Your Dream Business

In today’s episode of the podcast I talk about when things in your life and business get tough! I give you actionable steps on how to keep going and stay motivated when this does happen.

 

KEY TAKEAWAYS COVERED IN THE PODCAST

 

• As a business owner, we have to do everything! It is understandably tiring.
• There are so many different factors that contribute to how we are feeling about life and business and have an impact.
• When you put your value into external forces (e.g. amount of customers, money, clients, etc), you then lose control of your own worth and happiness because we can’t guarantee any of those things.
• You’re worth the money you want to charge and you’re great at what do – just because one person says they don’t want to buy or wants to cancel their membership does not change this.
• Remember why you started and why you do it! Who are you doing it for?
• Look back and remind yourself how far you have come already! Sometimes we can forget this.
• You did that! You are amazing.
• Find your squad and talk to them! We need people around us who support us and want to see us succeed.
• You need people in your corner to fight for you, cheerlead you and bring you back up when you’re down!
• Go back to basics – what is the bare minimum you can do right now to keep going?
• Keep ticking along, pull it back if you need to and then refocus.
• When you are your busiest and overwhelmed – this is when you need to step back and look at what is going on.
• Co-working sessions are great for motivation, accountability and keeps you focused.

 

THE ONE THING YOU NEED TO REMEMBER ABOVE ALL ELSE…

 

When you don’t feel great and everything seems tough – don’t be annoyed at yourself or feel ashamed. We are human and sometimes we don’t feel like it!

 

HIGHLIGHTS YOU SIMPLY CAN’T MISS

 

• What to do when things are not going as well in business
• Human brain vs your chimp brain
• How to keep going when things get tough – actionable steps

 

RESOURCES MENTIONED

 

Join the Club!

 

TRANSCRIPT

 

Hello and welcome to this week's episode of the podcast. How's your week been? So we're now way out of January, which is good and nice, and we're into February and fingers crossed things are starting to look up a little bit because I know that quite a lot of you and myself included, struggled in January. I mean it's a pretty rubbish month. Doesn't it? You know, with all the things that are going on in the world, it's not easy.

 

And I'm sat here thinking about what to record for this episode, because I have all the interviews already batched up, but the solos, I kind of try and do it on the fly, which is a terrible idea. I should take my own good advice and make sure I plan my content for the podcast, but I didn't today. So I literally sat here before I hit record thinking about what can I talk about. And actually my kind of lack of inspiration of what I could talk about kind of worked out to be exactly what I should talk about.

 

Because as you know, I work very closely with my members and my members of the executive club, and I know them really, really well. And we have one of the parts of the executive club when you're a member, is that we have a telegram group that we have conversations in.

 

And what's really lovely is it's not just a work thing. It's also a 'Look, I've just done this. Hooray!' Or, 'Oh my God, the kids are driving me insane.' Or 'I went out for a walk this morning.' and it, you know, it sounds like it's really dull but it's not. It's a really good fun, and it's, it's, it's built the relationship of friendship and being in it together, which is lovely.

 

But because we're so close to member, because I'm so close to my members, obviously I know what's happening in their world and their businesses. And one of the things that I've noticed in January is a lot, a lot of people have struggled. And they've struggled for so many different reasons. They've struggled because they maybe haven't got the sales they were hoping for.

 

They've struggled because there was like the whole self-assessment tax thing that they were trying to sort out. They struggled because they can't get the motivation. They've had COVID. Their children had COVID, they've been off school. They've gone back to school. Just generally, it's being tough.

 

And I think, you know, I'm really careful not to talk too much about how hard things are, because I know that sometimes you can be sat there listening going all right. T bring us down, why don't you? And I don't want that at all. But I do want to talk about it because what do you do when things are tough in your business?

 

How do you manage? How do you make sure you keep showing up and doing the work and making money and being positive and being proactive when honestly you'd like to give up. And I know, and I will hold my hand up. There have been a number of times in my business where I'm like, I'm done, I'm not cut out for this anymore.

 

And they, you know, they feed properly, you know, not so long ago that you wouldn't imagine, but sometimes like your brain does some really rubbish things for you and it kind of makes you think certain ways or, you know, one little thing will happen and you suddenly go, 'Well, don't even know why I bothered. I just going to give it up.'

 

So what do you do when that is like that? When that happens, because if we try and ignore that it'll happen. Well, that's just pointless because it's going to happen to all of us at some point. So, and the other reason I wanted to do this episode was I was thinking about. One of the things I talk about when I say what makes a successful business owner and entrepreneur is tenacity, is the fact that they keep showing up. And showing up when no one is listening is one thing showing up when you don't want to feel like it or life has gone awry is another thing. So it could be anything. And I was thinking of all the reasons why you might feel like, 'Do you know what I'm done.' Not necessarily done, I want to give it in, but done I want to hide for a bit or sat at my desk, just looking at my computer. Don't know what on earth I'm doing and who I am type thing.

 

So it could be things like, you know, I think about my business. It could be people leaving the academy. So if people have left the membership for whatever reason, and isn't this interesting that no matter the reason I had someone leave the other day and she wrote the loveliest email and just basically said, as you know, my husband's been unwell and her husband has been unwell and it's just, she can't manage it now.

 

And therefore she needs to focus on that. And it's like, okay so my human brain would go. That is a perfect, perfectly reasonable response to her husband not being well. She's going to claw things back in and focus in on what is the most important thing, you know, in, in her, you know, her world. However, the monkey side of our brain, like the Chimp side goes, 'Oh my God. It's cause she hates me. What did I do wrong in the thing?'

 

Like, 'Oh, that's it, everyone's going to leave now.' And then suddenly you go down this whole spiral and I do it. And I know people who have bigger businesses than me still do it. So I think like something as small as someone saying. I'm leaving is one thing.

 

Not selling. That is huge, huge, huge, huge. So when you're not buying, when you're not buying, when you're not selling your product or service, or if you're having trouble selling your products and service, that is really, really tough. And you go into panic and you go into fear and I get it. Like. So being a, you know, I'm very honest, I put on my VIP event last year, which was amazing and I loved it, but it didn't make the money on it.

 

I should have done. And I knew I wasn't going to, and I was okay with that. Basically I got overexcited for the first one and spent too much money. Um, and that's fine. I knew I was going to do it. But this time I can't do that again. Like. I'm not trying to make loads of money on it, but I definitely, definitely have to cover my costs and make sure I cover my time and my team's time.

 

So anyway, I went and got the quote from the hotel, same hotel as last time, and it's going to be bigger and better. And the quote is huge. It's really big. Understandably. So we're talking like two whole days of exclusive use. Dinners. Drinks. Wine. Conference. Like honestly, it's just going to be amazing. And that's the thing I don't doubt for a second.

 

It's going to be amazing. But because the first one didn't make money. And, and although I've got a reason for it, although my human brain can go, you know, this is exactly why it didn't make money. My Chimp brain is going, oh my God, don't you dare put another one out because that's a huge amount of money in.

 

So, like I said, you know, not selling things. Things like when one person turned up to my webinar, like that can really throw you off your kind of, you know, let's go and do this. And, and I have had that just in case you're wondering. When you lose motivation, when you're tired, man, I've been tired, so tired and I don't think there's a single person listening to this, that isn't like agreeing or being like, 'Yeah me too.'

 

Like, that's hard, you know, when we're doing all the things that we have to do and even things like, you know, I only have my daughter every other week and, but like the week she's with me and I have to be like full on mum and do school runs and make sure she's got her things for school and stuff is washed.

 

And I don't know all that jazz. It's, you know, it's just another thing in your brain and it wears away and you lose motivation. Sometimes you get yourself on a Instagram, look at a competitor and think. 'Wow! Look at that, they're crushing it. I might've just give up now.' Like I could literally list hundreds of things that will throw you off your like, path that will take you out of flow that will put some kind of element of doubt in your head and make you go, why am I even doing this?

 

I might as well just give up now. And, and I wanted to talk about what do you do when that's the case? Because as I said, at the beginning for me, the thing that keeps one, well, what makes successful business owners entrepreneurs is that tenacity. So isn't there not always just tenacious and can go for it.

 

They have times when all those things happen. So how do they continue even when those things happen? When I look back, how have I managed to get to like eight years in business in this business? And still turn up every day and do it. And how have I recorded 200 and something episodes of podcasts when sometimes I really don't want to, because of whatever reason.

 

So, and, you know, even, and huge things, you know, for well, if you've been listening to the podcast a while that my mum passed away, uh, I think not last year, the year before and the podcast still went out. Like we can, we can still went out. So how do you do that? How do you keep going and keep the faith when you feel like you don't, you don't have it anymore and you don't want to do it.

 

So I'm going to give you a couple of like practical things that I would do, but also I want you to think about your, who do you allow to give your worth to? So like who is determining your worth of you and your business? Bear with me a minute.

 

So basically what happens is. When you put your worth and your power into external forces, and you might not have ever thought about this and you might be sat there thinking, what on earth are you talking about Teresa? But when you put your parent external forces. So for instance, I did some training, uh, about goal setting and we talked about, How do you want to feel when you get that goal?

 

Or what would that goal make you feel? So lots of people have financial goals and client goals or customer goals. And I said, and how would you feel you know that once you've got that and they were like validated, I would feel that I was, you know, that I'm good at this. And I'm, this is the right thing.

 

And I'm like, but we have no choice over making people buy from us. And neither should we quite honestly, uh, that goes into the realm of sleazy underhanded ways of selling. But we don't have a choice. Whether people buy from us and people don't buy from us for a million different reasons. People cancel their memberships for a million different reasons, lots of them not to do with us.

 

So if you're putting your worth and your value in other people, Being your affirmation that you're doing a good job or that you're validating you, that you are worth doing this, then that's a really dangerous place to put it. Because you're, you're relying on someone else's got all their own stuff going on in their head and their lives and their, whatever. You know, like I said about this one lovely lady, her husband's not being well.

 

The reason she's leaving is nothing to do with the membership. In fact like I said, the message she wrote, which isn't in front of me right now was lovely and very affirming of what I'm doing in that. However, it was just a circumstance that's happening in her world. And like I said, and rightly so. So if I put my value in her being in my membership and she left and I've just given that away and I'm now looking at me going 'Well, don't want me bothering anymore?'

 

Do you see, do you see what I'm trying to say? Like, we have to have our own power and our own value and we have to see it in ourselves. Because if we put it in someone else, they can break it. They can take it away from us. So the first thing you need to do is think about the fact of just because someone didn't buy, just because someone left, just because your competitor looks like they're doing a better job, it's a lie.

 

By the way, it's called Instagram. We can make things, look how we want to look. Um, but just because that's happening does not take away the value of you and your worth. You are still worth the money you want to charge. You are still, you know, good at what you do, just because that person didn't buy at that point doesn't mean that's not the case. So that's the first thing.

 

Another thing that helps me a bit kind of like on the more mindset side and likes to have got some practical things. Remembering why you started this in the first place. And we have a really good conversation about this in the executive club the other week. We were talking about these goals and how they want to make us feel. And we were talking about the fact of one of my goals, because I share my stuff as you know me I share was that I wanted to be paid to speak on a stage that had thousands of in-person attendees. I mean, I'm asking quite a big goal in the pandemic season, but, you know. And then I thought, why, why do I want that?

 

When, cause I was given this task to them to do, and I obviously, you know, play along as I'm sat there talking about it. And I was thinking to myself, well, I want to do that because I want to help lots of people and it would be good to get my message across. And then someone else got on and said, that she wants, not necessarily the same goal, but it's the same reason.

 

And she said, and I realized I could just go on to Instagram now and do a story and still impact people. And it hit me really hard, like, oh my goodness, that's my ego talking. That's not, if I want to help people, I can literally just turn up and help people. I can do extra podcast episodes. I can go and do an Instagram story about something.

 

It was my ego wanted to stand on a huge stage in front of that many people, even though I want to help people. So remembering the why, remembering what my, my goal is behind why I do this, humbles me back to actually, you can just do that now. You don't need to, I don't need to be validated by someone wanted me on a huge stage to know I know what I'm talking about or to give me the confidence to go and talk to people.

 

So going back to your why about why you started this, why you're doing it. And also when you're going back to your, why, think about who you're doing it for. So I think about my family. I think about my husband. I think about all the faith they put in me.

 

And how at times things have been a little bit riskier or a little bit more nerve wracking because I've taken a bit of a risk or I've paid out for something big, but they put their faith in me. So when I'm sat here going, I can't be bothered. Or man, I don't feel like this today. I have to remember them as a why.

 

And they're putting their faith in me. So I need to put my faith back in me and I need to. And that really helps me just basically get my backside and gear and go again. And then the other thing I want you to think about from a mindset point of view is how far have you come already. Like so very seldom looked back and I've had this phenomenal month of people joining my email list.

 

I don't know what on earth has happened, but it's been amazing. And I've had like 600 people join in a fairly short space of time, which is huge for me. And I just sat and looked at that and thought, God, I can remember the days where like I had less than 600 on my list. And the thing is like, You get used to things so quickly, and we're so hard on ourselves.

 

Like it needs to be more, it needs to be better all the time that we forgotten that literally six months ago, we weren't even halfway where we are now. So look back and remind yourself how far you've come and what you've done and what you've overcome already. You know, I don't want to keep hopping back to my mum dying, but you know, the fact of, I knew you done the same.

 

I know people who have gone through divorce, I know people who have had children. I know people who have had children that were ill. I know people who have parents that are ill and yet they've managed to keep it going. And it's like, geez, like you did that. That's amazing. And therefore, look at the strength you had.

 

You can do it again. So there's a few practical things that I've written down as well. So one of the first things I put down is find your squad and talk to them. So like I said, I am very lucky that one, I have lots of people in my world. I have a really supportive husband, which is great, but he doesn't always understand.

 

And interestingly enough, the more he's got busier in his job in what he does. The less he's had to do with mine. And at one point he was really in the business a lot and now not so much. And I find that I haven't told him as much, or I forget because there's lots of things that happen in a day. And then I forget that I've spoken to him about it. But obviously I'm very lucky that I have him, but I also am very lucky that I head up an amazing community of amazing people.

 

And it's always really lovely when I hear people talk about the membership and who's in there and...

Today’s episode of the podcast is an interview with Emily Hirsh. Emily is a leading Digital Marketing Strategist and CEO & founder of Hirsh Marketing, one of the largest and fastest growing digital marketing companies in the world. Emily and her team of experts work with top-level influencers and game-changing entrepreneurs and to grow their businesses and generate massive revenue using her revolutionary Hirsh Process. We talk all about the foundations of marketing, how to have a successful launch and that we actually can’t do it all so it’s ok to ask for help!

 

KEY TAKEAWAYS COVERED IN THE PODCAST

 

• Always focus on the value you deliver – if you are delivering a really great service, people will talk about it and organically grow your business.
• Make it a priority to give attention to the service you are delivering.
• True marketing comes from refinement, optimising and learning.
• The foundations of marketing - messaging, strategy and overall offer.
• The core of your marketing is messaging – your understanding of your ideal customer in a deep and emotional way. This drives all your marketing.
• Then you need to look at how you communicate your offer and what you sell.
• You can’t build anything on a bad foundation!
• In order to have a successful launch, you need to have a warm audience BEFORE you go into launching.
• You need to grow your email list prior to launching who are interested and trust you.
• If you are just getting started – understand your ideal customer and create value adding content.
• The success of your launch is in what happens before and after your launch.
• People don’t buy on their first contact with you! You have to build their trust.
• It takes 7-10 touchpoints before someone may choose to buy with you so you have to create them.
• Try and do something every single month to grow your warm audience list.
• Be realistic with your goals – we are all at different stages in our businesses.
• You have to build it up slowly – it doesn’t happen overnight.
• Success is created from the foundations.
• We need to make sure our content is entertaining to our target audience.
• It’s not enough to just have an image with some copy for an ad anymore – there needs to be something more interactive, engaging and creative.
• Content is driving everything – it’s how we get attention on everything we do!
• You have to stand out with your content.
• Create a way for people to gain trust and connection from you and your brand.
• Offer a higher level of connection through dms, chat boxes, Q&As, lives.
• You can’t have a perfect balance all the time – but you can create your definition of this.
• You can only do as much as your season of life allows! It won’t be forever.
• People may not actually be “doing it all” – they probably have help!

 

THE ONE THING YOU NEED TO REMEMBER ABOVE ALL ELSE…

 

Having a successful launch is down to what happens before and after the actual launch. You can’t just decide to launch in 3 weeks’ time and expect it to be an instant success.

 

HIGHLIGHTS YOU SIMPLY CAN’T MISS

 

• Emily’s journey so far and how she got to where she is now!
• How to have a successful launch
• What if you don’t have a huge audience or team?
• What is working right now when it comes to content
• Work/life balance

 

CHECK EMILY OUT:

 

Website

Instagram

Facebook

 

RESOURCES MENTIONED

 

90 Day Programme

Creating Success Book

 

TRANSCRIPT

 

Teresa: Hello, and welcome to today's episode of the podcast. Now, before we get going, I need to tell you that my dog is around and is being a royal pain in the backside.

Teresa: He's just not settling today. He's been from a walk. I don't know what's wrong with him. So if I shut my office door, he is going to bang on the door to let him in. So I'm just letting him roam. And I apologize if you hear little tappy dog feet as I am doing this, but this is the reality of working from home. Isn't it?

Teresa: So today we've got an interview. As I said, last week, it was meant to be last week. And then I changed things up because of the new podcast name. If you haven't listened to last week's episode, then please do go and take a listen. Because it's really, really, um, I think it's really important episode had lots of great feedback from it.

Teresa: So I'd really appreciate if you haven't listened to that, you go back and listen to episode 227. Couple of things to mention before I talk about today's interview. The first thing is that I mentioned a few weeks back that the 90 day program that I run the one-to-one program, the only way you can work one-to-one with me, the price is going up.

Teresa: And as you listen to this podcast, as it comes up on the Monday, the price literally goes up on Friday and it goes up by quite a considerable amount. So if you've ever thought about doing the 90 day program with me, Then now it's probably the time that you want to jump in. Also, I think I have one, maybe two places left.

Teresa: I could squeeze another one in, I don't take many people purely because obviously it's one-to-one and it takes a lot of work. So just that I'd mentioned that again, before the price goes up, I'd hate for you not to know that the price is going up. And then the other thing I need to mention, which is quite exciting.

Teresa: Because of everything else that's been going on the brand, the podcast changed, the club change, everything. I haven't mentioned it, which seems really stupid, but basically I've been asked to co-author a book. So I am an author of a book alongside, I think it's 12 other averse altogether. And we've all written a chapter each and it's called creating success.

Teresa: And it's basically how us as entrepreneurs have created our own success. And how that means, and what that looks like. It was, I really loved doing it actually. Really love telling my story. I really loved sort of sharing how I got to where I was and what I think success means and how I look at success. I know the other stories are absolutely brilliant in that as well.

Teresa: And it's currently very cheap because we it's a digital copy only. The pay or the hardback well, the actual physical book the paperback no idea. Is coming out in a few weeks after the book is released, but basically the book was released on Friday as you listened to this on Monday and it's 99 P or 99 cents. And all profits are going to save the children fund. So it's completely for charity. We're not taking any money out of the book at all. And yeah, it's ACE. I'm really proud and excited. There's the dog I told you, it'd be in my dream. I'm really proud and excited about it. And yeah, I would love you to go and take a look and give it a read.

Teresa: If you fancy it, I'd love to know what you think. You know, and I think this is maybe my first little toe in the water as to whether I actually think I could manage to write a whole book. And I writing a chapter is hard enough. I'm not going to lie. So writing an entire book it's a whole another matter, but, but yeah, I'm really excited.

Teresa: So I will make sure it's linked up into the show notes. Keep an eye on my social. We've been posting about it since Friday. So yeah. Go and check that out. Anyway, onto today's interview. I feel like this has been one I've been holding back from you because I've been threatening it for so long. So I apologize about that, but I have got the lovely Emily Hirsh on the podcast today.

Teresa: Now let me read you Emily's bio. So she's a leading Digital Marketing Strategist and the CEO and founder of Hirsh Marketing. One of the largest and fastest growing digital marketing companies in the world. Emily and her team worked with experts with top-level influencers and game changing entrepreneurs to grow their businesses and generate massive revenue in a revolutionary Hirsh process.

Teresa: Now you wait until you hear some of the people that they have, like helped and managed and all of that stuff like to say, it's a namedrop. It's unbelievable. Basically in 2012, Emily and her husband, a master kettlebell trainer, that's a new one to me, but as you know, I'm not a big gym fan. Uh, started an online fitness business together.

Teresa: By default he was the content creator and Emily was everything else. She managed social media, customer services, landing page, graphics, outreach, sales funnel, marketing, Emily soon discovered that digital marketing was her power zone and business group quickly grow into thousands and basically she fell in love with it and loved it.

Teresa: So since then Emily's built a team of 25 top level strategists and ads managers, copywriters, graphic designers, and marketers to generate hundreds of thousands of ROI for her clients every month, they've managed over $26 million ad spend and generated over $107 million in revenue for their clients. Unbelievable.

Teresa: She's also the mum to young children. You'll hear all about that. And it's kind of like, yeah, it's an amazing story. Like how she did it. It's phenomenal. So anyway, I will not carry on talking anymore. I will leave you to it. And here's the lovely Emily.

Teresa: I am really excited to welcome to the podcast today the lovely Emily Hirsh. Emily, how are you doing?

Emily: Yay. I'm doing well. Thanks for having me.

Teresa: My absolute pleasure. I am very excited about today's chat because I was doing my research she do. And some of the things I discovered, I was a bit like 'Say what?' about the fact that you've got three children.

Teresa: The fact that you're younger than me. The fact that you got very successful business like, it was a all a bit like, how, how does all this happen? So I'm really excited to share that with my audience. So we always start off at exactly the same way by you explain to them what you do and how you got to do what you do today?

Emily: Yeah. So I'm CEO of Hirsh marketing, which is a marketing company. We helped specifically digital brands with their messaging and their strategy, and then kind of executing that. We've specialized in Facebook and Instagram ads, but I've noticed over the last year, that's kind of expanded to like organic and your foundational marketing components because that's been so important.

Emily: And so I actually started out six years ago. I was 20. And I started as a virtual assistant. And that is what like opened me to this world of online business that I didn't even know it was a thing. I grew up, my dad's an entrepreneur. I've always been an entrepreneur, but he had, you know, local service businesses.

Emily: And that was a lot more like the world that I knew. And so I started as a virtual assistant and then was able to start doing Facebook ads for those clients. That is what kind of kicked it off. It was definitely, okay this is what I'm really good at. This makes a lot of sense to me, but everything that I've built and learned has come from experience.

Emily: I, I've taught, you know, self-taught through material, of course, in podcasts and courses, but also try things. And like, I wonder what happen if we do this and let's get creative with this. And over the last six years, I built the team of 25 people we're at right now. And I have three kids now and have generated $108 million in total revenue.

Emily: Been able to work with some incredible clients that, you know, were people that I used to follow. Like when I started, they were like my heroes and then became our clients. So it's been a journey it's been a fast journey, but I just absolutely love it.

Teresa: I mean, that is just like, I nearly did a sweat silently to myself.

Teresa: And you told us about the fact of like 25 people and three children and like the clients, the revenue that everything else. I mean, it's just. It's crazy impressive. And I know, I know there's some people listening to this that have agencies and are freelance social media people, and like they, they're going to be sitting there screaming at the facts they're going, how.

Teresa: How did she do this? How did she grow so quick? Was it intentional to be, again, what was the thing? What did you do?

Emily: Yeah, it's such a, you know, it's, it's such a good question that I get obviously asked a lot. It really wasn't intentional. Like a lot of what I've done has been, 'Okay. Let's go to the next thing.' and then like, okay, that experience led to this.

Emily: And so I'll move to that next thing. And I can look back when I started and remember thinking that a million dollar business seemed like the craziest thing ever. $1 million was insane. And I thought, you know, if I could just get there, like that would be the dream and that would be it. And I think I essentially was able to get myself to about 15 to $20,000 a month on my own, like with clients pretty much by myself at a little bit of contract help, but that was me hustling.

Emily: Like I had a little baby, we couldn't afford a nanny yet. I was working in the night and I was able to get there. And I remember looking at like that $20,000 a month going 'I can build a million dollar company, like I'm a quarter of the way there.' And I saw people who want to keep working with me. And so it was very like, okay, I did Facebook ads for them.

Emily: And so that led to this experience. And then, you know, the first big client that contacted us was Marie Forleo. And that was like, oh my God. And then, you know, that lit big client and, and, and so it was just building, you know, and kind of going in the direction of like what I'm really good at, what I love.

Emily: Um, always focused on the value that I deliver has been like a, a key to success is I think it's hard because a lot of people have to focus on their marketing, which is obviously very important. But also, especially in the beginning and you're going to grow your business so much through referral. And if you are delivering a really great service, people are going to talk about it and then that's naturally going to snowball and grow your business.

Emily: And that's what started happening for me in the beginning is I didn't really market, you know, I did a lot of networking. I did a lot of one-on-one conversations. You know, Facebook groups are really big. Six years ago a lot of people would engage even, even bigger names, but engage in them. So I did a lot of networking, but I was always instilled to this day.

Emily: I put a lot of effort into our delivery and making sure that it's 10 out of 10, because that leads to referrals, which leads to growth.

Teresa: Yeah, absolutely. Like, you know, if you've had a service from someone and it's good, you are going to tell other people, like no one wants to, I've done it in the past where you've recommended something that hasn't played out and it's like, oh God, why did I do that?

Teresa: Cause that's my name and my brand and my reputation on, on whole, like, you know, on the line for that. Whereas if you're doing a brilliant job and of course, so you name Marie Forleo, that is just insane, but I was, I'd looked on Emily's site and she's got like Mel Robbins. She's got Amy Porterfield's on there.

Teresa: Like these people. It's funny. We, I talk about the fact of how I got to know Amy and how I like got into that world. And, and a lot of it is through going to Amy's coach. I was coached by Amy's coach. Cause I was like, I want what she's got. And if she's got that and she's coached by this person, that's going to help me.

Teresa: So it's the same for, I guess you like, I would look at Marie, Mel, Amy and think, oh no, I want you to do this for me. Like, how did you do that? But then do this to me. So that referral marketing is, is just so strong and powerful. Isn't it?

Emily: Yeah, it really is. And, and like you said, I think the other thing is there's so many, unfortunately, people out there who don't deliver a good service.

Emily: And so when you do you stand out until like you have that going for you right away, if you make that such a big priority. And I think that people don't intentionally do that, but I think a lot of entrepreneurs don't put the attention into their delivery and their process and the backend, cause they're spending it all on, you know, their marketing and the front end and that shiny object of like grows really fast. And if you're willing to do that, you instantly have an edge on other companies in, in your niche.

Teresa: So like, how can you, well let's just take like launching, for example. So I know when some of your testimonials talk about the fact that you helped with launches. Like sometimes through the best will in the world, things just don't work or things just aren't as good as you hoped.

Teresa: So like, how did you make sure that you were delivering the results? Like is it just trial and error? Was it. Like, what was it?

Emily: Yeah. So I believe marketing comes down to a core process of foundational things and that whenever you follow that process, you will always be successful. And I think a lot of people see marketing as I just need to find that magic strategy or that targeting like secret hack or something that I don't know that somebody else does.

Emily: And once I find that, like, I'll be successful. But true marketing comes from the refinement, comes from the optimizing, comes from expecting that something isn't going to work. And then it's how you respond there. So absolutely, are there launches and things that we've been a part of where like out the gate, it was like, shoot, we're paying, you know, 30% more than we want cost per lead.

Emily: What do we do? Okay. We look at the messaging, we refresh the ad creative, we get some new videos. We, we drive that and you'll get the costs down. Because it's, you know, and in a nutshell, marketing is, is your messaging. Number one, nothing can happen without that. And so it's that, it's your strategy. And then it's the overall offer that you're driving to.

Emily: Like, those are the three pillars that you could simplify it down to. And you're going to find the answer to solving something that's not working in one of those, every single...

In today’s episode of the podcast I talk all about my mission and the reason for my complete rebrand.

 

KEY TAKEAWAYS COVERED IN THE PODCAST

 

• I have had my own business for the past 8 years and I have seen A LOT of things in my time. The good, the bad and the ugly!
• There are a lot of ‘experts’ out there who don’t treat business owners properly and exploit the privilege they have been given.
• As experts, we are here to serve you – without our audience we would be nothing.
• As a business owner, you are doing one of the hardest jobs in the world! Only a small percentage of people can do it, so you should be so proud.
• As women, we are bought up to believe we are not capable, that we are bad with money, we buy too many shoes etc. This makes us think we need to pull back and deprive ourselves, yet men are allowed to.
• As women, we are not small or less than men!
• 89% of the world’s billionaires are men.
• I am so passionate about making sure you have the support, guidance, mindset and motivation you need.
• Only 30% of US businesses are owned by women.
• We live in an unbalanced world – it is not a straight playing field.
• I am so proud of you – you are a Rockstar!
• I am rising up against experts who do not take the time to get to know you, your life, your circumstances, shame you, use underhand tactics to sell, tell you you’re not charging enough without understanding your audience and bully you into action.
• It is not ok to pay people for their help and support and they don’t treat you and support you in the right way!
• It is your business, your life and YOU get to choose.

 

THE ONE THING YOU NEED TO REMEMBER ABOVE ALL ELSE…

 

If you run your own business, you are a Rockstar! Don’t ever forget just how brilliant you are.

 

HIGHLIGHTS YOU SIMPLY CAN’T MISS

 

• I’m on a mission to change the online space for you
• Women are bought up to believe they are not capable
• Statistics that will shock you!
• What I am rising up against

 

TRANSCRIPT

 

Hello and welcome to, I kind of guessed the first episode of the new name. So we have just changed the name from Marketing That Converts to Your Dream Business Podcast. And I've talked a few times on the podcast about why we've made this change, but it wasn't just because I wanted a new lovely brands and a new lovely name.

It goes a lot deeper than that. And if you are on my email list, if you get my emails, then you'll know that I'm on a bit of a mission. And a mission to bring about some change in my industry and change in terms of how you get advice and the advice that you give or that you're given. Anyway, it's a bit hard to explain, but hopefully as this episode goes on, you will, it will all make sense to come together.

If you're new to the podcast, because I have asked my lovely podcast listeners to share this episode, then welcome. You are most welcome here. I hope you bear with me while I stumble through these next few bits, because like I said, this is, there's a lot kind of to this that I just want to get to, and it might seem a little bit bitty and I apologise if that's the case.

Also, for those of you who are avid listeners, you might've heard that last week I said, we're doing an interview this week, and we were doing an interview and that is coming next week, but I was so passionate to do an episode on this mission and this new kind of rising up that I'm doing that I wanted to make sure we got it out as soon as possible.

So obviously we've been through a brand change and I wanted to say that that wasn't just because I wanted a new pretty logo and some nice new colors. It was bought about the fact that I have been doing this a long time. I have been in business now eight years, I think. And I've been in the online space for at least five or six.

And in my time in the online space and in my time of working with lots of business owners. I have seen lots and lots of things. I've seen lots of ways of how this is done. I've seen lots of experts speak. I've seen lots of people think they're experts. I've seen people start businesses, leave businesses. And I've seen the good and the bad and the ugly of what is the online world, but I'm specifically talking about experts out there.

People like me, people who make their living by helping other business owners by supporting them. I'm always very adamant in explaining and saying that the reason I can support people in marketing is because I have a degree in that and I've spent more than 16 years, probably more like 17 or 18 years at it now.

And then as time went on, I then started talking about business because the longer I run my business, the more I knew about that. And then as time went on, I started to get my mindset because I do a huge amount of work for my own mindset. I learn a lot, I've paid lots of money for things, I've attended stuff.

And I really kind of jump both feet into mindsets and business, and therefore feel the only now am I qualified is probably not the right word, but you know, I can now talk about it. And like I said, over the years, I've watched these various things go on and feel like now it's time for change. I have seen that I've seen the best and the worst.

I've seen people who are, who basically have created something and then try and teach others to create the same, but without explaining that that's how they got successful. It's like someone who, okay. It's like someone who is good on Instagram and builds their own Instagram profile because they take pictures of shoes that they happen to love.

And then they go out to the world and say, I'll teach you how to be an influencer. Well, they don't really technically necessarily know how to be an influencer for, I don't know, a farm or influence a four screws. They just know how to do it for them. So I've seen that. That's not the worst of it, but I've seen that happen, but also I've seen how some people get treated and how business owners get treated and how people really do exploit their level of expertise. They exploited the privilege they've been given really. I think. And I think those people forget that they're here to serve you. And this is something that I never forget. The reason I'm here doing the job I do is because of you.

It's for you and it's because of you. And I don't underestimate that for one second. I don't unappreciate that. I am very, very grateful to have a job and a life I adore, but that's because of you. And like I said, it's something that I don't underestimate. And yet I see so many others do. I have seen people who create memberships purely from a money point of view.

I've seen people who create courses because they want to become rich overnight and have not really cared about what they're giving you or what they're delivering or your success. And that makes me mad, like proper, proper mad. Because of the fact that you guys are doing one of the hardest jobs in the world.

Okay. You have been brave enough to step out of your own comfort zone. You've been brave enough to take a risk and start a business. To believe in yourself even when you don't feel like you're believing in yourself, you have done something that a very small percentage of people ever even try. And you've done this.

And then you go to people to support you, to help you, to develop you, to grow and they shame you, or they bully you into doing something or they use underhanded tactics to make you buy. And they act like theirs is the only way. But the worst thing is they don't even want to get to know who you are and what you do and what type of person you are.

They'd rather just tell you where you're going wrong and how to do it without taking to a countless other things. And the other reason I want to explain about like, how very amazing it is that you are where you are is because another thing that I am working super hard on and trying to bring it into everything in the forefront of everything I do is the understanding of marginalized communities of historic, marginalized communities, women being one of them, people of color being another, you know, lots of people out there who were never brought up to think that this was something they could do or this opportunity was open to them. And I know an awful lot of you listen to the podcast are female or identify as female. And, and I just want to remind you about this. Now I've talked before that I'm in Rachel Rogers' community and she had some great stats that I want to, I want to tell you about which is obviously facts, but I got them from her. But she talks about the fact that women in society are told we're not good with money. We are told that we're frivolous, that we spend too much, we buy too many shoes. And by doing this, we're told mainly by white men that we need to pull back.

We need to reduce our spending. If we weren't so frivolous and bought all these pairs of shoes we could have done this. And basically we're told to deprive yourself like that, you're not allowed that, and yet they are, if they want to buy. So if they want to buy something, it's not frivolous. It's like, that's okay.

But if we want to buy something is frivolous. And you basically mean told to be small and less than, and shrink yourself down, which I think as women, particularly for me, when I was growing up, I talked a lot and that's now my business. And yet I was told to be quiet more times than I can tell you. And that they didn't want someone who was loud and spoken out and talked a lot. Also when it comes to money and wealth and business, Rachel had some amazing stats.

So 89% of the world's billionaires are men. Okay. Only 11% are women. Like that is a ridiculous, that's just insane. Like 90% almost are men, um, they've basically had like a 2000 year head start on us. This is why I'm so passionate about making sure that you get the support and the guidance and the, and the mindset work and the motivation and the cheerleading that you need rather than going to someone and them telling you 'You're doing it wrong.' And don't get me wrong. People do it wrong. Okay. I see things. I'm like, oh yeah, that's that, that might be why that didn't work. However, I don't go in, tell them what a fool they are or shame them. I worked with them and explained to them why I think, and my opinion, because that's all it is at the end of the day.

Yeah. I've got some, you know, experience to back stuff up, but it is still my opinion. So I want to make sure that you amazing people out there who are working so incredibly hard to show yourself and to put yourself forward that you're not getting that, that kind of terrible support. So what else did she say? So basically only 30% of US businesses are owned by women and only 2% of women founded businesses will hit seven figures. Again, like this is just crazy. The average black household in the US has a net worth of $17,000 a year. Whereas the average white household has a net worth of $170,000 a year. How can any of this be right? It's not. I don't know why I asked the question. It's not right. I guess I'm asking the question of how can still be the case now, how can we still be in this?

And basically she talked about and, and confirm that obviously this data that they currently do only falls into female, a male gender categories. It doesn't take into account all the other gender categories that we now have. So there's no stats on that.

And I can only imagine they would look even worse than just splitting it into the female and male categories. I can only imagine that, you know, how far behind women are. I can only imagine that's worse for other gender categories. Um, and so basically, you know, in my kind of. You know, giving you these stats and talking about this, which I hope is interesting.

Cause it blows my flipping mind quite honestly, we live in an imbalance world. We live in a world where this is not a straight up playing field that we're all on. Like I said, males have had around 2000 year head start on this. Oh, I then did some research and some of the facts had to write something the other day for an article for a magazine.

And they asked about women in business. So I did a bit of research and I wanted to bring these into this episode. You know, right that in the 1960s. So I was born in 79. So like not a million miles when, before I was born, women needed their husband's permission to open a bank account in the USA. Like again, can we just let that settle in.

Then in 1988. So while I was what nearly 10 women business owners couldn't get a business loan without a male counterpart signing it. Like, can we just take a minute and realize how flipping unbelievable. Like I I'm, I almost want to go silent because I want that to sink in business is hard and yet it's a bit, business is hard for everyone.

And yet, if you are a female or identify as a female, we've basically had. We're like just at the start of our journey and the fact that you are listening to this, the fact that you have a business. That like I said, most a huge percent of the population won't even try. And the fact that we are so very behind as females is mind blowing to me how amazing that is.

And I am so proud of you and you should be so flipping proud of yourself. You should be high-fiving yourself on a very regular basis. No matter how your day goes today. I want you to remember you are a flipping rockstar. So how does this impact on this mission that I'm trying to kind of like bring forward?

So in everything I've just said to you in the unjustness of all that stuff that I've just given you the stats and stuff, but also in the fact of the world we're in and the online world and the fact that we go to experts to help us and support us and encourage us and motivate us to keep going. Cause it's lonely out there and it's hard.

So one of the things that I am kind of rising up against is some of the ways in which the online experts do these things. So I sent out an email the other day to my lovely community, and I talked about these points and basically I said that running a business is hard and what makes it harder is experts who, and I went through these points and I want it to just make sure that I run through these with you. Who enforce their opinion about what you should do with your business when they are not interested in finding out about you.

Now, I have worked with lots of businesses. I know lots of things, but each and every single one of you is different. I don't care what people say. You are completely different. And if someone isn't willing to understand you and I don't just mean like, listen to a question and answer it. I, the reason I talk so much and we joke that I never give a, you know, short answer when a long one will do, because I'm trying to get to the bottom of how they feel about that thing they're asking about or who they are.

And, and like I said, sometimes you just need a straight answer. Should, well, okay, let's take this. Should I be on Instagram? Well, hang on. That depends. Uh, do you like that sort of thing? Are your customers there? Are you, you know, willing to do X Y Zed. And this is the problem, lots and lots of experts they won't say that they'll go 'Yeah, you should be.' without taking into account anything else. So that's the first thing. If they're enforcing their opinion on what you should do with your business, they are not interested in finding out who you are or more details about you. You do not put up with that.

Okay. Experts who shame you for what you have not done. Now, I know lots of experts out there in every walk of life in terms of single people, single males, married couples with no children, experts with children, with many children and all of them at some point or another, I have heard them shame people and basically said, 'Well I can do it. So if I can do it, you can do it.'

They don't know what's going on in your world. And sometimes we don't need that shame. Sometimes we need the love and the understanding and the encouragement. And I pride myself on knowing the people in my club well enough or making sure I understand them well enough. So I know when they need the carrot and I know when they need the stick and there are some people who need me to go, okay, what have you got on today?

And I look at what their day so I'm like 'You have got time to do that today. I'd like to spend an hour doing it today.' And that works for some people, other people that I can't do that with, but it's because I understand them that I can, I know which of them I can do. But it's never out of shame. Never, ever. And it's never, I have a, well, look at me.

I started off as a single parent. I did this I, whatever, and this is the size of my business now. No, absolutely not. We do not need, shame is one of the worst things you can feel. It's so destroying. You don't need that. You probably do that plenty yourself. You definitely don't need it from someone else.

So if someone tries to shame you into not doing something or that you haven't done, then don't put up with it, you deserve better. Using underhand or over persuasive ways to get you to buy. So again I've heard it, or I've heard people who sell programs might be memberships, might be courses, and they get you on a call and they basically pin you down and tell you buy.

My 90 day program is the only thing you'll have a call with me about. And at the end of it, I basically say to them, I will leave the decision to you now. I will speak to you when you know, whatever day and you let me know. There is no pressure at all. There are tactics that I have used in the past that I am not going to use now.

I'm not going to do the open and closed cart thing anymore because I feel like sometimes the FOMO missing out thing, that is a tactic that is used by marketers. And I'm not saying that's as bad as some of the stuff I've seen in heard. However, it doesn't fit with me now. I know I'm giving myself a harder job because I'm not giving people the impetus to get on and do something, but in my head I'm, I want to be there when you need me. So that's the main thing.

So the next one was, this is a funny one. Tell you that they don't charge enough without understanding you, your customers or what you offer. This is a big one.

I, I have worked with people where they've told me what they tell people to charge. And like, my mouth has hit the desk because I'm absolutely shocked that that's the case that they are saying that. For me. I know probably you do not charge enough. Okay. I know you probably don't because we don't, we end up, you know, I've just told you how, you know, women are basically told they're no good with money and they shouldn't have money in basically they needed a man to help them with money.

And therefore that hardly sets you up with the confidence to go 'I'm going to charge what I'm worth or I'm going to charge, you know, what is deserving of the work I do.' However, I also just don't want people blanket telling you, put your prices up. I've heard that too many times, too many times. And even though I help people put their prices up, even though I talk them through how to do it and why they should.

It is not done without understanding who they are and their confidence. And I would rather take those baby steps to move them up than just shut them down, straight away by going 'You should double your thing.' Like, honestly, that is so, so it's actually more damaging than what they think it is. I...

In today’s episode of the podcast I am talking about how you be more strategic with your goal setting, breaking down each goal into manageable actions so that you can achieve your goals!

 

KEY TAKEAWAYS COVERED IN THE PODCAST

 

• The podcast is changing next week!
• Set your goals for the year – this will really help to focus and know where you are heading.
• Aim to set a mixture of business and personal goals.
• Once you have your big goals – split each up into quarters and give yourself actions for each quarter.
• You need to work out what you need to do in order to reach that goal – what would it take?
• Take each quarter and split it into months – break down each goal into manageable actions for each month.
• If your actions aren’t getting you results – change the actions!
• Look at each quarter separately and make sure you are reviewing as you go.
• Note down your numbers – keep a track! You may just be surprised.

 

THE ONE THING YOU NEED TO REMEMBER ABOVE ALL ELSE…

 

Be realistic about what you can achieve in each timeframe!

 

HIGHLIGHTS YOU SIMPLY CAN’T MISS

 

• Exciting things coming soon! 01:03
• Goal setting mistake 02:47
• Strategic goal setting exercise 03:19

 

RESOURCES MENTIONED

 

Episode 224

Phil from My Podcast Assistant

Laura Try YouTube Challenge

90 Day Programme

My PA Planner

Full Focus Planner

 

Transcript

 

Hello and welcome to this week's episode of the podcast. How are you doing? So I've been talking recently about lots of changes. Oh, did you enjoy Natalie's episode last week? It was so good.

And the week before I told you about all the changes that are coming, the name changes the brand, the website, the membership, all that good stuff. So if you haven't caught up with that, then do go and listen to episode two to four. I have to think then which one it was and to go and have a listen to what's happening.

There's lots of exciting changes coming. We're also doing a couple of other things, which I mentioned, I think last week in that we're going to be doing a quiz and it's a really good quiz. We're putting a huge amount of effort into it. We're going to do a podcast with Kylie who is helping us put the quiz together.

It's to do with my pathway. It's to do with basically identifying. Where you are in your world and what your next thing is that you should do to move on from your world or to improve where you're at or get more sales or whatever it might be. So I will let you know when that site, so keep an eye out for it.

Also next week, the name will change. As I record this episode, I've not actually recorded the new and tracked trow spoke to the lovely Phil who we'll link up to in the show notes about. Hi, we might change a bit of editing or I don't know. So, uh, I'm still working this out. Like it'll be down in time, but, uh, yeah, I should let you, I do tend to work a bit better when I've got a bit of a time pressure.

I think to myself, I've got loads of time and then I worked really hard at the end and get it all done at five. I work much more productively when I'm busy, which is Curtis because I'm very busy at work. So let's talk about this year. They normally, towards the end of the year, I do a goal setting podcast and we talk about it and I give you a workbook and that sort of thing.

And I didn't do on this year because I was doing a lot of stuff in other places. However, I did want to do a little episode on it. It's not going to be crazy long. Just to talk about how you actually put those goals into fruition, how you actually get them to work. Because I think what most people do is they write their goals on a piece of paper and they go, oh, those are my goals for the year.

And then they put that in his paper somewhere, or they leave it on a board or whatever, and then they get to the end of the year and they go, oh, did they come true or not? And sometimes by absolute fluke, they do. And sometimes they really don't. So. I want to talk to you about how you can be more strategic with actually getting these things done and planning them eight.

And it was something I did with my VIP retreat people. And what we did is, and I want you to work along. So if you've got a piece of paper or pen or whatever, you just do it in your head, maybe come back to this episode. But I want you to think about the goals that you've written down. That's the first step.

If you haven't set any goals, set some goals for the year, I always do. It really helps focus me. And there's so many benefits and reasons why you should set goals, which I won't go into now. I'm sure if you go back and check one of the other goals, setting ones from previous year, then you'll hear me talk about that.

But setting goals basically gets you to draw a line in the sand. It gets you to go, this is where I'm heading, and that stops you from. Veering off into other places. Of the things that aren't anything to do with your goals. The other thing that I really struggled with when I first started this is I could set goals really easily for the business, but personally, I didn't set any goals.

That's changed last year. And it's changing again this year in terms of half of my goals are probably personal goals in terms of my health or movement or so at the moment, actually, because we're still in January, I'm doing, I have a habit tracker that I use. And it's really funny, right? I've tried the apps.

I've tried different things. I literally, so someone showed me habit tracker and I recreated it in Canva, spent far too much time doing it. I really shouldn't have done it, but, uh, I do love that sort of stuff. So recreate this habit tracker and I color in it makes me sound like a child. I color in each day as I do the habit.

So, you know, I'm an oversharer and always happy to chat. So my habits for January, which are a lot to do with my goals for the whole year are I'm doing 10 K steps every day. Which can I just tell you how very proud I am of myself about that? Probably prior to that, I should be. I don't like moving. I've told you this before.

I happily sit in front of my desk all day, every day. And. Some weeks I would not go out the house for days and days. Like, uh, nah, my lovely friend, Laura tri who I should totally bring on the podcast and know why she hasn't been on the podcast. I'm going to get her on Lord. Tri is an endurance type athlete.

I don't know if that's why she calls herself an adventurer. I'm not sure, but she does challenges for herself all the time. We'll link up to a YouTube channel. It's amazing. And she set a challenge of walking 10 K steps a day. For a month and see what difference it would make. And she invited people to do it with her, which I, I said, yes.

I said, yes, Braven actually thought about it, which was little stupid of me. But anyway, Um, so I'd been doing it. And other than one day when my knees are hurting, I've managed to do every single day, which is amazing. So that's on my habit tracker. Um, I'm doing a manifestation challenge with Gabby Bernstein at the moment.

So that's on my habit tracker, no drinking. I was doing dry January and I say, was this because that's not a, but let's get over that one really quick. No, I haven't stopped. I, I am still not drinking. As much as I would, I'm trying very hard not to drink. So that's in that meditating, journaling, drinking my water and taking my supplements.

So those kind of health things, they were part of my bigger goal. So this actually is probably a really good example about how you take that big goal and bring it into your every day. So the first thing you do is you have your big goal, and then you look at your quarters. Now, if it's a habit goal, like some of those.

Well, they're all habit goals, then it's fine. You're just going to do it every day because it's a habit or every week or whatever the habit calls for. But if it's a goal, let's say it's a goal for. Finance, let's say you've decided that this year you would like to earn, and I'm going to pick a figure out the air you would like to earn a hundred K.

So the first thing you need to do, and the reason I pick finances cause this exercise so very helpful is you need to actually work out what a hundred K would look like in your business. So what I mean by that is. I want you to write down the figure that you have in mind. So let's say this a hundred K and I want you to think about the products and the services you offer and the prices you offer them for.

So let's say you have a, let's take my business for instance, let's say you have a pen and paper now. White noise. You have a one-to-one program that costs 5k. Okay. And because I'm going to make this really simple, and then you have a membership that costs a hundred pound a month. So let's say, uh, that's obviously 1200 a year if someone joins.

Um, and maybe let's say you have a course that is 500 pounds. Okay. So what I want you to think about is if I wanted to earn. A hundred K. In my hypothetical example, how many of each would I have to sell? And how would that look? So for instance, I could sell, you would look at like the most expensive thing and you think, well, surely that's the easiest.

Cause I get like, 5k for each person that I do that for. So let me divide that by 5,000. Okay. You later. So I don't only need 20 people doing that. Is that right? Got that. Doesn't seem many does it, uh, you can tell him, literally say, as I do this five days and times 20, I probably should be able to do that in my head, but no, that's a hundred K so I didn't need 20 people doing that to get a hundred K.

Okay. So let's say. But I don't want to do 20 people on that. So let's say the maximum either lay myself. I don't know, maybe six over the year. Okay. So we worked that eight, so six times five thousands, again, probably to doom had 30 K. So if I've earned 30 K from that, or I'm planning to end the UK from that, how many people or how many courses would I need to sell in order to make up the rest of that money?

So this is how I do it. Now. My financial goal this year is very big. I have. A very scary finance goal to be fair. It was the same last year and I didn't hit it and I've put it in again. And then I think there was lots of reasons why I didn't hit it last year. Lots of things that I could or couldn't do or changed or so I'm not disappointed that, well, I guess I am disappointed that it didn't hit it, but.

So disappointed that I just want to give it up and think, oh, there's never going to happen. I can look at it and go, okay. That's what I learned. And that's what I'm changing. That's why I'm tweaking. So anyway, so that's what I want you to do. First off. If you've got a financial goal, I want you to literally work out, hang many of what you would need to sell, because if you've put in, let's say, you know, you've put in a financial goal of like, you know, 500,000 and you currently have a hundred members at a hundred pained.

So if that's okay. The master of that. So if it's 1200 a year, they would pay you 500,002, three divided by 1200, you would need 416. Like, and if you've got a hundred, what's the reality? What is the chance that you're gonna be able to up that four times? Do you see what I mean now? I'm not doing this to go get deflated and feel like, well, that's never going to happen.

I'm doing it so that you can actually see how it might work. Because if you just pluck a figure out your head and have no idea how that's actually made up in your business, then the chances of you hitting that figure are probably very slim. If I know. You know, if I'm earning a hundred K at the moment and I want to get to 500 K and I need an extra 400 people in my membership.

Right. So that's a total of 400. So, uh, yeah, I'd need an extra 300 people in my membership. That is a something for me to work towards. Isn't it? That is something for me to think about. So then I can start working those numbers back and it's like, okay, so this year I got a hundred and next year I 300, I'm going to have to increase my email list size.

I'm going to have to do more advertising. I'm going to have to get more people on my bootcamp. So can you see how we're looking at the numbers and pulling them back and give you an idea? So then, like I said, you take your goals. So let's go back to this a hundred K goal and you look at the four quarters of the year.

I'm literally drawing this as I talk. I'd like, I am very visual. I do this sort of stuff. So quarter one, quarter, two quarter three, quarter four. The first thing I would do is split that a hundred cap over the quarters. And you're not going to literally divide it in half because if you're doing new stuff to try and end that money, you're not going to make a quarter of that money in quarter one.

You're probably going to make, you know, so if we thought about just the straight divide, that's 200 and 250. No, it isn't. Two 25,000. Gosh, my math, you probably sat there shouting at me. Right? So it's anyway, Nicole. So you're not going to make 25,000 in your first quarter, potentially. So you might say, okay, my first quarter, my aim is going to be 15 K then.

So, you know, what's left at that. Do you divide that by three or are you more likely to make more in quarter three or, you know what I mean? So that's the first thing then I want you to write down in those quarters. What activity you are going to be doing to try and get that money. And it's the same for every single goal.

So if your goal is to increase your email list, if your goal is to get on more stages, if your goal is to grow your Instagram, what are you going to do in that quarter to actually. Start pushing that forward. So are you going to, you know, what are you going to sell in that quarter? When are you going to launch what's?

You know, are you going to set up an evergreen thing where it just sells automatically? For me when my website launches a couple of the courses that I've gotten cleared, build my list, self-study will go on the site and you can buy at any point. So what am I doing to promote those courses? If I want to earn some money from these courses?

That's what I want you to think about what you could do in each quarter, and then you could break it down again. But what I tend to do is I do the overall plan for each quarter. So roughly we'll know when we're doing particular things, although I have to say we're really behind this year in terms of making that plan, I think what happened was.

Last year. I did so many goal setting things because I have my online event. The people in executive club get an extra day in the online event. And then I have my VIP retreat and I was just literally talking goal-setting and planning and organizing for the following year, for days and days and days that I didn't do it for myself.

And it's also very hard to do for yourself. I need someone to do that with me. Um, I did a bit when I was at in Nashville, but. Yeah, I still need to finalize it. So anyway, so it's not too late, FYI. So yeah. So once you've looked at each quarters, then I would tend to take quarter one and I would pull that out into months.

So Jan fab, March. And again, if you're listening to this, we're getting to the end of Jan. So really look in February, March. So again, be realistic about what it is you're going to achieve in. Timeframe, because again, there's no point saying, well, I've put 25 K Dane for that. If we're already at the end of Jan and you haven't bought any money in.

So my, the way my business is set up at the moment is I am not selling anything currently. Um, as you listened to this podcast, so therefore. I'm getting no extra money in. I'm getting my retained money in that I get from my membership and that sort of stuff, but I'm not getting oh, and I've actually to light.

I do have something to sell. You can buy the 90 day program, which prices going up soon. So that's where I talked about it on the podcast. Well go. Yeah. So, but I don't really promote that. So yeah, there's not many ways I can earn money. So again, that's going to have an impact on what my goal is for that quarter.

Whereas in. Quarter to, if I was launching something, then that will help. So bring it down into the month and work out what you've got to do each month and then put that into your weeks. So as you're getting to each week, look at those monthly things, look at your Q1 goals and go, what do I need to do?

This week in our enabled to push it forward. So let's say I'm going to break down a goal of building your email list. Okay. So you might want to double your email list size. So in quarter one, you might decide that you need to review your lead magnets or create a lead magnet. Okay. Also in quarter one, you might decide that you need a better system if you're a MailChimp, because it's not very good, just as a side or you need to do a course, like build my list, which you'll be able to do soon because it'll be open.

So you might put that same for Q1 actions. Okay. So Q1. That you're going to do those things. And by the end of Q1, you're going to have a lead magnet in place with your system all set up because you did build my list, a self-study and you know exactly what to do, which is amazing. So yeah, that might be course a one.

So then in quarter two, it might be around promotion and you might decide, okay, I'm going to try promoting it through social media when I speak, blah, blah, blah, blah, whatever reasons. And then what you do, you might difficult. Three is you might pencil in. To do some Facebook ads. So you might decide that actually at the end of quarter two, I'm going to look and see how we're getting on in building my list and review whether I need to do Facebook ads or not.

And this is the other thing, right? You can sit here and make your plan for the year, but the whole point of this is, is creating those actions. And if those actions aren't getting you those results, then change the actions. So this isn't set in stone. This isn't like, while I said, that was my thing for this year, I'm going to do this.

If it's not working. Change it up. So this is how we take that big goal and we kind of pull it apart. We put it into each quarters and then each quarter we look at separately and as you know, I'm a big fan of reviewing my wheat. I'm trying out a new planner, you know, I'm a huge fan of Michael Hyatt, full focus planner.

I decided that, you know, changes as good as the rest, as I'm changing it for the else in the business. I might as well change this. And I bought a new planner called my PA planner. I'll link up to both of these in the show notes. They're not affiliate links, just, just links. I'll just Chuck them in the show notes, but I say I'll check them and I won't lovely.

Becky, we'll talk a bit. So I'm trying out this new planet, not liking. But I think it's cause I'm used to the full focus planner. Um, but basically this planner and the full focus planner gets you to review your weeks and put down what are...

Today’s episode of the podcast is an interview with Natalie Bullen. Natalie is a licensed financial advisor and money mindset coach. She is the owner of Unapologetic Wealth where she encourages her community to improve their relationship with money through working on their mindset and giving them the tools they need to step into the wealth they deserve and desire. We talk about money mindset, pricing mistakes to avoid, and how you can start charging your worth!

 

KEY TAKEAWAYS COVERED IN THE PODCAST

 

• Employees have very few expenses.
• Having a $100,000 salary is very different from having a business that turns over $100,000 per year.
• Turnover is very different from actual gross profit.
• In order to make any money having your own business – there are always going to be expenses.
• You will hinder yourself by trying to do it all on your own just to save money!
• If you have a business that can’t pay you – you have a liability.
• You don’t know what your client can afford, they are strangers to you!
• Don’t decide what someone else can and can’t afford.
• We are not in business to please our clients or make solutions cost what they can afford. We are in business to grow our impact, influence, and income.
• Why would you push someone into a solution that wastes BOTH of your time?
• If you raise your rates, it will be easier to get clients because people know you are serious.
• It is all about priorities and what is important to each person as to what they will be willing to spend more money on.
• You need to offer the next level for your clients – so there is somewhere else they can go.
• You don’t have to buy an Aston Martin if you’re wealthy!
• Money is NOT evil.

 

THE ONE THING YOU NEED TO REMEMBER ABOVE ALL ELSE…

 

Never assume someone can’t afford something you offer! You don’t know their priorities or income.

 

HIGHLIGHTS YOU SIMPLY CAN’T MISS

 

• An introduction to Natalie 04:49
• Money mindset 09:46
• Pricing mistakes to avoid 17:01
• It’s ok to charge your worth! 18:51
• How to be confident charging more 34:25

 

CHECK NATALIE OUT:

 

Website

Instagram

Facebook

 

Transcript

 

Teresa: Hello and welcome to this episode of the podcast, how are you doing? So we are getting very close to the point in which I'm going to change the name of the podcast. So I wanted to make sure that you've got sort of plenty of heads up before we do it.

I think it's actually happening in two episodes time, um, that you'll get a new intro and outro. You'll get maybe slightly tweaked the way we do it. I haven't even decided yet if I'm totally honest. The list of things that I've got to do to get ready for the rebrand and the website is huge. So big. Also at the same time, I decided I might try a different email system because although I love Kajabi and it's brilliant because it does all of the stuff in one, uh, we're also creating a quiz and in order for the quiz to be really good and give you specific answers. I need an email system that can work a bit harder than the one that then Kajabi can do currently. So, uh, yeah, there's a lot on our plate this month. I am working the team very, very hard. Uh, they all being amazing and getting stuff done. So, um, it's been a busy, old time, but like I said, it's coming.

You don't need to do anything. You just make sure you're subscribed to the podcast because the podcast will stay subscribed. The name will just change for you. So hopefully you shouldn't lose me or anything like that, but make sure that you've hit that subscribe button wherever you listen. Okay. So this week we've got an interview and it's with the amazing Natalie Bullen.

We're so good. I can't even tell you, I loved this interview, but let me tell you a bit about Natalie first. So Natalie, through her work as a financial consultant business coach and banker, she discovered that the biggest hindrance to financial freedom is mindset totally. Realizing that many people's view of wealth is unattainable or they see as unattainable or something that's simply for those people. Natalie has an ambition to shift her perspective for everyone she meets by encouraging them to improve their relationship with money. Growing up in one of the poorest states in the country that Alabama native witnessed firsthand, how impact.

Uh, see, this is me trying to read again. I hate reading. How the impact of financial illiteracy. I can't read. I'm going to have to get some lessons in how to read and economic deprivation can have on a community determined not to be another statistics, Natalie worked tirelessly to establish herself as the go-to guru for all things finance.

And it was great. Actually, what I really particularly loved about this talk is Natalie's not just talking about the money from a mindset point of view. So she's not just going, you know, Manifest it, and that will come. She's also very practical and talks about some very practical things. So I really, really liked that.

I think I said last week on the podcast that she spoke for my events, that when the doors open again to the membership, all the past recordings and, and events are all up there, so you can see them all. But yeah, when I had her at the event, she was so good, so, so good. So I think you're going to love this episode and get lots from it.

So without further ado, here's the lovely Natalie.

So I am really excited today to welcome to the podcast the lovely Natalie Bullen. Natalie, how are you doing?

Natalie: I am well, thank you so much for asking, how are you?

Teresa: I am, I am good. Um, I was just saying before we go on I've been a busy week. I've been speaking and I'm just a little bit worn out. But I'll be fine.

I am all good. You have come on this call given me so much energy and don't you just love it when like, Um, in fact, I was talking about this just literally at this event about like some people you step into their energy and it's like, 'Ooh, that's not nice.' And then some people, you step into their energy and it's like roof, like, so that's what I got when you came to the call.

So that's awesome. So Natalie, I'm excited about today's conversation, but before we get started on it, I start my podcast the same way every time, which I'm sure. Well for me, I feel like it bores my audience, but it's important. So can we start off by you telling my lovely audience who you are and how you got to do what you're doing today?

Natalie: Yes, I am Natalie Bullen, um, licensed financial advisor and lay mindset coach owner of Unapologetic Wealth. I have had an affinity towards money since my teenage years. I started my first business when I was nine years old, selling key chains at a uniform store in mobile, Alabama, where all public school children are required to wear uniforms.

And I learned that I knew something about money. It clicked for me in a way that it didn't easily click for others. And as I got older, I started to see how differently black people, especially women were treated when we didn't have money. And why the wealth gaps seem to be getting wider, even though America seemed to be getting wealthier, we are getting wealthier, but the country was getting wealthier.

So I went to undergrad and I got a business degree and it didn't solve any of those questions for me. And I got an MBA. And it didn't really solve a lot of questions for me either. And so, I said, you know what, I'm going to do something about, I'm going to start speaking on my free time. I'm going to volunteer.

And I did over 200 free financial literacy seminars at churches, universities, um, even homeless shelters when they were about to release people back out into new world where they're gonna be paying their rent again. How do you get back acclimated to having bills? And I guess it never dawned on me to monetize it because, you know, Patriarchy.

And eventually I say, you know, I'm going to strike out on my own. I'm going to coach people. And I was gonna coach them on financial literacy. So I had a workshop planned. It was, that'd be retirement plans for entrepreneurs. And I had flyers and citing. No one registered. Crickets for me with my energy. Can you believe it?

And so I boldly hopped in people's DMS and went, Hey, What are you come to know workshop? Like, why didn't you register? And they sheepishly told me one after another. 'Natalie I don't have any money to retire.' My business barely even pays me nearly my, my business barely even makes any money. How could I, how could I save for retirement?

I was intimidated by you. You're so much further ahead than me and naively I would go, 'Well if you run a business, how could you be broke? Why would you quit your job to run a business that doesn't pay you?' And I realized this is really common. It's really prevalent. The struggling artists, um, work for free, this bro marketing that tells you to give it all away and that people will pay you.

And I said, this is it. This is it. And, and I really got into towing with teaching people. This doesn't have to be the case. You got as much money as you want to. This is your business. Go out and make it happen. Right? And so giving people the tools to step into the wealth that they deserve and desire has come an elevated level of my financial literacy manager.

Teresa: I love that. Like, I love the fact that you identified something really young, but it was like in, you built in you, but, and also I love the fact and not that this is something to love, but that you went on a search to get, you know, to understand this better. And you went and did, you know your degree and your master's and, and yet it didn't solve any question or answer for you because of exactly the problem that it is, isn't it?

Natalie: Yeah, because there's not a. It's not a, an educational problem. It's socioeconomic. I would have needed to have gotten an entirely different degree. Business degrees only teach you how business is make more and more money by ever increasingly schemey tactics or clever tax strategies.

Teresa: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So I love the fact that you did that.

And then you went out and did all these amazing workshops with people and then help people. And like that's in your DNA, that's in your blood, isn't it? Like, people don't, like I often talk about when people have a business. Like I worked with people who love what they do, because I don't want to work with someone who doesn't adore what they do.

Or yeah we all have bad days, but you know what I mean? That it drives some passion that they want to make a difference in whatever part of the world that they are in. Because that means a lot to me, rather than just someone saying, 'Well, actually this is a good way of making money. I could probably do this.' Like it's got to come from that passion.

Hasn't it. And I love that, that your state, which is ACE. So. Let's talk about, and, and this is such a big, amazing subjects to talk about, and it's something that's new to me. Okay. So to give you like a little bit of a background and you know, my listeners might know this and I might have talked about it before, but I came from a fairly working class family.

My, both my parents worked, we never had money. Like we were never wealthy. We were probably the poor children in school. And. I didn't know, because I didn't know money mindset was even a thing. But when I started to discover and learn and look at this, I started to realize that, that my family and I had a very bad money mindset and we were, I was brought up with a bad money mindset, but I didn't realize the impact into which it would have in me and my business.

So the fact that you identified that these people have got their own businesses and they weren't doing, weren't bringing in the money. Did you see that that was just a money mindset thing? Or do you think, because obviously you come from a practical point of view with money as well, don't you, which is, you know, so is it just one thing or is it both?

Natalie: It's both it's money mindset, but it's also lack of business acumen.

We are taught to be employees and employees have fairy few costs. Sure they take taxes and social security and things like that. But in general, other than being in dress code and driving to work or riding public transportation, what is your cost as an employee? There really is none. So you get what's left, you get the salary that the company can afford to pay you after they paid all of their other expenses.

But we're shielded to that. What company have you ever worked for where you read the company's annual balance sheet?

Teresa: None.

Natalie: To know how their much their gross revenue, what was the gross revenue of any company you've ever worked for in your life?

Teresa: Wouldn't have a clue.

Natalie: No one does. So see, we're seeing the end result, a 70 pound or 80K year role or the $100,000 salary.

We're seeing that in number and trying to base our business on that number. Instead of the gross revenue number or the taxes or the insurance or the net profit and loss of the firm. See, we don't have that data. And if you worked for a publicly traded company, the data's out there, we are taught to look at, we wouldn't know what to do with it if we did.

Most people do not know how to read financial statements. So when they come into their own business, their first thought is, let me just replace my salary. But having a $100,000 salary is not the same as having a business that grows is $100,000 a year. You cannot conflate those two numbers. They're not the same.

And people don't realize the expense, how much money it costs to run a business, the website and the hosting, the coaches, the tax liability. You're used to your taxes being taken out of your paycheck when you're self-employed, you're responsible to pay the IRS and a miracle quarterly.

I've met entrepreneurs who weren't paying quarterly taxes because no one told them that they were supposed to. Right? And they get with me and find out that they'll 10, 20, 30 jade. If it's mindset, for sure. There's a mindset that gets pushed down on women as nurturers, that we should work for free.

That that makes us good people that we should help people. And that is helpful and nice. Oh, they should be nice when they don't meet. We should be nurturing and nice and helpful and, poor are apparently, and there's nobility in that somehow. But there's also lack of business acumen that makes a woman go, 'Oh, I can coach someone for 50 bucks an hour because I made $25 an hour. So I'll just double it.'

If they knew all what went into the cost of their business, they would realize it's impossible for me to coach someone for 50 bucks an hour. So I do both right. I bring my financial literacy and my financial advisory services and I do a complete money assessment of financial review.

And then I, I let them know where they're doing great and I let them know where they should kind of watch. And then I let them know action steps. They must take it back to buying more life insurance or hiring an accountant. Right? A lot of times we don't know the difference. What's the difference between a CPA, a CFP and an EA.

And that's just this. So people get intimidated and they just hire no one. Right? That's the solution. I don't know. So I'll just do nothing. I empower them to make a decision and then we look at their mindset and their pricing. So. Now that you realize if you don't look at the money first, then I sound woo woo.

Oh, just charge more, just charge, more, charge your worth. It all, it all sounds contrived. But if I lay out your financial statements for you and show you how you're losing money this way, and you'll never be able to pay off your house or fund your retirement or retire your husband or pay for your kids' college.

Well, then raising prices is gonna lay and you're, you're listening to me now. It doesn't just found that like manifest your wealth. It sounds like here's a plan.

Teresa: There's a reason for it.

Natalie: Exactly.

Teresa: You've said so much in that I want to just like pick out a few key bits. So one thing that you said, I think, which is so like, I know I was this for sure was definitely the, this is what I earn, so this is what I want to make as a business owner.

So that. And I still think many business owners just look at turnover like, and don't you think we were chatting before we got on about, you know, some types of people in the business that don't resonate with us. And there are some people out there and my audience will know very well that I'm not a big fan of like, you know, and six figures in five minutes. But the thing is its turnover and they don't tell you the full picture.

So yeah, you could have a launch of something or other that, that brings you in six figures, but they might have spent five figures getting to that point. And therefore what's the point. And I think that's something that that's where the acumen comes in. Isn't it? That's where the, the knowledge of being a business owner and understanding the business, rather than just saying 'Great, I've hit six figures.' Or 'Great, I now bring in five grand a month.' it's got to work. Hasn't it with everything else.

Natalie: I agree. I think that's why it's important to get what people who are transparent. Um, Denise Duffield-Thomas is very transparent, she sends emails that break down all the numbers for her launch to let people know how much she spent and how much she made.

I will also say if you're expecting to make six to seven figures and not have any expenses that you shouldn't bill into business, there will be some expense, period. I don't care if you don't hire anybody, I don't care at some point you have to pay something and you hinder yourself trying to do it all yourself to save money.

I would rather have a business that makes $50,000 a month that has $20,000 a month in expenses that a business that makes 5,000 a month that has two ledger books and expenses, because I'm trying to bootstrap it all myself.

Teresa: Yeah. Yeah. So, you know, I think that's a really important thing to talk about.

The other thing that you said that I think. I'd really like us to hit on is the fact of angio, right? This is predominantly women that think like this, the fact of A. They benchmark their pricing based on, oh, well, this is what I earn as a salary. So actually I'll just charge this and B. That they feel like they can't or they shouldn't charge. They've got to be nice. They've got to be kind. They've got to not be ruthless, not be greedy.

And isn't it funny? The, the language that we use for male and female, when we talk about money is like a guy who charges his worth and goes out there and, and earns good money, we say earns good money he does well. A woman is like cutthroat or ruthless or a bitch or, you know what I...

In today’s episode of the podcast I share some exciting updates and tell you all about my new branding and website that will be live very soon!

 

KEY TAKEAWAYS COVERED IN THE PODCAST

 

• It is so important that your website and brand messaging are aligned with you and your values.
• It is also important to not pivot too much though as this can be confusing to your audience as to what you offer and who you are.
• Your brand should represent you, who you are and what you stand for.
• As time has gone on, my podcast has changed and what I want to speak about has also changed! Which is why the podcast will also be having a rebrand.
• My new podcast name is “Your Dream Business Podcast” because I am all about keeping it real and helping you to create your version of a “dream business”.
• A dream business doesn’t have to be a 7-figure business with a huge team – for example, it might be you work until 3pm every day or work 3 days a week allowing you to spend more time with family.
• My membership is changing to “The Dream Business Club” and there will be an introductory level for just $19 per month!

 

THE ONE THING YOU NEED TO REMEMBER ABOVE ALL ELSE…

 

No matter where you are in your business, there will be a level for you to work with me available!

 

HIGHLIGHTS YOU SIMPLY CAN’T MISS

 

• Why I am changing my brand 02:02
• My new brand 05:20
• The podcast is changing! 10:50
• My membership is changing 16:55

 

RESOURCES MENTIONED

 

My amazing website guy - Ben from Shoutable Agency

My 90 day focus programme

Get on my email list!

Follow me on Instagram

 

Transcript

 

Hello, and a really warm welcome to this week's episode of the podcast. I have lots to share with you this week. This new year has got off with a flying start. I say flying start. I'm not sure I got off with a flying start, but we have a lot of things that we're trying to achieve in January, which we were working on towards the end of last year.

Anyway. So I suppose. Swinging straight back into it, but we have got some big changes coming and I wanted to spend this episode explaining to you what's coming, explain to you why, telling you may be a bit at the how we've gone through it, and there'll be a future episode with me and the lovely Ben talking about the process as well.

So I was trying to give you a bit of behind the scenes in terms of running the business and what's coming up, and what we're changing. Uh, let's get started. Now you need to know, I am literally just doing this straight off the cuff, which, you know, I do a lot anyway, but at the very least I have a few kinds of points in front of me.

Whereas today I've just turned on the mic and I am talking to myself. So I apologize now if this is not as polished, I was going to say polished as normal. I'm not entirely sure. And any of them have that polished, but I wanted to kind of like said to have a really honest conversation with you is if you and I were sat talking and you were asking me what's happening and I tell you. So basically towards the end of last year, I started to look at my brand and think, "Do you know what, it doesn't quite represent me anymore."

I, and I've talked about this a lot in the podcast in terms of like, whom I've sort of, you know, helped mentor and whom I've coached and the work I've done and my experience. And I don't need to tell you all that again, you know, well, good enough, like what my credentials are, but the brand wasn't quite adding up to that. And how that represented me and how it looked wasn't quite the same.

And it wasn't until I did my VIP, or as I was planning my VIP retreat, business retreat, that I started to realize that. I'm all by the nice finer things in life. And yet maybe my brand and my website and various other things weren't demonstrating that, they weren't demonstrating the high-end level of quality of service that I provide.

So there were lots of different reasons, but everything kept pointing towards that you need a rebrand, you need to freshen up, you need to change your website. Also, the amazing Ben who does my website, whom I've talked to before, we'll link up in the show notes. He or his company does it. He had done, they'd launched some other websites fairly recently and I'd looked at them thought, oh, I really liked them.

And I think now I need to change mine. And that happens a lot. I don't know if you find this, you'll see someone else's and think, oh yeah, I want that now. But you do need to be careful with that because. You'll work on something like a website or a brand for a while. And then by the time it comes out to the world, you are fed up with it already and you're over it, but it's really important that you don't just change it every time you feel like that because that's when you start to confuse people.

That's when you start to mix your messages, that's when you start to lose what it is and who you are. And that's where almost like the pivoting comes in. So, so yes. I, I got to a point where I thought, you know what I have at the Teresa Heath-Wareing brand for a while, now. And I wasn't using it because it didn't feel like it represented me properly.

So I got together with Ben and we had a bit of a sit-down and we talked about the possible rebrand and I was messing. That was it. I was looking at someone else's brand. And I was like, oh, I love that. And so I started messing in Canva. Every designer, listening to this now is like literally holding their breath in shock.

Like you can't design a branding Canva. No, you can't. You can, but no, you shouldn't. You should get someone who can do this to do it for you. So, but I started messing around and I sent it over to Ben who obviously has design skills. Cause he designs and creates the website and he came back to me and he was like, 'Oh, I really want to do this. Can we do this? I think it's time. We need to change your brand.'

So we wanted to grow the brand up a little bit. So as you may or may not know, my brand is very pink. It was very gray. It was soft and muted and quite girly and gentle and lots of flourishes and things like that. I had very kind of scrolly fonts, which I still like a scrolly fonts.

It's not that I've come away from it, but it just seemed a little, a little bit. I use the word childish, but I don't think anybody gets what I mean when I say it, but it just didn't feel like it had gravitas. It didn't feel like it was a strong brand. So we did a load of work arrange, like who I am, what I do. And we did some work around some values.

The thing is your brand. And especially if it's a person should really represent you and who you are and what you stand for. So I started to look at what do I stand for? And if you really came out, so things like integrity. So everything I do, there's integrity. Like I take everything really seriously.

I make sure everything is of the highest quality. I work really hard to make sure that. Not only what you get is really good, but it's really authentically from me and is authentically me in its nature and how I am. And I have a really strong integrity. Like I am not one of these people that will say, Hey, this is only for members.

And then suddenly give it out to the rest of the world or tell you that the price is going up, but oh, look, I accidentally left it down. Or. Don't worry, four months down the line, I'm going to have that price again. That's not me. And, and also my integrity comes from my knowledge and my experience, and the fact of I'm not teaching you to do what I do.

I can very easily. If you want a business like mine, great. I can teach you that. No problem. But I'm not. I am teaching you from a, and this isn't another one of my values is knowledgeable. I'm teaching you from my 16 - 17 years’ worth of experience, my degree, my experience doing all the coaching I've done, working with all different types of businesses I've got.

So those were a couple of words. So integrity and knowledge were two really strong words that needed to come up. The other words that came up needed to be luxury. And like, I joked that I think I've joked on the podcast that like I listened to someone the other week. In fact, she's coming on the podcast soon.

When she talks about I'm Chanel, not Target. And like, that was the other thing that kind of came up at the time. And I was like, no, that's what I need to be showing. Like my event was really high-end, the money that you had to pay was a, is a high-level cost. Some of my programs like the 90-day program and funnily enough, I'm just writing some emails for the week in which this will podcast will come out and I'm mentioning my 90-day program to you and my emails because A, I never talk about it and B the price is going up because one thing I do when I review everything, and especially because we're doing a whole rebrand and few things are going to change is we're going to be the price on the 90-day program is going to go up.

And the reason for that, and the reason I very rarely talk about it is because of the fact that the, the 90-day program is a very limited number. It's one-to-one with me. I don't work with that many people, really, if I have any more than three people doing in 90-day program at once, it's almost too many.

So I've never had to market it before. Cause I've always had more than enough of what I need, but because I'm putting the price up and it is taking quite a jump, I wanted to give people the opportunity to get in at this price. And this isn't like a hardcore sales thing. This is literally me just saying to you the price is going to go up. Obviously, you can join at any point. The 90 days is always open, but the price is going to take quite a bit of a jump. It's going to go up by a couple of thousands so it's great. It's a brilliant program and we get great results, but anyway, that's not what I was on here talking about. But yeah, so the luxury element was really important to me.

So I wanted to make sure that brands showed and the website showed that kind of luxury high-end quality that you're going to get when you work with me. And then the other kind of words that came up in my values are things like inspiring. I want people to be inspired not only by my brand or by me, but by the people I work with by the, by the members that I have, and the successes I have.

Because of the amazing people that I work with. So, you know, and also one thing I'm told I do really well is I inspire and motivate people to get stuff done and do stuff. So again, that had to be part of the brand. And then the last one was honest. I am as much as I love the luxury and the integrity and the high-end, I'm also very honest and straight-talking.

So. I'm really honest about the fact. I like nice things. I'm honest about what works and what doesn't work. I'm honest about my expertise and my knowledge, but also I'm honest about this world wherein, and what you can expect. Cause I often again, and we've talked about this before a million times in the podcast that often people will make out, like having an online business is easy peasy and it's like, it really isn't like its hard work, but is it worth it?

Yeah. Hundred percent. I adore what I do, but you need to understand the honesty in that otherwise. Well, you just think you're the one that's failed and you haven't, it is this hard for everybody. So those are the words that kind of come up when I was doing the work. And like I said, that's hopefully what the branding is going to reflect.

So you're listening to this at the beginning of Jan and we're aiming for the end of Jan for all the stuff to come out, including the new website and on the website, we're going to have some updates in terms of how you're going to have a blog where some of the really good podcast episodes that people have loved we've turned into blogs.

So I'm just going back through my team have gathered all stuff together. And now I'm just going to go through and read and tweak and change and make mine. Cause they've just taken basically through the copy from the, uh, from the podcast. So that's going to change. And then the other thing that's going to change is the podcast.

Now don't panic. It's not going anywhere. However, as time has gone on. It's changed. So when I first started all those many years ago and all these many episodes ago, obviously this is 224 episodes. It's nuts. I've done that many episodes, but when I first started the podcast, it used to be called Social Media Marketing Made Simple because it was all about social media marketing because that's what I was known for.

Even though that's what I was known for that wasn't my experience, my experience, wasn't just social media. So after a while, I started to realize that no, the podcast talks about marketing in general. And actually, at that point, it was almost starting to talk about business and marketing in general, but I thought I can't, or I didn't really want to jump that far.

And I thought jumping to marketing that converts really helps because I'm talking about marketing in your business. However, we've moved on again. And the longer I have my business, the more I understand about running a business in general, and especially what it's like to run an online business, the more I'm able to talk about that.

So now what I'm doing is I'm changing the podcast again. I'm changing the name of the podcast again because the name needs to better reflect what you get when you listen to the podcast. And I've decided, oh, I'm really nervous to say this. I was literally thinking, should I actually say it, or should I just not say it?

And then we'll just wait and see. But no, I think I'm ready to say it. And the reason I'm nervous. Cause if you're listening to like was rubbish, I'll be absolutely gutted. Cause this is, there's been a lot of work in this. And you might think, well, that says like two minutes work, but we did a lot of toing and froing, a lot of questions, a lot of stuff, but basically we've decided that the podcast is going to be called Your Dream Business Podcast because I want to explain myself. Now, you know, I'm not into like, The kind of do three things and you'll become a millionaire.

Like I'm not trying to paint that picture, but my idea of what my dream business is and your idea of what you're dream business is are two different things. And that's the honesty and integrity that I want to get across. That a dream business is not a seven-figure business with a big team. It might be to some people, but it's not set in stone that that's what it is. Your dream business might be that you work three days a week. Your dream business might be that you get to only work with people that you absolutely love. It might be that you get to take the whole of the summer off. It might be that you finish at three every day.

Like it might be that you earn seven figures. It might be that you earn eight-figures. Like whatever it is, it's personal to you. And in talking about your dream business, I can talk about anything. So, you know, I'm a big fan of doing the mindset stuff, and I'm doing more of that because the more I learn and the more I use in my business and I've been using it now for years, the more I share my practices and I share them to other people. So, so now I'm talking, and like I said, from day to day, I don't think you're going to see a whole huge difference. It's not like suddenly when we bring the new podcast name in that suddenly the podcast is going to change completely. It's not at all. Really.

It's just the fact that people coming to the podcast will see that it's more about business than just marketing, just mindset, just social media, just one aspect of the business. So now it's generally talking about business. So we can talk about bringing on a team. We can talk about creating large content.

We can talk about you know, how to get organized or the finance side or the mindset side. There's so much we can talk about in terms of running a business. For me changing the name just better reflects that. So, and I've got some amazing new artwork cover artwork, which again, I am very excited about it.

So you don't have to do anything other than when we launch and change everything towards the end of the month. Shout it from the rooftops for me, that would be amazing. It'd be lovely to invite some new listeners to the show as we're launching the new stuff, but basically, you just need to keep hanging around to keep watching my stuff, listening to my podcast and you will see these changes coming.

So let me think. New brand new website, new podcast name, new podcast cover, obviously new podcasts, social media posts. We're changing all of them up as well. Then the other thing we're changing and I'm actually really excited about this bit. And again, as you hearing this at the moment, there will be, if you're listening to this live, as in the week it comes out, or any time before the end of January 2022, you're unliked bell to go and find anything about this, but obviously make sure you're on my list.

So if you're not on my email list and get my emails, then make sure you do that. Make sure you're following me on social media. So Instagram, all those good places. And you will find out about this when it comes, but basically, we're changing up the membership. So as you currently know, I have an academy and the academy is one level.

You can join the academy and the last time you could join, it was $57 a month. Now the next time you can join it when I open it again, it's 97 and it includes loads of amazing things, including being coached by me and mindset calls and all this kind of stuff. Anyway, I've decided that as much as I am and wants to be known and am known for luxury and the nicer things and the more high-end level, I'm also very keen to make sure that I have something that can support people starting out in their journey who aren't ready to pay that amount of money yet.

So I'm actually bringing in. Or we're going to have three levels in total of the membership.

And again, the name's changing. So now it's going to be called The Dream Business Club, and we're going to have three levels to that club. Now, if you're a member and you're listening to this thinking what, then obviously keep an eye out inside the membership. Cause I'll be explaining all to you, but we're going to be having an introductory level where you can join and that price will be opening up at $19 a month because I'm really keen to make sure I support as many of you as possible. Hence, why I've introduced a lower level price in order for you to be able to come into the club and experience what the other members have experienced or some of what the other members are experiencing.

And get some access to me without paying the higher amount. Then we're going to have The Dream Business Club Plus. Which is the level at which the membership is at currently. So if you're a member, you will turn into the dream business club plus, and then we're going to have The Dream Business Executive Club.

And the executive club is my current next level, which up until this point has been very much a closed...

Today’s episode of the podcast is an interview with Pamela Miller. Pamela is a Marketing expert & content creating fairy godmother. She teaches service-based female entrepreneurs, how to cut the content overwhelm and show them how to turn blogs, social media posts, emails, videos…into web traffic creating, lead generating sales army. So, you can save your time, automate the process more & scale your business with ease. In this interview, we talk all about creating content specifically for your audience, how to come up with content that coverts, and repurposing your content to save you time!KEY TAKEAWAYS COVERED IN THE PODCAST

• 
  
• Content creation is creating a piece of valuable information that you can put out there through various channels including social media, blogs, YouTube videos, podcasts.
• Content is designed to navigate people from being aware to actually buying from you.
• Content creation is not just ticking a box – you need to think about what you are actually putting out there and the journey your audience will go on.
• Doing nothing is not an option anymore.
• Instead of just box-ticking and posting on social media, you could be using this time to do other things on different platforms.
• You will not stay consistent if you are not doing something you enjoy – find the things that you enjoy!
• If you want to focus solely on one platform – do that! Don’t try and juggle them all.
• Once you have been putting content out for a while, you will have a lot of content you can then repurpose!
• You don’t always have to create from scratch and constantly come up with new ideas.
• Content distractions – We have to understand what our objective is and what our audience wants to see and post this type of content. Don’t get bogged down on things that are not of value for your audience.
• Use content wisely that is in tune with you!
• Think about what you are trying to achieve – what is your objective? Sales, audience building? Make this your priority.
• Think about how you can stop the scroll – what will make your content stand out?
• Be consistent – otherwise you will never achieve success with it.
• Think about your end goal – reverse engineer it to find out where you should start.
• What can you help people achieve? What problems do they have?
• Time and money is always the end goal for your audience – get really specific and speak directly to people.
• Once you have identified your content and your objective, now you can start to create content.
• Think about how your content looks in terms of when people are scrolling – don’t use tiny text!
• Templates are helpful – Canva has 100s you can use. Make sure you tweak them to your brand kit.
• You will always find the time for things that work. Create habits, momentum and consistency.
• Decide on the content types and the frequency that you can stick to.

THE ONE THING YOU NEED TO REMEMBER ABOVE ALL ELSE…There is no point collecting people and doing nothing with them!HIGHLIGHTS YOU SIMPLY CAN’T MISS

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• An introduction to Pamela 04:29
• What is content creation 08:04
• Repurposing your content 16:44
• What do I post? 19:36
• How to come up with content 29:13
• How to create content 39:20
• Content top tips 45:23

Creative MarketTranscript

Teresa: Hello and happy new year. So if you're listening to the time it comes out, we have just had the new year and I hope you had a good one. I hope you really enjoyed it. So in our household, we got locked down because one of our family members has COVID.

Teresa: Um, my stepson, and potentially obviously we may or may not get it, but I'm sure we will be absolutely fine. We've actually been in contact with quite a few people who have had it and didn't get it from them. So fingers crossed that these vaccines that I've had to help me not get ill are working or they seem to be anyway.

Teresa: So anyway, uh, so that's why we had no new year plans. Uh, we we'll probably just hang out at home, which is what we do tend to anyway, to be honest, we're not big new year's people. And we're not big Christmas people. I am, my husband's not, he hates it. Like literally hates it. So it's been a very quiet time for us at this break, which is probably exactly what we needed.

Teresa: Anyway on today's episode. So. I have done another interview. I mentioned to you just before Christmas that I was going to be putting interviews out because we've done so many good ones and so far ahead and in all honesty, it's much easier for me to put an interview out. And obviously as it's been a busy time of year and I was wanting a rest, then interviews are the way to go. And also as a way, right before Christmas, I went to Nashville and hung out with my beautiful, amazing friend, Mary Hyatt. Who's been on the podcast twice. You can go and listen to her. Also got to go and have dinner with Amy Porterfield. So Anne Hoby and Mary and Bentley. So that was awesome too.

Teresa: So, so good. So it was so lovely to see people in person again. I think this is something that I have really missed. And strangely enough, when I got back from Nashville, knowing that we've got a quiet Christmas, I'd actually arranged to have some kind of open house, get together at my home and we've got to cancel it.

Teresa: So that's a real shame because I think going to Nashville and seeing people in person really kind of reminded me how much I love doing it. But fingers crossed we can get back to that soon. So anyway, today we are talking to the lovely Pamela and Pamela is a content creator expert. So she has an agency where she will do content for you.

Teresa: But she also has an online business where she teaches you how to do content. And in this episode, we're talking about how you can't just go through the motions. And I think this is really good, especially if you're looking to plan what your content is going to be looking like this year. She talks a lot about that you can't just necessarily pick, you know, national cheese toasty day and post about that. If it's not right for your audience. So. It's a really, really good one. It really good reminder of the types of content we're putting out there and the fact that we're doing it anyway, we're spending the time. So if we're going to spend that time, let's make sure we're really spending it well and putting the right things out for our audience.

Teresa: So I will leave up to Pamela to tell you the rest, enjoy this episode, and I will see you on the other side.

Teresa: So I am very honored today to welcome to the podcast, the lovely Pamela Miller. Pamela how are you doing?

Pamela: Hi I am very, very well. I hope I hope you're well too. And thank you so much for having me.

Teresa: My pleasure. So there's a few reasons why I wanted to Pamela on the podcast, the main one being her voice, uh, and people often say nice things about my voice as well. So maybe this one, we should just talk gently for an hour and you look and have a little snooze and just lie there.

Pamela: Like I kick on the cam up, right.

Teresa: I love it. I love it. Yeah. Pam has got lovely voice. I really like it. Um, so anyway, that's not just the reason I got you on here. So let's start as I always do by asking you to introduce yourself and tell us how you got to do what you do today.

Pamela: Yes. So I'm Pamela and I obviously live in Scotland tense voice.

Pamela: And so how did I get started? Well, I worked in marketing for gosh, over 15 years now. Um, agency side, client side, and it was starting my own company where I really started to kind of open my eyes into how I could help other people. Um, I think when you sort of step into a 9 to 5 you just kind of, you know, you're in that different zone of focus, aren't you. It's all about the career ladder. But starting my own company was when I really sort of ignited my passion for helping other business owners. And actually it's getting to see their way happy smiley faces when you teach them something. And it makes them money or lets them be happy as well. You know, if they want to work plus hours a week or something and you show them how to see that and you get to see their happy face at the end of it.

Pamela: It's you know, so yeah. Yeah. It's so rewarding. Absolutely. So, yeah, I have literally, I feel like I've gotten like, three circle through the whole sort of like, um, corporate side, if you will, 9 to 5 then into, I originally started up setting up an agency business, um, and doing people's content and their marketing for them.

Pamela: Um, and then I tipped into this where, you know, content clarity where, you know, I'm, I'm coaching people, how to devise a content strategy, how to up-skill content creation, because I think people tend to be quite overwhelmed, scared. Video tends to be a massive source of panic for people. Um, so just kind of like lifting the curtain a bit on all of these different things, because it doesn't have to be that steady really. Um, if you kind of just learn it bit by bit.

Teresa: It's funny though. Cause you've been in marketing a long time. Like I have, same amount of time actually. Um, the word content creator didn't exist. Like probably even like six, seven years, maybe, maybe a bit more than that.

Teresa: 8 years ago, like it didn't exist. And now the fact that business owners have to become content creators is kind of mind-blowing. Isn't it?

Pamela: It really is. And I mean, when I say I am a content geek, like I, at one point was a mommy blogger when I first had kids. Right. So I've done that whole mommy blogger, YouTube channel, lifestyle, blogger, homestay, and tidier.

Pamela: It's like I've done the whole kitten caboodle, um, and really worked my way through the ranks of creating content and working with massive brands on their content strategies as well. And it is it's, it's, it's funny to see how it's gone from, you know, only people like influencers would create content.

Pamela: Like you see right down now to just every single business, even like the one man band type businesses have to have a degree of understanding of it in order to be successful online.

Teresa: So when you're talking content creation, how would you, because sometimes I think, especially when it comes to business owners, sometimes they'll like, say, 'What are you talking about?'

Teresa: Like, even when I say the word content often I will swap out the word content for posts, if I'm talking social media content. So if you had to explain to me what content creation is, how would you do that?

Pamela: Yeah, people get really confused when it comes to the word content or they just think it's social media. Right. And they don't think of other things like blogs and videos and email sequences and all that sort of thing. But I mean, essentially content creation is creating a piece of uh, valuable information that you can put out there through so many different channels, right? There's like I say, more than just social media, you know, blogs, YouTube, podcasts.

Pamela: So for example, email sequences, but essentially it's designed to help navigate people from, you know, just becoming a way of your products and services and all things. Through to sales and, you know, the beauty of creating this it's, it's almost like you're, you're creating your own sort of Hansel and Gretel story.

Pamela: Right. You're putting your own little breadcrumbs out for people, um, to act as a sort of re to, to sale. Um, and it's, I just love it. I think more people need to think of content creation is not just ticking a box, right. Or some somebody says I have to post like five times a week, so I post five times a week, or I have to post every day so I post every day and actually start to think a bit more clever about it and think, well, less about frequency, more about how do people get from point A to point B and put those little bits and pieces in place.

Teresa: And do you think that like at this a great analogy, the kind of putting the breadcrumbs down and leading them to the sale, but do you, do you often come against the it's a lot of effort for not the very quick reward. Like my experience is that content marketing is a slower burn thing. It's a consistency thing.

Teresa: It's a showing up when no one's paying attention thing. It's a creating stuff that your customers want to engage with and see, but it's not a, someone's going to buy, you do a blog post, someone's going to buy tomorrow. That's not what's going to happen. So do you find just up against that in terms of trying to convince people that this is a worthwhile exercise?

Pamela: Yeah. I mean, it's, you know, same can be said for Pinterest for SEO for, you know, for all of these other things, but people understand it or they kind of know, they maybe don't know why, but they know that they need to be doing it because doing nothing, isn't an option anymore. If you do nothing, you're just going to stagnate.

Pamela: So you have to start doing something. Otherwise your competitors are doing it. And they're laying those breadcrumbs out and six months down the line they're benefiting from it. So unless you actually ever start, you're never going to get the reward from it. But the beauty of these things as well is that they are semiautomatic or automatic.

Pamela: And as much as once they are in place, They're in place, right? They're working hard for you. Um, and people are already on that bandwagon, right? Or that hamster wheel cycle of putting social media out. They don't know why. Right. They're just posting every day cause I have to, tick your box, tick the box, tick the box.

Pamela: So they're already spending the time, but it's like actually for that time, you posted less on social media and actually were a bit more savvy and use some of these other different methods and started to put that breadcrumb Trello. It might be a longer burn or a slower burn, but you're actually starting to do something that's going to work.

Pamela: How long are you going to keep going on that hamster wheel for when it's not even getting your results? So it is, it is, you know, a slower burn, but I think people do realize now that they need to be doing something.

Teresa: Yeah. Yeah, it is. And I think, like I said, sometimes I, that was a really hard conversation to have with someone.

Teresa: And I give the story all the time, my podcast, that basically, and the people listening to this right now and like, all right Teresa, I've heard it 300 times. You can stop that already. But like, it's the fact of it took 9 months before suddenly I had that hockey stick of bet that like, it was little bit, little bit, little bit, little bit.

Teresa: And then 9 months later, my husband and my assistant at the time were like, 'What did you do?' And I was like, 'Nothing. Nothing different.' And it was just, I think the consistency, you know, so it, it almost to try and convince people to say, you've got to wait 9 months, at least to, to say something goes, can feel very hard work.

Teresa: I guess from my point of view, what I say, when I talk about content, it's finding something that people love to do. I love to talk, I talk a lot, so this is perfect for me. So is that something that you, you kind of encourage when you help people come up with what content they should do.

Pamela: Oh a 100%. I mean, when it comes to like, you see it's, it's that consistency nobody's going to stay consistent if they're being forced to do something that they don't enjoy. Right. If you take an introvert and say, 'Well, the only way you're going to be successful is if you do a live video every day.' they're going to be like, uh, 'Hell no.'

Teresa: I'll be fine. Thank you.

Pamela: Yeah. Yeah. So it's all about finding something that you enjoy. That because ultimately in this day and age, your audience are pretty much everywhere, they're spread out. Right. You know, you're gonna, you're not gonna miss anybody out if you do a YouTube channel instead of a podcast or vice versa.

Pamela: So pick the one that you're going to be able to do consistently. Right. So for me, I'm I like to talk, but I love video. So for me, YouTube channel, right. Rather than a podcast, um, I realized that my audience would love a podcast, but I'm going to go down the YouTube channel and that's okay. Right. I'm not going to miss, you know, audience or anything like that because there's, as many people watching YouTube videos, as there are listened to podcasts. And so it's again, just sort of thinking, you know, well, what do you like doing, do you like, do you like writing? Do you hate writing? Do you like, yeah. Do .You like talking like for me, obviously blogger, blogger background, not can blog site, not a problem, right.

Pamela: Can do all day, every day. But, you know, again, it's, it's staying away from the stuff that you aren't enjoying or you can't do. And ironically, social media is probably one of the ones where people start to get some kind of disdain because they start to compare themselves to other people. And that's when the imposter syndrome creeps in and, or don't let go on the platform.

Pamela: I see my competitors or nobody liked my pool story. And funnily enough, that's when all the horrible emotions come up, it's from social media. Right? So it's is bizarre that people seem so fixated on it when there's other options completely. Some of the options completely behind the scenes, right? Email sequences, no one sees that.

Pamela: Um, but again, people think that everything has to be publicly seen all the time. Right.

Teresa: And, um, I guess the other thing is that when you get to a point where I am in my business now, and I have a team to help me, I can run different types of content in different types of places. And also I can repurpose my content.

Teresa: So, you know, we're sat here and I'm recording this and we're on video. I don't have a YouTube channel, but when I do my episodes, I say, I want us on video. Cause I might use the video at some point. And at some point I might, you know, I might just put like a, you know, if I also want a specific question and you answer it, then that could make great YouTube content.

Teresa: But I'm only thinking about that now because I have a team because I wouldn't be doing it. Like I would be saying to...

Today’s episode of the podcast is an interview with Miriam Schulman who is an artist, author and founder of The Inspiration Place and The Artists Incubator Coaching Program where she helps artists develop their skills, tap into their creativity, and grow thriving art businesses. We talk all about how you can market yourself and turning your passion into profit!

 

KEY TAKEAWAYS COVERED IN THE PODCAST

 

• You don’t need thousands of clients – you need to sell to the high end of the market.
• Start with your goal/destination in mind.
• You need to have a signature style to be able to market yourself.
• Cheaper does not mean it is easier to sell! People are looking for value.
• The 5-part Passion to Profit framework:
• Production – making sure you have the capacity to produce assets
• Pricing – how much will you charge and will it work?
• Prospecting – start telling everyone who you are and what you do and own it!
• Promotion – getting prospects and getting sales
• Productivity – your system for making it all work
• The first part of promotion is to get attention, the second part is getting sales through building relationships.
• Write down your goals – when you imagine, you use the creative part of your brain and when you write it down it uses the logical side of your brain.
• Setting goals enables you to be more realistic.
• We have to help our team manage their time as well – we need to know when they are working on projects.

 

THE ONE THING YOU NEED TO REMEMBER ABOVE ALL ELSE…

 

Just because something is cheaper, does not mean it is easier to market and sell!

 

HIGHLIGHTS YOU SIMPLY CAN’T MISS

 

·

• An introduction to Miriam 04:29
• Finding your market 17:35
• 5-Part Passion to Profit Framework 18:41
• Setting goals for your business 30:38
• Taking your business online 37:07
• Miriam’s new book 41:20

 

CHECK MIRIAM OUT:

 

Website

Facebook

Instagram

The Inspiration Place

 

Transcript

 

Firstly, I'd like to start by wishing you a very, very Merry Christmas. Now, and I'm a little bit late. It was a couple of days ago, but I wanted to take the chance to hope that you had a lovely, lovely time with your family and friends. And you got to celebrate, you got to take time off. You've got to relax and you've got to remember what all this hard work all year round was for. So I'm really hoping that you've had a lovely, lovely break. And also, if you are listening to this at the time it comes out, then I hope you've got exciting plans for new year. Have to say I'm not big new year fan if I'm honest. We tend to stay at home with a bottle of fares or seven and yeah, just watch a bit of TV.

Just, it's not really my thing. It's not really my thing. Then my husband did try and convince me that we should go to LA this year for like four days, which I quickly assured him I was not up to doing because I'm very tired. Okay. So before I get started today's interview, which is awesome. It's with Miriam who is so much fun and talks about lots of good things, including her five step passion to profit framework.

Teresa: I want to just give you a heads up of something that might be happening soon. I have been going through the process of a rebrand, and also looking at my names of everything, not my name, my name stays the same, but as in the name of my membership, and my podcast and all these other good things, and they are changing, I'm not ready at this point just to share yet what it's going to be.

Teresa: With such a seconds of I've changed my podcast name. The first time it was Social Media Marketing Made Simple. Then I realized it was way too much more about marketing than just social media. So I changed it to Marketing That Converts. And now I'm realizing that it's way more about just marketing.

Teresa: Because the time that I've gone on in my business, as I'm like seven plus years into my business, I realized that I can obviously talk and support in lots of other areas than I currently, you know, than I did. So it's going through another little tweak and a change, which I'm very excited about. I hope you'll love.

Teresa: It's coming soon, but I just want you to keep an eye out for us, keep an eye on my socials and things, and you'll find it as it starts to happen, but I just wants to give you a heads up. Okay. So like I said, we talked today to the lovely Miriam. Now Miriam is the founder of Inspiration Place The Artists Incubator Coaching Program where she helps artists from amateur to professionals to develop their skills, tap into their creativity and grow thriving art businesses.

Teresa: She's also an artist herself and an author. And basically today, we talk about how you can market yourself and how you can turn your passion into profit. Because now I don't know about you and we talked about this on the podcast, but lots of people think, you know, struggling artists, like that's the name.

Teresa: And actually she talks more about just the fact of her being artists talks about having an online business and how to really sort of stand firm in the fact of what you do and who you are and your personality. So I think there's loads you're going to get from this episode. So without further ado here is the lovely Miriam.

Teresa: Okay, welcome to this week's podcast. The very lovely Miriam Schulman. Miriam how are you doing?

Miriam: Good. Thank you so much for having me.

Teresa: My pleasure. I am really excited to have you on. I'm really excited to share with my listeners your story and how you got to kind of what you're doing now because it's something that's quite close to my heart in terms of doing your passion and doing something that you absolutely love. So I always start exactly the same way. I'm sure it bored listeners to death, but I don't mix it up a bit, but can you start by introducing yourself and tell us how you got to do what you're doing now?

Miriam: Okay. So I'm in my fifties. So like the let's, let's get the short version of the life story journey.

Miriam: Uh, so I am an artist and what I primarily do is I help other people who either want to reconnect with that creativity. Cause they haven't, they either, they always wanted to paint and never got around to it. They used to be creative in college. So I help those people. And I also, for the past few years, been helping other emerging artists make a full-time living from their art.

Teresa: Okay.

Miriam: Okay, so here's the journey part? In a shortest version possible. So I haven't always been an artist. Like most people like my audience, I took the longer path. I did the practical route first I worked on wall street and after 9/11 happened, I decided I was no longer going to do that just as I'm sure there's many people now during the pandemic who are taking stock of what they're doing in their life.

Miriam: Um, people who were laid off and maybe don't want to go back to what they were doing before. So that was my experience after 9/11, is that I was not going to go back to the world to finance. And that's when I committed myself to becoming an artist.

Teresa: So can I just touch on that bit? Because obviously that is, that is a huge, huge event that took place. And life-changing for the world almost. Um, were you in wall street at that point? During 9/11 or so were you physically very close to where it all happened?

Miriam: Well, that's a really good question. And what most people don't remember is there was another bombing of the world trade center in 93. And I was working in the world trade center at that time.

Miriam: And I, we were working my office faced directly the tower that where the bomb went off and in my office, everyone kept working. And that vision of seeing the terrorism happen in the building next to ours, while my office stayed working that stuck with me. So that when 9/11 happened, If you recall, there was 20 minutes between when the two planes hit and the second tower, they did not rush to evacuate that, they were not evacuating that.

Miriam: So it was that culture that you keep working, even though there's a terrorist attack going on right next door, um, so even though I was not working in the world trade center during 9/11, I had been so close to that world and it was so close to what, who I, it could have been me. So it was so close to that.

Miriam: Um, that was a very frightening, kind of like a PTSD moment for me when, when I saw, um, 9/11, it was like brought me right back to that first bombing.

Teresa: Yeah. And you're right, like, what kind of world do we live in where something like that happens. And yet we just keep working. Like that, would you say it like that?

Teresa: It's like, well, that's insane. Who does that? But kind...

Miriam: For the record, I didn't keep working. Like I, okay. So when the first bomb went off, I was having lunch with a girlfriend in the cafeteria, which is on the second floor. The power went out. So there was like backup generators that kept the lights on and the computers humming, but they stopped running the elevators.

Miriam: They didn't tell us what was happening. They told us it was a cone failure. So my friend and I, we walked up, back up 37 flights of stairs. Could you imagine if like this was during, you know, okay. So we walked back up and it wasn't until we got to the, to our desks, that we could see what the truth of what was actually happening outside the windows.

Miriam: And people were smashing the windows with their computers to, um, try to breathe. And I just turned right around and left. I turn around.

Teresa: And I'm glad to say I can't imagine because that's just, I mean, obviously we will watch 9/11 in absolute horror and, but to be so close to it and to, and I think not that you know, you don't ever want to think, you know, what good came of it, but the fact is that you looked at what your life was at that point of when this is not worth it.

Miriam: No. Like if I was waiting for a sign from the universe, it's pretty big sign. So at the time, like I said, I wasn't working on wall street. In fact, I wasn't even working at all. I has taking an extended maternity leave, but that's when I said to my husband, I'm not going back.

Teresa: No. You happened to live like, you know, and I know we can't live in fear and I know that things happen all the time, but just living and working in that environment.

Teresa: And funny enough, I have a family member who worked in New York and that was the point that she decided 'I'm not working in New York anymore.' And she came away and moved and they now work somewhere else in the States. But I think sometimes, although we don't like it. Although no one liked the pandemic. No one is pleased that terrorist attacks happen. But those things make you see things in a way that maybe you could never have seen things.

Miriam: Absolutely. There's nothing like a crisis, whether it's a global thing or a personal crisis, like a death, a death in your life that lifts the veil of whatever's not working in your life.

Teresa: Yeah.

Miriam: And you see very clearly what is, and isn't it important to you. I mean, I think we've all had that experience, Teresa. I bet you have as well where you've had like a death in the family or some sort of crisis and all of a sudden, like your to-do list gets caught in half. You're like, oh yeah, I don't have to do this stuff anymore, you know, this is not necessary. Create a real, you know, whatever ridiculous thing you had on your list.

Teresa: Yeah, exactly. All right. So can I ask you. So, what was the transition then between having a job in wall street to then, like, I'm really fascinated in, in that kind of, not just the, how did you do it? How did you get from one to the other, but also how you fell? Because I'm assuming that working in wall street and the trade center is doing all that stuff.

Teresa: Like. It must've felt very powerful and empowering. And then like to say to your wall street colleagues, I'm going to go off and do something around painting. Like obviously I am simply playing, which, you know, what I mean, like how did that feel?

Miriam: That's a good question. I haven't been asked that before. Yeah, there is, there was something, there is you tapped on something that most people don't realize, um, most people, when they talk to me, they assume I hated that world. And what you just tapped into was the truth that there was something very seductive about all that power of the money. And I grew up very poor. So I had never had that before. So that was like very difficult to walk to walk away from.

Miriam: And there was a little bit of that. I hope people don't see what I'm doing right now at first, you know, there was a little bit of that. I also like Teresa to kind of compare it. So most people will have this experience. It's like the hero's journey in all those heroes journey story. So, um, pick, pick any of them, wizard of Oz, let's just pick where the heroin decides they're going to go on this great journey.

Miriam: And there's that moment where they, they want to go back. So like Dorothy's has no, I'm not running away from home and going back to get that. And then there's that big moment that happens where it's no, you're not going back. So there was really the two steps that had happened Teresa. There was the extended maternity leave, which was kind of like my first I'm stepping back from this world because I was already feeling jaded.

Miriam: And then when 9/11 happened, that was like the crossing of the threshold. In that hero's journey. So, um, you know, like in star wars where Luke's planet gets blown up, for example, or Dorothy, her house goes to Oz. So that crossing of the threshold moment makes it impossible to go back. So I felt like it was impossible to go back at that point.

Teresa: Yeah. Yeah. So then you only had one choice which was then to make this a success. So did you leave or did you cross that threshold knowing full well, what you were going into?

Miriam: Oh, no.

Teresa: I was going to say.

Miriam: I didn't, did not. I just knew I wasn't. I was so confused. I was so confused. I didn't, I, I didn't believe I could make a living as an artist, which is why I didn't pursue it in the first place.

Miriam: So I did start painting was always my passion. So I was painting and I thought I was going to be a Pilates instructor. So I took a job, um, at a very big chain of gyms and Teresa it was um, the gym may sit their mission to teach there, um, since New York sports club, which I don't know how they did during the pandemic, but prior to the pandemic, a huge chain of gyms. They train their instructors, not just on how to do the exercises and how to sell, because that's where the money is, is how to sell personal training packages.

Miriam: And it was during these sales training sessions that I had my aha moment. I was like, oh, you mean I could do these things. I'm not going to do it to sell personal training packages. I'm going to do it to sell my portraits. And since then that was like, became a lifelong mission for me to learn everything that you spend your time and in your world, like the email marketing and building my like, and the more I learned about how to do that, the more excited I became because I felt I had control over my destiny.

Teresa: Yeah. Yeah. And isn't that funny? I think, I don't know many people who just take that step into being an entrepreneur who then go, oh, this is the thing exactly. Like they have the passion, they have the thing, but actually what's really fascinating is the fact that the thing that you, that held you back is the thing that you're helping other people with now.

Teresa: You thought I could never make money. And I think like, as a complete layman to this, I know very little about the art world. My friend owns an art gallery, which she loans me lovely art to put in my office which is nice. Um, but like, you know, the only thing I know really about art, this is the big assets that sell their paintings, but hundreds of thousands, millions, whatever, and you kind of don't or the really disposable art that you get an Ikea or, you know what I mean?

Teresa: Like habitat or whatever it is. I don't, I don't really see the in between bit, which is like the, not the Van Goghs and not the Ikea. So how was that getting started in that and trying to then sell your own stuff?

Miriam: Okay. So the great question, and I think what most people don't realize is there are so many artists making a living who are not household names because they think either you're a household name or you're starving and they, and the media loves to play the story of Van Gogh to tragic hero.

Miriam: Meanwhile, he was never starving. Let's just be honest. He had a trust fund, you know, Theo sent him plenty of money. Um, okay. So they love to play that up, but you don't need, and Teresa I'm sure you'll agree with this when you're, when you're at, let's say, and you help a lot of coaches I assume as that true.

Miriam: Right. So coaches, for example, they don't need thousands of clients. Same thing with art. You, as long as you are selling to the high, uh, high end of the market and not the hundred thousand market, but you know, paintings that are, um, I'm going to say this in pounds, because for your audience, you know, you're selling paintings for 2 to 5,000 pounds.

Miriam: You don't need to sell a lot of paintings to make a full-time living. 5,000 paintings, a 5,000 pounds of painting with 10 to 20 paintings a year.

Teresa: So I'm interested then, how do you find, or how did you find your market. Like you just said that to me. And it's like, and I immediate thought, well, that sounds really hard.

Teresa: How did you find these people? Because with art as with anything in that kind of creative space, it's so subjective and it's in fact, I think I'm going to like put my neck out and set, especially with art because we all know I've seen art that I think is stunning. And it's not much money. And then I've seen art that I don't understand, or is not my thing that we'll be selling for loads of...

Today’s episode of the podcast is an interview with Sonaya Williams who is the founder of The CEO Partner®, a systems-driven, profits-obsessed, Digital Implementation agency that helps smart CEOs grow their business and meet their goals. Sonaya ​lives to help CEOs create an operational master plan for themselves and their teams, teaching efficient and effective systems and tools during the process. We talk all about how you can get your own business processes and systems organised to set yourself up for growth and success.

 

KEY TAKEAWAYS COVERED IN THE PODCAST

 

• If something doesn’t excite you and give you joy – it is not sustainable and you just won’t do it!
• When something is your zone of genius, you are really good at doing it. When something isn’t your zone of genius, there will be someone else who can do it!
• There is always someone who will want to do the bits that you don’t want to do.
• It is never too early to start documenting your systems – even if it is just you.
• By documenting systems, you can free up your brain so you can think about growing your business!
• To start documenting your processes - Write out everything you do every day/week/month.
• Record yourself on Loom doing tasks you do again and again.
• Every process should be documented in a separate document to make it easy to search.
• Keep your processes updated and review them regularly.
• Team members have to take ownership of processes so they are not reliant on you and you are able to step out of the business.
• Think about the triggers for each process – are there any you can pass on to your team so you can step away?
• You have to have processes when you have a team, otherwise everything will still be reliant on you.
• When you are looking at hiring your first team member – think of it as an investment as you are gaining that time back.
• EVERYTHING in your business is a system.
• When something is a process, it becomes so much easier. It also means you can keep making it better and review.
• It will take time to get all your systems and processes in place but it will be SO worth it!

 

THE ONE THING YOU NEED TO REMEMBER ABOVE ALL ELSE…

 

Start creating a list of things you do every day, then record yourself doing them!

 

HIGHLIGHTS YOU SIMPLY CAN’T MISS

 

• An introduction to Sonaya 05:16
• Zone of genius 10:55
• Why do I need to think about my systems if it’s just me? 12:32
• How to start your processes 16:12
• Being able to step away from your business processes 24:40
• Bringing on a team and what to give them 28:08

 

CHECK SONAYA OUT:

 

Website

Facebook

Instagram

 

RESOURCES MENTIONED

 

Loom

Trello

 

Transcript

 

Teresa: Welcome to this week's episode of the podcast. How are you doing? So I have had a very, very busy few weeks. And as you can probably hear from my voice, I am worn out and I'm really glad that I'm recording this episode now almost as if to say to remind you that we're human and there's only so much we can do with our time.

Teresa: So the week, last week as I'm recording this, we did two online events and one in-person VIP retreat over the weekend, which was three days in total for me, because obviously I got there the day before. We had a lovely drinks, reception, we had dinner, um, there was about 20 over, it was so good. Then we had a whole day of goal setting, planning, masterminding.

Teresa: It was brilliant. And then I spent the night again and, uh, obviously chilled out a bit, but then obviously then packed up the next day. And it was just absolutely awesome. I had the most amazing time, but I'm worn out, completely, utterly worn out. So this week I've been hibernating. That's my go-to thing. It can be really hard because sometimes when you want to hibernate, you think to yourself, I can't, I've got to be able to show I can't not do, you know, turn up and do the thing, but I think I want to remind you that you can, you can hibernate if you need to.

Teresa: And if I didn't hibernate, if I didn't just pull back a little bit and cancel some things that you know I could cancel and spend a bit longer in bed or go for more naps or whatever it is then, I would be an absolute state. So if you are feeling worn out, this is, I'm giving you permission to stop, to, to sit down, to take five minutes to not run around and do these things, because it's a time of year where we are running around.

Teresa: My daughter's about to break up at the end of this week. Um, my. My husband's away. We go away in a couple of weeks. We've got presents to buy all that stuff. And like I said, it's been a busy, busy time of the year for me. So, like I said, I'd like to give you permission. You have my permission, please take it easy. Because you know, it's really interesting.

Teresa: We do all this stuff like getting ready for the next year, goals set for 2022 as if we're going to have all this energy and where does all this energy come from? Like, we need to make sure we rest in order to build that energy. So that's what I'm doing this week. And because I'm doing that, I decided not to give you a solo episode this week.

Teresa: I have been very busy over the past. God knows how many weeks batch recording interviews and they're wonderful and brilliant. And, I thought, why not take it easy on me? Because obviously when I do an interview, it's already the chunk of it's already done. I just do this intro and outro. Also give you access to some of these interviews a bit sooner.

Teresa: So today we have an interview and it's with the lovely Sonaya Williams. Now Sonaya is a bit of an expert in terms of getting organized. And this actually, I think is perfect timing for this time of year, because as we start to think about starting next year, we might start thinking about how we shift and change.

Teresa: I know lots of my members, lots of my students have talked about. They might want to bring a new member stuff. They might want to look at their team. So this is a really, really good episode to look at because she talks about how you get organized. She talks about how to bring people on. She talks about how to do processes and systems.

Teresa: That in my world was a game changer. The minutes I could bring in a process, even when it was just me, it was a game-changer. So she's just brilliant. I know you're going to love this episode. I know you forgive me for not bringing you a solo episode this week. I promise when I've had a rest over the Christmas break, I will be back to my normal fierce chatty self. But, uh, until then here is the interview I did with the lovely Sonaya.

Teresa: Okay. I am very excited today to welcome to the podcast Sonaya Williams. Sonaya how are you doing?

Sonaya: Thank you for having me.

Teresa: My absolute pleasure? Absolute pleasure. I'm really excited about today's episode. And it's funny because as we were looking at what we're going to talk about, you've actually got in one of your titles, Why This Isn't Sexy.

Teresa: And I think some people might think, well, this doesn't sound like a very like, Ooh podcast episode, but it's very, very useful. Anyway, before we dive into that, I always start the same way by asking you, How you got to do what you do today? So if you can introduce yourself, that would be lovely.

Sonaya: Definitely. So I'm Sonaya Williams, the founder of The CEO Partner® I started it in 2011 and it's kind of something I fell into. My background is in technology and banking. So I used to do business process management, I think, different brokerages in America. So E-Trade TD Ameritrade. And what that looked like was I was helping to develop some systems that will deliver the client experiences.

Sonaya: The one that I like loved that I did was, you know, how you go to an ATM and some, some ATM's might charge you a couple of thousands of dollars. They're taking money out. Well, we had a feature that we did in 18 rebates. So if the 18 charged you $5, you would get it back on the other day. And I built how that system works.

Sonaya: But then in addition to that, it was also how customer service deliver you an experience and all of that. So I think logically, and I think in terms of customer experience and delivering. And that's what I used to do my day job and the whole idea of just, you know, two hour commute to work, two hour commute home.

Sonaya: And, you know, there's no such things as you earned it, I knew that whenever I wanted to have kids that I wanted to be home then. I was raised by a single mom and I watched her work so hard to do, just to provide to me and later life to learn that, you know, she was an accountant. She didn't love to do that. And I realized I wanted to have a job that I enjoyed.

Sonaya: And while I did enjoy my corporate career, I knew that I could have continued doing it with those hours. So I had to go figure out something else I could do as an entrepreneur, create my own business. And the only thing I knew how to do this create systems, help people take things in their head, lay it out, logically, see how it can be repeatable.

Sonaya: And then I fell into the online business space and turn that into creating what I like to call new revenue online and teaching people how to create new revenue online repeatedly.

Teresa: Love it. So it was that ever like, because going from corporate and fairly by the signs of it fairly big corporate to then was it when you were like, actually I don't want to do this.

Teresa: I don't want to work these hours. I don't want to do the commute. With the most natural, did it immediately come into your head? I'm going to have my own business or was it like, could do that? No, could do that. No. Oh, okay. I'm left with this.

Sonaya: Well, I felt like before thing I started to try to them was like wedding thing or event planning. That was like my first. And I went the route of taking a course and do all that, but then I, it wasn't really exciting to me. I don't even think I finished the certification. I, I, my, I went to school for, uh, international business and computer science. So I'm definitely more of a business minded person. So I wasn't creative enough, I think, but event planning fields.

Sonaya: Um, so I knew it was going to be some sort of business. I just didn't know what. And I didn't know how I can help people with what I knew. I ended up falling into and finding a business coach and she told me, 'Oh you can be creating standard operating procedures.' And I'm like, 'Really? That's what we have in corporate. We do that all the time. I love that.' And I found my first client and he wasn't. He had a sales company that sold like copy machines and, you know, big, uh, big products to school districts in New York city. And his biggest, uh, fallback was his sales team would have to make several different trips in order to close one sale.

Sonaya: And I was like, 'Why can't they do it in one? And I'm like, did they have a checklist? It's a simple checklist that maybe they need to know what they need to get. Instead of having to say, I'm done these three steps. What's next?' Right. It's like, you might have a VA and she's like, okay, uh, this payment failed. What do you want me to do?

Sonaya: I've always send the email, what do you want me to do next? Right. So everything written out for them or have a list for them to work off of. And eventually we did that. We created a whole list for his sales people and they went from closing sales in three visits to closing sales in one visit. He started to be able to, his biggest thing was he wanted to go golfing on Fridays.

Sonaya: He wanted to have Fridays off. He couldn't do that because he was always in the office with the sales team and they had their paybooks and their processes in place. They were increased their sales, like 30%.

Teresa: Wow. And I think there's a couple of things you've said that that's like, I've just jotted down.

Teresa: First of, I want to pick up on the fact of. The other, it was funny, the minute you said, I went into wedding planning, I was like, oh, what's that really be your thing? Because you're right. It's you do need to be good at planning, but it's very creative. Isn't it? Like, you need all the ideas and all the stuff.

Teresa: And so that was interesting. Then, then the fact that you said it wasn't exciting. And strangely enough, this morning on the day that we've recorded this, I had a call with my next level academy and one of my members who's been doing something for long while said, 'I don't think I like it.' Like, and I'm like, 'So don't do it.'

Teresa: And then like, 'Well that's what I do.' And I said, 'Well who says, that's what you do? It's your business. You get to choose.' And I think not, I think more people need to remember it's our choice, you know? And if it doesn't excite us and if it doesn't give us joy and passion and we love it, it's just not sustainable. We're just not going to do it already.

Sonaya: Yeah. And I mean, that's what you started the business before you started it out of this excitement for solving a problem or helping people get something done. And when it starts to not become excited and we're really start to feel like a job.

Teresa: Yeah. Yeah. And who wants that? No one. Not me. Exactly. I could go to someone else and they can give me something rubbish to do. That's fine. And then the last thing I noted down, which I think is a super important thing to say, Is I've written down zone of genius to remind me, right, this is your zone of genius. This is the thing you are very good at doing.

Teresa: And I often think when it's not. So when something, isn't your zone of genius. So let's say you are not a process person and you don't like it. You immediately think 'Ah, can't give it to someone else cause it's awful. And I hate it.' Like, and it's like, no, no, no, no, that's not your zone of genius. That's not something you like, but it doesn't mean there's no people out there who flipping love this stuff and excel at this stuff. And vice versa.

Teresa: You know, when there's things that you might have to do, I guess, from a marketing point of view or a creative point of view in your business, that you might not like that you might think I need to give that to someone else. But I think, well, I want to make sure we get across and everything is that there is someone out there who will like this stuff.

Teresa: And even though you might sit there thinking, 'Oh God, this bit's so dull.' Or I don't it's because that's maybe not your thing, but there will be someone who does love it.

Sonaya: Yeah. There's always someone that wants to do the stuff that you don't want to do. And I used to always say, Uh, when I, when people ask, what would I do in my business?

Sonaya: It's like 'All the things that you don't like to do, the systems, the processes, the integrations, all of that stuff. Give it to me. Cause that's what we do.'

Teresa: Yeah. And I love that. So let's say we've got someone listening to this podcast. Who's like, I am working on my own and I don't have any team. I don't think anytime soon I'm going to get team.

Teresa: Why do I need to think about my systems? Because we all know, and I for sure was this when I first started, it was all in my head. Literally I knew the whole thing. So why, even if you're not looking at a team, why should it be looking at those systems?

Sonaya: I think it's never too early for you to be start documenting systems, even if it's just you. Even if it's just you and it's always going to be just, you.

Sonaya: You want to free up your brain so that you can be able to think about how you're going to grow the business, what your plans are down the line. You want to be able to start creating better relationships. And when you have all these things in your head, you can't think about that stuff. I had a call with someone two days ago and.

Sonaya: She, she, this person had the team. She has one, two of the VA's that work with her but she called me because she was just frustrated. Cause she was just so involved in the day-to-day of her business as she couldn't have think it's a plan for next year. She had no space in her brain to plan for next year.

Sonaya: Cause she was just inundated with everything to do in the day-to-day. And what it boiled down to was that the team members on her team, they don't know systems or processes in the day-to-day. So when they step through their process or when they come up on some hurdle or block, they always go to her for answers. And even if like, as a solo preneur, where you start with a checklist, that checklist is what's going to help you for your brain.

Sonaya: So you can went through the list in terms of billing clients or you know, processing onboarding. Right. Because then you're able to give each and every client the same experience.

Teresa: Yeah. And again, you've just hit on something there in the fact of not only is this good, cause it frees up your brain and it means it's not sat in there.

Teresa: And you're having to think every time, because some of these processes we're doing our business, we do once a month and every month like, oh, the worst for me is, you know, like some of the systems I use they'll invoice me and that's great. Cause I just send them straight off to the finance thing. Some of them don't invoice me and I have to manually go in and get them.

Teresa: Every flippin time I have to do it. I think, how do I do this again? Every time, like, and I probably spend 15 minutes looking around the website, trying to find the one button that I need to press. And every time I think 'I really should make a note of this.'

Teresa: That is what I do every flippin month. But so, you know, that's really important, but then the other thing I've really liked you saying. Actually from a customer service point of view, this is gold. Isn't it?

Sonaya: Definitely. It is. I mean, I have just a short story where, when I was living back in America and I went to a here place to get back here, though, um, I got know the best greeting ever.

Sonaya: We should make some coffee. Here's a magazine. Like it was

Today’s episode of the podcast is an interview with Ross Davies who is the owner of Strafe Creative, a digital design agency focused on conversion-led design. We talk all about websites and how people convert via your website, along with some changes we can all make to help increase conversions.

 

KEY TAKEAWAYS COVERED IN THE PODCAST

 

• If you are a serviced-based or online business owner, you want your website to make someone feel comfortable to get in touch with you.
• Rather than just telling people what you do – you need to answer objections and make it obvious.
• Make it really clear what you want your user to do and when.
• Give website visitors a reason to click a CTA.
• Have tailored landing pages that are contextualised to where they have come from.
• It’s not just about signposting, it is about the destination you are sending them.
• We are sometimes so busy explaining what we do and building our credibility, we don’t consider the other reasons why someone may not sign up.
• Rather than avoid talking about other competitors – why not compare with what you offer.
• Build credibility with mini case studies and testimonials. Use credible logos!
• Don’t just ask for a testimonial – tell them what you want to push and how the testimonial could include triggers for this.
• Start to collate all the frequently asked questions you receive and then have a page on your website to answer all of them.
• If you have a product-based business – add testimonials from people who have previously bought from you, sell the process and what goes into your product, show the packaging and what is included, and answer objections that people may have.
• Think about upsells and things you could do to say thank you when someone buys your product such as a personalised video.
• Collect birthday data to be able to remarket to anyone who has previously purchased.

 

THE ONE THING YOU NEED TO REMEMBER ABOVE ALL ELSE…

 

Visually answer objections that may stop people from signing up – this will help drive conversions.

 

HIGHLIGHTS YOU SIMPLY CAN’T MISS

 

• An introduction to Ross Davies 07:04
• How to encourage someone to get in touch with you 20:26
• Answering objections for service-based businesses 28:11
• How to drive conversions for product-based businesses 44:47

 

CHECK ROSS OUT:

 

Website

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

 

RESOURCES MENTIONED

 

The Marketing That Converts Academy

Handmade gifts - In Craft Corner

 

Transcript

 

Hello and welcome to this week's episode of the podcast. So we're in December. Are you ready for, you know, the big day. I used to love, I do love Christmas stuff. I used to really go all out and ever since I had my own business, I do find myself like trimming down things that I just haven't got time and energy for and being crazy about Christmas is one of those things. So I have to say that mine is probably a lot of last minutes. Also we have a lot of birthdays in end of November, beginning of December, my daughters and my husband's and my stepdaughter's. So in our house, it's like you can't have those things you can't, uh, celebrate Christmas until those things are done.

 

 

So anyway, but anyway, I hope you are far more organized than I am, which I suspect you are, which is good. So this week we've got a really good interview. My lovely friend, Ross has come onto the podcast to talk about websites, but not websites from a building website or what you should have on it. We're specifically looking at how people convert on a website.

 

 

And we used, me as an example, and we used one of my members as an example, who has a physical product. And he just gave such good ideas, like things that maybe I hadn't thought about things that were super helpful, things that are like fairly easy to do with some changes that are more about texts or images or buttons that actually are not that difficult to do.

 

 

So I think no matter where you are in your business, whether you have someone do your website for you, like I do, or whether you're doing it yourself, I think you're going to get lots from this. Also because he's a very dear friend we have quite a laugh, which I always enjoy, like laughing. It's one of my favorite things and he was good, fun to interview.

 

 

So let me do his bio. Ross Davis is the owner of Strafe Creative, a digital design agency focused on conversion lead design. He loves to find new and innovative ways to improve processes, whether that's in way he runs his business or the design process with his clients, identifying objections and issues in any process can help streamline it and it's the systematic, did, could he have chosen like a more difficult bio for me to read, like all the big words, systematic approach, which has led him to some fantastic client results.

 

 

Ross is also the author of the Paper Plane Plan which delivers into growth hacking for service industry. And he's a proud husband and father and a huge baseball, basketball fan and loves Thai food.

 

 

There we go a little bit of the info about Ross there. So. We have such a funny story to tell you about his book. It is hilarious. And like I said, this is going to be really good. I don't want to say anything else about it. Some really good tips. You probably going to want to have a pen and paper handy. Uh, some great stuff in today's episode. So here we go.

 

 

So I am very pleased today to welcome my very dear friend Ross Davis to the podcast. Hello Ross, how are you doing?

 

 

Ross: Well hello, I'm great. Thank you so much for having me cause like we're used to senior Institute professional lemo. I loved it, it's great.

 

 

Teresa: It's normally when the times we hang out normally involves some drink somewhere, that's normally.

 

 

Ross: From a professional point. Like we'd been in event, we'd been there then, or you'd been talking about and then drink.

 

 

Teresa: Then we drink. So I start off professional and then it starts to slide as the day goes on.

 

 

Ross: Goes on to downhill.

 

 

Teresa: Oh, my bad. And she says, if I could remember Ross, I'd be confident of it. That

 

 

Ross: There's no difference. That's fine. And that's proper. That's all right.

Teresa: I love it. I love it. So Ross and I lots of time together. I think at first was it Atomicon? No, here it was.

 

 

Ross: It was Atomicon.

 

 

Teresa: The first time we hung out properly. You know, the first time this was brilliant. Right. This was so good. Didn't I have your book.

 

 

Ross: Yes.

 

 

Teresa: Right. We've got to tell that bit, right? This is brilliant. So I had never met Ross and someone had said about this book and I had got the book and I'd taken on holiday. While we were on holiday, my husband and I were having a photo shoot and I thought I'm going to do some, have some books in the, in the photo shoot. So I'm holding a Gary V book which is quite unusual because that's not really after reading it I realised, he's not necessarily for me, but anyway, and I give my husband your book to hold as a prop. Obviously I'd take there to read and we have these photos done. And then, uh, I meet Ross and Ross is very sweet to me and was like, oh my God, I get to meet you.

 

 

Ross: You're fangirling.

 

 

Teresa: Which is so, so great. And I sat there and Ross gets on stage to speak and he brings up his book and I'm like, 'Hang on a minute. I recognize that book.' So I then sit through the rest of this talk, scrolling through my phone, trying to find.

 

 

Ross: So you wasn't listening.

 

 

Teresa: Sorry, I wasn't paying attention because the, the excitement of, oh my God, this is brilliant. And by the time he'd finished, I'd sent him a picture of my husband. And one of the pictures were holding the books in front of our faces.

 

 

So you can't even see it's us and genuinely, it could look like me and Ross.

 

 

Ross: In the light. Yeah. It just felt like we were on holiday chillin.

 

 

Teresa: You were reading your own book.

 

 

Ross: I very egotistically reading my own book. Like this is great. What a read.

 

 

Teresa: Who wrote this be, he is amazing. Honestly, it was so funny. It was like, it was a sign. We were meant to be friends and then.

 

 

Ross: Super excited as well by that.

 

 

Teresa: And we had, so that was actually MarketEd.Live I liked, that was the first time I went on, then Atomicon, and then Atomicon we ended up, you very sweetly walked me back to my hotel because I was staying somewhere from different from where we were and we had some drinks and it was great. And then, uh, the next time we met up and I had raved to my husband about you.

 

 

And you know, when, like you think, oh, I hope cause my husband came to, it was Cambridge social day. My husband came and I thought, you know, when you rave about someone and you think, I hope they see what I see. You know what I mean? Cause you just don't know sometimes.

 

 

Yeah. He thinks you're funny. You better make him laugh. Anyway, my husband just adored you.

 

 

And when I said I was interview you today, he was like, 'No way.' So excited, so excited. So anyway, that was our little story about how Ross and I met. Ross, normally I start this podcast by asking you to introduce yourself to my audience and tell my audience. How you got to do what you're doing today.

 

 

Ross: Yeah. So I'm obviously Ross I'm the MD of a company called Strafe Creative. Where a digital design agency. Some maybe means that we're doing things between kind of branding, web and digital. So it might be platform work, UX work, or, or an app or something along those lines. That's kind of where we, where we kind of do it. And I guess we've been running for 11 years now. We started this off.

 

 

I think the big thing for us, that we were trying to create work that not only looked aesthetically beautiful, but also the converted and drove sales. And we did that for a couple of years when we first started off with it. Wasn't all of a sudden this term like appeared, could like CRO, so conversion rate optimization, and we didn't have a name that we know is layouts.

 

 

And we started reading about, and I was like, we do this. Like we never gave it a cool fancy name. This work about analyzing our traffic is moving on the site and then tweaking the site to increase the likelihood of the user doing the thing that we want to do. We've been doing that for a while. So we kind of got to get a little bit ahead of the curve on some of those things.

 

 

And I remember, yeah, we got to kind of talk about it. And I guess we were only intentionally relatively experts. And I feel because we were already doing it before we realized it was the term. And that's when you, when we met, that's kind of how I've always been talking and that's kind of where I was going. So it doesn't always need to be as technical as it was that there's obviously some really great lessons and wins that every site can possibly do. But yeah, that's kind of the main part really.

 

 

Teresa: So before, obviously 11 years, you obviously started pretty much straight out of school I imagine Ross.

 

 

Ross: I'm not that young. Sadly. Maybe I look young, but yeah, there's a couple of years typically as the industry. And then yeah, we set up about two years, two years after that.

 

 

Teresa: I think it's your maturity maybe.

 

 

Ross: Oh thanks. Yeah.

 

 

Teresa: They're going to get really, yeah, they're getting it so sad or just us laughing for this podcast but, you know, we have fun. So I hope you enjoy it. And so, yeah. Would you always been in a marketing space or a web space before that?

 

 

Ross: No. So I did science-based design engineering at university. And, um, I know that sounds super fancy. And a lot of it was to do with like basically designing progress products with ergonomics in mind. So designing it for the user and how things should be held and moved and how someone interacts with it. Um, and I guess it was, uh, taking that thought process and how people use stock book, pieing it to a digital space.

 

 

That's kind of what we started doing when we first set up in this, this makes me feel old as a kind of tell this story, but, um, This was like at the height of Dragon's den. So obviously for anyone, oh, you know, shark tank or wherever they are. Yeah. So, so our idea was I was like, I'll design the products.

 

 

And then my business partner was going to do brand. Um, the way I did our big USP was going to be, not only could you have the product, you could have everything. See if the go-to Mercury, you could go to Jack and Stan and you could try and get on it. Then we realized nobody wanted products designed by a student with no experience in the real world.

 

 

Surprisingly but they were happy to pay for branding and web and slowly over the first year or two, we dropped product and we just have these focus on what we did. And that was where I guess my learnings and lessons from when I didn't university and education supplies. We started to apply those, those learnings to digital. And that's, that's kind of where we started really. So live with it for.

 

 

Teresa: So where you learn these are?

 

 

Ross: No, no. So straight after university, um, I worked for a company called Jagex who navigate for the RuneScape. The mighty RuneScape, uh, which was this huge game that no one ever heard of in the UK, but was absolutely huge in America and China little places. And they had like 10 million active users or something back in the day before, um, online gaming was really such a thing.

 

 

So I did that for a few years, but then we always had me at Patrick Metta University. We always had this idea of setting something up. And we just said, I think you probably know this about me. I'm probably overly logical sometimes, but we have this suspicion one day in the pop obviously. And it was something along the lines of neither of us have wives.

 

 

We don't have any kids. We don't have house payments. Worse case if this goes completely tips-up. And we can just move back home and we'll be debt, but we're just, weren't even a year at Uni. So we were already in that and quite a lot of our friends really live it out. So we were like, let's just do it. Let's just set up and just see what happens.

 

 

And, and we'll go from that. Right. So incredibly, like I say, my head very logical, so like worst case, if it goes wrong, we're in that, but we're already in debt so crack on. And that's what we did. And then we have this little tiny, prominent Nottingham City Center where we did absolutely everything from. Um, and then we got our first office, which was honestly, it was an actual cupboard so much, so that.

 

 

Uh, me and Patrick sat next to each other where you couldn't open the door. Unless I moved my, my, my, uh, chair out of the way, it was very cozy, but again, it was like 150 pounds a month or so in mental with everything included only like, um, we have an office space and obviously all we did was we had a meeting room that we could take people to. They never saw the office.

 

 

Teresa: You couldn't have got three people in at once.

 

 

Ross: You could physically live on three people that we couldn't get to. It was just like a running joke that we had was like, oh, we can't physically hire people, even if we wanted to. Sit you here. And that was, that was where we all started. And, yeah. So there's now 19 of us.

 

 

Teresa: That's amazing.

 

 

Ross: So yeah, so a big difference. I still don't necessarily feel responsible enough to have those people working for us, but the team is absolutely amazing. And, uh, yeah, it's relying on those guys on this.

 

 

Teresa: They full-time employed that team?

 

 

Ross: Uh, so 16 of them are, uh, and then three of them are...