The Game Changer

Too often we just look at our business as a snapshot in time – we don’t look at the big picture. We don’t appreciate the trajectory. We don’t document our actual progress. One tool that will keep you encouraged and motivated and see your progress – tracking your KPIs (key performance indicators).

Listen in on today’s episode as I talk about measuring your KPIs. Let me help you measure the things that actually matter in your business as well as teach you:

>> What KPIs are and how they are different than goals

>> Things you can measure besides sales, likes, and follows

>> How to choose the right metrics for your unique business

Links

KATIE’S INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/katiewussow/

KATIE’S WEBSITE: https://katiewussow.com/

GET THE FREE 90-DAY PLAN TEMPLATE: https://katiewussow.com/plan

I’m talking to Courtney Fanning on today’s episode about what makes website copy effective, and how you can get good results from your copy even if you are DIYing it. Listen to know:

>> What do you need to be clear on before you write a single word of your website.

>> The minimum viable product version of the MVP – the core pages that you need to finally publish your website.

>> Practical ways you can understand the voice of your ideal customer

>> Four kinds of buyers that might be landing on your website, what each of them really needs to see before they hire you.

Take the quiz to find out what kind of buyer you are: https://www.bigpicturebranding.com/quiz

COURTNEY’S INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/bigpicturebranding

COURTNEY’S PINTEREST: https://www.pinterest.com/BigPictureBranding/

KATIE’S INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/katiewussow/

KATIE’S WEBSITE: https://katiewussow.com/

GET THE FREE 90-DAY PLAN TEMPLATE: https://katiewussow.com/plan

Improving the quality and quantity of our sleep might be the most effective productivity strategy that no one is talking about.

A lot of entrepreneurs and creatives feel like they struggle with motivation, focus, energy, and discipline.  If that's true of you,  you might not need a productivity hack, fancy planner, or more caffeine.

You may need to improve your sleep.

Tanessa Shears joins me for this episode to talk about sleep and the impact that it has on our daily performance and productivity. We talk about why sleep matters so much and realistic strategies to start getting more of it.

TANESSA’S WEBSITE: https://www.tanessashears.com/

TANESSA’S INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/tanessashears

12 WAYS TO BIOHACK YOUR ENERGY: https://www.tanessashears.com/energy

BECOMING LIMITLESS PODCAST: https://www.tanessashears.com/podcast

KATIE’S INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/katiewussow/

KATIE’S WEBSITE: https://katiewussow.com/

GET THE FREE 90-DAY PLAN TEMPLATE: https://katiewussow.com/plan

Video content is one of the most powerful ways to really connect with people online and introduce them not just to your brand, but to you. To help us with this, I’m joined on this episode by Lashonda Brown. Lashonda makes an income from YouTube and also consistently creates short-form videos on Instagram (including REELS). Lashonda spent 10 years as a commercial film producer but has since transitioned to being a full-time YouTuber and educator for entrepreneurs. This conversation will get you to think differently about video and make you feel like even being a YouTuber is attainable.

LASHONDA’S YOUTUBE: www.lashondabrown.com/lashondambrown

LASHONDA’S INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/lashondambrown

LASHONDA’S WEBSITE: www.lashondabrown.com

KATIE’S INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/katiewussow/

KATIE’S WEBSITE: https://katiewussow.com/

GET THE FREE 90-DAY PLAN TEMPLATE: https://katiewussow.com/plan

First of all, I want to let you know, if you don’t already – you WILL have people that don’t pay. That WILL happen to you. Big or small. Consumer or business. Services or products. Every business owner deals with non-payment. It’s important to have a game plan for handling it in a way that is professional and fair but also compassionate and human.

This week’s episode has the goal of providing an approach that will help you be firm, but still flexible when dealing with clients who don’t pay. You’ll be learning how to create clarity and avoid drawn-out and ambiguous client situations as well as knowing a couple of pitfalls to avoid this situation.

BOBBY KLINCK Legal Templates (affiliate link)

KATIE’S INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/katiewussow/

KATIE’S WEBSITE: https://katiewussow.com/

GET THE FREE 90-DAY PLAN TEMPLATE: https://katiewussow.com/plan

Most creative entrepreneurs that I work with accomplish more in a day than most people could ever dream of. But they still don’t feel like they’re doing enough. The reason? Wildly unrealistic expectations for themselves and what can get done in a day’s work.

Today I’m joined by my friend and former client, Cristina Slabic. Cristina is a productivity coach and is certified in Michael Hyatt’s Full Focus system of productivity. The idea of the full focus system of productivity is really to help us to focus. Not try to do everything, but do the most important things. Cristina is going to help us with practical strategies and tools to stay on track and make consistent progress on our most important goals.

CRISTINA’S WEBSITE: http://cristinaslabic.com

CRISTINA’S INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/cristinaslabic

CRISTINA’S FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/cristina.slabic

BEGIN TODAY ON PURPOSE FACEBOOK PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/begintodayonpurpose

KATIE’S INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/katiewussow/

KATIE’S WEBSITE: https://katiewussow.com/

GET THE FREE 90-DAY PLAN TEMPLATE: https://katiewussow.com/plan

Technology has made owning a business easier and cheaper than it has EVER been. And on top of that, it’s always getting better and better.With so many tools, and so many different ways to use them, sometimes it’s really challenging to know what’s going to be right for you.

Over the past six weeks, I’ve made some big changes in the technology that I’m using to run my business. On this episode, pulling back the curtain on my own business and sharing what I’m using and how I’m using it.

KATIE’S INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/katiewussow/

KATIE’S WEBSITE: https://katiewussow.com/

GET THE FREE 90-DAY PLAN TEMPLATE: https://katiewussow.com/plan

PLATFORMS MENTIONED 

* Denotes affiliate link

Upcoach (Coaching)

ThriveCart (Checkout & Course Hosting)

Dubsado (CRM)* Get 20% off your first year with my affiliate link.

Creator Studio (Social Media Scheduling)

Wave Apps (Bookkeeping)

Calendly (Scheduler)

Canva Pro (Graphic Design)

ConvertKit (Email Marketing)

Buzzsprout (Podcast Hosting)   

Zoom (Video Conferencing)

ShowIt (Website)

Zapier (Automation)

Evernote (Notetaking)

Nozbe (Task Manager)*

Instead of making a real financial plan for your business, with real numbers, a lot of creative entrepreneurs prefer a more passive approach. Unfortunately, "trying your hardest and seeing what happens" isn't the best approach to managing your finances. 

Dondrea Owens of The Creatives CFO, a CPA and the CFO for women entrepreneurs, joins us today to help us create a real financial plan for our businesses so that we can achieve true financial sustainability. Listen to know:

>> Why it’s important to focus on profitability from the very beginning of your business.

>> The three different budgets you should have for your business so that you can adapt to changing circumstances.

>> How to break down financial goals into actionable strategies and tactics.

DONDREA’S WEBSITE:  https://www.thecreativescfo.com/

DONDREA’S INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/thecreativescfo/

DONDREA'S FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/thecreativescfo

FREE BOOKKEEPING CHECKLIST: https://www.thecreativescfo.com/bookkeeping-checklist

KATIE’S INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/katiewussow/

KATIE’S WEBSITE: https://katiewussow.com/

GET THE FREE 90-DAY PLAN TEMPLATE: https://katiewussow.com/plan

FREE BUSINESS CHECKING ACCOUNTS:

Bluevine, https://www.bluevine.com/

Novo, https://www.banknovo.com

FREE BOOKKEEPING SOFTWARE:

Wave Apps, https://www.waveapps.com

APPLY FOR AN EIN ONLINE: https://www.irs.gov

We spend a lot of time learning the hard skills of entrepreneurship. And that makes sense, right? We need to learn the strategies, tactics, and technical skills to build a business doing what we love.

But even though most of our energy goes to the hard skills, the soft skills of entrepreneurship are just as important. Successful pitches, networking connections, and sales conversations often come down to what we say and how we say it.

Tune in to this episode to hear about the four magical phrases that will help you to come across as confident and clear when you’re proactively marketing your business.

KATIE’S INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/katiewussow/

KATIE’S WEBSITE: https://katiewussow.com/

GET THE FREE 90-DAY PLAN TEMPLATE: https://katiewussow.com/plan

Sales calls aren’t about showing your client how great you are. It’s about showing interest, learning about their needs, goals, and challenges. Sales calls convey in a really simple way: “I get you, I get your problems, and I can help.”

It’s important to ask the right kinds of questions that can help you understand your client. For today’s episode, we are talking about the specific questions you need to be asking on your sales calls. Learn about the five types of questions to construct a sales call script, words to take out of your prospective client’s mouth and put directly into the proposal, and the questions that you need to ask to stop getting ghosted.

KATIE’S INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/katiewussow/

KATIE’S WEBSITE: https://katiewussow.com/

GET THE FREE 90-DAY PLAN TEMPLATE: https://katiewussow.com/plan