Podcasts about productivity straight talk

Do you want to learn how you can build confidence and harness it to be a more effective, successful business owner? Then tune into today's episode of Productivity Straight Talk in which I sit down with author and leader strategist, Nicole Kalil, to take a deep dive into all things confidence. What You'll Discover In This Episode: ✔ What Confidence Really Is And How To Build It ✔ What Having Confidence Helps You Achieve ✔ The Impact Of Not Trusting Yourself In Your Business ✔ 5 Confidence Builders & Derailers That Business Owners Can Utilize ✔ How Even Failure Can Effectively Build Confidence ✔ How To Know If You Have Imposter Syndrome ✔ So Much More! To access resources and links from this episode, click on https://AmberDeLaGarza.com/301. P.S. Want to discover what's most holding you back in business and receive a personalized playlist to help you overcome those specific challenges? It only takes a few minutes to take the Next Level Business Owner Quiz and get on the path of taking your leadership and business to the next level!  And… If you want help managing your time, creating efficiency, making a new hire, reducing the stress and overwhelm of running a business, or making strategic decisions that will help you level up your business, I'd like to talk to you. Let's discuss how we can partner together to help you get unstuck, reduce stress, and determine a clear path to increased profits! Schedule your Discovery Call  

Well, we made it! 300 episodes of Productivity Straight Talk. Wow! It seems like only a few short months ago I was coming up with ideas for my very first episode. Yet here we are, six-and-a-half years later, producing our 300th episode. It's been a great ride and I appreciate you being along for part of the journey! In this special 300th episode, I am going to share with you some thoughts from my heart - my version of an open letter to you, my listeners. I hope the episode inspires you to enjoy your entrepreneurial journey to the fullest, give yourself grace, ask for help when you need it, and understand that you're doing something AWESOME -  something that many people only dream of! To access resources and links from this episode, click on https://AmberDeLaGarza.com/300. P.S. If you want help managing your time, creating efficiency, making a new hire, reducing the stress and overwhelm of running a business, or making strategic decisions that will help you level up your business, I'd like to talk to you. Let's discuss how we can partner together to help you get unstuck, reduce stress, and determine a clear path to increased profits! Schedule your Discovery Call

I sit down with the My guest on today's episode of Productivity Straight Talk, I sit down with the CEO and Founder of Powered by Aspire, Renie Cavallari. Renie is an expert at helping people defeat their head trash so it stops holding them back from reaching their potential in their business and life. Tune in and learn how to dump your head trash that's killing your productivity and sabotaging your success! What You'll Discover In This Episode: ✔ How Head Trash Affects Our Work And Business ✔ 3 Ways To Deal With It Effectively ✔ How To Make The Necessary Shift To The Other Side Of Your Brain ✔ The 5 Questions That Allow You To Start Your Day On The Connected Side Of Your Emotional Brain ✔ Advice For Self-Motivation And Improving Productivity ✔ So Much More! To access resources and links from this episode, click on https://AmberDeLaGarza.com/297. P.S. Want to discover what's most holding you back in business and receive a personalized playlist to help you overcome those specific challenges? It only takes a few minutes to take the Next Level Business Owner Quiz and get on the path of taking your leadership and business to the next level!  And… If you want help managing your time, creating efficiency, making a new hire, reducing the stress and overwhelm of running a business, or making strategic decisions that will help you level up your business, I'd like to talk to you. Let's discuss how we can partner together to help you get unstuck, reduce stress, and determine a clear path to increased profits! Schedule your Discovery Call  

In this episode of Productivity Straight Talk, I dive into numerous ways you can stay true to yourself and take your marketing and visibility back to the reliable basics, all so you can strategically nurture your past and current client relationships and continue building long-term success. What You'll Discover In This Episode: ✔ The Most Important Marketing Principle To Remember ✔ Ways To Simplify Your Marketing & Visibility ✔ A Breakdown Of Common Relationship Builders ✔ Marketing Systems That Can Level Up Your Business ✔ So Much More! To access resources and links from this episode, click on https://AmberDeLaGarza.com/296.   P.S. Want to discover what's most holding you back in business and receive a personalized playlist to help you overcome those specific challenges? It only takes a few minutes to take the Next Level Business Owner Quiz and get on the path of taking your leadership and business to the next level!  And… If you want help managing your time, creating efficiency, making a new hire, reducing the stress and overwhelm of running a business, or making strategic decisions that will help you level up your business, I'd like to talk to you. Let's discuss how we can partner together to help you get unstuck, reduce stress, and determine a clear path to increased profits! Schedule your Discovery Call

In this episode of Productivity Straight Talk, I dive into the tendency of many business owners to overcomplicate their businesses and discuss strategies to simplify your business so it is less overwhelming and more enjoyable. What You Will Discover: ✔ How You're Sabotaging Yourself In The Name Of Efficiency ✔ How I Use The Insights Feedback Loop To Simplify My Business ✔ Important Questions To Ask Yourself ✔ How To Stop Overcomplicating Your Business ✔ So Much More! I hope you enjoy this week's episode 292 | Are You Overcomplicating Your Business? Now let's get to the straight talk! P.S. If you want help managing your time, creating efficiency, making a new hire, reducing the stress and overwhelm of running a business, or making strategic decisions that will help you level up your business, I'd like to talk to you. Let's discuss how we can partner together to help you get unstuck, reduce stress, and determine a clear path to increased profits! Schedule your Discovery Call  

In this episode of the Thoughtful Entrepreneur, your host Josh Elledge speaks to the Speaker & Coach of The Productivity Specialist, Amber De La Garza. Amber is a productivity specialist, who shared five tips for achieving more in less time. She emphasized the importance of working smarter, not harder, and learning the skills of productivity and time management.   Small business owners often wear many hats and juggle multiple responsibilities, leading to burnout and stress. The tips included consistent planning, personalizing your schedule, and focusing on behaviour and habit. She also added that using a task and project management app like ClickUp creates boundaries between work and personal life. About Amber De La Garza:  Amber is a professional coach, trainer, speaker, and writer dedicated to empowering small business owners. Through her Peak Performance Program and the Productivity Straight Talk Podcast, she helps clients enhance time management skills, raise productivity levels, and accomplish vital goals. Amber ensures maximized profits, reduces business stress, and fosters a healthy work-life balance. Her work also extends to promoting mindset growth, leadership training, and establishing business systems.   Passionate about off-road adventures, an ACDC fan, and a guacamole lover, Amber balances her professional pursuits with a fulfilling personal life. About The Productivity Specialist:  The Productivity Specialist offers on-demand programs designed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of small business owners. These programs leverage proven time management systems and productivity strategies to help clients overcome productivity challenges, maximize profits, reduce stress, and prioritize what truly matters. The services are versatile, accommodating diverse business needs, from developing tailored strategies and overcoming productivity issues to guiding entrepreneurs toward successful results. These programs offer the flexibility and convenience of learning at one's own pace and comfort.   With the ultimate objective of optimizing time management and enhancing productivity, The Productivity Specialist is a beneficial resource for small business owners seeking substantial progress in their business and personal lives. Apply to be a Guest on The Thoughtful Entrepreneur: https://go.upmyinfluence.com/podcast-guest Links Mentioned in this Episode: Want to learn more? Check out The Productivity Specialist website at 

In this episode of Productivity Straight Talk, I dive into areas of your business that can feel especially difficult and discuss a simple strategy to reduce the stress that often accompanies them: flipping the script.  What You'll Discover In This Episode: ✔ What Flipping The Script Really Means ✔ The Tangible Benefits Of Doing So ✔ How To Make Running Your Business More Enjoyable ✔ Simple Ways To Get Started ✔ So Much More! To access resources and links from this episode, click on https://AmberDeLaGarza.com/262. P.S. If you want help managing your time, creating efficiency, making a new hire, reducing the stress and overwhelm of running a business, or making strategic decisions that will help you level up your business, I'd like to talk to you. Let's discuss how we can partner together to help you get unstuck, reduce stress, and determine a clear path to increased profits! Schedule your Discovery Call

The story of how Amber de la Garza came to be a guest on this podcast is not the typical one. It started over 3 years ago at Podcast Movement 2019. I was a listener to her popular productivity podcast, Productivity Straight Talk, and recognized her at the conference. Even though I did not have a podcast at the time, I approached her, introduced myself, and pitched her on the spot. Amber has branded herself 'The Productivity Specialist", so you know she is intentional with her time. She graciously accepted my pitch, on this condition: "Launch your podcast, get to 100 episodes, and then, I will be your guest." Well, I've never been one to shy away from a challenge from someone I respect, so this interview, in episode #140, is the fulfillment of Amber's promise. It's also a great lesson for those who need challenge and accountability to kick their motivation into gear. Amber De La Garza is a sought-after speaker, trainer, writer, coach, and creator of The Leverage Lab, who helps entrepreneurs and small business owners learn to manage their time and build effective business systems. She is the host of the Productivity Straight Talk podcast, wife, mom, dog mom, and calls Las Vegas home. "The skill set of learning to invest your most precious resource, which is time, was incredibly valuable. The idea and identity of The Productivity Specialist was born." In this episode, Amber shares how her past career and life-changing events led her to focus on helping small business owners with their productivity, which leads to the concept of being the bottleneck in one's business, why it can be difficult to recognize, and why it tends to be a recurring pattern. You will learn the following:1. What is the skill set of learning to invest your most precious resource, time?2. What would happen if a business owner becomes the bottleneck in their business?3. What life lessons can be gleaned from making difficult decisions about how to manage time and invest in team members? How to connect with Amber:Website: https://amberdelagarza.com/Podcast: https://amberdelagarza.com/podcast/Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amberdelagarza/Free time management mini-training: https://amberdelagarza.com/training/tbyt/ Other episodes on productivity & getting out of your own way in your business: Episode #137 The Hidden Reasons You Aren't Reaching Your Goals - https://bit.ly/3HuTsG5 Episode # 99 How to Create a Distraction-Free Business - https://bit.ly/36gQmW9Episode # 85 Setting Boundaries Like a Boss - https://bit.ly/3e3rCAR Is this the year you commit to eliminating the obstacles in your business that are holding you back? I have a few spots open NOW to work with me 1:1 through the 12-week Boss Up Breakthrough framework. The first step is scheduling a free, 30-minute goodness-of-fit call by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3qrJ9YQ Connect with...

The story of how Amber de la Garza came to be a guest on this podcast is not the typical one. It started over 3 years ago at Podcast Movement 2019. I was a listener to her popular productivity podcast, Productivity Straight Talk, and recognized her at the conference. Even though I did not have a podcast at the time, I approached her, introduced myself, and pitched her on the spot. Amber has branded herself 'The Productivity Specialist", so you know she is intentional with her time. She graciously accepted my pitch, on this condition: "Launch your podcast, get to 100 episodes, and then, I will be your guest." Well, I've never been one to shy away from a challenge from someone I respect, so this interview, in episode #140, is the fulfillment of Amber's promise. It's also a great lesson for those who need challenge and accountability to kick their motivation into gear. Amber De La Garza is a sought-after speaker, trainer, writer, coach, and creator of The Leverage Lab, who helps entrepreneurs and small business owners learn to manage their time and build effective business systems. She is the host of the Productivity Straight Talk podcast, wife, mom, dog mom, and calls Las Vegas home. "The skill set of learning to invest your most precious resource, which is time, was incredibly valuable. The idea and identity of The Productivity Specialist was born." In this episode, Amber shares how her past career and life-changing events led her to focus on helping small business owners with their productivity, which leads to the concept of being the bottleneck in one's business, why it can be difficult to recognize, and why it tends to be a recurring pattern. You will learn the following:1. What is the skill set of learning to invest your most precious resource, time?2. What would happen if a business owner becomes the bottleneck in their business?3. What life lessons can be gleaned from making difficult decisions about how to manage time and invest in team members? How to connect with Amber:Website: https://amberdelagarza.com/Podcast: https://amberdelagarza.com/podcast/Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amberdelagarza/Free time management mini-training: https://amberdelagarza.com/training/tbyt/ Other episodes on productivity & getting out of your own way in your business: Episode #137 The Hidden Reasons You Aren't Reaching Your Goals - https://bit.ly/3HuTsG5 Episode # 99 How to Create a Distraction-Free Business - https://bit.ly/36gQmW9Episode # 85 Setting Boundaries Like a Boss - https://bit.ly/3e3rCAR Is this the year you commit to eliminating the obstacles in your business that are holding you back? I have a few spots open NOW to work with me 1:1 through the 12-week Boss Up Breakthrough framework. The first step is scheduling a free, 30-minute goodness-of-fit call by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3qrJ9YQ Connect with...

If you already have a framework that you use in your business and presentations, you will get some new ideas in this conversation on ways to use your framework. If you don't already have your own framework, you'll be inspired to create one! My guest is Amber De La Garza, the Productivity Specialist. Amber has a unique framework she developed about 4 years ago that has been paying dividends ever since. Frameworks usually reflect the work you do with your clients to get them from results. Frameworks can also be representative of your overall approach to problem solving or innovation.  Frameworks can oftentimes be represented as an acronym (such as our V.O.I.C.E. thought leadership model), an alliteration (the 3 C's of…), a metaphor, or a visual shape (think Maslow's hierarchy of needs or our Signature Talk Canvas®).  In this episode, Amber and I talk about: What her framework is and why she developed it in the first place How her framework evolved The many ways Amber uses her framework in her business, including in some ways that may surprise you and that you'll want to use too! How her framework has helped her land clients from her presentations and keynotes   You'll get so much out of our conversation!   About My Guest: Amber De La Garza is The Productivity Specialist! Amber is a sought-after coach, trainer, speaker, writer, host of the Productivity Straight Talk podcast, and creator of Leverage Lab®. She helps business owners improve their time management and elevate their productivity to maximize profits, reduce stress, and make time for what matters most! About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. At Speaking Your Brand, we help women entrepreneurs and professionals clarify their brand message and story, create their signature talks, and develop their thought leadership platforms. Our mission is to get more women in positions of influence and power because it's through women's stories, voices, and visibility that we challenge the status quo and change existing systems. Check out our coaching programs at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com.  Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/299  Get Amber's free training “Take Back Your Time”: http://www.amberdelagarza.com/takebackyourtime/ Listen to Amber's podcast “Productivity Straight Talk”: https://amberdelagarza.com/podcast/  Apply for our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/  Connect on social: Carol on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Amber (guest) on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/amberdelagarza/ Amber (guest) on Instagram = https://www.instagram.com/amber_delagarza/ Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 290: [Coaching] Get More Leads from Your Presentations with Monica Young Episode 288: A Framework for Creating a Signature Talk for Income and Impact with Carol Cox Episode 222: Communicating Your Vision and Values to Your Team with Amber De La Garza

Your business relies on words. Yes, words. There are words in every facet of your business, though it's understandable that when you think of business words, you likely only consider the copy you have to create for your marketing and sales materials.But what about the rest of the stuff? How do you know what to say on your forms, questionnaires, onboarding and offboarding materials, and in non-client facing documents, such as team SOPs? In this episode of the Talk Copy to Me podcast, I'll chat about the important of copy in your processes and how to be as strategic as possible so that you can run your business as smooth as possible.Meet our guest, Melissa MorrisMelissa Morris is a Business Operations Consultant who helps business owners save 5 hours per week by streamlining and automating their business using tools like Dubsado. She uses her DISCO framework to free business owners from overwhelm so they can actually work ON their business and not just IN their business. Melissa's been seen in publications such as INC Magazine, Keap Business Success Blog and CEO Blog Nation. She can also be heard on podcasts such as She's Making an Impact, Productivity Straight Talk and BizChix.Stay in touch with her: https://www.melissavmorris.comhttps://www.facebook.com/followmelissavmorrishttps://www.linkedin.com/in/melissavmorris/https://www.instagram.com/melissavmorris/Learn more about your host:Erin Ollila believes in the power of words and how a message can inform – and even transform – its intended audience. She graduated from Fairfield University with an M.F.A. in Creative Writing, and went on to co-found Spry, an award-winning online literary journal.When Erin's not helping her clients by writing strategic and SEO website copy, you can catch her hosting the Talk Copy to Me podcast and guesting on shows such as Profit is a Choice, She Built This, and Photo Business Help. Stay in touch with Erin Ollila, SEO website copywriter:Learn more about Erin's done-for-you website copy services if you want to skip the work and hire a professional copywriter to do it for you https://erinollila.com/website-copy Reach out her on Instagram, Facebook or on LinkedIn to talk more about showing up authentically onlineAs always, listen to the episode and read the full show notes here: https://erinollila.com/podcast 

Your business relies on words. Yes, words. There are words in every facet of your business, though it's understandable that when you think of business words, you likely only consider the copy you have to create for your marketing and sales materials.But what about the rest of the stuff? How do you know what to say on your forms, questionnaires, onboarding and offboarding materials, and in non-client facing documents, such as team SOPs? In this episode of the Talk Copy to Me podcast, I'll chat about the important of copy in your processes and how to be as strategic as possible so that you can run your business as smooth as possible.Meet our guest, Melissa MorrisMelissa Morris is a Business Operations Consultant who helps business owners save 5 hours per week by streamlining and automating their business using tools like Dubsado. She uses her DISCO framework to free business owners from overwhelm so they can actually work ON their business and not just IN their business. Melissa's been seen in publications such as INC Magazine, Keap Business Success Blog and CEO Blog Nation. She can also be heard on podcasts such as She's Making an Impact, Productivity Straight Talk and BizChix.Stay in touch with her: https://www.melissavmorris.comhttps://www.facebook.com/followmelissavmorrishttps://www.linkedin.com/in/melissavmorris/https://www.instagram.com/melissavmorris/Learn more about your host:Erin Ollila believes in the power of words and how a message can inform – and even transform – its intended audience. She graduated from Fairfield University with an M.F.A. in Creative Writing, and went on to co-found Spry, an award-winning online literary journal.When Erin's not helping her clients by writing strategic and SEO website copy, you can catch her hosting the Talk Copy to Me podcast and guesting on shows such as Profit is a Choice, She Built This, and Photo Business Help. Stay in touch with Erin Ollila, SEO website copywriter:Learn more about Erin's done-for-you website copy services if you want to skip the work and hire a professional copywriter to do it for you https://erinollila.com/website-copy Reach out her on Instagram, Facebook or on LinkedIn to talk more about showing up authentically onlineAs always, listen to the episode and read the full show notes here: https://erinollila.com/podcast Reach out to continue the conversation: https://erinollila.com/podcast and https://instagram.com/erinollila

I take you behind the scenes of an interesting experiment I tried in my business to better serve my clients, discuss some lessons I learned along the way, and update you on why I decided the right thing to do was abort the mission.   What You'll Discover In This Episode: ✔ How I Came Up With The Experiment ✔ What The Data Showed ✔ Why I Aborted The Mission ✔ How I Plan To Move Forward ✔ What That Means For You ✔ So Much More! To access resources and links from this episode, click on AccidentalBusinessOwner.com P.S. Check out my other podcast Productivity Straight Talk!  Listen and subscribe today at AmberDeLaGarza.com/Podcast or search for it in your favorite podcast player. New episodes will be published weekly starting September 5th!

I dive into my favorite time management strategies to help you invest your most precious resource wisely, reduce overwhelm, and achieve your goals! What You'll Discover In This Episode: ✔ Why Time Management Is So Important For Small Business Owners ✔ How Where You Invest Your Time Impacts Your Goal Achievement ✔ The Result Of Not Being Decisive With How You Use Your Time ✔ What Activities To Start Time Blocking ✔ My Best Tips For Successful Time Blocking ✔ Common Reasons You're Not Holding Meetings With Yourself ✔ So Much More! To access resources and links from this episode, click on AccidentalBusinessOwner.com P.S. Check out my other podcast Productivity Straight Talk!  Listen and subscribe today at AmberDeLaGarza.com/Podcast or search for it in your favorite podcast player!

I talk about creating a strategic plan for your business which is basically determining what actions you're going to take to get your goals to the finish line. I also walk you through how I use the Insight Feedback Loop Method to simplify the process of creating your strategic plan. What You'll Discover In This Episode : ✔ What Strategic Planning Is  ✔ Common Myths Holding You Back From Strategic Planning ✔ The Benefits Of Strategic Planning ✔ My Insight Feedback Loop Method ✔ What Areas Of Your Business To Use It For ✔ So Much More! To access resources and links from this episode, click on AccidentalBusinessOwner.com P.S. Check out my other podcast Productivity Straight Talk!  Listen and subscribe today at AmberDeLaGarza.com/Podcast or search for it in your favorite podcast player!

I dive into the topic of goal setting, simplify the process, and help you create the most important goal in your business so you stay on track to success. What You'll Discover In This Episode: ✔ Why Goal Setting Is A Must For Business Owners ✔ The 3 Kinds of Business Owners Who Don't Achieve Their Goals ✔ What Your #1 Business Goal Should Be ✔ The Devastating But Sometimes Hidden Effects Of Low Profitability ✔ The S.M.A.R.T. Method For Goal Achievement ✔ So Much More! To access resources and links from this episode, click on AccidentalBusinessOwner.com P.S. Check out my other podcast Productivity Straight Talk!  Listen and subscribe today at AmberDeLaGarza.com/Podcast or search for it in your favorite podcast player!

I dive into the importance of creating a business and personal vision of success so you can minimize the chaos, actually enjoy running your business, be profitable, and live a life you love! What You'll Discover In This Episode: ✔ What A Vision Of Success Really Is ✔ The Benefits Of Creating One ✔ What Questions A Good Vision Will Answer ✔ Common Myths About Visions ✔ So Much More! To access resources and links from this episode, click on AccidentalBusinessOwner.com P.S. Check out my other podcast Productivity Straight Talk!  Listen and subscribe today at AmberDeLaGarza.com/Podcast or search for it in your favorite podcast player!

I dive into the topic of mindset transformation, so you can lean into your growth mindset and operate more consistently from a place of positivity, confidence, and willingness to learn… so you can be a more successful business owner! What You'll Discover In This Episode: ✔ How Your Mindset Impacts Your Entrepreneurial Journey ✔ What A Growth Mindset Is And Why It Matters ✔ How To Lean Into A Growth Mindset ✔ What To Do When You Catch Your Fixed Mindset Leading ✔ The Power Of Affirmations ✔ So Much More! To access resources and links from this episode, click on AccidentalBusinessOwner.com P.S. Check out my other podcast Productivity Straight Talk!  Listen and subscribe today at AmberDeLaGarza.com/Podcast or search for it in your favorite podcast player!

Welcome to my brand new podcast - the Accidental Business Owner! In this limited-series podcast, you'll learn effective business strategies to increase profits, and lead your team confidently so you can enjoy your entrepreneurial journey and become the business owner you're meant to be! What You'll Discover In This Welcome Episode: ✔ How I Came Up With The Name Accidental Business Owner ✔ Why That Matters To You ✔ What Kind Of Topics I'm Going To Talk About ✔ How This Podcast Is Going To Help You Be A Better Business Owner ✔ So Much More! To access resources and links from this episode, click on AccidentalBusinessOwner.com P.S. Check out my other podcast Productivity Straight Talk!  Listen and subscribe today at AmberDeLaGarza.com/Podcast or search for it in your favorite podcast player!

In this episode, I walk you through the brainstorming session I had with one of my team members which ended with us moving forward with a brand new podcast (Accidental Business Owner - go subscribe today!). I give you a behind-the-scenes look at my thought process throughout the session which forced me to talk through different scenarios, weigh outcomes, and make some pretty tough calls. What You'll Discover In This Episode: ✔ How The Idea To Start A New Podcast Arose ✔ What Influenced My Decision To Move Forward ✔ How I Worked With My Team To Execute The Idea ✔ Why I'm Choosing To Use This Podcast As An Experiment ✔ Who My New Podcast Is For & How It Will Be Valuable ✔ So Much More! To access resources and links from this episode, click on https://AmberDeLaGarza.com/244. P.S. This will be the last episode of Productivity Straight Talk for a while but stay subscribed as it will be back in the fall. In the meantime, I invite you to check out and subscribe to my new podcast the Accidental Business Owner! wherever you listen to podcasts!

You may be a great visionary full of intelligent ideas but only you can choose to use your gifts to bring a great product or service into the world. Great ideas are worth nothing unless you execute on them. Stop robbing the world of your contributions by failing to execute. Gold stars are not given for intelligence or great ideas alone. In this episode of Productivity Straight Talk, I dive into the concept of executing and focus on the importance of moving your best ideas forward, step by step, all the way to the finish line. What You'll Discover In This Episode: ✔ What Happens In Your Business And Life When You Don't Execute ✔ Ways To Execute More Often And Consistently ✔ Why Execution Matters Over Great Ideas ✔ The Cost Of Having A Great Idea You Don't Execute On ✔ So Much More! To access resources and links from this episode, click on https://AmberDeLaGarza.com/236. P.S. Grab your spot in Leverage Lab® to get business coaching, training, and accountability to take your business and life from surviving to thriving => https://AmberDeLaGarza.com/LeverageLab

Featured in this week's episode of The Productive Designer, host Crystal Collinson chats with the Productivity Specialist, Amber De La Garza.Amber is a sought-after coach, trainer, speaker, writer, host of the Productivity Straight Talk podcast, and creator of the S.T.O.P. Leverage Formula. She helps business owners improve their time management and increase your productivity to maximize profits, reduce stress, and make time for what matters most!Crystal and Amber talk about productivity as a business owner. Amber explains that entrepreneurs need to know how to lead people and make decisions. She shares her S.T.O.P. framework which are the four pillars that every business owner should focus on to move and grow faster with less stress.Amber mentions that the most valuable asset in your business is yourself. She also emphasizes that productivity is a continuous learning process, and it is not something that we learn in school. As you grow in your journey as a business owner, you'll learn how to adjust when met with challenges & obstacles , especially when you are feeling unproductive. Reminding yourself of the goals that you have set,  will help you to focus on getting the important things done. So join Crystal and Amber as they chat about how to increase your productivity and how you can use it to streamline your systems and business processes. Then “Do something today that your future self will thank you for and listen in to learn about Amber's S.T.O.P. leverage formula.If you enjoyed the episode, show your support by buying me a coffee buymeacoffee.com/TPDpodcastHow to reach Amber:Website : amberdelagarza.com     I     Instagram : amber_delagarzaPodcast : Productivity Straight Talk Recommended podcast/books:Grace and Grits, Profit Boss Radio, Speaking Your Brand

I dive into one of the biggest reason business owners are constantly overwhelmed - they're simply taking on too many projects, meetings, partnerships, team members, and clients that aren't a ‘hell yes,' which forces them to spend too much time, energy, and money trying to make them work - and discuss what to do instead.  In this episode of Productivity Straight Talk, I dive into the issue of taking on too many projects, meetings, partnerships, team members, and clients that don't align with your vision of success' and talk about raising your standards by setting the bar at ‘hell yes' for everything you choose to undertake. What You'll Discover In This Episode: ✔ How To Raise Standards In Your Business And See Immediate Results ✔ What Happens When You Settle For ‘I'll Make It Work' ✔ Tips For Hiring Your Next Team Member ✔ What To Do When A ‘Hell Yes' Becomes A ‘Hell No' ✔ How My Client Sidestepped A Potential Disaster ✔ So Much More! To access resources and links from this episode, click on https://AmberDeLaGarza.com/225. P.S. Grab your spot in Leverage Lab™ to get coaching, training, and accountability to take your business and life from surviving to thriving => https://AmberDeLaGarza.com/LeverageLab

If you're a regular listener of Productivity Straight Talk, you might have noticed that no episodes have been published for a long time. I know from emails, direct messages, and reviews that many of you love listening to this podcast first thing on Monday mornings to start your week off on a productive high note. If you were disappointed by the lack of new episodes showing up in your feed, I'm very sorry and appreciate you tuning in today. I can assure you I am back in action and look forward to consistently bringing you the straight talk on business and productivity once again! ln today's episode, I unpack what has been going on in my life over the past seven weeks that has kept me from publishing new podcasts, showing up for my business, and supporting my awesome clients. This episode is all about my personal story, yes, but believe me, there will be plenty of takeaways to bring back to your business and life. What You'll Discover In This Episode: ✔ Why I've Been MIA From This Podcast (And My Business!) For 7 Weeks ✔ The Fears I Had During That Time ✔ How My Business Survived In My Absence  ✔ 3 Lessons Learned When I Couldn't Show Up For My Business ✔ So Much More! To access resources and links from this episode, click on https://AmberDeLaGarza.com/211

Every corner of the internet is filled with content. And in the small business world, it can feel really overwhelming to try to “keep up” with others. (Where are you going to find the time!?) The truth is, you already have the time (if you use the right tools to help). Oh, and you don't actually have to “keep up” with anyone. You do content your own way. Today on the podcast, guest Melissa Morris is sharing her expertise as a project manager and operations consultant. We talk about why workflows are so important, why befriending the inbox search bar may not be the best idea, which CRM is best for your business size, why batching doesn't work for everyone (including Melissa!), and so much more. We also discuss why Melissa's favorite CRM is not mine at all. It was a friendly disagreement. If you've been struggling with time around your content, be sure to tune in! Mentioned in This Episode Save time creating content! Grab Melissa's Automation Roadmap  Episode 129: Mapping Out Your Unpredictable Content Episode 73: Repurposing Content for Maximum ROI with Amy Woods Free Batching Guide   About Melissa Morris Melissa Morris is a project manager and operations consultant for digital marketing and social media agencies. Using her 10 years of agency experience, Melissa helps agencies maximize their team, increase their productivity and increase profits. Her T.A.P.P. Framework takes agency owners from disorganized and chaotic to streamlined and efficient so they can spend less time stressing about details and more time on agency growth. Melissa's been seen in publications such as INC Magazine, Keap Business Success Blog and CEO Blog Nation and heard on podcasts such as My Biz Bestie, Productivity Straight Talk and BizChix. Visit her website and follow her on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

If you don’t take time to fully prepare for the inevitable loss of employees, you’ll be forced to make time for it down the line, possibly at the most inconvenient of times. Empower yourself and set your business up for success by doing the work now. In this episode of Productivity Straight Talk, I dive into ways you can take back the power in your business owner-employee relationship and I provide actions you can take so that you’ll always be ready to hire. What You’ll Discover In This Episode: ✔ What Being Ready To Hire Looks Like ✔ The Repercussions Of Not Being Ready ✔ Questions To Ask Yourself To Prepare For The Hiring Process ✔ What Difficult Conversations Need To Be Had ✔ Tips For Finding The Right Person Faster ✔ So Much More! To access resources and links from this episode, click on https://AmberDeLaGarza.com/201. P.S. Grab your spot in Leverage Lab™ to get coaching, training, and accountability to take your business and life from surviving to thriving => https://AmberDeLaGarza.com/LeverageLab

I’ve always thought of “Speaking Your Brand” as not only how you communicate externally to audiences, whether it’s at conferences and events, on webinars, or on podcasts. It’s also how you communicate internally with your team members, your clients, and your vendors. How can you best share your vision and values with your team? I invited my friend Amber De La Garza onto the podcast to talk about how she has done this with her team members as her business has grown. Amber and I talk about: The team retreats we held for our respective teams What content we included in those retreats to help our team members better understand our businesses The 3 questions Amber asks her team as well as her clients as part of the feedback loop Speaking Your Brand’s QBR (Queen Bee Role) and how that informs what we do The importance of decision-making filters The nuances of word choice and specific examples regarding words we don’t use with our clients and why About My Guest: Amber De La Garza is a sought-after coach, trainer, speaker, writer, host of the Productivity Straight Talk podcast, and creator of the S.T.O.P. Leverage Formula. She helps small business owners improve their time management and elevate their productivity to maximize profits, reduce stress, and make time for what matters most! Amber passionately shares her message with entrepreneurs all over the world.   About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. At Speaking Your Brand, we help women entrepreneurs and professionals clarify their brand message and story, create their signature talks, and develop their thought leadership platforms. Our mission is to get more women in positions of influence and power because it's through women's stories and visibility that we challenge the status quo and change existing systems. Check out our coaching programs at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com.  Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/222  Get Amber’s free training “Take Back Your Time”: https://www.amberdelagarza.com/takebackyourtime  Amber’s Leverage Lab: https://www.amberdelagarza.com/leveragelab  Listen to Amber’s podcast “Productivity Straight Talk.” Book mentioned: “Clockwork” by Mike Michalowicz Schedule a consult call with us to talk about creating your signature talk: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/contact.  Connect on LinkedIn: Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Amber De La Garza (guest) = https://www.linkedin.com/in/amberdelagarza/  Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 43: How Speaking Can Grow (or Derail) Your Business with Amber De La Garza

I invite you to journey back in time with me, all the way to my very first episode to see how Productivity Straight Talk has evolved over the past four years. You’ll find out what led me to attempt podcasting in the first place, its benefits, drawbacks, and how my favorite marketing platform has impacted my business from start to finish. This is not an episode meant to convince you to become a podcaster. Instead, it’s simply an intimate peak behind the curtains at what actions and decisions brought us together and brought us to today, the 200th episode of Productivity Straight Talk! What You’ll Discover In This Episode: ✔ Where I’ve Messed Up And Had Major Wins In My Entrepreneurial Journey ✔ What I Wish I Knew Before Starting My Business ✔ What Beliefs Of Mine Were Shattered ✔ The Best Business Decision I’ve Ever Made ✔ How To Discern The Best Marketing Strategy For You And Your Business ✔ The Impact Consistency Has On Your Marketing  ✔ So Much More! To access resources and links from this episode, click on https://AmberDeLaGarza.com/200 P.S. Grab your spot in Leverage Lab™ to get coaching, training, and accountability to take your business and life from surviving to thriving => https://AmberDeLaGarza.com/LeverageLab

Amber De La Garza, founder of TheProductivitySpecialist.com and host of the Productivity Straight Talk podcast, wants to inspire to discover how to be your best self to do your best work. Show notes at lifeskillsthatmatter.com/show366 Lot of great lessons in our conversations including: + How she pivoted her career in real estate sales into business coaching. + Why the birth of her son gave her the courage to go out on her own. + How she s been apprenticing her son in her business. + Amber s version of productivity as an employee versus working for herself. Ready to work for yourself? Learn the first 5 actions at lifeskillsthatmatter.com/getstarted Subscribe https://lifeskillsthatmatter.com/subscribe-podcast Podcast Archive https://lifeskillsthatmatter.com/podcast The post How To Do Your Best Work With Amber De La Garza (366) appeared first on Life Skills That Matter.

In this episode of Productivity Straight Talk, I sit down with the founder of Speaking Your Brand, Carol Cox, to dive into how leaning  into thought leadership can help you establish more meaningful relationships with the people you're trying to reach, be it your team of five or audience of 5,000. What You’ll Discover In This Episode: ✔ What A Thought Leader Is ✔ How Thought Leadership Will Help Your Business ✔ How Marketing & Visibility Ties Together With Thought Leadership ✔ Carol’s Breakdown  Of Her V.O.I.C.E. Framework ✔ So Much More! To access resources and links from this episode, click on Show Notes. P.S. When you’re ready, here are four great ways to improve your time management and elevate your productivity: #1 Grab my FREE mini training Take Back Your Time! #2  Get instant on demand access to my Conquer Your Email Masterclass #3  Get my 4-module, on demand training program Time Management Made Simple #4  Join us in my coaching + training + accountability experience Leverage Lab!

Melissa Morris is a Business Operations Consultant who specializes in client processes, which includes client onboarding, management and offboarding. She uses her 10 years client management experience to help service based business owners streamline and automate these processes as well as teach them how to set client expectations and create and hold boundaries. Melissa's been seen in INC Magazine and Keap Business Success Blog and heard on podcasts such as My Biz Bestie and Productivity Straight Talk. She frees business owners from overwhelm so they can actually work ON their business and not just IN their business. Here's what we covered on the episode: When Melissa had her 9-5 job at an ad agency she was an account executive, which is a project management and client management role and how being in that role served her and created some good systems for herself Melissa explains that she liked her 9-5 job but was craving more flexibility and higher income, so she left her agency and started doing marketing consulting After becoming a marketing consultant, Melissa quickly booked a lot of clients but looked around and realized she hated it and questioned what happened Why Melissa didn't like marketing consulting because she had to execute on a lot of ad plans, where she was writing social media posts, creating graphics and all that comes with consulting, which was unlike the project management role she was in at the agency, which she loved How Melissa approached some of the business owners she'd been working with and started having conversations with them about managing their own projects because she was exploring this new line of work and they loved it Melissa began to realize how this happens to so many solopreneurs, freelancers, etc. who go out on their own and then no longer have a project manager there to serve as a buffer person to keep things on track How Melissa used her social media business to work with some of those business owners and do additional project management work for them When Facebook made their big algorithm change it drastically dropped business page's ability to show up in news feed, and their page views, so Melissa used that as an opportunity to fire a lot of the social media clients she was with and explains why that made sense for her Melissa loves her work and primarily helps service providers create systems and processes, streamline and automate and identify the tools they need in their business to make all of that happen Melissa's experience in client management helped prepare her for tough client conversations and explains that when she presents to clients a shift in her business or unfortunately firing, she highlights the benefits for them and set them up for success as much as she can What Melissa's initial offerings included were conversations about where things were getting stuck in her clients' business, why tasks were slipping through the cracks and helping them get out of overwhelm, which she explains stems from overbooking or not having a clear process Melissa explains that if you can't write down what your process looks like, then it is not nearly as clear as you think and you are going to have a difficult time automating that process or ask for help Two things Melissa sees when it comes to tools is business owners who wait too long to have any tools and other business owners who know they need automation but aren't sure what tool they need and end up duplicating a lot of tools The categories of tools business owners need to pull from including a CRM, a project management tool, a scheduler and an invoicing tool and how Melissa sees the most duplication in the CRM and project management section Melissa walks us through her DISCO Framework where you Define your current process, Identify gaps in your process and redundancies, Streamline by creating canned emails and templates, Create phases and milestones to build accountability, and Outsource and automate Melissa recommends Dubsado, a CRM tool that covers your automation, has a scheduler built into it, and has the ability to automate invoicing Popular project management tools are Asana, Trello and ClickUp, Melissa explains that if you are a checklist type of person you will probably prefer Asana's approach and if you're into visuals you will probably prefer Trello How even if you don't have a lot of clients, but your goal is to grow, and you have the time now to get things into a system, it can be very beneficial to just get started versus waiting to do it so you're prepared for the future Most business owners Melissa works with report saving 5 hours per week which gives them time to spend doing other things to help grow their business or helps give them some breathing room Why Melissa thinks there is a moment when it's too soon to focus on your systems and processes; this might be if you are still refining your services and offers, or you're still playing with who your target audience is, deciding on price points, etc. Melissa explains that you can begin small with automation and just start with automating your invoicing, getting some questionnaires out automatically, or a quick onboarding workflow that can deliver the proposal, contract and a welcome email How it depends on timing and the phase of business the business owner is in when deciding to implement systems and how it might not even be the business owner who realizes something needs to be done Melissa explains her Asana project, where she has different steps set up for her process that help keeps her on track Melissa noticed when she first started working with business owners, they would spend most of their deep dive strategy session searching for their contract or updating the questionnaire so she decided to add a kick-off call to her process and give them some automated resources Melissa's experience moving from one city to another during a pandemic and explains she is just as intentional in her personal life as she is in her business and created checklists for moving and a timeline for moving If you are listening and want to get started, Melissa suggests getting some canned emails, getting your contracts and proposals together, and remember that you can start small Connect with Melissa on Facebook, on her website and check out her Automation Roadmap that will outline your first steps for getting automated Links mentioned: Connect with Melissa on Facebook  Melissa's Website Melissa's Automation Roadmap   Like what you heard? Click here to subscribe + leave a review on iTunes. Click here to download my Sales Page Trello Board Let's connect on Instagram!

You know it’s impossible to make more time in the day. But you can make more time in your day by being more productive and using the time you do have more wisely. No one can give you a magical fix that works for everyone. Rather, you need to find what works for you. It’s a matter of trial and error and trying a few strategies. That’s exactly what I’m talking about in this week’s episode of the Stories in Small Business podcast. Amber De La Garza, the Productivity Specialist, is sharing her best tips on being more productive every day--and she and I both share our own time blocking systems. She shares her thoughts on procrastination, how to balance life and business during the craziness of 2020 and shares her formula for getting everything done! About Amber De La Garza Amber is The Productivity Specialist! Amber is a sought-after coach, trainer, speaker, writer, host of the Productivity Straight Talk podcast, and creator of the S.T.O.P. Leverage Formula. She helps business owners improve their time management and elevate their productivity to maximize profits, reduce stress, and make time for what matters most! Follow her on Facebook and Instagram or visit her website. Mentioned in This Episode Take Back Your Time Training Ask Your Audience Challenge  

  I'm back again, with another solo episode! As we come out of lockdown here in the UK, I'm finding it a bit overwhelming. There are more options in life. All the things that I was supposed to do back in April are now starting to happen, and things that were canceled during lockdown are now back up and running. I wasn't ready for this! I'm trying to be mindful of what I say yes to so that I don't fill up my calendar and end up tired and burned out. I suspect I'm not the only one seeking to retain a more simple lifestyle as we ease out of lockdown.   Listen To This Episode        What You'll Learn What is simplicity? What does it mean? Why is simplicity important? Why is living a simple life good? How to keep life simple How to identify complications and work to remove them How to make the most of your time   Things I Discussed Where am I? Priorities What Are Your Three Priorities? 10 Easy Steps to Improve Time Management and Reduce Stress 10 MORE Steps to Improve Time Management and Reduce Stress New Time Management Trick to Avoid Overload  Quick Tips to Update Your Time Management System Time Management System Review Improve Time Management by Working in Blocks  How to Improve Time Management With Three Simple Questions 5 Simple Ways to Improve Time Management & Reduce Stress  Productivity Straight Talk podcast with Amber de la Garza    Related Episode BMP222 Amber De La Garza ~ How to Structure Your Business To Improve Productivity & Get Things Done (now with downloadable transcript!)   Connect With Holly Website Facebook Instagram Twitter Pinterest Google+ LinkedIn   How to Subscribe Click here to subscribe via iTunes Click here to subscribe via RSS Click here to subscribe via Stitcher   Help Spread the Word If you enjoyed this episode, please head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating and a review! You can also subscribe, so you'll never miss an episode.

This week Melissa Morris talks to us about onboarding clients and setting boundaries.  Sounds easy enough?  Well, join us as we dive into some ridiculously simple tips that can yield you big results so you can avoid even bigger mistakes.  Lots of “aha” moments here for me.  I had a real awakening of how much I was overlooking!Learn how to: - set your client up for success from day 1.- avoid all sorts of misunderstandings and expectations. - create a relationship that will benefit you financially for years to come.Melissa Morris is a Business Operations Consultant who specializes in client processes, including client onboarding, management and offboarding. She uses her 10 years client management experience to help service-based business owners streamline and automate these processes and eliminates the tech setup headache.Melissa uses her DISCO framework to help business owners go from grinding away working long hours and late nights to running a business that offers freedom and flexibility. In fact, she often says she frees hamsters from wheels.Melissa has been seen in publications such as INC Magazine, Keap Business Success Blog and CEO Blog Nation. She can also be heard on podcasts such as My Biz Bestie, Productivity Straight Talk and The Sassy Strategist. She frees business owners from overwhelm so they can actually work ON their business and not just IN their business.You can find Melissa Morris at:
Website: www.melissavmorris.comGet your freebie here: www.melissavmorris.com/wthCheck out the Outsourcing Playbook For Busy Entrepreneurs here: https://www.winthehourwintheday.com/outsourcing-playbook

Happy Monday, Let's Talk Sales listeners! Today's featured guest is Amber De La Garza. She is The Productivity Specialist, a speaker, coach, trainer, writer, and host of the Productivity Straight Talk podcast. Interview with Amber De La Garza In today's episode, I talk to Amber about prospecting and balance. And, she answers questions about: Balancing […] The post Balancing Best Practices with Amber De La Garza appeared first on Criteria For Success.

Today on the podcast I'm sharing with you a conversation I had recently with none other than Amber De La Garza, the productivity specialist. Amber is the host of Productivity Straight Talk and she lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. I love going to Las Vegas! Yet every single time I go to Las Vegas, Amber is busy. So let's put our good magic together and hope that next time I go to Las Vegas, I will have the opportunity to see Amber in person again. It's been a year since I last saw her and I cannot wait to catch up. Before I go off on talking about my friendship with Amber, I want to make sure that you know that we have a full transcript of this episode at techofbusiness.com/095/ so that you don't have to sit there and take notes. I was starting to pull out some of the highlights of this episode. And my notes themselves got longer than I wanted. I decided to scrap that and just point you towards the show notes because that's where you're going to get all the juicy nuggets and make sure that you don't miss anything that Amber has to say. Now let's get into this episode and you are going to be blown away. I wanted to bring Amber on to the podcast to share kind of where technology and outsourcing help with productivity. This is something that people come to me all the time with. They're like, “Okay, so I want to use this new tool.” And my first question is, why? Why do you want to use this tool? And if the answer is, “So that I can be more productive.” I start to look and see if Amber has something in her podcast vault that I can send them to. That's really the true reason why I wanted to bring Amber on today. Tech and the relationship of productivity can be kind of a gray area. Amber was really excited to really define how they meet and how do they actually serve each other. Amber thinks that there are a lot of people just jump to, “If I get the right program or the right app or the right this or this, it makes me productive.” Because of this she was really excited to talk about how it actually does help us be more productive. I think that even myself, and probably Amber too, we've implemented technology, and it's made us less productive, either short term or long term. There are a lot of different variables. Sometimes it's even get a piece of tech working and have someone on your team do it or have someone get that piece of tech working and bring it back to you ready to go. So I realized that we never really said what Amber's podcast is and what she is actually a genius at. Amber De La Garza is the productivity specialist. She specializes in productivity for small business owners. And she does that in many different ways. One of them is the podcast she has called “Productivity Straight Talk.” She is also a coach. So she offers group coaching programs, one on one coaching, and she also speaks and trains. So just about any method or modality of sharing the message of why productivity is so important for businesses in our lives, she;s just sharing all the good stuff. So let's talk about when someone says that they want to be more productive. Where do you start with them? Do you start with asking what their day looks like? Do you start with what does their tech look like? Where do you start with that part of the conversation? Amber shared this great example. Let's say she has someone on a discovery call, and they're like, “Oh, I don't know where to start with you. I'm not quite sure.” She makes sure that they're on the same page with how they define productivity. Because if they don't define it the same way, then Amber says that she's not the right person or coach for them. So the very first place she starts is to define it. So how does Amber define productivity? According to Amber… “Productivity is simply when we are investing our best time into our best activities. And that's really, really important because you didn't hear me say an organized desk or color coded calendar or file folders that are completely alphabetical and organized and every paper has a place. I also didn't mention tech. I didn't mention programs. I didn't mention the next project management program. It's with investing your best time into your best activities.” - Amber De La Garza Now, when we say things like, “I don't have enough time, there's never enough time to do those important activities like sales, marketing and visibility, and getting out there and letting people know what you can do servicing your clients.” Then that's you need to be focused on figuring out how can you be more effective and efficient by using tech. How can you be more organized and efficient by being organized, so that you reclaim that time to now focus and show up your best as the business owner? That means doing the things that actually create revenue for your business. So that's how it's all tied in. And yes, we talk about tech and apps and an organization, but those are tools you use to leverage your time so that you show up your best in your business. I love that because there is never a good tech tool that costs you time, energy, or whatever it might cost you that is going to stay in your business if it's not giving you that time back. So when I'm thinking of how to get more time out of the day, that's really where structuring your day and structuring how you're using the technology is important. Simple things like what time is my project management tool going to let me know that things are due. Are they due at two o'clock in the morning? Or are they due at seven o'clock in the morning? Are they do at 10 o'clock at night? Amber can definitely speak to why you may want to use one of those or another based on your most productive time and most productive efforts. Amber thinks that when technology is leveraged correctly, it's actually like a silent employee. One that doesn't talk back and it's working for you behind the scenes. There is an investment, but the investment means you're getting a return on that. So if you create or set up a project management program, that when you put in information it now organizes it and spits it back to you, it now becomes kind of like your boss or your executive assistant. And your calendar can the same thing. You can have your calendar do notifications and say, “Hey, it's time to transition you're going on a podcast.” Or “Hey, this project is due or this task is due.” If you have systems with through automation and technology that you trust that are set up, then you actually create bandwidth space in your head to really focus on CEO things like a bigger vision. You aren't necessarily focusing on what's next on the task list. And so that's how Amber sees that it can be very beneficial if you're looking at setting up the tech, you want to make sure that it can actually feed back information to you in a way that you trust. Oftentimes they're more organized than you, too. So say you're leveraging a project management tool. They're consistent. You set it up once. And you put in the information correct. They're consistently showing up for you. And that can almost be better than you can count on employees sometimes. So that's why Amber sees that tech is a really, really cool thing. I do love the idea of outsourcing to your technology. I think that's a really valuable thought process. If you give this tech tool something and it's outsource properly, it's going to give you back what you need. So one of the pillars that Amber teaches is how to leverage through people. Her method “The Stop Method.” And that's how to leverage yourself, your time, organization, and people. What's interesting is that if you are not the tech person, if you're pulling your hair out dreading it, pushing that project off, it's never getting done, or you simply don't understand it, then that is not a hat that I believe you should be wearing. Because now you're stealing that time of when you're wearing that hat for time from when you could be really doing things that are going to move your business. So when Amber looks at building a dream team, she thinks it includes not just employees, but also independent contractors and such. You're using them for project based things like getting website up. Or maybe you're not a graphic designer and you need new business cards. You could probably do that, but it's probably going to take you three times as long. Another big place that Amber thinks a lot of business owners need help in is setting up systems. Either their brain doesn't think that way or they're just plain not good at tech. That's totally possible. And then it's a project. You're set up and now you get to utilize the benefits of that tech after somebody, like me, is serving it up and figuring it out. Working out the bugs and the kinks. To me, this made really good sense. So what I heard Amber say, is that just because you may not be, as a business owner, the most technology savvy person, that doesn't mean you can't still outsource good things to tech. It just means that the project of bringing that tech on is something that you will probably hire an independent contractor or me or things like that into the business. Amber shared that even if you are good at tech, you should think about outsourcing it if that's not the primary way that you make money and serve your business. For example, Amber loves tech. She's that person that is watching videos about Ontraport or the next new website thing. That's what she would actually do in her spare time for fun. But at the end of the day, she brought in an entrepreneur consultant. Because at the end of the day, it takes a lot of time, energy, and focus and it's not the best use of her time to grow her business. What she has, because she understands it, is an ability to be really clear about what she wants the program to do. And so she thinks that it's also beneficial for people that do get it. If you get it, that's cool. You can probably more clearly state what you want the program app or tech to do. But sometimes, you just have to get out of the way and let someone that that's their zone of genius to do so that you're reclaiming time. The time you need to do the things that only you can do. So if you don't have a sales person in your company, you're doing sales. That's not something you can project-based outsource, but you can outsource tech setup. I say that all the time that tech is outsourceable. Why not leverage that ability so that you can do something that is in your zone of genius? So that you can spend time on something that only you can do. If you as the business owner, get fired up getting on Facebook Lives, then get on more Facebook Lives. And dedicate the time that you would have had to spend to set up whatever that system is, or whatever that processes are to do what drives your business. Amber says to look at like real dollars and time. She shared that if it's not in her zone of genius it may take her two times as long as I do to set something up. So it's going to take her 20 hours. And it's going to take me 10 hours. So her question to herself as the business owner would be, what impact would 20 hours of my time be, in my business elsewhere? You can literally lay that over a networking event or a conference, whatever your marketing visibility is, or 20 hours of sales conversations. Could you not massively get a return on that investment versus 20 hours of tech set up? So we're not just looking at a trade of time and money. We're looking at opportunity costs. That 20 hours that you're spending, trying to figure out the tech and the frustration, is an opportunity cost of you not being elsewhere in your business that needs you and only you as a small business owner. We build our businesses to feel good about what we do. Amber shared that she doesn't know about you, the listener. But if tech is not your thing, then her guess is you're showing up and when you're done, you're frustrated and your mindset is altered. And while maybe you physically put in 20 hours, did it really take 30? Because you're just done with the day and so frustrated. What energy was depleted from doing something that was not in your zone of genius, versus showing up doing the things that light you up, which may be serving your clients? I'd like to lay on top of that as well, the cost of the outsourcing. So if it's something that I'm estimating is going to cost you $1,000 to do. So that's $1,000 out of your pocket. If it was going to take you 20 hours to accomplish it. You have to then look and say “Okay, Is 20 hours worth more? Or is $1,000 worth more?” But then, adding back in what Amber said, it's not necessarily just 20 hours. It's the energy! It's the 30 hours that she's talking about here. So all of a sudden, this $1000 outflow looks on the balance scales against all these other things that you could be doing in your business that are both positive and negative. And most of the time, the outsourcing opportunity far outweighs trying to do it yourself. Amber thinks that's the conversation about should we outsource? Should we not outsource? But she thinks more of that conversation is, should I even incorporate tech automation? That's where she would say, “Do we incorporate automation and what's the return on investment?” How much time is it going to save you or your team? For example, let's just say you had a CRM system set up, and now it's telling you when to follow up with people. Whereas by yourself, you were inconsistent at best. But now that you have a system telling you when to consistently follow up, how many more deals could you close because of the tech? That's the value of using these apps, programs, automation, and tech. How does it let you show up your best, consistently in the business? Which again, full circle is being your most productive self. I just loved the way that we brought this back to why you want to look at how you spend your time in your business! How are you spending things like your energy in your business? One of the things that I know is that oftentimes the learning side of a new process, a new system, a new tool, we will let that scope creep. We will let that time creep instead of stopping work at two o'clock, so I can go pick up the kids. Because of course, driving takes 25 minutes. But that's another story altogether. I'm going to say, “Okay, I have to stop now. But oh, I'll watch that YouTube video later.” And suddenly you dig into your family time and you dig into other times, because you're trying to learn something that is not beneficial to getting that next client. You're working on something that's not within your zone of genius! And you're not spending the best time on the best work. When Amber defines productivity, the investing your best time into your best activities, those activities for her and how she defines them for her clients is in four buckets. It doesn't matter your industry. Where you're at, as a small business owner and small businesses under 50 employees, and your most productive activities are either supervising or being in these four buckets. Bucket number one is marketing and visibility. And bucket number two is sales. Bucket number three is servicing your clients. And bucket number four is leadership. So as you're building your business, you're going to be spending more time leadership because you can eventually outsource servicing your clients, sales, and marketing. But the core of having your business profitable, will fall under one of those four buckets. Now, where does tech fall into? Tech can help us be better in one of those four buckets. But when we're learning the tech and in the videos, and we're actively trying to put this tech together, that falls under the other bucket. It is a way of actively procrastinating, but calling ourselves busy. We're thinking that we're being productive as a business owner if this is not our zone of genius. Amber shared for me this is not true. This would literally land under servicing my clients. So an investment in learning something is like sharpening my saw so that I can serve my clients. But for coaches, financial advisors, marketers, or whatever type of the business, that's not their zone of genius. So we can solve this like hamsters like, “Oh, but we're busy. But I'm moving the ball forward.” Yes, but it's not what your business needs from you the most to make the biggest impact. I really like that. What does your business need the most from you to make the biggest impact?  That is beautiful. That is most likely a quote that someone has just read somewhere on social media because it was good! That other bucket is a dangerous, dangerous place. But it is so, so necessary. It's also very for us to not always be on. And if we can be in that other bucket sometimes I think that makes good sense. The other bucket is absolutely relevant. Like you need to pay your bills. And you need your balance sheet. If you don't have a bookkeeper, you're balancing your checkbook. There's really real things!. Honestly, my strategies are for people running real businesses. The truth is that when you put on your tech hat, you're probably your janitor too. And you're the CEO, the marketer, and the salesperson. That's when smoothness feels super, super overwhelming. So in the context of this episode, we're talking where would that tech fall under and it's the other bucket. Now, you certainly can learn it sometimes. Amber said that she didn't want to make any false statements here. She still does tech in her business. But big projects, she outsources. So the other bucket is a necessity. It can't be at the expense of showing up in your first four buckets. And that's the thing is like it. Amber shared with her model, the fifth bucket, the other bucket, is important. We need a time and place for that. But we're approaching our businesses as we're showing up in that other bucket instead of the first four buckets. That's when businesses are not profitable. You're picking a paycheck. That's when immense frustration comes in. And so that's why I like separating the two. What I was thinking about just there is that things that you are doing in the other bucket, especially in the tech when you're doing that, is going to bleed into your being a better leader. It's going to bleed into doing better in your visibility and marketing. And it is going to help you service your customers better. It's going to help you close more sales. So there is definitely value. This is just one of the reasons why I really wanted to bring Amber on to the podcast. To help people get the perspective of how can we use our time to the best benefit of our business. I feel like we're really kind of covering that. Tech is going to definitely help. It doesn't matter what tool it is if it's the right tool for your business, right now. Amber shared that It's not the shiny object that you thought was going to fix a problem. She wants to get really, really clear about that. It has got to be like let's do some work. You need to research about this. It needs to be the right program for your need, not what your business bestie said they're using. You just want to jump and now you're jumping ship and adding another tech to your to your business. We don't add tech because it's a nice garnish because it's going to give us fuel. I feel like we've just really covered the advantages of using tech and outsourcing and making it so that your business just does more. Amber shared that her business is a small business. And they use quite a bit of tech. There's a lot behind the scenes that they use and they have some favorites. Every once in a while, something new will come on the market. Amber share that she is not a first adopter. She lets it get tried. She shared that she really has to have a pain point to do a switch in mher business because she does see the opportunity of cost, of switching. And so she just wants to be always cognizant of not switch, switch, switch every time something new hits the market. I firmly believe that is absolutely the fastest way to have tech make you go out of business is by doing that constant switching. Another other thing that Amber wanted to share is sometimes there's too much tech. And what that means is you have gone on a tech buying binge. You're just buying it all because you like this feature or this feature. And you didn't take the time to audit which you already had. Most likely, some of the tech you have already has the features because maybe they got upgraded or they didn't have that feature when you first bought that. Then what happens is it becomes really heavy. It becomes really, really complicated. You're paying more in subscriptions than you need to be paying. So Amber thinks that is a huge benefit in either having someone on your team or someone you're outsourcing to that, just letting you know, like, “Hey, did you know this could do this? Or did you know that I'm looking at the whole ecosystem of your tech and making sure it's as effective and efficient as possible.” is really beneficial. Then it's important to take the time to actually read those emails that come in that says there is a new feature on a program you already use. Because that's often a goal. That means you don't need to do the search of what's this new program out on the market. You may already have it at your fingertips. But you just didn't read that email or see that announcement. Similar to that is, if you get that announcement and you read it and you say, “Hey, this means I can throw out this other system because I don't need this other system anymore.” That's a really good time to say, “Okay, we're going to implement this new system, this new tool within the system we're already using and be able to get rid of another tool.” That's a huge piece of all of this. Nobody needs to have a virtual store room full of software tools and monthly subscriptions. Yes, our businesses don't need it. Even tech lovers like me, who can make it all work together and make it so that it doesn't feel so heavy and so big and so bloated. It still could be so heavy, so big and so bloated. So don't go there. And if you are trying to figure out how to streamline that, figure out where your pain point is. Are you not productive enough because you haven't used this tool efficiently? Then maybe Ambers got some resources for you. If you just need a tech audit, come to me! Ask me to help you out with it. This is why we are in business. It's why we have podcasts. This is why we are visible in this medium because we want to help you. Amber says it can be a total rabbit hole to go down and figure out what this feature is and is it compatible with other tools. Amber calls a tech audit Frankensteining your text together. You add this one. Then a little while later, you add another one, and then you add another one and, and then you're frustrated with it because something's not talking to something or it doesn't work. And really, you haven't stopped to take an audit of it. And when you do that, there's so many benefits. You get your time back, things work better. And it's more efficient. You're probably paying less in subscriptions or however you're paying for your tech. So Amber can see a tech audit to be very, very beneficial. This was such a fun conversation with Amber. As I said at the beginning, there are so many nuggets in this episode. We talked about outsourcing your tech. And we talked about figuring out how to be productive by using your best time for the best activities. We talked about what tools you can use to make this flow so much easier. Such amazing insight from a true professional. Be sure to head over to her website, the link is below so that you can grab her freebie to make sure that you are being as productive as possible. Now my one action step for you. If you have been looking at using tech more effectively in your business, let's set up a tech audit. Let's look at the tech that you're using and how it is helping you be more productive. Just go to techofbusiness.com/audit, and you'll be able to book your audit right there. I will be back next week with another solo episode. I cannot wait to share this one with you. Thanks for listening to the Tech of Business podcast. If you enjoyed the show, please subscribe, share, rate, and review on Apple podcasts, Stitcher Radio, Overcast, or wherever you download your favorite shows. You can also check out the show notes and learn more about me at techofbusiness.com. I'll see you next week. Connect with Jaime: Instagram: @techofbusiness Twitter: @techofbusiness Facebook: @yourbiztech LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaimeslutzky/ Email: jaime@techofbusiness.com Connect with Amber: Website: https://www.theproductivityspecialist.com Instagram: @Amber_de la Garza. Freebie: https://www.theproductivityspecialist.com/techofbusiness

Today on the podcast I'm sharing with you a conversation I had recently with none other than Amber De La Garza, the productivity specialist. Amber is the host of Productivity Straight Talk and she lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. I love going to Las Vegas! Yet every single time I go to Las Vegas, Amber is busy. So let's put our good magic together and hope that next time I go to Las Vegas, I will have the opportunity to see Amber in person again. It's been a year since I last saw her and I cannot wait to catch up. Before I go off on talking about my friendship with Amber, I want to make sure that you know that we have a full transcript of this episode at techofbusiness.com/095/ so that you don't have to sit there and take notes. I was starting to pull out some of the highlights of this episode. And my notes themselves got longer than I wanted. I decided to scrap that and just point you towards the show notes because that's where you're going to get all the juicy nuggets and make sure that you don't miss anything that Amber has to say. Now let's get into this episode and you are going to be blown away. I wanted to bring Amber on to the podcast to share kind of where technology and outsourcing help with productivity. This is something that people come to me all the time with. They're like, “Okay, so I want to use this new tool.” And my first question is, why? Why do you want to use this tool? And if the answer is, “So that I can be more productive.” I start to look and see if Amber has something in her podcast vault that I can send them to. That's really the true reason why I wanted to bring Amber on today. Tech and the relationship of productivity can be kind of a gray area. Amber was really excited to really define how they meet and how do they actually serve each other. Amber thinks that there are a lot of people just jump to, “If I get the right program or the right app or the right this or this, it makes me productive.” Because of this she was really excited to talk about how it actually does help us be more productive. I think that even myself, and probably Amber too, we've implemented technology, and it's made us less productive, either short term or long term. There are a lot of different variables. Sometimes it's even get a piece of tech working and have someone on your team do it or have someone get that piece of tech working and bring it back to you ready to go. So I realized that we never really said what Amber’s podcast is and what she is actually a genius at. Amber De La Garza is the productivity specialist. She specializes in productivity for small business owners. And she does that in many different ways. One of them is the podcast she has called “Productivity Straight Talk.” She is also a coach. So she offers group coaching programs, one on one coaching, and she also speaks and trains. So just about any method or modality of sharing the message of why productivity is so important for businesses in our lives, she;s just sharing all the good stuff. So let’s talk about when someone says that they want to be more productive. Where do you start with them? Do you start with asking what their day looks like? Do you start with what does their tech look like? Where do you start with that part of the conversation? Amber shared this great example. Let’s say she has someone on a discovery call, and they're like, “Oh, I don't know where to start with you. I'm not quite sure.” She makes sure that they're on the same page with how they define productivity. Because if they don't define it the same way, then Amber says that she’s not the right person or coach for them. So the very first place she starts is to define it. So how does Amber define productivity? According to Amber… “Productivity is simply when we are investing our best time into our best activities. And that's really, really important because you didn't hear me say an organized desk or color coded calendar or file folders that are completely alphabetical and organized and every paper has a place. I also didn't mention tech. I didn't mention programs. I didn't mention the next project management program. It's with investing your best time into your best activities.” - Amber De La Garza Now, when we say things like, “I don't have enough time, there's never enough time to do those important activities like sales, marketing and visibility, and getting out there and letting people know what you can do servicing your clients.” Then that's you need to be focused on figuring out how can you be more effective and efficient by using tech. How can you be more organized and efficient by being organized, so that you reclaim that time to now focus and show up your best as the business owner? That means doing the things that actually create revenue for your business. So that's how it's all tied in. And yes, we talk about tech and apps and an organization, but those are tools you use to leverage your time so that you show up your best in your business. I love that because there is never a good tech tool that costs you time, energy, or whatever it might cost you that is going to stay in your business if it's not giving you that time back. So when I'm thinking of how to get more time out of the day, that's really where structuring your day and structuring how you're using the technology is important. Simple things like what time is my project management tool going to let me know that things are due. Are they due at two o'clock in the morning? Or are they due at seven o'clock in the morning? Are they do at 10 o'clock at night? Amber can definitely speak to why you may want to use one of those or another based on your most productive time and most productive efforts. Amber thinks that when technology is leveraged correctly, it's actually like a silent employee. One that doesn't talk back and it's working for you behind the scenes. There is an investment, but the investment means you're getting a return on that. So if you create or set up a project management program, that when you put in information it now organizes it and spits it back to you, it now becomes kind of like your boss or your executive assistant. And your calendar can the same thing. You can have your calendar do notifications and say, “Hey, it's time to transition you're going on a podcast.” Or “Hey, this project is due or this task is due.” If you have systems with through automation and technology that you trust that are set up, then you actually create bandwidth space in your head to really focus on CEO things like a bigger vision. You aren’t necessarily focusing on what's next on the task list. And so that's how Amber sees that it can be very beneficial if you're looking at setting up the tech, you want to make sure that it can actually feed back information to you in a way that you trust. Oftentimes they're more organized than you, too. So say you’re leveraging a project management tool. They're consistent. You set it up once. And you put in the information correct. They're consistently showing up for you. And that can almost be better than you can count on employees sometimes. So that's why Amber sees that tech is a really, really cool thing. I do love the idea of outsourcing to your technology. I think that's a really valuable thought process. If you give this tech tool something and it's outsource properly, it's going to give you back what you need. So one of the pillars that Amber teaches is how to leverage through people. Her method “The Stop Method.” And that's how to leverage yourself, your time, organization, and people. What's interesting is that if you are not the tech person, if you're pulling your hair out dreading it, pushing that project off, it's never getting done, or you simply don't understand it, then that is not a hat that I believe you should be wearing. Because now you're stealing that time of when you're wearing that hat for time from when you could be really doing things that are going to move your business. So when Amber looks at building a dream team, she thinks it includes not just employees, but also independent contractors and such. You're using them for project based things like getting website up. Or maybe you're not a graphic designer and you need new business cards. You could probably do that, but it's probably going to take you three times as long. Another big place that Amber thinks a lot of business owners need help in is setting up systems. Either their brain doesn't think that way or they're just plain not good at tech. That’s totally possible. And then it's a project. You're set up and now you get to utilize the benefits of that tech after somebody, like me, is serving it up and figuring it out. Working out the bugs and the kinks. To me, this made really good sense. So what I heard Amber say, is that just because you may not be, as a business owner, the most technology savvy person, that doesn't mean you can't still outsource good things to tech. It just means that the project of bringing that tech on is something that you will probably hire an independent contractor or me or things like that into the business. Amber shared that even if you are good at tech, you should think about outsourcing it if that's not the primary way that you make money and serve your business. For example, Amber loves tech. She’s that person that is watching videos about Ontraport or the next new website thing. That's what she would actually do in her spare time for fun. But at the end of the day, she brought in an entrepreneur consultant. Because at the end of the day, it takes a lot of time, energy, and focus and it's not the best use of her time to grow her business. What she has, because she understands it, is an ability to be really clear about what she wants the program to do. And so she thinks that it's also beneficial for people that do get it. If you get it, that's cool. You can probably more clearly state what you want the program app or tech to do. But sometimes, you just have to get out of the way and let someone that that's their zone of genius to do so that you're reclaiming time. The time you need to do the things that only you can do. So if you don't have a sales person in your company, you're doing sales. That's not something you can project-based outsource, but you can outsource tech setup. I say that all the time that tech is outsourceable. Why not leverage that ability so that you can do something that is in your zone of genius? So that you can spend time on something that only you can do. If you as the business owner, get fired up getting on Facebook Lives, then get on more Facebook Lives. And dedicate the time that you would have had to spend to set up whatever that system is, or whatever that processes are to do what drives your business. Amber says to look at like real dollars and time. She shared that if it’s not in her zone of genius it may take her two times as long as I do to set something up. So it's going to take her 20 hours. And it's going to take me 10 hours. So her question to herself as the business owner would be, what impact would 20 hours of my time be, in my business elsewhere? You can literally lay that over a networking event or a conference, whatever your marketing visibility is, or 20 hours of sales conversations. Could you not massively get a return on that investment versus 20 hours of tech set up? So we're not just looking at a trade of time and money. We're looking at opportunity costs. That 20 hours that you're spending, trying to figure out the tech and the frustration, is an opportunity cost of you not being elsewhere in your business that needs you and only you as a small business owner. We build our businesses to feel good about what we do. Amber shared that she doesn’t know about you, the listener. But if tech is not your thing, then her guess is you're showing up and when you're done, you're frustrated and your mindset is altered. And while maybe you physically put in 20 hours, did it really take 30? Because you're just done with the day and so frustrated. What energy was depleted from doing something that was not in your zone of genius, versus showing up doing the things that light you up, which may be serving your clients? I’d like to lay on top of that as well, the cost of the outsourcing. So if it's something that I'm estimating is going to cost you $1,000 to do. So that's $1,000 out of your pocket. If it was going to take you 20 hours to accomplish it. You have to then look and say “Okay, Is 20 hours worth more? Or is $1,000 worth more?” But then, adding back in what Amber said, it's not necessarily just 20 hours. It's the energy! It’s the 30 hours that she's talking about here. So all of a sudden, this $1000 outflow looks on the balance scales against all these other things that you could be doing in your business that are both positive and negative. And most of the time, the outsourcing opportunity far outweighs trying to do it yourself. Amber thinks that's the conversation about should we outsource? Should we not outsource? But she thinks more of that conversation is, should I even incorporate tech automation? That's where she would say, “Do we incorporate automation and what's the return on investment?” How much time is it going to save you or your team? For example, let's just say you had a CRM system set up, and now it's telling you when to follow up with people. Whereas by yourself, you were inconsistent at best. But now that you have a system telling you when to consistently follow up, how many more deals could you close because of the tech? That's the value of using these apps, programs, automation, and tech. How does it let you show up your best, consistently in the business? Which again, full circle is being your most productive self. I just loved the way that we brought this back to why you want to look at how you spend your time in your business! How are you spending things like your energy in your business? One of the things that I know is that oftentimes the learning side of a new process, a new system, a new tool, we will let that scope creep. We will let that time creep instead of stopping work at two o'clock, so I can go pick up the kids. Because of course, driving takes 25 minutes. But that's another story altogether. I'm going to say, “Okay, I have to stop now. But oh, I'll watch that YouTube video later.” And suddenly you dig into your family time and you dig into other times, because you're trying to learn something that is not beneficial to getting that next client. You're working on something that's not within your zone of genius! And you're not spending the best time on the best work. When Amber defines productivity, the investing your best time into your best activities, those activities for her and how she defines them for her clients is in four buckets. It doesn't matter your industry. Where you're at, as a small business owner and small businesses under 50 employees, and your most productive activities are either supervising or being in these four buckets. Bucket number one is marketing and visibility. And bucket number two is sales. Bucket number three is servicing your clients. And bucket number four is leadership. So as you're building your business, you're going to be spending more time leadership because you can eventually outsource servicing your clients, sales, and marketing. But the core of having your business profitable, will fall under one of those four buckets. Now, where does tech fall into? Tech can help us be better in one of those four buckets. But when we're learning the tech and in the videos, and we're actively trying to put this tech together, that falls under the other bucket. It is a way of actively procrastinating, but calling ourselves busy. We’re thinking that we're being productive as a business owner if this is not our zone of genius. Amber shared for me this is not true. This would literally land under servicing my clients. So an investment in learning something is like sharpening my saw so that I can serve my clients. But for coaches, financial advisors, marketers, or whatever type of the business, that's not their zone of genius. So we can solve this like hamsters like, “Oh, but we're busy. But I'm moving the ball forward.” Yes, but it's not what your business needs from you the most to make the biggest impact. I really like that. What does your business need the most from you to make the biggest impact?  That is beautiful. That is most likely a quote that someone has just read somewhere on social media because it was good! That other bucket is a dangerous, dangerous place. But it is so, so necessary. It's also very for us to not always be on. And if we can be in that other bucket sometimes I think that makes good sense. The other bucket is absolutely relevant. Like you need to pay your bills. And you need your balance sheet. If you don't have a bookkeeper, you're balancing your checkbook. There's really real things!. Honestly, my strategies are for people running real businesses. The truth is that when you put on your tech hat, you're probably your janitor too. And you're the CEO, the marketer, and the salesperson. That's when smoothness feels super, super overwhelming. So in the context of this episode, we’re talking where would that tech fall under and it's the other bucket. Now, you certainly can learn it sometimes. Amber said that she didn't want to make any false statements here. She still does tech in her business. But big projects, she outsources. So the other bucket is a necessity. It can't be at the expense of showing up in your first four buckets. And that's the thing is like it. Amber shared with her model, the fifth bucket, the other bucket, is important. We need a time and place for that. But we’re approaching our businesses as we're showing up in that other bucket instead of the first four buckets. That's when businesses are not profitable. You're picking a paycheck. That's when immense frustration comes in. And so that's why I like separating the two. What I was thinking about just there is that things that you are doing in the other bucket, especially in the tech when you're doing that, is going to bleed into your being a better leader. It's going to bleed into doing better in your visibility and marketing. And it is going to help you service your customers better. It's going to help you close more sales. So there is definitely value. This is just one of the reasons why I really wanted to bring Amber on to the podcast. To help people get the perspective of how can we use our time to the best benefit of our business. I feel like we're really kind of covering that. Tech is going to definitely help. It doesn't matter what tool it is if it's the right tool for your business, right now. Amber shared that It's not the shiny object that you thought was going to fix a problem. She wants to get really, really clear about that. It has got to be like let's do some work. You need to research about this. It needs to be the right program for your need, not what your business bestie said they're using. You just want to jump and now you're jumping ship and adding another tech to your to your business. We don't add tech because it's a nice garnish because it's going to give us fuel. I feel like we've just really covered the advantages of using tech and outsourcing and making it so that your business just does more. Amber shared that her business is a small business. And they use quite a bit of tech. There's a lot behind the scenes that they use and they have some favorites. Every once in a while, something new will come on the market. Amber share that she is not a first adopter. She lets it get tried. She shared that she really has to have a pain point to do a switch in mher business because she does see the opportunity of cost, of switching. And so she just wants to be always cognizant of not switch, switch, switch every time something new hits the market. I firmly believe that is absolutely the fastest way to have tech make you go out of business is by doing that constant switching. Another other thing that Amber wanted to share is sometimes there's too much tech. And what that means is you have gone on a tech buying binge. You're just buying it all because you like this feature or this feature. And you didn't take the time to audit which you already had. Most likely, some of the tech you have already has the features because maybe they got upgraded or they didn't have that feature when you first bought that. Then what happens is it becomes really heavy. It becomes really, really complicated. You're paying more in subscriptions than you need to be paying. So Amber thinks that is a huge benefit in either having someone on your team or someone you're outsourcing to that, just letting you know, like, “Hey, did you know this could do this? Or did you know that I'm looking at the whole ecosystem of your tech and making sure it's as effective and efficient as possible.” is really beneficial. Then it’s important to take the time to actually read those emails that come in that says there is a new feature on a program you already use. Because that's often a goal. That means you don't need to do the search of what's this new program out on the market. You may already have it at your fingertips. But you just didn't read that email or see that announcement. Similar to that is, if you get that announcement and you read it and you say, “Hey, this means I can throw out this other system because I don't need this other system anymore.” That's a really good time to say, “Okay, we're going to implement this new system, this new tool within the system we're already using and be able to get rid of another tool.” That's a huge piece of all of this. Nobody needs to have a virtual store room full of software tools and monthly subscriptions. Yes, our businesses don't need it. Even tech lovers like me, who can make it all work together and make it so that it doesn't feel so heavy and so big and so bloated. It still could be so heavy, so big and so bloated. So don't go there. And if you are trying to figure out how to streamline that, figure out where your pain point is. Are you not productive enough because you haven't used this tool efficiently? Then maybe Ambers got some resources for you. If you just need a tech audit, come to me! Ask me to help you out with it. This is why we are in business. It’s why we have podcasts. This is why we are visible in this medium because we want to help you. Amber says it can be a total rabbit hole to go down and figure out what this feature is and is it compatible with other tools. Amber calls a tech audit Frankensteining your text together. You add this one. Then a little while later, you add another one, and then you add another one and, and then you're frustrated with it because something's not talking to something or it doesn't work. And really, you haven't stopped to take an audit of it. And when you do that, there's so many benefits. You get your time back, things work better. And it’s more efficient. You're probably paying less in subscriptions or however you're paying for your tech. So Amber can see a tech audit to be very, very beneficial. This was such a fun conversation with Amber. As I said at the beginning, there are so many nuggets in this episode. We talked about outsourcing your tech. And we talked about figuring out how to be productive by using your best time for the best activities. We talked about what tools you can use to make this flow so much easier. Such amazing insight from a true professional. Be sure to head over to her website, the link is below so that you can grab her freebie to make sure that you are being as productive as possible. Now my one action step for you. If you have been looking at using tech more effectively in your business, let's set up a tech audit. Let's look at the tech that you're using and how it is helping you be more productive. Just go to techofbusiness.com/audit, and you'll be able to book your audit right there. I will be back next week with another solo episode. I cannot wait to share this one with you. Thanks for listening to the Tech of Business podcast. If you enjoyed the show, please subscribe, share, rate, and review on Apple podcasts, Stitcher Radio, Overcast, or wherever you download your favorite shows. You can also check out the show notes and learn more about me at techofbusiness.com. I'll see you next week. Connect with Jaime: Instagram: @techofbusiness Twitter: @techofbusiness Facebook: @yourbiztech LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaimeslutzky/ Email: jaime@techofbusiness.com Connect with Amber: Website: https://www.theproductivityspecialist.com Instagram: @Amber_de la Garza. Freebie: https://www.theproductivityspecialist.com/techofbusiness

In previous episodes of the Go Pitch Yourself podcast, I’ve mentioned the importance of making every podcast pitch unique to the person you’re trying to connect with. Now this might lead you to think that templates should be avoided at all costs. Well, I’m here to tell you that this is not the case. At all! My guest today is Amber De La Garza, The Productivity Specialist and host of the Productivity Straight Talk podcast. Amber is a sought-after coach, trainer, and speaker, and in this episode you'll learn how, with a little bit of planning, templates can make your pitching process more efficient - without you sounding like a robot. Topics covered include: How pitching herself for podcast appearances was the best business decision Amber ever made How using templates can make your pitches more effective by allowing you more time to connect on a personal level and build relationships with podcast hosts How Amber blocks out periods of time for planning, pitching and follow-up The way that Amber tracks the success of her pitches Download 10 Ways You’re Screwing Your Productivity, Amber’s free tool to audit your workflow Resources mentioned in this episode: Get your free downloadable version of Angie's roadmap for podcast pitching success Book a discovery call to see if Angie can support YOUR visibility needs Join the Go Pitch Yourself Facebook community Follow Angie on Instagram - and submit your screenshots when you're ready to Go Pitch Yourself Get more info at Angie's website Amber’s Facebook Page and Instagram profile, and the Facebook Community Group for Productivity Straight Talk. Now it’s time for you to get out there and Go Pitch Yourself! Be sure to screenshot this episode and tag me on Instagram @angie_trueblood and let me know that you are ready to #gopitchyourself! I’ll add your post to my story and help you spread the word! Can’t wait to connect again! Feel like you need a little support in getting started pitching yourself? >>> Get a free downloadable version of my roadmap for podcast pitching success   Subscribe & Review in Apple Podcasts Are you subscribed to the podcast? If not, I’d love for you to do that today so you don’t miss ANY episodes. Click here to subscribe in Apple Podcasts! And, if you are SUPER pumped about the show, I would be so thankful if you would pop over to Apple Podcasts and leave a review. Crazy enough, reviews help other folks find my podcast and they help me get a real sense of what you love about the show. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Much love, friend. Special thanks to Steve Woodward at The Podcasting Editor for handling all the behind-the-scenes tech pieces of production.

065: Productivity Affects Profitability WITH AMBER DE LA GARZA Amber De La Garza is on the podcast today. She is a productivity specialist who helps entrepreneurs create actionable solutions to maximize profit, reduce stress and to focus on what matters most to them. Amber also hosts a podcast, Productivity Straight Talk. She and I met at Podcast Movement, a conference for podcasters in late summer. After realizing how many connections we had in common over a lunch meeting, we hit it off. Amber focuses on productivity as a means to leverage profits – and you know I love that! On our podcast today Amber shares what she considers to be productivity and what is not. You just might be surprised. We also dig into how to quickly determine if what you are doing in your business is really productive and profitable.  Topics Mentioned: Time Marketing Sales Service Leadership Thoughts from Amber: You have the knowledge, but what is the disconnect of execution? If I can do it for “them”, then I can do it for other companies.  Businesses do not see organization as a necessity. They see it as a luxury.  Productivity is investing your best time into your best activities.  I don’t believe we are made to be productive all day, every day.  There are specific principles to productivity.  If you are doing your best work, don’t judge it.  Do more of it.  Your “best time” is when you do your best work.  Socials: Website: https://www.theproductivityspecialist.com Podcast: https://www.productivitystraighttalk.com Facebook: The Productivity Specialist Instagram: @amber_delagarza References and Resources: Track Your Productivity - Download Today Profit First by Mike Michalowicz The Designers' Inner Circle - Become a Member Today EP. 63 with Jamie Lieberman - Listen Today The E-Myth by Michael E. Gerber The 12 Week Year by Brian P. Moran The 5 Love Languages of Children by Gary Chapman  The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman

With demands, overwhelm and stress taking over her life. Amber had to figure out how to make time for what mattered most.Today, Amber De La Garza is The Productivity Specialist! She is a sought-after coach, trainer, speaker, writer, host of the Productivity Straight Talk podcast, and creator of S.T.O.P. - The Entrepreneur's Success Solution. She helps driven entrepreneurs execute actionable solutions to maximize profits, reduce stress, and make time for what matters most!Topics we discussed:The impact of productivity on profitability for entrepreneursHow to identify your BEST activitiesBusy doesn't mean productiveThe detrimental costs associated with multitaskingThe importance of choosing the "ONE THING"Amber's Four Productivity Buckets that entrepreneurs must masterThe skeleton in Amber's closetA piece of liberating coaching advice if you tend to procrastinateHow Parkinson's Law can negatively affect your productivity.An on introduction to Amber's S.T.O.P. - The Entrepreneur's Success SolutionEpisode webpage: https://www.themindshiftpodcast.com/11Are you subscribed to this inspirational podcast yet? If not, I'd love to encourage you to do so today so you don't miss an episode. Click here to subscribe on iTunes.While you're there, be sure to leave us a rating and review.This show is sponsored by The MindShift Podcast StoreJoin our global Facebook community and stay inspired to reach your goals each week. Join The MindShift Podcast Community Facebook GroupLearn more about the show at www.themindshiftpodcast.comLearn more about Darrell Evans at www.darrellevans.netConnect with Darrell on your favorite social channel:Instagram: @mrdarrellevansFacebook: @darrellevansfanLinkedIn: @mrdarrellevansTwitter: @mrdarrellevans

Amber De La Garza is a productivity specialist and the host of the Productivity Straight Talk podcast. After working in real estate as a coach on business-end of the industry, she decided to go solo and become an entrepreneur and organizational coach. Seven years later, she works with small business entrepreneurs and big corporate clients to boost productivity while maintaining a focus on wellness and life satisfaction. Amber and I talk about her work as a productivity specialist and why her phone started ringing nonstop once she repositioned herself in this niche. We chat about productivity, how it’s been overcomplicated, and why productivity is really about spending your best time on your best activities.  Amber also opens up about how she finds clients and how she built her business up locally before making the leap into the online business world. We discuss marketing techniques, why she believes everybody can benefit from productivity coaching, and why she thinks becoming a podcaster (and doubling down on it!) was one of the best decisions she’s made in her business – and her life.

Amber De La Garza, aka the Productivity Specialist! Amber is The Productivity Specialist! Amber is a sought-after coach, trainer, speaker, writer, host of the Productivity Straight Talk podcast, and creator of S.T.O.P.! The Entrepreneur’s Success Solution. She helps driven entrepreneurs execute actionable solutions to maximize profits, reduce stress, and make time for what matters most! www.theproductivityspecialist.com www.theproductivityspecialist.com/nancy --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/nancymensahtw/support

The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast Ep 122: Productivity for Yoga Teachers with Amber De La Garza   Description: Are you struggling with productivity and finding enough time to do all the things?  On this episode, Amber De La Garza, The Productivity Specialist, shares strategies to help you become more productive and achieve your business goals.   Amber is a sought-after coach, trainer, speaker, writer, and host of the Productivity Straight Talk podcast. She helps driven entrepreneurs execute actionable solutions to maximize profits, reduce stress, and make time for what matters most.   There seem to be an endless number of tasks that we have to do to run our yoga businesses, and not enough time. Amber reveals the four buckets of highly productive activities we should be focusing our time on, and some strategies that you can put into action right now.   Whether you've been feeling stressed and overwhelmed by the number of tasks you have to do to run your business, or you want to improve your productivity to give yourself more time to do the things that you love - Amber has just the tips, strategies and advice you need.   Key Takeaways: [4:14] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Amber De La Garza. [6:28] How did Amber get into the industry of productivity? [10:47] Shannon and Amber discuss how she found her niche as the productivity specialist. [12:08] What is productivity? [14:03] Amber shares an example of how she incorporates productivity in her personal life. [16:25] Amber breaks down the differences between productivity, organization and efficiency. [21:02] Money mindset - how can yoga teachers not feel guilty about charging for their services? [24:53] In your business, one of the four buckets highly productive activities is marketing and visibility. [30:36] The second bucket is sales. Amber explains why making the ask is so important, and some examples of how to do it. [38:21] The third bucket is servicing the client, but remember that it doesn't stand alone! [41:25] Bucket #4 is leadership. Amber reveals how this ties back to buckets 1, 2 and 3. [43:52] How much time should you be dedicating to each bucket of activities? [44:54] Amber dives into some visibility activities she does in her own business. [48:18] What's the best way to deal with other activities like answering emails and doing financials that aren't part of the highly productive activities buckets? [52:01] Hiring out administrative work and activities that are not in your zone of genius is a great way to increase your productivity. [57:40] Check out Amber's podcast and her website to find out more about her strategies for improving productivity! [59:23] Shannon shares her own takeaways from this interview.   Links: Amber De La Garza Productivity Straight Talk Podcast High-Value Activities Identifier Freebie Voxer Live Q&A Call The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group   Gratitude to our Sponsor Schedulicity   Quotes from this episode:   "I'm so busy working in my business, I have no time to work on my business."   "[Productivity] is a skill set that can be learned. And as long as you feel like you can learn something new, this can be something learned to help you in your personal and business life."   "[Productivity is] investing your best time into your best activities."   "At the end of the day, your business is not a business if it's not making money."   "Organization is not the same as productivity, and neither is efficiency."   "Not knowing that something is going to work 100% isn't a reason to not take action."   "The key to have this consistent revenue is to be consistent in all three of these buckets."

Hi Friends! Today on TOL Podcast, we are joined by Productivity Specialist,  Amber De La Garza. Amber is a sought-after coach, trainer, speaker, writer, host of the Productivity Straight Talk podcast, and creator of S.T.O.P.! The Entrepreneur’s Success Solution. She helps driven entrepreneurs execute actionable solutions to maximize profits, reduce stress, and make time for what matters most! She is also the mama to a 9-year old son, and knows first hand the challenges of juggling work & home life.  I asked her to chat with us about her Productivity Pit Stops that help us to "slow down, in order to go fast." Her list includes simple strategies like creating templates, taking breaks and turning off notifications (even if just for a little while!) And like all of our guests, Amber shares where she feels like the biggest HOT MESS, and where she is thriving! If you know someone who would enjoy this episode, will you please share it with a friend?! CONNECT WITH AMBER WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM OTHER LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE FREE DOWNLOAD  | PODCAST | FB GROUP  ***BONUS:  Check out my chat with Amber on HER show! Your Opinion Matters!   I am so appreciative of anyone who takes a moment to help the growth of our show by SUBSCRIBING and listening each week.  We would be so grateful if you would click the  5-star button & leave a short REVIEW    Stop feeling like a Hot Mess!  HOT MESS: A Practical Guide to Getting Organized is my witty little survival guide that helps you get to the root of your clutter. Learn about the 3 types of clutter, Physical, Emotional, and Calendar, along with how to avoid the 5 Clutter Pitfalls.  Now is the time to reclaim time, find freedom, and feel empowered from the “stuff” that is holding you back. Available on amazon, barnes & noble or wherever books are sold. Let’s Connect!  We love hearing from you! Head on over to facebook and join our group, This ORGANIZED Life where you can post topic ideas, guest suggestions, questions, comments and photos. Of course you also connect with us on the IG or follow us on PINTEREST for some added inspiration. One more thing....before you go, click HERE to take our free clutter quiz!   

This an exciting episode because it’s my 100th episode of Productivity Straight Talk! To celebrate, I decided to do something different and take you on a journey through some of the silliest bloopers I’ve made in my business along my 7-year entrepreneurial journey. Don’t worry though, you’ll get more than just a good laugh. You’ll also get some inspiration and takeaways to help you recover quickly from your own business bloopers. What You’ll Discover In This Episode: ✔️ Some Big And Small Mistakes I’ve Made Throughout My Entrepreneurial Journey ✔️ Why You Might Need To Worry About Me Stalking You ✔️ How I’m Kind Of A Train Wreck ✔️ What You Must Embrace To Succeed ✔️ Why Bloopers Aren’t Such A Bad Thing After All ✔️ So Much More! I hope you enjoy my business blooper 100th episode and encourage you accept that This too shall pass when you stumble in your own business. Now let’s jump right in and get to the straight talk! Show Notes Schedule Your Discovery Call with me to find out how we can work together to accelerate your success.

Amber de la Garza, aka the ‘Productivity Specialist.’ Amber is a sought-after trainer, coach, speaker, writer, and she’s also the host of the ‘Productivity Straight Talk’ podcast. She works with entrepreneurs to help them take actions that will maximize profits, reduce stress, and ultimately make time for what matters most in life. Oh...and she’s also quite possibly as big of a productivity nerd as I am! If you’ve ever heard the term ‘Time Blocking’ and wondered what the heck that is, or you’ve wondered how it works, or what the best tools are, or whether or not this productivity strategy will work for you, this episode could change the way you manage your day, your week, and your life. I can say without hesitation that time blocking is quite simply the most important strategy I use to manage my own life. It allows me to visualize my ‘ideal week’ (something we dive into in great detail in this interview), it helps me avoid procrastination because I always know what tasks to complete on any given day, and most importantly it keeps me focused on taking actions that actually move my life forwards as opposed to getting sucked into “busy work,” and even worse...social media. If you’re one of those people who believe, “Time blocking isn’t for me because I’m creative,” this episode is a must-listen. Because what you’ll discover is that learning how to properly manage your time and calendar will ultimately set your creativity free. Want to Hear More Episodes Like This One? » Click here to subscribe and never miss another episode Here's What You'll Learn: Scheduling your day according to your energy and ultradian rhythms The importance of "margins" Creating an ideal daily calendar The basics of time blocking and why it's important according to neuroscience Asking yourself, "Can this wait without consequences?" Working on low value tasks in batches rather than sporadically as they "come up" Useful Resources Mentioned: Opt-In Guide Link The Ideal Weekly Calendar Our Generous Sponsors: This episode is made possible for you by Ergodriven, the makers of the Topo Mat, my #1 recommendation for anyone who stands at their workstation. The Topo is super comfortable, an awesome conversation starter, and it’s also scientifically proven to help you move more throughout the day which helps reduce discomfort and also increase your focus and productivity. Click here to learn more and get your Topo Mat. Guest Bio: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram Amber De La Garza is The Productivity Specialist! Amber is a sought-after coach, trainer, speaker, writer, host of the Productivity Straight Talk podcast, and creator of S.T.O.P.! The Entrepreneur’s Success Solution. She helps driven entrepreneurs execute actionable solutions to maximize profits, reduce stress, and make time for what matters most! Show Credits: This episode was edited by Curtis Fritsch, and the show notes were prepared and published by Elyse Rintelman. The original music in the opening and closing of the show is courtesy of Joe Trapanese (who is quite possibly one of the most talented composers on the face of the planet). Note: I believe in 100% transparency, so please note that I receive a small commission if you purchase products from some of the links on this page (at no additional cost to you). Your support is what helps keep this program alive. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

You can't expect to be profitable in your business if you're not productive first. Amber De La Garza is The Productivity Specialist. She’s a sought-after coach, trainer, speaker, writer, and host of the Productivity Straight Talk podcast. Amber helps driven entrepreneurs execute actionable solutions to maximize your profit, reduce your stress, and make time for what matters most. In my conversation with Amber today, she's breaking down the four "buckets" you need to fill in order to be productive and profitable. Episode Highlights: A discussion of how the way you’re supposed to be productive might not work for you and why that’s okay. How to use what does work for you already when it comes to your productivity. The four productivity buckets you must fill in order to be profitable.   To learn more, visit the show notes   Get Connected! SweetLife Company: Business Consulting for EntrepreneursSweetLifePodcast on InstagramSweetLife Podcast & Co. on Facebook SweetLife Insiders Community

What topics or guests would you like to hear about on The Mark Struczewski Podcast? Take my survey and tell me!    Amber De La Garza is The Productivity Specialist! Amber is a sought-after coach, trainer, speaker, writer, host of the Productivity Straight Talk podcast, and creator of S.T.O.P.! The Entrepreneur's Success Solution. She helps driven entrepreneurs execute actionable solutions to maximize profits, reduce stress, and make time for what matters most!   On this episode with Amber De La Garza: opportunity antennas, Amber's #1 productivity tip, brain dumping, how to reduce the feeling of overwhelm with daunting goals, how to help your podcaster's loneliness.   Where you can find Amber: Her website Her podcast Facebook Page Facebook Group Instagram   What did you think of this episode? I want to know. Go to MarkStruczewski.com/amber and leave a comment.   To leave feedback about the podcast or give suggestions for ideas for future episodes (including guests you'd like to hear me interview), go to MarkStruczewski.com/mypodcast or email feedback@markstruczewski.com. If you are looking to take your productivity to the next level or if you are interested in bringing me in to speak at your event, visit MarkStruczewski.com. Take my Podcast Survey. Follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram. Subscribe to my weekly Next Level Productivity Digest newsletter. If you love the show, share it with a friend on Apple Podcasts.

Amber De La Garza is The Productivity Specialist! Amber is a sought-after coach, trainer, speaker, writer, host of the Productivity Straight Talk podcast, and creator of S.T.O.P.! The Entrepreneur’s Success Solution. She helps driven entrepreneurs execute actionable solutions to maximize profits, reduce stress, and make time for what matters most. In our conversation together, we jam on the biggest misconceptions that are around productivity and profitability when you are scaling and wrapped up in way too much day to day activities. Resources Mentioned: FREE Download: STOP Screwing Your Productivity Today Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck Profit First by Mike Michalowicz   Where you can find Amber:   Website Podcast Facebook Page Facebook Group Instagram    

In this episode, I dive into why it’s so important for entrepreneurs to take breaks even when you feel like you don’t have the time, how breaks actually increase your productivity, and ways you can fit breaks into your schedule. I also discuss the types of breaks that best serve your energy levels and divulge my top tips and creative techniques for taking productivity-increasing breaks. As a bonus, previous Productivity Straight Talk guest Mariah Secrest Comer chimes in to offer some actionable ideas for simple work breaks that can improve your health. I hope you’ll enjoy my episode on taking breaks and encourage you to start scheduling them into your routines. Now let’s get to the straight talk! What You’ll Discover In This Episode: Why Daily Breaks Are An Absolute Necessity For Entrepreneurs Tips For Making Time For Breaks When You Just Don’t Have Time The Types Of Breaks That Relax You, Refuel You, Reenergize You, And Help You Refocus A Proven Method Of Successfully Creating Effective Work / Break Cycles So Much More! Important Resources & Links From This Episode: FREE Master Class: The Busy Entrepreneur’s Boss Body Shortcuts Episode 026 | Why Fitness For Entrepreneurs Is Essential For Success Professionally + Personally with Mariah Secrest-Comer Article: Gimme A Break! Who Has The Time? Article: Warning: This May Cause Increased Productivity

Many of the activities you engage in, although (possibly) well-intentioned, actually hinder you from achieving far more. They cost you time, money, energy, lost opportunities, and clients! Amber De La Garza is The Productivity Specialist! Amber is a sought-after coach, trainer, speaker, writer. She is the host of the Productivity Straight Talk podcast. Amber helps entrepreneurs take consistent, massive, focused action in business. She equips them with the specific techniques needed to reduce stress, increase profits, make more time for what matters most, and achieve their vision of success.

The term funnel is thrown around quite a lot in the online space and it is the process by which businesses gain trust and earn clients. The top of the funnel is a geared towards a large pool of potential clients and each step of the funnel moves some potential clients into your paid client sphere or allows them to drop off. Let's consider each step in a funnel as a conversion. The first step of the funnel, before anyone ever enters is awareness – this could be in the form of referrals, interviews, content marketing, articles, social media or paid advertising to name a few. Once someone is aware of your business they may enter the top of the funnel by signing up for your email list in exchange for a checklist or a worksheet or a challenge or a webinar link or a virtual summit ticket or anything else that has value and is easy to distribute The top of your funnel could even be subscribing to your podcast or joining your Facebook group, LinkedIn group, conversing with your Facebook page via messenger or Slack channel. These methods will be discussed in a future episode. Later in today's episode we'll discuss the top of funnel tech that is based around email address exchange. Near the top of your funnel are also small products or one time services, booking a consultation or limited or trial access to a membership site. People who “convert” at the earlier stages are more likely to see all that your business can offer and then invest in more products and services with you. Marketing specialists and strategists focus on helping businesses get more people into the top of the funnel and guide them swiftly towards a product or service. Next week's episode of the Tech of Business podcast is with Mikael Dia who started funnelytics.io which is a software tool to visually map and understand funnels in your business… which is part of the reason we're doing a deep dive into funnels today (I kinda wanted to make sure that next week's episode had relevance for you!) The power of a funnel is to nudge your audience to the next level. I know that this works because I've seen it work on myself. Let's take my friend Amber De La Garza and her podcast Productivity Straight Talk. I was listening to episode 59: Email Inbox Insanity: How to Tame it Then Maintain It – anyway, I was listening to her episode where she shared her 5 simple email decisions and mentioned that on the shownotes there is a download called “5 Simple Email Decisions Desktop Sign” that I could actually print out and put on my desk – so that every time I head into my inbox I will know exactly how to tackle the new items. She hooked me on that one, and I went to her shownotes, downloaded and printed out the sign and posted it on my desk. Amber's freebie is the top of a funnel. From there, I could decide that I need a productivity coach or to purchase something else from her. While I already trusted her insight, the download renewed my trust and puts her top of mind. Every day when I sit down to tackle my inbox, I have a reminder of that trust. At present, I'm sitting in Amber's funnel – excited to see where she takes me next. OK, so now it's time to talk about the technology that goes into the top of the funnel. As I said before, for today, we're going to focus on email address exchange for top of funnel and it consists of three facets: Opt-in or Landing page Email marketing system Delivery The opt-in or landing page is simply the name provided to the page that describes the value exchange. It includes the email collection form which ties it to the email marketing system. This page can be created using a dedicated landing page system like LeadPages, ClickFunnels, Kartra, Instapage or any number of page builders for WordPress. This page looks different than a regular website page to the visitor because it only has one action (to take advantage of the offer) and it doesn't include navigation or other distracting elements. When building your opt-in pages, you'll want to make sure that they work well on all screen sizes. While you may not be ready to jump into Facebook ads or understanding the analytics and conversion of this page, I highly recommend adding the Facebook pixel and Google analytics code to this page. [I told myself that I wasn't going to go all technical, and that might have been a bit technical. So, if you're using a dedicated landing page system, there is likely a location within the dashboard to add these snippets. It's important, but don't let this stop you from creating the top of your funnel. If you would like to get this setup, head over https://techofbusiness.com/work-with-me/ to schedule a one time tech strategy session to get you on the right track.] Once someone completes the form on your opt-in page, their email address is entered into your email marketing system. For the user, you'll want to direct them to the next page of the funnel, which is often a thank you page that lists next steps. Sometimes the freebie will be delivered right on the thank you page, other times it will be delivered via email. In the email marketing system, we'll set it up to send that new user a series of one or more emails that deliver the freebie and provide additional value. This may include a full on automatic sequence, if you've flushed out your funnel already, or it might just be the gift and then adding them to your general distribution email Please note: there are different laws and rules regarding sending promotional, informational and marketing emails. Be sure that you're crossing your T's and dotting your I's in the eyes of the law. And if you need a lawyer, my guest from Episode #2, Jamie Lieberman is fantastic – you can connect with her at https://hashtag-legal.com. I usually recommend delivering the freebie via email, rather than on the thank you page. This is because the more information we have about a user the better – by delivering the freebie via email, we can make sure that they open the email with the download in it and also see that they've clicked on the link to receive the item. Regardless of the size of your freebie, from a one-page PDF to a multi-week summit, email will be the main vehicle for guiding your new lead in your funnel. In the virtual summit space, the funnel is guiding the attendee to purchase the extended summit series. The opt-in page for a virtual summit is often a longer form invitation with multiple opportunities to opt-in for a free ticket to the summit. These are positioned strategically down the page, so that as soon as the website visitor is on board with the summit concept, they don't have to hunt for the sign up form. The thank you page for a virtual summit will provide instructions to check your inbox for important summit information and may include a number of links – ranging from sharing the summit on social media to purchasing the summit series at a deep discount. Because the user has multiple options for what to do at this point, this page is not generally considered part of the funnel. The time between signup for the summit and the summit kick-off date is called the pre-summit series. And this series has one goal: to entice the lead to purchase the summit series. It's important to mix in valuable content with the purchase opportunity or you might turn off your lead before they even get to day 1. This is why Facebook groups and content rich emails are also important elements to the funnel. And good tracking is important too – because we don't want to be selling to someone who has already bought. Let's bring this back to the funnel – to know if a funnel is working, we want to understand the numbers. How many people are landing on our opt-in page. How many people are signing up How many people are opening our email How many people are taking the next step (and the next, and the next, and purchasing something from us.) If you're running ads, then the Facebook Ads manager will be a great place to grab these numbers. Your email marketing system will provide hints. And regardless of the source of your traffic, Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager are great tools to help gain insight into how people are interacting with the funnel. Today is the best day to setup the tech side of tracking systems. This will start collecting data for you, even if you're not looking at it yet. Your future marketing department will thank you! And come back next week when we talk with Mikael of Funnelytics who has a marketing background. The week after I sit down and talk marketing technology with Eli Natoli who is a growth mentor for coaches and entrepreneurs. We're in this together – I'd love to know what tech you're rocking or exploring for your funnels. Come join us in the Tech of Business Community on Facebook at https://techofbusiness.com/community/ If you would like to email me, I can be reached at jaime@techofbusiness.com.  

The term funnel is thrown around quite a lot in the online space and it is the process by which businesses gain trust and earn clients. The top of the funnel is a geared towards a large pool of potential clients and each step of the funnel moves some potential clients into your paid client sphere or allows them to drop off. Let’s consider each step in a funnel as a conversion. The first step of the funnel, before anyone ever enters is awareness – this could be in the form of referrals, interviews, content marketing, articles, social media or paid advertising to name a few. Once someone is aware of your business they may enter the top of the funnel by signing up for your email list in exchange for a checklist or a worksheet or a challenge or a webinar link or a virtual summit ticket or anything else that has value and is easy to distribute The top of your funnel could even be subscribing to your podcast or joining your Facebook group, LinkedIn group, conversing with your Facebook page via messenger or Slack channel. These methods will be discussed in a future episode. Later in today’s episode we’ll discuss the top of funnel tech that is based around email address exchange. Near the top of your funnel are also small products or one time services, booking a consultation or limited or trial access to a membership site. People who “convert” at the earlier stages are more likely to see all that your business can offer and then invest in more products and services with you. Marketing specialists and strategists focus on helping businesses get more people into the top of the funnel and guide them swiftly towards a product or service. Next week’s episode of the Tech of Business podcast is with Mikael Dia who started funnelytics.io which is a software tool to visually map and understand funnels in your business… which is part of the reason we’re doing a deep dive into funnels today (I kinda wanted to make sure that next week’s episode had relevance for you!) The power of a funnel is to nudge your audience to the next level. I know that this works because I’ve seen it work on myself. Let’s take my friend Amber De La Garza and her podcast Productivity Straight Talk. I was listening to episode 59: Email Inbox Insanity: How to Tame it Then Maintain It – anyway, I was listening to her episode where she shared her 5 simple email decisions and mentioned that on the shownotes there is a download called “5 Simple Email Decisions Desktop Sign” that I could actually print out and put on my desk – so that every time I head into my inbox I will know exactly how to tackle the new items. She hooked me on that one, and I went to her shownotes, downloaded and printed out the sign and posted it on my desk. Amber’s freebie is the top of a funnel. From there, I could decide that I need a productivity coach or to purchase something else from her. While I already trusted her insight, the download renewed my trust and puts her top of mind. Every day when I sit down to tackle my inbox, I have a reminder of that trust. At present, I’m sitting in Amber’s funnel – excited to see where she takes me next. OK, so now it’s time to talk about the technology that goes into the top of the funnel. As I said before, for today, we’re going to focus on email address exchange for top of funnel and it consists of three facets: Opt-in or Landing page Email marketing system Delivery The opt-in or landing page is simply the name provided to the page that describes the value exchange. It includes the email collection form which ties it to the email marketing system. This page can be created using a dedicated landing page system like LeadPages, ClickFunnels, Kartra, Instapage or any number of page builders for WordPress. This page looks different than a regular website page to the visitor because it only has one action (to take advantage of the offer) and it doesn’t include navigation or other distracting elements. When building your opt-in pages, you’ll want to make sure that they work well on all screen sizes. While you may not be ready to jump into Facebook ads or understanding the analytics and conversion of this page, I highly recommend adding the Facebook pixel and Google analytics code to this page. [I told myself that I wasn’t going to go all technical, and that might have been a bit technical. So, if you’re using a dedicated landing page system, there is likely a location within the dashboard to add these snippets. It’s important, but don’t let this stop you from creating the top of your funnel. If you would like to get this setup, head over https://techofbusiness.com/work-with-me/ to schedule a one time tech strategy session to get you on the right track.] Once someone completes the form on your opt-in page, their email address is entered into your email marketing system. For the user, you’ll want to direct them to the next page of the funnel, which is often a thank you page that lists next steps. Sometimes the freebie will be delivered right on the thank you page, other times it will be delivered via email. In the email marketing system, we’ll set it up to send that new user a series of one or more emails that deliver the freebie and provide additional value. This may include a full on automatic sequence, if you’ve flushed out your funnel already, or it might just be the gift and then adding them to your general distribution email Please note: there are different laws and rules regarding sending promotional, informational and marketing emails. Be sure that you’re crossing your T’s and dotting your I’s in the eyes of the law. And if you need a lawyer, my guest from Episode #2, Jamie Lieberman is fantastic – you can connect with her at https://hashtag-legal.com. I usually recommend delivering the freebie via email, rather than on the thank you page. This is because the more information we have about a user the better – by delivering the freebie via email, we can make sure that they open the email with the download in it and also see that they’ve clicked on the link to receive the item. Regardless of the size of your freebie, from a one-page PDF to a multi-week summit, email will be the main vehicle for guiding your new lead in your funnel. In the virtual summit space, the funnel is guiding the attendee to purchase the extended summit series. The opt-in page for a virtual summit is often a longer form invitation with multiple opportunities to opt-in for a free ticket to the summit. These are positioned strategically down the page, so that as soon as the website visitor is on board with the summit concept, they don’t have to hunt for the sign up form. The thank you page for a virtual summit will provide instructions to check your inbox for important summit information and may include a number of links – ranging from sharing the summit on social media to purchasing the summit series at a deep discount. Because the user has multiple options for what to do at this point, this page is not generally considered part of the funnel. The time between signup for the summit and the summit kick-off date is called the pre-summit series. And this series has one goal: to entice the lead to purchase the summit series. It’s important to mix in valuable content with the purchase opportunity or you might turn off your lead before they even get to day 1. This is why Facebook groups and content rich emails are also important elements to the funnel. And good tracking is important too – because we don’t want to be selling to someone who has already bought. Let’s bring this back to the funnel – to know if a funnel is working, we want to understand the numbers. How many people are landing on our opt-in page. How many people are signing up How many people are opening our email How many people are taking the next step (and the next, and the next, and purchasing something from us.) If you’re running ads, then the Facebook Ads manager will be a great place to grab these numbers. Your email marketing system will provide hints. And regardless of the source of your traffic, Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager are great tools to help gain insight into how people are interacting with the funnel. Today is the best day to setup the tech side of tracking systems. This will start collecting data for you, even if you’re not looking at it yet. Your future marketing department will thank you! And come back next week when we talk with Mikael of Funnelytics who has a marketing background. The week after I sit down and talk marketing technology with Eli Natoli who is a growth mentor for coaches and entrepreneurs. We’re in this together – I’d love to know what tech you’re rocking or exploring for your funnels. Come join us in the Tech of Business Community on Facebook at https://techofbusiness.com/community/ If you would like to email me, I can be reached at jaime@techofbusiness.com.  

What separates a great speaker from a so-so one and how can you be a great one? I recently attended a 3-day conference (Podcast Movement) and took notes during the keynotes and breakout sessions on what the speakers did well and what could have been better, so you can take these tips and apply them to your own presentations. Although it was a conference for podcasters, this episode is not about podcasting - it’s about how you can be a better speaker and presenter. (But, if you are a podcaster, it will help with that too!) You’ll learn: Top takeaways from watching presenters at Podcast Movement that you can apply to your own presentations What the best speakers had in common What Pat Flynn did in his opening keynote The worst session I attended - what went wrong and how it could have been better The best sessions I attended - and what the speakers did well How a panel was structured as a 3-person presentation: Did it work? What Terry Gross of NPR’s Fresh Air did in her closing keynote that was incredibly brave   The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. At Speaking Your Brand, we help women entrepreneurs and professionals create their signature talks and gain more visibility to achieve their goals. Our mission is to get more women in positions of influence and power: on stages, in businesses, on boards, in the media, in politics, and in our communities. Check out our coaching programs and workshops at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com.   Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/81 Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/ or text the word SPEAKING to 444-999. Sign up for a Strategy Session at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/strategy. Ready to create your signature talk and framework? Email me at carol@speakingyourbrand.com or click here to schedule a call. Say hi to me on Instagram and Twitter: @CarolMorganCox. Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!   Other Podcasts, People, and Episodes Mentioned: Amber De La Garza’s Productivity Straight Talk podcast episode 63 Amber De La Garza on this podcast episode 43 Elyse Tager and Maureen Berry Jenny Melrose Episode 68: Getting Paid to Speak and Negotiating Speaker Fees Episode 69: What Event Organizers Look for in Speakers with Erin Smith Episode 57: How to Use Simple Story Structure to Create Compelling Content Episode 59: Why You Shouldn't Sell from the Stage - and What to Do Instead You can get the Feedback Form template in the download on this episode Episode 65: Writing, Publishing, and Promoting Your Book with Julie Broad Episode 71: Using Humor in Your Talks Will Get You More Speaking Gigs with Kathy Klotz-Guest Episode 55: Should You Give an Instructional or an Inspirational Talk?

Do you know what makes your approach and process unique? As a speaker and entrepreneur - whether you’re a coach, consultant, strategist, trainer, therapist, or other type of business owner - your methodology and philosophy are important components of what you do. In this on-air coaching call, I help my guest Anne Torrez find what makes her coaching approach unique, so she can better articulate her brand message, whether she’s speaking to a group, being interviewed on a podcast, or talking with a prospective client. We go deep to dig out what’s important to Anne and to find her why, which carries over into the work she does with her clients and why her clients like working with her. You’ll hear us brainstorm to come up with Anne’s brand statement: “I help [target audience] do [this] so they can [get these results].” As you listen, think about your why and what your brand statement could be. Need help clarifying your message and brand statement? Book a strategy session with me at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/strategy.   About My Guest: After completing her first triathlon as a way to improve her health, Coach Anne Torrez was hooked for the long haul. Finding a sport she was passionate about changed not only Anne’s physical health, but also drastically improved her mental and emotional outlook. Today, Anne helps runners, cyclists and triathletes all over the country to become the best athletes they can be, by creating individualized training programs that focus on consistent improvement and steady progress. Anne loves working with both beginners to help them enter the racing world confidently, as well as with experienced athletes who want to achieve the next level of competitive performance. As a wife, mom of two young kids, athlete and business owner, Anne understands how to juggle serious training with a busy lifestyle and works with each athlete to create an individualized program that will bring success in the context of real life. The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. At Speaking Your Brand, we help women entrepreneurs and professionals create their signature talks and gain more visibility to achieve their goals. Our mission is to get more women in positions of influence and power: on stages, in businesses, on boards, in the media, in politics, and in our communities. Check out our coaching programs and workshops at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com.   Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/80 Anne’s website = https://www.triityourway.com/ Connect with Anne on Instagram @triityourway and Facebook and Facebook group. Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/ or text the word SPEAKING to 444-999. Sign up for a Strategy Session at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/strategy. Ready to create your signature talk and framework? Email me at carol@speakingyourbrand.com or click here to schedule a call. Say hi to me on Instagram and Twitter: @CarolMorganCox. Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!   Other Episodes and Podcasts Mentioned: Anne Torrez on the BizChix podcast Diane Diaz on this podcast in episode 2: Taking Your Speaking to the Next Level Amber De La Garza’s Productivity Straight Talk podcast Amber was also on this podcast in episode 43: How Speaking Can Grow or Derail Your Business 5 AM Miracle Podcast

On today’s episode we are joined by Amber De La Garza, The Productivity Specialist! Amber is a sought-after coach, trainer, speaker, writer, and the host of the Productivity Straight Talk podcast. She helps entrepreneurs take consistent, massive, focused action in business and equips them with the specific techniques needed to reduce stress, increase profits, make more time for what matters most, and achieve their vision of success. “Productivity is investing your best time into your best activities,” she says and today you’re going to learn her 3 step process for figuring out what those activities are and how to use both data & intuition to create your most productive day. Connect with Amber De La Garza: Get The Stop Screwing Your Productivity Freebie!!! https://amberdelagarza.com/freebies/screw/ Website: http://www.TheProductivitySpecialist.com/ Work with Amber: http://www.TheProductivitySpecialist.com/workwithme/ Productivity Straight Talk Podcast: https://amberdelagarza.com/podcast/ --- Want a FREE DOWNLOAD of the daily planning tool we live & swear by? Sign up at the link below and the Quad Daily Planner will land in your inbox straight away. http://eepurl.com/dfSXRP --- Connect with Hilary Johnson & Hatch Tribe: Website Members Circle Instagram Facebook

Episode Show Notes jeffsanders.com/245 Learn More About the Show The 5 AM Miracle Podcast Free Productivity Resources Join The 5 AM Club! Connect on Social Media Facebook Group • Instagram • Twitter • LinkedIn Episode Summary Ready for a frank discussion about productivity? In this week's episode of The 5 AM Miracle PodcastI chat with Amber De La Garza, host of the Productivity Straight Talk podcast. We chat about coffee, kids, time blocking, early mornings, and crafting intentional quality time for your primary goal each day. Check it out! Resources Mentioned in this Episode 10 Ways You're Screwing Your Productivity [Free gift from Amber] Trello [Work more collaboratively and get more done] Amber De La Garza Amber De La Garza is a productivity specialist, as well as a sought-after coach, trainer, speaker, writer, and the host of the Productivity Straight Talk podcast. She helps entrepreneurs take consistent, massive, focused action in business and equips them with the specific techniques needed to reduce stress, increase profits, make more time for what matters most, and achieve their vision of success.

Welcome to a special Mother’s Day Episode of ProfitBoss Radio! I reached out to some friends who happen to be women, who happen to be business owners, who happen also to be mothers to ask them a few questions about motherhood. I admire each of these ladies more than words can express, and I felt very honored to have the chance to talk about motherhood and money matters. I was absolutely blown away by their responses, and I’ll admit I was a bit choked up throughout these interviews.    Today’s contributors are Emylee Williams, Courtney Townley, Amber Vilhauer, Jessica Rhodes, and Amber De La Garza. In this episode, you can expect honest answers and amazing advice from working moms who care about their families’ futures. All of these women are alike in that they prioritize time with their kids, and want to include them in experiences that will build a healthy money mindset.    Here’s to all the Mothers out there who love selflessly and teach fearlessly!    What You Will Learn In This Episode What motherhood means to me, my business, and my worldview.  How we as mothers have the ability to shape our children’s lives and empower them to take ownership of their actions.  Schedule time with your kids!  I haven’t quite figured out how to teach my daughter about money!  Emylee shares how being a small business owner and entrepreneur impacts the legacy she wants to leave for her daughter.  Why Emylee didn’t fit inside the typical Working Mom box.  Strong women create strong women.  Courtney shares how taking care of women through her business and taking care of her son go hand in hand.  Why Courtney dances with her son every day.  Amber is learning so much about the world and about her business because of the sacrifices she made for her son.  Amber wants her son to know she is present.  Jessica attributes work-life balance to being more present with her children.  All the moms agree that keeping their children in the loop with finances is extra important!  Amber invited her son to answer my questions too!  Involve your kids in your business.    Resources from the Show    Think Creative Collective http://thinkcreativecollective.com/     Grace and Grit Podcast  http://graceandgrit.com/podcast-2/   NGNG Enterprises https://ngngenterprises.com/   Interview Connections  https://interviewconnections.com/   Productivity Straight Talk  http://amberdelagarza.com/podcast/

5 Minute Success Podcast – Amber De La Garza   Here’s to your success in business and in life!   In this episode, Karen and Amber De La Garza discuss: Amber's journey to success Amber's business development Amber's commitment to get leads Amber's strategies How Amber connects to build and grow     Key Takeaways and Actionable Success Principles: Committing to getting leads is a choice you make every day, and you've got to do it even when you don't feel like it Just because your feelings aren't consistent every day, your actions can be If you can clearly communicate the best way to work with you, clients rise up to that and want to be your best client Building a business is all about relationships and that takes time If you don't have a process in place to connect and build those relationships, you've got a hole in your bucket and won't have clients that stick     “Unfortunately, I think so many opportunities run right past us because we've got the excuse that we don't have enough time." — Amber De La Garza       Join host Karen Briscoe each week to learn how you can achieve success at a higher level by investing just 5 minutes a day! Tune in to hear powerful, inspirational success stories and expert insights from entrepreneurs, business owners, industry leaders, and real estate agents that will transform your business and life. Karen shares a-ha moments that have shaped her career and discusses key concepts from her book Real Estate Success in 5 Minutes a Day: Secrets of a Top Agent Revealed.   About Amber De La Garza: As a productivity coach, speaker, trainer, and host of the Productivity Straight Talk Podcast, Amber helps entrepreneurs take consistent, massive, focused action in business by improving their personal productivity to increase their profits.   Connect with Karen Briscoe:   Twitter: @5MinuteSuccess Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/5minutesuccess/ Website: http://www.5minutesuccess.com/ Email: karen@5minutesuccess.com   Connect with Amber De La Garza:   Website: www.TheProductivitySpecialist.com         5 Minute Success Links   Learn more about Karen’s book, Real Estate Success in 5 Minutes a Day   Subscribe to 5 Minute Success Podcast   Spread the love and share the secrets of 5 Minute Success with your friends and colleagues!     Show notes by show producer: Anna Nygren     What is the name of your Company, Group, Team? The Productivity Specialist If you are a real estate agent, please let me know the Market You Serve, Volume and Units Sold in 2017, Years in Business, Team Size Non active in real estate If you are not a real estate agent, please provide a brief description of your business and/or expertise. As a productivity coach, speaker, trainer and host of the Productivity Straight Talk podcast I help entrepreneurs take consistent, massive, focused action in business by improving their personal productivity to increase their profits. Please provide your Website URL(s), and Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn handles www.TheProductivitySpecialist.com Please provide a Brief Bio that will be displayed along with your episode. Amber De La Garza is The Productivity Specialist! Amber is a sought-after coach, trainer, speaker, writer, and the host of the Productivity Straight Talk podcast. She helps entrepreneurs take consistent, massive, focused action in business and equips them with the specific techniques needed to reduce stress, increase profits, make more time for what matters most, and achieve their vision of success.

In this episode of Productivity Straight Talk, I walk you through the pivotal points of my hiring journey so you can obtain valuable insights to utilize when building your own team. I discuss numerous ways you can gain leverage in your business and at home, reveal an effective strategy to remove the stress of making a new hire, and explain the constraints you should put on yourself when contemplating hiring for another position or project. I also talk about the structure of my business including who does what, the triumphs and obstacles I faced with my hires, and what absolutely must be in my possession before making a new hire. I hope you enjoy my episode on hiring my own team and encourage you to put thoughtful consideration into your hiring strategy and every person you might hire. Now let’s jump right in and get to the straight talk! What You’ll Discover In This Episode: ✔️ How Building My Own Team Enabled Me To Grow Bigger And Faster ✔️  What You Should Outsource And How ✔️  What Constitutes A Good Hire ✔️  The Hiring Mistake Too Many Entrepreneurs Make  ✔️ So Much More! Important Resources & Links From This Episode: Profit First Zoom 035 | Productivity + Profitability: Why You Need Both To Succeed In Business 044 | Stacking Talent To Build A Top-Performing Team With Shelli Warren com

Your App Lady    Show Notes   Series 1 Episode 14   Welcome to series 1 episode 14 of the Your App Lady Podcast!   All about apps and tech that I love and use every day.   On each episode, I’ll talk about recent tech news, recommend apps that I use myself and leave you with a great tech tip.   Tech News   Wireless headphones are so frustrating. At least to me...   I have asked a million tech people to design something like Bluetooth that actually works! Well! And. All. The. Time!   My prayers have possibly been answered. Qualcomm’s updated TrueWireless Stereo includes some small but crucial updates to how headphones handle Bluetooth audio. These updates are supposed to increase the reliability of the Bluetooth connection, simplify pairing and increase battery life. The new features are available on Qualcomm’s latest QCC5100 series chips. Device manufacturers will have to build headphones that use the chip and take advantage of these features. Qualcomm says to expect devices with the updated TrueWireless Stereo tech in the second half of 2018.   For more information:   https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/2/21/17035502/qualcomm-truewireless-stereo-plus-tech-bluetooth-truly-wireless-headphones-mwc-2018   App of the Week: Trello    Trello is available for iPhones, iPads, Android phones, tablets and web browsers.   Trello is a productivity app that helps you organize all your projects. The tool is set up with boards, lists and cards that help you organize and prioritize. I think of it as hundreds of post-it notes that I have organized into columns that help me figure out what needs to be done next. The cards (like post-it notes) can be moved from column to column as you work through the project. Cards can contain due dates, tasks, checklists and tags. I love to use Trello in my business. Amber DeLa Garza of the podcast Productivity Straight Talk, is planning an online course to make use of Trello. Click here for more details:   http://amberdelagarza.com/workwithme/trello/   Tech Tip   My tech tip today is another tool. It’s not only an app but also a website:   unroll.me is a free service that lets you unsubscribe from email newsletters easily and quickly. It also takes all the subscription emails that you what to keep and rolls them into one daily email. This is a great help in taming your email.   After you unroll from the other newsletters you no longer read, subscribe to mine and stay in touch!   Thanks for listening to Your App Lady today!    Share the podcast with your friends, they’ll thank you for it!   Get our newsletter and stay up to date by clicking here.   Betsy can guide you through designing (or redesigning) your app or websites. Contact her at betsy@yourapplady.com or 713-542-8118 to get details about working with her.   Follow me   Twitter: @yourapplady   Instagram: @yourapplady   Facebook: @yourapplady   LinkedIn: @BetsyFurler   Website: www.yourapplady.com   Voice over work by John Swasey - VO Producer -281-794-6551   johnswasey@sbcglobal.net

Get ready for a fun and lively conversation! We get into the nitty-gritty of speaking in this episode: how to make sure that the speaking opportunities you say yes to are helping you reach  your goals and grow your business vs. derailing you. My guest Amber De La Garza is a productivity specialist, so we also talk about productivity tips for us as speakers and entrepreneurs. I even ask her to help me with a productivity struggle - and you’ll be surprised by her recommendation (I was!). Amber shares with us what the National Speakers Association does and how it has helped her in her speaking journey. We also talk about what it takes to get paid big money for keynotes - and why you may not want to go down that path. About My Guest: Amber De La Garza is The Productivity Specialist! Amber is a sought-after coach, trainer, speaker, writer, and the host of the Productivity Straight Talk podcast. She helps entrepreneurs take consistent, massive, focused action in business and equips them with the specific techniques needed to reduce stress, increase profits, make more time for what matters most, and achieve their vision of success. Highlights: How you can reach your business goals without being a keynote speaker (and why it may even be better) How being involved with her local chapter of the National Speakers Association has helped Amber on her speaking journey Why content isn’t received the same way in all audiences and how important it is to know your audience The difference between organization and productivity How to create a calendar that supports natural energy flows for ultimate productivity The right way to network at networking events to create opportunities (like being a podcast guest) Productivity tips, and why it’s ok to say no   Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/43 Amber’s website: http://www.theproductivityspecialist.com Amber’s podcast: Productivity Straight Talk Amber’s Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductivityStraightTalk/ Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/. Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!

In this episode, I dive into why it’s so important for entrepreneurs to take breaks even when you feel like you don’t have the time, how breaks actually increase your productivity, and ways you can fit breaks into your schedule. I also discuss the types of breaks that best serve your energy levels and divulge my top tips and creative techniques for taking productivity-increasing breaks. As a bonus, previous Productivity Straight Talk guest Mariah Secrest Comer chimes in to offer some actionable ideas for simple work breaks that can improve your health. I hope you’ll enjoy my episode on taking breaks and encourage you to start scheduling them into your routines. Now let’s get to the straight talk! What You’ll Discover In This Episode: Why Daily Breaks Are An Absolute Necessity For Entrepreneurs Tips For Making Time For Breaks When You Just Don’t Have Time The Types Of Breaks That Relax You, Refuel You, Reenergize You, And Help You Refocus A Proven Method Of Successfully Creating Effective Work / Break Cycles So Much More! Important Resources & Links From This Episode: FREE Master Class: The Busy Entrepreneur’s Boss Body Shortcuts Episode 026 | Why Fitness For Entrepreneurs Is Essential For Success Professionally + Personally with Mariah Secrest-Comer Article: Gimme A Break! Who Has The Time? Article: Warning: This May Cause Increased Productivity

Today's Guest I'm excited to introduce today's guest, Amber De La Garza. Amber is a productivity coach, trainer, speaker, and podcast host with more than 15 years of experience in real estate management, training, and coaching. About Amber Amber De La Garza is The Productivity Specialist! Amber is a sought-after coach, trainer, speaker, writer, and the host of the Productivity Straight Talk podcast. She helps entrepreneurs take consistent, massive, focused action in business and equips them with the specific techniques needed to reduce stress, increase profits, make more time for what matters most, and achieve their vision of success. Listen to this episode    What You’ll Learn The mindset you need to have in order to improve your productivity The biggest challenges people have when it comes to personal productivity and getting things done How to balance intuition and structure so you actually get things done The one question you need to ask yourself when planning your days How to implement time blocking in your system (and how time blocking actually allows you more flexibility) The two types of time blocking that will help you to get things done How to implement theme days in your schedule (and specific examples from Amber's business) How to bookend your day for success with four morning and evening routines Specific examples of how to put together your daily routines Connect with Amber Website Podcast Listen on iTunes Facebook Instagram How to Subscribe Click here to subscribe via iTunes Click here to subscribe via RSS Click here to subscribe via Stitcher Help Spread the Word If you enjoyed this episode, please head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating and a review! You can also subscribe, so you'll never miss an episode.

Margy has a fancy new title and Jess is free from her gym membership and committing to her yoga practice. Then, Jess and Margy interview one of our #RockThePodcast listeners, Amber De La Garza, who we met at Podcast Movement! Finally, stay tuned for our favorite segment: “Would You Rather... Listen To?”   Interview with Amber De La Garza:   How did you find #RockThePodcast? Amber was in her learning phase about how to be a great host and guest Googling these terms, she came accross the show!   How many podcast do you listen to? Too many!! For some shows, Amber listens to every episode, and for other shows, she downloads only episodes that are specific to what she is currently learning for her business As a productivity specialist, Amber warns against information overload from too many podcasts Amber also categorizes her shows (she uses Stitcher for Android) Margy only subscribes to My Favorite Murder Jess has cut back the number of shows she subscribes to to limit info overload   When should entrepreneurs start their day and what is the ideal morning routine? Amber calls this “bookending your day” She recommends FOUR routines- so you can stay on track but still have the flexibility to address the unexpected The four routines are: personal morning routine professional morning routine (when you hit the office) evening routine (as you leave office) nighttime/personal bedtime routine Weave little habits into these four routines There is no RIGHT time for everyone to start the day; it depends on you, your natural routine and your lifestyle                   Mindfulness practice suggests that multitasking is NOT the best way to approach tasks. How do you feel? Amber has strong beliefs about multitasking She used to take pride in her ability, and now realizes it’s a myth What we call multitasking is actually “switch tasking” and is very inefficient It can be an unconscious stress crutch and also disrespectful to people around you   Tell us about your systems for your show, Productivity Straight Talk. Amber has been launched for 3 months She stays a few episodes ahead Amber uses Trello to organize her show info Amber creates content and has her team/systems do the rest   Would you rather...LISTEN TO?! Hostile World: Exploring Our Universe OR Science Monkey Drugs and Stuff OR We Have Concerns Emotional Management OR The Self-Help Podcast Inglorious Pasterds OR Pray-As-You-Go What She Wants OR Tinder Tales Filthy Casuals OR No Time for Travel     Resources Mentioned:   Podcast Movement   Amber De La Garza   Productivity Straight Talk   support@interviewconnections.com   @interviewconnections   My Favorite Murder   Trello   Pema Chodron   The Myth of MultiTasking   Headspace     @TinderNightmares

We wander the halls of Podcast Movement 2017 in Anaheim. I provide a few takeaways of things I have learned so far, plus catch up with some of the notables who have been on our podcast before, or are starting a new podcast shortly. I was speaking on a panel this year at the Jacob's Media sponsored, "Broadcaster Meet Podcaster" event. Radio had it's biggest turnout so far, and by all accounts are slowly find a place for podcast in the radio radio toolbox. Some of the people you will meet in this episode include: Perry Michael Simon from AllAccess.com - his new podcast is on Apple Podcasts and located here. https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-evening-bulletin-with-perry-michael-simon/id1274500557?mt=2 Amber DelaGarza is the host of Productivity Straight Talk. Her new podcast is here. https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/productivity-straight-talk-how-to-improve-personal/id1239598006?mt=2 (By the way, that's Matt Cundill providing the voiceover) And Jessica Rhodes is one of the host's of Podcast Producers along with Corey Coates from Podfly, and she is the owner in http://interviewconnections.com - Jessica updates us on her progress since she appeared on Episode 6.

Welcome to Productivity Straight Talk! This is my first episode of many to come and I’m thrilled you are taking this journey with me. Saying podcasting is a passion project for me would be a huge understatement. I am beyond excited to get the word out about how productivity can help entrepreneurs take consistent, massive, focused action in their businesses. I hope you'll enjoy my introductory episode and make the effort to tune in weekly as I post more great episodes featuring strategies and tips to help you succeed as an entrepreneur. Now let’s get to the straight talk! Tune In! Productivity Straight Talk podcast’s 1st episode #000. Meet the host Amber De La Garza! What You’ll Discover In This Episode: More About Me, Your Host What You Can Expect From Productivity Straight Talk My Biggest Fear For Entrepreneurs Why I Started My Business Why My Podcast Will Help You Take Consistent, Massive, Focused Action In Your Business