February 27, 2012
Guest post by Catherine Just
When I started up my business, I looked around at the people who were successful and thought “How did they do that”? It seemed elusive. It felt unreachable. What were the secrets? Was there a road map to success that I needed to buy online somewhere? Who had this magical success dust? I wanted it!
I’m very into research, some might call it procrastination but I find that the more I can educate myself, the better chance I have of growing my business. Gathering information and then implementing it into my daily work life has made a huge difference for me. It helped me design a plan toward success.
Just putting an “Open for Business” sign up – whether virtual or brick and mortar – isn’t enough. Here are 10 tips for success as a Solopreneur:
1. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel! Educate yourself and learn from others. Taking online classes from experts in your field or in social media, marketing, and other areas of business. Spending money on your own business development will save you big money in the long term.
2. Find your “why”. Simon Sinek talks about this at his Ted Talk. Finding your “why” puts you at an advantage because you are connecting your business with your heart which fuels your passion for success even more than just knowing what products or services you offer. Once you make the connection of why you do what you do, you will feel a shift within you. It moves you away from sales and feeling desperate for the money, to being open to finding your tribe or the people aligned with the same beliefs you have.
3. Don’t believe yourself! I cannot emphasize this enough. Your mind is powerful. It wants to fill your head up with all sorts of reasons why you will fail. These beliefs can keep you from taking any actions forward because you feel a lot of fear. Confusion is another trap your mind loves to spin you around in. Just remember, you are not your mind. They are just thoughts. Don’t put too much faith into what your thoughts are saying to you. Especially the self-defeating ones. Check in with someone who knows better so they can remind you that these thoughts are really not worth your time. Move on from your thoughts and get into your heart connection. Your gut instinct and your heart connection will know better what is best for you. Learn to trust those parts of you that cannot speak with words, but know the best route to follow.
4. Create a beautiful workspace for yourself. Even if it’s just a nook at the top of the stairs. Treat it with respect and love. Make it a place you love being in. Bring a favorite scented candle or a plant or photos of your loved ones. This small step can shift your energy while you are at work by yourself for hours during the day.
5. Dream the biggest dreams. Write out your big dreams for the year, and what success would mean to you in the long term. Is it a giant twitter following? A book deal? A 7 figure income? Being the keynote speaker at conferences around the world? Write them all down. Especially the ones you are too embarrassed to tell anyone else. From this list comes and action list. Without the big dreams list you don’t really have anywhere to start from. You can work backwards from there and reverse engineer your year this way. It keeps you from wasting time and creates more focus.
6. Visualize it already done. How does it feel to have all of it already done? What does it look like. What are all the details. When I started my photography business I visualized people smiling at me and handing me money very happily and I was walking very confidently towards them with a smile on my face and an ease about the entire process. My clients were lovely, authentic people that I connected with. They trusted me. I loved them. Going to work was so much fun. It all manifested because I dreamed it, visualized it, felt it in my body and took action towards it. Own that feeling of it already happening in your entire being. Be and act successful now.
7. Action Buddy. Team up with someone who is in a similar business as you and check in with them daily through e-mail with the top 3-5 tasks you need to accomplish every day of the week. Having this in place will help you be accountable and productive if you have a hard time staying on task.
8. Delegate! Hire experts that can do their job and support you in doing what you do best. I cannot tell you how valuable this is. Without a bookkeeper? I’m screwed. Without a housekeeper? My house is screwed. Putting these experts in place can allow you the time to dedicate to your craft. Don’t underestimate the power of this one tip.
9. Give yourself Permission to have hobbies, friends, family and “me” time. Nothing can sabotage a solopreneur more than not setting work hours and play hours and “me” hours. Schedule them in and follow through. This will re-fill your cup and inspire you in ways you didn’t expect. If you are only focused on your career, it will not be a life worth living. Sitting in your office alone all day without outside interaction, or time away from your projects is just as unhealthy as overeating or drinking too much. Your mind, body and spirit need permission to be just as inspired and successful as your work brings you.
10. Do what you love. Don’t just pick something you are good at. Don’t pick something because everyone else tells you it’s what you should do. Pick the thing you love to do. Just because you are a great wedding photographer doesn’t mean you should do it if it makes you feel a lot of resentment. Creating a business around the things you can’t stop talking about all day long can create even more abundance and happiness. If you are passionate about what you do others will be drawn to you.
Catherine is an award-winning photographer with a passion for helping others achieve their dreams. Her photos have been published on the cover of National Geographic Magazine and inside Oprah.com. She leads Soul*Full Retreats and eCourses for women merging creativity and personal growth. Find out which one is the best fit at http://www.catherinejust.com, and follow her on Twitter.
February 23, 2012
Guest post by Natalie Sisson
What would you say if someone approached you today and said “Hey, would you like to fly to the Caribbean with me and go on the adventure of a life-time for two months?”
I hope you’d say a resounding “yes”! If your initial reaction is that you couldn’t possibly leave your business for that long then you need to take action today, to move towards a business that allows you to work less and earn more.
As a small business owner you wear so many hats. You’re the CEO, the marketing director, financial planner, sales guru, customer service department, HR and often more. It can initially be hard to give up those roles to others, but if you want to take time off and still have a business that runs seamlessly without you, that’s what it takes.
The trick is building a business around your lifestyle, not a business that takes over your life. A business that does not depend on YOU entirely to be successful. It may sound like an impossible task but I can assure you it’s not.
If I can take off to Africa for over 2 months to cycle 6,445km from Nairobi to Capetown, and know that my business will practically run itself, then you can surely do the same. When I set up my business I wanted to ensure it encapsulated my values of freedom in business and adventure life.
I wanted to go on this type of adventure and not worry myself sick about every little detail. I worked hard to set up systems, strategic objectives, and documents that outlined exactly how to run each aspect of 80% of my business, without me.
I did this to gain freedom and I’m sure that was what you initially set out to have more of when you began your business, right? I recently surveyed my Suitcase Entrepreneur community and it was one of the main reasons cited for starting a business, along with being your own boss and making a difference.
Build Your Brand, Not Your Business, Around You
Aside from me, Laura is the perfect example of an entrepreneur who’s built a business she can take virtually anywhere and that can run without her. Even though she is the face of her business, she has systems in place that allow her to go and live in Argentina for a month while her business continues to thrive.
She’s a savvy delegator. She’s built a team of competent people she trusts and she empowers them to do the work when she’s not around with just two words `Your Call’. She and her team use a series of online tools that make it easy to streamline the day to day activities, and save them time and money.
Take Your Business Virtually Anywhere
The play on words was deliberate, so is the meaning in this statement. This is about you defining the terms of when you take a vacation. Thanks to a plethora of online tools available to you, there is no excuse not to be location independent, and take off at a moment’s notice with just your laptop, smartphone and passport.
If you’ve set up the foundations for your business, you should be able to access everything online and in the cloud, in just a few clicks. Start out by introducing the right tools for your business each week, until you have simple systems that work for you. Here are my favorite tools I use to run my business and live out of a suitcase:
Google Apps: A whole suite of free tools that you can literally run your business with, including online document editing and storage, shared calendars, email, forms (for customer surveys), and so much more.
Dropbox: This cloud storage system will change your world. Simply drag and drop files from your computer into the desktop app and it automatically syncs online. Now you can access every file from your smartphone or any other computer you can log into. No more losing your laptop and losing everything!
Asana: Simple and intuitive project management tool that you can use to assign tasks to yourself and your team and manage every detail with ease. Acts as a virtual assistant, by highlighting your priorities for the day.
Highrise: CRM web-based contact manager keeps your client information safe and sound online so you can access it whenever you need. Add profiles, documents, follow up notes, appointment reminders and more. Don’t ever lose track of your important customers and give your team access so they take over accounts and ensure nothing is missed when you’re away.
Boomerang: A life-saving email tool that allows you to answer an important email straight away, but send it a day or so later so people don’t think you’re too accessible. Plus you can ‘boomerang’ emails for another date, so you don’t lose track of them, but you can read and action them when it’s really necessary.
So how are you going to set up your dream lifestyle business from today onwards?
Natalie Sisson is the Founder of The Suitcase Entrepreneur – a highly popular blog that shows entrepreneurs how to build a thriving online business they can run from anywhere. Using online tools, social media and outsourcing, you can have a portable and profitable business that allows you to live the lifestyle you desire. Natalie lives and breathes what she preaches which is why she’s able to take off to Africa this March to cycle 6,445km from Nairobi to Capetown. If you’d like to follow her journey and support her mission to raise $10,000 for WomenWin.org then head to The Ride of my life.
February 20, 2012
Guest post by Annika Martins
Do large, fancy networking events make your skin crawl?
Some people start working the room without a moment’s hesitation but if you’re anything like me, those massive events can feel insincere and isolating.
As the saying goes, “It’s not what you know but who you know”, so not networking is definitely not an option. Here are four helpful pointers to make your networking strategy feel less slimy and tons more effective:
1. Go Hot!
Going hot is the opposite of the cold call, or in this case, the cold introduction.
Instead of going to an event cold, knowing either no one or only one or two people in the room, figure out how you can connect with those people beforehand so you enter the room with a bunch of warm (hot!) contacts.
With most events, this is pretty easy. Sites like Facebook and Meetup let you see who the other attendees will be in advance. Is there something interesting on their profile you can ask them about? Or maybe you notice that you are both members of other groups too? Strike up a conversation!
In addition, these days there is a Twitter hashtag for everything so search for the event and start chatting with other “Twitterers” who are talking about attending.
Conversations will start much more easily, because you already casually know a couple of faces from your Twitter/Facebook/Meetup convos.
2. Don’t go!
Why do we believe that it is only at events with 200+ attendees that any real connections can be made?
Don’t spend all your time and energy stressing about attending huge events that intimidate you so severely that you hardly speak to anyone. Instead consider going to a bunch of smaller events.
In smaller settings it’s often easier to get to know people and because there are less people in the room, you’re not spreading yourself thin rushing around trying to meet everyone.
Attending smaller events is also a great way to build up confidence in your networking skills so you can eventually attend the big fancy-pants soiree and glide around the room like a pro!
3. Networking events aren’t always called networking events
We often think that unless the words ‘networking event’ are somewhere in the event title, then no one will want to talk about business. Not true!
Conferences, workshops and classes on just about any topic under the sun are excellent opportunities to make new connections and reconnect with old contacts.
You can share what’s happening in your business, get a fresh perspective or helpful resource on a challenge you’re struggling with and very often, you’ll find new clients in the process.
4. Relationship-building trumps cold networking every time
I’ve found some of my best referrals and clients while participating in activities that interest me; things that are fun!
Follow your interests. That might mean starting a book club, volunteering with an organization you’re passionate about or joining a sports team or yoga studio.
The relationships we build in activities like these are some of the most powerful because when we interact with these people we’re not in crazy pitch-mode, hunting for prospects. We’re relaxed, chatting casually, asking about their family vacation, showing them pictures of our dog, etc.
We’re making friends and before you know it, the Know+Like+Trust factor is so solid that these relationships naturally lead into great referrals or actual customers themselves.
Don’t forget that if you are active on Twitter/Facebook and posting regularly on blogs and other online communities, that’s all networking too!
Whether you want to become the social magnet at the center of every room or you’re happy keeping it low key, try these strategies to step your networking game up. I’m willing to bet they will help you grow your network and (bonus points!) make lasting friendships in the process.
Do you have any other networking strategies that might help us shy guys and gals?
Please share your ideas below!
Annika Martins is the creator of The Catalyst Sessions, a jump-start series designed to boost women entrepreneurs from mediocre to magnificent.
Annika works with clients who want to make big money through meaningful and enjoyable work. Check out her video blog at http://www.annikamartins.com or catch her on Twitter at @annikamartins
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February 16, 2012
LinkedIn is the ONLY major social network devoted solely to business use.
So how come your LinkedIn profile has done ZILCH for your business?
We think it’s because so few people have learned how to properly use LinkedIn to bring in leads. LinkedIn too often gets passed over for “more exciting” tools like Twitter and Facebook. But the fact remains – LinkedIn was created for networking and business growth.
That’s why we asked top LinkedIn expert to school us on how to start seeing results from LinkedIn.
Lewis literally wrote the book on LinkedIn (two of them in fact) and he gives smart, real-world advice on how a small business can leverage LinkedIn to succeed.
We cover how to:
- Generate more Leads for Free on LinkedIn
- Build a targeted community of potential customers
- Increase your Connections by 3X over night!
- Drive traffic to your website and sales pages
- And more…
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February 13, 2012
Guest post by Kerry Tepedino
I get it. You have a lot on your plate. You have jumped into the world of entrepreurism at some point and my gosh, it is a ton of work. You wear a lot of hats to get things done and on top of it all you have to tend to normal life stuff as well.
Now don’t get me wrong, I get you really love what you do and you wouldn’t trade it in for the world, but sometimes you are just dog tired and can’t seem to make a dent in your ever growing to-do list.
You can’t possibly find the time to squeeze in figuring out how to gain more energy so you can increase your productivity, meet your goals, and keep that gung-ho spirit alive.
I have got your golden ticket, my friend. I am bushwhacking back all of those nasty weeds on the downhill path of assured burnout, so you can streamline your process to health faster and easier.
1) Put Three On The Line. At the end of every workday choose THREE things that you are going to focus on crossing off your list the next day. Not five, not ten, but three. You may actually get more done in a day than you would normally in a week.
2) Master The Art Of Boxing. Time boxing is used by some of the most successful people in the world. There are different versions out there, but I suggest breaking up your day into time chunks of 60 minutes/60 minutes/30 minutes. So for 50 minutes you are going to focus on getting one of your set intentions completed… no email, no cell, nothing but you and that intention meeting eye-to-eye. Then take a 10 minute break to roll it out, move your body, release your shoulders down from your ears. Sit back down for another 50-10 cycle. After the second round, you earned a 30-minute break.
3) Eat For Maximum Energy. So, on that 30 minute break we just mentioned, this is when you eat a light, organic, healthy meal to keep your energy going. Make sure that it includes some protein to keep your blood sugar levels stable, avoiding that nasty crash-and-burn villain. I highly recommend “happy meat” meaning no hormones, no antibiotics, and if red meat, preferably grass fed. No need to clog up your thinking power with added chemicals.
5) Become Faster Than A Speeding Bullet. I am talking about exercise here. You must get out, drink up some fresh air, and realize that a whole world exists outside of your office/cubicle/kitchen-table-turned-desk. Go join it for a minimum of a thirty-minute brisk walk or run every day and break a sweat at least three times a week.
6) Ninjas Need Downtime Too. If you want to build a business with ninja-like grace and speed, you need to catch some ZZZZZZs. Sleeping around 8 hours a day will recalibrate your body and mind so you can bounce outta bed in the morning, ready to take on the world.
7) Ease Up On The Reins, Cowboy! Trying to control every situation and putting pressure on yourself to know all the answers is, in two words, utterly exhausting. There comes a time when you need to pull yourself up by the bootstraps and admit it is time to get the support you need with your health. Find your trusted health resource that can sift through the mountains of information out there for you and deliver the answers you need in a cut-to-the-chase way.
So there you have it! Being healthy just doesn’t have to be that hard. All you need to do is stay realistic, be level-headed, and get the support you need to stay on top of your game.
Put the 7 Smokin’ Hot Health Tips For The Busy Entrepreneur into action and see the direction of your health take a major upward turn pronto. I want to hear your voice, so leave a comment on which of the “seven smokies” hit you the hardest and shifted your way of thinking and being.
Kerry Tepedino is your personal Holistic Health Practitioner , Strategist, and Connoisseur. Having grown a successful private practice over the past ten years, she has expanded to a global market with health based virtual programs and products.
Kerry’s approach specifically targets entrepreneurs, providing quick remedies for stress, weight gain, and burnout.
Get a $100 discount of Kerry’s Seven Weeks To Wellness program by emailing support with LKR100 in the subject line.
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February 9, 2012
Guest post by Jenny Shih
Do you ever feel so busy with the day-to-day aspects of your business that there’s not enough time to work on your world-changing ideas? Does your business fall apart when you do spend time working on your big dreams?
You don’t have to trade off your big dreams for your daily operations. By streamlining your business, you’ll save time and create the hours you need to change the world, without sacrificing the day-to-day aspects of your business.
Whether you are brand new to business or consider yourself a seasoned pro, here are seven time-wasting mistakes you must avoid in order for you to change the world and keep your business running.
Mistake #1: Allowing chaos to be the norm
Growing pains happen, but chaos should not be an everyday experience. Deliberately and intentionally choose to make the day-to-day aspects of your business chaos-free. This is a choice you can make.
If you believe that your business will always be chaotic, then it will be. If you want more ease, you can create it. Start by getting everything out of your head.
Mistake #2: Keeping everything in your head
When your business is small, it’s easy to remember that your client Sally is scheduled for next Tuesday at 1 and that you want to post to your blog on Wednesday. However, as your business grows, keeping important details in your head guarantees that something will be forgotten.
The fewer details you keep in your head, the more space you have for big-picture thinking and creative work. Start capturing tasks, appointments, and details in a trusted system.
Mistake #3: Using ineffective systems
A system is any repeated course of action, whether it’s an automated process for scheduling clients or a place where you stack all of your bills. Everyone has systems, but most entrepreneurs have ineffective systems, leaving clients dissatisfied, tasks incomplete, and important appointments forgotten.
Effective systems, on the other hand, leave you assured that everything will be done effectively, efficiently, and on time.
One of the benefits of having an effective system is that the tasks within that system can be easily outsourced.
Mistake #4: Waiting too long to hire help
It is important to hire help before you’ve reached a point of desperation. It takes time for even a skilled assistant to learn how your business runs.
Begin by delegating some simple, routine tasks. For example, do you need to be the one to post your blog to your site? Even if it saves only 15 minutes, delegating this task does save you time and it will help you learn how to delegate.
Pick one thing to delegate first, then slowly give your assistant more to do. Once you hire help, you can save time, money, and stress by learning to delegate effectively.
Mistake #5: Delegating ineffectively and inefficiently
Most entrepreneurs “wing it” when they delegate. They send half-thought-out emails or instant messages asking for tasks to be completed. This is a dangerous move. It wastes time and money and results in surmounting frustration on both sides.
Clearly communicate your desired outcome, the necessary action steps, and the details that are important to you. Even if your assistant is good, she’s not a mind-reader.
It takes longer to write an email that describes every detail of everything you want done, but it will prevent the need for a dozen back-and-forth clarifying emails. Most importantly, it will help your assistant do her job correctly the first time.
As you delegate more aspects of your business, it’s time to slowly step out of the details.
Mistake #6: Staying in all of the details or jumping out too fast
Once you have an assistant taking care of routine tasks in your business, be careful not to swing too far to either side of the management pendulum: micromanagement or abdication.
To avoid either fate, find the middle ground. Check in regularly with your assistant to see how the tasks are going, and also trust that if she’s been fully trained, she’s taking care of what she’s been assigned.
Once you and your assistant have established an effective routine, you need to ensure there is someone else who can complete her tasks when she’s unavailable.
Mistake #7: Not backing up the critical people in your business
It’s wonderful having an assistant you can trust to take care of critical parts of your business. You must know, however, that no matter how dedicated she is to you and your business, your assistant can get sick, go on vacation, or find another job at any time.
Have your assistant (and anyone else who is critical to your business) document the exact work she does for you. Screen capture videos are an excellent way to do this. With thorough documentation complete, your assistant’s critical role can be easily backfilled if she is unavailable at any time.
The Bottom Line
You don’t have to trade off your big, world-changing ideas with the smooth functioning of your daily operations.
Start streamlining your business by implementing the ideas mentioned above. You’ll save time, money, and your sanity.
Best of all, you’ll be able to really change the world.
Jenny Shih of jennyshih.com is a coach and consultant for solopreneurs. Her clients are “idea factories” with growing businesses who need help planning, strategizing, streamlining and systematizing.
Jenny combines her background as a Fortune 500 corporate manager with her life coaching experience, fascination with technology and love of plan-making to help passionate superheroes change the world.
Jenny is the author of The System Flight Kit, everything you need to create effective systems in your business, and The Idea Flight Kit, a step-by-step guide for turning your ideas into something real. Download your FREE copies right here.
February 6, 2012
Guest post by Jess Webb
Your business website can be a powerful tool to attract your ideal customers, make more sales and grow your business. It’s job is to serve as the hub for your entire online presence and to be the online representation of who you are and what you have to offer.
Many entrepreneurs make the mistake of just throwing something up for a website and hoping it will work, instead of purposely and deliberately creating an online platform that will actually work to grow their business.
Here are 5 common (and costly!) mistakes that small business owners make with their website, and some tips on how you can avoid the same mistakes and create a website that attracts your ideal customers and helps you grow your business.
1. Leaving YOU out of the website
Many businesses create a website that is all about their company and their products, but there is no mention of WHO is behind the business. Their website has the company name and logo, and everything you might want to know about the company, but there is no mention of who they are.
This may work for some, but most people don’t buy from a business or company, they buy from a person. Especially in the online world, we want to connect with another person. We want to know that someone cares and has been where we are. We want to be able to relate to the person that we’re buying from.
So make sure that YOU are in your website. If you are the main or only person that your customers will be interacting with, then put yourself front and center. Put your picture and name in the header of your site, and write your About page in the first person using I and me.
2. Too much clutter and confusion
You’ve probably seen websites that make this mistake. They put so many different links and images and flashing things on their website in an attempt to offer everything they possibly can. There’s a belief out there that you need to fill up your website with everything you have to offer, and give your visitors a ton of choices (just in case they don’t like the first, second or third option).
The truth is that this just confuses your website visitors and leaves them feeling overwhelmed and not even sure where to start. And when they feel that way, the most likely thing they will do is to simply click away from your website and never come back! When they click away it’s a missed opportunity not just for a sale but also to help someone who needs what you have to offer.
Instead of trying to offer a multitude of different choices, focus each page of your website on only ONE action that you want that visitor to take. Everything on that page should be pointing to and leading them toward that one action.
The action could be purchasing a product, signing up for your email list, scheduling a free call with you, calling for more info, click through to an offer or anything else that you want them to do to take the next step.
Once you know what that ONE action is that you want them to take, then make sure that there isn’t anything else on that page that will distract them from that action or confuse them so they don’t know what to do. Make it super clear exactly WHAT you want them to do before leaving that page.
3. Not capturing email addresses
Probably THE biggest mistake I see entrepreneurs making with their website is neglecting to build their email list, or trying to do it in a way that is completely ineffective (hint: no one wants to sign up for a “newsletter”).
Your email list is one of the most valuable assets for your business. Most people need to come in contact with you about 7 times before they will buy from you. If you don’t have some way to follow up with them, they will simply leave and probably never come back. You need to be able to follow up and give them a chance to get to know, like and trust you. Then you will be top of mind when they are ready to purchase what you have to offer.
But you can’t just set up a form and tell people to sign up for no reason, or to sign up for a newsletter. Sure, that make get a few people on your list, but it’s not really going to be effective.
Instead, you need to offer them something of VALUE in exchange for their email address. This could be a free report, video series, ecourse, audio workshop, coupon discount, or something else that makes sense for your particular business. Your goal with this free gift is to give them a taste of what you have to offer so they can experience what you’re all about. You want to give them something that will help them get one step closer to the end result that they want, and that will lead them into your other offers that will help them take it further.
Put this free gift front and center on your website so it’s the first thing that people see when they come to visit. Make it enticing with a catchy headline that tells them what’s in it for them.
4. Settling for something you don’t LOVE
Far too many entrepreneurs settle for a website that they don’t love. They aren’t really happy with the design, or don’t really like the layout, but they aren’t sure how to fix it and so they settle with what they have.
Remember, your website is the first image that people will see of you and your business! When you don’t love your website and don’t feel really good about how you look online, people will pick up on that. Your site won’t resonate with them, something will feel off, and they’ll leave and go somewhere else.
Your website should make your heart sing. The design should be professional and reflect your own uniqueness, talents and gifts. You should feel irresistible and proud of the way you look online!
If you’re not happy with how your site looks, or it’s not an accurate reflection of you and your business, then get some help to do a makeover and create something that truly reflects your irresistibleness online. Hiring a designer can be a huge help here, as they will bring an outside perspective and will have ideas and suggestions that you wouldn’t think of on your own.
5. No strategy or clear plan for your website
Too often, business owners throw together a website “just to get something up there” and there isn’t much thought and strategy that goes into it. The result is a site that maybe looks nice, says some nice things, but with no clear direction it isn’t able to really DO anything for your business. You might get some results, but without a strategy you’ll never see the kind of growth and success that you really want.
When creating your website – or when reviewing what you already have – get purposeful and deliberate about what you want it to do, what results you want. Do you want it to sell products? Bring you new clients? Get you speaking gigs? Sell your book? Write out a list of everything you want it to do.
Now that you know what results you’re looking for, you can consciously set up your website to work toward those results. You can focus specific pages on specific goals and layout your website in a way that naturally leads people through an easy process to convert them into leads and then customers.
As with any goal or thing you want to achieve, you first need to know WHAT it is you want, then have a plan to get there. Do the same thing with your website and it will be much easier to get the results you want.
Which of these 5 mistakes (if any) have you made with your website, and what action are you going to take to turn that around?
Jess Webb is a website and social media designer who helps women entrepreneurs create an irresistible website and social media presence, to attract their ideal clients and make more money. She has a deep knowledge of marketing – what works, and how to do it in a way that is authentic and feels good. She can help you create an irresistible online presence to grow your business and share your big message with the people who need what you have to offer. To get started, apply for a free Be Irresistible Online strategy session to discuss what you need and want, and to figure out your next steps to make it happen.
February 2, 2012
Guest post by Ane Axford
I am a psychotherapist who specializes in supporting people who have the genetic trait of high sensitivity in thriving and leading.
You: “Genetic? High sensitivity is genetic? And what do you mean by sensitive? Like emotionally? Or, with noise or lighting or food?”
Me: “Yes. All of it.”
About 20% of the population has a more highly sensitive nervous system that is literally picking up on more. This creates a whole different way of living for that 20% that is often COMPLETELY and ENTIRELY the opposite of the dominant culture.
Lots of entrepreneurs and small business owners are highly sensitive and know that they can’t work for anyone else because of their unlimited and ever-changing self and/or they are artists and innovators and have their own creations to sell or share that aren’t already on the marketplace. They very quickly learn that they need to figure out marketing in order to be successful on their own, and that means being online. I am one of those highly sensitive entrepreneurs as well as a small biz owner. I knew there was a lot that I didn’t know about online marketing and I was instantly overwhelmed! My sensitive body was picking up on all the things I needed to do and went into immediate shutdown. That was before I got the smackdown from Laura Roeder herself in a mastery program we did together. You can see an interview she and I recently did together about tech overwhelm here.
Maybe you can relate to me. With these sensitive bodies, us highly sensitive people are naturally externally focused due to all the stimulation we feel coming at us from outside all the time. One implication is that we naturally have a very large and expansive, complete and powerful view. This is why we got into running our own business in the first place and this is really valuable. This view is also what can be overwhelming if it is not also paired with physical reality and our physical desires. In simple terms, being online can create instant overwhelm if you don’t let yourself take it one step at a time in a way that works for YOU. If you try to work for IT, you will burn out mentally, physically, and emotionally.
In my work with sensitive people on this, I have developed a model called Sensitive Leadership where you work with your sensitivity to lead your life. It is based on my theory of The Highly Sensitive Hierarchy of Needs, which comes from Maslow’s theory.
Rather than going from the bottom up, we go from the top down:
If you are highly sensitive, you will not do well trying to start out with an arbitrary plan that someone else told you to do, comparing your self to what someone else has done, or setting up a plan before you understand why you are doing it. Instead, you can use whatever sensations you are feeling to get more of what you want. It’s all valuable and useful information. Even overwhelm.
So, what does this all actually mean for you when you are feeling overwhelmed with all the little pieces and moving parts of your business, being online, marketing, newsletters, Facebook, Twitter……AAAAAAH!
First, breathe.
Start with the most subtle sensation, whatever it is, and bring it down to a more dense practical reality:
1. Transcendent :: What you sense now in literal terms (tingling, buzzing, fluttering, cold, hot, tight, heavy, light), and keep breathing with it.
2. Self-Actualization :: What is here now, that you are here now (I am here in this room with this stuff right now and this is what is factually here/going on).
3. Aesthetic :: What experience you desire or what would feel better, what would feel beautiful to you (my example: right now I want to feel support).
4. Cognitive :: What you know (when I imagine the feeling of support I get an image of having someone to talk to consistently about my business).
5. Esteem :: What you can do (at least 10 possibilities of things you can do to feel supported this way).
6. Love + Belonging :: What you actually do (choose one of your options: I set up an accountability buddy each week to help me accomplish one main goal for the week and feel connection with another business owner like me).
7. Safety :: What you trust (establish the rules for how it will work, create the boundaries: I trust that doing this weekly at the same time over the course of a couple months and then a year can support me in having a recordable history of my accomplishments and someone else who knows these accomplishments who can remind me how awesome I am and support me where I am each week).
8. Physiological :: Commit and do it! Now you have or are on your way to having what you want in the physical world. YES!!
Having the trait of sensory sensitivity means that you can be a natural leader and that you can naturally get what you want when you let yourself follow your desires all the way to a physical reality that works for you. The physical outcome is the natural result of following your desire. So many of us get stuck spinning in analysis paralysis about our sensations and we never bring them to fruition. We expect that we will work like many others and we try to force ourselves into plans that we don’t really want or understand. Instead of that, use your sensation to bring it to a physical reality.
If you want to learn more about this and see some really helpful free videos, check out my Sensitive Leadership model at www.BeyondThriving.com.
Self-described as a highly sensitive person, Ane Axford of www.SensitiveandThriving.com is also high sensation seeking, introverted, a licensed mental health and relationship therapist who specializes in working with highly sensitive persons.
Ane has a Bachelor of Science degree in Family and Human Development and Psychology, a Master of Science degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, a Marriage and Family Therapy license (LMFT) in New York State, over 450 hours in clinical hypnotherapy training and a Clinical Hypnosis certification.
She has facilitated individual, relational, and group therapy for over 6 years as well as many workshops, training, coaching, consulting, and classes.
You can also connect with Ane on Facebook + Twitter
February 1, 2012
Laura Roeder talks to HootSuite founder Ryan Holmes about:
- Outsourcing social media
- Scheduling updates in advance versus live
- Trends HootSuite is seeing in effective social media campaigns
- Hootsuite’s secret for their fast growth and how did they get their tool to “go viral”?
