The Kim Doyal Show

I'm going to let you in on a personal little secret of mine... something I've discovered about myself in the last 12 months.

It's what tells me that I'm onto something really good and I should pursue it.

Ready?

It's when the idea or thing that I'm feeling inspired to do, create or pursue makes me feel like a kid on Christmas morning!!!

That ridiculous, unfiltered, pure excitement that you just can't contain and feel like you're ready to bounce out of your own skin (if only we all had Tigger's skills...I would be a bouncin' fool!).

The more 'work' I've done on myself the last few years the more I realized that in order to grow and move forward in my personal life and business life (although for me I don't know how much of a division there is) that I needed to allow myself to really FEEL what I was feeling. That meant that when something didn't go as I had hoped that it was o.k. to be disappointed. It was o.k. to say "that sucked" and to take some time for myself to get out of my head. When I allow myself to acknowledge this I usually move more quickly through whatever funk I'm in or feeling.

Here's the kicker.

The same is true when GOOD things happen!

It's SOOOOO vitally important to celebrate the wins. Honestly and purely. And nothing feels quite as sweet as when I simply feel the joy and excitement about the wonderful things that show up in my life.

Like a little kid on Christmas morning.

Yep, that happy.

Which brings me to my interview with the brilliant Victoria Prozan.

I was introduced to Victoria via @andyghayes after I interviewed him for the podcast and he mentioned that he had hired someone to help him with the naming of another business/website of his. Andy sent an email introduction but of course as soon as our interview was over I went over to her site and was HOOKED instantly!

I went through her bio, her testimonials, all of her site and followed up to the introduction from Andy immediately. As soon as I got off the phone with her (just a quick call to clarify a couple things) I signed up for her Superluxe Naming Experience right away (keep in mind I did that a few days before a trip to Scotland thinking I would do the homework on the plane ,which I didn't... ;-)  And just as an FYI, she's making some changes to what she offers and doesn't have the Superluxe Naming experience up on her site right now, but you can sign up for her 'Creative Ambrosia').

I absolutely LOVED the process that Victoria used for our session together too! It was such a testament to having an online business, doing what you love and working with the right people.

Once I signed up for the Superluxe Naming Experience I was sent a PDF (35+ Pages), 6 audios and a shared Google doc where I needed to put the answers to my exercises (from the PDF & audios) and then we would have on 90 minute session where she would help me name what I wanted to name (which ended up being for the new brand & site, KimDoyal.com).

OMG!

SO FRIGGIN FUN!!! 

The exercises were definitely work, but for anyone who has a creative bent it was more fun than anything else.  It was really more about giving myself permission to take the time for myself to do the exercises so I could start off the new site and brand exactly as I wanted- with absolute clarity & alignment.

O.K., enough rambling on my part!

Listen to the interview and be sure to check out Victoria Prozan... she's amazingly talented, super fun and just brilliant at what she does.

Links from this episode

Victoria Prozan

I'm going to let you in on a personal little secret of mine... something I've discovered about myself in the last 12 months.

It's what tells me that I'm onto something really good and I should pursue it.

Ready?

It's when the idea or thing that I'm feeling inspired to do, create or pursue makes me feel like a kid on Christmas morning!!!

That ridiculous, unfiltered, pure excitement that you just can't contain and feel like you're ready to bounce out of your own skin (if only we all had Tigger's skills...I would be a bouncin' fool!).

The more 'work' I've done on myself the last few years the more I realized that in order to grow and move forward in my personal life and business life (although for me I don't know how much of a division there is) that I needed to allow myself to really FEEL what I was feeling. That meant that when something didn't go as I had hoped that it was o.k. to be disappointed. It was o.k. to say "that sucked" and to take some time for myself to get out of my head. When I allow myself to acknowledge this I usually move more quickly through whatever funk I'm in or feeling.

Here's the kicker.

The same is true when GOOD things happen!

It's SOOOOO vitally important to celebrate the wins. Honestly and purely. And nothing feels quite as sweet as when I simply feel the joy and excitement about the wonderful things that show up in my life.

Like a little kid on Christmas morning.

Yep, that happy.

Which brings me to my interview with the brilliant Victoria Prozan.

I was introduced to Victoria via @andyghayes after I interviewed him for the podcast and he mentioned that he had hired someone to help him with the naming of another business/website of his. Andy sent an email introduction but of course as soon as our interview was over I went over to her site and was HOOKED instantly!

I went through her bio, her testimonials, all of her site and followed up to the introduction from Andy immediately. As soon as I got off the phone with her (just a quick call to clarify a couple things) I signed up for her Superluxe Naming Experience right away (keep in mind I did that a few days before a trip to Scotland thinking I would do the homework on the plane ,which I didn't... ;-) And just as an FYI, she's making some changes to what she offers and doesn't have the Superluxe Naming experience up on her site right now, but you can sign up for her 'Creative Ambrosia').

I absolutely LOVED the process that Victoria used for our session together too! It was such a testament to having an online business, doing what you love and working with the right people.

Once I signed up for the Superluxe Naming Experience I was sent a PDF (35+ Pages), 6 audios and a shared Google doc where I needed to put the answers to my exercises (from the PDF & audios) and then we would have on 90 minute session where she would help me name what I wanted to name (which ended up being for the new brand & site, KimDoyal.com).

OMG!

SO FRIGGIN FUN!!!

The exercises were definitely work, but for anyone who has a creative bent it was more fun than anything else. It was really more about giving myself permission to take the time for myself to do the exercises so I could start off the new site and brand exactly as I wanted- with absolute clarity & alignment.

O.K., enough rambling on my part!

Listen to the interview and be sure to check out Victoria Prozan... she's amazingly talented, super fun and just brilliant at what she does.

Links from this episode

Victoria Prozan

What an amazing year.

Truly. I knew I was going to end the year with a year in review post and podcast, but when I really started thinking about this year it kind of took my breath away. Both in my business and personal life, although the personal changes are really internal and probably not something most people on the outside looking in would be aware of. I absolutely LOVE reading other people's year in review posts, hearing what worked and what DIDN'T work (not everyone is comfortable being that transparent, but for me it's the only way now) and seeing what plans (if any yet) they have in store for 2014. I've already started planning for 2014 and will hitting the road running in January (more on that in a minute) but it's unlike any other planning I've ever done. *On a side note: I have to tell you that when I was looking for an image for this post I wanted to find an image that not only showed what was in the rear view mirror (o.k., so it's a sideview mirror in this picture, but you get the point. It still shows what is 'behind') but the current location as well. As in the present moment (you thought I was going to say looking ahead, huh?). Because that's one thing that has shifted for me this year, in a BIG way. Really learning to be present. Focusing on the here and now, not what I should / could be doing, where I'm going OR expending energy on the past (when it doesn't serve me). It's honestly changed my life. Enough of that, let's get onto the Review I wish I could tell you that this was going to be a chronological review in terms of what occurred month by month, but that's just not how I roll (you probabaly knew that already, right?). I'll do my best to keep it somewhat organized and clear, just bear with me.

My Business

I launched the Podcast

Without a doubt I can tell you that launching the podcast was the BEST thing I did for my business in 2013. And easily the most FUN (if youve never watched my Manifesto, then check it out here… one of my commitments to myself was that if its Not Fun Im Not Doing It. So the podcast blew me away on ALL fronts). I truly had no idea how much I would enjoy recording the podcast, writing the show notes and getting my message out to the world. The relationships that have come from the podcast via interviews and sharing of the podcast have not only opened doors for me but have simply enriched my life in ways I couldnt imagine. The importance of building relationships in business is something you hear over and over again but until you put some serious effort into it you cant quite imagine the impact it will have on things long term and how grateful youll be for the people that show up. In large part because of everything that has occurred through the podcast Ive decided Im going to launch another podcast with my new brand (KimDoyal.com, coming VERY soon) and teaching a podcasting course unlike anything else out there. More on that soon too. Podcasting is hardly new, but its still a GREAT time to get in and get started. To me its still a bit like the wild wild west and everyone has the opportunity to stake their claim.

Coaching

This is something I sort of fell into for lack of a better description, but its also taken things to a whole new level for me. Coaching is something I wanted to do but really wasnt sure how I wanted to do it, how I would offer it and what I would charge. Fortunately for me I didnt have to think too hard about this because someone emailed me asking if I did coaching?! Whaaaat? (See what happens when you start getting clear on what you want?) A subscriber of mine emailed me and asked if I did coaching so we set up a Skype call and talked about what she was looking for. Prior to our call she had sent me her site and some notes and I had an idea as to what I wanted to offer going into the call. The rest as they say is history.

What an amazing year.

Truly. I knew I was going to end the year with a year in review post and podcast, but when I really started thinking about this year it kind of took my breath away. Both in my business and personal life, although the personal changes are really internal and probably not something most people on the outside looking in would be aware of. I absolutely LOVE reading other people's year in review posts, hearing what worked and what DIDN'T work (not everyone is comfortable being that transparent, but for me it's the only way now) and seeing what plans (if any yet) they have in store for 2014. I've already started planning for 2014 and will hitting the road running in January (more on that in a minute) but it's unlike any other planning I've ever done. *On a side note: I have to tell you that when I was looking for an image for this post I wanted to find an image that not only showed what was in the rear view mirror (o.k., so it's a sideview mirror in this picture, but you get the point. It still shows what is 'behind') but the current location as well. As in the present moment (you thought I was going to say looking ahead, huh?). Because that's one thing that has shifted for me this year, in a BIG way. Really learning to be present. Focusing on the here and now, not what I should / could be doing, where I'm going OR expending energy on the past (when it doesn't serve me). It's honestly changed my life. Enough of that, let's get onto the Review I wish I could tell you that this was going to be a chronological review in terms of what occurred month by month, but that's just not how I roll (you probabaly knew that already, right?). I'll do my best to keep it somewhat organized and clear, just bear with me.

My Business

I launched the Podcast

Without a doubt I can tell you that launching the podcast was the BEST thing I did for my business in 2013. And easily the most FUN (if youve never watched my Manifesto, then check it out here… one of my commitments to myself was that if its Not Fun Im Not Doing It. So the podcast blew me away on ALL fronts). I truly had no idea how much I would enjoy recording the podcast, writing the show notes and getting my message out to the world. The relationships that have come from the podcast via interviews and sharing of the podcast have not only opened doors for me but have simply enriched my life in ways I couldnt imagine. The importance of building relationships in business is something you hear over and over again but until you put some serious effort into it you cant quite imagine the impact it will have on things long term and how grateful youll be for the people that show up. In large part because of everything that has occurred through the podcast Ive decided Im going to launch another podcast with my new brand (KimDoyal.com, coming VERY soon) and teaching a podcasting course unlike anything else out there. More on that soon too. Podcasting is hardly new, but its still a GREAT time to get in and get started. To me its still a bit like the wild wild west and everyone has the opportunity to stake their claim.

Coaching

This is something I sort of fell into for lack of a better description, but its also taken things to a whole new level for me. Coaching is something I wanted to do but really wasnt sure how I wanted to do it, how I would offer it and what I would charge. Fortunately for me I didnt have to think too hard about this because someone emailed me asking if I did coaching?! Whaaaat? (See what happens when you start getting clear on what you want?) A subscriber of mine emailed me and asked if I did coaching so we set up a Skype call and talked about what she was looking for. Prior to our call she had sent me her site and some notes and I had an idea as to what I wanted to offer going into the call. The rest as they say is history.

Anyone who has been following me for any length of time knows that I love finding new tools, plugins, resources, software... whatever... to try and test out. If it can add value to my audience without creating a boat load more work for me, I'm all in.

That's what Interact is all about.

Easiest Quiz Builder Ever.

Josh Haynam of Interact got in touch with me to let me know what they were up to and I instantly fell in love with the product! Because I focus on what makes WordPress easier for the everyday user I knew this would be something my audience needed. I say needed because I've had multiple clients who have wanted to create a quiz for their opt-in offer or use it as a lead generation tool to engage with their audience but the thought of using a form builder to do this seemed to stress them out a bit and just about every time they ended up changing their opt-in offer to something that was a downloadable product as opposed to an interactive quiz.

Which is a bummer.

Because a quiz gets your audience to engage.

It's fun.

It's a relationship builder.

One of my favorite questions when I interview guests for the podcast is hearing their story of how they got to where they are and Josh, like many of my guests, got started with site design for clients. Working with clients, even if that's not your ultimate goal, is a great way to determine what your market needs.

Which is how Interact came about.

After receiving requests for a quiz feature, time and time again from their clients, they decided to develop their own solution to solve the problem. Nothing like a hands-on approach to real time market research, huh?

I also asked Josh what makes Interact different from WordPress form builders (I know you were wondering that too). You'll have to listen to the interview to get his answer, but I think after you watch the video you'll come to your own conclusion.

One of them anyways.

Which is that it truly is the Easiest Quiz Builder!

You can create your first quiz for free too (smart guys... once you give it a go you're going to be hooked!).

While you're listening to the podcast, take my uber-ridiculous "What's Your WordPress Personality" quiz & let me know what you think! The video below the quiz will show you exactly how I created it and give you a look behind the scenes of creating a quiz with Interact. I'm going to be doing some more testing with Interact (using the integration with Facebook to test using a quiz for lead generation and engagement) and will let you know how that goes.

Be sure to cruise over to Interact and build your first quiz! You can create your own quiz or use one of their built-in templates (fabulous feature!). Be sure to let them know if there are additional features that you'd like to see added to Interact, they're working hard to make this the ultimate quiz building tool and the more feedback they receive the easier it will be to determine which features their users want.

 

Powered by Interact

In the video below I show you how EASY it is to create a quiz with Interact!

Enjoy the podcast, quiz and video and be sure to send me a link to your quiz when you set it up.

[leadplayer_vid id="52AF5D64D54CB"]

Links from this episode

Interact

Anyone who has been following me for any length of time knows that I love finding new tools, plugins, resources, software... whatever... to try and test out. If it can add value to my audience without creating a boat load more work for me, I'm all in.

That's what Interact is all about.

Easiest Quiz Builder Ever.

Josh Haynam of Interact got in touch with me to let me know what they were up to and I instantly fell in love with the product! Because I focus on what makes WordPress easier for the everyday user I knew this would be something my audience needed. I say needed because I've had multiple clients who have wanted to create a quiz for their opt-in offer or use it as a lead generation tool to engage with their audience but the thought of using a form builder to do this seemed to stress them out a bit and just about every time they ended up changing their opt-in offer to something that was a downloadable product as opposed to an interactive quiz.

Which is a bummer.

Because a quiz gets your audience to engage.

It's fun.

It's a relationship builder.

One of my favorite questions when I interview guests for the podcast is hearing their story of how they got to where they are and Josh, like many of my guests, got started with site design for clients. Working with clients, even if that's not your ultimate goal, is a great way to determine what your market needs.

Which is how Interact came about.

After receiving requests for a quiz feature, time and time again from their clients, they decided to develop their own solution to solve the problem. Nothing like a hands-on approach to real time market research, huh?

I also asked Josh what makes Interact different from WordPress form builders (I know you were wondering that too). You'll have to listen to the interview to get his answer, but I think after you watch the video you'll come to your own conclusion.

One of them anyways.

Which is that it truly is the Easiest Quiz Builder!

You can create your first quiz for free too (smart guys... once you give it a go you're going to be hooked!).

While you're listening to the podcast, take my uber-ridiculous "What's Your WordPress Personality" quiz & let me know what you think! The video below the quiz will show you exactly how I created it and give you a look behind the scenes of creating a quiz with Interact. I'm going to be doing some more testing with Interact (using the integration with Facebook to test using a quiz for lead generation and engagement) and will let you know how that goes.

Be sure to cruise over to Interact and build your first quiz! You can create your own quiz or use one of their built-in templates (fabulous feature!). Be sure to let them know if there are additional features that you'd like to see added to Interact, they're working hard to make this the ultimate quiz building tool and the more feedback they receive the easier it will be to determine which features their users want.

Powered by Interact

In the video below I show you how EASY it is to create a quiz with Interact!

Enjoy the podcast, quiz and video and be sure to send me a link to your quiz when you set it up.

[leadplayer_vid id="52AF5D64D54CB"]

Links from this episode

Interact

I absolutely love the way this interview came about, so of course I have to share it with you before we get into the meat of the interview. You may or may not have noticed that I've been working on stepping up my engagement on social media this past year. I wish I could tell you I was stellar at it now or had a really structured and consistent way of showing up, but I'm not quite there yet. Getting better, so I'll leave it at that.

I think I connected with Ray on Twitter because I followed him from one of those Twitter emails that suggests other followers for you. For the most part, I'll look at someone's Twitter bio then click through if it looks like a relevant connection and then visit their site before I follow them (I'm sure I followed way too many spammers before implementing this process). Needless to say when I went to Ray's site "The Podcaster's Studio" I was sold, and not just because he's using Genesis (because that would just be silly), but because it was clean, easy to navigate and most importantly, had a TON of great content and podcasting tips!

Ray's background and how he ended up at The Podcaster's Studio is amazing (I think this might be one of my favorite parts of the interviews... hearing the story that brought people to where they are today). From an aspiring Disney employee to Law Enforcement to getting a Master's degree in Sociology... Ray's story is inspiring to say the least.

One of his first podcasts was a podcast on "How to Pick Produce"... literally, it was called "Produce Picker Podcast" and it was on how to choose and buy produce. And if this isn't an example of how you can podcast about anything, I don't know what is. And that's not a dig at the Produce Picker Podcast, because Ray had some real life experience and market research that inspired him to create the "Produce Picker Podcast".

Oh. And it also landed him on "Emeril" (as in Emeril Lagasse).

Not too shabby, eh?

We also talked about making money with podcasting (which I'm sure is something many people are curious about). One of my favorite quotes from Ray and this interview was:

"If you're getting into podcasting for the money, try something else".

Before you get discouraged, make sure you listen to all of this interview. Because you CAN make money with your podcast, it just may not be as direct and obvious as you think. The benefits of podcasting and what it does for your brand and business are not as easily measured as simple analytics or income.

Eventually Ray ended up with his current job, which allows him to podcast full time, from home ( a dream job as he says). Of course there's a fantastic story behind how he got the job... it was a connection at a podcamp and a few interruptions on Ray's part that landed him his dream gig.

Consulting too?

Sometimes. And if he has the time.

And that came from giving a talk and someone asking. Pretty simple, but another testament to finding something you love, sticking with it and letting it evolve organically.

Getting started Podcasting

I was THRILLED when Ray shared one of his favorite new mics (which is affordable for EVERYONE), why he likes it and where you can get it.

I don't want to give away the entire interview in the post, because it's great and Ray has SO much knowledge and I know you'll enjoy listening. If you're even remotely interested in podcasting be sure to subscribe to Ray's site, connect with him on Twitter (as he says, he "loves the twitter") and subscribe to his podcasts in iTunes.

Links from this episode

The Podcaster's Studio (website)

Ray's Gear Page (where he shares the mic he mentioned in the show)

Ray on Twitter

Produce Picker Podcast

The Podcasters Studio (podcast)

Podcast Quick Tips (podcast)

Podcasters Round Table (podcast)

I absolutely love the way this interview came about, so of course I have to share it with you before we get into the meat of the interview. You may or may not have noticed that I've been working on stepping up my engagement on social media this past year. I wish I could tell you I was stellar at it now or had a really structured and consistent way of showing up, but I'm not quite there yet. Getting better, so I'll leave it at that.

I think I connected with Ray on Twitter because I followed him from one of those Twitter emails that suggests other followers for you. For the most part, I'll look at someone's Twitter bio then click through if it looks like a relevant connection and then visit their site before I follow them (I'm sure I followed way too many spammers before implementing this process). Needless to say when I went to Ray's site "The Podcaster's Studio" I was sold, and not just because he's using Genesis (because that would just be silly), but because it was clean, easy to navigate and most importantly, had a TON of great content and podcasting tips!

Ray's background and how he ended up at The Podcaster's Studio is amazing (I think this might be one of my favorite parts of the interviews... hearing the story that brought people to where they are today). From an aspiring Disney employee to Law Enforcement to getting a Master's degree in Sociology... Ray's story is inspiring to say the least.

One of his first podcasts was a podcast on "How to Pick Produce"... literally, it was called "Produce Picker Podcast" and it was on how to choose and buy produce. And if this isn't an example of how you can podcast about anything, I don't know what is. And that's not a dig at the Produce Picker Podcast, because Ray had some real life experience and market research that inspired him to create the "Produce Picker Podcast".

Oh. And it also landed him on "Emeril" (as in Emeril Lagasse).

Not too shabby, eh?

We also talked about making money with podcasting (which I'm sure is something many people are curious about). One of my favorite quotes from Ray and this interview was:

"If you're getting into podcasting for the money, try something else".

Before you get discouraged, make sure you listen to all of this interview. Because you CAN make money with your podcast, it just may not be as direct and obvious as you think. The benefits of podcasting and what it does for your brand and business are not as easily measured as simple analytics or income.

Eventually Ray ended up with his current job, which allows him to podcast full time, from home ( a dream job as he says). Of course there's a fantastic story behind how he got the job... it was a connection at a podcamp and a few interruptions on Ray's part that landed him his dream gig.

Consulting too?

Sometimes. And if he has the time.

And that came from giving a talk and someone asking. Pretty simple, but another testament to finding something you love, sticking with it and letting it evolve organically.

Getting started Podcasting

I was THRILLED when Ray shared one of his favorite new mics (which is affordable for EVERYONE), why he likes it and where you can get it.

I don't want to give away the entire interview in the post, because it's great and Ray has SO much knowledge and I know you'll enjoy listening. If you're even remotely interested in podcasting be sure to subscribe to Ray's site, connect with him on Twitter (as he says, he "loves the twitter") and subscribe to his podcasts in iTunes.

Links from this episode

The Podcaster's Studio (website)

Ray's Gear Page (where he shares the mic he mentioned in the show)

Ray on Twitter

Produce Picker Podcast

The Podcasters Studio (podcast)

Podcast Quick Tips (podcast)

Podcasters Round Table (podcast)

Where the bucket has 2013 gone?!

Seriously. I swear I say that every year..."where has the year gone"... and this year is no different. It felt like it was just 90 degrees yesterday and I was hanging out by the pool (o.k., so it was 90 degrees a month ago maybe, but still). For whatever reason I have had the hardest time getting back into the swing of things since our trip to Scotland (we've been home over a month now and I keep thinking I'm just going to wake up with a "ta-da" feeling... but no. Not happenin). I didn't completely put business on hold while I was gone but I feel like I've been in catch up mode for a while. The truth is my business is simply growing. So naturally it makes sense to start something new, right? (just the way I roll... what can I say?)

Which is where my 'Secret Project' comes in.

Based on the image in this post - it's probably not much of a secret, is it?

I'm officially launching KimDoyal.com.

You may (or may not) have read the post back in February of this year when I contemplated moving away from The WordPress Chick. I had an experience with someone I referred to as a 'fizzy douche' because, well... because he was. You can read the post here to find out why said individual earned this 'oh so lovely' title (it was definitely earned). It was more than just this one incident that made me consider giving up "The WordPress Chick".

Long and short of it, I was tired.

I had created a perception of how things needed to be on this site and was worried that if I changed things up at all I'd lose a bunch of readers and subscribers. Of course as life tends to teach me over and over again, my perceptions aren't always reality. I received lots of love and "NO! Don't leave The WordPress Chick!", which made me feel wonderful, truly. But I still knew I needed to mix things up a bit.

With the launch of my podcast and the content that as gone along with it you can probably tell I've been sharing a lot more than just WordPress news or Genesis news. There are so many other parts to my business that I enjoy that I knew I needed to branch out and bring more into this site and what I do. I've been bringing in more of my personal journey (as it relates to my business) and have to say that the response has been overwhelmingly positive.

But...

Something was still missing.

Time for a new platform.

Enter KimDoyal.com.

There are a lot of reasons behind the launch of this site, one of which is something I've started this year, almost accidentally (accidentally in that someone emailed me to ask if this was a service I provided).

And that is coaching.

Something that I absolutely LOVE!

I've done some tests running coaching off of this site and will probably do more of it in the first of the year, but the choice to run coaching and different products and services through KimDoyal.com is because it's much less restrictive. There won't be an expectation that everything I do on that site be tied to WordPress (even though in some round about way it may be... you just never know).

I am SOOOO TOTALLY Excited about this.

I feel like a little kid on Christmas morning.

You'll see more of my quirky sense of humor, no-nonsense approach and desire to live life on my terms on KimDoyal.com. And of course that means another podcast (have I told you how much I love podcasting?).

While I finish up the branding elements and site design you can sign up to get notified when the site launches and my official 'Launch Party' (not exactly sure what that will look like, but it will be fun!).

A New Plugin

Nothing beats creating something because you need it, huh?

That's where my ideas come from when it comes to plugins (the whole 'few' I've had created). I've been doing a lot of digging into e-Commerce and WordPress and what the best options are based on the customer experience and what is being sold. I went into more detail in my post titles 'Selling With Genesis',

Where the bucket has 2013 gone?!

Seriously. I swear I say that every year..."where has the year gone"... and this year is no different. It felt like it was just 90 degrees yesterday and I was hanging out by the pool (o.k., so it was 90 degrees a month ago maybe, but still). For whatever reason I have had the hardest time getting back into the swing of things since our trip to Scotland (we've been home over a month now and I keep thinking I'm just going to wake up with a "ta-da" feeling... but no. Not happenin). I didn't completely put business on hold while I was gone but I feel like I've been in catch up mode for a while. The truth is my business is simply growing. So naturally it makes sense to start something new, right? (just the way I roll... what can I say?)

Which is where my 'Secret Project' comes in.

Based on the image in this post - it's probably not much of a secret, is it?

I'm officially launching KimDoyal.com.

You may (or may not) have read the post back in February of this year when I contemplated moving away from The WordPress Chick. I had an experience with someone I referred to as a 'fizzy douche' because, well... because he was. You can read the post here to find out why said individual earned this 'oh so lovely' title (it was definitely earned). It was more than just this one incident that made me consider giving up "The WordPress Chick".

Long and short of it, I was tired.

I had created a perception of how things needed to be on this site and was worried that if I changed things up at all I'd lose a bunch of readers and subscribers. Of course as life tends to teach me over and over again, my perceptions aren't always reality. I received lots of love and "NO! Don't leave The WordPress Chick!", which made me feel wonderful, truly. But I still knew I needed to mix things up a bit.

With the launch of my podcast and the content that as gone along with it you can probably tell I've been sharing a lot more than just WordPress news or Genesis news. There are so many other parts to my business that I enjoy that I knew I needed to branch out and bring more into this site and what I do. I've been bringing in more of my personal journey (as it relates to my business) and have to say that the response has been overwhelmingly positive.

But...

Something was still missing.

Time for a new platform.

Enter KimDoyal.com.

There are a lot of reasons behind the launch of this site, one of which is something I've started this year, almost accidentally (accidentally in that someone emailed me to ask if this was a service I provided).

And that is coaching.

Something that I absolutely LOVE!

I've done some tests running coaching off of this site and will probably do more of it in the first of the year, but the choice to run coaching and different products and services through KimDoyal.com is because it's much less restrictive. There won't be an expectation that everything I do on that site be tied to WordPress (even though in some round about way it may be... you just never know).

I am SOOOO TOTALLY Excited about this.

I feel like a little kid on Christmas morning.

You'll see more of my quirky sense of humor, no-nonsense approach and desire to live life on my terms on KimDoyal.com. And of course that means another podcast (have I told you how much I love podcasting?).

While I finish up the branding elements and site design you can sign up to get notified when the site launches and my official 'Launch Party' (not exactly sure what that will look like, but it will be fun!).

A New Plugin

Nothing beats creating something because you need it, huh?

That's where my ideas come from when it comes to plugins (the whole 'few' I've had created). I've been doing a lot of digging into e-Commerce and WordPress and what the best options are based on the customer experience and what is being sold. I went into more detail in my post titles 'Selling With Genesis',