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Ever felt like your life's chaos could be tamed with the right planner? Laurel Smith, the brainchild behind Laurel Denise planners, joins us to reveal how her personal challenges with ADD propelled her from jewelry-making to innovating planners that resonate with the creatively organized. Our conversation with Laurel takes us on a journey through the evolution of her products, built on the foundation of intimate customer relationships and genuine feedback. By emphasizing education on effective usage, her planners have become more than tools—they're lifelines for those navigating the hurdles of organization with busy minds. Navigating the entrepreneurial landscape is a rollercoaster of emotions, and Laurel shares the intimate details of this ride. From the joy of connecting with clients in meaningful life moments to the tough calls of restructuring a business, she candidly opens up about what it takes to pivot in this dynamic field. Embracing imperfection, she underscores the importance of listening to your gut and the invaluable lessons learned from each decision. Her insights into marketing in a digital world, where authenticity is king, are particularly enlightening for those looking to establish a loyal customer base in today's ever-changing online ecosystem. Step into the day-to-day life of a creative entrepreneur as Laurel divulges how she structures her days for maximum productivity—balancing collaboration, focused work, and personal time. She breaks down the creative process that fuels her content planning and product launches, and illustrates how a personalized system can help even the most scattered minds stay on track. For anyone looking to gain insight into the passionate persistence required to run a successful business amidst growth and change, this episode with Laurel is a must-listen. We're happy you're here! Like the pod? Visit our website! Check out our sponsor PitchDB! Start your trial on Simplified!
Time to get tactical, my friends. I love talking about energy and mindset and confidence and habits as much as the next person, but there are seasons for that and there are seasons to work and put your money where your mouth is. April is about taking action here at MKM. It's all about setting up the tools, systems, and workflows that will help you run your small business better, and today I'm starting with introducing you to my 10 Favorite Tech Tools that I rely on day-in and day-out in my business. Disclaimer: These aren't the fanciest, sexiest tools. They aren't going to automate your processes and take you from A→Z in 24 hours, but they are the tried and true tools I've integrated over the course of my seven years in business here at MKM. As I share my favorite tools of 2024, I also share tools that offer similar functions and features that may be better suited for those who are at an earlier stage of business or prefer a different user experience. Let's dive in with my 10 Favorite Tech Tools for small business owners. Slack What is it: Slack is a popular cloud-based collaboration tool designed to facilitate communication and teamwork within organizations. It offers a wide range of features, including real-time messaging, file sharing, project management, and integration with other productivity tools. Overall, Slack is widely used by teams and organizations of all sizes to improve communication, collaboration, and productivity in the workplace. How I use it: Communicating with MKM team members. We love the “Channels” feature that allows us categorize our conversations and file sharing by client. No more losing conversations in long email threads. Everything is easy to find and search and in one place. We operate on the free version of the platform, as it had all the capabilities and functions we needed as a super small team. Heads up: Set up rules, expectations, and boundaries to keep everything on-track and above-board. Link to Slack: https://slack.com/ ClickUp What is it: ClickUp is used by teams and organizations across various industries to increase efficiency, collaboration, and transparency in their work processes. ClickUp is a cloud-based productivity platform designed to help teams and individuals organize and manage their work. It offers a wide range of features and tools to streamline task management, project collaboration, goal tracking, and more. How I use it: Tracking projects, assigning certain team members to projects, assigning and monitoring due dates, time tracking, and project management. There is So. Much. More. you can do with Clickup, and I know I'm merely scratching the surface of its functionality. Heads up: Other apps like Asana and Trello are also helpful for project management. Link to ClickUp: https://clickup.com/ Dubsado What is it: Dubsado is designed to help small businesses and freelancers streamline their operations, improve client management, and enhance productivity. It provides a comprehensive set of tools to support various aspects of running a business, from client acquisition to project delivery and beyond. How I use it: I use Dubsado for preparing, sending and signing client contracts; sending and receiving client questionnaires; scheduling; automated emails; and I used to use it for invoicing and billing. Heads up: Other CRMs like Honeybook, Hubspot, Pipedrive, and Salesforce are also helpful for Customer Relationship Management. Link to Dubsado (and get 20% off your first month or your first year!): dubsado.com/?c=mkm20 Flodesk What is it: Flodesk is an email marketing platform designed to help businesses and creators create visually stunning email campaigns easily. It offers a range of features and templates to assist users in designing and sending emails that are visually appealing and engaging. Flodesk is known for its simplicity, ease of use, and visually appealing email designs, making it a popular choice for small businesses, bloggers, and creators looking to enhance their email marketing efforts. How I use it: I use Flodesk for everything: sending newsletters, sending client emails, creating landing pages, creating sales pages, checkouts for programs, segmenting my audience, and in general, keeping in touch with my clients somewhere off of social media. Heads up: Other email marketing platforms include Mailchimp, Constant Contact, ConvertKit, and ActiveCampaign Link to Flodesk (and save 50% on your first year!): https://flodesk.com/c/MOLLYKNUTHMEDIA MetaBusiness Suite What is it: MetaBusiness Suite is a suite of business tools offered by Meta Platforms, formerly known as Facebook. These tools are designed to help businesses manage their presence and advertising on Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and other platforms owned by Meta. How I use it: Measuring/monitoring my Facebook and Instagram insights and scheduling posts for myself and my clients. Heads up: Other social media schedulers include Hootsuite, Metricool, Buffer, Later, and Planoly Link to Meta Business Suite: https://www.facebook.com/business/tools/meta-business-suite?content_id=ioLzWr9kXf4GlaQ&ref=sem_smb&utm_term=meta%20business%20suite&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIrruu_seShQMVCktHAR1q-w6VEAAYASAAEgIEafD_BwE&gad_source=1 Quickbooks What is it: QuickBooks is accounting software developed and marketed by Intuit. It's designed primarily for small and medium-sized businesses to help them manage their finances more efficiently. QuickBooks offers a range of features to help users track income and expenses, manage invoices and payments, track sales and sales tax, generate financial reports, and more. How I use it: My favorite is for sending sales receipts and processing payments. I also use it for bookkeeping, running reports, and sending off-cycle invoices. Heads up: I've heard great things about Wave and FreshBooks too! Link to Quickbooks: https://quickbooks.intuit.com/ Google Drive What is it: Google Drive is a cloud storage and file-sharing service developed by Google. It allows users to store files, documents, photos, and other data in the cloud, making them accessible from any device with an internet connection. How I use it: I love to use it to create folders for each client and drop in relevant resources to share with them: spreadsheets, documents, videos, photos, etc. I also love Google Forms for creating shareable forms. Heads up: Dropbox is great too! Link to Google Drive: https://www.google.com/drive/ Libsyn What is it: Libsyn, short for Liberated Syndication, is a podcast hosting service and distribution platform. It provides podcasters with the tools and infrastructure needed to host, publish, distribute, and monetize their podcasts. How I use it: I host The Found Podcast on Libsyn. I upload the episode once, and Libysn takes care of distributing it to all the podcasting platforms. I also can access analytics for my show and monetize/add advertising if I wish, all through the Libsyn platform. Heads up: Podbean, Anchor, and Captivate are other podcast hosting platforms that offer a range of features and pricing. Link to Libsyn: https://libsyn.com/ ChatGPT What is it: ChatGPT is a conversational AI model developed by OpenAI. ChatGPT is designed to generate human-like responses to text prompts, allowing for natural and engaging conversations with users. ChatGPT can understand and generate text in multiple languages and can be fine-tuned for specific tasks or domains. It has a wide range of applications, including chatbots, virtual assistants, customer support, content generation, and more. How I use it: Writing these show notes - lol! Not kidding! Getting ideas started, writing captions and blogs, generating SEO-friendly titles, and more. Heads up: business owners of any size can incorporate AI models from customer service to marketing to project management and more. Many of the tools identified earlier in this document have AI-powered features that help you streamline and automate the digital aspects of your business. Link to ChatGPT: https://chat.openai.com/auth/login Canva What is it: Canva is a versatile and user-friendly tool that caters to a wide range of design needs, from personal projects to professional marketing materials. Create a wide range of visual content, including presentations, social media graphics, posters, flyers, infographics, and more. It offers a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface and a vast library of customizable templates, graphics, photos, and fonts. How I use it: Literally everything. Social media graphics, presentation slides, Christmas cards, business cards, flyers, brochures, postcards, videos, GIFs, QR codes, and more. Heads up: Adobe's suite of products, including Adobe Spark also offer a variety of design tool for small business owenrs Link to Canva: https://www.canva.com/ Honorable Mentions ManyChat Laurel Denise Planner (check out my episode with founder, Laurel Smith here!) My favorite pen My favorite legal pads Curiosity Tenacity Grit Determination Get in the MKM Book Club In April, MKM is hosting a free resource for entrepreneurs and small business owners who desire community and personal/professional development each month with our MKM Book Club. Our April selection, continuing this focus on systems and workflows, is Do Less by Kate Northrup. Do Less is a book for working women and mothers who are ready to release the culturally inherited belief that their worth is equal to their productivity, and instead create a personal and professional life that's based on presence, meaning, and joy. As opposed to focusing on "fitting it all in", time management, and leaning in, as so many books geared at ambitious women do, this book embraces the notion that through doing less women can have - and be - more. To join the MKM Book Club visit mkm.myflodesk.com/mkmaprilbookclub
Hey there, listener! I'm so giddy and literally fan-girling over this week's guest, Laurel Smith of Laurel Denise. Laurel started her creative business back in the “dinosaur days” before social media. Guys. She literally had to CODE A WEBSITE. (That stuff just boggles my brain!) Her business has had to make many pivots over the years, and she takes us through that journey in today's podcast. We had good intentions of talking marketing, but ended up having a great chat about self doubt, learning in real time, and embracing change. This one is going to need a part two! Key Takeaways Laurel started her business, Laurel Denise, in 2005. While unhappily working as an investment banking assistant, she had a dream of making jewelry. She became obsessed and worked to make her dream a reality. We chat about how 2005 was a different time: Blogging was new, social media wasn't a thing, and websites meant CODING! There weren't examples of creative business owners like we see today. Laurel worked nights and weekends on her jewelry business and used her vacation days for trade shows. She quit her day job in 2008 to pursue jewelry making full time. It took Laurel having a team of eight people to accept that she was a “real” business owner. “There are these mental blocks that we have, these mindset shifts that we have to make in order to get to what our next level is” Laurel enjoyed making planners but felt like she had to choose, and she chose jewelry. Her business took off “in Covid times” when people were looking for encouraging, inspirational gifts. The busyness of her business made Laurel crave her planner, and she started printing them again. I (Molly) love her planners. She says she makes it for her and how her brain works, but plenty of people must agree! Her planner really took off in 2020: “If we sold out of this when no one had plans… What?!” Switching from jewelry to planners was “a torturous decision” but led to new opportunities… and challenges. Laurel shares how shortages and supply chain issues devastated her and how she showed up authentically for her customers. It was a great learning experience for her. “I'm not playing around with this planner thing anymore and if I'm going to be a planner and a paper goods business, how does that business run? What production schedule are they on? So that this literally never happens again.” She's already designing 2024 covers! Connect with Laurel Laurel's Instagram is such a delight, I love “Pattie the Planner Girl!” She has a website and private Facebook group as well. Follow for More Follow me, Molly Knuth on Instagram and Facebook. Or follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.
127. tammie talks to laurel smith, owner and creative director of laurel denise. laurel creates jewelry and planners among other things. tammie was drawn to laurel denise planners because they were unlike any other planner she had ever seen (and she has seen a lot of planners). tammie and laurel talk about:how laurel got her start in the planner businesswhy her planner is so different from others in the industryhow planning is so important and helpful for getting things donedealing with setbacks and disappointed customershow values play a part in business decision-makinglaurel's big goal for her planner businessthis is a great episode, especially if you are a creative entrepreneur, love planners, or love hearing about how businesses are built. find laurel here :https://laureldenise.comhttps://instagram.com/laureldenise/want to work with tammie 1:1 to learn how to show up for you?https://showupsociety.com/coaching
How to get the tools to empower new parents to support their babies and toddlers in a parent education, parent coaching, and parent support program. The post How to Impact Your Community With Parent Education and Parent Coaching Skills, with Laurel Smith appeared first on Learn With Less.
Check out the video HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUSD-GoYYqUAnd follow Laurel on instagram: @laurelsm1th*We’ve also taken the plunge into Patreon! Head to https://www.patreon.com/user?u=32310962&fan_landing=true to sign up!"RecommendationsLaurel Smith - CandyMoonchild100 Cegs - xXXi_wud_nvrstøp_ÜXXxMiniature Cuisna@BeamMeUpSoftBoiI.M the artist - Bleeding BlueJames Blake - Are You Even Real? & You’re Too PreciousBillie Eillish - my futureFollow us on www.instagram.com/deliah.io, www.facebook.com/deliah.io or just leave us a friendly review and rating on iTunes.
Join me and special guest Laurel Smith as we drive to Disney World, Florida. Play an intense game of would you rather!
Army Officer to Interior Designer. Sounds like the plot of a Hallmark movie, doesn’t it? My client, Laurel Smith, joins me to share her career journey and how she’s positioning interior design as a wellness solution for women who are juggling a work life, a home life, and a love life. On this episode, Laurel and I discuss: Transitioning out of active duty and following her creative curiosities, How mom guilt has influenced her career decisions, Where she was getting stuck explaining her brand story and point of view on her own, What surprised her about working with me, and Choosing to slow business growth in favor of building a solid foundation. Visit Pattern of Purpose for show notes and links to resources mentioned on this episode.
Nineteen-year-old Anna Sackett recently left the comforts of home to study midwifery as a missionary in the Philippines. This conversation, just a few weeks prior to her departure, offers us a gentle reminder that our hope and joy is not in having discovered our dream or even what's next on our journey, but it is solely and totally in Jesus. The alternative is true as well: if you haven't figured out your dream, you need only to look to Him for all you need. You'll hear from Anna why we can rejoice in our longing for something more in this life, the importance of steadfastness (what that is and why it matters) as well as the reminder that God makes us steadfast as we look to Him. Anna is a recent homeschool graduate and the middle sibling to four protective and crazy-fun brothers. She secretly loves to have kitchen dance parties with her family, and to be creative with watercolor painting. She loves scripture and theology and, as an introvert at heart, finds joy in learning what it means to share her faith with boldness as a young adult. You'll find the show notes and all the ways to connect with Anna, here: http://www.merrittonsa.com/podcast/131 NEXT STEPS: If you're new to the Devoted Dreamers Podcast or just trying to figure out what's next after you've heard this one, check out my 30 Days of Prayer series or one of these recent interviews: Episode 128 – How to Be a Mother and Follow Your God-Shaped Dream with Lesley Pyle – released 9/11/2019 Episode 130 – How to Turn Up the Volume on Truth with Charlena Ortiz – released 10/2/2019 CONNECT WITH ANNA: Website || Instagram || Facebook EPISODE SPONSOR: LAUREL DENISE Thanks to past guest Laurel Smith, your purchase at laureldenise.com in the month of October with the code DEVOTEDDREAMERS at checkout supports this podcast. GET CONNECTED WITH THE COMMUNITY: Find your tribe in the Devoted Dreamers Insiders Facebook Group where you can connect with other like-minded women in pursuit of their God-shaped dreams. GET MORE INVOLVED...BECOME A DEVOTED DREAMERS PATRON Listener support makes this show possible! Click here to learn more about how you can get involved! Leave your review of the show on Apple Podcasts/iTunes or Stitcher Subscribe on Apple Podcasts * Subscribe on Android
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]‘Song Spotlight’ is all about discovering new music and artists. This week, we are spotlighting 9 songs including alternative tracks from 888, Emmrose, Soft Streak, The Parlotones and Laurel Smith. We also have pop tracks from Firewoodisland and Ann King. You’ll discover a rock track from CS Hellmann and singer/songwriter Tim Whitaker (aka ‘Just A Jester’).[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] SONG DOWNLOAD LINKS: 888 "PINS & NEEDLES" FIREWOODISLAND "ONE WITH THE MOUNTAIN" EMMROSE "DANGEROUS EYES" SOFT STREAK "REASONABLE LIE" THE PARLOTONES "CAN YOU FEEL IT" Ann King "Heading" CS HELLMANN "ONLY LIES" JUST A JESTER "THE LOVE LETTER" LAUREL SMITH "AFTERTHOUGHT" [/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_btn title="ACCESS PODCAST ARCHIVES" color="mulled-wine" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fsoundkharma.com%2Fsong-spotlight-music-podcast-archives%2F|||"][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/2"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]ALSO AVAILABLE ON: [/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Sanctuary Unidos presents Refuge(e) and Vida En Santuario , two short films that reveal the hardship of immigrants seeking asylum in the United States. Raleigh Burleigh spoke to filmmakers Sylvia Johnson and Laurel Smith about their work. The event is on May 29 at the Crystal Theatre at 5:30.
This is all about showcasing new music, and we’re spotlighting 5 songs this week. MEL ODY is a very impressive pop artist who started out by DJing clubs in Greece. KATEY BROOKS is a singer/songwriter who redefines emotional music. JULIUS COWDREY is a pop artist who broke the family tradition of pursuing sports. JDXL is a 22-year old musical prodigy. You need to hear what he can do! And we have a bonus track from LAUREL SMITH, who recorded her first song at age 12.
Creative business owner Laurel Smith had a dream about making jewelry before she even possessed the knowledge or tools to do so. Over the next 14 years that dream grew into the reality that is Laurel Denise today. However, its God-given purpose didn't become clear to her until years later. Laurel's story reminds us that understanding your purpose and calling takes time. In this episode, you'll learn about how, in that season, she also experienced a shift from achieving to slowing down so she could make space for her calling as a mother. If you're a mom with a dream, you know that's not easy. Laurel shares the secret of how she learned to focus her time and energy so she could pursue her creative dream of jewelry making and her passion and calling to motherhood. Laurel Smith is the owner and creative director of Laurel Denise, a shop that creates meaningful, handmade jewelry, home goods and accessories meant to encourage, inspire and remind women of what they cherish most in life. Laurel believes in encouragement over competition and prides herself on selling kind, joyful, and honest products. Laurel started the business in 2005 and now employs four women in her studio and a few local moms in her town to help create some of the handmade jewelry while their kiddos sleep. In her limited free time, she loves spending time with her two kids and husband, reading the latest popular fiction novel, or listening to her favorite podcasts. You'll find the show notes and all the ways to connect with Laurel, here: http://www.merrittonsa.com/podcast/117 Don't forget to listen to the end of the show to find out how you can get your very own copy of Laurel's “Daughter of the King” printable for free! CONNECT WITH LAUREL: Website || Instagram || Facebook MENTIONED ON THE SHOW:Books: Road Back to You by Ian Cron and Suzanne Stabile Podcast: Don't Mom Alone by Heather MacFadyen GET MORE INVOLVED...BECOME A DEVOTED DREAMERS PATRON Listener support makes this show possible! Click here to learn more about how you can get involved! GET CONNECTED WITH THE COMMUNITY: Find your tribe in the Devoted Dreamers Insiders Facebook Group where you can connect with other like-minded women in pursuit of their God-shaped dreams. Leave your review of the show on Apple Podcasts/iTunes or Stitcher Subscribe on Apple Podcasts * Subscribe on Android Some links to products listed here are affiliate links. When you click those and make a purchase, I earn a commission that supports this podcast. Thanks for your support!
Sopris Sun freelancers Justin Patrick and Laurel Smith join editor Will Grandbois to talk about the most recent issue .
This month the Free To Bmore Podcast welcomes Laurel Smith-Raut and Kimberly Street to explore the Social Worker in the Library program at the Enoch Pratt Free Library. The initiative has had a transformative effect on people throughout Baltimore and is a spark of hope for those looking to connect to resources. #attthepratt