Your Biz, Your Rules

I’m diving into one of the worst sales experiences OF MY LIFE (not being dramatic at all), a new personal mission of mine and a little bit of something worth celebrating.
Because there’s *always* something worth celebrating.

The key takeaways:

• There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with using sales scripts if that’s what you need to feel a bit more confident with selling.
• You cannot control other people’s reactions to your content (or to life in general). You can only control your own actions, so make sure those align with your values and shiz.
• We can’t resolve every single conflict that comes into our space. Sometimes we have to learn to let things go. (I know, I know, I’m still working on this one.)
• If something happens that calls your integrity into question, reach out to the people involved.
• When you’re showing up and being more visible in your business, you WILL trigger reactions from people, both good and bad. None of that has anything to do with you. That’s their stuff.
• Shockingly, squishing down your brain junk doesn’t actually fix anything. If you want to see a change in your mind (and in your life) you’ve got to be willing to work on your personal development.
• Carve out some time to work on yourself. We all put this time and effort into our businesses, but we don’t put the same focus on our minds… and if you run a business, your mind needs to be BULLETPROOF!

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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/episode49

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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 key takeaways:

• The struggle often lies with balancing the time and energy you give to your clients and the time and energy you invest in growing your own business – especially if you work with other online business owners. My biggest tip is to calendarise the “your biz” time so you can keep that customer pipeline topped up. Make this work for you, but the way I do it is to have Fridays as a super-strict MY BUSINESS day and then commit to doing one small thing that will move my business forward Monday to Thursday.
• It can often feel like you’re pouring content into an internet vacuum, but ask yourself this: how often do you engage with other people’s content? Think of the content game as community karma – if you give the love, you’ll get the love. Tell those creators you adore just how much they’ve impacted you.
• If you follow any sort of goal-setting system, there can be a bit of pressure to dream up the perfect goals at the perfect time… but that’s pressure you don’t need. Give yourself permission to follow your muse WHEN SHE ARRIVES. You don’t have to hunt her down with a shotgun.

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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/episode48

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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.

Ever worried that you don't know what you don't know? Then this one's for you.

The key takeaways:

• People think learning has to be boring and it doesn’t. A lot of the things that you learn as a freelancer, or as a self-employed entrepreneur, are really fun. There are sales classes out there that teach you how to do sales in a fun, comfortable, non-icky way. There are so many different ways of doing things, that can actually turn the scary thing into a fun thing.
• A really important part of learning is the confidence and the control you get. One of the reasons I decided to start this podcast in the first place was that I wanted to explore all of these ways that you can build a business that feels good, that suits your own personality and isn’t just the done thing. I think that’s a really important thing to remember, because you can find experts out there that mesh with you, mesh with your values, mesh with your casual pace, and can teach you how to improve in certain areas. It’s not like they’re all working off a curriculum.
• You know yourself, what you’ve got time for, what you’ve got energy for. So you can find the things that suit that. If you’ve just got five minutes while you’re making a cuppa, listen to a short podcast. Learning doesn’t have to be signing up for a huge course. It can be sitting down for half an hour with a video series or mini-course.
• There may be all these learning opportunities out there, just remember DISCERNMENT. Just because there are a lot of podcasts you could listen to, or courses you could find, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you should listen or sign up for all of them. Quality over quantity. It’s okay to follow someone for a while and get what you need from them, and then switch up and start following somebody else a little more closely when that’s the sort of stuff that you need.

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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/episode47

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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.

I'm giving you permission to LOUNGE.

Yep, no more worrying that your acts of self-care aren't glittery or Instagrammable enough - this week we're talking about the importance of embracing the things that feeeeel good!

10 wildly refuelling acts of self-care to get you started:

• Dive into a big bowl of cheesy pasta.
• Give yourself a pedicure (yes this DOES count because NOBODY should be taking pictures of their feet.
• Wear your comfiest, most threadbare PJs and snuggle up with the dogs.
• Go for a long walk somewhere filled with nature… with no signal or internet access.
• Take a long, hot shower.
• Dig out a little area of your garden and plant some fun things. Ok, this one might become Instagram-worthy, but right now it’ll just look like mud.
• Laugh along to a workout video from the early ’90s (my vote goes to Cher’s, she’s just fabulous)
• Lose a few hours on The Sims
• Create a fun new playlist and dance around the room like nobody’s watching… because nobody is.
• Binge watch some reality TV. Without any shame or guilt.

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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/episode45

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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.

Want to know everything that will help you win at business?
Yes? Then just listen to this episode. You're welcome.

The key takeaways:

• When you really want to knuckle down and start to focus, particularly if you’re looking to scale, you need to take a look at your product roadmap. Figure out what’s working, what isn’t and what you really want to give your attention to.
• Get super clear on your personal vision and your business goals, then whenever you get flooded with All The Ideas, you have a benchmark. Are they in alignment with what you want from life? Will they help you move closer towards your goals? If they don’t, but them on hold. You can always change your mind later.
• Values. It’s not enough to say you have them and then write about them all the time. You have to live those values and show them even when nobody’s watching. Think about how each of those core beliefs is manifested in real life terms and then bring them to life. They will become synonymous with your name, and that what will make “your people” really align with you. (Note: it’s not always easy. You might get questioned a lot, but it’s still an important part of showing up in your business.)
• Online marketing can be really overwhelming and confusing, especially if you’re not 100% clear on what’s right for you. It’s easy to follow someone else’s shiny strategy down the rabbit hole but that won’t always bring you the results you need. Gemma’s Smart Marketing System is an easy-to-customise framework that you can tweak, rinse and repeat every 90 days. It’s built around getting clarity on your people, processes and products and then developing marketing options that support, promote and sell you in all the right ways.
• If there is ONE thing you need to do to see big results in your business – make it building unwavering belief in yourself. Once you believe, everyone else will too. And why they believe, they’ll buy.

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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/episode44

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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.

Supercharge your momentum this summer.

It's so common for things to die down over the summer, but that can feel like the kiss of death as a business owner. In this episode, I'm sharing all about how I'm planning to step it up over the next couple of months. More visibility, more money and even more downtime. Yes, really.

The scannable version:

This week I’ve been reviewing the progress I’ve made in my business over the past few months, and while I’ve accomplished some fab things (yay!) I realised I want to bring even more attention to my focus areas of 2018.

If you haven’t heard me talk about them in all their alliterative glory, these three themes are:

• CHILL: All about self-care and taking downtime. Perhaps even working towards the holy grail that is work/life balance.
• CHANGE: Step outside that nice, peaceful “behind the laptop” comfort zone.
• CHA-CHING: Making more money with intention and ease.

As we step into the summer, I’ve decided to challenge myself to make one move to help me cultivate more of each of these things every single day. Then a brainwave hit, why not turn it into a group experience, and invite YOU to join me?

That means every day, we’ll take one step towards:

Better work/life rhythms
Being seen and getting your message “out there”
The magic of making more money

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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/episode41

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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.

If you never want to run out of Instagram post inspiration EVER again, this one's for you.

Instagram Post Idea #1 TAKE A PIECE OF YOUR CONTENT AND SHARE IT.

• Share a key takeaway from that piece of content
• Share an actionable tip or lesson
• Pull out a memorable quote and elaborate
• Bullet point a series of highlights
• The motivation behind that piece of content

Tip: Mix it up and present your content in different ways so you’re Insta posts never feel samey.

Instagram Post Idea #2 SHARE SOMETHING YOU’VE READ AND HOW IT’S INSPIRED YOU TO DO SOMETHING.

• A blog post that inspired you to create a free challenge, opt-in or series of your own
• A book that has really made you want to take action and implement a lesson
• An essay or thought piece that inspired you to write your response

Instagram Post Idea #3 SHARE A HABIT OR ACTIVITY THAT IMPACTS THE WAY YOU LIVE OR WORK.

• The routines that set your days up for success
• A signature process for doing part of your day-to-day work
• Simple habits that help you stay productive, or motivated, or inspired

Instagram Post Idea #4 SHARE SOMETHING YOU’VE LISTENED TO THAT REALLY MADE YOU THINK.

• An audiobook that prompted you to make a change
• A podcast that has inspired a response
• A mood-altering song (or playlist)
• Lyrics or quotes that make your brain spark

Instagram Post Idea #5 SHARE A LESSON YOU’VE TRULY ENJOYED IMPLEMENTING.

• A big takeaway from a course you’ve done
• A tip from a video or live stream you’ve watched
• Explore ideas you’ve been talking about with your biz buddies.

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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/episode46

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

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.

Have you managed to nail all those New Year's resolutions yet? No? I'm shocked.

No need to worry! In this episode, I'm sharing a handful of my favourite tips for stepping up the momentum and making moves towards those big achievements you've been dreaming of.

The key takeaways: 5 ways to stay on track with your goals:

1. Buy yourself a Full Focus Planner. I’m not an affiliate, I just LOVE them.
2. Programme in an arse-kicking – accountability is a big motivator.
3. Challenge yourself to make micro-moves.
4. Use what you know about your personality and your tendencies to maximise your momentum.
5. Review and re-prioritise – is this even a goal you still care about?

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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/episode40

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

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.

Are you letting the way you look hold you back from being visible in your business? This is for you.

The key takeaways:

• There’s a difference between being a foodie who just loves food and being so obsessed with food that it fills you with anxiety, overwhelm and self-castigation. When you turn food into an emotional issue, one where you deserve punishment for eating xyz, or you think there’s NO WAY IN HELL you can eat certain things, that’s when you need to step back and think “this obsession might not be healthy”.
• I find meals are the perfect way to bring some structure to you week (and days) especially when you work from home. There’s a nice amount of order that comes with meal planning. Just don’t take it too far. If you eat after 6pm you won’t die.
• Eating should be enjoyable and it should be fun and it should be pleasurable, and actually, it should be easy.
• Don’t underestimate how dangerous the dieting approach to food is because nobody ever intentionally sets out to become a huge dysfunctional eater, but as soon as you start with the rules and the plans and the programmes and the invisible labels with food, you’re already increasing your chance of eating disorders, of food obsession, of binging, of food anxiety, of overeating, of not knowing when to stop.
• It so common for entrepreneurial women to hold themselves back from being visible because of their weight or the way they look. It’s connected to this belief of not being good enough – an internal dialogue that in reality, your audience is not in agreement with. Nobody judges you the way YOU judge you.

 

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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/episode42

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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.

Feeling overworked? Create content anyway.

In this ep, I'm sharing a handful of simple tricks to help you weave content creation into your week no matter how busy you are. You're welcome.

If you fancy the briefest of overviews, here are the TOP SECRET TRICKS I use to make time to create content:

• BONUS: Believe that you can actually do this stuff.
• Look for space in your calendar and book it out for content creation. Treat this like you would a client booking.
• Batch tasks that require the same headspace and/or skillset. (For example, batch your research, batch your drafting, batch your editing, batch your image creation, etc, etc)
• Capture ideas as you go – don’t wait for inspiration to hit when you sit down to create.
• Get help where you need it, whether that’s in the form of an app, a VA or a bit of accountability.
• Be ruthless with your productivity. Switch off all potential distractions – all the devices, all the tabs, EVERYTHING, then set a timer and GO!
• Make sure your templates are on point – I create templates for everything from Instagram posts, to show notes, to weekly newsletters.
• Ride the waves of inspiration – create the things you enjoy in a way that you enjoy. Know what motivates you and use THAT to help you get things done.

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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/episode43

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

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.