The SIGRUN Show

Why are some people successful in online business and some aren't?

Nada Lena, my guest this week on The Sigrun Show, says it's all about confidence. Building an online business isn't rocket science – all the information, tools and strategies are out there. According to Nada, there's another reason why most people aren't running million dollar online businesses: Something stands between them and taking action in a way that's going to make a difference in their business.

In this episode, she talks about the difference between micro- and macro-confidence, where her own confidence came from and how you can build yours.

"It's OK to let fear get in the car, but don't let that sucker take the wheel." - Nada Lena

In this Episode of The Sigrun Show:

• Nada's journey from performer to entrepreneur (2:50)
• Where Nada's confidence came from (7:04)
• How to build your confidence when you grow your business (9:42)
• Micro-confidence vs. macro-confidence (18:34)
• What Nada's book is about (20:59)
• How to shift your confidence (23:27)

How to Build Your Confidence when Growing Your Business

Having confidence as an online entrepreneur can be crucial to your success. Confidence can make you more motivated and ambitious, but more importantly, it can help you overcome fear and anxiety so you can take action.

This week, I spoke to Nada Lena, founder and CEO of Rise Up For You, about how you can build your confidence so it doesn't stand in the way of you growing your business.

Nada proposed three steps that can help you boost your confidence.

Self-Awareness

Understand your own resistance. Are you taking the actions needed to reach your goal, and if not, why?

Many online entrepreneurs spend lots of time coming up with strategies and ideas, but never implement them. Whether you're not using video, not investing in yourself, or aren't following up with your sales – get to the core of why you're not taking action.

Nada says that our thoughts and feelings drive our behaviour. Understanding them is the first step in order to change our behaviour from being passive to taking action.

Self-Compassion

When online entrepreneurs start putting themselves out there, fear of failure is often right around the corner. Many of us struggle with perfectionist mindsets – we are scared of making a mistake. This fear can be paralysing and lead us to simply stop doing things.

The reality is: Everyone fails at some point. It's part of being successful and building a business. What you should be doing is recognise and remember that you're a human being, not a robot. Jump in, and if you make a mistake, it doesn't matter. You're human. You'll learn from it. And then you can get up and try again.

Self-Management

Every person on the planet has negative thoughts at some point. The key is how you decide to manage these thoughts. As Nada puts it: It's ok to let fear into the car, but don't let that sucker take the wheel. Because the second it does, it will drive you into a wall or go off in a direction you don't want. Take control over what you know is right, and the action you should be taking.

Nada says that most of the beliefs and thoughts in our mind don't actually belong to us. They belong to other people who have projected them onto us. As human beings, we accept them, and can end up behaving according to these beliefs that aren't even ours. That's why when you want to be successful, it's so important to be aware of what is stopping you, be compassionate with yourself when you make a mistake, and understand how to manage negative thoughts.

What do you do to boost your confidence? I'd love to hear your thoughts! You can connect with me on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn.

Sign Up for the SOMBA VIP Notification List

SOMBA Kickstart is the only program you need to fast-track your online business. In just 10 weeks, you'll create your first or next online course to attract your ideal client and build your list using my proven step-by-step process.

By signing up for the VIP notification list now, you'll get access to exclusive early bird offers!

Connect with Nada Lena:

Rise Up for You

Nada on Facebook

Nada's free Confidence Kit

Nada's book

Produce content. Be consistent. Post every day. Marketing experts have told us over and over again that this is the only way to market our business successfully.

Yes, consistency is key. But Ellen Yin, my guest this week on The Sigrun Show, believes that adopting strategies without stopping to think whether they apply to your business and the way you want to grow isn't actually beneficial.

Ellen is fascinated by the idea of being intentional with what you choose to do in your business from a marketing standpoint. In this episode, she shares what minimalist marketing is and how you can apply it in your business. We also talk about what to look out for when you create evergreen content, and why everything comes down to really understanding the objections of your ideal client.

"Consistent connection is more important than consistent content." - Ellen Yin

If you're more of a reader, scroll down to read about Ellen's minimalist marketing tips you can apply for your own business.

In this Episode of The Sigrun Show:

• How Ellen accidentally stumbled into entrepreneurship (2:19)
• Why Ellen started focusing on courses and memberships (5:40)
• How you can apply minimalist marketing (11:40)
• What to look out for when you create evergreen content (18:15)
• Really understanding your ideal clients' objections (21:25)

Minimalist Marketing and How to Use It in Your Business

Marketing experts have been telling us over and over again that consistency is key – that creating consistent content is the only way to get out there and be successful. However, Ellen Yin, entrepreneur and host of the Cubicle to CEO podcast, thinks we are applying consistency to the wrong area.

She is fascinated by minimalist marketing, or in other words: Being intentional with what you choose to do in your business from a marketing point of view. Here are her top three tips on applying a minimalist marketing strategy for your business:

Picking the right strategy

A lot of people try to adapt strategies from blogs, podcasts, and different courses without stopping to think: Does the strategy apply to the business model that I am scaling, and has the person who is teaching the strategy scaled their business the way I want to grow my business?

For example, a strategy that is designed to grow your course doesn't necessarily help you when you're working one-on-one. Before you try out a new marketing strategy, make sure it is the right one to grow your business.

Driving traffic to your content

Don't post on your social media every day just to tick off a box. Ellen likes to imagine Instagram as a road, and followers as cars driving by. Everytime you post, it's like putting up a billboard on the side of the road. If three cars drive by every day, it doesn't matter whether you have 1000 or five billboards. The effect will be the same.

Ellen says people get caught up on the content hamster wheel, but forget that creating content is just the first step. It's about driving the right traffic to the content. If you only post two quality posts and focus the rest of your effort on driving your ideal client to your content, you can get 1000 cars to drive down your road, with only two billboards. It will have more impact on your business instead of putting one post after the other out there for the sake of quantity.

Evergreen content and connecting with your audience

When creating content, Ellen advises to focus on evergreen content that educates your audience, crushes their objections, and has the power to pre-sell them. Consistently connecting with your audience is more important than consistently putting out content. If you connect with people every day, they will see your quality evergreen content, and it's this kind of content that will prompt them to eventually turn into a lead.

Do Ellen's minimalist marketing tips resonate with you? I'd love to hear your thoughts! You can connect with me on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn.

Sign Up for the SOMBA VIP Notification List

SOMBA Kickstart is the only program you need to fast-track your online business. In just 10 weeks, you'll create your first or next online course to attract your ideal client and build your list using my proven step-by-step process.

By signing up for the VIP notification list now, you'll get access to exclusive early bird offers!

Connect with Ellen Yin:

Instagram

Cubicle to CEO

Even if you love launching, you can't launch all the time. It would not only exhaust you, but also your email list. So how can you sell between launches?

In this episode, I'm sharing 9 simple promotion strategies you can apply to sell between launches.

"You should always be seeding – as soon as you finish one launch, you should prepare for the next one." - Sigrun

If you're more of a reader, scroll down to read my 9 promotion strategies that sell.

In this Episode of The Sigrun Show:

• Why you need to launch in the first place (1:45)
• Having a program that people can buy anytime (5:07)
• The P.S. promo (7:30)
• The video promo (9:18)
• Social selling (10:33)
• The 9 word email (13:14)
• Mini launch (15:31)
• Affiliate marketing (18:05)
• Offer on your freebie thank you page (19:46)
• Automated webinar funnel (21:50)
• Pocket product funnel (23:01)

9 Promotion Strategies That Sell Between Launches

• The P.S. Promo

For every newsletter you send out, add a "P.S." at the bottom and list the ways people can work with you, free and paid.

Here's an example from a "P.S" I use in my emails:

P.S. When you're ready to grow your online business, here are two ways I can help you…

• Follow me on Instagram and DM me your biggest business challenge and I'll give you a tip on what to do – Click here.
• Step up and scale your online business to $10K-$20K months inside our SOMBA Momentum program – Book a free call here.

It doesn't cost anything to add a P.S and let people know – start trying it out in your own emails and see the results it can bring.

• The Video Promo

Create a short video around a pressing problem that you know your audience is struggling with and send the video out to your email list. Only those who click to watch the video get an offer.

Here's an example for a video promo:

I create a video on how to sell between launches. I email my list that I have created this new video and I tag those who click on the link to watch the video. The next day I follow up with an offer that shouldn't come as a surprise to those who watched the video, for example an online course for $297 on how to sell between launches with all the templates and scripts.

The promo lasts 3-4 days and the rest of the email list does not get any emails and there is no social media about the promo.

• Social Selling

Post on your personal profile and your business profile and invite the right people to send you a direct message. This is one of the best ways to promote without launching.

Here's an example for social selling:

I want to offer a 6 day retreat in Iceland and before I go off and create the sales page and book everything, I write a post on social media. The post is 200-300 words long, contains a nice image and highlights all the feelings about this magical retreat (but not too many facts!). At the end, I ask people who are interested to PM me. Those who PM me are my "launch list" and I can follow up with them and possibly sell the retreat even without a sales page if I did a good job on the social media post.

• The 9 word email

The 9-word email was developed by Dean Jackson, a successful real estate entrepreneur and online marketer, in an effort to re-engage lost prospects. Jackson's claim was that a subject line displaying the recipient's name only, and a body with a one-line (originally 9-word) question is all you need to engage.

Here's an example of a 9-word email:

Email subject line: SigrunEmail body: Are you still looking to grow your online business?

Be cautious when applying this strategy. It's meant to re-engage those who have already shown interest, and not to sell to a new person who has no idea what you're talking about

• Mini Launch

Instead of going into a full launch, my team and I sometimes offer a paid workshop where only the people who join the workshop are presented with an offer. This promotion has all the elements of a launch, but it's much shorter and easier to do.

Here's an example of a mini-launch:

In March and May 2020, we held the weekend workshop Create Your Recession Proof Offer for $97. Only those who joined the workshop received an offer for the Online Turnaround/SOMBA Accelerator program. The cart was open for 7 days but can also be shorter in a mini launch

• Affiliate Marketing

One of the best ways to sell between launches is to be an affiliate and either do a small promotion or a proper launch. Even if you decide to go with a full launch, the effort will still be smaller compared to when you do your own launch, because you're concentrating on the marketing and not on all the other aspects of a launch.

Here's an example of being an affiliate:

I'm an affiliate for Selena Soo and her PR & Media program Impacting Millions. The first time I participated it was more work because my team and I had to create all our assets, but now that they've been created and can be reused it's less work. The launch plan comes from Selena's team, so we can pick and choose what we want to do to achieve our goals.

• Offer on your freebie thank you page

If you have an amazing freebie people are signing up for, add an offer to your thank you page for a free discovery call.

Here's an example of an offer on your thank you page:

Apply now for a free "90 Day Profit Planning Session"

Thank you so much for requesting my Profit Planning Checklist! You'll be receiving an email in the next 5 to 10 minutes that has a link to download your checklist.

While you're waiting, I have something very special to share with you: Book your complimentary call now, available for a limited time.

• Automated webinar funnel

If you have an online course that you have launched successfully multiple times, you can automate it with a webinar funnel. To hit a sweet spot, your online course should ideally be around $1000. It needs to be evergreen – people need to be able to join anytime. In Momentum, we help our clients set up such automated funnels.

• Pocket Product Funnel

Instead of a freebie or a free webinar, you first sell a small product for $37 or $47. In your follow up email sequence, you move on to selling another program. The second program can be anything from an automated online course to a high end group coaching program.

The tiny offer strategy is very popular at the moment and I recently did an interview with Allie Bjerk, who is an expert in setting up tiny offers.

Which strategy are you going to try? Send me a DM on Instagram with the code word "promotion" and the strategy that intrigues you most so we can chat about it. I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

Join my 12 Days of Masterclasses for FREE!

Ho ho ho! I have a gift for you! Not just one but 12 gifts for the 12 Days of Christmas. I'm inviting you to join our annual tradition, 12 Days of Masterclasses for free. The masterclasses are on a variety of topics in online business everything from mindset to marketing and sales and how to scale your online business to 6 and 7 figures. Now go ahead and grab your gifts by going to www.sigrun.com/12gifts

One day, my friend Natalie Sisson stood in a park, rain pouring down on her, and cried. She had been feeling down for weeks. What was the matter with her? While she was feeling sorry for herself, a loud, internal voice suddenly told her: Suck it up, princess. She laughed at her own rudeness. Had she really just said that to herself? Then she realised it had been exactly what she needed. Later that day, she decided to make it the title of her new book.

Like Natalie, we all have moments when we feel down, pity ourselves, or are negative about pretty much everything that surrounds us. The key to overcoming such a state is to know how to get out of it.

In this episode, Natalie speaks about her book Suck It Up, Princess – and how you can get over yourself so you're ready to achieve your goals.

"There's something empowering about being direct with yourself and taking control and responsibility for how you're feeling." - Natalie Sisson

If you're more of a reader, scroll down to read about what you can do to suck it up and get over what's keeping you from achieving your goals.

In this Episode of The Sigrun Show:

• How Suck It Up, Princess is different from Natalie's first books and how she developed as an author (2:51)
• Why Natalie's new book is more personal (4:47)
• How Natalie went from being the suitcase entrepreneur to settling down (6:52)
• What the title of Natalie's book is all about (11:03)
• Natalie's tips on what to do when you need to suck it up and get over yourself (14:29)
• How Natalie's passion for sports has shaped her (19:33)

How to Get Over Yourself and Achieve Your Goals

We all have moments of anxiety and frustration, but did you ever notice that the dominant element in these situations is you and your thoughts?

While there are definitely times for self-compassion and going easy on yourself, Natalie says there's also something empowering about being direct with yourself and taking control and responsibility for how you are feeling. Here's how:

Take one actionable step

Interrupting your pattern and taking one simple step towards what you want can work wonders. Taking action and getting out of your head gives you a moment to disengage from negative thoughts.

Maybe it only needs writing one email, doing one call, or spending five minutes in a yoga class. Being in a state of taking action and making a positive step is something that gets you out of almost anything.

Put your situation into perspective

Can it be that we have become a bit soft, entitled even? Natalie believes so, that's why she included Princess in the title of her book. No matter what's going on with you – it's very possible that it pales in comparison to someone else's problems. Put your situation into perspective and at the same time, be your own motivator. Developing resilience and inner strength, as well as an understanding that your situation might not be as bad as you believe can help get you out of your frustration and closer to your goals.

What do you do to get over yourself and navigate out of a low? I'd love to hear from you! You can follow, connect and share with me on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Do you want to get your hands on a copy of Suck It Up, Princess?

All you have to do is leave a review for this episode on Apple Podcasts, send us a screenshot of your review and your address to [email protected], and we'll send over a copy!

Connect with Natalie Sisson

• Natalie Sisson

Natalie's new book Suck It Up, Princess

My clients call me the launch queen. I love launching, and I love teaching my clients how to launch.

In January 2021, I finally achieved my launch goal of $1M, and in this episode, I want to share with you what I did and specifically what I did differently from the other launches that I've done in the past seven years, which have made me over $8M in revenue.

"A small plane needs a short runway, a big plane a long runway – if you want your launches to grow and become bigger, you need to have a longer runway." - Sigrun

If you're more of a reader, scroll down to read my 12 launch lessons from a 7 figure launch.

In this Episode of The Sigrun Show:

• Launching: A mix between art and science (2:22)
• My first launches (4:00)
• The 7 figure launch that didn't happen (9:40)
• Having a long launch runway (11:59)
• Having a VIP notification list (13:42)
• Creating a desire for another program (15:11)
• Social selling (16:44)
• Mixing free and paid offers (19:17)
• Getting your leads in early (20:42)
• Getting people to sign up twice (22:19)
• The importance of FB ads (23:29)
• Sending lots of emails (25:07)
• Using Facebook groups (26:26)
• Offering sales calls (28:26)
• Working with affiliate partners (30:06)

12 Launch Lessons from a 7 Figure Launch

#1 A long launch runway

A small plane needs a short runway, a big plane a long runway. If you want your launches to grow and become bigger, you need to have a longer runway. This means having more time with your ideal client and creating multiple touchpoints. These can be free content (podcast episodes, blog posts), free training where you might not sell anything or sell something different, or paid training. Having people sign up with you again and again or click through to valuable content creates a bigger connection to you.

During your runway, you'll be talking about your program, but you're not selling it – you're seeding it, creating a desire for it, so that when you open cart, your ideal clients are ready and want to buy it.

#2 Having a VIP notification list

Instead of calling your waitlist "waitlist", give it an exciting name. I called it "VIP notification list". "Waitlist" sounds like you're waiting for something and then you have to buy it. People aren't very eager to sign up for it. But if you call it a VIP list and tell them that by signing up they'll be the first to know when you open up the program, plus they'll get a bonus, it's much more exciting for them.

#3 Selling multiple offers during your launch runway

You can sell multiple offers during your launch runway – as long as you're not selling the offer you eventually want to sell during open cart. When someone isn't interested in the program you're launching, they might be interested in another program you're offering.

#4 Social selling

Social selling is building a 1-1 relationship and being a valued partner when the doors open to your program. A lot of people have experienced a sleazy way of social selling – a friend request on Facebook or LinkedIn perhaps, that is immediately followed by a message with a link to sign up or buy something. That's not what you should do. I'm talking about asking the participants in your launch training to send you a message. If they do that, they have essentially opened up the door and you can start to have a conversation. If people no longer respond to your messages, you just stop. It's about creating back-and-forth interaction.

# 5 Mixing free and paid offers

By offering free and paid training, you create more opportunities for your ideal client to experience how it is to work with you, and to express their interest in what you can offer. You will get closer to your ideal client, and they can get ready to buy once you open up the door to your program.

# 6 Get your leads in early

You typically grow your leads during your launch runway and you'll have most of your email addresses at the end, relatively close to your open cart. But remember: The more time you have with people, the higher your conversion, the bigger your launch. If you've been launching and getting your leads very late, consider flipping it around and getting your leads way ahead of time. It will give you more time with your ideal client.

#7 Get people to sign up twice

A lot of people focus only on getting people to sign up for their launch training. If you have enough time, offer something else first. Create a freebie that is connected to your launch training but is still separate. This could be a PDF, an ebook, a checklist, or webinar. Then have a live webinar for the actual open cart. Having people sign up twice makes them more likely to buy.

#8 Facebook Ads

Facebook ads are still the best way to get a lot of leads in little time. They're not easy to handle and get more and more challenging. You need to understand them and once you do, you can have an ads team running them. If you're looking to make a multiple six figure or seven figure launch, you should definitely have a FB ads expert on your side.

#9 Send a lot of emails

Emails are still the winner when it comes to selling in a launch. Be willing to send a lot of them. With over 12'000 people on my launch list and sending lots of emails (5 alone on closed-cart day), I only received one complaint. People typically just unsubscribe, and if they do, that's great. These are people who didn't want to buy from you anyways. If they're interested in something else, they'll follow you on social media. The emails are for people who are interested in your product.

#10 Use a Facebook group for your launches

Most of the people who end up buying my programs have been in my launch Facebook group. I use the same free group and it's mostly active during launches. That's why I warm it up well before a launch, offering something that they can sign up for during the launch runway, about one month before the actual launch training. Then I invite them into the Facebook group and make sure there's activity there.

#11 Offer sales calls

In the past, I made the mistake of offering sales calls too early. A lot of people who didn't need a call ended up booking one just to chat. They had already decided to buy the program, but wanted the call just because it was offered. Now, I started offering sales calls only during the last two days of open cart. Basically, it's offering a call to the fence-sitters and helping them evaluate if the program is a fit for them or not.

#12 Work with affiliates

Affiliate partners are typically current or previous students and it's through their success stories that people are inclined to sign up for a launch training and eventually buy a program. But because I mainly work with students, they usually don't have big email lists yet and therefore I can't expect too many sales from each partner. That's why it's important to have more partners, but again also not to many, because running an affiliate program is a big task and you need to have time for it. For this launch, I used direct messaging to each individual partner, and the affiliate who made the most sales won a retreat with me. Having exciting prices for your partners can make them do a lot more and have more sales than you would think is possible.

What was your key take-away from this episode? Send me a DM on Instagram. I'd love to hear from you!

Would you like to learn how to launch?

I have different programs depending on your launch experience.

If you've never launched before – or have never had a successful launch – then I have a special launch program called SOMBA Accelerator. We take you step by step in 10 weeks through a launch experience where you actually launch during the program. For more information, click here.

If you've launched successfully before, then you're ready for my group coaching program Momentum. There, you get the support and accountability you need to launch again and again. It's where you increase your launches and go from five figure, multiple five figure and eventually to a six figure launch. For more information, click here.

If you're already at multiple six figures in your business and have extensive launch experience, then you're ready for my high-end mastermind, Red Circle. It's currently closed, but will open up for applications later this year. For more information, write us on [email protected].

Have you ever been too sick to work over a long period of time?

I've been sick for over five weeks and I haven't fully recovered yet. Being unable to work has been difficult for me. When I used to be an employee, being sick didn't have the same effect on me as it does now. As entrepreneurs, our business depends on us to be there for our clients and our team.

Being sick the whole of March 2021 and still feeling weak in the first week of April has taught me some great life lessons I want to share with you in this episode.

"Getting sick is something you can't control – the only thing you can do is focus on getting healthy." - Sigrun

If you're more of a reader, scroll down to read the lessons I've learned from being sick and unable to work for five weeks.

In this Episode of The Sigrun Show:

• How my sickness started (1:15)
• Diagnosis: RS virus (3:38)
• Second diagnosis: Pneumonia (8:30)
• Reading six books in one week (13:42)
• The life lessons I learned during my sickness (20:11)

10 Life Lessons I Learned From Being Sick

• You can't control everything Sometimes things are out of your control. Getting sick is one of them and when you do, the only thing you can do is focus on getting healthy. Often that means doing absolutely nothing. For two weeks the only thing I was capable of doing was watching Netflix. I couldn't read or sleep, but I could watch Netflix, so that is what I did.

• Your health is your number one priority It's easy to say that health comes first but actually making it your number one priority is another thing. Despite having a chronic illness – or maybe because of it – I haven't put my health first. But getting sick for five weeks is definitely a wakeup call. I don't want it to happen again. If there is anything I can do to prevent it, I will.

• You're not as indispensable as you think We sometimes think we're the only ones who can do certain things – until we can't, and someone else has to do them for us. Being as sick as I was, I couldn't do any coaching calls, no podcast recordings or any internal meetings with my team. I couldn't even send a voice message because my voice was on the verge of going away. And still everything continued without me. The world didn't fall apart. My team took over and ran the business without me! No coaching call got cancelled, a podcast episode went out every week and overall my clients were very well taken care of.

• You can prepare for this Even though I didn't plan on getting sick and I don't wish this on anybody, it's actually interesting how well my team and I were prepared. First of all, having a team is super important. Second, making sure that there is a backup for everything is crucial. Last year we started to practice our backup strategy. If anyone went on holiday, there was a person on the team who could take over.

With my sickness we have been forced to figure out a backup for everything I do. I had batch recorded 5 podcast episodes and my podcast manager recorded the intros for me. My marketing director who has been with me for over 6 years stepped in and did my coaching calls. I had just hired an integrator who was supposed to take over a lot of my tasks and she had to jump into the deep end and only got instructions over Slack from me. And it all worked out! My team stepped up and I could work on getting healthy. I am so grateful for my team.

• You can be sick and still be there If I hadn't shared on social media that I was sick nobody would have known. When I was the sickest and could barely breath I could still comment and reply on social media. When people heard I was sick they told me to relax, sleep and get off social media. But actually social media was my connection to the world. I loved being able to see what people were doing and comment and reply on posts from friends, family and clients. Being sick doesn't mean that you are too sick to be there for others.

• Allow yourself some slack While I was the sickest I would allow myself all the things I don't normally eat or drink. To be honest I felt sorry for myself and I think that is just Ok. Of course I made sure to eat healthy but I also allowed myself all kinds of treats that made me feel better about being alone home and sick.

• You can ask for help Being in isolation at home alone was tough but it was made easier because of all the help I got. My sister checked on me twice a day and my mother too. My sister went shopping for me a few times. And my mother brought me cooked food every second day. Friends of mine also sent me messages and asked if they could help but I already had enough help. And then my husband flew in to take care of me which was of course the best.

• What doesn't kill you makes you stronger It sounds cliche but this experience - which isn't over yet - has made me mentally stronger, even though the physical strength isn't there yet. I've realised that I am capable of more, that my team is capable of more and that my clients are capable of more. There are things that I have not made a priority which will now be a priority for me in my personal life and in business. It is like having a reset - I can set new rules now - and follow them.

• What you've putting off becomes more important

There are a few things I want to do in my personal life and in business that I've been putting off for too long. Now these things have become top priority for me. I've rearranged my calendar and as soon as I get healthy I am dedicating my mornings to my priority projects. For now my mornings are dedicated to sleep - as getting healthy is my top priority.

• Enjoying non productive things that make you happy I used to be an avid reader, as a teenager I would read 5 books a week. Then I read less and less over the years and sometimes only 1-2 books a year. In 2007 I set myself a goal to read 26 books in one year and I did but since then it slipped again. I joined a business book club a year ago to read more again but even that hadn't done it for me. Becoming sick renewed my love for reading, especially non-fiction murder mysteries. I had focused so much on business books - on being productive - that I almost forgot how joyful it can be to read a good mystery and just enjoy it without feeling the need to be productive.

Did you ever have a similar experience of being sick and unable to work? I'd love to hear from you! You can follow, connect and share with me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Sign up for the 3-day workshop Create A Scalable Offer That Sells

Are you tired of trading your time for money and having a limit on how much you can make? Are you ready to exponentially grow your business without having to "work more to earn more"?

Then my upcoming 3-day workshop is perfect for you!

In just 3 interactive days together, you'll get super clear on who you serve and identify the best offer for your clients by understanding what they really need. You'll learn how to turn your ideas and passions into an actual offer that you can start to sell right away.

Go here for more information and to sign up for the workshop.

Are you wondering how you can get more media coverage and visibility for your business? Even get featured in publications like Forbes?

My friend Selena Soo is a PR expert and the go-to person when it comes to landing publicity for your business. She helped me get featured in Forbes last year, which has really boosted my visibility and brand awareness.

In this interview, Selena is sharing some of her best strategies to get you and your business press coverage. We talk about how to approach the media, the elements of a great story idea, and how you can get featured in Forbes in 2021.

If you want to start being seen as an expert, gain more visibility and understand how to catch the media's interest, don't miss out on this conversation!

"To find the perfect media opportunity, ask yourself: Who is the Oprah of your industry?" - Selena Soo

If you're more of a reader, scroll down to read about the key elements to get featured in Forbes in 2021.

In this Episode of The Sigrun Show:

• Finding the Oprah of your industry (3:06)
• The first steps to get featured in Forbes (3:57)
• The three elements of a great story idea (6:59)
• Who and how to pitch (11:25)
• The right time for making your pitch (19:11)
• How the publication process works (21:45)
• What to do once your article is published (22:50)

Key Elements to Get Featured in Forbes in 2021

By preparing your story idea and overall pitch well, you can increase your chances of getting featured in Forbes – or any other big publication. Here are Selena's key elements to preparing your best pitch yet:

• First, get clear on the general topic you want to pitch on. As an entrepreneur, there are topics you want to be seen as an expert in. Identify what your topic is.

• Move on to your story idea. Consider these three elements when brainstorming your idea:

1. Propose a timely story. There are a million stories out there. Why would the media choose to tell yours right now?
2. Give value to other people. How is your story going to make someone's life better?
3. Consider an emotional charge. Has your story the potential to surprise or shock?

For your story idea to be successful, aim to include at least one of these elements.

• Once you have decided on your expert topic and story idea, you can go ahead and create your pitch.

1. Go to the website of the publication you want to pitch to. Click on the articles that are related to your expertise and find out who wrote them. These are the contributors you want to pitch to.
2. Start your pitch on a warm and friendly note. Mention that you understand what the publication is about and that you enjoyed a particular article. With a bit of effort, you can give your pitch an unique approach that doesn't feel like a copy/paste outreach.
3. Explain who you are in two to three sentences and highlight your credibility by pointing out the results of your clients or if you've already been in the media. Show that you truly are the expert you claim to be.
4. Propose your story ideas. Share a headline and a brief description of what you would cover in your story.
5. Show flexibility and mention that you're open to suggest other ideas around your topics of expertise.

In most cases the contributor ends up writing the article, but the more meat you can provide and the easier you make it for someone to pick your story idea, the better are your chances to get featured in publications like Forbes.

Did these steps help you to prepare your pitch? I'd love to hear from you! You can follow, connect and share with me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The doors to Selena's program Impacting Millions are open now…

…but only until April 6th!

If you want to start being seen as an expert, gain more visibility and understand how to catch the media's interest, this program helps you get there.

When you sign up for Impacting Millions using my link, you'll also get my own amazing bonuses worth over $5000!

Go to the special bonus package I've prepared for you, plus the link to sign up for Selena's program.

Connect with Selena Soo

• Selena Soo
• Selena on Instagram

A clear message can be the difference between attracting and confusing a potential client. That's why it's so important to clarify your message early on.

But this is easier said than done. Where do you start when it comes to clarifying your message and making a lasting impression? How do you know if your message resonates with your ideal client?

Dolores Hirschmann, my guest this week on The Sigrun Show, is an expert in helping others clarify their message and design communication strategies to take their messages to a larger audience.

I met Dolores at Ali Brown's Iconic and I'm delighted for her to share her expertise so you can spring right into action and get clear on the message that will move your business forward!

"The best copy is the one that comes from the mouth of your ideal client." - Dolores Hirschmann

If you're more of a reader, scroll down to read about how you can clarify your message.

In this Episode of The Sigrun Show:

• How Dolores found her business idea (3:18)
• How to clarify your message (11:09)
• What you want vs. what you need (19:08)
• Making a lasting first impression (21:26)
• How you know if your message works (23:25)
• Examples of clear messages (25:54)
• Why clarifying your message is a fluid process (28:57)

How to Clarify Your Message

People don't necessarily buy the best products, but the products they understand. That's why businesses with a clear message thrive.

If you feel your message could be clearer or resonate more with your ideal client, here are Dolores' three steps on how to clarify your message:

1. Imagine what it's like to be your ideal client and you haven't found the solution to your problem yet. What conversation would go on in your head? What vocabulary would you use? Understand how your ideal client feels right now, and not when they're successful after they worked with you. What is it they want? Pay attention to how they say what they want, and not how you imagine it.
2. In the content you release, lead with the outcome. Your ideal client will pay attention to any piece of information that starts with the outcome they're after. Until they get to know and trust you, they don't care about your methodology or process, but whether you can give them the outcome they're looking for.
3. Don't overthink your language. There's a balance between the clarity and crispness of a message. Go into FB groups of your ideal clients, ask questions and listen to their answers. The best copy is the one we don't write, but that comes directly from the mouth of our clients.

When you clarify your message, keep in mind: Sexy is good, but clarity is better. There's a lot of noise online and people are looking for clear, simple, straight-forward solutions. Keep it focused and to the point.

A clear message isn't only a bridge between your offer and your ideal client – it also gives you clarity on where your business is headed.

Did these steps help you clarify your message? I'd love to hear from you! You can follow, connect and share with me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The Common Path to Uncommon Success is available now!

My friend John Lee Dumas' book The Common Path to Uncommon Success officially came out yesterday and is available for you to buy now.

John is the host of the award-winning podcast Entrepreneurs on Fire where he's had over 100,000,000 listens and 3,000 5-star reviews since its launch in 2012.

He has spent thousands of hours interviewing over 3,000 of the world's most successful entrepreneurs.

His brand new book distills what he's learned from these conversations into a 17-step roadmap to help YOU achieve your dream of freedom and fulfillment. The book is designed to help you overcome doubts, fears, and confusion, and create your own version of uncommon success!

Do you want to discover the 17 steps that will guide you to financial freedom and fulfillment?

Get your copy of the book here!

Connect with Dolores Hirschmann:

• Masters in Clarity
• Dolores on Facebook
• Dolores on Instagram

Nobody is born with limitless self-confidence. It's something you have to work on and build up over years.

As entrepreneurs, self-confidence is key to achieving our goals and objectives, yet there are many challenges that can deflate our self-confidence – a negative review, a request for a refund, rejection of any kind.

Alda Karen, this week's guest on The Sigrun Show, has achieved more at 28 than many people dream of achieving in their life. At 19, she became VP of sales of Iceland's biggest film production company. By 23, she had started and sold her first company. Now, she is an international speaker, runs two businesses and has published her first book.

How come she had the self-confidence to achieve so much at such a young age?

In our interview, Alda and I speak about her journey, what pushed her to become an entrepreneur, and how she developed her self-confidence (and you can, too!).

Ready to be inspired and learn from a truly amazing young entrepreneur? Then tune right in!

"Every wall is a door. You just need to find the right key." - Alda Karen

If you're more of a reader, scroll down to read about Alda's life keys and how they can help you with your self-confidence.

In this Episode of The Sigrun Show:

• How Alda became the VP of sales and marketing of Iceland's biggest production company at 19 years old (3:32)
• How Alda used autobiographies of women to educate herself (7:18)
• What pushed Alda to become an entrepreneur (13:21)
• What happened after Alda sold her first business (15:07)
• How Alda deals with push-backs (16:12)
• Alda's inspiration to start a second company (19:55)
• Alda's life keys (22:18)

Alda's Life Keys to Help You Boost Your Self-Confidence

Whenever you think you can't do something or hit a wall, it's really just a door that will open if you find the right key – this is the thought on which Alda based her book, The Life Bible (currently available in Icelandic).

Alda had many doors she had to open during her journey as a young entrepreneur. She believed she wasn't smart enough, cute enough, and couldn't speak well enough in public. Finding the keys to open her doors and overcome fears and limiting beliefs made her what she is today: An international speaker, head of two companies, and author of a book – all at the age of 28.

Opening her doors was all about knowing they were there and developing the self-confidence to walk through them.

Here are two of Alda's most popular life keys to open doors that might be holding you back:

You are not your thoughts or your emotions

When you hit a wall, it's usually your brain telling you all kinds of reasons why to not do something. The brain is programmed to survive. It doesn't want to get out of its comfort zone. If your goal is to live to the fullest, to be happy and grow, but your brain wants to play it safe, you and your brain clash and you hit a wall.

To pass through it, Alda thinks of her brain as her room-mate. Whenever she feels scared or unable to do something, she establishes that these thoughts come from her brain, not herself. Then she maps out the best and worst case scenarios. She journals or does visualizations to create a practical approach, and to reason with the fears her brain creates.

You are enough

For nine years, Alda has been telling herself she's enough. Every single day.

Reminding herself constantly that she can show up as herself and do her best, but that she's enough as she is has given her the strong foundation on which she builds her self-confidence. Alda sees life as a gift, and knowing that she's enough makes everything she does during the day become a bonus in her life, because she chooses to do it.

If you feel blocked or lack confidence, remember this: You can't open doors you don't know about. If you hit a wall, sit down, identify what holds you back, have a conversation with your brain, and find the key that gets you through the door.

How do you overcome your fears and boost your confidence? I'd love to hear from you! You can follow, connect and share with me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Free Video Training Series on How to Get Featured in the Media

Do you dream of landing media coverage but aren't sure which outlets to pitch to? My friend Selena Soo is an expert in all things publicity and has just released a FREE, brand new 3-part video training series on how to get featured in the media.

The first video is available for you now.

If you're ready to seriously grow your business and get in front of more of your ideal clients and customers, head over to Selena's video. It's not just great value – you also get the chance to win a trip to Puerto Rico!

Connect with Alda Karen:

• Alda's book in Icelandic
• Alda on Facebook
• Alda on Instagram

Many entrepreneurs want to write a book – I know I do. It's been on my to-do list for some time. Yet it can feel overwhelming. Where do you start, what do you write about, and how do you get people to read your book?

Laura Gale, my guest this week on The Sigrun Show, helps entrepreneurs write, publish and market books that transform their businesses and leave a legacy they're proud of. She says that a legacy book is one of the most effective ways to build a long-lasting connection with your audience.

We spoke about the purpose of a legacy book, how you can get started, and why marketing a book is just as important as writing it.

If you plan on writing your book, don't miss out on Laura's different approach on how you can leave a legacy with your book.

"So many amazing books have gone completely unnoticed because the author didn't know that it's not just going to sell itself." - Laura Gale

Are you more of a reader? Scroll down to read about how you can get started on writing your legacy book.

In this Episode of The Sigrun Show:

• How Laura became a (ghost-) writer (2:45)
• Why you don't have to wait until the end of your life to leave a legacy (3:57)
• The purpose of a legacy book (5:39)
• How you attract people to buy your legacy book (8:00)
• When to write your legacy book (and when not) (12:39)
• Building Momentum before launching your book (15:21)
• How to get started on your legacy book (22:33)
• Writing yourself vs hiring a ghostwriter (24:06)

How to Get Started with Your Legacy Book

If you're an entrepreneur, publishing a book helps you establish credibility and connect with your audience. People get a sense of who you are and what you're about, and when they decide to get involved with you, you've already established a certain level of trust.

What sets Laura's approach apart is that the books she helps her clients write aren't just about their subject matter. She includes their how and why, their worldview and perspectives. Laura says the aim is to show the reader the personality of the author, and why the reader is better off with them instead of someone else. It's how an entrepreneur's book can transform their businesses and leave a legacy.

Whether you plan on writing your book yourself or hire a ghostwriter to write it for you, the steps to get started are the same:

Understand the intent of your book

What is the strategic purpose of your book? How will it fit into your already existing marketing?

Get clear on your ideal reader

Be clear on who your ideal reader is and create a detailed avatar. Establish what you want your readers to take away from your book and where you want to lead them.

Work backwards

If you're clear on what the outcome for your readers should be, think about what information and which stories you need to include in your book that lead towards this outcome. Create an outline of the material so that when you start writing, you're not staring at a blank page.

Setting up your book is similar to planning a marketing campaign. If you're clear on who you're trying to reach, what you want to leave them with, and have a sense of the content you want to share, you're off to a great start to getting your legacy book written.

Are you planning on publishing a book? I'd love to hear how you're going about it. You can follow, connect and share with me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

I want to hear from you!

To keep creating free quality content on a regular basis, invite high-profile guests, and keep the show going and growing, I need your review.

A minute's work on your end is enough to show me and my team that you support the hard work that goes into producing each episode. It would also make us smile and warm our hearts.

Because this means so much to me, I'm giving away some great prizes.

A 1-on-1 coaching session with me (I usually only do this with my high-level Red Circle clients) or one of three packages of my top 5 business books

• Leave a review for The Sigrun Show on sigrun.com/apple
• Send me a DM with the screenshot of your review
• Tag at least three people on this post

If you already posted a review in the past, you can still participate by sending me a DM with a screenshot of your review.

We will announce the winners on Sunday, March 14th.

Connect with Laura Gale:

• Laura Gale