The Soulful Business Show™ with Cailen Ascher

I am so excited to bring you this week's interview with branding expert Viktoria Harrison. Viktoria helps purpose-driven entrepreneurs build authentic and successful brands that deeply reflect who they are. She's the founder of "The Branded Startup", co-founder of Charity: Water with her husband, Scott Harrison, and mother to two small kiddos.

With no experience in business, Viktoria and her husband used their intuition to make decisions in the early phases of their startup, often breaking a lot of the rules that are standard in the non-profit world. After the birth of her second child, Viktoria realized she wanted more time freedom and decided to leave the charity. However, she soon found that she was being called for bigger work -- which evolved into helping other companies create authentic brands.

As Viktoria tells us, branding is not just fonts and colors. This episode is full of valuable advice on how to define your brand platform, hone in on your brand story, and craft an authentic brand and experience that truly helps your clients.

Listen to this week's episode to learn:

• How Viktoria moved from co-founding a charity with her husband into running her own business

• The 5 essential things you need for a successful brand platform

• Why Viktoria loves Enneagram and how you can use it to develop your brand.

• The importance of knowing yourself + tools to help

As you listen to this week's episode, Viktoria and I would love to hear your takeaways. Post a screenshot of this episode to your Instagram Stories and tag me (@Cailen_Ascher) and Viktoria (@vikharrison)!

Connect with Viktoria on her website at thebrandedstartup.com or on Instagram at @vikharrison

I am so excited to introduce you to Michelle Warner, this week's podcast guest. Michelle Warner is an online business growth expert who gets entrepreneurs unstuck and back on track to building the businesses of their dreams. She's the creator of the Springboard Method: a framework designed to nurture resilient, sustainable, growth-minded companies.

The Springboard Method leverages everything Michelle's learned over the course of building a multi-million dollar startup in the social venture space along with her current company, and the 20+ years of experience she has working in and around digital marketing. When Michelle's not obsessing over your business, you can catch her hiking + swimming with Watson, the world's best rescue dog and spending time in and around her beloved Lake Michigan.

Tune in to this week's episode to learn

• How Michelle founded a tech start-up right out of college• The most common pitfalls that affect businesses and how to avoid them • An inside look at the simple model that has allowed Michelle to scale her business to 6-figures and beyond. • The importance of "listening to your business" and tapping into different parts of your brain to find solutions.

As you listen to this week's episode, Michelle and I would love to hear your takeaways. Post a screenshot of this episode to your Instagram Stories and tag me (@Cailen_Ascher) and Michelle (@michelle.warner)!

With love,Cailen

P.S. If you're ready to stop wishing and hoping for clients and are ready for a proven system to get high-end clients moving into your business, join me for the Get Clients Challenge, and we'll dive into this together! We get started on Monday, July 22.

I always find transparency super helpful and inspiring, so I'm here today with a look INSIDE the first 6-figure year in my business.

Below you'll find a month-by-month breakdown of exactly what I was offering, how much of it I sold and how much revenue was generated.

My hope is that you'll see that you DON'T need to have a ton of different offers or enroll 100s of clients in order to cross the 6-figure mark in sales. You really can make 6-figures working with a handful of clients just 3 days a week.

The year was 2016, and I was dreaming of 6-figures (even though the previous year I had made under $25,000 in my business). But, I was armed with a plan thanks to a hefty investment in my first high-end business coach. I was feeling primed and ready to make this business work!

Here's how things played out that year…

January 2016 --

Ran 5-day free "Mindset Reset Challenge" to warm people up

Started having consultation calls with prospective clients

February 2016 --

Launched coaching

Enrolled 8 clients for 5 month package -- $32,000 in sales

March 2016

I invested in a group program with a visibility coach ($2000 investment)

April 2016 --

Created my own small group program, Business Clarity Accelerator

Enrolled 6 women -- $10,000 in sales

May 2016

I attended high-level one-day mastermind in NYC with a top business coach ($3000 investment)

July 2016

Found out I was pregnant with baby #2 (due March 2017)

September 2016 --

Launched the same small group program again

Enrolled 6 women -- $10,000 in sales

October 2016 --

Launched coaching again

Raised price, cut coaching package length from 5 months down to 4 months

Enrolled 9 clients -- $54,000 in sales

November 2016

Crossed 6-figure mark in sales!!! ($106,000 to be exact!)

December 2016

Mapped out plan to re-launch group program in January 2017

As you can see, that year I worked with just 17 private clients and had 12 women in my small group program. And, the number was actually even less than that because some of my 1x1 re-upped their contracts with me and some of the group members turned into 1x1 clients.

In total it took about 24 clients for me to reach the 6-figure level in my business. (While working just 3 DAYS A WEEK!!!)

That's, on average, just 2 clients a month! You can totally do that, right?! You can definitely find and connect with 2 people a month who would benefit from the work you do. I know that you can.

I think that sometimes we don't hit the "big numbers" because we're scared to look at them. We're scared of what it will take or the sacrifice we'll have to make, but the truth is when you break it down and map out a plan, it's not nearly as big and scary as we're making it out to be.

For me, having the plan in hand that my coach and I mapped out was endlessly helpful to helping me stay on course and hit my 6-figure goal. And, as you can see on the timeline above, I was continually investing in myself and my business all throughout 2016 to ensure that my 6-figure goal would become a reality.

There's no "one way" to reach 6-figures, but there is a simple way. And that way includes focusing on serving a handful of ideal clients through high-touch, high-tickets offers. That's what I did and what I continue to do, and my business and revenue have increased every single year since. Plus, this approach enables you to maximize your limited, precious time so you can work flexible, feel-good hours and still reach your big, audacious goals <3

If you're ready to get your 6-figure plan in place, I would love to offer my guidance + support and teach you my Six-Figures Made Simple™ Framework.

You can book a free call with me here, and we'll see if we're a good fit to work together.

With love, Cailen

Today on the show we have my very good friend, Heather Chauvin. Heather is the creator of the Mom Is In Control Podcast, a mostly solo show where she tells it like it is. She reveals her most vulnerable truths about womanhood, parenting her 3 boys, living through stage 4 cancer, navigating marriage and creating business success without burning out. On her podcast and through her work, she challenges women to give themselves permission to live more, drop the guilt and ask for what they need.

Heather has been featured on The Huffington Post, The OWN Network, CTV, and interviewed by many notable podcasters and radio shows. Her motto is in order to raise happy, calm and confident children, we must become the person we most desire them to be.

Drawing from her experience as a social worker and a mother of three young boys, Heather noticed a disturbing trend: the labeling of children based on their "problem" without addressing the deeper rooted issues. She quickly found that the best way to encourage growth and change in her children was to lead by example. After being diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer, Heather took these lessons to heart and focused on the activities that made her feel most alive.

Tune in to this week's episode to learn... • The importance of building your business from a place of abundance • How to align yourself for success • Why there is no true "quick fix" when it comes to building a sustainable business • Heather's tips for setting up not only yourself, but your family, for success.

Check out the Mom Is In Control Podcast with Heather Chauvin at www.heatherchauvin.com.

A couple weeks ago my husband asked me if I wanted to take the girls to Paris.

I thought about it for about 10 seconds and said YES!!!

You see, I studied French all throughout high school and college and lived in Paris for a summer when I was in my early 20s. We've done a lot of travel since, but we haven't been back to Paris.

My older daughter LOVES croissants (it's her favorite breakfast treat) and has been able to point out the Eiffel Tower in books and movies since she was 1 year old. My younger daughter looks adorable in a beret. It was a no-brainer :-)

So, on a whim, we booked a trip to Paris!

This will be our first big international trip with the girls (wish us luck!), but we also know that no matter how difficult it may be traveling with a 4 year old and 2 year old -- we'll be in PARIS!!!!! And honestly, what can be that bad in the land of fresh baked bread, buttery cheeses, gorgeous parks, the best museums and drinking champagne in the park?!

I wanted to share this with you because this is the kind of thing that having a 6-figure business affords you -- the ability to say YES! to Paris without having to check your bank account, credit card balance or run it by your boss.

Having a successful business gives you ultimate freedom to enjoy life to the fullest, and thanks to my 3-day workweek our 5 days in Paris means I'm only missing ONE DAY of work :-) No need to rearrange my schedule or cancel on clients, I can simply just up and go (with 2 kiddos in tow).

If you want to be able to say yes to the things that bring you joy without having to check to see if it's "OK" or if you can afford it, this is my advice…

Stop waiting. Stop waiting for permission. Stop waiting for more time. Stop waiting for when you move to a new city/find the guy/quit the job/lose the weight. Stop waiting for your life to begin, and start living.

I know that there are things right now that you want to do for yourself, your business, your lifestyle, your family that would make you feel amazing, yet for some reason you're not doing them. Why not?

This is not about being frivolous or spending recklessly, this is about giving yourself permission to step one step closer to your dreams.

Maybe you, too, would love to travel to Paris, but financially it's not in the cards right now. Ok, that's totally fine. Instead of thinking, "I can't go to Paris. I don't have the money!", take one step at a time towards your dream.

• Research what areas of the city you'd love to explore • Look up the restaurants you'd love to dine at • Earmark your favorite AirBnB (we're staying in the 5th near Jardin du Luxembourg) • Start mapping out your itinerary • Set it up to get alerts when cheap flights are available • Tell people you are planning your trip

And my guess is before you know it, an opportunity will open up, and you'll be on your way. But that's not really the point. The point is to stop denying yourself permission to dream -- because the process of dreaming is just as fun (sometimes more so!) than actually living it.

Dreaming it is champagne picnics by the Eiffel Tower with 2 well-behaved girls.

Living it means changing diapers on a park bench.

Enjoy the dreaming!

With love, Cailen

P.S. Do you want to have the ability to go to Paris on a whim? That means you have to start making your business a top priority and taking consistent action toward what you most desire. If you're ready for that, I have a couple spots still left to join my Six-Figures Made Simple™ Mastermind to get the support and strategies you need to scale to 6-figures and beyond. Stop waiting, and start living your dream. Apply here for one of the final spots.

This week's episode is a real treat, especially if you don't feel confident in your bookkeeping, or are still searching for a system that works for you!

Stephanie Skryzowski is a Chief Financial Officer that helps purpose-driven leaders better understand and use their numbers to make smart decisions for their business. She is the Founder and CEO of 100 Degrees Consulting which works with clients around the globe to help them do more and serve more. When she is not crunching the numbers, Stephanie is traveling the world with her husband and toddler daughter.

After spending the first decade of her career in financial leadership roles within the nonprofit world and landing the role of CFO for a large nonprofit organization, Stephanie realized that the stress of her job was making it difficult to get pregnant. She decided to take control of her work environment and leave her position, and began working with a business coach to help her get started. From there, her vision of serving as a fractional CFO for small businesses was born.

Tune into this my interview with Stephanie to learn:

• How Stephanie made the decision to leave her CFO position at a large nonprofit organization

• The importance of having a coach to guide you through the steps of starting, or scaling, your business

• Why knowing your numbers and getting comfortable looking at your books is essential for growth

• Tips for tracking your cashflow, including a special Excel template + training from Stephanie!

After you listen, take a screenshot of the podcast + tag me (@Cailen_Ascher) and Stephanie (@stephanie.skry) on Instagram, and let us know your favorite takeaways from the episode!

With love, Cailen

------------------------------------------------

• Download Stephanie's cashflow tracking template at https://www.100degreesconsulting.com/profit

• Find Stephanie Skryzowski on her website at https://www.100degreesconsulting.com.

• Recommended Reading: "Profit First" by Mike Michalowicz

• Share your insights and comments about this episode in 3-Day Workweek: Work Less, Make More, Live Better, my private community of over 1500+ female entrepreneurs

You don't hit 6-figures by accident. You reach it by design.

I didn't realize this early on in my entrepreneurial journey.

I thought that if I hustled long enough, tried enough "good ideas" (i.e. followed enough shiny objects) and accumulated enough strategies that POOF! success would be mine!

Not so.

Instead, I was left frustrated, confused and broke.

I had to work part-time jobs for money and felt terrible because I wasn't contributing financially. At the time, my now husband and I were early 20-somethings, not yet married, and living in a 600 square foot cottage. Adorable, yes, but not where we wanted to remain forever.

I remember thinking, how are we ever going to be able to afford a house? How are we going to be able to support kids when they come along? How much longer will my oh-so-supportive fiance tolerate me not making any money?

Years passed. Seven loooooong years.

Then, I found out I was pregnant.

We were still in the 1-bedroom cottage. I was still making next-to-nothing.

We were so very excited, and for me, I welcomed the shift in focus to prepping for baby, instead of trying to squeeze money out of my broken business.

Our little Leona arrived in late 2014, and I decided to take some time off. 3.5 months to be exact.

During that time, I seriously considered giving up on my business all together and being a stay-at-home mom.

I didn't want to keep working for so little money now that my daughter had arrived. I wanted time with her and my husband, but I also knew that giving up on my business would ultimately become a regret. It had been my dream to be an entrepreneur since I was 7 years old and wanted to own a bed and breakfast.

I decided to give it one more go. And this time, my way.

I let go of Gary Vee's voice in the back of my head saying that I needed to "work 24/7 for success" and sacrifice time with my family in order to "crush it".

No. I wanted a lifestyle that felt great right from the get go.

I thought to myself, "What would feel great? What would feel successful?"

Enter my 3-day workweek.With the start of my 3-day workweek, a lot of shifts started to naturally occur.

I streamlined my schedule and made better use of my time. I shifted my business model to better suit my new working hours. I started to automate, eliminate and delegate.

And, within a few months, things took off!!!

I went from making a couple hundred bucks a month (on a good month!) to consistent $4K then $5K then $6K months!

I then invested in a coach and mastermind that I knew would set me up for the 6-figure success I was after, and with their support, guidance and proven system, I had my first 5-figure launch ($32,000!!!) within months, and 8 months later my business crossed the 6-figure mark!

In working with these mentors, I realized that success is planned. Intentional. Designed. It's not random and bestowed upon the "lucky few". It was such a relief to have a process to follow -- a path to 6-figures that was proven and tested.

That was 4 years ago, and my business has grown every year since. (Even the year I had baby girl #2!)

Now, my life looks very different than it did back in that 600 square foot cottage.

I work 3 days a week (about 15-20 hours), we live in a 5 bedroom home in a beautiful area that we love, I spend quality time with my girls every day, and my husband and I regularly have mid-week lunch dates. I have 2 team members who do the work I don't want to do, and my husband and I never have to worry about paying the girls' private preschool tuition or if we need to set a budget for groceries. We are able to outsource things we don't want to spend our precious time doing -- like cleaning the house, grocery shopping or doing yard work -- and ALL of this is possible because my business now brings in 6-figures consistently and predictably.

The reason I wanted to share this story with you is because I want you to realize that no matter where you are right now, it's the starting place for ANYWHERE you want to go. Even if you've been stuck for years (like I was!), or perhaps you're just starting out and 6-figures seems so far away -- either way, it says nothing about your ability to be successful and create the life you want.

I'm hosting a really special (free!) live training this week where I'll be sharing my...

Six-Figures Made Simple™ Framework

Wednesday, June 5th at 12pm ET (9am PT / 10am MT / 11am CT / 4pm GMT)

This is the framework that I uncovered as I stepped into my 3-day workweek and invested in top notch coaches to guide me and teach me their systems for 6-figure success.

During this brand new webinar, I'll be covering…

• My Six-Figures Made Simple™ Framework (first time EVER I'm sharing my framework publicly and for free!) so you, too, can see exactly what it takes to build a 6-figure business working part-time hours :-)

• How to align with your highest vision and make it a reality

• Why resetting your mindset is essential to your 6-figure success (and how to do it)

• How to upgrade your lifestyle RIGHT NOW and stop "waiting" for success

• Why you need to reverse-engineer your 6-figure success in order to make it happen

If you're ready to receive a proven path to 6-figure success, you are not going to want to miss this special live event. It could be the very thing that is your pivot point to success!

Click here to save your seat -- it's FREE!

With love, Cailen

P.S. You're going to attend LIVE! There is a limited number of an amazing bonus [value $500] available for women who join me live on Wednesday :-)

There is one thing that seems to baffle many new entrepreneurs -- how to find clients!

Believe me, I understand.

I, too, used to struggle to find the right clients for my business until I set up a system to move clients consistently into my business.

If you're thinking, "that sounds pretty darn good!", you're in luck! I'm sharing a step-by-step process with you in this email that'll help you fill your coaching with amazing clients.

But before we dive into that, I have something I need to say. This system will only work if you implement it and use it consistently.

Finding clients isn't a one-and-done sort of thing. It needs to be a consistent endeavor in your business -- a tippy-top priority. Every. Single. Day.

So, if you're ready to show up like that. You're going to rock the system I'm sharing with you today!

1. CREATE A SIMPLE + ELEGANT OFFER. Ask your community what they want and make it for them. Don't guess at what they need -- ask questions, survey people, get on the phone and interview them. Then put together a simple, elegant offer that directly addresses their main problem. Don't pack your offer with too much information and tons of bonuses, that'll just overwhelm them. They are hiring you to remove overwhelm, not create it. Give them a streamlined solution, and they'll love it!

2. MAKE A WISH LIST. Write down the names (at least 25) of anyone you can think of who could benefit from what you're selling. Consider friends, family, neighbors, past colleagues, other parents at your kid's school, the ladies in that Saturday yoga class to take, the wife of your husband's co-worker, etc. This exercise will not only give you a jumping off point for the next step in this system, but will also remind you that clients are everywhere!

3. DO PERSONAL OUTREACH. Now, reach out to everyone on that list! Not with a "hard sell" but with a check-in. Ask them how they are doing. What they're up to these days. What plans or goals they have. Fill them in about you. Ask them to get coffee with you or hop on the phone. Be friendly. Be normal :-)

4. TALK TO PEOPLE. As you start having conversations with people, don't let the fact that they could be a potential client shut you down. Instead, take a few deep breaths. Remain open, receptive, LISTEN to what they're saying. If they seem like a good fit for what you're offering, say so. Something like "What you just shared is exactly what I help my clients with! I don't know if it would be a good fit or not, but I'd be happy to share a bit more about how I work with my clients".

5. FOLLOW-UP. If you don't hear back from people, follow-up. Again, think about how you'd behave if you sent an email to a friend and hadn't heard back. No need to be pushy, but if it's been 7 days, check-in again. "Hi [name], Did you get the email I sent last week? What did you think?" works really well.

6. FOCUS ON RELATIONSHIPS. Getting clients is sometimes a long game so why not plant as many seeds as you can with as many people as you can so you're less attached to the outcome. In time, this will become almost a game of figuring out how many people you can find to reach out to.

You've got this!

With love, Cailen

P.S. Finding clients is just one piece of my Six-Figures Made Simple™ framework. If you want to make 6-figures THIS YEAR, I'd love to explore having you join my Six-Figures Made Simple™ Mastermind. Check it out here.

I have something fun for you today -- a quiz!

I don't know about you, but I love taking quizzes and assessments.

First and foremost because they're fun, and secondly because they provide me with deeper insight into myself and my tendencies, and that is always valuable.

So, I put together a little quiz for you to help you determine what is holding you back from rising to the 6-figure level in your business.

It'll take less than 2min and will give you action steps to take RIGHT NOW to get yourself on the 6-figure track.

Take the "What's Keeping You from 6-Figures?" QUIZ here.

With love, Cailen

P.S. If you want a PROVEN SYSTEM to rise to the 6-figure level THIS YEAR, that's precisely what I cover inside my Six-Figures Made Simple Mastermind™. Learn more here.

Joining us on the podcast this week is my friend Nicole Holland who says "Nothing lights me up like helping established business owners reach more of the people they are meant to serve!" She's been named in the Huffington Post as one of "50 Must-Follow Women Entrepreneurs in 2017", interviewed on countless trending podcasts, featured in popular publications including Forbes, and Entrepreneur Magazine where her podcast was designated as one of "The 48 Best Podcasts for Entrepreneurs" and I'm thrilled to have her with us today.

Nicole's entrepreneurial journey began when she quit her full-time job as a correctional officer without an exit strategy. Knowing that she didn't want to start from scratch, she sought out the experts in online marketing and organized a summit for beginner business owners like herself. A summit interview with podcast expert John Lee Dumas shifted Nicole's attention to podcasting, and completely transformed her business.

Tune in to this week's episode to hear:

-- Why quiet, solitary time alone is essential for introverted entrepreneurs.

-- The importance of choosing mentors who are where you want to be (instead of a step or two ahead)

-- How to land interviews and be an amazing podcast guest

After you listen, take a screenshot of the podcast + tag me (@Cailen_Ascher) and Nicole (@thenicoleholland) on Instagram, and let us know your favorite takeaways from the episode!

-- Find Nicole Holland on her website at http://TheNicoleHolland.com and listen to her podcast at TheNicoleHollandShow.com

-- Download your Phases of Business Framework eBook here to find out where you currently are in your business, and create an action plan to move towards the next phase.

-- Share your insights and comments about this episode in 3-Day Workweek: Work Less, Make More, Live Better, my private community of over 1500+ female entrepreneurs

-- Want more tips, strategies, and resources for creating your own 3-Day Workweek? Subscribe, rate, and review The 3-Day Workweek Podcast on iTunes

-- Join the #3DayWorkweekMovement by grabbing your FREE 3-Day Workweek Guide by completing the form below!