this created. They chat about how they break down parts of each guest expert, so that the reader can really identify with parts of their lives. The book boasts a lot of information and takeaways, so they explain the best way to digest the book.

Main Takeaways:

• What makes goal setting important [0:02:37]
• How they have guest experts to give ideas for planning [0:05:14]
• What the most common thing they found while creating this book [0:10:47]
• How to be proactive while reading the book + how to digest it all [0:16:13]
• Why you need to take in compliments [0:19:57]
• What the clear focus of the book was [0:28:55]

Show Notes:

• Dannie Fountain's Creative Empire Episode
• Powersheets
• Natalie MacNeil’s Conquer Kit
• Cici's Pizza
• Simon Sinek
• Lacey Sites
• Lara Casey
• Courtney Johnston -  The Rule Breaker’s Club
• bigplanforthecreativemind.com
• The Scobey's
• Tim Ferriss’s - Tools of the Titans
• Lisa Jacobs
• Amber McCue
• Tara Newman
• Jillian Smith - One Touch Events
• Jenna Kutcher
• Natalie Franke - The Rising Tide Society and HoneyBook

About The Big Plan for the Creative Mind:

We believe that because just because we are more creative, more right brained, more flow or intuition oriented, doesn’t mean that one should not plan. In fact, there is an opportunity to do it differently - there's not just one way to do goal setting.

When you Google goal setting books, you find very corporate style, linear left brain books. A lot of creative types and people who want a little bit more flow get turned off by this. They’re planning or flowing in a way that doesn't really identify with that left brain linear type of planning. In the past, maybe if they've had a corporate job or had some kind of a structure that is very left-brain dominant, they’ve been told that their process is wrong or they're made to feel inadequate in the way that they do things.

In the creative industry there are plenty of tools like Power Sheets, the Conquer Kit, Your Best Year or the Fresh Start Notebook that are breaking the mold of the standard goal-setting book. These leaders are writing and creating content around these topics, but what we fail to see is a collection housed together where their unique goal-setting strategies, mindset, and execution are being showcased. This is an opportunity for the creative industry to get a glimpse of what it's like both in people's businesses and in their lives.

Social Handles:

Reina's:
Website
Instagram
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest

Dannie's:
Website
Instagram
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest