The Kara Report | Online Marketing Tips and Candid Business Conversations

Who doesn’t love a good trends episode? Today, I’m excited to bring on Hannah Davis to talk all about 2025 website trends and how we can update our websites without making them look overly trendy. I also loved how she tied in website UX (user experience) into everything she does!

We chatted all about the balance between copy and design, how to use templates effectively, and common website mistakes to avoid. 

🎙️ In This Episode:

• 2 of the biggest 2025 website trends
• How to know if WE should be jumping on the latest trends (big and small)
• What to do if nobody is buying from our website
• Improving our UX in 2025 

PS: We talked a lot about the importance of good COPY in this conversation. So this is me reminding you that I offer VIP days if you want a professional to write yours for you: https://thekarareport.com/copywriting

Links Mentioned: 

• Read the full shownotes: https://thekarareport.com/50
• Learn more about Hannah at Made with Boldness: https://madewithboldness.com/
• Follow Hannah on Instagram: https://instagram.com/madewithboldness
• Hire Kara to write your website copy: https://thekarareport.com/copywriting
• Learn more about working with our marketing agency here: https://thekarareport.com/services
• Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/thekarareport

I know that this week is absolutely crazy for some people. A lot of people are having Black Friday sales, it's Thanksgiving for my American friends, and everyone is just getting ready for the holiday season if they're not already in holiday mode already. So I just wanted to bring you a super short episode with just a little mindset shift to consider as we close out the year and answer the question: can you make money in December? 

I feel like at this stage of the year, a lot of us feel like our year is kind of set. We have made most of the money that we're going to make, or at least we know what we can expect in December. It's easy to fall into a trap thinking that nobody buys in December or hey, maybe you don't really want to work in December. That's what we're going to talk about today.

🎙️ In This Episode:

• A quick mindset shift for service providers who want to make more money in December
• 3 things you can do to make more money in December (without heavy, aggressive marketing)

Links Mentioned: 

• Read the full shownotes: https://thekarareport.com/49
• Hire us to write SEO-driven blog posts for you: https://thekarareport.com/blogging
• Join Blogging for Bingeable Brands (Use Code PODCAST20 for 20% Off!): https://thekarareport.com/bbb
• Learn more about working with our marketing agency here: https://thekarareport.com/services 
• Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/thekarareport 

 As the year begins to wind down, I know we all have one thing on our minds: MONEY. Whether we’re thinking about holiday spending, setting goals for 2025, making the most of the final month of the year, planning for more income in 2025, or identifying expenses for tax write-offs, money is definitely a top focus.

I’m thrilled to introduce you to Geily. She’s the founder of Cutting Edge Financial Solutions and works with service-based businesses to improve their bottom lines through cash flow management and financial planning, focusing on reducing spending and maximizing take-home profits—which, let’s be honest, is what we all want.
 

🎙️ In This Episode:

• Why we all need a little reality check when it comes to our profit planning
• What your 2025 goals should look like (beyond just a revenue number)
• How we can plan ahead to see more profit this year

Links Mentioned: 

• Read the full shownotes: https://thekarareport.com/48
• Grab Geily's FREE Mastering Cash Flow Guide: https://www.cuttingedgefinancialsolutions.com/resources 
• Follow Geily on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cuttingedgefinancialsolutions/ 
• Work with Geily here (and check out her planning for profit sessions): https://www.cuttingedgefinancialsolutions.com/services 
• Learn more about working with our marketing agency here: https://thekarareport.com/services
• Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/thekarareport

Today, we're diving deep into Black Friday launch strategies with the incredible Dolly DeLong. Dolly, a seasoned systems and workflow expert (and the #1 person recommended on threads to talk about this!),  shares her approach to launching with intention, offering tips to move from a scattered approach to a structured, strategic game plan. 

From prepping your audience to refining your marketing and planning for a smooth launch, Dolly’s advice is helpful regardless of whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or tackling your first Black Friday campaign. Plus, she shares how she structures her week to run two businesses on just 20 hours a week and shares realistic tips on time management that allow for both successful launches and a balanced life. 

You'll get a glimpse of her tried-and-tested launch phases—from the planning stages to post-launch reflection—plus advice on how to keep emotions in check when measuring launch success. I loved this conversation (and love her!).

🎙️ In This Episode:

• Pre-launch and audience priming before a launch
• Practical ways to map out launch phases
• Tips for managing launches within a limited workweek
• How to build your audience in between launches

Links Mentioned: 

• Read the full shownotes: https://thekarareport.com/47
• Watch Dolly's FREE Webinar On Black Friday Trends: https://thekarareport.com/black-friday-trends
• Grab Dolly's Black Friday Toolkit: https://thekarareport.com/bf-toolkit
• Grab Dolly's Launching Templates in Trello: https://systemsandworkflowmagic.com/digital-product-launch-success-planner 
• Follow Dolly on Instagram: https://instagram.com/dollydelongeducation
• Learn more about working with our marketing agency here: https://thekarareport.com/services
• Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/thekarareport

I read 10x is Easier Than 2x, so you don't have to. I'm actually going to talk about why I think it's one of the best business books I've read in a long time, but with a few caveats. This is going to be part "what I learned from it and what I'm seeing in my own business", and then also part, book review. 

Regardless, I feel like 10x is Easier Than 2x has been the number one book everyone has been recommending, and I was really excited to read it, but I also was a little bit skeptical. I thought it might be one of those situations where, and I'm going to use Profit First as an example, everyone has basically shared the highlights so much that you're kind of familiar enough with the concept by now before you even read it.

My point here is this: I thought I knew what it was going to be about and what it would say, and I was wrong. So anyway, we're going to get into all of that - let's begin!

🎙️ In This Episode:

• Removing Decision Paralysis
• The Question You Need to Be Asking to 10x
• How to Constantly Be Shedding the 80% 
• Being a Buyer, Not a Seller as a Business Owner
• Gap vs. Gain Mindset

Links Mentioned: 

• Read the full shownotes: https://thekarareport.com/46
• Hire us to write SEO-driven blog posts for you: https://thekarareport.com/blogging
• Join Blogging for Bingeable Brands (Use Code PODCAST20 for 20% Off!): https://thekarareport.com/bbb
• Learn more about working with our marketing agency here: https://thekarareport.com/services 
• Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/thekarareport 

In this episode, we're diving into the unnerving (and often shocking!) world of online business coaching with Vancouver-based content creator Danielle Ryan. Danielle has spent years building a business and now pulls back the curtain on some of the most problematic trends in the coaching industry. 

From unqualified “gurus” to expensive masterminds with questionable value, Danielle doesn’t hold back on the hard truths about the online business industry. She shares her own experience of hiring a coach who failed to deliver, along with insights into how business coaching has devolved into a web of upsells, peer-to-peer coaching scams, and sketchy promises.

We’re not just talking about typical business horror stories—this episode covers the online business scams that MOST OF US have fallen victim too. Danielle’s passionate and relatable as she shares how to spot red flags in coaching, why pyramid-style coaching is on the rise, and how to make wise investments without falling prey to empty promises. 

You're going to love this episode!

🎙️ In This Episode:

• The phenomenon of “coaches coaching coaches” and the pyramid-like structures
• Red flags to watch out for in online business coaching
• Whether the high prices in business coaching are justified?
• How to make ethical, informed investments in the coaching industry

Links Mentioned: 

• Read the full shownotes: https://thekarareport.com/45
• Check out Danielle's Website: https://danielleryan.me/
• Follow Danielle on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@itsdanielleryan
• Follow Danielle on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsdanielleryan/
• Learn more about working with our marketing agency here: https://thekarareport.com/services
• Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/thekarareport

 Does it feel like everybody tries to market to beginners? This is something I hear over and over again. Especially with my podcast, I really try to avoid those super beginner basic concepts. However, I do know WHY most people market to beginners, and I'm going to dive into that in this episode so that you can decide for yourself if this should be part of your own marketing strategy.

🎙️ In This Episode:

• Targeting Beginners vs. Advanced Audiences
• Why I have tried to create a podcast that's not "for the masses"
• Pros and cons of marketing to beginners

Links Mentioned: 

• Read the full shownotes: https://thekarareport.com/44
• Hire us to write SEO-driven blog posts for you: https://thekarareport.com/blogging
• Join Blogging for Bingeable Brands (Use Code PODCAST20 for 20% Off!): https://thekarareport.com/bbb
• Learn more about working with our marketing agency here: https://thekarareport.com/services 
• Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/thekarareport 

In this episode, I got to sit down with Mara Kucirek, an online course specialist who helps other business owners create, sell, and improve their online courses. She brought a list of Black Friday Trends for 2024, and then we dive deep into Black Friday sales strategies, including why it's important to start planning early to avoid last-minute stress on Thanksgiving. 

We also talk about the importance of delivering a high-quality product, not just focusing on marketing, and why many online courses fail because they don’t help students implement the material. 

Mara shares SO much, so whether you're a course creator or small business owner gearing up for the holiday sales season, this episode is full of actionable tips to make your Black Friday a win!

 

🎙️ In This Episode:

• The biggest 2024 Black Friday trends we're going to see
• The easiest thing to offer in your courses (that your potential students really want!)
• Balancing marketing and sales with creating a great product 
• Why low-ticket offers are booming and whether or not it's actually worth creating one

Links Mentioned: 

• Read the full shownotes: https://thekarareport.com/43
• Watch Mara's FREE Webinar On Black Friday Trends: https://thekarareport.com/black-friday-trends
• Grab Mara's Black Friday Toolkit: https://thekarareport.com/bf-toolkit
• Follow Mara on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marakucirek/
• Read one of Mara's Kucirek income reports: https://marakucirek.com/august-2024-income-report/ 
• Learn more about working with our marketing agency here: https://thekarareport.com/services
• Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/thekarareport

Have you been looking to use AI in a more authentic way? Or maybe you're just wondering, how do I get the outputs closer to a final version when I use AI? If you're still doing a ton of editing with what Chat GPT spits out, you are going to love today's guest. I brought on Kinsey of Feel Good Social and Authentic AI to share how to make AI sound like you (and she shares a LOT more to be honest).  

🎙️ In This Episode:

• How to train AI tools to reflect your brand’s voice and personality
• Tips for using AI while remaining authentic in content creation
• Practical strategies to integrate AI into your business workflow
• Common mistakes people make when using AI and how to avoid them
• Why it's important for women and underrepresented groups to embrace AI

Links Mentioned: 

• Read the full shownotes: https://thekarareport.com/42 (all the links are laid out here!)
• Head to DIYwith.ai to Check Out Her AI-Powered Reels Course and Brand Blueprint: https://authenticaiforentrepreneurs.com/
• Follow Kinsey on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authenticaiforentrepreneurs
• Learn more about working with our marketing agency here: https://thekarareport.com/services
• Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/thekarareport

Today's topic is one I’m genuinely excited about. We’re diving deep into the do's and don'ts of using AI, AI Tips for Small Businesses, specifically tailored to how I personally use it in my workflow. This episode was actually requested by a listener, which is always my favorite kind of content to create!

I won’t be covering the basics like "give your AI a role" or "don’t copy and paste responses" – you can find that with a quick Google search. Instead, I’m taking you beyond the basics to explore the more advanced ways I integrate AI into my daily tasks, from uploading documents, SEO, writing blog posts, to podcast content. 

🎙️ In This Episode:

• What you should (and should not) upload to get better results
• How to use AI for SEO and keyword research (with a big caveat)
• Prompts and tips for adding AI to your blogging or podcast workflow
• Do you need to tell clients you're using AI?

Links Mentioned: 

• Read the full shownotes: https://thekarareport.com/41
• Listen to Lauren's episode all about AI: https://thekarareport.com/30
• Hire us to write SEO-driven blog posts for you: https://thekarareport.com/blogging
• Join Blogging for Bingeable Brands (Use Code PODCAST20 for 20% Off!): https://thekarareport.com/bbb
• Learn more about working with our marketing agency here: https://thekarareport.com/services 
• Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/thekarareport