The Game Changer

In the process of building a business, every business owner has defining moments where you are forced to stop, step back, and ask yourself a hard but important question: “Am I doing the right thing here building a business?” In the past few months, that's the place where I have been. There were big things that happened that caused me to reevaluate everything. There were also small inklings, nudges, and signs from God that led me to today, the last episode of The Game Changer podcast. My husband, Travis, always said that when you make a job transition, there are always push factors and pull factors. It's in these two ways that I'll be talking you through this decision. I'm here to provide that reasoning in a way that is hopefully helpful to you as you navigate how to make these decisions. Shop the going out of business sale https://katiewussow.com/goodbye

So many of us have ideas that we're sitting on. Our self-generated creative work, the things that we do for ourselves are often what is most important and meaningful. But it is also the work that can be the most easily pushed aside. We struggle to make tangible progress and our ideas never come to fruition.Today's episode is all about how to produce your own self-generated creative work. Joining us is Jessica Abel, a former indie cartoonist-turned-entrepreneur. She coaches other mid-career creatives who want to build more autonomous lives and teaches them how to run sustainable businesses without burning themselves out. Jessica specializes in helping creative people get focused and organized so that they can produce the work they care so much about. Tune in to hear about:>> How to practically decide what projects are the most important to pursue>> Breaking down your huge projects into manageable action steps>> What to do when you find yourself in the dark forest – aka the “messy middle” part of any project  JESSICA'S Creative Compass Challenge: https://jessicaabel.com/compassJESSICA'S WEBSITE: https://jessicaabel.com/JESSICA'S INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/autonomouscreative/JESSICA'S FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/jccabel JESSICA'S TWITTER: https://twitter.com/jccabel KATIE'S INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/katiewussow/KATIE'S WEBSITE: https://katiewussow.com/GET THE FREE 90-DAY PLAN TEMPLATE: https://katiewussow.com/plan

In 2020, 12-year veteran wedding photographer, Sarah Bradshaw was coming off of her best year ever in business. But then the pandemic hit as well as other unexpected things – Sarah had to move to be closer to her family which meant changes in her business.Today's episode was initially going to be about how to move your business into a new city. But Sarah took it a step further to talk to us today about how to shift your business model. A business model is your plan for making a profit, which customers you're going to serve, at what price point, and will it be enough for you to sustain a living? Sarah's going to be teaching us about:>> Difference between an aspirational middle market client and a true luxury market>> How she made the decision to scale her business up and up-level her client base instead of scaling the business down to match the Greenville market.>> Identifying marketing strategies that leverage your strengths and get you in front of the right people.SARAH'S WEBSITE: www.sarahbradshaw.comSARAH'S INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/sarahbradshawphotoSARAH'S FACEBOOK PAGE: https://facebook.com/sarahbradshawphotographyKATIE'S INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/katiewussow/KATIE'S WEBSITE: https://katiewussow.com/GET THE FREE 90-DAY PLAN TEMPLATE: https://katiewussow.com/plan

This episode is all about how to craft a welcome sequence to help you turn your email list from strangers into fans. This is something that you should put into place if you already have a lead magnet and you are already emailing your list consistently. In this episode, I'm breaking down:>> What you're risking if you don't have a welcome sequence>> 8 things you can talk about in your welcome sequence>> A simple framework for creating your first welcome sequence from scratchKATIE'S INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/katiewussow/KATIE'S WEBSITE: https://katiewussow.comGET THE FREE 90-DAY PLAN TEMPLATE: https://katiewussow.com/plan

Email marketing shouldn't be transactional. It's not about getting clicks, open rates, or even getting sales. Email is about building connections so it needs to be personal and consistently add value for your readers.In part 1 of my interview with Bobby Klinck, we talked about how to do email marketing differently from other entrepreneurs. In today's part 2, we'll be getting into actually writing the emails that build a connection with your audience. You'll learn:>> Addictive story-based email structure – how you can write emails with personal stories that still have a point>> What kinds of stories we should be telling >> Practical ways that you can collect your stories – big and small – so that you never run out of things to write about.LinksBobby's Book: Email Marketing That Doesn't SuckBobby's Email Marketing Resource HubBobby's Free Stuff: BadA$$ Online Marketing UniversityKATIE'S INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/katiewussow/KATIE'S WEBSITE: https://katiewussow.com/GET THE FREE 90-DAY PLAN TEMPLATE: https://katiewussow.com/plan

How do you write emails that people actually want to read? If we're trying to use email to build relationships and connections, people are going to need to at least have some interest in reading our stuff.To help us with this, I'm joined today by one of my business mentors, Bobby Klinck. Bobby is a lawyer turned business coach who helps entrepreneurs build profitable knowledge businesses. Bobby and I love to talk so we had to split this into two episodes. In part 1, he talks about:>> How email fits into your marketing plan and helps you turn strangers into raving fans>> Why it's important to write emails like a friend, not like a brand>> The four parts of a story-based email structure that can help you write truly addictive emailsLinksBobby's Book: Email Marketing That Doesn't SuckBobby's Email Marketing Resource HubBobby's Free Stuff: BadA$$ Online Marketing UniversityKATIE'S INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/katiewussow/KATIE'S WEBSITE: https://katiewussow.com/GET THE FREE 90-DAY PLAN TEMPLATE: https://katiewussow.com/plan

When we think about email, we tend to think about just the regular newsletter. Don't get me wrong, those emails are important but there are so many other ways you can use email to strengthen your relationship with your subscribers.  Today we're talking about five ways that you can use email marketing in your service business. We are talking about:>> A concept called permission marketing and how it applies to email>> Why you don't need to worry about unsubscribes>> 5 kinds of email sequences you need in your business besides the standard newsletterKATIE'S INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/katiewussow/KATIE'S WEBSITE: https://katiewussow.com/GET THE FREE 90-DAY PLAN TEMPLATE: https://katiewussow.com/plan

You've probably heard people talk before about the importance of having a clear niche, or you've thought about niche-ing down yourself. So how exactly can you be sure it's the right move for you?Tune into today's episode where we'll talk about what it really means to niche down and how to know when you should. Having a clear niche lets you powerfully attract the right kinds of clients to your business so it's important to know:>> Five signs that you're ready to define your niche>> Common misconceptions about what it really means to niche down>> How to make sure that your chosen niche will help you build a profitable businessKATIE'S INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/katiewussow/KATIE'S WEBSITE: https://katiewussow.com/GET THE FREE 90-DAY PLAN TEMPLATE: https://katiewussow.com/plan

You may not know this, but your business has one job, and one job only – generate an income for you as the owner. Erica Goode, a former corporate accountant turned fractional CFO, joins us in today's episode to help us answer the question of how your business can start doing its one job. Besides being passionate about the topic of helping entrepreneurs pay themselves what they deserve to earn from their business, she's breaking down for us:>> How you can know how much you can afford to pay yourself (and how to overcome the fear of picking the wrong number)>> The mechanics of paying yourself depending on what kind of business entity you have>> How you can get started with paying yourself even when you aren't making what you want to make yetSign Up for Erica's Money Stuff Newsletter: https://www.ericagoode.com/ Erica's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erica.goode.cpaKatie's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katiewussow/Katie's Website: https://katiewussow.com/GET THE FREE 90-DAY PLAN TEMPLATE: https://katiewussow.com/planBook: No B.S. Small Business Book by Casey GrahamArticle: More Than Half of Entrepreneurs Forego Salaries When They Launch Their Companies Episode 104, Five Reasons Why You're Spending Too Much Money on Your BusinessEpisode 105, How to Plan for Smart Business Investments in 2022 (and Avoid Buyer's Remorse)Episode 114, How to Achieve Financial Sustainability in Your Business with Dondrea Owens

You've probably seen countless examples of creatives like you quitting their jobs and making real money from their creative talent. You know that building a business is possible, but why does it seem like it's working for everyone besides you?Building a long-term sustainable business will require you to continue to operate in your role as a creative but also step into a new role as a business owner. Listen in today as I talk about how you can build confidence as a business owner so that you can build a truly sustainable business. I'll be exploring:>> How our internal beliefs can keep us stuck and unable to learn new skills>> Where real business success is actually built (hint – not the exciting, external stuff but the boring internal stuff)>> How clarifying your owner's intent can help you stop caring about what other people are doing and focus on your own businessFREE TRAINING: How to Build a Sustainable Business Doing What You Lovehttps://katiewussow.com/webinar KATIE'S INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/katiewussow/KATIE'S WEBSITE: https://katiewussow.com/GET THE FREE 90-DAY PLAN TEMPLATE: https://katiewussow.com/planNo B.S. Small Business Book by Casey Graham

Too often we just look at our business as a snapshot in time – we don't look at the big picture. We don't appreciate the trajectory. We don't document our actual progress. One tool that will keep you encouraged and motivated and see your progress – tracking your KPIs (key performance indicators).Listen in on today's episode as I talk about measuring your KPIs. Let me help you measure the things that actually matter in your business as well as teach you:>> What KPIs are and how they are different than goals>> Things you can measure besides sales, likes, and follows>> How to choose the right metrics for your unique businessLinksKATIE'S INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/katiewussow/KATIE'S WEBSITE: https://katiewussow.com/GET THE FREE 90-DAY PLAN TEMPLATE: https://katiewussow.com/plan

I'm talking to Courtney Fanning on today's episode about what makes website copy effective, and how you can get good results from your copy even if you are DIYing it. Listen to know:>> What do you need to be clear on before you write a single word of your website.>> The minimum viable product version of the MVP – the core pages that you need to finally publish your website.>> Practical ways you can understand the voice of your ideal customer>> Four kinds of buyers that might be landing on your website, what each of them really needs to see before they hire you.Take the quiz to find out what kind of buyer you are: https://www.bigpicturebranding.com/quizCOURTNEY'S INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/bigpicturebrandingCOURTNEY'S PINTEREST: https://www.pinterest.com/BigPictureBranding/KATIE'S INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/katiewussow/KATIE'S WEBSITE: https://katiewussow.com/GET THE FREE 90-DAY PLAN TEMPLATE: https://katiewussow.com/plan

Improving the quality and quantity of our sleep might be the most effective productivity strategy that no one is talking about.A lot of entrepreneurs and creatives feel like they struggle with motivation, focus, energy, and discipline.  If that's true of you,  you might not need a productivity hack, fancy planner, or more caffeine.You may need to improve your sleep.Tanessa Shears joins me for this episode to talk about sleep and the impact that it has on our daily performance and productivity. We talk about why sleep matters so much and realistic strategies to start getting more of it. TANESSA'S WEBSITE: https://www.tanessashears.com/TANESSA'S INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/tanessashears12 WAYS TO BIOHACK YOUR ENERGY: https://www.tanessashears.com/energyBECOMING LIMITLESS PODCAST: https://www.tanessashears.com/podcastKATIE'S INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/katiewussow/KATIE'S WEBSITE: https://katiewussow.com/GET THE FREE 90-DAY PLAN TEMPLATE: https://katiewussow.com/plan

Video content is one of the most powerful ways to really connect with people online and introduce them not just to your brand, but to you. To help us with this, I'm joined on this episode by Lashonda Brown. Lashonda makes an income from YouTube and also consistently creates short-form videos on Instagram (including REELS). Lashonda spent 10 years as a commercial film producer but has since transitioned to being a full-time YouTuber and educator for entrepreneurs. This conversation will get you to think differently about video and make you feel like even being a YouTuber is attainable.LASHONDA'S YOUTUBE: www.lashondabrown.com/lashondambrownLASHONDA'S INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/lashondambrownLASHONDA'S WEBSITE: www.lashondabrown.comKATIE'S INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/katiewussow/KATIE'S WEBSITE: https://katiewussow.com/GET THE FREE 90-DAY PLAN TEMPLATE: https://katiewussow.com/plan

First of all, I want to let you know, if you don't already – you WILL have people that don't pay. That WILL happen to you. Big or small. Consumer or business. Services or products. Every business owner deals with non-payment. It's important to have a game plan for handling it in a way that is professional and fair but also compassionate and human.This week's episode has the goal of providing an approach that will help you be firm, but still flexible when dealing with clients who don't pay. You'll be learning how to create clarity and avoid drawn-out and ambiguous client situations as well as knowing a couple of pitfalls to avoid this situation.BOBBY KLINCK Legal Templates (affiliate link)KATIE'S INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/katiewussow/KATIE'S WEBSITE: https://katiewussow.com/GET THE FREE 90-DAY PLAN TEMPLATE: https://katiewussow.com/plan

Most creative entrepreneurs that I work with accomplish more in a day than most people could ever dream of. But they still don't feel like they're doing enough. The reason? Wildly unrealistic expectations for themselves and what can get done in a day's work.Today I'm joined by my friend and former client, Cristina Slabic. Cristina is a productivity coach and is certified in Michael Hyatt's Full Focus system of productivity. The idea of the full focus system of productivity is really to help us to focus. Not try to do everything, but do the most important things. Cristina is going to help us with practical strategies and tools to stay on track and make consistent progress on our most important goals.CRISTINA'S WEBSITE: http://cristinaslabic.comCRISTINA'S INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/cristinaslabicCRISTINA'S FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/cristina.slabicBEGIN TODAY ON PURPOSE FACEBOOK PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/begintodayonpurposeKATIE'S INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/katiewussow/KATIE'S WEBSITE: https://katiewussow.com/GET THE FREE 90-DAY PLAN TEMPLATE: https://katiewussow.com/plan

Technology has made owning a business easier and cheaper than it has EVER been. And on top of that, it's always getting better and better.With so many tools, and so many different ways to use them, sometimes it's really challenging to know what's going to be right for you.Over the past six weeks, I've made some big changes in the technology that I'm using to run my business. On this episode, pulling back the curtain on my own business and sharing what I'm using and how I'm using it.KATIE'S INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/katiewussow/KATIE'S WEBSITE: https://katiewussow.com/GET THE FREE 90-DAY PLAN TEMPLATE: https://katiewussow.com/planPLATFORMS MENTIONED * Denotes affiliate linkUpcoach (Coaching)ThriveCart (Checkout & Course Hosting)Dubsado (CRM)* Get 20% off your first year with my affiliate link.Creator Studio (Social Media Scheduling)Wave Apps (Bookkeeping)Calendly (Scheduler)Canva Pro (Graphic Design)ConvertKit (Email Marketing)Buzzsprout (Podcast Hosting)   Zoom (Video Conferencing)ShowIt (Website)Zapier (Automation)Evernote (Notetaking)Nozbe (Task Manager)*

Instead of making a real financial plan for your business, with real numbers, a lot of creative entrepreneurs prefer a more passive approach. Unfortunately, "trying your hardest and seeing what happens" isn't the best approach to managing your finances. Dondrea Owens of The Creatives CFO, a CPA and the CFO for women entrepreneurs, joins us today to help us create a real financial plan for our businesses so that we can achieve true financial sustainability. Listen to know:>> Why it's important to focus on profitability from the very beginning of your business.>> The three different budgets you should have for your business so that you can adapt to changing circumstances.>> How to break down financial goals into actionable strategies and tactics.DONDREA'S WEBSITE:  https://www.thecreativescfo.com/DONDREA'S INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/thecreativescfo/ DONDREA'S FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/thecreativescfo FREE BOOKKEEPING CHECKLIST: https://www.thecreativescfo.com/bookkeeping-checklistKATIE'S INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/katiewussow/KATIE'S WEBSITE: https://katiewussow.com/GET THE FREE 90-DAY PLAN TEMPLATE: https://katiewussow.com/planFREE BUSINESS CHECKING ACCOUNTS:Bluevine, https://www.bluevine.com/Novo, https://www.banknovo.comFREE BOOKKEEPING SOFTWARE: Wave Apps, https://www.waveapps.comAPPLY FOR AN EIN ONLINE: https://www.irs.gov

We spend a lot of time learning the hard skills of entrepreneurship. And that makes sense, right? We need to learn the strategies, tactics, and technical skills to build a business doing what we love.But even though most of our energy goes to the hard skills, the soft skills of entrepreneurship are just as important. Successful pitches, networking connections, and sales conversations often come down to what we say and how we say it.Tune in to this episode to hear about the four magical phrases that will help you to come across as confident and clear when you're proactively marketing your business.KATIE'S INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/katiewussow/KATIE'S WEBSITE: https://katiewussow.com/GET THE FREE 90-DAY PLAN TEMPLATE: https://katiewussow.com/plan

Sales calls aren't about showing your client how great you are. It's about showing interest, learning about their needs, goals, and challenges. Sales calls convey in a really simple way: “I get you, I get your problems, and I can help.”It's important to ask the right kinds of questions that can help you understand your client. For today's episode, we are talking about the specific questions you need to be asking on your sales calls. Learn about the five types of questions to construct a sales call script, words to take out of your prospective client's mouth and put directly into the proposal, and the questions that you need to ask to stop getting ghosted.KATIE'S INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/katiewussow/KATIE'S WEBSITE: https://katiewussow.com/GET THE FREE 90-DAY PLAN TEMPLATE: https://katiewussow.com/plan

Building a business isn't just about what you're doing, it's about how you are showing up. I know most creative entrepreneurs are looking for ways to be more organized, focused, and in control of their businesses in 2022. For some, that means working on new habits.Starting new habits is easy, but often we make the mistake of sprinting hard out of the gate in January only to crash and burn by the end of Q1. In this episode, I'm talking about six ways that you can make your habits really stick. Tune in to hear about how choosing to cultivate new habits in the right season, building new habits onto old ones, and simple strategies to make new habits easier.KATIE'S INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/katiewussow/KATIE'S WEBSITE: https://katiewussow.com/GET THE FREE 90-DAY PLAN TEMPLATE: https://katiewussow.com/planBOOK: The Power of Habit, DuhiggBOOK: Atomic Habits, James ClearBOOK: Effortless, Greg McKeown

It's hard enough to find the time to get basic things done in business. When it comes to our biggest dreams and ideas? Sometimes we are so overwhelmed that we don't know where to start.My former client and career coach Jenn Smith is joining me on this episode to talk about how she took one of her biggest game-changing ideas and made it a reality. She launched her very first group program in 2021. Tune in to hear how she:>> Overcame analysis paralysis and started taking meaningful action>> Designed a very robust but SIMPLE group program with only three elements>> How she learned to more actively promote her business without losing authenticity>> How launching her first group offer led her to create a second oneJENN'S WEBSITE: https://flourish.careers/JENN'S INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/flourish.careers/KATIE'S INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/katiewussow/KATIE'S WEBSITE: https://katiewussow.com/GET THE FREE 90-DAY PLAN TEMPLATE: https://katiewussow.com/plan

Being the most talented person in your field doesn't guarantee the best client experience. If you are difficult to work with, don't meet your deadlines, have a bad attitude, are disorganized, or don't communicate well, clients aren't going to have a good experience with your business. Your client experience matters just as much, if not more than the product you are producing.This week, I'm joined by Maggie Patterson, founder of two successful service-based businesses. She is the editorial director at Scoop Studios, a content marketing agency for tech companies. She also is the founder of Small Business Boss where she acts as a consultant for other service-based business owners.Maggie knows firsthand the impact of having a truly excellent experience around your expertise. So she'll be sharing her wisdom from being in client services from her 20-year career, with 15 years of being a successful entrepreneur. She'll also be telling us:How to balance marketing and growth with serving the clients you already have.Simple, everyday interactions that can create a wow-worthy client experience.Three ways that the client experience supports your marketing: retention, repeat customers, and referrals.How to build a “surprise and delight” margin into your pricing so that you have the bandwidth to go above and beyond.LinksFollow Maggie Patterson on Instagram.Check out Small Business Boss.BS Free Service Business PodcastFollow Katie on Instagram or visit the website to learn more about her work.

For the last few months, my personal motivation in business has been a bit lacking. I started asking myself the question I've asked myself 1000 times over the last 5 years – “is this what I really am supposed to be doing?” After attending a virtual conference, it hit me like a ton of bricks. There is nothing more motivating than clarity. Knowing exactly what you need to be doing, why it matters, and what milestones you need to hit.As a follow-up to last week's episode all about my year in review, today will be a deep dive into my priorities and some of my goals for the coming year. I'll be reintroducing the goal-setting framework that I use for my Thrive Business Bootcamp coaching program to set up my top 3 priorities for 2022, which help define my goals and outcomes.Priority 1: Put more money in my own pocket from my businessPriority 2: Build programs with a high level of accountability and supportPriority 3: Create a more robust content strategyLinksFollow Katie on Instagram Visit Katie's website Download the Year-End Review & Reflection Guide

In this week's episode, I'll be sharing my wins, challenges, surprises, and lessons learned from 2021. These are things that came directly out of my Thrive in Five goal-setting process. You'll hear about:How to grow your business without getting new customersHow finances were my biggest win as well as my biggest challengeThe most valuable thing I bring to my clients (hint: it's not information)LinksFollow Katie on Instagram Visit Katie's website Download the Year-End Review & Reflection Guide

Last week's episode was all about misunderstandings about money and finances that lead us to over-invest in our businesses. Continuing the conversation today, we'll be diving into what we need in order to make good decisions about the money. I'll be sharing a reliable and repeatable process to help you make solid decisions about investing.First, we'll talk about how to come up with an investment budget for the year. Then I'll share a five step process to evaluate whether a particular investment is right for you.LinksFollow Katie on Instagram Visit Katie's website Download the Year-End Review & Reflection Guide

Have you ever felt like you're spending SO much money "investing" in your business, but you don't have much to show for it? As we continue our goal-setting series, we are talking about the topic of investing in growth. Specifically, why are so many creative entrepreneurs over-investing in our businesses and not seeing any return?On this episode we are diving into 5 misunderstandings that are leading you (and me) to spend too much money on our businesses:Misunderstanding 1: We don't know the difference between an investment and an expense.Misunderstanding 2: We spend money like a startup when really we are building a lifestyle business.Misunderstanding 3: We don't know where we are in the process of building a business.Misunderstanding 4: We don't realize the role that our businesses are meant to play in our overall financial plan for our lives.Misunderstanding 5: We overestimate the impact that a single investment can have on our growth.LinksLearn more about the goal-setting workshop Follow Katie on Instagram Visit Katie's website Download the Year-End Review & Reflection Guide

If you are a creative entrepreneur running a business with a full life outside of work, goal-setting can't just be a tactic you use to help you get more done. Goal setting should be a filter to help you get better results without adding more to your plate.In today's episode, Fanette Rickert, food photographer and business educator, returns to talk about how the challenges she experienced this year. The hard times she experienced revealed that she didn't set goals the right way the first time around. Fanette hit the reset button with only 4 months left in the year, adjusted her priorities and goals, and now is more clear than ever on where she needs to be focusing in order to earn more and work less.Through understanding the basic goal-setting framework that we use in the program Thrive in Five, you'll be able to get clear and focus on the right goals to get what you really want out of your life and business:Priorities -- themes, what is most important right now.Goals - specific metrics that will measure success for your priorityTasks and Projects - the things you do to achieve your goalsLinksSign up for the Thrive in Five Goal Setting WorkshopFollow Fanette on InstagramCheck out Fanette's blogDownload the Year-End Review & Reflection GuideFollow Katie on InstagramVisit Katie's website 

This is the second in a four-part series about goal-setting to get you ready to set strategic goals for 2022. Today, I'm going to share what your priorities should be in different phases of business and talk about how things might shift for you as you grow and evolve. I'm going to provide a lot of suggestions for what kinds of priorities are common and useful to pursue in these phases:StartStreamlineGrowExpandLinksLearn more about the goal-setting workshop Follow Katie on Instagram Visit Katie's website Download the Year-End Review & Reflection GuideHarvard Business Review Article Three Popular Goal-Setting Techniques Managers Should Avoid

Back in late 2020, I did a five-part series on goal-setting, with the very first episode in that series talking about mindset shifts you need to make when you're setting goals for next year. Because it's almost the end of the year. This means it's time to start thinking about what your business is going to look like next year. In this week's throwback episode, we're going to challenge the flawed approaches you have with goal-setting and come at it with a new approach, which is strategic goal-setting. This comprises outcomes and the related action steps you're going to take in order to achieve them.The mindset shifts that you need to take note of before setting your 2022 goals are:Shift 1: I don't know what's realistic.Shift 2: I don't want to fail.Shift 3: I don't have time.Shift 4: I know my plans will change.Shift 5: I don't have any control over the outcomes.LinksFollow Katie on Instagram Visit Katie's website Download the Year-End Review & Reflection Guide

Every business starts as an idea. It's a little thought that you can't shake. You think about it when you're in the car, walking to pick up your kids from school, or laying down to sleep at night.A lot of people think about starting businesses. Some of them even start taking baby steps in that direction. But it's a minority of people that actually start the businesses they dream about. But then what's the difference between the person that just dreams of starting a business and the person who actually starts one?That difference is action. In order to start the business of your dreams, you have to turn that dream into action steps. And in this week's episode, Nikita Montgomery is joining me for today's conversation about how to translate your big vision into something smaller and more tangible that you can start now.Niki has started several businesses here in the DC area, but her latest venture is that she is the co-founder of Hazel O Salon, a luxury hair salon in Old Town Alexandria. In today's show, she's going into how to start a business small but set yourself up for growth. Specifically, talking about:How to overcome the fear of embarrassment when you're just getting started.What to focus on when you're starting from scratch.Simple and free strategies to research your competitors and ideal client.How to translate your big vision into a Minimum Viable Product.LinksDownload the Service Business Startup ChecklistDownload the Year-End Review & Reflection GuideFollow Katie on Instagram Visit Katie's website The Lean Startup by Eric Ries

What would you do if you weren't afraid? For me, the answer to that question was to start this podcast. I had been wanting to start a podcast for over a year, but I hadn't made any progress. If I'm being honest, what was really holding me back was fear. Fear of looking silly. Fear that no one would listen. Fear of not being able to figure it out and make it work.My guess is that you have something in your life and your business that you've always dreamed of doing but you're afraid that it won't work. Afraid of failing. Afraid of looking silly to people you respect.Overcoming fear is just one of the things we are talking about today on this podcast. To celebrate my 100th episode, my client and fellow podcast host Merritt Onsa is interviewing me today and asking all of your burning questions about life and business.We gathered a lot of these questions in advance from you guys on social media and via email, so much fun to be on the other side of the microphone for a change.How and why I started my businessThe scrappy and no-frills strategy I used to get my first clients in the doorHow I decided to focus on working with creativesAdvice I would give to my younger selfFrom the bottom of my heart, thanks for listening. Thanks for being here.LinksFollow Katie on Instagram Follow Merritt on InstagramCheck out Merritt's podcast, Devoted DreamersGet the 90-day planning templateEpisode 20 with Lauren RamirezEpisode 93 with Jena Viviano Dunay (Katie's favorite episode)

Most of us don't spend a lot of time thinking about what we're good at. If I asked you -- “what are you great at?” you might struggle to come up with an answer. Or if you could, you would probably rattle off a list of your weaknesses without batting an eye. The biggest asset that you can use to grow your business is probably something that's so easy, so effortless, and second nature for you that you aren't even aware that you're doing it. If we are blind to our strengths, we are blind to the most powerful tool that we have to grow our business.To help us understand our strengths and find an appreciation and gratitude for them is Anna Nelson. Anna is a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, particularly in the strength's finder assessment, which helps you understand your strengths and how to leverage them for your career. In this episode, she's going to break down for us: What is a strength? How is it different from a skill or our personality? How can we begin to recognize our natural strengths? What's the key paradigm shift we need to make to go from hiding our strengths and FULLY owning them? Links Learn more about Anna Nelson at her website and follow her on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram: @annaynelson Follow Katie on Instagram or visit the website to learn more about her work. 

I've heard it 1000 times, “My market is so saturated”. What that means, however, is that there are a lot of other people who do what you do. Think of it like a sponge: when it's full, it can't take on any more water. When a market is fully saturated, it means that all of the customers are being served. In order to get customers, you have to take them away from the competition or increase the demand for your product.  So why should your ideal client work with you instead of someone else? It's not just having better skills than the competition. You have to understand what the competitive landscape in your market looks like and figure out how you're going to stand out in the eyes of your ideal client. Standing out requires articulating your differentiators – the things that make you different from the competition. Defining what makes you different is one of the hardest things to figure out. To help you lean into it, I'll be sharing 10 ways you can stand out from the competition: Branding Customer service Experience/expertise Systems Aesthetic/Style Values Personality Approach Pricing Business model  Links  Follow Katie on Instagram or visit the website to learn more about her work. 

Sales don't have to make you uncomfortable. In fact, even if you are a total introvert, you can craft a sales process that feels authentic to you and plays to your strengths. But how can you sell your services in a way that feels comfortable and authentic to who you are instead of like you're imitating a sleazy, pushy salesperson? Leah Neaderthal is a sales coach for women and the founder of Smart Gets Paid, and the host of The Smart Gets Paid podcast. A three-time business owner who started her career in corporate marketing, Leah didn't learn to sell by being a commissioned salesperson. She taught herself everything she could about selling, overcame “selling shyness,” and created a sales approach that feels comfortable, builds strong client relationships, and gets results.   In this episode, Leah teaches us how to: How to educate your potential customers about the value you provide before they ever reach out to you.  Why introverts have an advantage in consultative selling (aka selling that involves talking on the phone with your customers before they buy).  Practical ways that you can make it easy for your clients to say yes.  How to minimize ghosting (and respond correctly when it happens). LinksConnect with Leah on LinkedIn or Facebook. To see more of her work, check out her website and podcast, The Smart Gets Paid. Follow Katie on Instagram or visit the website to learn more about her work. 

Are you busy updating your website for the nth time, taking up a lot of time creating a reel, or posting a testimonial on social media? Or are you spending your time reaching out to a prospect, or sending a DM to a new follower, or asking a former client to introduce you to new prospects? These might all seem like things that we do in our business that keep us busy, but do they help us make a sale? As business owners, we need to determine if what we're doing is just busy work or revenue-generating activities.Busy work is easy because it makes you feel like you're doing something without actually risking anything. There's no possibility of rejection. But if you continue to hide behind it, you will most likely continue to struggle to make the money you want to make.For this week's episode, I'm going to walk you through how to figure out what your revenue-generating activities are so you can learn where to focus your limited time and resources to give you the best bang for your buck. Because all businesses are unique, I will be providing broad principles to help you figure out what's going to work for you. Understand how marketing works The different phases of marketingThe marketing phase “asks”Ideas for revenue-generating activitiesLinksFollow Katie on Instagram or visit the website to learn more about her work.

Knoxy Knox has had an incredible 14-year career as a food and beverage as well as lifestyle photographer whose work is primarily featured in advertising. She's been in Super Bowl commercials, billboards, magazines, and worked with household names like Vital Farms, Chameleon Cold Brew, Whole Foods, Shake Shack, and Tito's Vodka. Knoxy has the type of business that so many of us creative entrepreneurs dream about.This week, Knoxy is coming on the show today to talk about how she creates boundaries with her clients. As her business and expertise as a photographer grow, setting and managing client expectations is even more important. We're discussing:How she went from Jane-of-all-trades to being an expert in her field.What you're giving up when you refuse to niche down.How to listen to your gut and walk away from clients that you know will be a nightmare.Practical ways to set boundaries and manage expectations with clients from the very beginning.LinksSee Knoxy Knox's work on Instagram and her website. Check out her course, Set for Success.Follow Katie on Instagram or visit the website to learn more about her work.

In the entrepreneurship space, we don't often talk about what we're struggling with. This results in everyone thinking that everyone else is crushing it. But every business owner experiences feeling frustrated and discouraged with their business. You might be thinking that you're not cut out for it. You could have jumped into your business early because you thought it was easy but you didn't have the necessary skills to build on it successfully.We need to take a step back from these thoughts and recognize that building a business is really, really hard, even when you're successful. Whenever we experience this frustration, we need to learn how not to internalize it and instead respond in a way that helps us emotionally and practically. Uplifting yourself when you're feeling discouraged is not as simple as reciting the right affirmations or changing your mindset. In today's episode, I'll be breaking down the ways on how to respond when you're discouraged, as well as share my own stories of discouragement because you're not alone. To deal with these feelings of discouragement, you should:Be honest about how you feelBe specific about what isn't going wellAcknowledge your progressFocus on peopleLinksFollow Katie on Instagram or visit the website to learn more about her work.

Do you know how you want your business to come to an end? If you've never thought about your exit strategy, then you need to listen in to this conversation with former career coach and entrepreneur Jena Viviano Dunay.Jena is an ex-Wall Streeter who built a successful career coaching business around her signature program and framework called Recruit the Employer. She had a growing audience, consistent revenue,  coaches working under her, and most importantly, she was getting consistent results for her clients. She had made it. But on this episode she's telling us why she decided to walk away from entrepreneurship and go back to traditional employment. Tune in to hear about.How her business was giving her financial success but not emotional peace or a healthy lifestyle.The physical and emotional signs of burnout, and how to respond when you are experiencing them.How to wait and trust instead of strive and strain when you're feeling stuck.The biggest thing she would have done differently from the very beginning if she knew her business would end this way.LinksFollow Katie on Instagram or visit the website to learn more about her work.

We are ending the Fall Focus with a very special guest, my husband Travis! Travis is a lawyer and policy professional in D.C. and he's joining us for this episode to talk about our experience adopting the weekly review as a family.We'll be giving you a behind-the-scenes look at how embracing this discipline has impacted us as a couple – our marriage, family life, and individual professional lives.Tune in to hear about:How the weekly review can help you stay organized and calm even when the crap hits the fan in your life.Three weekly journaling questions to focus on what's most important.How a weekly planning time gives you confidence to pursue big goalsWhat embracing the weekly review as a couple has made possible for our marriage, family, and professional lives.LinksTake the 90-day planning workshop! Day One, journaling appEvernote, note-taking appYNAB, budgeting appGetting Things Done by David AllenThe Importance of the Weekly Review by Michael HyattHow to Be More Consistent in Your Journaling by Michael HyattFollow Katie on Instagram or visit the website to learn more about her work.

Getting swept into the current of a busy Fall season is easy. So how can you go into the rest of the year and be intentional with what you're doing in your business? This week's episode is the second in a 3-part series called Fall Focus, and we'll be going into how you can stay on track with your plan, week to week. An important thing to remember is: planning isn't something you do once, it is an ongoing, dynamic process. Like how you care for the plants in your garden, the plans that you make for your business are the same – they both need tending to. Staying on track with our plans and goals requires structure, and this is where the practice of doing a weekly review comes in.A weekly review is a time you set aside so you can review what's on your plate and plan for the week ahead of you. Specifically, going through the 3-step workflow will help you stay organized and on track with everything that's going on in your life and business. Before anything else, you should be able to answer the question of when you're doing your weekly review. After you've sorted it out, it's time to:Get clear – process your incoming tasks and projectsGet current – review and update the tasks and projects that are on your plateGet focused – make your to-do list for the weekLinksGetting Things Done, David AllenDownload your free copy of the 90-day planning template here. Follow Katie on Instagram or visit the website to learn more about her work.

No matter what industry, family status, or even if your business does a lot of year-end stuff – everyone in the universe is busy during the Fall. Coming back from vacation during the summer, we immediately start to get busy in our lives and businesses. However, we're not necessarily getting busy with the right things, so we're left at the end of the year confused and exhausted.A lot of us operate from a list instead of a plan. This leads us to be overworked and discouraged. Having a plan helps us decide what will go on our list. It's hard to do, it takes practice, but you have to learn how to do it. Having a plan helps you focus on the main things, have tangible outcomes, and lets us recognize and celebrate our progress.Today's episode is the first in a three-part series called Fall Focus where I aim to help you go into the last part of 2021 with focus so you can get amazing business results without burning yourself out. We're starting by talking about what it looks like to have a plan instead of just a bunch of lists. Using my 90-day template as a guideline, I'm breaking down the specifics of creating a plan, which are:Setting the time frameFiguring out your top priorityFocusing on your goalHaving your sales goal align with your business and priority, andListing which projects and tasks to commit to in order to achieve your goalLinksEpisode 52 - Mindset Shifts You Need to Make Before You Can Set Goals for Your BusinessEpisode 69 - 3 Ways to Set a Sales Goal for Your BusinessThe One Thing, Gary KellerDownload your free copy of the 90-day planning template here. Follow Katie on Instagram or visit the website to learn more about her work.

A really big part of our businesses is talking to other people and articulating how you can help them. Talking to clients, taking sales calls, showing up on social media, developing content, attending a networking event, and meeting new people – improving our ability to speak has the potential to make a massive impact. And to help us entrepreneurs with the practical side of improving the skill of speaking is Heather Sager. Heather helps online entrepreneurs become the go-to authority in their industry by confidently nailing their message on live and virtual stages. In this week's episode, she's going to give us insight into how we can strategically leverage speaking opportunities to grow our businesses.In this interview, she is breaking down:Overcoming your fear of being visible as the face of your own business.A 5-minute daily habit that can help you intentionally practice and improve your speaking skills.A simple hack for practicing Instagram stories without anyone seeing them.How to get strategic about pitching signature talks and podcast interviews so that visibility leads to profitability.We are surrounded by stages in our businesses. Even if you don't think of yourself as a speaker, if you talk to other people about your business, it's important to lean into this conversation. LinksFind Heather Sager and her work online on her website, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Facebook Community.Follow Katie on Instagram or visit the website to learn more about her work.

This week's episode is the second in a 2-part series all about time blocking. Last week, I covered the basics of how to use time blocking as a creative entrepreneurs. Today we are going to touch on (and resolve) the obstacles that are preventing you from using time blocking. We are going to cover all of the "what ifs" that are holding you back from taking control of your time.  For instance, you might want to use time blocking, but...you don't have consistent childcare your schedule changes from week to week.your business is just a side-hustle.things are always coming up!In this episode, we de-bunk these common obstacles to time-blocking and break down practical solutions to address them.LinksMy scheduling tool, Calendly.Follow Katie on Instagram or visit the website to learn more about her work.

A lot of us get into entrepreneurship because we want freedom and flexibility. We want to live lives of balance, freedom, and flexibility.  When we're talking about work-life balance, we mistakenly believe that if things aren't going well, it's us at fault. But I will make the argument that the problem isn't our ability, but a structural problem. Most creative entrepreneurs are trying to juggle their work and personal lives without making any intentional choices about how their time is going to be spent. Solving this problem means having a structure for how you spend your time so that you can show up for all the different responsibilities you have in your life. For this week's episode, I'll be talking about a time-blocked schedule. Time blocking is a tool that helps you decide in advance how you are going to spend your time so that you can balance the different priorities you have in your life and business. We'll be going through the basics of time blocking, specifically, 4 things you need to have in place to have a basic time-blocked schedule, which are:Office hoursClient work vs. admin/internal work Meetings vs. No meetingsMonthly and quarterly planning days, content batchingLinksBetter Than Before, Gretchen RubinFollow Katie on Instagram or visit the website to learn more about her work.

Event planner and former TBB client Rebecca Waldrop joins us for this week's episode, ending The Power of a Plan series. This summer series features current and former clients who share their stories of developing a real plan for their businesses and how this has impacted their growth in both their businesses and also their lives.Becca is an event planner who started her business back in 2019. She had a lot of confidence in her skill set but she was struggling to put together a real plan for her business to be successful. After her time in Thrive Business Bootcamp, Becca was able to discover that she was missing two major components to help make her business thrive – a clearly defined ideal client and a signature service.Today, Becca breaks down how she made the transition from being an event planning generalist to being very specialized in her industry. She talks about:Choosing a niche Why having a signature service is more helpful for clientsHow to plan for maternity leave as a business owner How to streamline your offers LinksLearn more about Rebecca Waldrop on her website, or follow her on Instagram and LinkedIn.Follow Katie on Instagram or visit the website to learn more about her work.

Jessie Barnes has been involved in the body confidence movement and built her personal following online around body-positive content until she decided to turn it into a business in order to make more of an impact in the space. However, she was stuck – no website, no knowledge on how to run a business, no credentials.For the fourth episode in The Power of a Plan series, Jessie shares her journey in building her business. This summer series showcases my current and former clients and their experience operating from a real plan and how it has impacted their businesses and their lives. Jessie walks us through what she went through building her body image coaching business that she started in February 2020, just right before the pandemic. She talks about:How she overcame an “all or nothing” mentality and decided to finally start the business with the resources and time she already had;A simple framework that she uses to articulate the value of body image coaching;The pros and cons of starting your business with a preexisting audience; and,The key to staying on track and focused with limited time to dedicate to your business.LinksDiscover Jessie's body-positive content on Instagram or visit her (new) website to learn more about her work.Follow Katie on Instagram or visit the website to learn more about her work.

Wedding planner, stylist, and studio owner Elizabeth Carberry joins us this week for The Power of a Plan. This summer series showcases my current and former clients and their experience operating from a real plan and how it has impacted their businesses and their lives.Elizabeth is a very busy woman. She owns multiple businesses, takes care of two small kids, and is pregnant with a third. In this episode, we're diving into her story about learning to slow down and focus her energy as a business owner on the most important things. She talks about the value and benefit of slowing down and refocusing, and how this has helped her navigate her businesses and her family through the pandemic. She goes into:How to make time blocking work for you when your schedule looks different from week to weekThe benefit of slowing down and staying focused even when business is booming.Learning to deal with the fear of failure and give yourself grace in goal setting.The importance of consistency in building your business and not trying to tackle too much at onceLinksLearn more about Elizabeth Carberry and her work by visiting her website or following her on Instagram.Follow Katie on Instagram or visit the website to learn more about her work.

For the second episode in our summer series, The Power of a Plan, I'm interviewing Jordan Wilde, a current Thrive Business Bootcamp Client, who is a professional organizer. Her company, Wildely Organized, was started this year, in 2021, after just getting her first client on a whim.Today, Jordan shares her journey from deciding to take the leap into entrepreneurship while having little kids at home. While feeling confident in her skills as an organizer, Jordan needed some help on the business side which she has been able to accomplish this year. She gets into detail about this, as well as:Two things that helped her get consistent about social mediaOvercoming the fear of rejection in networkingLearning how to make time to work on your business even when you're busy with client work.The Power of a Plan series aims to share how creative entrepreneurs just like you are learning to operate from a plan in their business. I hope that this episode challenges you to think about how you can adopt some of the simple strategies and approaches in your business.LinksCheck out Wildely Organized on their website or follow their Instagram to learn more.Follow Katie on Instagram or visit the website to learn more about her work.

This is the first episode in a new series called Power of a Plan. I've invited my current and former clients to share their journey – from winging it in their business to operating from a real plan. We'll talk about simple concepts and strategies that they've embraced to transform their businesses and lives.My first guest in this series is Juli Smith, founder of The Garter Girl. She started her business in 2008, but fast forward to 2020 when Juli wasn't enjoying her business anymore. She felt like a ping pong ball every day – bouncing between work and personal tasks, barely spending any time doing what she loved. The way that she's been able to drastically change her daily experience in her business is by embracing two simple, but not easy, strategies: time blocking and having clear priorities and goals. By doing this, she was able to:Operate from real work hours for the first time in 13 years of businessDitch her workaholic tendencies and start committing to just 3 tasks on the to-do list every dayLearn to match the right projects to the right season of life so she can stop beating herself up for the things that aren't getting doneLinksCheck out The Garter Girl's website or follow their Instagram.Follow Katie on Instagram or visit the website to learn more about her work.

As a creative entrepreneur, you're full of ideas – new products, services, and offers that can help grow revenue, impact, and serve more people. A big proponent of building your business is having a signature service, but it's also a great idea to have complementary offers. However, we're faced with the difficulty of making these ideas happen because we can't find the time and we're not sure if anyone will be interested.There are two things that hold us back from actually working on our ideas and creating offers. One is that we tend to over-complicate it, and another is our mindset that the first time has to be perfect. So we end up never launching our new ideas. For this week's episode, I'll be walking you through the 4 steps of beta testing a new offer in your business. Whenever we create new things in business, we need to go through a beta testing process. This is where you create an offer to test on your clients, asking for their feedback and refining the offer so you can decide whether or not you'll be keeping it as part of your business. Doing this makes it easier for you to launch new things and empowers you so you can make more money and serve more people.Whether you're brand new in business, still figuring out what your signature offer should be, or have an established signature service and want to test new offers, these 4 steps will help you beta test new offers in your business:Market researchOutline the basics of the offeringMinimum viable marketing plan DebriefLinksGet 30% off your first 3 months of Bench Accounting.Follow Katie on Instagram or visit the website to learn more about her work.