Selling Chocolate

When you've realized that you need to raise your price points, it's only normal for fears to arise. Things like…➡️ Do I need to add more to the offer to make it worth it?➡️ But other people are charging less than I am…➡️ But I'm not as experienced as [so and so]...➡️ There are so many people who can't afford my work already, who now definitely won't be able to afford my increased rates.In today's episode of The Sustainable Success Podcast, I'm talking through each of those fears. How they present, what they're rooted in, how we can work with them, and new ways of looking at each of them that open up a LOT of freedom for you to take action that aligns with your desire for real, lasting Sustainable Success.Tune in today!If you are loving this podcast, please take a moment to give us a review! You can do so right here in the app you're listening on, or at RateThisPodcast.com/sustainablesuccess — be sure to let us know what you loved most about this episode, so that we can publish more like it!If you haven't already done so, subscribe or follow The Sustainable Success Podcast so that you can be notified every time we release a new episode taking you behind the scenes of what it really takes to build a business that brings you as much joy as it does revenue.Discover how to build your business, your way in our comprehensive free training, The Sustainable Success Starter Kit.https://www.wholecomedia.com/starter-kitAlways know what to post with Not Another List of Content Prompts.https://www.wholecomedia.com/content-prompts-podcastClearly express who you help and how so that you can confidently showcase what makes you and your work unique everywhere that you're marketing and selling your stuff with The Aligned Niche.https://wholecomedia.com/aligned-niche-podcastLearn about our comprehensive business training program, EXPAND. This program is for online service providers, coaches, and practitioners who have already seen some success in business but are now ready to expand their business-building acumen, trust themselves as the leader of their business, and build their business, their way.https://www.wholecomedia.com/expandJoin our community inside the Big-hearted Entrepreneurs Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/wholecoKnow someone who would love this episode? I'd be honored if you'd send it to them.

There were two big lies I was presented with back when I was first taught sales skills for my business: prospective clients will have objections, and it's my job to handle them.I learnt how to listen to the prospective client say, “That's too expensive,” “I don't have time,” or “I need to ask my partner.” Then to ask them questions about what they really meant, or often, what they were really afraid of in making this investment. To walk them through it and then help them experience a belief shift. And, when all else failed, to remind them that people who are really serious about [getting the result or transformation] never, ever hesitate.I bought into the lies for a while—how could I not, when that's what was being presented as the one and only truth—until through my own learning, experimentation, and yes, actually through taking countless prospective clients through sales conversations, I discovered: I don't have to handle objections, because my Right Fit prospective clients don't actually have them.In fact, it's largely the misaligned clients that have true objections, which means that hearing an objection is often a great indication that someone is not actually ready for your work.Now, this is not me saying that prospective clients never have questions or hesitations or even the occasional anxiousness about investing. But as you'll see in todays' episode of The Sustainable Success Podcast, this is all very different than the objections so many sales people talks about, and how you meet a prospective client in an objection is very different from how you meet them in a hesitation or question.Specifically, I share:

Mornings with Carly is our private client podcast where I drop three 5-10 minute episodes every single week, full of mindset practices and inner work inspiration, client lessons, and WholeCo behind-the-scenes debriefs. And today, right here on The Sustainable Success Podcast, I'm sharing a preview of THREE of those episodes! All as part of our first ever Spring Spectacular, only the biggest sale we've ever run in nearly 6 years of business here at WholeCo. Check it out here: WholeCoMedia.com/spring-spectacular Here are the episodes you'll get to listen to today:Is there ever a time to take on a wrong fit client, especially if you want the money?Tried it; didn't like it. A convo on the value of experimentation in biz (even if you don't like the results)How might your desire to be liked (or a fear that you won't be liked) play a part in your business right now?Mornings with Carly is typically only reserved for our EXPAND clients, and we occasionally invite members of live rounds of our courses to subscribe as well. For this week only, however, you can get lifetime (of the podcast) access to Mornings with Carly simply by picking up either of our bundles at Spring Spectacular. Learn more about Spring Spectacular right here: WholeCoMedia.com/spring-spectacular If you are loving this podcast, please take a moment to give us a review! You can do so right here in the app you're listening on, or at RateThisPodcast.com/sustainablesuccess — be sure to let us know what you loved most about this episode, so that we can publish more like it!If you haven't already done so, subscribe or follow The Sustainable Success Podcast so that you can be notified every time we release a new episode taking you behind the scenes of what it really takes to build a business that brings you as much joy as it does revenue.Discover how to build your business, your way in our comprehensive free training, The Sustainable Success Starter Kit.https://www.wholecomedia.com/starter-kitAlways know what to post with Not Another List of Content Prompts.https://www.wholecomedia.com/content-prompts-podcastClearly express who you help and how so that you can confidently showcase what makes you and your work unique everywhere that you're marketing and selling your stuff with The Aligned Niche.https://wholecomedia.com/aligned-niche-podcastLearn about our comprehensive business training program, EXPAND. This program is for online service providers, coaches, and practitioners who have already seen some success in business but are now ready to expand their business-building acumen, trust themselves as the leader of their business, and build their business, their way.https://www.wholecomedia.com/expandJoin our community inside the Big-hearted Entrepreneurs Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/wholecoKnow someone who would love this episode? I'd be honored if you'd send it to them.

A couple years ago, I realized that I had made an assumption about one of my clients that led to me skipping over some really important work with them — which ultimately slowed down their progress and ability to expand.Naturally, I felt like sh*t when I realized what had happened. After I had worked through some of those emotions, I then reached out to the client to own up to my mistake — one of the most simultaneously liberating and terrifying actions I had taken up to that point in my business.In todays' episode of The Sustainable Success Podcast, I share what happened next.Episode 023. When you inevitably “get it wrong” with a client, here's what to doI also walk you through exactly what YOU can do when YOU make a mistake with a client, so that you can not only rectify the situation with the client, but also how to set yourself up to not repeat this mistake in the future.Before you go and listen, I'll leave you with this:It's entirely normal to make mistakes (we're human after all!). So much so that us making mistakes in our businesses actually isn't that newsworthy or notable. What really matters is not the mistake itself, but rather how we respond to it. I share how to do so in episode 023. Tune in today wherever you listen to podcasts!If you are loving this podcast, please take a moment to give us a review! You can do so right here in the app you're listening on, or at RateThisPodcast.com/sustainablesuccess — be sure to let us know what you loved most about this episode, so that we can publish more like it!If you haven't already done so, subscribe or follow The Sustainable Success Podcast so that you can be notified every time we release a new episode taking you behind the scenes of what it really takes to build a business that brings you as much joy as it does revenue.Discover how to build your business, your way in our comprehensive free training, The Sustainable Success Starter Kit.https://www.wholecomedia.com/starter-kitAlways know what to post with Not Another List of Content Prompts.https://www.wholecomedia.com/content-prompts-podcastClearly express who you help and how so that you can confidently showcase what makes you and your work unique everywhere that you're marketing and selling your stuff with The Aligned Niche.https://wholecomedia.com/aligned-niche-podcastLearn about our comprehensive business training program, EXPAND. This program is for online service providers, coaches, and practitioners who have already seen some success in business but are now ready to expand their business-building acumen, trust themselves as the leader of their business, and build their business, their way.https://www.wholecomedia.com/expandJoin our community inside the Big-hearted Entrepreneurs Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/wholecoKnow someone who would love this episode? I'd be honored if you'd send it to them.

I've heard it again and again: “I need to create a more scalable offer, because 1:1 client work is just so exhausting.”Every time I hear a business owner say it, I… 1 - Validate the exhaustion. That sh*t is real.But also…2 - Invite them to explore whether it's actually the 1:1 work that's exhausting and needs to be done away with, or if there's something else happening within the 1:1 work that is in fact the root cause of the exhaustion.Imagine you come to me saying that “working 1:1 with clients is exhausting.” When we probe a bit further, you actually realize: “I have mostly attracted clients into this offer that seem to want me to ‘fix' everything for them and that aren't actually doing what THEY need to do to see their intended result.” If that's happening—as I've seen MANY times with business owners across so many different industries—then OF COURSE you're exhausted. It's a lot of work carrying responsibility for your own personal success alongside the success of your business, and now you're trying to also carry a bunch of other people's success. Goodness, even the weight of responsibility for one more person's success is too much.While it'd be easy to think that “that's just the type of person who is attracted to this work,” what's actually happening is that that's just the type of person that you have been attracting into this work—very likely through the way that you've been positioning and languaging and marketing and selling the work. Which means: if we can adjust how you're talking about this offer so that it actually speaks to a Right Fit client, you're going to stop attracting clients into the work who aren't ready or willing to carry their side of things, and start attracting clients who are so much “lighter” to work with.Now, any time I support a client through this exploration, I don't do it from the place of: “you can't give up 1:1 work.” That's not productive nor is it even my decision to make. We might very well go through this exploration process and discover that it's not actually about the 1:1 work and yet still ultimately decide to release the 1:1 work.The difference is that now the business owner is making a decision to release 1:1 work not from a desire to escape something painful, but rather to expand into something they've decided is more aligned. And that underlying motivation means that it's MUCH more likely that they'll be less likely to repeat the pattern in whatever else they move to.Think about it. If you've been attracting wrong fit clients into an offer, and you simply shift the offer, you're not actually changing the issue, you're changing the channel for the symptom to show itself. Whereas if you get clear on what the real problem is—your words are attracting wrong fit people—and then you change those words, not only is the original “channel” of 1:1 work now clear, but you'll be able to carry that newfound approach to messaging, positioning, marketing, etc to any offer you are selling. You're able to actually solve the real problem, not just in the original offer, but in all of the offers.Wrong fit clients are just one of the common reasons I've seen 1:1 client work being so dang exhausting. I share the other three common reasons as well as what you can do about them in todays' episode of The Sustainable Success Podcast.Episode 022. Why is 1:1 client work so dang exhausting?Whether 1:1 client work is actually super exhausting for you, or you're simply looking for ways to set your 1:1 client work up to be more sustainable, tune in today!MENTIONED IN THE EPISODEEpisode 019: What do you do if clients aren't using the support available to them? — https://www.wholecomedia.com/019The Sustainable Success Starter Kit — our most comprehensive (and free!) masterclass — https://www.wholecomedia.com/starter-kitPowerful Offers that Transform — free guide — https://www.wholecomedia.com/powerful-offersEpisode 021: Voxer Office Hours — https://www.wholecomedia.com/021Blog Post: Boundaries Online Business Owners Can Set for More Sustainable + Successful Client Containers — https://www.wholecomedia.com/boundaries-for-businessIf you are loving this podcast, please take a moment to give us a review! You can do so right here in the app you're listening on, or at RateThisPodcast.com/sustainablesuccess — be sure to let us know what you loved most about this episode, so that we can publish more like it!If you haven't already done so, subscribe or follow The Sustainable Success Podcast so that you can be notified every time we release a new episode taking you behind the scenes of what it really takes to build a business that brings you as much joy as it does revenue.Discover how to build your business, your way in our comprehensive free training, The Sustainable Success Starter Kit.https://www.wholecomedia.com/starter-kitAlways know what to post with Not Another List of Content Prompts.https://www.wholecomedia.com/content-prompts-podcastClearly express who you help and how so that you can confidently showcase what makes you and your work unique everywhere that you're marketing and selling your stuff with The Aligned Niche.https://wholecomedia.com/aligned-niche-podcastLearn about our comprehensive business training program, EXPAND.https://www.wholecomedia.com/expandJoin our community inside the Big-hearted Entrepreneurs Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/wholecoKnow someone who would love this episode? I'd be honored if you'd send it to them.

Every month I spend a whole day talking individually with business owners on Voxer (a walkie talkie app) inside of our comprehensive business training program, EXPAND. And every single month, I think to myself: goodness, these conversations would be supportive for SO MANY business owners (including and beyond the one I'm actually going back and forth with!).Which is why this month, I decided to pull together five questions that were asked and share my responses with you on The Sustainable Success Podcast. Yep, I'm essentially taking you behind the scenes and answering the questions as if YOU had asked them.Here's the questions I've answered in todays episode (episode 021):➡️ How do I set up a 1:1 offer, when my health is somewhat unpredictable and I can't guarantee I'll be available or ready for client sessions?➡️ I'm feeling a lot of pressure to make my marketing work, because I need to get clients, and it's making it hard to actually show up in my marketing because of all of the pressure. What can I do?➡️ I'm building a course. How do I know if something is a necessary component of the curriculum, a bonus, or not something to include at all?➡️ I had a prospective client book a call with me, and they filled out their application with really short answers that didn't really help me understand how I could help them. Do I need to shift my application questions? Are they a wrong fit?➡️ I have bursts of energy and clarity where things are really working, I have momentum, and I'm super inspired. But inevitably a week later I fall into a hole and seem to forget everything. How can I proceed more sustainably?Tune in today to basically get some free business coach-sulting, and of course, come and join us inside of EXPAND when you're ready to have these types of conversations (& so much more) in-depth with me, each and every month.MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODEPowerful Offers That Transform (free) — wholecomedia.com/powerful-offersRight Fit Filter ($9) — wholecomedia.com/right-fit-filterIf you are loving this podcast, please take a moment to give us a review! You can do so right here in the app you're listening on, or at RateThisPodcast.com/sustainablesuccess — be sure to let us know what you loved most about this episode, so that we can publish more like it!If you haven't already done so, subscribe or follow The Sustainable Success Podcast so that you can be notified every time we release a new episode taking you behind the scenes of what it really takes to build a business that brings you as much joy as it does revenue.Discover how to build your business, your way in our comprehensive free training, The Sustainable Success Starter Kit.https://www.wholecomedia.com/starter-kitAlways know what to post with Not Another List of Content Prompts.https://www.wholecomedia.com/content-prompts-podcastClearly express who you help and how so that you can confidently showcase what makes you and your work unique everywhere that you're marketing and selling your stuff with The Aligned Niche.https://wholecomedia.com/aligned-niche-podcastLearn about our comprehensive business training program, EXPAND.https://www.wholecomedia.com/expandJoin our community inside the Big-hearted Entrepreneurs Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/wholecoKnow someone who would love this episode? I'd be honored if you'd send it to them.

I couldn't stop checking. Every minute it seemed, new subscribers were joining our list. In just one week, we added 1,500 new subscribers to our email list, after spending years under 400 people. It was exciting beyond belief. It also was terrifying. In the last couple of years, we've put more emphasis on growing our audience than we ever have here at WholeCo. Our list is now hovering right around 4,000 people instead of 400, and we have even more plans to grow that'll be implemented in the coming weeks and months. In order to effectively 10x our audience, I've had to do something that I'd successfully avoided for most of my prior 3 years in business: be visible. And uncontrollably so.We all know as business owners that we have to be visible. We also all have a unique-to-us tolerance for visibility, especially when it comes to visibility in front of a new or “cold” audience or any sort of visibility where you cannot actually see the people who are seeing you. (Think: live video, viral Reels, podcasting, etc.) And when we hit that tolerance, ohhhhhh boy. It becomes downright overwhelming.If we know that we need to be visible, and even that we want to be visible in order to grow our businesses, then we can choose to preemptively support ourselves by building capacity to be visible. In todays' episode of The Sustainable Success Podcast, I'm sharing a specific practice that you can use to increase your sense of safety being visible.The first time you do this practice, you'll have immense clarity on what's really going on when being seen feels so damn scary or distracting. When you repeat this practice in conjunction with additional deep work, you'll slowly, bit by bit, build up your capacity to be seen. Increased capacity makes even astronomical visibility a heck of a lot more tolerable, and even eventually, a relatively neutral or “no big deal” part of being a business owner.While normally I'd say you can tune into The Sustainable Success Podcast whenever you want, whatever you're doing, with this one I'd recommend tuning in when you can set aside at least 10 or so minutes to engage with the practice shared in the episode. I'm so excited and grateful to support you in increasing your sense of safety in visibility. Tune in today to episode 20 to begin your journey with increased visibility.

Something we don't often like to talk about as business owners who work with humans is the reality that some of our clients aren't actually utilizing the support that is available to them and/or that they aren't actually doing what THEY need to do in order to create the results they intend or desire to create.They're not doing the curriculum and/or any of their own implementation.They're not getting you the assets that you need to do your work (and to do it well).They're not booking calls or using Voxer support or _________, despite the fact that they're still paying you month after month.Is it your fault? Is it their fault? Do you need to be doing more? Do you need to chase them up (again)? Or can you just “let them go”/wash your hands of the responsibility (or even the client) until they figure it out?I think it's safe to say that the vast majority of us business owners WANT our clients to succeed. But when your clients aren't utilizing the supports and resources available to them, and you've purposefully designed your offers (aka they actually need to be utilizing the resources available to them), then it's very likely that the client is NOT succeeding how you want them to, and how they very likely want to as well.Which, I don't think I need to tell you, is frustrating for EVERYONE involved.So what do you do? Well, that's exactly the question I'm answering in this of The Sustainable Success Podcast.In episode 019 —What do you do if clients aren't using the support that's available to them?—I'm sharing…How to tell if this is a “you” problem or actually that the client or clients you're bringing into your work aren't a Right Fit for the work (yet, or at all)4 common signs that someone is a wrong fit for a particular offer that you can see before they even sign on the dotted line and become a clientA simple litmus test to tell whether a current inclusion in your offer NEEDS to be there (or whether it's a distraction from the transformation/result)Practical steps and ideas to support your clients or students to utilize the offer inclusions and supports available to them (even if currently the vast majority DON'T)6 ultra important boundaries and expectations that I share with my 1:1 clients that creates a culture where it feels safe for them to ask for (and receive) support (most business owners forget to communicate the 6th one!!)How to reset the container with current clients who haven't been using the inclusions and/or support available to them (and what to do if, because of their lack of engagement with the whole process, the original goals/intentions they had can no longer be accomplished in the remainder of the container with you)…and more.Clients utilizing the support and inclusions that are available to them is crucial to their ability to succeed in or with your work, and therefore likely to both your satisfaction with the work and to receiving rave reviews, referrals, and re-sign-ups (where applicable). If you want to more reliably facilitate the intended results of your work, and you have or have had clients who aren't engaging with the whole process, then you're DEFINITELY going to want to listen to this episode.Tune in today.LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:Tune into S6E1 - "Behind the Scenes of WholeCo's Messy Middle" - wholecomedia.com/s6e1Download our free guide, Powerful Offers That Transform - wholecomedia.com/powerful-offers

I often joke that giving in-depth feedback to our clients is one of my love languages. It's just SO rewarding to see business owner after business owner's face light up when they finally GET why their messaging or their content hasn't been as effective as they'd like and/or hasn't felt extraordinary to either them or their audience (as signified, often, by a lack of engagement). After having given in-depth feedback on dozens of business owners' content in the last couple of years, there are some pieces of feedback that I find myself giving again and again and again. And when clients make these shifts to their content, PHEW! The results naturally begin pouring in. In today's episode of The Sustainable Success Podcast, I'm sharing exactly what those 10 most common pieces of feedback are. And the great news? These are shifts that you can make to your content right away to begin making it even MORE extraordinary and effective. Tune in today wherever you listen to podcasts to episode 018. The 10 most common pieces of feedback I give to clients on their content.

There are energies that you can intentionally cultivate to make marketing feel more full of ease. I share what they are in today's episode of The Sustainable Success Podcast, episode 017, The Mindset Behind Sustainably Successful Marketing. So many business owners are wondering “what they're missing” in their marketing that would finally make it EASY. If that's you, I have good news and bad news: The bad news is that I've been doing marketing for business (my own and others) for 7+ years at this point, and marketing is STILL not EASY. The GREAT news is that when I intentionally cultivate the 4 energies that I share in today's episode, I can still experience EASE even amidst the challenging things. If you're ready to build a sustainable marketing practice, I invite you to tune into today's episode and see which of these four energies you can even more intentionally cultivate in your marketing practice. I'll see ya there ☺️

The simplest way to “stand out from the crowd” online is NOT by having a unique value proposition or trying to define exactly what makes you different from your competitors or the people who do similar work as you. It's not by talking about “why people want to work with you.” It's not by sharing unpopular opinions, or showing up in your underwear, or sharing one vulnerable thing per day on social media. (Of course, unless those things are truly authentic to you, your brand, your audience, and your goals/dreams/priorities.) It's none of those things, because inherent in all of these is a desire to manufacture what makes you unique rather than allow yourself to happen upon it organically. (I say this with nuance, because there certainly comes a moment in time where having a clearly articulated statement on “what makes our work unique” becomes necessary.) The simplest way to “stand out from the crowd online” actually allows you to organically find your “unique thing” organically. And it allows you to actually LOVE (and be successful on) the journey of finding the thing that makes you unique. I share exactly what this simplest way is in todays' episode of The Sustainable Success Podcast (and don't worry, I share it right at the beginning—I won't leave you hanging any longer than you have to be!). Tune in today to Episode 016: The simplest way to “stand out from the crowd” online, so that you can begin TRULY standing out without (somewhat or wholly) manufacturing something that makes you “unique.”

I made a mistake with a client when I was supporting them to create messaging that, on one hand, was embarrassing, but on the other, really made me stop and think. And I realized: in this moment, I had chosen “effective marketing” over being values-led in the way that I speak. (I share what that mistake was in todays' episode of The Sustainable Success Podcast - Episode 015: Our words have POWER + that's why I won't use these in my marketing.) Since then I've taken a good hard look at the language I use in my messaging and marketing, and asked myself time and time again: does this contribute to the world I wish to contribute to? The answer: a LOT of the language that's so normalized in this online business industry—and that I, too have previously used—is absolutely NOT contributing to the world I wish to contribute to. And so I've made some decisions about words/phrases that I will not use in my marketing. I share 8 of those words/phrases in this episode as well as my reasoning for not using them (+ 3 bonus words/phrases that I'm still exploring) — not in an effort to shame anyone who IS using them, but as an invitation for YOU to explore the words you're using in your marketing. And really, as an invitation for you to ask: is this language contributing to the world I wish to contribute to? The language that's really normalized in this online business industry has, in many ways, created the culture that so many of us…how do I say this nicely?…hate. We can begin to change that culture, simply by beginning to shift the language we are contributing to it through our messaging and marketing. Tune in today.

Our podcast is celebrating it's second birthday this week! In celebration, I'm sharing an inside look at what you TRULY need in order for your podcast to “be successful” as well as how to tell if right now is the right time to start (or be running

When that ad came up in my feed, all I could feel was rage. I couldn't believe that this person was claiming to be something that, from where I stood, was so obviously NOT true based on the contents of this ad. It absolutely pissed me off to the point where I went to write a post about it, and talk about all the reasons why this was SO WRONG. But before I hit “publish,” a little voice stopped me in my tracks by asking, “Carly, what's really happening here? What is this rage really about?” Turns out: yes, I deeply believed that what this person was doing was wrong, untruthful, and potentially quite harmful to many of the people who bought into it. But also: I was afraid that people might think I was doing the exact same (though slightly different flavor) thing. One of the biggest lessons I've learnt in the last 5+ years of building and running my business is that there's never really a WRONG time to look at what's really going on, internally. Because even if, yes, externally, the thing we're seeing IS exactly what we're seeing—definitely not invalidating that!—the internal experience that we have in reaction to what we're seeing defines a lot more of our own reality than we may initially think. And it's only by looking inward with curiosity and an overabundance of compassion that we can use everything we're seeing and experiencing—yes, even the definitely shitty stuff—for our betterment. Not to mention: it's often when we do the internal work around whatever that external stuff brings up that we can then move from a place of power to enact change on/in/with the external stuff (if that's something we feel called to do, of course!). This week on The Sustainable Success Podcast I'm talking about How I Refocus My Rage at the Online Business Industry. And no, we're not just pretending like everything is fine—because it's not—but we are talking about what we actually want to and can do about it. If you know anything about me, you know that I THRIVE in the exploration of the liminal space between two truths, so this episode was really a fun one for me and I think also is going to be a nuanced take to something that there's a LOT of conversation about, all the time. Plus, it was a bit of a cathartic experience since I could talk about the things that just feel (and often are) YUCK in our online business space, without actually talking about it in a way that made me part of the yuck (I think, anyway)

For the last few weeks I have been launching EXPAND, our comprehensive business training program, to a segment of my email list. I kicked it off with a 3-day live event that was an absolute blast and received rave reviews from live and replay attendees alike. But in the days that followed, I came upon a familiar feeling. One that arises pretty much any time that I set a goal. Apathy. If I was the Carly of a few years ago, I would start thinking something was wrong. I'd think that maybe I didn't really want to bring people into this program (that I've been developing and refining for the better part of 3 years now and absolutely adore running). Or that I have mindset issues that need to be resolved. Or that obviously since I couldn't “hold the energy” I was going to fail and nothing good was going to come through. But this time as the apathy seeped into my being, I was able to greet it with a warm hug. For this is the part of me that is afraid of being hurt or disappointed, and therefore it was doing what it has been taught to do in order to protect me from such “scary” feelings and experiences. The logic goes: If I completely disengage from the goal and disconnect from my desires, then I won't be able to feel the pain of disappointment. It makes sense in theory, but in practice, much like many other self-protective responses, it actually ends up contributing to the exact outcome it is afraid of. Because if I disengage from the goal, then I'm not going to take action to achieve the goal. If I disconnect from my desires, then I won't be motivated to look for and take hold of opportunity and insight. I hugged my apathy tight, and told it I see you. I shared with it that I was grateful for what it was trying to do. And then I asked if it would let me, my adult present day self, take the wheel—maybe it'd like to go play in the field with the butterflies and flowers (my sacred space in my inner world) instead? She ran off with glee (she didn't want to be carrying the weight of seeing me and this launch succeed). In todays' episode of The Sustainable Success Podcast, I'm sharing how I cultivate my capacity to hold tightly (not suffocatingly) onto the things that I actually DO desire to hold onto. Instead of letting them go out of fear of not receiving or experiencing them. Tune in today wherever you listen to podcasts to episode 012. Cultivating Expanded Capacity for Resilience, Resoluteness, and Recommitment.

Do you ever wonder what is your responsibility and what is your client's responsibility when it comes to ensuring their success? Behind closed doors, I have had this conversation so many times, and now I want to share my insights. Join me as I share my thoughts on: Creating Conditions for Client Success (3:32)Emphasizing the importance of finding the "right fit client" who is already successful in their own right. Transforming clients through physiological readiness for lasting change. 2. Trusting Clients and Balancing Responsibilities (14:38) A case study on trusting a client's decision, leading to sustainable success. Balancing business owner responsibilities with client success while fostering passion in work. 3. Lowering My Program Price While Increasing Accountability (20:37) Plans to reduce my program price while maintaining quality. What made me come to this decision and how it ties to ensuring client success. If you ever wondered how to balance the scales that are oh so delicate, this episode really gets into the heart of it. “As we navigate the complexities of business, remember: Perfection may be unattainable, but progress is always within reach. Trust the journey, embrace responsibility, and let self-trust be your guiding star." Carly Jo Bell, The Sustainable Success Podcast, S6 E5

Launching is one of those strategies in business that people often feel like they HAVE to do in order to be successful at generating leads for their work. But just like all STRATEGIES, that simply isn't true. And the reality is: even if you create some amazing launch with a 3 day challenge people are SO excited about and sales emails that sound SO good—without the foundations underneath this strategy, it's very hard to make even the most “tried and true” launch strategy actually reliably work for YOU. In today's episode of The Sustainable Success Podcast, I'm going deep into exactly what makes a launch successful (or not), and it's NOT: the number of emails you send (tactic), the type of conversion event you run (strategy), the length of your pitch (strategy), or any of those other things that so many of the launch plans you'll find online focus on. It's the FOUNDATIONS (there are three of them) underneath the strategies and tactics being built within the correct-for-your-business context. I'll show you exactly what I mean in Episode 010 of The Sustainable Success Podcast, Strategy du Jour: Launching (and the foundations you need first!).

Look around the online business world and you'll see that most people are un/consciously defining “success” as “making the most amount of money, in the least amount of time, doing the least amount of work.” I remember the early days of my business, thinking that there was something wrong with me since I didn't make “6 figures in 6 months.” I mean, heck, I barely even made 5 figures in my first 12 months (I ended the year having made about $14k…and yes, that was working full time in my business). Thankfully by the time that I was hearing messages about how you can “build a million dollar business in 3 years” — and my third year in business was “only” my first 6-figure year — I had begun extricating myself from the pervasive online business culture that I now call Speedy Success, and was able to truly celebrate and appreciate the long-worked-for 6-figure accomplishment. As I look back now with the benefit of 5 years experience at the helm of WholeCo, I honestly have so much gratitude for the fact that my growth has been, by many definitions, slow. Because the truth is, if I had risen to meteoric success like I thought I “should” be able to in those first couple years of business, I'm almost certain that I would have ended up burning out, breaking down, and very likely also deciding to burn everything down. My slow growth has been a gift. And in today's episode of The Sustainable Success Podcast, I invite you to relish in the generosity, expansiveness, and beauty of “slow” growth as I share some of the benefits I've found in growing more “slowly” than is so often sold as the “goal pace” in this online industry. Tune in today to episode 009 - The Benefits of Slow Growth in Your Online Business. (If you've already listened, I'd love to hear your answer to that question I ask at the end

If you're thinking about making an annual plan for your business, I'll probably recommend that you don't. Of course, I love me some nuance, so here's what I mean: If you have NOT… Already done most everything that you want to do over this next year at least once—if not several times—and, for the most part, you know what to expect, AND Know that (pretty much) every single thing you want to do over this next year is, for the most part, already in the form/at that you want it to be in …then annual planning is more than likely NOT something worth investing your time and energy in right now. (And that's a great thing!) Which means: for MOST of our clients here at WholeCo, annual planning makes absolutely no sense. I share why in this episode of The Sustainable Success Podcast—episode 008 Permission slip to skip annual planning—as well as the 3 things I recommend you do instead. When I've had this conversation with clients, they consistently walk away feeling SO MUCH FREER to just run their business as they want to, without being burdened by the weight of a big ol' plan. I want that for you, too. Which is why I invite you to tune in today to this conversation.

I was in tears as I planned out todays episode of The Sustainable Success Podcast. Mostly because when I look back at this past year and see, really see, just how difficult it was, I can't help but be so proud of my 1-year-younger self who moved through this year and handled each and every one of these things to the absolute best of her ability. There were so many moments throughout this past year that I questioned why everything was so hard. There were so many moments where I asked myself or a select few people close to me why the heck YET ANOTHER HARD THING was happening. There were so many moments where I could have chosen to give up. To throw in the towel. To just collapse under the weight of feelings of powerlessness to change the myriad of difficult situations I found myself in. And you know what I did instead? I kept going. Not in a “grin and bear it” way. Heck no. I was too exhausted for the pretenses that would require. But rather in a way that continually allowed me to honor the business—and the life—that I had right then, and then, and then, and then, and in every single moment. (Instead of doing what my angsty teenager self wanted, which was just to “be there already” and for it to “just be easy, FINALLY”) I share my practice for honoring the business you have today in this episode. The practice that I've used again, and again, and again throughout this past really-freaking-tough year. As you think about the year that's ahead…just a few days away if you're reading this when this episode first came out…a time that is SO filled with thinking about “where you want to be” and “what you want to create,” I invite you to begin by honoring the business you currently have. Tune in to episode 007 (the James Bond episode? lol) of The Sustainable Success Podcast today. I truly believe you're in for a treat with this one

Manifest your way to success… Just kidding, this is NOT that episode. We going to look at the logistics between goal setting and how it can really shape the way you think and act. Join me in Episode 006 as I emphasize the crucial role of self-trust and foundational work in building a sustainable online business, exploring the nuanced aspects of goal setting and its impact on personal identity. In this episode I will be sharing: 1. Personalized Approach to Goal Setting (1:19) o Embark on my unique rebranding journey, where I set unconventional financial targets and track progress creatively. o I challenge the traditional approach to financial goals, inviting your input in our Facebook group. 2. Balancing Focus, Self-Worth, and Goal-Setting (7:48) o Discover how goals act as a compass for my focus and direction, preventing aimlessness. o Learn from my cautionary tale about not tying success solely to goal achievement, emphasizing the importance of the journey. 3. Prioritizing My Goals for Growth (15:04) o Understand how I align monthly financial goals with long-term objectives to ensure sustainable actions. o Explore my holistic approach to goal-setting, incorporating my personal values and inspiration. If you tired of relying on magic and are looking to nurture your way to sustainability while focusing on progress of perfection, this episode will really provide you with a lot of value. "As we navigate the twists and turns of our business journey, remember: Goals are not the destination but stepping stones, and every setback is an opportunity for growth. Embrace the process, trust yourself, and let your journey define your worth." - Carly Jo Bell, The Sustainable Success Podcast, Episode 006

At the beginning of December 2022 my audience size was about 600 people. I had 600 people in my Facebook group and less than 400 on my email list. Through one bundle that month, I grew my audience to about 2,500 people. In fact, I grew my audience by way more than that, but 2,500 people is the number that have since stayed on my list for the next year. Just a few months prior I had wrapped up 4 years in business. 4 years in business, a 6-figure and a multi-6-figure year…all with an audience of less than 600 people. And during that time, I put basically NO energy into growing my audience — because from where I stood, not only did I not need to (my business was doing just fine), I also knew that I wasn't ready to. But when I submit to this bundle, which I knew would have a large impact on my audience size, I did so because I knew I was READY. Or rather, I knew my business was now ready to expand beyond our small audience and bring our message to even more people. So much of the online business world speaks about audience size as though it's what defines your ability to be successful in business. Of course, yes, absolutely, getting more eyes on your offers can absolutely contribute to expansive success. But that's the difference: it can contribute, it does not create. And if you want to create success in your business, you need to have the foundations in place first — and THEN grow your audience to “pour fuel on the flames” of what's already working. Essentially: growing your audience is not how you solve not making sales. (Unless, of course, you have literally ZERO audience. But even with a dozen people in your audience, if they are the right people, you can make sales.) Today on The Sustainable Success Podcast, I'm sharing how to know when you are ready to prioritize growing your audience. Because friends, we've already got enough shoulds, shiny objects, and strategies du jour to deal with — the last thing we need is to add the shiny object of “audience growth” to our lengthy to do lists when that's not going to ultimately be productive and lead you toward your business goals. Tune in now!

How much should you charge for your services? How much time should you leave between coaching sessions? Should you market on Instagram or LinkedIn? Do you need to start a membership? Is now the time to start networking? Square or Stripe for payment processing? Convertkit or Flodesk for email? Running a business is full of a LOT of decisions. You know this, I know this. I don't need to convince you of this. But over the last 5 years, I've begun to notice something really peculiar: as I've become more and more vocal about how there are no “right” decisions, there are only “right for you” decisions, the very idea of there being a “right for you” decision has become a bit of a stumbling block for some of my clients and community — “because how do I know what the right decision is for me?!” That's why I recorded today's episode of The Sustainable Success Podcast. Episode 004 - How to make the right-for-you decisions in business (& life!) In this episode I share: How to determine if this is even a decision you need to be making right now (or if you're making this decision as a distraction from doing something that you TRULY need to be doing) My favorite way for making seemingly impossible decisions feel so much simpler (seriously, I use this in every area of my life, even beyond my business) How to cultivate self-trust through the process of making (and sticking with) decisions Tune in today.

The pursuit of money or the pursuit of happiness? Are they the same? Join us as we delve into the heart of the matter: finding that consistent thread of motivation that fuels every step, and how my five-year journey ignited a profound revelation about the role of money in our pursuits. When Money Isn't Everything (1:56) Ah, the allure of money. It's a powerful motivator, but is there a point where it loses its grip? We explore the intriguing idea that even though money is a common motivator, there comes a time when it takes a back seat to something even more potent. My realization that loving my work became my primary driver offers a unique perspective on finding resilience in challenging times. The Key to Sustainable Success (6:09) Imagine a life where success means getting paid handsomely for doing what I adore, in the way I prefer, with my chosen collaborators. This dreamy concept is my definition of sustainable success. We dissect the three vital keys that unlock this treasure trove of accomplishment, with the cornerstone being none other than doing what I truly love. The Journey Within Your Genius Zone (10:51) Our journey leads us to explore the four quadrants of work: incompetence, competence, excellence, and genius. As we focus on the latter two, we uncover the magic that happens when I tap into my genius zone and do work that resonates deeply. Carly's inspiring story underscores the importance of threading that consistent motivation, aligning passion with reality. Stepping into the zone of work I adore isn't an all-or-nothing deal; it's a journey, a spectrum. We unravel the stories of expanders who are courageously tipping the scales toward their passions and ambitions, reminding us that doing work you love is a transformative experience. “I do think we all kind of have that, yes, I need to make money. And so that is a motivating factor. But there is a point that I've seen other business owners run into, where money stops being a motivating factor.” - Carly Jo Bell, The Sustainable Success Podcast Episode 003 Claim your 25 Self-Trust Bucks at https://www.wholecomedia.com/podcast ⬅️ you can also see all show notes and more at that link! Get the Sustainable Success Starter Kit (free!) at https://www.wholecomedia.com/starter-kit Check out everything we offer—free and paid—at https://www.wholecomedia.com/everything Join our community at https://www.wholecomedia.com/group

102 - Why I no longer promise specific money results in my marketing I no longer talk about money goals in my marketing… Join me as we explore why I made the bold decision to stop using specific money results in my marketing and sales strategies. Let's uncover the wisdom behind this change and how it's transforming the landscape of sustainable success. Moving Beyond Money Promises (0:45) Have you ever wondered why I decided to remove money promises from my messaging? The answer is simple: integrity. We delve into the powerful reasons behind this shift and how it's creating a stronger connection between my words and my genuine intentions. Discover why authentic alignment matters when it comes to defining success. Redefining Success and Transformation (6:09) The conversation takes a fascinating turn as we explore the true essence of success and transformation. My journey involved reevaluating the emphasis on specific money results and focusing instead on guiding clients toward reliable, holistic transformations. Join us in unravelling the intricate layers of success and how it's far more than a financial figure. Attracting the Right Clients (10:18) Why did I stop using specific money results? The reasons run deep. We explore how this shift filters out clients who might be solely seeking quick monetary gains and instead draws in those truly ready for profound transformation. Uncover the magic of broad, holistic messaging that resonates with clients who are committed to meaningful change. My decision to relinquish specific money promises is a testament to the evolution of my approach and my commitment to authenticity. We invite you to embrace this journey of transformation, one that aligns with your true desires and attracts clients ready to evolve alongside you. "Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful." - Carly Jo Bell, The Sustainable Success Podcast Episode 002 Claim your 25 Self-Trust Bucks at https://www.wholecomedia.com/podcast ⬅️ you can also see all show notes and more at that link! Get the Sustainable Success Starter Kit (free!) at https://www.wholecomedia.com/starter-kit Check out everything we offer—free and paid—at https://www.wholecomedia.com/everything Join our community at https://www.wholecomedia.com/group

What does sustainability mean and look like for you? A question we get asked all the time here at WholeCo. In today's episode, we're unveiling the blueprint for achieving lasting success and exploring what that may look like for you. Trust, Beliefs, and Desires (0:45) Success begins with trust—trust in your beliefs, desires, and intuition. It's about embracing your authentic self and recognizing that your unique perspective is the right path. We'll explore how trusting yourself ignites the journey to sustainable success and allows you to break free from the chains of external expectations. Embrace Experimentation and Diverse Paths (6:09) Ditch the notion of a one-size-fits-all approach. Success isn't about conforming; it's about experimentation and embracing diversity. Learn from the experiences of our guest, who shifted from a frustrating pursuit of perfection to a path of trying new things. We'll uncover how stepping out of your comfort zone can lead to breakthroughs you never imagined. Intention, Awareness, and Self-Trust (10:18) Creating sustainable success involves intention and self-awareness. It's about embracing the chaos of experimentation while staying anchored in your goals. Discover the transformative power of being attuned to what truly resonates with you and how cultivating self-trust becomes your guiding light on this journey. Your business journey is uniquely yours, and every step forward, every setback, contributes to your evolution. So, go forth, trust yourself, experiment boldly, and embrace the sustainable success you deserve. "The road to success is not a single path but a tapestry woven by your choices and self-trust." - Carly Jo Bell, The Sustainable Success Podcast Episode 001 Claim your 25 Self-Trust Bucks at https://www.wholecomedia.com/podcast ⬅️ you can also see all show notes and more at that link! Get the Sustainable Success Starter Kit (free!) at https://www.wholecomedia.com/starter-kit Check out everything we offer—free and paid—at https://www.wholecomedia.com/everything Join our community at https://www.wholecomedia.com/group

Have you ever bought into a strategy that promises results that seem a bit too good to be true? Me too. We live in a culture that is addicted to speedy success; social media is rife with declarations of overnight transformation assuring you that you too, can be wildly successful, and not only that, it's EASY and FAST. I mean, who wouldn't give that a go? The problem is, it's a bit like a sugar hit; it'll get you high (maybe) for a minute, but then you crash. Building sustainable success in a way that is authentic to you is actually simpler than trying to follow someone else's model, doesn't come with unfortunate side-effects, and will end up creating something that feels deeply nourishing, valuable, and rewarding. In episode 5 of season 6 we explore: The undesirable consequences of the culture of “speedy success” and how we get hooked into it Extricating yourself from the speedy success story and finding your own unique methods that are an authentic expression of your intuition, wisdom and desire Why sustainable success is inherently simple and how to find the root of it for your unique business There is so much magic in forging your own path - and it's simpler than you might think! “You know that you've been buying into the culture of speedy success in your business when you are working to constantly maintain a sprinting pace. It may lead to short term exciting, successful moments, but after those initial wins it becomes the fastest pathway to burnout, breakdown, or in the very few cases where it does lead to ongoing success, burning everything down.” - Carly Jo Bell, Selling ChocolateClaim your 25 Self-Trust Bucks at https://www.wholecomedia.com/podcast ⬅️ you can also see all show notes and more at that link! Get the Sustainable Success Starter Kit (free!) at https://www.wholecomedia.com/starter-kit Check out everything we offer—free and paid—at https://www.wholecomedia.com/everything Join our community at https://www.wholecomedia.com/group

There are always tradeoffs to every decision that you make in your business. But sometimes we unconsciously make decisions that come with tradeoffs that actually lead us away from where we truly want to go and what we truly want to create. Throughout my years supporting business owners in their expansion, I've seen three decisions in particular that come with massive tradeoffs that lead in the direct opposite of where they want to go. And I'm sharing those three decisions right here in this episode. When you tune into S6E4, you'll hear… The 3 compromises many business owners make that are profoundly counterproductive when creating a sustainable business How to explore what external narratives you have internalized and connect to and build trust in your own inner voice Shifting from following “the right way” to grow your business to thriving in the present whilst working towards your authentic vision for your business Trusting yourself is a game-changer and you can start today! “The longer that we've been entrenched in trusting other voices before trusting our own voice, the harder it will naturally feel at the beginning to start accessing our own voice. Can you adjust how you're running your business right now to more directly contribute to the success that YOU want to create? Can you do at least one thing in your business exactly how YOU want to do it instead of how someone else told you that you have to?” - Carly Jo Bell, Selling Chocolate Claim your 25 Self-Trust Bucks at https://www.wholecomedia.com/podcast ⬅️ you can also see all show notes and more at that link! Get the Sustainable Success Starter Kit (free!) at https://www.wholecomedia.com/starter-kit Check out everything we offer—free and paid—at https://www.wholecomedia.com/everything Join our community at https://www.wholecomedia.com/group

One of the most common obstacles to creating Sustainable Success in your business is trying to create Sustainable Success. Wait, what?! So often when people approach trying to make their business more “sustainable” they see “sustainability” as a race with a finish line. And if only they could make their business “sustainable,” then “everything would be easy.” It's a rather compelling narrative, so it's no wonder we all get caught up in it from time to time. Except… That's not quite how it works. But don't worry; while the reality is that Sustainable Success is probably a little different to the idea you have of it, it's also more accessible to you (right now!) than you likely realize! In episode 3 of season 6 we explore: Why creating sustainable success isn't a linear process and how the pursuit of ease requires a crucial distinction in order to be constructive How a simple but powerful mindset shift can create an immediate increase in your perception of ease and sustainable success The mechanics of expansion (both internal and external) and what is and isn't relevant for creating sustainable success You'll leave this episode so much clearer on what Sustainable Success actually is, but not only that, you'll also leave having so much more compassion for yourself and clarity on your next step forward. “Sustainability is not something that can be achieved but it CAN be experienced. Creating a sustainably successful business is not a race with a finish line.” - Carly Jo Bell, Selling ChocolateClaim your 25 Self-Trust Bucks at https://www.wholecomedia.com/podcast ⬅️ you can also see all show notes and more at that link! Get the Sustainable Success Starter Kit (free!) at https://www.wholecomedia.com/starter-kit Check out everything we offer—free and paid—at https://www.wholecomedia.com/everything Join our community at https://www.wholecomedia.com/group

Do you know what sustainable success looks like for you? Or have you - like so many of us - tried to follow what some super successful person said worked for them (and wondered why it hasn't worked for you)? Here's the thing: your success will ONLY be sustainable if your strategy is an excellent match with who you are. Forcing yourself to do something because someone else said it worked great for them is not likely to work for you unless it feels really good in YOU. The only person who can define with any accuracy what success is for you, is you. We're taught to outsource our trust in how to build our businesses to external experts, but that's never going to lead to the high level of inner authority needed to create your unique brand and a sustainable business that has longevity. There is another way! In episode 2 of season 2 we explore: Learning to trust your internal voice about how to build your businesses, rather than external authorities who say they know “the one way” to be successful How to distinguish whether something is actually moving you towards your unique version of sustainable success or not Establishing your own locus of nuanced clarity about what feels good to you in your business YOU are the only expert on what a sustainably successful business looks like for you! “Most online business owners have been taught how to build a business that is successful according to someone else's definition of success. And rarely have they been encouraged to ask, ‘What does success mean for me?', let alone, ‘What does sustainable success look like, feel like and mean, for me?'. You are the only marker that tells whether something you are doing is sustainable or successful, or not.” - Carly Jo Bell, Selling ChocolateClaim your 25 Self-Trust Bucks at https://www.wholecomedia.com/podcast ⬅️ you can also see all show notes and more at that link! Get the Sustainable Success Starter Kit (free!) at https://www.wholecomedia.com/starter-kit Check out everything we offer—free and paid—at https://www.wholecomedia.com/everything Join our community at https://www.wholecomedia.com/group

Have you had those moments in your business where it feels like everything is falling apart? Me too! Nothing is static and that means we, and our businesses, go through transformations…and transformations are messy, period. The good news is, the mess of transition is where SO MUCH good stuff happens. Welcoming the mess means we open up to new opportunities, new ways of doing things, and new ways of doing business. I'm going to walk you through my own recent experience with WholeCo's messy middle, how I've been moving through that and what changes are happening behind the scenes. I hope this provides you with some reassurance that these moments are not a bad thing - they're an amazing opportunity to uplevel! In episode 1 of season 6 we explore: As we change, our businesses have to change - what that can look like, feel like, and lead to The first principle of how to encounter the moments when we're doubting or feeling like something big needs to change in our business The growth potential (both inner and outer) that the mess invites us into and how to engage gracefully with that invitation The messy middles are where so much magic happens - embrace them! “If or when you find yourself in a space where you know that what you're doing are all things that you need to be doing but it's creating a challenge in some other area of your business, you're not alone. This is part of building a successful and sustainably successful business. The messy middles are where so much magic can be found.” - Carly Jo Bell, Selling Chocolate Claim your 25 Self-Trust Bucks at https://www.wholecomedia.com/podcast ⬅️ you can also see all show notes and more at that link! Get the Sustainable Success Starter Kit (free!) at https://www.wholecomedia.com/starter-kit Check out everything we offer—free and paid—at https://www.wholecomedia.com/everything Join our community at https://www.wholecomedia.com/group

Are you tired of feeling like you working hard in your business and not getting the results you want? Of feeling like you're doing all the things but nothing's really working and you're nowhere near having 10k months? Well the reality is all actions are not created equal! You might be expending unnecessary energy that would be better directed elsewhere. That's why having a strategy is so important; to make sure you're taking aligned and effective action. No more throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping that something sticks! If you want to do more than survive and actually shift into thriving, you might (like me a few years ago) need to make some changes! In episode 1 of season 5 we explore: How to go from knowing that something is not working to making the change that will create different, aligned results The key shift to go from striving to ease and achieving your first 10k cash month Understanding the connection between desire and resistance and how you might be tripping yourself up How great would it be to KNOW (and to have proof!) that you can make money?! “In those moments where you feel like you're pushing or you're striving or you're trying to force these things to FINALLY work - the best thing you can do in those moments is actually to pause. To take a step back. And to start assessing, What I need to do differently to create the results I desire?” - Carly Jo Bell, Selling ChocolateLinks Join Marketing, Magnified: https://www.wholecomedia.com/marketing-magnified Get all the resources mentioned in Selling Chocolate at: https://www.sellingchocolatepod.com Apply to work with me in EXPAND: https://www.EXPANDaccelerator.com Join the WholeCo Media Facebook Group for Big-hearted Entrepreneurs: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wholeco

Some clients are a dream come true and others, sad to say, not so much… Have you experienced this? Does it feel a bit hit and miss whether or not people buy from you? Maybe your product or service works really well for some of your customers or clients and not so well for others? I get it, it can be super frustrating. I'm here to tell you there's an art and science to marketing to the right people and that the #1 game-changing business insight is figuring out who your “right-fit” customer is and marketing specifically to them. Stay tuned while I give you a clear method of identifying those people! In episode 2 of season 5 we explore: The crucial difference between your ideal customer and your purchase ready customer The one thing you need radical clarity about in order to create a super successful business The 4 versions of your ideal customer and which one you need to be marketing to in order to make sales Clarity is a beautiful (and powerful) thing my friends! I'm excited for you to finally know exactly who you need to be selling to! “You want to be exclusively attracting people in who are ready to buy AND the person who's going to be best served by you. So if you want to get more “right-fit” people into sales calls with you who are ready to say Yes to working with you, then you need to know who that “right-fit” person actually is.” - Carly Jo Bell, Selling ChocolateLinks Join Marketing, Magnified: https://www.wholecomedia.com/marketing-magnified Get all the resources mentioned in Selling Chocolate at: https://www.sellingchocolatepod.com Apply to work with me in EXPAND: https://www.EXPANDaccelerator.com Join the WholeCo Media Facebook Group for Big-hearted Entrepreneurs: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wholeco

Are you struggling to sell your offers consistently? If so, it's a symptom of a problem, not the problem itself. There are various reasons you might be struggling with this, and we're going to unpack each of them and outline how you can change the reasons you are having inconsistent results. Building an offer that is an obvious YES to your soul-aligned clients and that you're super excited by is within reach! In episode 3 of season 5 we explore: The 4 main reasons people aren't buying from you and how to address them Offer alignment, your proprietary process and constructive boundaries How to create the conditions within which your client can actually succeed and build an offer around that Stay tuned for these four key entrepreneurial problem-busting strategies! “You are the only one who is responsible for your success. Your job is NOT to create your client's success; your job is to create the conditions in which they can succeed. You don't have to choose between serving your “right-fit” people or doing work you love doing - it's BOTH.” - Carly Jo Bell, Selling ChocolateLinks Join Marketing, Magnified: https://www.wholecomedia.com/marketing-magnified Get all the resources mentioned in Selling Chocolate at: https://www.sellingchocolatepod.com Apply to work with me in EXPAND: https://www.EXPANDaccelerator.com Join the WholeCo Media Facebook Group for Big-hearted Entrepreneurs: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wholeco

Is your marketing copy not bringing you the results you hope for? Do you feel like you're writing compelling copy but it's attracting the wrong people? Here's the thing; if you're not directly addressing the version of your ideal client who is ready to buy, even great-sounding copy is going to be redundant. When you figure out how to speak directly to your purchase-ready customer, you unlock consistent sales. Stay tuned to find the right words to connect with your “right-fit” clients and grow your business growth expertise so you can uplevel your income whenever you want! In episode 4 of season 5 we explore: Taking your messaging as the foundation for all communication with your “right-fit” client and implementing that core messaging into all your content The crucial piece we need to understand to stand out in a flooded market and makes sales consistently The 2 key questions that will help you find the exact words to speak to where your purchase-ready customer is at and make the sale Get ready to match your language with your core offer and see how fast things can change in your business! “What does the purchase-ready version of your ideal customer know to be true? What questions are they asking? What are they presently experiencing? And what do they see as the real problem? When you have that clarity on who this version of your ideal customer is, that's when we can find that core language, those messaging pieces that we can use to talk about your core offer.” - Carly Jo Bell, Selling ChocolateLinks Join Marketing, Magnified: https://www.wholecomedia.com/marketing-magnified Get all the resources mentioned in Selling Chocolate at: https://www.sellingchocolatepod.com Apply to work with me in EXPAND: https://www.EXPANDaccelerator.com Join the WholeCo Media Facebook Group for Big-hearted Entrepreneurs: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wholeco

Does selling tend to bring out some anxiety for you? Are you follwing the method of giving value before selling your offer? So many of us have a tense relationship with money and selling. But through selling to our ideal clients, we're doing what we love AND helping someone else uplevel their lives; our work matters! And our “right-fit” people WANT us to sell to them! They recognise that we have something they want, so in order for us to serve them we have to sell to them. Essentially, if you want to expand your income, you need to go from pseudo-selling to truly selling, but it doesn't need to feel icky or sleazy; it's just a matter of finding the way that feels good to you (and then doing it consistently)! In the season finale of season 5 we explore: Disentangling the money-worthiness issue and the fears around selling, failure and success Discerning between a surface-level tactic and an approach to selling that is grounded in your business foundations and guaranteed to succeed The many ways we bypass selling (often with pseudo-selling!) and how to transform that into consistently talking about your offer and making sales Are you ready to have your first, or first-in-a-while, 10k cash month? Then join us for this final episode of season 5 to start making giant leaps in your sales figures! “Even though our work does not create our worth or our value, it is often through the channel or the avenue of our work that we are introduced to and called to recognise the value and the worth that has always been part of who we are.” - Carly Jo Bell, Selling Chocolate Links Join Marketing, Magnified: https://www.wholecomedia.com/marketing-magnified Get all the resources mentioned in Selling Chocolate at: https://www.sellingchocolatepod.com Apply to work with me in EXPAND: https://www.EXPANDaccelerator.com Join the WholeCo Media Facebook Group for Big-hearted Entrepreneurs: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wholeco

Have you been trying to convince your audience that you have something they need? Are you tired of doing 'all the things' and still not making sales? I get it. It's EXHAUSTING following a strategy that isn't tailor made for YOU, your biz, your audience, and your goals. As soon as I shifted away from doing what I thought I “should” be doing and started doing things differently in my business, EVERYTHING changed. Simplifying and developing a strategy that feels aligned is actually far more efficient AND lucrative! In Season 4, Episode 1 we explore: How I know that there are people in your world that are ready to buy *right now* How to shift away from the mindset of having to “earn your ease” Finding a strategy to start selling that feels good to you rather than doing what you think you “should” be doing Tune in and find out what the key action is to start consistently selling! “I know from personal experience how much easier it is to make money, make sales, get new clients etc., even to market our businesses, when we're doing things that we love doing in the way that we love doing them.” - Carly Jo Bell, Selling Chocolate, Season 4 Links Join Marketing, Magnified: https://www.wholecomedia.com/marketing-magnified Get all the resources mentioned in Selling Chocolate at: https://www.sellingchocolatepod.com Apply to work with me in EXPAND: https://www.EXPANDaccelerator.com Join the WholeCo Media Facebook Group for Big-hearted Entrepreneurs: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wholeco

Nothing about these 3 strategies is "new" or "groundbreaking" in this online business world. In fact, you've probably heard other business coaches share similar lead generation strategies before. So why would you want to listen to this episode? Because while there is no "secret strategy" that every "successful" business owner has that you don't, what those successful entrepreneurs have (that you might not) are the business FOUNDATIONS that make ~any~ strategy (including these 3) successful. Inside this episode, I'm sharing 3 of my favorite Lead Generation strategies. These are strategies I've used to generate multiple-6-figures in my business, and that my clients have used to do the same. AND I'm sharing insights into the real foundations that make ALL of these strategies even capable of doing so. Because if we're being honest: Very rarely is the strategy you're using actually “off.” More often than not, it's not the strategy, it's the foundations underneath that strategy that are causing the strategy to not work how “they” say it will. In this episode of Selling Chocolate we explore: How to identify things that what investments actually help you grow your business and stop wasting money on things that don't 3 key ways to generate more leads with proven examples How to pitch to your leads once you've got them to bring in sales Join me as we dig into the nitty gritty of how you can start generating more leads with more ease by tuning in now. “You have to be able to talk about your offer and market it in a way that both generates leads AND naturally moves those leads into paying offers. You have to release your fear of selling, or the belief that selling is sleazy or annoying, and remember that there are people in your audience who are ready to buy; and if that's true, the very best way that you can serve them is by selling to them.” - Carly Jo Bell, Selling ChocolateLinks Join Marketing, Magnified: https://www.wholecomedia.com/marketing-magnified Get all the resources mentioned in Selling Chocolate at: https://www.sellingchocolatepod.com Apply to work with me in EXPAND: https://www.EXPANDaccelerator.com Join the WholeCo Media Facebook Group for Big-hearted Entrepreneurs: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wholeco

How you help a Lead become a Client goes WAY beyond the Sales Conversation, and it actually starts BEFORE you even get that Lead. Whether you're dreading following up with a lead because you're afraid of being "annoying" or maybe even sleazy... You often find yourself coaching on the Sales Call (instead of actually selling)... Or you feel like you constantly attract freebie-seekers who never actually turn into paying customers... This episode will help you know exactly what you need to do with every single Lead to help them easily and seamlessly become a paying client. In Season 4, Episode 3 of Selling Chocolate we explore: The 3 things you need to do to move someone from a lead into a sale The art of crafting lead-generation strategies that consistently lead to sales Non-sleazy communication practices for following up on leads and moving them towards a sale in a way that feels GOOD Join me for this episode and discover your aligned way of selling with ease. “Moving a lead into a sales conversation and then into becoming a client actually starts before you get the lead. Meaning, you have to know where you are taking this lead before you get out there and start implementing any lead-generation strategy.” - Carly Jo Bell, Selling Chocolate, Season 4Links Join Marketing, Magnified: https://www.wholecomedia.com/marketing-magnified Get all the resources mentioned in Selling Chocolate at: https://www.sellingchocolatepod.com Apply to work with me in EXPAND: https://www.EXPANDaccelerator.com Join the WholeCo Media Facebook Group for Big-hearted Entrepreneurs: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wholeco

Are you finding yourself getting more no's or even being ghosted by your leads after a Sales Call? Many of us have scars from past sleazy sales conversations we've had with someone who didn't provide value or was behaving in a pushy or even manipulative way. Which often leads Big-hearted Entrepreneurs like you to loathe or even fear sales and selling! But what if you could sell with ease and absolutely no sleaze? What if your sales conversations could empower the right-fit people in your audience to take their aligned next step (working with YOU)? What if the way you SELL is actually how you SERVE your clients most? In this episode we explore: Discerning between ethical and unethical sales practices My complete foundational formula for a successful sales conversation (this is big!!!) The internal and external foundations for successful sales calls Join us for this episode of Selling Chocolate and say goodbye to feeling bad about sales conversations! “Giving value AND selling is the most valuable thing that you can do for the person who is looking for the result of your work.” - Carly Jo Bell, Selling Chocolate, Season 4Links Join Marketing, Magnified: https://www.wholecomedia.com/marketing-magnified Get all the resources mentioned in Selling Chocolate at: https://www.sellingchocolatepod.com Apply to work with me in EXPAND: https://www.EXPANDaccelerator.com Join the WholeCo Media Facebook Group for Big-hearted Entrepreneurs: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wholeco

How often have you not landed a sale, because your lead could not afford you? Do you feel like your price point is “too much” or that you're an imposter who can't actually deliver the level of service your prices imply? Our own financial trauma informs the way we behave around money to a large extent and healing that is part of doing the money mindset work. But even without digging deep (because healing trauma is outside of my scope!), there are some practical ways you can shift that reality right now! There is a way for you to feel relaxed and open on a sales call, even if your price point feels edgy or stretchy, because you have potential customers for whom it won't feel that way and who will be happy to pay! In the season finale of Selling Chocolate Season 4 we explore: Why money mindset work has to include healing our financial trauma How to find clients who are happy to pay your prices (even if you think your price points are “too much”) How to hold your own money stories and your client's financial reality in a sales conversation in a way that creates possibility Tune in to the final episode of Season 4 and lets work on owning our prices with confidence so that we can sell with ease! “I was taking my lived experience of not having 'enough' money, or that that five-figure amount was too much, and assuming that everyone's lived experience was that as well.” - Carly Jo Bell, Selling Chocolate, Season 4Links Join Marketing, Magnified: https://www.wholecomedia.com/marketing-magnified Get all the resources mentioned in Selling Chocolate at: https://www.sellingchocolatepod.com Apply to work with me in EXPAND: https://www.EXPANDaccelerator.com Join the WholeCo Media Facebook Group for Big-hearted Entrepreneurs: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wholeco

Do you feel that you're just “bad at marketing”? Do you regularly procrastinate on creating content? Or get to the end of the day and realize with a twinge of guilt that you "forgot" to post? If so, you're not alone! Many people have negative associations with marketing and the trouble is that those negative associations will eventually become deeply engrained beliefs—beliefs that hold you back from creating content that connects and converts. Imagine if you could have a “beginner's mind” around marketing, and if you could drop the perfectionism that's holding you back. Imagine if you truly believed and even KNEW that every single time you created content, you got paid. What might that change about how you approach marketing your business? In this first episode of Season 3, I'll take you through a process to help you begin to uncover what unhelpful beliefs you have about marketing (and yourself as a marketer) so that you can move towards a fresh start with marketing—and actually begin doing what you need to do to create authentic content that connects and converts. p.s. If you're ready to dive deeper, consider joining Marketing, Magnified, the marketing incubator in which we build the foundations from which you can create authentic content that connects with and converts your audience into paying, soul-aligned clients and customers. Remember, you're NOT bad at marketing, no matter what your brain is saying! “Wouldn't it be truly amazing if you could start fresh? Think about it, seriously - you have all these built-up negative associations with marketing. You might have even started believing you're simply bad at marketing. And some of you might even harbor some pretty intense resentment towards the fact that you have to market. If you were to simply start fresh, without all of those negative associations, what doors do you think might open for you?” - Carly Jo Bell, Selling Chocolate Links Join Marketing, Magnified: https://www.wholecomedia.com/marketing-magnified Get all the resources mentioned in Selling Chocolate at: https://www.sellingchocolatepod.com Apply to work with me in EXPAND: https://www.EXPANDaccelerator.com Join the WholeCo Media Facebook Group for Big-hearted Entrepreneurs: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wholeco

Enter to get in-depth feedback on one of your pieces of content by joining the Big-hearted Entrepreneurs Facebook Group, and then dropping the link to one of your pieces of content here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wholeco/permalink/1095211067727686 Do you feel like you're doing all the things you're meant to do in your marketing, but you're still not getting the results you want? Here's the thing: there's a LOT of information on marketing out there. Some of it is great, because it goes beyond just "what to post" and gives you the foundations to actually start converting from your content. Some of it is, well, no better that swipe copy and content prompts that might help you be consistent...but unless you already have the foundations of your Sustainable Sales System, it's not going to help you convert. And when you're starting out, you simply don't know what you don't know—which is why I'm using this episode to help you understand WHY what you've been doing hasn't been working, so you can then be open to learning what WILL actually work. I learned how to market by doing ALL the wrong things. It was trial and error until I went back to MY foundations and finally figured out how to create content that actually, consistentlyconverts. In this episode, I'm going to talk you through the 5 types of content that do NOT convert and explain how to switch from having to "convince" your audience to buy, to being able to speak DIRECTLY the people in your audience who are already READY to buy. Why are we starting with what DOESN'T convert? Because in order to make room for you to start creating content that DOES convert, you need to know why what you're currently doing ISN'T converting! Tune in now to get clarity on why what you've been doing hasn't been converting, and then listen to S3E3 to learn what to do instead! “In order to play the game, we have to not only know what TO do, but we also need to know what NOT to do.” - Carly Jo Bell, Selling Chocolate Links Join Marketing, Magnified: https://www.wholecomedia.com/marketing-magnified Get all the resources mentioned in Selling Chocolate at: https://www.sellingchocolatepod.com Apply to work with me in EXPAND: https://www.EXPANDaccelerator.com Join the WholeCo Media Facebook Group for Big-hearted Entrepreneurs: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wholeco

How many times have you sat in front of your computer screen, TRYING to create content, but you simply don't know what to post? Well my friend, that's exactly why this episode exists: to help you learn the foundations of creating conversion content and always know "what to post"! Inside this episode, I'm breaking down the exact simply and replicable process that I and my clients use all the time to never run out of content ideas—and not just any ideas, but ideas for content that consistently converts. In episode 3 of Selling Chocolate Season 3: You'll learn where to find "inspiration" for the types of content to convert (even when you aren't feeling inspired!) I'll break down the 4 foundational content types (I've never shared these anywhere for free before!) Then I'll show you how to use them in a way that converts your audience Take notes and get ready to start creating content that converts. “The problems, questions and experiences that someone has who is ready to purchase, and the problems questions and experiences someone has who isn't ready to purchase are usually different. And so many entrepreneurs get caught up accidentally talking to the people who aren't ready to buy in their audience.” - Carly Jo Bell, Selling ChocolateLinks Join Marketing, Magnified: https://www.wholecomedia.com/marketing-magnified Get all the resources mentioned in Selling Chocolate at: https://www.sellingchocolatepod.com Apply to work with me in EXPAND: https://www.EXPANDaccelerator.com Join the WholeCo Media Facebook Group for Big-hearted Entrepreneurs: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wholeco

If you knew that there were people in your audience who were READY TO BUY, what would you do? Usually when I ask that question, I get a similar response: "I'd tell them how they can work with me." And yet so many big-hearted entrepreneurs still feel stressed about selling. They worry they might annoy their audience, or that they haven't yet created "enough" value to have the "right" to sell—especially directly in their content! If any of that feels familiar, I get it. One, because so many of my clients come to me feeling the same way. But two, because I used to hate selling—yes, me, the person who now sells in almost every single piece of content I create. Back then, even just creating a call to action at the end of my content made me squirm! I had so many fears about it. But here's the thing: there are people in your audience who are looking for the exact thing that you offer. And if you want to SERVE them, you can't really do that through free content alone; you have to sell to them. It's as simple as that. In this episode: I unpack the fears and limiting beliefs that many of us have about selling Help you shift your mindset around issuing invitations and making sales By the end of this episode, you'll have understood that selling is part of serving as a big-hearted entrepreneur Selling does not need to be sleazy. Let's step out of our limited beliefs around selling and start giving the purchase-ready people in our audience exactly what they want and need. Let's start selling. “It is not serving your ideal customer to never sell to them. Or to sell to them only occasionally, when you've given enough value to make up for it. It IS serving your ideal customer by selling to them. By actively, intentionally, boldly, publicly and above all CONSISTENTLY selling to them.” - Carly Jo Bell, Selling ChocolateLinks Join Marketing, Magnified: https://www.wholecomedia.com/marketing-magnified Get all the resources mentioned in Selling Chocolate at: https://www.sellingchocolatepod.com Apply to work with me in EXPAND: https://www.EXPANDaccelerator.com Join the WholeCo Media Facebook Group for Big-hearted Entrepreneurs: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wholeco

How do you know what the "right" strategy is for you? And what if you feel like you've already tried "all the things" but you're still not converting at a sustainable level? That's exactly how Flora Ong, a relationship coach and previous Marketing, Magnified and EXPAND: Level 1 client, felt when she came to me: like she was doing everything that so-and-so said she "should" be doing, but nothing was working how they said it would for HER. ​​Flora Ong is a dating and relationship coach and founder of Redo Love, whose sole focus is helping people find peace and joy in the process of dating. She is a certified life coach and trauma-informed specialist. Her focus on attachment styles helps people understand how they were programmed to have the life they do and how to reprogram their brains so they can have the life they want. Inside this episode, I talk with Flora about her journey of not know how to get leads to now knowing that every time she creates content, she's going to get paid. We also talk about... How doing things because you ‘Have to' simply doesn't work How turning your business around and making sales directly from your content does not need to take a long time or be a "long game" (like so many people think!) How Flora went from hating marketing to loving showing up and actually making the sales she needed—on a brand-new-to-her marketing platform no less! Let us know your biggest takeaways this season by dropping in on our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wholeco “It's not just about the consistency and the familiarity, it's really more about the resonance; It's more about what you're saying, what you're creating, what you're talking about. Is it something that resonates with the purchase-ready version of your ideal customer?” - Carly Jo Bell, Selling Chocolate Follow Flora: IG @redo.love TikTok @redo_love www.redo.loveLinks Join Marketing, Magnified: https://www.wholecomedia.com/marketing-magnified Get all the resources mentioned in Selling Chocolate at: https://www.sellingchocolatepod.com Apply to work with me in EXPAND: https://www.EXPANDaccelerator.com Join the WholeCo Media Facebook Group for Big-hearted Entrepreneurs: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wholeco

Your first $10k month is an exciting milestone. But what actually happens when we reach it? And what happens after that? My first $10k month happened when I was energetically ready for my first $10k month. Consistent 5-figure months, on the other hand, took quite a bit more strategic planning, and what gets you 'here' to your first $10k month isn't usually what will take you 'there' to consistent 5-figure months. That's why in this episode, I'm talking about what to focus on to create your first $10k month versus what to focus on to create consistent 5-figure months. This isn't a conversation I've heard a lot of business owners talking about, which is why inside Season 2, Episode 1 of Selling Chocolate, we're diving into: The nitty gritty of what actually went into my first $10k month (& how I felt afterward) How to start creating sustainable 10k months for yourself The temptation to skip ahead and reach "ease" faster The mindset shifts that are required to create that ease and sustainability I hope you have your notebook or notes app handy, because you will want to take some notes as I help you dive deeper into creating sustainability in your business. "When I was pre-10k month in my business, I can't tell you how many hours each day I spent just sitting in front of my computer doing all this random fancy busy work, that didn't actually need to be done—at least not back then—because I believed that I had to work eight hours a day in order to be successful. And let's be honest, I often worked more than that. I also did that because, let's be real, part of me thought that I had to work really hard in order to be worthy of success. So what that practically meant is that I would finish client work, and then I would start thinking about all the other things that someone, somewhere said that I 'should' be doing and I would try and get started on every single one of them. The only problem is when you try to do everything you really end up doing nothing." -Carly Jo Bell, WholeCo Media Selling Chocolate, S2 E1Links Join Marketing, Magnified: https://www.wholecomedia.com/marketing-magnified Get all the resources mentioned in Selling Chocolate at: https://www.sellingchocolatepod.com Apply to work with me in EXPAND: https://www.EXPANDaccelerator.com Join the WholeCo Media Facebook Group for Big-hearted Entrepreneurs: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wholeco

Feel like you're doing all the things to make more sales, but still hearing crickets? Does it feel like no one is buying, or like it's a constant uphill battle to sell your offer? Do you truly enjoy the work you are doing in your business? These are some of the questions I explore in this episode as I invite you to get familiar with your inner voice, so you actually CAN make more sales. Because let's be real: the easiest way to make 0 sales is to sell something you don't actually want to sell. In the last episode, I spoke about your first $10k month and what happens after you hit that milestone. In Season 2, Episode 2 of Selling Chocolate, I expand on one of the biggest keys to creating genuinely sustainable success: Offer Alignment, AKA selling what you want to sell, to the type of person you most want to sell to. Here's a quick peek at what we cover in this episode: What does offer alignment *practically* mean in your business? Why is it important to truly be aligned with your offers, and what happens when you're not The biggest mindset shift that will actually allow you to start selling what you truly want to sell, to the type of person you truly want to sell to How Offer Alignment is both a short- and long-term strategy for creating even greater sustainable success in your business Grab the beverage of your choice and get comfortable as this episode is going to help you settle even more wholly into sustainability. "Instead of focusing on what's the next strategy? or what should you do next? you get to start this next leg of your journey toward your next level of expansion by asking one very important question: What do I want? What do I want to do? What do I want to create? Who do I want to be? How do I want to build this business? What do I want my next steps to be?" -Carly Jo Bell, WholeCo Media Selling Chocolate, S2 E2Links Join Marketing, Magnified: https://www.wholecomedia.com/marketing-magnified Get all the resources mentioned in Selling Chocolate at: https://www.sellingchocolatepod.com Apply to work with me in EXPAND: https://www.EXPANDaccelerator.com Join the WholeCo Media Facebook Group for Big-hearted Entrepreneurs: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wholeco

Wouldn't it be amazing if you could put an offer out into the world and know it's going to sell? Around here, we call this an "Easy-Yes Offer." This is what the entire Season 2 of Selling Chocolate is all about: how to create your Easy-Yes Offer. And though all the pieces I cover in Season 2 are necessary to create that Easy-Yes Offer, inside this episode, we are going deep into the actual practical strategy of how to do so. Because sometimes, ya just wanna know!!! In classic Carly fashion, I'm going DEEP, so be prepared to take notes on the core components of an Easy-Yes Offer, & how to actually ensure YOUR Offer is an "Easy-Yes," then we're digging into some nitty gritty details like: Does your promised Transformation make logical sense? What do high-ticket buyers actually want and need? How to tell if your price point is "too high" for *you* (& that's part of why it isn't selling) ...and more. This episode is going to really get you thinking about your current offers in a new light, so let me know what your biggest a-ha moment was by posting in the Big-hearted Entrepreneur Facebook Group! "Remember that your client will actually be best served by you doing the work you love doing in the way you love doing it. Your client will be best served by you staying in your own lane, doing your own stuff, owning your own expertise, and really being within your own genius." -Carly Jo Bell, WholeCo Media Selling Chocolate, S2 E3Links Join Marketing, Magnified: https://www.wholecomedia.com/marketing-magnified Get all the resources mentioned in Selling Chocolate at: https://www.sellingchocolatepod.com Apply to work with me in EXPAND: https://www.EXPANDaccelerator.com Join the WholeCo Media Facebook Group for Big-hearted Entrepreneurs: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wholeco

If you were a toothpaste creator and went around saying, "Buy my toothpaste; it has sodium monofluorophosphate with fluoride ion," your people would look at you with a very confused expression...and then they would go shop with your competitor who's saying, "Buy my toothpaste; it whitens your teeth." That, my friends, is an example of how leading with the chocolate (and, sure, supporting with the broccoli) helps you *actually* make more sales. Because let's be honest: your toothpaste (aka your offer) could be the best one on the market, but if you're not talking about it in a way that your customers will naturally connect with, then you're going to miss out on those customers. In Season 2, Episode 4 of Selling Chocolate, I am going to expand on one of my favorite messaging foundations (that this very podcast is named after): how to sell Chocolate and not Broccoli! In the spirit of this episode, go ahead and grab some chocolate (or broccoli), settle in, and be prepared to take notes as I cover: What the "broccoli" of your messaging is, and why your audience does not want to hear about this How to lead with the "chocolate" (what your customer already knows they want) and follow up with the "broccoli" (what you as the expert know they need) Examples of how I personally use this strategy to make sales How to actually figure out what YOUR "chocolate" and "broccoli" are, so you can speak in the language of your ideal client and connect what you are offering to what they are currently experiencing (this is a BIG part of how to make sales in a way that feels totally easy and not sleazy!) Now, I'm gonna be honest with you: selling chocolate, not broccoli, is a total LEARNED SKILL. So listen up, then get practicing! "The chocolate of this training was that my community was saying, 'I keep getting on sales calls with people who can't afford to work with me' or 'they're haggling down my price,' or 'they are saying I'm too expensive.' So I listened to that, and I built a training on that very chocolate-y topic. I lead with the chocolate by naming that training what I did—How to Stop Attracting People Who Can't Afford to Work with You—and at the very beginning of the training, I gave a few examples of what that might actually look like. I also shared a personal story of when I was attracting people who couldn't afford to work with me. And THEN after I had used the chocolate to capture the attention of my audience, I came in and supported with the broccoli." -Carly Jo Bell, WholeCo Media Selling Chocolate, S2 E4Links Join Marketing, Magnified: https://www.wholecomedia.com/marketing-magnified Get all the resources mentioned in Selling Chocolate at: https://www.sellingchocolatepod.com Apply to work with me in EXPAND: https://www.EXPANDaccelerator.com Join the WholeCo Media Facebook Group for Big-hearted Entrepreneurs: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wholeco

Like everyone says: it's easier (& cheaper) to keep a client than to have to go find and get a new one. But that doesn't mean you should keep people around long after they no longer need you; it simply means that if you want to create sustainable revenue and income, you need to know how to strategically leverage your Offers and create a pathway for your current clients to move through, rather than creating one-then-done type of Offers. For example: when I look at my biggest month in business so far (an $80,000 month), $45,000 of that came from retaining clients rather than getting new clients. And I did this by creating a Sustainable Offer Suite that meets my Ideal Customer exactly where they're at in each appropriate phase of their Transformational Journey, and then moving them through those Offers to support them in getting the full transformation they desire. In Selling Chocolate Season 2, Episode 5, I'm expanding on how to design YOUR Sustainable Offer Suite, so you can actually be equipped to create those "big" 5- and 6-figure months for yourself. Tune in to hear me touch on: Practical examples of what a Sustainable Offer Suite can actually look like for service providers AND coaches Why you're gonna want to create a Sustainable Offer Suite in your business How to create your Sustainable Offer Suite Plus a conversation on "upselling," because so many big-hearted entrepreneurs have lots of feels about this sales strategy ;) "The last thing that you want to feel like as a sleazy salesperson who is always selling your audience on something so that you can make more money. But if that's you, then let's really think about your ideal customer for a moment. What is it that they truly want? And what do they need to get what they want?....Upselling, or intentionally designing a Sustainable Offer Suite that you can move people through, is only sleazy if you're selling them something they don't need." -Carly Jo Bell, WholeCo Media Selling Chocolate, S2 E5Links Join Marketing, Magnified: https://www.wholecomedia.com/marketing-magnified Get all the resources mentioned in Selling Chocolate at: https://www.sellingchocolatepod.com Apply to work with me in EXPAND: https://www.EXPANDaccelerator.com Join the WholeCo Media Facebook Group for Big-hearted Entrepreneurs: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wholeco