The Kenza Pod

In this edition of So Ya Wanna Be A... we sit down with Liz Ryan of Wildflower Landscape Design. Liz, Tiff, and Beth sat down to have a fun and candid convo about how Liz got her start as a business owner, what it takes to be a self-employed landscape designer (awesome news: the barrier to entry is low, and the work is rewarding), how she juggles being a mom of two young kids, and how the pandemic has impacted Liz’s business and parenting. We also discuss the practical side of being a solopreneur—like how to get paid, why you should approach each proposal with the attention it deserves, and more. Enjoy!

Links:

• Liz’s business, Wildflower Landscape Design
• Houzz, an awesome resource for home design professionals
• More SYWBA episodes
• How to Get Paid episode on the Kenza Pod
• How to get started as a freelancing parent

Your Profit and Loss Statement (P&L) can be intimidating, but you’ll be fully equipped to analyze and leverage data from this crucial report like a pro after this episode.

Kenza CFO Beth Gummere walks us through how to read your P&L, how to understand and categorize different expenses, how to determine your gross and net profits, and how to use these nuggets of information to expand your business and focus on growth. 

Pro tip: go pull your P&L Statement now so that you can follow along as Beth guides us through how to read and use this invaluable info!

Links & Resources Mentioned in this episode: 

• Get your FREE Cash Flow Projection Tool + Instructions on how to use it
• One on One mentoring with Tiff and Beth
• Learn more about Kenza’s new matchmaking program and the members-only Slack
• More episodes on financial wellness

In this episode, you’ll learn the top 5 skills you need to master in order to become your own CFO:

1. Why, how, and how often you should be looking at your Profit and Loss statement
2. How to interpret your Balance Sheet & take meaningful action based on what you learn 
3. How to create a simple business budget
4. How to manage your cash flow
5. How and why to put accounting controls in place

Plus, we are sharing a FREE cash management tool that you can download right here!

If you’ve been avoiding your financial reports because you either don’t know what to do with the info, don’t understand what you’re looking at or why it matters, or are just plain intimidated by business finances (we’ve all been there!), this is the episode for you!

Links & Resources Mentioned in this episode: 

• Get your FREE Cash Flow Projection Tool + video instructions on how to use it!
• One on One mentoring with Tiff and Beth
• Learn more about Kenza’s new matchmaking program and the members-only Slack
• More episodes on financial wellness

We put Kenza CFO and Veteran Bookkeeper, Beth Gummere, on the other side of the interview table to learn all about her path to becoming a successful  (and high-earning) bookkeeper and business owner. She gives us practical advice on how to become a bookkeeper, the education you’ll need, and best practices for anyone in the field. 

If you have ever considered accounting as a freelance career, be prepared to take notes from Kenza’s own finance guru, and don’t hesitate to reach out to Beth for one-on-one, personalized mentoring.

Links & Resources Mentioned in this episode: 

• You Can Do This, a $29 course to help you launch your freelancing career
• One on One mentoring with Tiff and Beth
• Want to learn more about Kenza’s new matchmaking program and the members-only Slack? Send Tiffany an email at tiffany at kenzacollective.com!
• More episodes on financial wellness

On this episode of The Kenza Pod, we sat down with Annie Hillman of Atlas Bookkeeping to discuss why it’s vital to know your books, inside and out. You’ll get a good idea of what it’s like to work with a bookkeeper, why profits matter more than sales, how to get started learning the basics of bookkeeping on your own, and how to conquer your fears and vulnerability around this topic. Plus, we equip you with practical next steps so that you can get started on this today!

Knowing your numbers is empowering, and can enable you to make a much bigger impact with your work. You might surprise yourself with how much you actually like it!

About Our Guest

Annie Hillman is a professional bookkeeper who helps entrepreneurs and small business owners take control of their finances so they can gain clarity, increase profits, and spend time where it matters to them.

Links & Resources Mentioned in this episode: 

• Annie's Instagram
• Xero for bookkeeping
• Why you need to separate personal and business finances
• Why a cash reserve is an absolute must
• More episodes on finances and accounting
• Interested in Kenza's new matchmaking program? Send us a note!

Whether you’re presenting a proposal, showcasing your project progress, or leading a meeting, learning how to confidently present and effectively communicate your ideas is a must-have skill as a freelancer. 

Tiffany and Beth sat down with communications and public speaking guru, Professor Chase Andre, to teach you valuable pro-tips that you can put into practice right away, and learn about some exercises you can do to immediately sharpen your public speaking. Plus, we discuss how to captivate an audience with your virtual presentations!

In this episode, we cover:

• Pro tips for presenting and selling your project proposals
  • Know your audience
  • Know your value
  • Know the problem you’re solving, and how you will slay the client’s proverbial dragon
• How and why humor can be useful when presenting
• Embracing public speaking jitters, and practical tips for overcoming nervousness
  • Preparation is key
  • What NOT to do when your mind goes blank during a presentation
• Why you should write a script, practice it, then throw it away
• Tactics for addressing awkwardness
  • Why conflict is an opportunity, and how you can make space for others to offer their interpretation of a problem
  • Using “I” statements
• Practical ways to hone your skills
  • Record yourself giving your presentation, watch it, and invite others to watch as well
• Three key ways to be a better virtual presenter

Click Here for Full Show Notes and Helpful Links

About Our Guest

Chase Andre is a Communications professor, empowerer of entrepreneurs, and father of two. He leads a number of seminars and courses on employing communication strategies in professional and personal relationships, for marketing campaigns, and even offers one-on-one coaching. This episode is chock full of tips and tricks you can use right now to become a better communicator & presenter, so get ready to take some notes!

Project beginnings and endings have one major thing in common: they are the crucial bookends to your success on each project, and can make or break your experience with a client. In Part III of our Proposal to Paycheck series, Tiffany outlines how and when you should wrap up a project in a meaningful way for your client, and why this is an absolute must for every gig you book. You’ll also learn how to tactfully pitch that same client on future business, so that you can continue to foster a good long-term client.

Be sure to subscribe to the Kenza Pod for more pro tips and strategies for freelancing parents, and join us next week when we talk to expert Chase Andre on client communications strategies you can implement right away. Thanks for listening, and feel free to let us know which freelancing topics you want to learn more about at [email protected].

In this episode, we cover:

• Why you should begin project wrap up 2-3 weeks before a project’s end
• Which deliverables to include for your client
• How to delight your client with a project summary and show of gratitude
• Looking for future opportunities with clients you love to work with, and when to pitch them on future business

For full show notes click here

Stay in Touch with us!

• Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kenzacollective
• Follow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/kenzacollective
• Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://www.kenzacollective.com/newsletter-signup
• Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy8FEO3DRAPfnCRI3Qrv-iw
• More resources to help you on your journey: https://www.kenzacollective.com/learn
• Browse & search our podcast: https://www.kenzacollective.com/podcast
• Get in touch: [email protected]

In Part II of our Proposal to Paycheck series, Tiffany distills years of project and client management expertise into her “Like, Know, Trust” relationship management method, and tells us why you should be applying it to your client relationships today. These pro tips rely on using emotional intelligence to deepen your relationships in a way that not only makes you a better, sharper freelancer, but can also lead to more business and projects down the road. Tune in and learn yet another way you can stand out from the crowd in the freelancing world and be even more stellar at what you do.

Be sure to subscribe to the Kenza Pod for the upcoming Part III in the Proposal to Paycheck series, where we cover how and when to wrap projects, and how you can identify opportunities to pitch the next project to your clients. Thanks for listening, and feel free to let us know which freelancing topics you want to learn more about at [email protected].

In this episode, we cover:

• How and why you should connect with your clients on a deeper level, and how this leads to increased business and referrals
• How to get your client to LIKE you: Tips on ways you can make yourself more appealing without being ingratiating.
• How to better KNOW your client, and let them know you: What it means to set boundaries and expectations for working together, and why this framework is valuable.
• What TRUST looks like in a client relationship: The value of being trusted by a client and the benefit of positioning yourself as the trusted expert on a project.

Click here for full show notes

Stay in Touch with us!

• Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kenzacollective
• Follow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/kenzacollective
• Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://www.kenzacollective.com/newsletter-signup
• Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy8FEO3DRAPfnCRI3Qrv-iw
• More resources to help you on your journey: https://www.kenzacollective.com/learn
• Browse & search our podcast: https://www.kenzacollective.com/podcast
• Get in touch: [email protected]

In this info-packed episode, Tiff guides you through a tried-and-true process that will not only help you lead your first call with a prospective client, but will also teach you how to use that Discovery Call to write a sharp, solid proposal. We’ve even created a FREE proposal writing template you can download here, so you can kick off your next new client call with even more confidence.

For the month of March, we’ll be diving into all things client management, including how to project manage and set expectations, what to do when a project gets off track, how to use emotional intelligence to create an excellent client experience, ways to pitch new projects to existing clients that you love working with, and so much more!

Sign up to get the latest podcast right in your inbox or subscribe to The Kenza Pod so that you never miss an episode! 

Here is what you’ll find in this episode:

• The importance of the Discovery Call, and how to use this call to determine if this client is a good fit
• A step-by-step process for using the Discovery Call to craft a watertight proposal
• A deep dive into the eight sections Tiffany includes in proposals, as well as which questions to ask your client to fill in each section
• The answers to these FAQs:
  • What if there are too many unknowns in a project and I’m feeling nervous about how to scope it out properly?
  • What if the project timeline is unreasonable?
  • How do I present a scope of work?
  • If the scope is unclear, how do I figure out the price of the project?

Click here for full show notes

Stay in Touch with us!

• Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kenzacollective
• Follow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/kenzacollective
• Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://www.kenzacollective.com/newsletter-signup
• Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy8FEO3DRAPfnCRI3Qrv-iw
• More resources to help you on your journey: https://www.kenzacollective.com/learn
• Browse & search our podcast: https://www.kenzacollective.com/podcast
• Get in touch: [email protected]

This episode of the Kenza Pod is near to our hearts, as the story of teacher-turned-freelancer Micala Quinn parallels that of Tiffany’s; they both had great jobs, but after having babies, realized that working for The Man just wouldn’t cut it for their families. The inflexibility of a traditional full time job wasn’t allowing them to be the kind of partners and parents they truly wanted to be.

We sit down with Micala and learn how she navigated the transition from school teacher to running a successful business schooling other moms on how to be lucrative freelancers. She shares the Kenza ethos that parents possess all the skills necessary to create independent employment, be more fulfilled, and lead the kind of life they want for themselves and their families. We are so excited for you to hear Micala’s story and get just as inspired as we did!

Click Here for Full Show Notes

Here’s what you can expect from this episode with Micala Quinn:

• How Micala decided it was time to take the leap from school teacher to freelancing as a busy mom
• Why having her dream job stopped being so dreamy and the steps she took to be able to hand in her notice
• Micala’s scrappy start to freelancing and all of the hard lessons she learned along the way
• The 5-step skills assessment you can do today to kick off your freelancing journey
• Inspiration!