How many times in your life have you heard that you should have 3 – 6 month’s worth of expenses saved for an emergency? I know I have heard it over and over. From a teacher in high school. From my Mother. From listening to the Dave Ramsey show. I have heard it SO MANY TIMES, and I had the best intentions, but it hasn’t happened. There has always been something that came up that caused us to deplete it, or to stop us from saving. We have made huge financial gains through careful spending over the last few years, and thankfully we still have some income and we will get through – but man, it would have been lovely to be sitting on 3 – 6 month’s worth of money. To know without a doubt that this pandemic isn’t going to cause us to go into debt, and we don’t have to worry for at least 3 – 6 months. So my question to you is – did you have an emergency fund in place? If so congratulations, and I want to hear – how did it make you feel to know that you don’t have to think about finances in the coming months? Did you feel relief or are you still freaking out at having to actually use that money? Less panicked than friends who didn’t? If you didn’t – where does that leave you? Are you going to get through this, or are you now scrambling and at risk of losing your home or struggling to feed your family?

I am hoping and praying that all of you listening are going to be able to get through without having to look at those worst case scenario options. If you are in a position where you have no income PLEASE look into what options are available in your area. I know for us in Canada the government has put a LOT of supports in place, and I have heard that other countries are offering help to their citizens as well. Check your government websites, reach out to local online communities and ask for help navigating the system and finding out what help is available. Contact your bank and ask about payment deferrals, credit options, and any other way they might be able to bridge the gap. Call companies that you have services with and ask if it is possible to suspend them, or if they are offering relief. A lot of the companies that I do business with – includes Adobe, Dubsado, and Showit have all offered 2 months off for clients who have lost their income due to COVID19.  Reach out to local churches, food banks, and agencies that might be able to help with essential supplies. I have even heard that some Tim Horton’s locations are offering free meals for kids – there are LOTS of companies, agencies and people willing to help if you can get a bit resourceful and not be afraid to ask for help. Communication is a big piece here – if you aren’t going to be able to make rent, call your landlord ahead of time. If you can’t pay your hydro, water, gas, or car payment – reach out to the companies to ask what your options are. If you stick your head in the sand and just let due dates pass and bills pile up its going to get ugly, but most companies are going to be willing to work with someone who calls up and respectfully explains their situation and asks for options – especially considering everything that is happening in the world right now.

I have also seen tons of people posting that they are willing to help out with groceries or paying bills for anyone who needs the help – and its ok to accept that help if you need it. This is an exceptional time and it is going to call on us to be both exceptionally generous and exceptionally vulnerable. Whether you are on the side that is able to give and needs to step up and offer, or the side that needs help and needs to swallow their pride and ask – please know it is ok. Either side is ok to be on, we are in it together and we will get through it together.

I also want to encourage anyone who is in a position of need to check out last week’s episode on how we can innovate and get a bit creative and scrappy to get some income coming in. If you are in Canada and have applied for the CERB then this won’t likely

One of the common threads that I am seeing is that people are willing to stay home but they are panicking about income, and their businesses shutting down. In Ontario we have been told to shut down all non-essential businesses – which means there are a ton of people who were self-employed that are suddenly out of work. I know this is the reality for a people in a lot of other provinces and countries as well and it is creating a lot of stress for people. I am incredibly lucky in that our government is offering emergency care benefits for people like me, who wouldn’t normally qualify for normal unemployment benefits or programs like that – so if I find I am unable to come up with other ways to generate income then I will have that to fall back on and help us keep our children fed and bills paid - but I recognize that for a lot of people this isn’t the case. This is why I want to talk about how we as small business owners (or aspiring business owners) can get scrappy, get creative and innovate within our businesses to keep the money flowing in.

A lot of people are worried right now – not just about their immediate income, but about how the economy is going to rebound when everything is said a done. How would a potential recession affect them? How will their business and finances survive? I’m not a financial guru or expert, but I do know that some of the most successful businesses were created in recessions. Times of challenge create problems – problems that need solutions. I also know that if you look to the most successful businesses out there you will see a common theme – they change, they grow and they innovate. Logically, this means that as a small business we need to prepare to do the same, and we need to look for needs that our services or products can fill.

My business is clearly non-essential, so I wasn’t in the least bit surprised when I was told it was time to close up shop. Having professional photographs done of your baby is beautiful to have, but certainly not a requirement for survival. Well before I got that notification, I was already aware that there was a high probability it was going to happen, so I started brainstorming. What can I do to continue generating income through my business without actually bringing new face in front of my camera? What are some ways that I can continue to serve my clients and community so that I am top of mind when things are up and running again? How can I hit the ground running hard once this is all over and get my business back to thriving as soon as possible? I was able to think of a few things pretty quickly. I could offer a sale on digital files for all of those people who had sessions with me over the years. This would supply a bit of income not just for me, but for my retoucher as well. We could offer an amazing deal and send out an email along the lines of “if there was an image that you always wished you could have had” or “ever wish you could have had all of the images from your session? Now’s your chance” and then offer an amazing deal on those previously unpurchased digital files. Yes, it means offering my work for slightly less – but this is an unprecedented time where we need to think survival – and let’s be honest, there’s LOTS of time available to edit them now that we aren’t allowed to leave our homes :P Another idea came from seeing a piece of art someone in a Facebook group had made. They were following an online tutorial that helped them turn a photograph into a beautiful digital watercolor painting in Photoshop. They are beautiful images and definitely something I could see my clients purchasing. So there is another opportunity – create a new piece of art from the sessions I have already done and sell those to the clients as well. These ideas aren’t going to generate the 6 figures a year that my business was previously making – but they might bring in enough income to buy groceries or keep the lights on. Take a look at your business and see where y

Everything is going to be ok… I feel like all of us need to hear this on repeat right now. Everything is going to be ok. We are in this together, and we will get through it together. I have taken about a week, a week of sitting around shell shocked and reeling at the speed at which everything is changing. A week of feeling panicked, of trying to adjust to this new normal. A week of supporting my kids and helping THEM adjust to this new way of living – apart from their friends, on a completely different schedule and at a new pace. I’m hoping that all of you gave yourself that time as well and I’m also hoping that like me you are starting to spring back to life, to plan and strategize how you can best get through this.

I am pushing pause on what I had originally planned for the next couple of episodes because with everything that is happening in the world right now there are a couple of things I want to get out there to help people weather this.

Today’s episode being – how to work at home because with businesses shutting down (businesses… the world), everyone being sent home to work, kids off school and everything else that is happening there are a LOT of people who are suddenly finding themselves trying to figure out how to accomplish much of anything while working at home with their partner, their kids, their pets, the temptation to multitask and do laundry at the same time – all of it.

So for a lot of people, this working from home things is pretty new. Potentially they have never done it before and honestly while it sounds simple there are a lot of things that can throw a wrench in your productivity. Way more distractions, way more flexibility and way less accountability. I am a work from home pro. I have been doing it for years and years – both with kids and daycare, and without. In the first years of my son’s life, when it was just he and I there was a LOT of time spent simultaneously working and taking care of a baby – its not easy but it can be done. In more recent years there have been times when the kids are home sick and I need to juggle work and taking care of them – again not easy, but I will say its definitely easier as the kids get older. If you have babies or toddlers home right now and are trying to work – my heart goes out to you because I get just how challenging that is – but don’t give up, you can do this!

First tip – create structure for yourself and for the kids. We all do better when we have some form of structure. Stick to getting up and going to bed at the same times each day. Hold onto your morning routine of getting ready for the day (if you have one, I personally tend to live in pajamas but its been YEARS since I worked a regular 9-5 type job, so that IS my normal). Schedule meals, at least loosely. Schedule breaks as well as your start and finish times. Make sure as well that if you do have kids at home and you are juggling being a Mom and working at the same time that you are scheduling things for the kids. Left to their own devices they WILL drive you crazy and interrupt every single task that you try to complete for the day. It’s not an if, it’s a matter of when. So give them something to do because the 5 – 10 minutes you spend setting them up on an activity is going to buy you a lot of time and save you a lot of headache and frustration through out the day.

If at all possible – preplan the activities for the day. The internet is absolutely FULL of great activities for kids of all ages right now. Jump on Pinterest, ask friends for ideas, google “what to do with my kids in quarantine” and I promise you are going to get hundreds of ideas. Get yourself set up the night before and then when the kids wake up give them a general outline of what to expect. Knowing what their day will look like gives them a sense of security and reduces their anxiety as well. Tell them what activities are planned, what meals will look like and when you plan to serve snacks. Start to create a new routine th

The world is an interesting place right now, to be sure. We are facing a pandemic and with that comes a lot of change, new challenges, fear and anxiety. In this weeks episode I want to share some of what I have learned, what I am grateful for and how you can be a bit calmer too. I am also bringing our kids onto the podcast to share their ideas on how to keep kids entertained during the lock down as well as discussing some of the fears that kids may have and how to address them. 

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Cherie's work as an author, holistic psychologist, international speaker, mom of 6, podcast host, emotional release facilitator and feminine leadership development trainer has helped thousands of women all over the world find wholeness.

Today Cherie is sharing her story, as well as how trauma can impact our lives and what we can do about it.  I want to warn you that this episode may be triggering to some people as we are covering topics such as suicide, mental health and substance abuse – but I am hoping that for those that are able to push through, you will find hope in Cherie’s message.Connect with Cherie 

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The biggest thing that holds us back from our dreams and goals isn't money, or time - its fear. Stop playing it safe, lets build that life you've been dreaming of. 

Security is mostly a superstition. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing at all – Helen Keller

Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far it is possible to go.” — T.S. Eliot

“I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.” — Pablo Picasso

 “I can accept failure. Everybody fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying. Fear is an illusion.” — Michael Jordan

Today I want to talk about risks, rewards and fear – and I’m hoping that by the end of this your biggest fear will be not trying.

 

7 years ago I had a wee little photography business, I was a single Mom to a wee little baby, and had a wee little $1.68 left in my bank account. I also needed a root canal, and had given myself an ulcer trying to manage the pain because I legitimately couldn’t afford to have it fixed. I had no idea when the next booking was going to come in, or if it would be enough to pay my rent for the month.

Prior to having a baby I had been working a ton and was managing. The year that I was pregnant was my biggest year for income up to that point. I think I hit the $50k mark for the first time that year. It was a struggle being pregnant and working as much as I did, but I knew I was on my own, there was no one else to support us, and fear can be a great motivator so  I got determined and was hustling all hours of the day and night.

Having a baby made it impossible to continue though – and there was no other way I could seem to find get money coming in. Even though we Canadian’s have an amazing 12 – 18 months of paid maternity leave, that doesn’t actually apply to the self-employed, so there was no maternity leave and I was back to work within a few months. I was breastfeeding, he wouldn’t take a bottle and I couldn’t leave him for too long. Even if I could have afforded full time daycare, it wasn’t an option because no one could get the child to eat. So, I would have a baby sitter come hang out with him upstairs, while I worked with clients and then I would sprint up the stairs as soon as I was done to go feed my little man. Side note – my studio and my apartment were the same place. It’s a one bedroom and the baby and I lived in the bedroom, while the living area and kitchen were converted into a studio. I STILL use that space today, except the bedroom now houses my props – so I don’t want to hear excuses about not having a fancy studio, store front, etc. holding you back!

He didn’t nap, he didn’t hang out in bouncer chairs or swings batting at toys like other babies, he was a very unhappy little guy that had to be rocked and walked constantly. Working while he was awake wasn’t really an option. Working while he was sleeping was also tough because for the first 14 months he never slept more than 45 minutes at a time – which not only mean that I would be stopping every 45 minutes, but also, I’m sure you can imagine just how bone tired I was.

I was SO tired, so tired, that one time when he was an infant we were sitting in a doctor’s office and this sweet elderly lady beside me asked what his name was. I just looked at her blinking and said “I did name him… I swear… I just… I don’t remember what” and then we laughed about the exhaustion of Motherhood, and decided we would both find out when the doctor called us for our appointment. Except that when they called his name they used his first and last name, but my son doesn’t actually go by his first name, so I still just sat there staring blankly thinking, huh, what a coincidence that was my Dad’s name, until the receptionist came over and said “isn’t that you?” So yeah, I was THAT tired. Like whoa… Not the best for productivity.

I will say I am blessed in that I have a family who would help me. The basement apartment that I was living in belonged to my Mother and

If you have ever wondered how to get your business covered by news outlets, what a press release is and if you actually need one, or how to go about pitching a story idea then this episode is made for you! (and if you have a business and HAVEN’T been thinking about it, then you are probably going to want to listen and find out why you should) Over her twenty years as a professional journalist, Ashley M. Biggers has written 2,500 articles and interviewed around 12,500 sources—the majority of them have been creative entrepreneurs and small business owners. Her byline has appeared on CNN, USA Today, and many other top sites. Ashley is passionate about breaking down barriers between small business owners and the media, so more game-changing stories can be told. She's taking her insider knowledge of the media industry and teaching entrepreneurs to do media outreach for themselves. She guides them through pitching the media and earning press coverage, so they can grow their audiences, earn more revenue, and get back to doing what they love.

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I want to get really real for a second. It might even sound a bit harsh, but I promise it is coming from a place of love and wanting you to be happier and see your business grow. If you are running a business and your clients are driving you crazy it is PROBABLY your fault.

Yes, I am laying the blame for your client induced misery squarely on your shoulders. Sorry.

One of THE most important things you can do for the health of your business is setting expectations with your clients. Making your products or services and processes SUPER clear, and letting them know exactly what to expect from start to finish, and identifying exactly who your ideal client is. When we fail to do this, we end up with problem clients.

There are always a ton of posts in entrepreneurship or photography Facebook groups where business owners are complaining about their clients. It’s a safe place to do so, and it’s also a great place to get advice from other entrepreneurs in your space to give you advice on how to resolve any issues that arise. (Be careful with that though, I have seen some amazing advice given, but I have also seen equally terrible advice) This safe space allows for people to be really honest about what is going on in their business and for people to commiserate on the problems that keep coming up.

Unfortunately there are a lot of problems that just KEEP coming up, over and over and 9 times out of 10 the problem isn’t actually with the client, but with a lack of expectations being set from the beginning of the transaction.

I mentioned in a recent episode that I used to have tons of clients that would try to take over the entire session – trying to change lighting or poses, moving props. It was really, really frustrating for me, but, as much as I hated to admit it – it wasn’t their fault, it was mine. I needed to be more confident, assertive and do a way better job of presenting myself as the authority and the expert.

Now that isn’t to say that there aren’t one off, crazy client issues that come up – because I see a lot of those too. There are some people that are just impossible to please. Generally there are red flags, and I will cover that in a second, but sometimes it comes out of nowhere. These aren’t the types of problems I am referencing though.

I am talking about the problems that come up repeatedly.  Like clients messaging you at all hours of the day and night, expecting a reply, or clients texting or reaching out on your personal Facebook instead of emailing, clients harassing their photographer to know when their portraits will be ready, or even people asking for discounts all the time. If you are having the same issue over and over with multiple clients then there is probably something in either the way you present yourself and your business, or in your communication process that is causing the issue. In other words – it’s not them, it’s you. And that sucks to hear because no one likes to be critiqued, but once we can recognize where the problem lies it is SO much easier to fix it.

The easiest way to prevent issues is to be so incredible clear and intentional in setting our client’s expectations for working with us. They need to know, and therefor need to be told (either directly, or through implication) how to communicate, how long it will take for us to respond, how the service or product is delivered and what the experience is like, what the timelines look like and more.

In most cases the entire process actually starts before you ever have contact with a potential client. They generally either find you online or through a referral before you even know they exist. The see your website, or they hear about a friend’s experience and this is where the expectations start to be set. This means that you need to be super consistent, and make sure that you are very intentional with your online presence.

If their friend says that they got a deal, then this new client will want one too. If their friend says that you respons

Learn how you can use Pinterest to drive traffic, leads and sales for your business. Charisse Merrill is sharing her process for using Pinterest to help entrepreneur's to grow their business. 

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I think the title of this episode sort of says it all.. Do you ever feel like a fraud? And I’m pretty sure I know the answer. For almost everyone that answer is going to be yes. Because there has been a time at some point in our lives where we felt like a fraud. An imposter. Total fake.

Maybe it was at work. Maybe it was hanging out with the cool kids. Maybe it was at a school meeting or giving advice to a friend. That sense of doubt has a tendency to sneak in on all of us at some point or another, even if we are super successful or seem to have it all together.

This morning I got up, completely drained and completely exhausted from being up with the kids a million times through the night and because the cat decided that 4am was a great time to attack my feet. Michael was gone for work already so I got up at the last possible second and got the kids out the door to school, before coming home and climbing back in bed for a quick nap that turned into a nap with an extra hour and change of hitting the snooze button cause I just didn’t want to get up.

In those moments of trying to convince myself to get out of bed and get started on the day, I felt like a fraud and a failure, which is ridiculous because there is zero reason I shouldn’t have gone back to bed to refresh and have a better jump on the day, but it is SO easy to feel like we need to be perfect. To criticize ourselves or beat ourselves up for every little thing.

I could look at the morning and think “geez, I give out parenting advice on the regular and here I am on a school morning asking my 8 year old to get the 5 year old cereal and help her get dressed and make sure his brothers are up too because I want to hit snooze one more time” Which honestly, if it were every day wouldn’t be ideal, but truthfully, because its NOT every day, he probably felt really proud that he could help Mom out and contribute in such a big way. It probably gave him a sense of significance and just isn’t that big of a deal.

Its THAT easy for it to start though. It can be the littlest action or thought that leads people to question everything, and for some it can be paralyzing. They don’t move, they don’t change anything because they feel like people will find them out. Obviously the simplest answer is just to be completely authentic, and not present any kind of façade or front, show people just as many of your imperfections as what you would want them to see and accept your entire self, for who you really are… but what about when you doubt even the things you are really and truly good at?

Last summer I had a client show up for a maternity session, and she brought her bestie along to the appointment. As soon as they walked in the door I felt like I knew the friend. Maybe not in real life, more like she reminded me of someone, or looked and sounded just like a celebrity. Of course since I pay very little attention to the celebrity world and am pretty terrible with names and faces, I couldn’t peg exactly who it was, but I figured it would probably come to me in the middle of the night, at which point I would email my client and prove just how much they looked alike. We joked that she must have a celebrity doppleganger, and that we should take a picture of her and run it through a similar image search on google to see who came up, and then moved on to creating the maternity portraits for my stunning client. I feel like its important to note that this client was just gorgeous. She knew her angles, her body was incredible and she made my job of creating stunning portraits super easy – this will be relevant later in the story. About half way through the session is dawned on me who this girl looked like, but of course, being terrible with pop culture I still couldn’t remember the name of the actress, the show (actually I remembered it as a movie) or even the name of the character she played, but I described the show and my client was pretty quick to pick up on which one I was talking abou