Your Biz, Your Rules

Introvert? Workaholic? This one's for you.

On surviving the humans when you work from home:

• If you work from home, you need your solo time. If you also identify as an introvert, even more so. That’s ok. If you have someone there, invading your zen, it’s ok not to like it. It doesn’t mean you’re a terrible person or that you don’t love them.
• Figuring out a new routine that factors in another person is HARD.
• As with your clients, you’ve got to have rock solid boundaries with the people you love. This isn’t a hobby, it’s a business you’re building. Yes, that might lead to some difficult conversations, but what’s the alternative? Compromising progress on your goals? Slowing down your business so that someone else feels free to be noisy?

On creating more joy in your life and business:

• We all work so hard to create a life we love, so if you’re not loving it, it’s time to take action.
• Idea #1: I’m going to create a mammoth list of all the things that have ever brought me joy or made me feel happy, or enthusiastic, or excited about life (big or small) and then I’m simply going to start working through them. Who knows? I might just be able to bring back a bit of that magic…
• Idea #2: Buy a paper diary or calendar for 2019 and book in the things that fuel you. Think holidays and self-care days. Think personal development time and planning sessions. Think events you’ve always wanted to go to and a treat each month to make all the work-work-work worth it.

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Join me on Instagram here: 
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For the full show notes, including all the links mentioned in this episode, go here >> http://dairepaddy.com/episode59

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If you enjoyed this episode I'd love it if you could:

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The secrets to great content (and more).

The key takeaways:

• Being organised and being entrepreneurial are not mutually exclusive. An entrepreneurial mind dreams the dreams, an organised mind makes the dreams happen.
• Ride the waves of inspiration if you can, but always be strategic.
• Talking politics is a great way to showcase your values and polarise your audience, but if that’s the way you want to go, you need to be prepared to deal with the keyboard warriors.
• The three things you NEED for great content are clarity, personality and consistency. I dig into each of these in more detail in the ep, so do give it a listen.
• You can repurpose a great piece of evergreen content until the end of time, but get creative with the way you do it.

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Join me on Instagram here: 
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Sign up for my weekly (ish) jolts of genius here: http://dairepaddy.com/

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For the full show notes, including all the links mentioned in this episode, go here >> http://dairepaddy.com/episode58

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If you enjoyed this episode I'd love it if you could:

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Feel more excited in your business.

The key takeaways:

• Planning as a group is an amazing way to amp up your enthusiasm. It gets your juices flowing, makes you look at things from a different perspective and creates momentum that you don’t get when you’re going solo.
• Batching is brilliant. My crazy plan for 2019 is to publish a blog post every single week, outside of these podcast show notes. I bet you’re thinking, “that doesn’t sound so crazy”, but the crazy part is that I’m intending to create and schedule every single one of those before the end of this year.
• Identify your big problem areas and work on THOSE. You don’t have to take in all the lessons, for all the things, all the time. One of mine is feeling good about selling because right now I do it, but I don’t love it.
• I’m swiping Denise Duffield-Thomas‘s idea of having “Now, Next, Later” lists as a way to log and prioritise all of my ideas – farewell, shiny object syndrome!
• Creating content every day (note I said CREATING and not PUBLISHING) has a whole bunch of positive side effects. It makes you feel more present in your business, it helps you focus, it encourages you to celebrate your wins and it pushes you to get more creative.

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Join me on Instagram here: 
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Sign up for my weekly (ish) jolts of genius here: http://dairepaddy.com/

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For the full show notes, including all the links mentioned in this episode, go here >> http://dairepaddy.com/episode57

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If you enjoyed this episode I'd love it if you could:

a) Share your favourite moment, takeaway, or place to listen in your Instagram Stories, tagging me (@dairecharlotte)

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The title says it all.

The “bitching month” blueprint:

1. Review your list of goals. Is there anything you can tick off? Anything that’s no longer relevant? Anything that needs tweaking?
2. Take a look at your daily productivity process. Are you staying focused? How are you managing your tasks? Is there anything that seems to be falling through the gaps? Do you feel good as you work? Do you need a new app or project management system?
3. Note down your struggles. Is there a skill you’re lacking? Is there something you find particularly boring, or time-consuming, or difficult? Think about where you can either outsource or learn.
4. Analyse your daily routines, specifically: morning, break time, end of work day, end of day day. What really works for you? What doesn’t? What would make you feel better?
5. Clear your desktops, both physical and digital.
6. Tackle your inbox. Follow up on anything outstanding, delete anything no longer needed, archive anything you may want to refer back to later.
7. Track the money stuff. Send any invoices that go out manually. Chase anyone who hasn’t paid. Log your incomings and outgoings.
8. Set your intentions for the month ahead and then identify something you can do to make those things happen. (Note: I like to have a “feeling” intention and a “money” intention, but that’s just me.)

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Join me on Instagram here: 
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Sign up for my weekly (ish) jolts of genius here: http://dairepaddy.com/

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For the full show notes, including all the links mentioned in this episode, go here >> http://dairepaddy.com/episode56

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If you enjoyed this episode I'd love it if you could:

a) Share your favourite moment, takeaway, or place to listen in your Instagram Stories, tagging me (@dairecharlotte)

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If you want to find your content priority and banish the "shoulds" for good, this one's for you.

Tricks for getting out of the morning funk:

1. Braindump everything in a journal. All of the thoughts whirling around your head. Follow that up with a list of things you’re grateful for and a list of the big goals you’re working towards.
2. Declutter and deep clean your desk.
3. Put something zesty in your essential oil diffuser – I like to start the day with 2 drops of lime, 2 drops of grapefruit and 2 drops of peppermint. (NOTE: grapefruit oil can interact with some medications so do your research first).
4. Switch on a delightfully cheesy playlist.
5. Go through your emails, messaging apps and any project management tools and capture EVERYTHING that needs to be done, and pop them in one central location. That makes it much easier to review and rejig your to-do list to make sure it’s extra manageable.

How to find your content priority:

1. Look at all of the places where you have a digital presence and pick ONE place to share your core content and ONE place to connect with your community.
2. Out of all the things you’d like to be sharing each week, pick ONE piece of content that’s sacred. This is the one that you will commit to sharing no matter what. The others you can let go of if things get busy, but this one thing should stay consistent. For me, that’s my Instagram Stories.

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Join me on Instagram here: 
https://www.instagram.com/dairecharlotte/

Sign up for my weekly (ish) jolts of genius here: http://dairepaddy.com/

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For the full show notes, including all the links mentioned in this episode, go here >> http://dairepaddy.com/episode55

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If you enjoyed this episode I'd love it if you could:

a) Share your favourite moment, takeaway, or place to listen in your Instagram Stories, tagging me (@dairecharlotte)

b) Hop over to iTunes and leave me an honest review.

Struggle to focus on your biggest priorities? Yes? Then this one's for you.

My 90 day planning system:

• Set some time aside on the Friday before the new quarter starts. If you just try to fit your planning around everyday tasks, it will fall to the bottom of your list.
• Review all of the different things in your business – your last 90 day plan, your current product portfolio/1:1 clients, new ideas you’ve had, your working habits, your finances (incoming and outgoing), what has and hasn’t worked (and WHY).
• Figure out what your income target is and then get specific about HOW you can bring that money in. What will you need to sell? How many spots do you need to fill?
• What events do you need to take into account? Are you launching? Attending weekly calls? Taking part in a free challenge? Going on holiday? Joining weekly co-working sessions? List out all of these things and add them to your calendar of choice.
• Limit yourself to three goals – I tend to have one life goal and two business-related goals.
• Redesign your habits – everything from morning rituals, daily break times and self-care routines. I then add these to Asana so I’m prompted to do it at the appropriate time.

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Join me on Instagram here: 
https://www.instagram.com/dairecharlotte/

Sign up for my weekly (ish) jolts of genius here: http://dairepaddy.com/

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For the full show notes, including all the links mentioned in this episode, go here >> http://dairepaddy.com/episode54

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If you enjoyed this episode I'd love it if you could:

a) Share your favourite moment, takeaway, or place to listen in your Instagram Stories, tagging me (@dairecharlotte)

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In this week's episode I'm addressing two struggles that so many self-employed types face:

• Isolation, and like you're cutting yourself off from humanity.
• Crafting the perfect sales page for your perfect offer

The key takeaways:

• When things get busy and overwhelming, it’s so easy to retreat into yourself and break all the promises you’ve made with regards to your own business. If it happens, nobody will die, you’ll be fine, just recommit to your intentions tomorrow. That might mean sticking post-its everywhere, or setting Asana reminders, or arranging “in person” meets with friends.
• Knowing what you ARE willing to do and AREN’T willing to do is important. The same goes for HOW you want to feel and the relationships you want to have.

New additions to the Content Arsenal:

• The monthly book club
• Weekly Q&A sessions
• Weekly virtual coworking sessions

My simple tip for sales page success:

Think about the last three things you bought online and open up their sales pages. For each page, grab a fresh piece of paper and list out all the elements that make it up. When you’re done, look at all your notes critically and use them to inspire your own sales page template. If it doesn’t convert the way you’d like it to (and you’re doing all the sales activity), come back and have a play around. Shuffle sections about, tweak, test, try new things. That’s it. no need to overcomplicate.

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Join me on Instagram here: 
https://www.instagram.com/dairecharlotte/

Sign up for my weekly (ish) jolts of genius here: http://dairepaddy.com/

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For the full show notes, including all the links mentioned in this episode, go here >> http://dairepaddy.com/episode53

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If you enjoyed this episode I'd love it if you could:

a) Share your favourite moment, takeaway, or place to listen in your Instagram Stories, tagging me (@dairecharlotte)

b) Hop over to iTunes and leave me an honest review.

Do you feel like you have mornings "down"? Like you've perfected a little ritual designed to fuel your days and supercharge your success?
This is one of the things I've been working on recently, and in this episode, I'm sharing where I am with that. I'm also talking about a book that's inspiring some day-by-day changes AND the biggest thing(s) I got from being part of a small business mastermind experience.

The key takeaways:

• I go through phases of LOVING my morning routine, but after a while, it starts to feel a bit stagnant. That’s why I like to mix it up every now and again. My biggest tip is to think of all the things that make you feel good, and then pick out little bits and pieces that you can weave into those early hours.
• If you say you want to finish work early… FINISH WORK EARLY. I’ve set a “30-minute” warning to remind me when I need to start thinking about powering down (because I’m a child, and I need that prompt).
• Occasionally my dog drinks water really loudly while I’m recording. Sorry.
• Connecting with other women in business can be a life-saver – especially if you have a tendency to isolate yourself whenever you feel stressed or overwhelmed. One of the benefits of being in a mastermind is that you’re encouraged to rely on others and build that amazing support network.
• Stop coasting! Take a moment to think strategically about what you want from your life and your business. No more riding the bland waves of consistency.

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Join me on Instagram here: 
https://www.instagram.com/dairecharlotte/

Sign up for my weekly (ish) jolts of genius here: http://dairepaddy.com/

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For the full show notes, including all the links mentioned in this episode, go here >> http://dairepaddy.com/episode52

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If you enjoyed this episode I'd love it if you could:

a) Share your favourite moment, takeaway, or place to listen in your Instagram Stories, tagging me (@dairecharlotte)

b) Hop over to iTunes and leave me an honest review.

The do's and don'ts of being an affiliate AND inspiration to make your life and biz a bit more lovely.

The do’s and don’ts of affiliate marketing:

• If you throw nonsense at your people without much discernment, they’ll stop trusting your word… and then where will you be? Only promote the products that you would shout loud about even without the promise of a commission.
• Share the difference something has made to YOU, rather than trying to con people with shiny sales speak.
• Don’t avoid affiliate marketing simply because of its reputation. You can do this with integrity.
• Tell your story in relation to the product, whether that’s the benefits you’ve seen yourself or a signature system you’ve developed using a particular tool.
• Put the work in. Earn your commission. This is not about free money.

Other key takeaways:

• What the brain knows and what the brain does are two very different things.
• Do the things that make you feel like a person instead of a workaholic robot.
• If you have eyes or ears, you should get a copy of The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson.
• I started a book club!

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Join me on Instagram here: 
https://www.instagram.com/dairecharlotte/

Sign up for my weekly (ish) jolts of genius here: http://dairepaddy.com/

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For the full show notes, including all the links mentioned in this episode, go here >> http://dairepaddy.com/episode51

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If you enjoyed this episode I'd love it if you could:

a) Share your favourite moment, takeaway, or place to listen in your Instagram Stories, tagging me (@dairecharlotte)

b) Hop over to iTunes and leave me an honest review.

Episode 50 is here and to celebrate I'm answering all of the wacky questions submitted by my online community.

The questions I hit in this episode:

• What do you when people want to pick your brains (for free) and then credit their success to everyone but you?
• How do you deal with clients always tagging you in posts and expecting you to share everything?
• What would you tell 13-year-old Daire?
• What are your top three productivity hacks?
• How often should you raise your rates?
• If you could choose anyone at all to be your mentor, who would it be?
• What do you wish you’d implemented sooner in your business?
• What is the best procrastination technique in your arsenal?
• What is your favourite biscuit?
• What’s the worst habit you have in your business life?
• If you could only have one type of cheese forever, would you even bother living?
• What’s the best kind of dog for entrepreneurial life?
• Who is your favourite wizard?
• What have you learned about yourself from starting your own business?
• Why are you always showing your tits online?
• What spell would you use, if you could use any?

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Join me on Instagram here: 
https://www.instagram.com/dairecharlotte/

Sign up for my weekly (ish) jolts of genius here: http://dairepaddy.com/

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

For the full show notes, including all the links mentioned in this episode, go here >> http://dairepaddy.com/episode50

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

If you enjoyed this episode I'd love it if you could:

a) Share your favourite moment, takeaway, or place to listen in your Instagram Stories, tagging me (@dairecharlotte)

b) Hop over to iTunes and leave me an honest review.