Your Dream Business

This week’s Small Business Superstars is Abbie Burns from Darley Dance Productions.

Darley Dance Productions specialises in providing dancers and singers for corporate events and entertainment, as well as elite sports.

Lots and lots of people got involved and they had some really high profile donation such as Matt Willis from Busted and the chairman of Burton Albion. People were buying the rewards and were so excited about it! They hit target and even better, they hit it earlier than they had planned! They managed to turn the show around in two weeks and it was a huge success. Instead of losing their business in 2020, they went out on a high.

Website: www.darleydance.co.uk

Instagram: @Darleydance

Facebook: @Darleydance

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In today’s episode of the podcast I talk all about marketing your business without using social media. After some recent changes to Instagram, Facebook and Apple, it is more important than ever that we do not put all our eggs in one basket and look at alternatives to social media marketing for our businesses.

• Instagram has changed it’s terms of service – by using the platform you agree to these. They can change their terms and conditions without asking you at any point.
• Instagram can delete, amend or block your account if you are doing something that is not appropriate or in line with their brand.
• If you are using direct message pods or bots, Instagram are cracking down on this more.
• When you upload content to Instagram, you own that content but they have the right to use your content as they wish.
• Apple have announced they have changed their app tracking transparency framework – going to limit the information that can be exchanged with 3rd This is good from a personal level but from a marketing perspective this means we won’t be able to know as much about them as we previously have (e.g. Targeted ads).
• Getting in front of other people’s audiences can really help to grow your own audience.
• Guest blog, interview on a podcast, speak at an event. Where are your customers hanging out?
• If you are a local business, you could try a flyer drop in your local area.
• #journorequest on Twitter – journalists who are looking for specific types of people use this for you to find opportunities.
• Submit features to publications.
• Ask if you can do a guest blog on a popular website.
• Having great content and keywords on your website will ultimately increase traffic and the amount of people who find your website.
• What content are you putting out regularly – e.g. blog post, podcast etc.
• Branded merchandise can be a great way to get your message and voice out there – make sure it fits with your business and doesn’t cost too much.
• Google ads are great for finding customers who are in the market to buy.
• Google ads are more expensive and more difficult but the people being targeted are actually searching for that term.
• Google My Business – set this up.
• You could sponsor an event, podcast, sports team.
• A sponsorship is usually paid whereas a collaboration is usually mutually beneficial.
• Collaborate with someone who has the same customer profile as you – event, content, virtual event.
• Ask your existing audience to promote your content on their social media or leave a review.
• Use a third party system for reviews – more trusted.
• You can offer affiliate schemes to existing customers who love you the most to expand your audience.
• Offer a referral scheme to your customers to get new customers.
• YouTube is a search engine – different to other social media platforms. You can put content out and grow your audience on YouTube.
• Try to be on one social media platform of some sort but also look at other options too.

• Why we shouldn’t rely on social media to market our businesses 04:02
• Getting in front of other people’s audiences 10:47
• Building your email list 12:05
• Printed flyers 13:27
• PR 15:55
• Content creation and SEO 17:49
• Branded merchandise 19:02
• Google Ads 20:43
• Google My Business 21:40
• Sponsorships, Collaborations and Competitions 22:02
• Asking your audience 23:39
• Business directories 25:12
• Affiliates and referrals 25:55
• YouTube for business 27:45

Last Chance to join me for my follow along email list building course!

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Hello, welcome to the first podcast episode of the year. Happy new year. Okay. People we are in 2021, which means surely life is now going to change immediately overnight, just because we're in a different year.

Uh, and therefore we can put the horrors of 2020 behind us. But we can still learn so much from it and make sure that we do the best we can this year and have the best year we can. Cause I'm sure there are many more trials and tribulations coming, but we are tough and resilient and tenacious. That's a great word for a Monday morning, uh, so that we can just keep going and do amazing things.

Okay. Today I've got a really good solo episode for you, real practical. I think you're going to love it. And basically we're talking about how can you market your business without yes. You heard me right, without social media. I'm going to tell you why I want to do this episode in a minute, but before I do, I want to remind you one more time, because by the time the next Monday, episode will come out, we would be starting next Monday, Monday, the 11th of January, we are starting the 10 day follow me along live course on how to build your email list. You start with nothing or with a little bit or with something, but we end after the 10 days with your email list created and you adding people to it using a lead magnet. I'm going to cover everything. I've got everything for you. It's going to be amazing. I'm very excited and I want to get as many as you on as possible because this episode of what I'm going to talk about is really going to inspire you. That if you've not quite understood me go on and on and on before about why you need an email list. Some of the things I might say today will really hopefully summon that in. And now it's not that I think an email list is a be all and end all not at all.

It's one of the many tools that you can use, but the important thing is it's a really important tool and you should, should, should be building your email list. The other thing you need to know about this course is it's currently on for $290. The next time this course goes live, it's going to be $490. You know, when, like I've said to this far on the podcast, I planned it before, or I kind of guessed it a price before I realized what went into it.

And it's it's I do a lot for you. I create a lot of stuff, so you don't have to. So it's a really good value if you get on it now. So to join me and other amazing entrepreneurs, build a list. You need to head over to teresaheathwareing.com/buildmylist. That's where you sign up and I will see you in the private Facebook group.

And we will get started on a Monday, the 11th of January. Okay. Let's get on to today's episode. So why have I decided to speak to you today about doing your marketing without using social media? Because obviously I'm a big fan. I'm a huge advocate for it. It's a great tool for businesses to use. It's a great tool to find your audience, to engage with them, to build a community.

There are lots of many positive things about social media. That is really good for small business owners. So I'm not saying in this episode, don't use it. But a couple of things have come up recently that I want to bring your attention to. If you're not on my email list, then you might not have seen this.

A couple of things that come up that made me think, do you know what? Maybe we're a wee bit too reliant on social media. So, let me tell you the first things. The first thing was that Instagram has changed its terms of service, which basically means it's terms and conditions. And what they've done is they've added and taken away and changed a few things, which obviously they have the right to do.

And basically they say that by using the platform, you agree to these terms of service. So. It's kind of a case of they can change it when I asking you if they can change it, which they've done. The things that kind of really stuck out. Cause obviously there's quite a few changes and I've read them and I've looked through various things and watched people's reviews of them.

And that sort of thing. But the stuff that really sort of sticks out that I wanted to mention was the fact that they've made a point of, they can delete amend or block your accounts. So if they feel that you're doing something that isn't in line with them in their brand, then basically they can just make that decision.

Now, the truth is they've always had that decision, obviously, especially when it comes to content, that's not appropriate. But it they've made more of a point of it, which has made people worry about the chances of it happening. Another thing that they've highlighted is the strictness of their community guidelines.

Now, in one way, this isn't a bad thing, because basically they're saying if you're using bots or direct message pods, basically, they're just kind of like people that get together and go, "Hey, when I post something, would you like it? And will you comment on it?" And that sort of thing. But basically if you're trying to cheat the system in any way, then that is reason again, for them to have your account removed.

So if you're not doing those things, then I wouldn't worry about it, but I wouldn't recommend you did it. If you are doing it, I'd probably stop. Not just because of the terms of conditions, but they do appear to be getting stricter. And then the other thing that people are getting very concerned about is how much access they have to us and our information. Now they've confirmed, which again, meant that it was already in there in terms of conditions that when you upload content, they basically have the right to use it as they wish.

Now you still own that content. However, you're basically given them license to do whatever they want with it. Now let's be honest. They're not going to be like putting it necessarily in an advert or using pictures of your children or something. It's not like that. It's basically just saying though they could, if they wanted to. The other thing that people are concerned about, but I went through the terms and conditions and I didn't see it as, as kind of strictly as maybe people have been concerned about is how much they have access to our phones. Now I do know that TikTok has now got quite a reputation for basically putting like it kind of spies on your phone and what you do on it. So I don't have TikTok on my phone. Whereas Instagram never really did as much as they're now saying it might be.

So obviously it has to have access to your cameras. It has to have access to your photos. It has access to your audio because when you do videos and it's wondering how much of that content it's really getting access to, and also things like your contacts and other things that you're doing on your phone itself.

So, so like I said, that's a bit of a concern and people are getting nervous about it. So that's the first thing that came up. And then within the same week, Apple have announced that they have changed their app tracking transparency framework, get my tongue right in that. And they're going to limit the information that can be exchanged with third parties, such as Facebook. Now as a personal user, then great. That's a good thing because they don't share as much as my data and information as they have been. However, as a marketer and a small business owner. That's not great because it basically means that anybody on Apple, we're not going to know as much information about them as we have done. So if you are doing Facebook ads, you might find that if someone is on an Apple device, which obviously that's a huge percentage of people that are, that we're not going to be able to target them as closely as we have been previously.

So your ads might not be as effective as they have been in the past. So these two things together kind of just got me a little bit. I don't know I wouldn't say worried actually, but it just made me remind myself that we cannot rely on social media solely. And I have many examples, which I've shared on the podcast before about businesses that have had really good social media followings, and then someone hacked into their account and wipe their entire Instagram. Someone who broke a term and condition for Facebook, and they got blocked from their own account. Somebody tried to cheat it and go around the system. And basically again, couldn't access their accounts. So. I'm not saying this is going to happen. I'm just saying I would be really careful about putting all your eggs in one basket.

And I was having a conversation with one of my dear friends who is also a business owner the other day. And she was like, "Surely, we've got to, we've got to find out the ways in which we can market our small businesses without being so reliant and heavily reliant on social media." So I had a bit of a think and I thought I've been in marketing 16 years.

I did a degree in it. And when I did my degree and I started marketing, there was no social media. Like there wasn't even people really had websites back then. God it makes me sound very old. But you know, there's obviously loads of different ways we can market ourselves. And at the moment we are so dominated by social media.

That's what we talk about. But in this episode today, I want to talk to you about other ways in which you can market your business, that doesn't include social media or you having to do social media. Now I'm not saying it doesn't include social media at all. I'm just saying other options that you can use.

Okay. Now I've written down loads of different ideas. So this is really going to be a kind of fly by the seat of your pants type episode, as I throw a load of stuff at you. But also the other thing I want you to remember is this isn't a, you should be doing all these things. Not at all. This is a, here is a buffet of ideas and you can go along and pick the ones that suit you and suit your audience best.

And then try those things out. But, but my main aim and my main focus of this podcast episode is that please don't put all your eggs in one basket. Please don't focus all your efforts on one thing and one place only, and then have something go wrong with that place or something happened. You just don't know.

So if you're spreading it across the place, which I know it hasn't always been the, hasn't always been the focus, you know, in terms of go deep, not wide is good. But yeah, just a warning to kind of like, there is other options out there and you should maybe look at including a couple. Okay. So let's get going.

Now, the one I'm going to start with, and I've done a whole episode on this. I can't remember what the number is, but I'm going to link it in the show notes. It's other people's audiences. This is a really good place to go. And build your audience from. Now, the beauty of other people's audiences is they have kind of done the hard work and they have already created the audience.

So they have created people who are, you know like-minded have a similar interest of whatever that interest might be. And therefore it's a great place for you to go out and find potential customers. Now, when I talk about other people's audiences and not social media, what I'm talking about is maybe go and see if you can guest blog on someone's blog.

Maybe ask if you can be interviewed on someone's podcast. Or maybe speak at someone's event. Basically where are your customers hanging out? What events they're going to, what blogs do they read? What podcasts do they listen to? What videos are they watching on YouTube. And is there any way that you can be part of that content?

Is there any way that you can get in front of them? Now I'm not going to hang about on this this bit too long, because I have done a whole episode to it. So you can go and find that in the show notes, like I said, um, the link will be in there, but that's a great first place to, to think about. Okay.

Obviously I can't do this episode without talking and me iterating again, but I'll keep it brief about building your email list. Do go check out teresaheathwareing.com/buildmylist to see what's involved in that course, because this really is a time where we need to make sure that our lists are being built and not just now, actually it should be all the time.

We should constantly be building our list. Which I do in my business, but I wish I'd started sooner. And I wish I'd put more effort into it in those early days. So it's definitely something that is never going to be a waste of your time or money. But obviously I'm not going to go into it because we I've talked about building lists many, many times. But obviously that is another thing you should be doing.

If we don't look at social media. Okay, next thing. Now I'm going to go all old school. And if you have ever seen them, do it on my husband. He he's got this running joke that he thinks that he gives me all my marketing ideas, FYI. He has no marketing experience or degree or anything. And he constantly jokes about, we should do fax campaigns and flyers and posters, and like basically all the old school stuff.

So the fact that I'm now going to mention flyers on this podcast, he would literally love it now he doesn't listen to the podcast cause he gets to listen to me rub it on 24/7. Anyway, I think that would be very unhealthy if he listened to my podcast. Um, but yeah, he would just absolutely laugh up saying I stole his idea, but I haven't.

So why am I talking to you about flyers? Well, you know what, in some businesses, in some cases, this is an option. Now, I'm not saying any of these are amazing or terrible or anything. I'm just saying, here are our options. If you are a local business that covers a local area, then why not try? Why not do a leaflet drop or a leaflet business drop or personal, whatever it might be. You just don't know. So if you are a gardener or you're a personal trainer, or you have a gym or a cookery school close by or whatever it might be. Then who's to say that that doing a leaflet drop and you know what, if you, you could create a designing canvas. Now I'm not saying always that's the best option, but if money is an option, you know, concern, then you can do something in Canva.

You want to make sure you've got a good eye for it though, because sometimes these things don't always come as we think. And then to get them printed at something like hello...

This week’s Small Business Superstars is Sally How from How Fine Designs.

Sally is a sustainable jewellery designer who creates meaningful jewellery that is eco-friendly and longer-lasting.

Pins are evergreen and being rediscovered 3 years later. Went from 9,000 followers to over 180,000 monthly views!! Driving traffic to website and creating sales.

Website: www.howfinedesigns.com

Instagram: @Howfinedesigns

Facebook: @Howfinedesigns

Pinterest: How Fine Designs

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Today’s episode of the podcast is an interview with the lovely Dallin Nead who is the CEO of Content Supply Co and one of the world’s top branding messaging experts. We talk all about how to take your vision for your business and implement this in your marketing and the impact of talking about your vision when finding your perfect customer.

• 3 step content process – building messaging that connects with your audience, build a marketing plan that works, and create content that fits inside the entire customer experience to build a business from the ground up.
• Every business needs visibility and authority to grow. The only way to grow this is content.
• Content can be overwhelming and tiring to users as they see so much of it, on every platform they use.
• The only way to cut through the noise is to develop a clear brand message.
• You need to have a clear vision of where you want to take your brand.
• If you don’t have a vision of where you want to take your brand in the future, you don’t know what to talk about or how to invite your customers into that journey.
• Decide how many people you want to serve, what sort of household name you want your brand to become, how you want to give back, the amount of money you want to make, or the lifestyle you want to be experiencing.
• The business/brand we build is to serve not only the world but ourselves and families.
• Start with your vision and work backwards from there.
• The customers and audience you attract will likely want a similar future or vision for their life as you do.
• Content means nothing if there is no clear message in place – the words and language you use is so important.
• The type of content you post is not as important as the message behind the content and how people receive it.
• The content we choose will be dependant on how we prefer to show up and how our audience prefers to consume content.
• The ability to scale your business to a whole new level is dependent on your willingness to show up on video and show your face.
• Video creates that human connection and builds trust with your audience.
• You generate traffic with attracting your audience and then they can become a lead.
• Video gives people a visual medium that give them the chance to interact with you.
• Don’t over-complicate it!
• People, problem, perspective, plan, pay-off – theme your story into each.
• Make sure the content you are putting out will be relatable to your audience.
• Always have in mind your audience and how they will see your content – turn the mirror back on them.

The ability to grow your business and scale it to another level is entirely dependent on your willingness to show up on video or visual format.

• An introduction to Dallin 03:24
• Content supply’s 3 step process 10:58
• Story telling through your content 12:40
• Content for your business 18:15
• The importance of video 21:10
• An example of success 32:06
• Overcoming the fear of telling your story 36:10
• The 5 p’s formula 37:25

My NEW email list building course

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Check out Dallin - Content Supply Co

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This week’s Small Business Superstars are Laura Moore and Laura Davies, otherwise known as the two Lauras!

Laura and Laura own The Hub for Social Media Managers – providing support for freelance social media managers to grow their business through a membership and online courses.

People love their emails! They have had brilliant responses and people enjoy the valuable content they offer. When they then sell in an email, their list is very open to this. Since emailing every day, they have seen less unsubscribes, consistently higher open rates and more sales!

Website: https://thetwolauras.com/

Facebook Group: @smmhub

Hello, and a very warm welcome to this week's episode of the podcast. How are you doing? Oh, it's not this week's episode. I keep saying that all the time. I keep saying this week's episode.

It's the second episode of the week. It's the Thursday episode. You're probably thinking, is it a Monday again? No, we're on Thursday. It's nearly the weekend. Okay. So this week's episode, I have the very lovely Laura Moore and Laura Davis, otherwise known as the Lauras. Hello, ladies. And welcome.

Lauras: Hello

Teresa: Oh, that was very well synchronized. Thank you very much. That was excellent. And we're going to have this the whole way through. Don't ask a question. I want you both answered at the same time. So I'm really excited to have you ladies on stage because I have worked with you and your business is pretty amazing and you are pretty amazing at what you do.

And I often talk to you, I've gone on a complete side already, but I often talk to you about the fact of there's two of you. And I always wonder about the two person perspective in terms of, I feel like because there's two of you, you're so much more organized. You're so much more productive. You're more motivated their faces and not saying they agreed. But I honestly genuinely do think that's the case.

So what you guys have achieved in the short space you have is immense. So let me zip it up. And one of you, both of you, however you want to do it, tell us how you got to do the thing that you do today.

Lauras: Um, so we, um, have a business called the hub social media managers, which we set up as we were both freedoms, social media managers, and ads managers, um, and we know that there was a gap in the market. Really. We wanted somewhere where we could go to get support and, um, just for people to understand what it's like to be a freelance social media manager. So we decided to fill that gap really. So we created the hub. Which, um, we support people essentially to grow their business.

So we don't teach people how to become a social media manager, but we all support them once they all want to grow their business through our membership and through our Facebook ads courses, et cetera.

Um, yeah. So

Teresa: for me, what was interesting? Two things, first off, you doing learning about a job and doing it are two entirely different things.

Like I did a marketing degree. I can tell you that first day I walked into my first marketing job and they said, "You want to fax that thing and you want to do some franking." I was like, "Sorry, where's the strategy I'm putting together? Uh, where's this, this, this?" Like, it's so different. So I think to, to realize that even if you've done that learning to become a social media manager or a freelancer.

It's going to be very different in practice. And then secondly, the thing I want to pick up on and ask you was when you started the hub, which was a Facebook group initially, wasn't it just the Facebook group. Was it for the intention of we're going to take this business in this direction? Or was it just a support thing in the first instance?

And then the business idea came later.

Lauras: It was a bit of both wasn't it to start with. We had a business idea, but it wasn't what it is now. Um, it was it, we were just going to have this standalone, our social media managers tool kit, which was going to be a standardized product to help fill the gap. But then we realized that there was a lot more things that we could do to help people.

So it kind of grew and snowballed from there really. Yeah. Talk you a good way for us to, I suppose, tech the market really too. We felt that there was a gap. A lot of people were DM us. Just on our own kind of socials thing or where do you do that? Or how can I do this? Or I don't know how to get a client or blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

But we needed to know whether that was a mass need for the, the ideas that we had. So the toolkit was a good way for us to kind of test the water really. Um, but yeah, it's grown very much based on the needs of the audience rather than our original grand plans. They weren't that grand.

Teresa: And, and also share with us how you both got to work together because like, when I think of.

The, the, the business couples that I know they've grown up together. They've worked in the same industry for long time together. So tell people the story, if you don't mind, like how you got to work as a, as a pair.

Lauras: So we talked to me on Instagram.

Teresa: It was always a dream to be Laura most best friends.

Lauras: We both, um, we just met, we met online. We didn't, we didn't like right. Um, we, um, so was he, we were both doing well and we'd both done similar courses. We both. I didn't actually, Laura Moore followed me on Facebook. I actually didn't follow her. And yeah, we just started having conversations like, you know, in our DMs, you know, that's thinkers.

Do you get asked this a lot? I get asked this a lot. We both had similar ideas on how we turnt kind of fill that gap really. So it just was very organic. Um, but yeah, now we've Laura and I've only probably met each other in person like five times.

And

Teresa: Know what, that blows my flipping mind, like, you know, you know how like some people meet.

And the relationships they're so meant to be together. It's like, this is the business version of this because to, to create a business together, having met through the way you met and then not like being in person next to each other, like you don't even live near each other. Do you like what's how many hours drive?

Lauras: 24 hours away are we? Yeah. Birmingham. They're not, they're not near.

Teresa: So yeah. I love that. I love the fact of. You know, I talked to my husband about it, you know, should I have a partner? Should there be, should there be two of us? And he's like, God, no, not two of you. But like the problem is now I'm so with my business, it's my business.

And in reality, now that I can have lots of team members, which is great and people who support me, but it's always just going to be me. Whereas actually what I love about this is, is the fact that, you know, this didn't have to be a. I kind of, we grew up together and therefore, you know, but you'd had similar backgrounds as well.

Haven't you?

Lauras: Yeah, similar. Yeah. Weird, given that we also have the same name, but we also base, um, before this, when we kind of had a gap in our careers around sort of kids being young, we both had take businesses and we both also used to teach cake decorating classes while at those things. So. Yeah, it's very, very strange.

The only differences between Laura and I, Laura like diet routine and I like gin. And apart from that, most of everything.

Teresa: You could be the same person, no, that's crazy gets crazier. Okay. So the idea, now you have say, as I've said, I've worked with you guys. I, I know what you do and you do loads of amazing things.

So I don't know how hard it was for you to pick one thing to talk about when you come on. Uh, but tell us what that one thing is that you have done in the business that actually has really made a difference to you.

Lauras: It probably actually wasn't that difficult to pick this thing. Back in January, we decided that we would make a commitment that we thought we would fail at, um, where we were going to email our list once a week.

And we decided we would do that on a Monday morning, we would always email our list and that was like our new year's resolution. And we were pretty convinced that we would fail at that by February. Um, and we didn't and it made a big difference to us. Didn't it. And Laura was quite anti this idea to start with.

Cause you don't really like email marketing that much do you. I am someone who just deletes emails like I can't barely. It's really, I still combat, but I will read off.

Teresa: It's like, "Oh, we did this this week." I read it on our own email. I do actually own emails. That is brilliant.

Lauras: Because Laura doesn't like emails. We were really, um, like thoughtful about what our emails would be. And we didn't want to just email people saying, "Oh, we've done this thing" or, "Oh, come and buy this thing from us."

And so we decided that at the beginning of the year, these emails would be one thing we would email out to our list. With an idea or a temper, a hack that they could put into their business. So it's like one small thing that they could implement on a Monday, help them throughout the rest of the week. And people really liked it.

And it really worked well for us. We were getting good replies or open rates were really good. And we, because of that, we carried on going and we didn't end up failing at it. And then in the summer, We thought, what if we pushed it a little bit more and with some help from Rob and Kennedy, we decided to email once a day.

Um, so we now Monday to Friday email every day, we don't do a weekends mainly just because we would forget, um, I mean email every single day to our list and that's had a massive impact. People love our emails now because we're really. Not strategic. I think when there is no strategy behind it as such, but we're much more thoughtful about what we're putting in an email and we're giving the people value.

They're really useful emails that people want to open. We have people who accidentally unsubscribed then emailing us, asking to get back on the list or they email us because they haven't had an email, but it's because we haven't sent it yet. Um, because they really want to read our emails. Then when we do then sell something in an email, they're quite open to it because they've had all of this free, great value from us.

Teresa: Yeah. That's awesome. And I know there's going to be people listening to that go in once a week, or, and then you said once a day and they're like, "What the hell?" Cause I have to say right that I remember speaking to Rob and Kennedy years ago when I first met them. And. Kennedy at that point said he emails his list once a day.

And I was like, are you insane? How the actual living hell A. Do you do that? And B. Do you not get people wanting to hate you massively because of it. But I think I want to hear your like, the process because the thing that scares me and the thing that will scare the people. Is, I make such a big deal of writing that email right.

I've always said, I'm not a great writer. You do quite like writing Laura Moore, don't you?

Lauras: I do, yeah.

Teresa: Yeah, So, but I think because I get your emails and it's weird. I want to say to people just so you know, I don't ever feel like you email too much. So if, if someone is sat there thinking, are these people crazy emailing every day, that is the most insane thing I've ever heard in my life.

I am on the receiving end and it doesn't feel too much. Um, I do exactly what I think you want from it, which is I open it. I scan it. I see what that one thing is. Normally. Damn it, I should have done that. Um, and then I put it in my file of copy that a month later and I'm joking. I do not, but like, but you do you give me great ideas.

I have to say, because it tends to be because it is that kind of small. Kind of one hit thing. And it's not that your emails are necessarily very short always. Sometimes they're, you know, a good few paragraphs long. But like, I feel like I pour over creating an email, which is why once a week, for me always felt really hard.

So tell me the process or tell me

Lauras: the thing once a week, you've got loads of things that you want to tell people, and you don't want them to miss out on anything else that might be happening that week, or that happened the previous week. And there's loads that you want to tell people. So. It's really easy to spend loads of time writing that one email. When you're emailing every day, you're focused on one thing and there's literally that one tip or one strategy or whatever it is, that you want to tell people.

So it could be as simple as a one paragraph email to tell them nothing, or it could be really, really long. But there's a really small focus in that email. You're not telling them about this product and that product and how it helps this person. And that person is just one tiny little thing. And some of our emails it's literally I'll message her.

I don't want to email about today and she'll come up with a really quick idea and we can, we get an amazing email outfit and it's just like that split second idea. There's no long thought process about it. Some of them take longer than others obviously. And we don't particularly plan it in advance.

It's not like we, which may or may not surprise you Teresa. But if we, we don't sit here and go right. For the next month, what are we going to email about every day? Now, obviously we come up with ideas that maybe we have to think about like, well, then we need to schedule it for later in the month. But generally speaking, we're quite reactive to, what's kind of happening what people are talking about in membership.

Well, you know, sometimes we can be a bit strategic about it or we'd see if it's building up to something that we might be launching. We'll obviously bear that in mind, but Laura and I are very reactive people. Um, anyway, so I think that, you know, there might of times we can have a conversation about something that might've happened and, and Laura will say, "There's an email in that.

And then we'll hold the next day that's the email." So that there's never this long planning process. And scheduling they're often done quite on the calf and we do schedule some don't we go to when we particularly busy. But, um, yeah, we're, we're quite reactive to it. We don't, I say we, because Laura writes most of these, if not all of them, but, um, where we, we just try to be as kind of quick about it and not overthink it because then if you overthink something it's, you've missed the point.

That one, that nugget really. Yeah, we're very much us in it. Aren't we we're quite, sometimes we quite controversial. No, that we might annoy people with some of our emails or upset people. But if we've got to say to say, we'll say it. We will only think about how we can, you know, maybe say it so that we don't, because controversy gets our emails open and gets us replies and stuff.

So if we've got something to say, that's our opinion, we will share it.

Teresa: And I think that's the other thing to, to note, and for people to take away from this particular is you are. Like we'd write emails, every single freaking day loads of them in our businesses. You know, we are constantly in and out of emails having conversations and, and it feels like that's what you're doing, but to a much wider audience. It feels like you are writing it as yourself. You're not pouring over the copy. You're not spending hours. I mean, obviously your subject lines are always really good as well, which is irritating. But they are really good. So like, it doesn't feel like it's, it's a long orchestrated. The copyrights has been at it for hours trying to craft it perfectly.

It feels. If you like our approach, you know, from your guys, if people like who you are and what you do, then they're absolutely going to like what you send in an email. And like I said, sometimes they might disagree. Sometimes they might think, well, actually I think you're wrong with that point, but they know that you're not afraid to give that point because they see you and they hear you.

And, and therefore, when they sign up to your list, it's just an extension of you and what you're doing. But I think for me, the one thing that people need to listen to when they. When they hear this is the adding value point of view that your emails are not like, Hey, did you see what Laura Moore did yesterday with her hair?

Or, you know, Laura Davis has got a degree in this dope, you know, like it's not about you as such your personality comes across lovely in it in terms of, it's really honest and authentic, but it's always trying to add something to the day from either an opinion or a thought or strategy or a tool or tip.

So that's what I love about that. I think that is if someone, I don't want people to think I'm going to email every day, go, "Here's my product. Here's my product. Here's my product." So tell me then what happens when you do go into sales mode? Like, and you flip those emails from. Value add to then doing a sale?

Lauras: Well, because we email every day, people are used to seeing our emails spent. So first of all, they open them. Yeah. People have had our emails regularly and we're not for them. They've already unsubscribed. So they've gone. We don't need to worry about those. And when we are selling, we always have an opt-out at the bottom.

So they're not unsubscribing from our list entirely, but they can unsubscribe and choose not to hear any more...

Today’s episode is all about planning your marketing for your business next year.

KEY TAKEAWAYS COVERED IN THE PODCAST

·     When you are a business owner, it is important to know where you are heading.

·     List the key activities you need to do in order to achieve your goals.

·     Think about all the things that will be coming up for the whole year and what may affect your business.

·     Think about your marketing activities you want to do throughout the year and then plot steps throughout the year.

·     If you are launching a new project, work backwards from the launch to get everything sorted.

·     Take into consideration the things you know will be coming up in the year and work around them when you know you are quieter or busier.

·     Have a brainstorm for each month.

·     Add in your lead magnets through the year to promote them and grow your list.

·     Do one quarter at a time – more flexible.

·     Write a campaign to-do list for all your new launches/products – helps to put everything in a practical order.

·     List any possible obstacles – how could you overcome them?

·     Think about what you want to achieve from each campaign and how you will measure this.

THE ONE THING YOU NEED TO REMEMBER ABOVE ALL ELSE…

HIGHLIGHTS YOU SIMPLY CAN’T MISS

·     My brand new email list building course 01:28

·     Planning your marketing for 2021 06:05

LINKS TO RESOURCES MENTIONED IN TODAY’S EPISODE

My NEW email list building course

Download my 2021 Marketing Planner

Join my academy waitlist

My 90-day program

Listen to my Campaign Planning episode

Download my Campaign Planner­­

This week’s Small Business Superstar is Roseanna from Roseanna Croft Jewellery.

A little bit about Roseanna’s amazing business…

Roseanna specialises in jewellery for you design, creating jewellery for lots of different chapters in women’s lives. Roseanna uses both traditional and modern techniques to make her bespoke jewellery, as well as redesigning old jewellery.

What one marketing thing made a difference to their business? 

Being visible – using PR to speak to journalists and be a podcast guest including an appearance on the Financial Times podcast!

What difference did it make to them and their business? 

When you are visible, people see you as an expert in your field and people get to see you more which in turn creates sales. You are being put in front of other people’s audiences which will increase your brand awareness and sales.

Where you can find Roseanna

Website: www.roseannacroftjewellery.com

Facebook: @Roseannacroftjewellery

Instagram: @Roseannacroftjewellery

Today’s episode of the podcast is an interview with the brilliant Rob and Kennedy who are the creators of Response Suite and complete email marketing gurus! We talk all about email marketing, giving value to your list, training your audience, and how to send DAILY emails to your list.

• The best way to become good at something is to do it more often!
• If all we ever do with email is promote to people, there is no good reason for them to open your emails (unless they are in that moment of want to buy).
• There needs to be value in emails to give people reason to open.
• You should enjoy and value sending emails, and your list will enjoy and value receiving them.
• If your emails are sporadic, it feels random.
• Show up more often and be in as many places as possible.
• Email marketing doesn’t replace social media but you can repurpose your content via email too.
• Aim for every email to have at least two pieces of value and one offer in it.
• Tell a story, give them a lesson/moral from the story then make an offer.
• Telling your audience about your life will build rapport and engagement.
• An email subscriber doesn’t know if they are in a campaign or your broadcast emails.
• People just want you to show up when you say you’re going to.
• The minute you start to email more regularly, you will have more engagement.
• When you hit send on your email marketing platform, all the other email systems know what your open rate and engagement rate is. Then they have the ability to move you down in priority.
• The people who are not opening your emails are critically damaging your ability to deliver emails to those who do want to receive.
• If people on your list are not engaging, they are not getting the value from your emails and you are not getting any sales from them, so they need to be removed from your list.
• Click tracking in your emails is very important as this is accurate.
• We have to train people to interact with our emails.
• There should be a CTA (call to action) in every email where there is a positive reward for them clicking it – this will in turn make them click more!
• Ask for some kind of interaction in each email.
• Getting a reply from one of your email subscribers is a really good way of showing the email providers you are valuable.
• The problem with open/closed carts is that when it is closed, people don’t have anything to buy so you can’t turn your subscribers to sales.

• A brand new follow along course coming soon! 01:38
• An introduction to Rob and Kennedy 16:55
• Turning a bad situation into a positive 21:30
• The old fashioned way of email marketing 27:16
• The new way of email marketing 30:16
• How to send daily emails to your list 33:49
• Onboarding emails for your list 44:01
• Weekly emails to daily emails 46:33
• Dealing with spam complaints 49:19
• Cleaning your email list 51:52
• The phycology behind communicating with your list 56:32
• Email marketing for open/close carts 1:03:45

My NEW email list building course

Check out Rob & Kennedy!

Join my academy waitlist

Good morning and welcome to this week's Monday episode of the podcast. How are you doing? I'm good. I just thought then, am I good? Am I okay? Yeah. Now I have all good. I'm a little bit worn out.

I think as I started talking, then I thought, well, my voice sounds a bit tired. Um, I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready for Christmas as in, I'm not sure I'm ready for all the stuff I've got to do for Christmas, but I'm definitely ready for the break. And, and I think because I haven't had any time off this year, really, other than three days, literally a week ago, it I'm, I'm done, I think in the nicest sense of the word.

And I'm really looking forward to taking a bit of time off and chilling out and not doing much, which will be lovely. So before I get started with today's episode, which is amazing, by the way, it's an interview such good stuff. I want to talk about what is happening in January and what I want you to come and join me for. Now a few weeks ago, I've talked about the fact of how would you feel if we did a follow me a long recipe, a recipe I'm not cooking.

Follow me along course. And, and helped you build your email list. And I had lots of you come back and go, "es, I would love that. That would be great." So I'm doing it. Now I have to say as sad as it says, I am really excited about this because I don't know about you, but I'm tired of joining things, paying for stuff and them not being what I thought or buying a course and then being like inundated with this bonus and that bonus and the other bonus, and actually all amongst nothing, or you don't do the work, you download the free lead magnet.

You watch that free webinar. You may be spend money on that course, but yet for some reason, building your email list is still on your to-do list or you've started it organically, but no, you could do it so much better if you just had the process and did the work. But for lots of reasons, you don't, that might be because you are terrified of the tack.

You are sat there thinking, "Right, I can think of a good lead magnet. I can think of something that I customers would like to opt into my email list with, but actually when it comes to setting up that funnel and the automation and the oh, that just fills me with dread. And don't talk about tags. I don't know what you're talking about."

You might know what a lead magnet is, but you can't seem to work at one for your business or you get stuck on actually putting the thing together. How'd you make it look good. What should it look like? What should you include in it? And then there might be things like. You don't know what to put in your emails when you onboard them.

This process is not a, a two minute thing. You know, I wrote on the, on the page where you opt in and, and sign up for it that basically, you know, it can feel like a massive task and you know what? I'm not going to sit here and pretend it's not, it is a good amount of work that you have to put in, but it is totally, totally worth the work. This is how I've built my entire list of all the amazing people that are on it, including you. If you're listening to this and you're on my list through lead magnets, through giving you something that is helping you in your business or giving you something that as my ideal customer, you would want, and therefore, because of that, you've opted into my list and your, your now my email list.

So it is work. I'm not going to lie about that. However, it's not rocket science, it's just steps and it is absolutely worth every single penny and minutes you spend on it. Oh, I've done it again. I never silence my computer. They're go just shushed up. And in fact, that was a reminder that there's a podcast episode coming in tomorrow.

My very app. Okay. So let me explain what this course is about, because I really want you to start next year with a real positive way in building your email list. So I have put together the build my list course, I'm really excited about it. I put it together, not realizing how much was going to go into it and how much help I was going to give you in terms of the actual having bits done for you.

But I'm so glad this stuff I have put in. And luckily for you guys, I set a price before I priced it and then thought, Oh my goodness, this is, this is big. You know, this is a lot of value. Um, but I've kept the price low for this first one because I said a lower price. So this is a Build My List is a 10 day live, follow me along course. I can take you from no list or a teeny list to creating your first lead magnet, setting up your email funnel and getting people on your list within 10 days, starting January the 11th. So Monday, January the 11th is the first one to one-to-one. It's not one-to-one. I meant to say live the first live call with me.

So basically, how, this is going to work. Each day we're going to have a zoom call where we are on camera. You don't have to be on camera, but it's great to see your faces. I'm going to teach you that day's lesson. And during that zoom call, we're going to do the work. So when I say teach the lesson, I'm not going to sit there on the zoom call and go, here's an hour's lesson and they go off and spend another hour doing it.

No, we're gonna go through each step as we do. And we're going to do the work on the call. Then that will normally be like 40 minutes to an hour tops. Then I'm going to stay on for another hour to answer your questions. So let's say your first task is to come up with the lead magnet idea. Obviously, I don't just go, "Hey, come up with a lead magnet idea."

I give you lots more, but let's say that's your first task. And I talked you through how to do it. And then you get stuck. Well, once I've talked to you, how to do it, I'm then sat there waiting for you guys to ask me questions and help you with your, your things. So if you're not quite sure if you've got an idea and don't think it's going to work, then that's your opportunity to basically say, "Teresa, this is what I think I'm going to do. Is this okay?" And I will help you with that. So that's the first thing we get one day off, by the way, in those 10 days. I think it's the Saturday I've, I've said as a catch-up day. So you technically get 9 live calls with me. If you can't make a call no problem. All of these calls are recorded. They're them put into the course, which you then get lifetime access to.

So as much as I want you to follow along and do the work in the 10 days and hold you accountable, I do understand that life gets in the way and therefore, if you do fall behind, if you miss a call, not a problem, you get all of this stuff. All good to go afterwards. So the live workshops, as I've explained, on-camera zoom answer questions.

Tell you what to do. Training materials now oh my goodness. Again, this isn't training materials for the sake of training materials. This is I give you Canva templates. So on one of the sessions where I say right, we now need to create the actual lead magnet. I'll show you here's a template or more than one.

This is how you edit it to make it look like your branding, your coloring, your whatever. Here's the text that you want to put in there, like the intro text and the finish off text. Then I give you swipe files of all the emails you need to send of what he needs to include on a landing page. I'm going to.

Also, this is one of the best bits about this course. Often these courses don't talk tech because there's too many options out there, but I've decided to, I know a lot of these systems, I've used a lot of these systems, so I've picked my best three and I am going to walk you step by step. I'm going to record videos of right.

You log in. Oh, this is how you set up an account. You log in, you go to this, you click this template, you edit here, you do this, and I'm going to do it in the order that you need to do it to make your life easy. So. That's going to be amazing too. I'm really excited by that. And I've picked one of the systems I picked is a completely free one.

So if you are thinking, I don't want to have to sign up something like Kajabi, which I totally get, because it's a big thing, although it's amazing. Absolute fine. There is a free system on there. If you're already using a system, not a problem. If you not to do great, if you don't, the chances are, it might be one of the ones I've picked because I've picked the most popular as well as the best as, and also I use these systems all the time. So if you do get stuck, I'm fairly confident that when you come on a zoom call and you share your screen with me, I'll be able to tell you where to go and what to do. So I am confident that I'm going to be able to help you with that dreaded tech. Then there's going to be a private Facebook group.

So during the calls or in between the calls and during that 10 days and a few extra days, I'm not just going to kick you out the group once we're done. I'm going to be in there as well, answering your questions, supporting each other. You can share your lead magnets and there you can share your ideas.

You can share your landing pages, lots and lots of activity in that. And I've got some amazing people coming in to help me, but I'm going to be in there as well. So on the page where if you go to teresaheathwareing.com/buildmylist all one word. You'll also see that I take you through the 10 days. And each of them is like a drop down menu and it'll say, what do we cover?

So, yeah. Day one who would I want on my list, day two coming up the perfect lead magnet. And then also on each of these days, it says what it includes. So on day two, you get lead magnet template guide. You get a swipe copy for your lead magnet, day three, you create a lead magnet, which means you get Canva lead magnet templates.

You get an instructional video on how to edit your Canva templates. You get a lead magnet title formula, which is really good by the way, day four, you create your social assets. I give you yet more templates that you just drag and drop your pictures into, you know, day five is the funnel and the copy creation.

I give you the swipe files of the onboarding emails. Day six is your catch-up. Day seven is your tech. Day eight is your tech again and testing. Day nine how to get people to sign up. Day 10 launch. And then we drink champagne and we celebrate. But you within the first month of the year have already achieved something massive.

And obviously it wouldn't be a online course if there wasn't bonuses. So bonus one is a lesson. What now or now what actually. So on day 12, I'm going to go live again on a zoom call, and I'm going to tell you how to start emailing that list that you're now building. Your other bonus is 20 email ideas and subject lines to help you get going.

And your third bonus is 10 lead magnet ideas that convert. So now, you know the process and of course, you've got all those videos of how to do the process. You've got all this stuff you need, then you can just duplicate it and do another one. Okay. So the best bit about this is this 10 day follow me along.

I am live in there for the entire 10 days. We're going to do this. You're going to achieve this is it's only $290. I can't even tell you how much of a steal this is. I have put so much into this because I, I decided I've realized that my value or my, my values for my business is that I get you to do stuff that I get you to achieve things.

And I'm tired of people, amazing business owners, buying courses, and then not doing the work or buying a course and hoping that it'll just fix and it doesn't. And also not getting the support they need. So buying into something, thinking they've got that support and they don't get it. So I'm not, I'm going to be there to support you.

And I am crazy excited. This stuff is as easy as breathing to me. I love it. I love doing that. The list building stuff, the lead magnet stuff. So this is not difficult to me. And I have been told lots and lots of times that I'm great fun to work with. I'm very motivating. So I know we're going to achieve this.

It's going to be amazing. So $290 is an absolute steal. Get in there. Go teresaheathwareing.com/buildmylist secure your place. If you're an Academy member, please do check out the Facebook page. Our Academy group, because you get a discount. So you've got about a month at the time of recording this to, uh, to come and join me and make sure you secure your place, but do it now, do it before Christmas.

And then, you know, you've got your first thing. It's a kickoff your year with it's going to be immense. I'm not even kidding you. So there's my sales pitch. Honestly, it's not really a sales pitch because it's such good value. And if you want an email list, then, then I swear, this is going to absolutely do what you need it to do.

So I'm really excited and very confident about this. I've put a lot of work into it and it's going to be brilliant. So what's so perfect about me telling you about this that's happening in January is today. I have got an interview with the amazing Rob and Kennedy. Now, if you are in the social media space or you follow other people similar to me, you might know Rob and Kennedy.

If you are an avid listener to the podcast, you might remember that they have been on the podcast before. Actually, as I mentioned at the beginning of the interview, they are technically only the third people to come on to the podcast twice. So I had the amazing Mary Hyatt. She's been on twice. BizPaul has technically been on twice because once I interviewed him and then he interviewed Paul and I for the hundredth episode, if you've not listened to that, by the way, on my hundredth episode, I bought my husband on and we had a lovely conversation with my friend BizPaul who interviewed us.

That was good fun. And then, uh, and then there's Rob and Kennedy. So, the reason I brought them back on is because when I first bought them on that, they talked about surveys and their, their platform response suite, but actually what they've done and you'll hear their stories. It's really, it's great. And I didn't realize actually, half the details until they said, is they've really niche down into email marketing.

And I very honestly say on the interview that actually I thought maybe that was too niche, but they've, they've really done well and they give some great advice, some stuff that you're going to go "Hang on a minute Teresa, I've only just got together with the idea that I'm going to join you for 10 days to build my list and then suddenly Rob and Kennedy are gonna tell me I've got to email them every day?" Like it's going to make you feel a little bit out of your comfort zone. But I just want you to listen with interest that's all. I have, I did, obviously when I interviewed them and I'm trying out some new things. If you're on my email list, you might see that you might see me drop into your inbox.

More often, but yeah. So I think you're gonna love it. There's so much good stuff that I'm not going to go on anymore. I've talked a lot. Do go check out the course to build your list, because obviously this episode's great. If you've got a list, if you haven't then come and join me for that course. And if then you join me or when you join me, you're going to then know what to do when you listen to this episode.

Okay. I'm going to leave you to it. I'm going to stop rambling. Enjoy this episode. It's a good...

This week’s Small Business Superstar is Caroline from Hunkington House Kitchen.

Hunkington House Kitchen is based in Shrewsbury offering wedding cakes/sweet treats, and more recently online classes via Zoom for keen bakers. Caroline had to adapt her business after the pandemic affected her wedding cake business and has now started to offer online classes to those who want to bake!

Caroline has sold out two lots of Christmas Cake classes and sold out the Christmas Cookies class so has added a new date! The online classes have meant that Caroline can reach a much wider audience and be more accessible to those who are not in the local area. Not only has this been a huge boost for Caroline in terms of love and passion, but it has also meant her business has been able to survive this year.

Website: www.hunkingtonhousekitchen.co.uk/

Facebook: @Hunkingtonhouse

Instagram: @Hunkingtonhousekitchen

Hello and welcome to this week's Thursday episode of the podcast. How the devil are you? I hope you're having a good week. So this week I have on the podcast, the very lovely Caroline from Hunkington House Kitchen. Caroline welcome to the podcast.

Caroline: Hi Teresa. How are you?

Teresa: I am good. Really good. I think I've just realized I've got lipstick on my, uh, on my face, but other than that, I'm good. So very professional here at, uh, Teresa Heath-Wareing Limited. Um, Caroline, please tell my audience who you are, what you do and how you got to doing the business that you do today.

Caroline: Okay. So first of all, thank you so much for having me. I am so excited.

Teresa: It's my pleasure. My pleasure.

Caroline: So, um, I'm Caroline. I live on the outskirts of shoe spray and say, I'm very proud owner of Huntington House Kitchen. I started this business full-time last March. So March, 2019, after taking redundancy from a very high-level HR job. Uh, we moved to Hunkington house in 2018. And I've always got a vision of, um, doing classes and wanted to do wedding cakes. And a kitchen is just phenomenal. So, because I wanted to do, um, uh, classes and I wanted to, um, do more than just cakes. I wanted it to be Hunkington house kitchen, um, and just think it. It works on a side.

I'm just absolutely loving it.

Teresa: So did you, cause you said you came from HR, so were you good at baking? cooking? Was it like how, how did that, was it always a thing that you were going to do that? Or how did that come about?

Caroline: I suppose it was a dream. If I'm totally honest. Loved, I've always loved baking. Um, if, uh, ever I had to go see anybody or go to work, it's always cupcakes.

Just cupcakes are my thing. Um, but yeah, always spoke with my Nan. My mum used to do wedding catering when we were little. So I used to watch her. Um, my nephews will kill me for saying it, but they always used to make fairy cakes with me. Um, they're in their twenties now and I can't, they weren't doing that, but yeah, just absolutely loved it.

But I've been for years being on classes of baked, you know, with people like John Whaite from the Bake Off. Um, I baked with him and I had to go back again cause I loved it so much, but I've been on loads and loads of classes, um, applied for bake-off and got through fine final 70 a few years ago. It was awesome.

But yeah. And now I do this for a living I'm not allowed to apply anymore, even though I do think I'd be awesome. Yeah.

Teresa: What happened? Just because it's your business?

Caroline: Yeah. Yeah.

Teresa: Like home bakers.

Caroline: Yes. Yeah. But I've been on saying loads and loads of classes, but just self-taught I suppose. And I own an obscene amount of cookery books, so really, really do.

Teresa: Feel like a guilty pleasure. I do love book.

Caroline: Yeah, they do. Yeah, they are.

Teresa: So you started off doing wedding cakes with the dream of wanting to do classes and the wedding cakes were going well.

Caroline: Were again brilliantly. I was jus to have a fantastic year. This year, I had over 40 weddings booked, which was a very, very busy time.

Um, but considering. So last, um, last year was my first full year doing it. Um, so yeah, it was supposed to, it's supposed to be such a, such a good year. And I know when, when lockdown started, I spent weeks crying.

Oh, What on earth. What do I do? I invested so much into this and yeah, I've just, yeah, it was totally and utterly deflated, but also sad for all the people that weren't able to.

Yeah, go ahead. So yeah, wedding cakes would go really, really well.

Teresa: Yeah. And, and that's like, it's funny enough. Uh, when I interviewed Toria, we talked about the fact of when lockdown first, she got a bit depressed and I was like, but we're allowed to, we're allowed to go, Oh, my actual goodness, you know, this has happened.

And literally there's nothing else I can do about it. I can't. These weddings are not going to go ahead. Also, even if they did, did go ahead, which they couldn't during locked down, but then after a locked down they could have been. They couldn't, they weren't the weddings that they were going to be. So no one was going to have a huge, massive three tier amazing wedding cake because they wouldn't have had that many guests at the wedding.

So. At that point. What, what did you think you were going to do? What, what did you think was going to happen with the business?

Caroline: Um, I had the dread that I would have to get another job, but say, I think I put so much into this and I went on a zoom training course. Um, and it was quite early on in lockdown and I think I was on a zoom training course with yourself, which is where I first met you. And I know you'd said to me, Oh, you should get yourself online. And I wasn't, I wasn't ready. I just was absolutely petrified of trying to do anything on, on zoom. And then another lady who I'd met on a course said to me, "I heard you what you're saying?"

Cause I'd introduced myself as a wedding cake designer with no weddings. And um, she said, "Would you do a cream tea for a baby shower?" And I said, well, I don't, but I can. Um, and I spent the whole summer making cream teas and I spent a lot of money on online marketing and being in lots of paid adverts in magazines, but it was the local community that found me and just kept me going.

So I literally just worked and worked more doing cream teas at that point. And wasn't brave enough to do anything online. Really.

Teresa: But you still find a business opportunity, which, you know, you've got to take your hat off to that. You've got to go. "I, I was doing this. And then I had to pivot a bit to, to find a new way."

And you were busy and you were bringing in money and your name was almost getting out there more than because you would probably known in the wedding industry, but now suddenly a whole new audience are finding you.

Caroline: Yeah, I'd say most of them were just, just up the road and say, even though I wasn't very competent on social media, I think at that point, um, it was the Facebook groups locally and people finding it in the recommendations. And I, in December, 2018, I'd advertised some classes that in the kitchen. So you would come and you would decorate a Christmas cake with me. And I had one person that came just one that's my old boss. Um, and I didn't appreciate back then and that no light contrast.

Teresa: Yeah.

Caroline: And it's. I, I just didn't get it. I thought, "Well, I've got a really, really good products." I'm

Teresa: yeah.

Caroline: Right I think nobody came. Um, but it's. It's say that the know like, and trust and people recommending. And I did a cream tea the other day for somebody that recommended me in June. So it is, you know, I, I get it now. I, I, it's not just spiel. I do. I get it.

Teresa: Tell me, because obviously when we, when I set up this podcast, it was like, what was that one thing that you did?

What was kind of the. The thing in marketing that you did that then ended up in a result that actually you were like, this is brilliant. So, so tell us where you were at that point then.

Caroline: So, so for me, this is what you said actually two months ago before you really knew me. Um, I, I, I started, um, doing online classes. So that online bake along zoom classes and I put together the kits. And then you, um, say you, you book on a class, I put together a kit of all the ingredients you need and there'll be extra tools say, um, for instance, the, the Christmas cake one, which you've worked on, you've done it. And you've got, you know, the 10 and you got the extra cutters.

And some other bits that I think are brilliant when you cake decorating. And I advertise them on Facebook and the first Christmas cake was sold out. I did another one last Saturday with six on, which is a lovely number. Um, but I've been doing, um, uh, I did. Yes. Yeah. Yesterday the kids festive cookies. Oh, my God.

It's amazing. I felt so full of parents. I must've. Yeah, but so if you include my two children, there was 21 kids and, um, the only two I couldn't control or weren't listening were my own. Um, my, I had some amazing feedback and the class lasted two hours. So they have the cutters, they have the fab festive sprinkles.

Um, but the, the kids were when we finished it in two hour, the two hour stage parents messaged me after to say that their kids carried on decorating because there's so many cookies they can make and they loved it. And it took me back to say, when I was used to do stuff with my mom, I was really pleased.

I didn't use my brand new laptop for it because baked and her flour everywhere. But no, it's just to sync them all. And I think it's all because it's zoom and because they can ask questions, it was just amazing. Um, Early on in lockdown. I was listening to lots of audio books and I listened to the big leap from Gay Hendricks.

You know, when he says this about your zone of genius. And I would say I found it, but I think I said to you last week, I also think I found my sparkle and I just it's something I wish in one sense, I had started it sooner. I really, really do.

Teresa: So. So tell me why you didn't. And what changed.

Caroline: So what why I didn't is because I didn't think I was good enough to do it. I, I, you know, that self doubt thing w when, um, I think I was worried about, yeah. What if, what if it fails? Um, and what if I couldn't do it, and actually I've worked out, I. I've been able to show people all different things. Um, technology's probably not my forte. However it's working. What changed is that realizing that what's the worst case scenario?

Yes, I advertise it and then nobody books, but they have, um, um, It's just that self-belief Teresa that I can do this and I love it. And I, yeah, I just, I truly wish that maybe I had started it sooner, but if I had, maybe I wouldn't have been in the, I needed to be in the right place. And I think.

Teresa: I couldn't agree with that more like seriously for me, what I think about when I hear your story and, and the journey you've been through one creating all those cream teas, we're giving you the exposure and the marketing that you needed. And also, I think you did need that confidence. And I think right at the beginning, you know, although the idea was there.

I don't think. Cause I remember when you came onto a course and you said "I've done it, I've just done it. I've just said, I'm going to do it." And like, and it was this kind of like just defiance of "That's it I've done it." And it was like almost to the point where got no choice. Now I'm just going to give it a go.

And then we talked through how you could do it and how you could like, you know, advertise it, various things. But the point was you done it and, and the other stuff comes later, like, You know, that was the stuff that is the easy bit, really, because the hard bit is actually just go in, "Hey, everyone, I'm going to do this thing."

But like, so you sold out two lots of Christmas cake classes. You sold out the kids' classes. Have you?

Caroline: So I've got one place left this weekend. So I've added on another class now just before Christmas.

Teresa: Amazing Amazing.

Caroline: So, yeah. And sold yesterday. Yup. Sold out. That was awesome.

Teresa: And we've got all these ideas for next year of other things that you want to be doing. And if, and when. We get back, not if. When we get back to a normal life and we can come and visit your kitchen and do a class. Do you see these being hand in hand? Do you see still a presence of both?

Caroline: I think so. I think certainly for the children, because I had a couple of parents contact me yesterday and say, if you do anymore, you know, my children absolutely loved it.

So I think it. That would work because again, in one sense, you're still baking with mum or you're still baking with dad. There was some dads there, um, but you still baking with your parents in your house, but I'd love to carry them on. But I would also love people in here in my kitchen because I want I've, I've had the privilege of being on classes with other people and I've seen them do be done well.

And you know, it's the whole hospitality and the getting together with people. It's it's obviously, yes, I, I'd still love to do these, because it gets you a bigger audience or what accessible.

Teresa: Exactly. Because there are going to be people who are listening to this, that in the States that would love to do Christmas cookie decorating or cook alone goes on or whatever, which obviously for people to come to you where you are, that is incredibly difficult.

Caroline: Yeah.

Teresa: Anybody that isn't. Within a fairly, you know, a couple of hours. Can you, I guess,

Caroline: yeah,

Teresa: but, but you could open this up to further that now, obviously we've just, we've just done the UK at the moment. You know, whether you could open it further again, you'd have to work that out. But like, for me, it's, it's the fact of you you've given the best of both worlds.

And also if this hadn't have happened, if lockdown hadn't have happened, would you have ever had the motivation and push to take something online? Like you have?

Caroline: No, not at all. I just really as I'm shaking my head and realize you can't, it's a podcast. Caroline. They not going to see. Yeah, but no, I wouldn't say it was always there, but I think with the wedding cakes, I realized I was, I was so lucky to be chosen as, you know, the wedding cake designer that I got.

Um, I use that as my comfort blanket. That while I'm so busy with this, I wouldn't even bring the other dream I have into fruition. And I just think it's, it's been an enough year for so many things, but wow. It's also been exciting. And, and I, I had, uh, one of my wedding couples yesterday pick up some cupcakes and I was saying to her about the classes and everything else.

And I said, "I'm adamant my business is going to survive." I didn't say that, you know, I had my fears started locked down, but there's no way I'm giving up. I'm just not, I've got too much in it, you know, too much love in it, too much money invested in it. Just not going to give up. Um, and yeah, I would just say I don't, I really don't want to, and I don't see why it should beat me anymore.

Teresa: And also. Do you know why I think you now think like that is because exactly what you said before you found your sparkle, you found the thing that you just love and therefore you couldn't imagine the same with me. I could not imagine having to go something and do something else. So I've got to make it a success.

I have no choice because I am not doing anything else ever again, this is the thing I love to do. And therefore, I love the fact that you found that because I don't think there's any, any bigger motivator than loving every minute of it. And just so you know, I did do one of the classes. My daughter is also going to be doing one of the cookie ones.

I made a Christmas cake for my husband, because my husband loves Christmas cakes and has asked me the entire time we've been together. You're gonna make me a Christmas game and they never have. And actually it's also kind of bitter sweet in the same sense. It's all come together interestingly that my mum and my nans used to make Christmas cakes.

And obviously my nanny passed away years ago and my mum passed away this year. So like, and funny enough when I posted it on my story to say that I was doing it, one of my cousins, that is it going to be as nice as you have a nans and I was like, wow, we'll see, we'll see. So yeah, that was just lovely. But I think.

For me bringing me and my daughter together, doing that thing, doing maybe a tradition, like it was just beautiful. And tech is an absolute pain in the backside and that will get easier and no one minded did they Caroline. So all that happens was an issue with zoom where they thought she hadn't signed up for a paid on.

And therefore it was trying to cut you off after like 45 minutes, but we just came off and we went back on again and no

In this episode of the podcast, we talk all about reviewing 2020 and planning for 2021. There is a workbook for you to download and work through whilst listening to this podcast, so you can kick 2021 off with the best start for your business.

• Reviewing 2020 – what went well? What are you grateful for? What are the positives?
• What didn’t go so well in 2020?
• Think about how you feel today – what do you love doing because it feels as easy as breathing? What would you give up or change? What have you moaned about in the last few weeks?
• Two types of goals – goals for the year (realistic but ambitious) and big amazing goals (if you could dream anything).
• Think about your ideal day – what would your perfect day be? Dream big! Think big! Let your imagination run wild.
• When you have written your ideal day - Highlight your wild goals and pick out the parts you need to take steps in order to achieve.
• Write down 6-10 goals you want to achieve in 2021.
• As you write your goals, push the number higher than what you first think of – you will stretch yourself further than you ever would.
• Your goals should be realistic but ambitious.
• Smarter framework – Specific, Simple, Sensible, Significant.
• Your goals need to be measurable so you know when you hit it.
• Your brain doesn’t know the difference between a thought and a memory.
• Don’t make your goals too easy – they need to challenge you.
• Set deadlines for your goals.
• Season of life – sometimes the point in which you are in your life means some things are just not possible at that moment.
• Think about why your goals are important to you – if it’s not important, we won’t do it.
• What do I need to get started on a goal? Break your goal down and give each step a deadline to make sure you stay on track for that goal.

THE ONE THING YOU NEED TO REMEMBER ABOVE ALL ELSE…

HIGHLIGHTS YOU SIMPLY CAN’T MISS

• A few updates for you – 00:40
• An exciting new course – 07:13
• Reviewing 2020 – 11:36
• Planning for 2021 – 16:57

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