Podcasts about smallbusinesss

I'm going to be honest with you: my success didn't come easy. I had to work hard for every penny, and I had to learn how to be honest with myself and with others. In this podcast, I share the story of how honesty led me to where I am today – and how it can do the same for you.With Chris Connell and Colt AmidanLinks: Listen On Spotify : https://open.spotify.com/show/7cWN80gtZ4m4wl3DqQoJmK?si=70ad5ca4f51e4accListen On Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-power-move-with-john-gafford/id1582927283Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejohngafford/Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gafford2

As an entrepreneur, you know that creating a great customer experience is essential to your success. But what many business owners don't realize is that customer experience doesn't start and stop with the sale. First you have to create trust with your audience. That's what I love about tools like Instagram Reels and TikTok. These tools can be used throughout the customer journey to interact and engage with your audience, increasing loyalty and can lead to increased profits.  I'm so excited to welcome today's guest, Brandee Gaar, Owner of Brandee Gaar Consulting. She will be sharing how to use reels to move customers through a buying journey, and repurpose on multiple platforms. Main Topics: - How to make time to fit yet another new thing into your week- Reels isn't just a fad- How to actually make money from Reels Key Takeaways:- How to make a month of reels in less than an hour a month.- How to use reels to move customers through a buying journey.- How to re-purpose your reels onto multiple platforms. 

We've all experienced celebrations with friends and family where you receive tons of thoughtful cards, though they are special, they collect over time and take up space. And maybe you feel a little guilt when it's time to throw them away. What if you could digitize your memories with an online system that will withstand the test of time? That's where Ebration comes in.  I've known today's guests, Shea and Jeff Cohen for some time now since they shared Ebration with me, the concept of transforming the way people give and receive gifts is just one piece to the puzzle. By bringing this online, it opens the door to streamline the full end-to-end cycle of the planning process from one digital platform. E-Bration is catered for all types of celebrations. By tying everything together this allows the cards and messages from all life events to be treasured while building digital experiences one event at a time. Listen in as we learn about the journey to create ever-lasting memories through each of life's important milestones. Main Topics:- The value in making your memories digital- How to keep track of keepsakes over key moments in time- How to keep up with digital trends  Key Takeaways:- Save memories to look back on for years to come- The journey begins when you least expect it- Prioritize your goals

Do you ever feel like you're always playing catch-up when it comes to your finances? You're not alone. A lot of entrepreneurs feel that way, especially when it comes to cash flow. It's important to be strategic with your spending and make sure that you are always bringing in more revenue than you are spending.  Our guest today, Andrea Jenson, CEO of The Cash Flow CFO, is going  to share with us all about why managing cash flow is so important, the most common mistakes business owners make and tips for helping business owners manage their cash flow.  Main Topics: - Why is managing cash flow so important - The most common mistakes you see business owners making that keep them from growing- Tips for helping business owners manage their cash flow Key Takeaways: - Have a money vision that aligns your personal life with your business life.- Set up a budget framework/system so as to be empowered to scale your business with confidence and facts. - Pay attention to your money trends so as to avoid unexpected cash crunch when big expenses

If you're an entrepreneur, you know the importance of creativity in business. Creative ideas can help you stand out from the competition and attract customers. But how do you go about building a creative business on an online platform?  Be open to new ideas and don't be afraid to try something different, let your creativity flow and encourage creativity in your team members. Today's guest, Christina Scalera, Owner & CEO of The Contract Shop will be sharing with us all about why you may want to consider an online store for your creative business and the top tips to make your creative business a success! Main Topics:- Why service providers should consider an online store instead of the course model- The biggest mistakes creatives are making with their online shops- How to you avoid overwhelming shoppers in your digital shop Key Takeaways:- Digital products can be much more efficient than offering courses to your clients- Your digital products can become the backbone of a marketing strategy that is 100% profitable from start to finish!- Digital shops give you the freedom to work from anywhere and wake up to consistent funds in your bank account. 

Are you thinking about publishing a book? The publishing industry can be confusing for authors who are trying to understand how it works and what they need to do in order to get their book published. It is important to keep in mind that the publishing landscape is constantly changing, so it is important to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and developments.  This includes understanding the different types of publishers, how the submission process works, and what you can expect once your book is published. By knowing what to expect, you can make informed decisions about your publishing options and achieve the best possible outcome for your book.  I'm so excited to share today's guest, Rea Frey, CEO of Writeway, who will be sharing all about the publishing industry, tips for getting started when writing a book and some key things authors should keep in mind.  Main Topics: - What goes into a successful book proposal- What to know about the publishing industry before becoming a writer- Tips for getting started writing a book Key Takeaways: - Learning the ins and outs of the publishing world- Why a book proposal is important- Confidence is essential to enter into the publishing world as an author    More About Our Guest: Rea is the CEO of Writeway and the multi-published, award-winning bestselling author of three suspense novels and four nonfiction books. What started out as a simple writing coach side hustle based on referrals quickly scaled to a multiple six-figure business (Writeway) and landed 10 clients top literary agents and book deals in less than a year. Rea uses her 15 years in the publishing industry to simplify the information and offer in a straightforward way. Whether you want to write a book, sell a book, or promote a book, her company Writeway assists and guides in the process. Simply put, she is the expert of all things book writing and book publishing! Rea is also the co-host of The Writeway Podcast.

It's no secret that the business landscape is constantly changing. In times of uncertainty, it can be tough to know how to accelerate your business. However, with strategic and creative approaches, you can make sure your business stays ahead of the curve. Today's guest, Claus Raasted, founder of College of Extraordinary Experiences, is sharing with us all about how to be a true creative and innovate during tough times.  Main Topics: - Why senior creatives do role-play- How anyone be a true creative- How to innovate during tough times Key Takeaways: - Creativity happens through deep focus.- Being in a room with other creatives is crucial - Mistakes happen

As business owners and entrepreneurs, chances are you're always looking for new and innovative ways to grow your business. One strategy that can be very effective is launching a membership program.  Membership programs allow your customers to become members to become a part of something bigger, sharpen their skills and receive exclusive benefits in return. There are many different ways to structure a membership program, so it's important to design one that fits your business needs and goals! I'm so excited to have our guest, Lisa Prinic, Owner of Scaling Deep who will be sharing with us all about how to build a membership program for your business! Main Topics: - Why memberships are so popular and making a resurgence- How to overcome the 'obstacles' of starting a membership - How to design a membership model based on your zone of genius AND clients' desired results. Key Takeaways: - What makes a successful membership model so you can effectively evaluate whether it's a right fit for you as you grow your creative business?- How to determine the right place for a membership in your business.   More About Our Guest: ​​Lisa helps impact-driven business owners dive deep into their unique value and business models to build sustainable & profitable brands. She helps them simplify & package their offers, increase their visibility with bolder messaging & strong positioning and scale with membership programs. She is a trained business strategist and the host of the Scaling Deep Podcast. Lisa is a results-oriented, deep thinker who has a knack for “seeing” the value of each business and turning that into a pipeline of ideal clients. A staunch believer in business simplicity and intention, Lisa helps her clients accomplish their goals by focusing on what to do AND what to ignore.

Launching a business is no easy task, and funding it can be even harder. That's where crowdfunding comes in: by crowdfunding your business, you can pre-sell products or services to interested investors and get the startup cash you need. But before you launch your campaign, there are a few things you need to know.  I'm excited to share guest, Dan Demsky, founder of Unbound Merino, who is sharing all his tips for how to get a product off the ground using crowdfunding and how it is possible to start a hyper successful business even if you are creative at heart. Main Topics: - How to get a product off-the-ground using crowdfunding- What it's like to start and run a company with your best friends- How to scale a direct to consumer (D2C) business, and more! Key Takeaways: - It's possible to still use crowdfunding to start, scale and gain serious traction.- It's possible to start a hyper successful business even if you are creative at heart.- It's possible to run a company with your friends without going insane.  More About Our Guest: Unbound Merino was created by three lifelong friends. We spent our high school days taking road trips across America to see our favorite bands. Every time we came home, all we could think about was saving enough money for the next big adventure. It didn't take long until we turned our sights on the rest of the world. Like many seasoned travelers, we were drawn to the incredible natural benefits of Merino wool. The fabric was perfectly suited for travel, but it was typically designed as high performance outdoor activewear, with flashy logos and unnecessary embellishments. Sure, it performed great on a hike, but we wanted something that did that and also looked great at a restaurant, in a museum, at a rock concert and out on the town. After years of researching, designing, and prototyping - we partnered with industry leaders to create the most stylish, versatile and highest performing Merino wool clothing that's made specifically for travel and everyday life. Our purpose is to create simple, high performance clothing that is versatile enough for any occasion. Today, Unbound Merino is worn by countless fellow travelers all over the world. Our clothing is designed to help pack and own less so you can focus your energy on the experiences that matter most. Our promise is freedom through simplicity.

As an entrepreneur, it's important to understand what your customer wants. After all, you're in business to serve them! But sometimes it can be challenging especially when they don't always know what they need.  There are some simple changes you can make to your messaging/branding/strategy that can have a big impact. Communicating with the brain's natural rules of decision making is a game changer when it comes to knowing your customer. I'm so excited to share today's guest, Melina Palmer, CEO of The Brainy Business who will be sharing with us all about how to know what your customer wants. Main Topics: - What is behavioral economics- The top 5 wording mistakes businesses make- Why behavioral economics should matter to businesses and individuals Key Takeaways: - The brain doesn't work the way you think it should (99% of decisions made by the subconscious)- Communicating with the brain's natural rules of decision making increases conversions and makes it easier for people to buy from you.- There are some simple changes to your messaging/branding/strategy you can make that don't have to cause a lot of money, but can have a big impact.

It's no secret that finding and training team members for your business can be challenging. Sometimes it doesn't feel like there is enough time in the day to search, nevermind onboard someone. And then once you have your new team member trained the real test comes along when you see their performance.  Placing team members in specific roles based on their personality type is the best way to ensure they will be successful.  I'm so excited to share today's guest, Hiliani Ellis, founder of Exceptional Admins who will share with us the top things to look for when searching for team members. Main Topics: - How working with an assistant is for the betterment of your business and life- Advice Hilani would give her younger self- How to discover your daily purpose   Key Takeaways: - Easy to digest insight into working with an assistant. - Special tips to be a better boss/leader. - Reminder to work on your business, not in your business.  More About Our Guest: Hilani is a well-known ambassador for the administrative profession. Her depth of expertise stems from working for over a decade as an executive assistant. Her previous roles were anything but ordinary. It's the dynamic job circumstances that helped Hilani build a unique foundation, atypical of traditional executive assistant roles. Later in her career, Hilani transitioned from her position as an executive assistant and launched a specialized headhunting and facilitating firm.

If you've been following me for a minute, you know that I am OBSESSED with saving time through calendar blocking and time management tools. Being present and focused on the task in front of you is so important! As entrepreneurs we can find ourselves pulled in many different directions. But prioritizing tasks is the key to GSD! Calendar blocking provides you with the balance that is essential to running a successful business.  Today's guest, Leo Tumwattana, Co-founder & CEO of Sorted, an application that combines your tasks, calendar events and notes into a unified timeline so you can hyper-schedule your entire day in one place. He will be sharing with us all his top time saving tips! Main Topics: - How to main an efficient schedule- The definition of hyper-scheduling- Tips to calendar blocking Key Takeaways: - The ROI of task management isn't linear. You need to balance how much you focus on task management and actually doing the task.- We all have 24 hours in a day- Scheduling your day is the path to gaining more focus and reducing stress.  More About Our Guest: Leo is the Cofounder and CEO of Sorted. Before starting Sorted, Leo helped turn around a retail clothing company and took it public, did an MBA, worked as an executive at Louis Vuitton, took a sabbatical, traveled around, worked on a few startup ideas, and taught coding at General Assembly. That's where he met Harry, and together they cofounded Sorted.

Building a business is no easy task and at times it can be overwhelming. There's so many things to think about and consider, but one of the most important things to do before anything else is to establish values for your business.  No matter what kind of business you have or want to create, this step will help you attract the clients you want and will establish a solid company culture. Creating a values-based company should always come first because it helps make sure every other decision you make aligns with who you are as an entrepreneur.  I'm excited to share today's guest, Erica Courdae, DEI Coach and Consultant, Founder and CEO of Silver Immersion Beauty Salon. She will be sharing with us how to build a values based business. Main Topics: - The definition of an “imperfect ally”- Strategies to use in business to ensure all clients feel welcome- What it means to optionalize your values Key Takeaways: - Simple, first steps to take if you feel like you're late to the ‘diversity and inclusion' conversation- Mistakes podcasters and content creators make that drive tokenism (even when the intention is to amplify BIPOC voices)- The difference between implicit and explicit values -- and how you can weave yours into your social media content, newsletters, and more 

We are told our entire lives to play small and to make others happy before ourselves. But the problem with playing small is that it leaves us feeling unfulfilled and without the abundance we want in life.  When you're unapologetically you, there's no need for apologies or excuses because when you're being true to yourself, there's nothing wrong with who you are. If authenticity is what you crave most in your life then this podcast episode is for you! Embracing your uniqueness can lead to greater success in every aspect of your life! I'm so excited to share guest, Petia Kolibova, CEO of Petia Kolibova who will be sharing all about how you can create abundance in your life.  Main Topics: - How you can create abundance- How do you find yourself- The routines and rituals that change the way you feel or think Key Takeaways: - You are perfectly made for your purpose- Be the energy you want to attract in your life- What would your higher self do? 

Have you ever really thought about it? Your strategy vs. your capacity? You may have curated and designed the best strategy in the world for your business, but if your capacity isn't there, the strategy cannot be implemented to it's fullest potential. We all know we need to manage our time, but when it comes to actually doing it, we tend to draw a blank.  I'm so excited to share today's guest Lisa Fabrega, Leadership Coach or Lisa Fabrega International. She will be sharing with us all the ways to increase your energy and power, how to overcome scarcity mentality and essential boundaries every business owner needs to create.  Main Topics: - The six ways successful women subconsciously drain their energy and power- Signs of scarcity mentality - Essential boundaries every entrepreneur needs to create Key Takeaways: - Places you feel stuck are often not strategic issues, but capacity issues.- Emotional Labor aka lack of Boundary Capacity can be the source of your burnout.- Wanting to quit your business or constantly changing your business model is a purpose capacity issue, not a business model issue. 

As business owner, you are always thinking about how to grow your business. But do you know what is one of the most important considerations for success? Your mindset. It's not enough to have an idea or even skills that are needed in today's business landscape; you need a growth mindset that will help ensure you achieve your goals and reach new heights.  I'm so excited to share guest, Margy Feldhuhn who will be sharing why mindset is so important in terms of personal growth and transformation, the power of sharing your story and what steps business owners can take when building a strategy.  Main Topics: - The Importance of Knowing Your Numbers- Personal Growth and Transformation- The Power of Sharing Your Story  Key Takeaways: - How have grief and loss can empower you as an entrepreneur - Knowing your numbers will transform your business- What steps business owners should take with beginning a strategy

What are the qualities of a great leader? It is not always about being charismatic or having good people skills, but it's important to have confidence in yourself. Leadership can be challenging so establishing a collaborative and competitive team is essential.  Having a competitors mindset is important to keep up with your niche's changing landscape in order to innovate. If you are looking to grow your business through leadership, this episode is for you.  I'm so excited to share guest, Brain Covey, VP of Loan Depot, who will be sharing all about how to build a team that encourages growth.  Main Topics:- How to be empowered by a failure mindset- Leadership- Building a team that encourages growth Key Takeaways:- Setbacks can turn into setups for success- Competition becomes collaboration- Always learning and growing matters

Finding your niche is one of the most important steps in starting a business. You want to find something that you are passionate about and that people will be interested in. While there is no clear cut way to do this, defining your uniqueness is a good first step on your journey. Our guest today, Jonathan Tuttle, Founding Director of Revenue Ascend is going to share with us his journey on finding his niche through his unique real estate knowledge and what steps you can take to discovering your niche! Main Topics:- Unique ways to invest in real estate- Digital marketing trends- How to find value in unlikely places Key Takeaways:- Be unique when finding your niche- How to invest in real estate so you can split your time amongst different places- The riches are in the niches

As entrepreneurs and business owners, we may find ourselves in a unique position to give back and make a difference. Many times not quite knowing how to get started.  You first have to evaluate what works for you and your business and how you can use your time,  resources and skillset to make the biggest impact.  I'm so excited to welcome today's guest, Kris Putnam, President and Global Philanthropy Advisor of Putnam Consulting Group. She is going to share with us everything you want to know about giving back! Main Topics:- The top mistakes most donors make- The one thing all philanthropists should be doing today - How to you help your clients Key Takeaways:- Most funders are delusional (but not crazy!)- Effective philanthropic giving starts by asking the right questions- The top donors seek help from top advisors and coaches 

Do you have a strategy? Like a real goal driven strategy when it comes to creating and sharing content? If you, answered “why do I need a strategy” this episode is for you! It can be challenging to know where to start, but with the right tools and information you will be creating consistent content in no time!  Our guest today is Mark Savant, founder of Mark Savant Media, if you are looking to build your brand and reach people online, he can help! Listen in as we talk about focusing the power of strategy to create consistent content. Main Topics: Podcast Growth Tactics Repurposing Content for Social Media Power of Video Collaborations Key Takeaways: Podcasting is Powerful Social Media is Your Storefront Do You Want to Trade Time or Money? More About Our Guest: Mark Savant is a digital media expert and social media agency owner. He helps people create better content in less time. Mark focuses on the power of video collaborations to help clients create constant social media presences in less than 1 hour a week. His YouTube channel has over 600,000 views. His podcast, the After Hours Entrepreneur features top digital marketing and media experts.  If you're looking to build your brand and reach people online, Mark Savant can help.

You've probably heard the saying “expect the unexpected” and being a business owner is no exception! Every entrepreneur faces unexpected challenges and obstacles. These challenges can be both big and small, and they can come from any direction at any time. Pivoting is hard, but if you do it right it can change everything for the better! It will likely take some sweat and tears to get there, but when you overcome the challenges and look at your business on the other side of pivoting, all your hard work will all make sense.  I'm so excited to share this week's guest, Eman Pahlavani, Founder & COO of HUNGRY a food tech startup that has innovated to meet a need and grow their business in ways they never would have imagined! Main Topics: How HUNGRY was born How to use your platform to give back during hard times How to pivot and then grow even more afterwards Key Takeaways: Pivoting is hard as hell...but if you do it right, it can save everything. Take care of your employees during scary times. It's critical to keep morale high when things look apocalyptic. Figure out what motivates you and focus on it. Figure out what motivates your team and get them to focus on that.  More About Our Guest: Eman Pahlevani is a successful D.C.-based serial entrepreneur. After graduating from law school in 2012, he and his brother Shy Pahlevani founded LiveSafe - a venture backed mobile app company that crowd sources safety intelligence. The brothers teamed up with long time friend and business partner Jeff Grass to successfully grow LiveSafe into a global enterprise. Over the next five years, the trio would raise more than $30 million dollars for LiveSafe and take the brand international. Later in 2017, Eman, Shy and Jeff again teamed up to create food-tech platform HUNGRY - the first ever online marketplace connecting local top chefs with businesses in need of office catering. The company grew quickly from a $1 million dollar run rate to nearly $20 million dollar run rate in less than 24 months. HUNGRY began launching in new markets earlier this year and today operates in D.C., Philadelphia, Atlanta, Boston and NYC. Throughout his startup career, Eman has been recognized as one of D.C.'s top entrepreneurs. Eman currently resides in the Washington D.C. area where HUNGRY is also based.

There is a lot of pressure on entrepreneurs to be successful, and there's many roads to success. You may start down one path and find yourself on a totally different route down the road.  It can be challenging not knowing everything all at once, but when we embrace our individuality and uniqueness, everything else falls into place. Today, I'm so excited to share our guest Erin King, Founder of Socialite. She is a best-selling author and 3x entrepreneur, who is going to share with us all about how to embrace who you've been, who you are and who you are destined to become… no matter what the world tells you. Main Topics: - When your inner GPS is telling you to take a different route – how do you respond?- When you find yourself at a personal or professional crossroads - where do you turn for answers? Exactly how do you get unstuck?- When you find yourself in a challenging situation- do you gravitate towards the comfortable, even when you know you should level up?  Key Takeaways: - Audacity: how to embrace who you've been, who you are and who you are destined to become- no matter what the world tells you- Courage: how to identify and overcome the obstacles keeping you stuck and holding you back - - Leadership: how to develop and deploy concrete action steps for you and your team to ignite powerful progress towards your biggest goals and decisions  More About Our Guest: Erin King is a best-selling author, 3x entrepreneur and the CEO of the Socialite Agency. She's helped clients ranging from The Academy Awards in Hollywood to The United States Navy at the Pentagon communicate more compellingly using her award-winning PUB method. She is the author of “Digital Persuasion” and “You're Kind of a Big Deal” which both draw from her personal and professional experiences having founded three companies before the age of 40. Off-duty, you can find her either mountain biking with her husband Hartman, Facetiming with her huge, crazy Irish family, or being an annoyingly extra dog mom to a cavapoo named Betty White.

Show of hands, are you managing multiple brands? It's no surprise that managing multiple brands is challenging. Some may even call this being a “serial entrepreneur”, but with the right plan you can achieve success in all of your brands! The key is to find the right balance between time spent on each different aspect of your companies. I'm so excited to share today's guest, Dixie Bagley, owner of The Farm in Rome, GA. Dixie is going to share with us her organizational process behind managing multiple brands, how to know that you are ready for growth, and what to do to ensure that your brands work off of each other. Main Topics: - The organizational process behind managing multiple brands- How to know that you're ready for growth- What you should do to ensure that your multiple brands can work off of each other Key Takeaways: - Businesses need more than efficient management they need organic, timely content and someone to engage with each audience effectively- Balance your brand identities while serving customers through various avenues- Having a solid team is essential to growing and managing multiple brands

Building a profitable online business can be challenging. But remember if it were easy everyone would do it. There are so many different and competing ideas and methods that it's difficult to know where to focus your time and energy.  There are some key tips to making sure your online business is not only successful, but also financially sound. I'm so excited to share this week's guest, Parker Steven, Partner and Cheif Business Officer of Evolved finance. He will be sharing his top tips to building a more profitable and financially stable online business.  Main Topics: - How can an online business owner make their finances easier and less stressful?- What are the most important expenses an online business owner needs to be monitoring? - How much should an online entrepreneur be paying themselves?  Key Takeaways: - Keep your business and personal finances separate.  - You need a better bookkeeping system- Making sure you're getting a monthly salary each month is so crucial 

The future of business is changing and business owners are faced with the decision to stay where they are or adapt to the changes and grow. If you're an entrepreneur looking to scale your business, but technology is holding you back, I promise you there are ways to grow your company, no crazy coding or complex technology required! The key is making the choice to step out of your comfort zone, take the plunge and dive into all that running modern day business offers. There's so many things that can help you increase your productivity and get your time back!  Get ready, because today's guest, Caroline Creidenberg, founder and CEO of Wedfuly, is sharing with us how you can scale your business, no coding required! Main Topics: What tools Wedfuly uses in its no code operations back end Ways entrepreneurs can implement this in their own business Why to choose this path even if you have the skillset to code Key Takeaways: You don't have to code to build out a sophisticated operations system for your company Automate when and where you can - it'll allow you to focus on more important things Everything is a prototype until it's not - no code allows you to move quickly and not get too precious about anything. It allows you to move fast in a smart way! 

Have you ever thought of writing a book? You have all kinds of history and experience that has gotten you to where you are today and you want to share it with the world, to help those who are going through their own similar journey. Becoming a successful author is not an easy feat, but it's possible! Sometimes to become a successful published author, it requires some major help and guidance from the experts! Telling your story and putting it into words can be challenging, but there are options available to help you along the way! I'm so excited to share our guest today, Jyotsna Ramachandran, Founder & CEO of Happy Self Publishing. She will be sharing with us why authors need not be writers, building and author funnel and converting readers into clients.  Main Topics: - How authors can land their first TEDx Talk- How authors who are not writers can finish their manuscripts- The top mistakes authors make while trying to self publish Key Takeaways: - Turning on the Author Switch- Building an Author Funnel- Converting readers into clients More About Our Guest: Jyotsna is a bestselling author, book publisher, TEDx speaker, and is an international Author Success Coach who helps coaches, trainers, speakers, and experts to build a super-profitable author funnel with the help of their book. She founded Happy Self Publishing to help overwhelmed, yet purpose-driven authors experience a transformative journey of self-discovery through the process of publishing their book and amplifying their message. So far, Jyotsna has helped over 400 authors from 35 different countries through her global publishing agency, Happy Self Publishing. While Jyotsna isn't working, this mom of 2 kids also loves to dance, run, plan her next solo trip, and is a passionate advocate for educational rights. 

The life you love is not a dream. It won't always be easy, but it's possible! If you want to create a life that works for you and not against you, if you want to change your life, you have to change your mind first.    We all have the same 24 hours in a day, and it's up to you to make the most of it. When you're looking for ways to create the life you love, you may need to take the time to assess what roadblocks you need to overcome and get rid of anything that is standing in your way of achieving your goals.   I'm excited to share with you our guest Renee Bauer, Owner, Attorney, Author and Podcast Host of Happy Even After, LLC. Renee is dedicated to educating people to make to the otherside of divorce and into their next chapter and helps them embrace the power to create a life they love.   Main Topics: Divorce is so overwhelming – where does someone even begin? How do you know when it's time to file for divorce? What does a successful divorce look like?  Key Takeaways: You have the power to create a life you love.  There isn't any shame in saying "good enough" isn't good enough.  Our stories are meant to be messy and your divorce is just one moment in your full, messy life 

Ever feel like you are spending more time writing content than actually sharing it? You're not alone. It's hard to keep up with the demand for fresh, relevant content, especially when you have a tight deadline and competing priorities.  Live streaming can be a great way to get back on track by giving your followers what they want. An engaging experience that isn't just another article or company blog post. With livestreams, followers can see you or your product in action. Because livestreams are interactive (think Q&A sessions), viewers will come away with tangible takeaways that they'll remember long after the broadcast is over. I'm excited to share our guest, Christoph Trappe, Founder of Voxpopme who is sharing all about how to get more out of your content through live streaming.  Main Topics: How can live streaming help you get your brand out there? How would you tie it into your overall strategy? Should every brand livestream? How can live streaming help with building authentic brand experiences?  Key Takeaways: Live streaming tips as they relate to podcasting especially  Tips on how to start and keep going Top equipment recommendations

The world is changing. The economy is shifting, social media has changed the way we communicate and technology has made everything more accessible. As entrepreneurs and business owners in today's society - you have to be able to change with it or get left behind.  Building a brand is no easy task, and it can be even tougher when the economy changes. It's important to look at branding from an entrepreneurial perspective by identifying your target audience and creating a message that resonates with that client avatar.  I'm so excited to share today's guest Deb Gabor, CEO and founder of Sol Marketing who will be sharing with us what irrational loyalty is, how the best brands in the world create irrational royalty and the key to rapid and focused scaling for growth organizations. Main Topics: The Definition of Irrational Loyalty How the best brands in the world create Irrational Loyalty The key to rapid and focused scaling for growth organizations Key Takeaways: Understand how to "hack" Maslow's hierarchy to grow your brand Learn about the power of the Ideal Customer Archetype and how that provides relentless focus as organizations grow Unlock the Three Questions every brand needs to ask in order to become one of the Best Brands in the World  More About Our Guest: “Leading Expert" doesn't come close to describing Deb Gabor's passion for brands. More accurate? Brand Guru. Brand Impresario. Brand ​Evangelist​. She's written the book on branding (twice!) with bestsellers ​Branding is Sex​ and ​Irrational Loyalty​. She's the founder and CEO of​ ​Sol Marketing​, a strategy-led marketing firm obsessed with solving major business and branding problems for clients in every industry. Companies throughout the world use Deb's Brand Values Pyramid, Ideal Customer Archetype, and “Brand Swagger Questions” to align their teams and articulate their brands to audiences. Deb and her team at Sol Marketing have introduced her revolutionary brand strategy for organizations ranging from international household names like Allrecipes, The Associated Press, Dell, Microsoft, NBC Universal, NPR, NTT Data, and Siemens, to exciting emerging brands like hint water and Indagare. Deb also lends her brand authority with frequent contributions and commentary to major news outlets such as Entrepreneur, Forbes, FORTUNE, Inc., MediaPost, New York Times, NPR, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post. Business and marketing organizations regularly call on Deb as a keynote speaker and workshop leader, relying on her as an inspiration for executives to embrace the power of branding to create Marketing That Sells. 

AI is an acronym for Artificial Intelligence. The definition of AI is the theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and translation between languages. AI can be used in many aspects of a business and there are various types of artificial intelligence.  The future is now. It's time to get ahead of the curve and start implementing AI into your business. AI has been around for a while, but only recently have we seen its massive potential in driving revenue. It's time to take advantage of this technology before it becomes mainstream and everyone else does too! I'm so excited to share today's guest, Robert Turley, President, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of White Rabbit Intel. He will be sharing with us all about AI systems including the one he created to help business' sales and marketing teams to know more, win more, and close often. Main Topics: Defining sales enablement and how technology enables predictable growth at scale Why it is important to maintain an optimistic and confidence-driven environment with sales, marketing, and customer success teams How relationship psychology directly relates to selling and business development Key Takeaways: If your company is not using sales enablement and data-driven practices, you best start now or you'll be way behind the competition Optimism and confidence is key to maintaining a successful business and the mental health for customer success Artificial intelligence enables sales and marketing teams to know more, win more, and close often More About Our Guest: Multi-faceted Designer | Entrepreneur | Strategic Relationship Builder Rob Turley specializes in creating versatile products and innovative services for the ever-changing digital landscape. Builder of strategic partner relationships, an expert at improving processes, business strategist, and executive leader, who drives critical new growth. Design-driven entrepreneurialism is my passion. I strive to always create innovative technologies that are innovative, seamless experiences both well designed and intuitive. Leading-edge technology the future holds will be the evolution of our species so I have dedicated my life to engineering the future to drive us all toward the brightest and profitable pathways while following "people first" ethics. 

Starting a business and scaling it to be sellable can seem like an impossible feat. But what if I told you that there is a proven way to build a sustainable, scalable, and sellable business?  Well then this episode is for you! I'm so excited to share our guest Michelle Seiler Tucker, who will be sharing with us insight into building a sustainable, scalable, and sellable business utilizing her proven techniques.  Main Topics Why it is important to know what type of business you own Some of the biggest mistakes business owners make Why is it important to plan your exit strategy from day one Key Takeaways: The 6 P's and why they are so important How you are able to sell businesses for more than they are worth How to build a sustainable, scalable, and sellable business

Do you want to attract more of your ideal clients? You may have tried a number of things, lead magnets, webinars, the list goes on, but now you are looking for a fresh new approach to streamlining your client's needs.  Quizzes are a great way to get your message out and know what is best for your audience and helps them feel like they know more about you before even contacting or meeting with you.  Quizzes are also an excellent way of getting feedback on how well your product works for the different types of clients that it's aimed at attracting. This will allow you to make adjustments so that everything runs smoothly when someone does contact or meet with you.  Today our guest is AnnMarie Rose, Online Business Strategist & Quiz Funnel Expert, who is sharing all the tips on why quizzes work so well for businesses looking to grow online. Whether you're looking for new clients, surveying your current clients, or even just curious about your business internally, a quiz may be the answer! Main Topics: Why quizzes work so well for businesses looking to grow online. The most common misconceptions serious business owners have about using quizzes to grow their email lists. The first step you should take if you're thinking about creating a quiz for your business. Key Takeaways: Why quizzes are one of the most powerful ways to grow your email list and attract more of the right people to your business online.  How to know if using a quiz is actually right for your business. The first step you should take if you're thinking about using a quiz for your business

Your marketing is the lifeline to your business. It's what brings new people in and keeps them coming back for more. Without a clear message and strategy, consumers can't see how you stand out from the rest. Whether you have a brand new company or are looking to grow your existing one, knowing the fundamental aspects of marketing and having a solid plan is essential to success. It doesn't have to be difficult! There are so many ways to make it fun! I'm so excited to share our guest, Tim Fitzpatrick, President of Rialto Marketing who is sharing all the marketing fundamentals so many people skip but definitely shouldn't. Main Topics:How to identify your ideal clients.How to create clear, engaging messaging.How to create a simple marketing plan you'll actually use. Key Takeaways:Don't skip the fundamentals, they lay the foundation for marketing success.Marketing shouldn't be difficult.Complexity is the enemy of results. 

If you're like me, you've put a lot of time and energy into building your business. But do you know if your business is protected legally? Protecting your business through contracts between you and your clients is as important as the actual work you do, especially when you are just starting out. It can be challenging to know where to start and what steps to take first.  Contracts are one of the most important legal documents in a business. They protect both parties with terms and conditions, and create expectations for how each party will behave. When you sign a contract with another company or individual, you're agreeing to abide by the specific set of rules outlined in that contract.  I'm so excited to share our guest Rob Schenk, founder of Wedding Industry Law. Rob is an attorney representing wedding and event industry professionals. He is sharing with us all about how to navigate the legal waters of business, what types of contracts are common in an entrepreneurial and event setting, why they're necessary, and how to use them effectively. Main Topics: Recommendations to address Covid cancellations in 2021?  Tips on keeping retainer money if client cancels for non-covid reasons?  Why you need permission to use the principal photographer's photos for your own marketing  Key Takeaways: Your contract can protect your money from Covid cancellations  Your contract can protect your money from clients getting cold feet  Your contract should address photography if you plan to use photos

What would you do if you had a chance to live your dream life? Would you go for it, or play it safe and stay where you are? Sometimes the fear of stepping outside of our comfort zone and taking risks can keep us from achieving what we truly desire in life. Risk-taking is the essence of entrepreneurship and business. When you take a risk, there's always the chance it won't work out in your favor. But taking risks can be one of the most rewarding things you do for yourself and your business. The key is to minimize risk by preparing thoroughly and being confident in what you're doing.  I'm so excited to share with you our guest Erika Rothenberger, Director of Performance Systems at Henkels & McCoy, Inc. She's going to share with us some tips on how we can take risks as business owners and entrepreneurs that will lead us closer to our dream life. Main Topics: How to next level your career How to balance it all work and home How to follow your passion and empower others Key Takeaways: Know your value Don't let fear hold you back  You live one life - create your dream life 

You want to start a business. You've been thinking about it for a while, you have an idea that is going to change the world and now you're ready to make it happen. But you want to make sure that the timing is right.  In the world of entrepreneurship, there are no shortcuts. It takes a lot of hard work to get your business off the ground and running successfully. That's why it is important to know you're not alone in this journey and sometimes the best timing is right now! Today I'm chatting with Angela Mastrogiacomo, who teaches new agency owners how to start and scale their online agency. Angela and I chat about what she says is her secret sauce to success: Conversations and Connections. Main Topics: Relationship building to gain clients + build partnerships The power of press Why getting scrappy and starting before you're ready will always lead to more results Key Takeaways: Building relationships is EVERYTHING The key to success is starting simply and scrappy and just doing it - no overthinking! There is no magic bullet - it's all about consistency, conviction, and conversations 

We are all on a journey. The business world can be one of the most challenging journeys to navigate. It can take an emotional toll and at times lead you down paths you never thought you would discover. In our fast-paced world taking time for ourselves so that we can reconnect with who we are as individuals allows us to better understand how our values align with our business.  Think of it this way: The spirit is your energy. Your energy is what you put out into the world. If you want to grow and expand in any area, then you need a strong spiritual foundation because that's where your "energy" comes from. When you have a strong spiritual foundation, good things happen - lots of them! You'll attract more clients and customers by presenting yourself as someone who understands how to find solutions for others. When we are on top of our spiritual game, we feel more connected to ourselves, other people, and the world around us. I'm so excited to share with you our guest, Adi Shakti, founder of, Soulwork, who shares with us how spirituality and business are connected and why spiritual inquiry is the foundation of worldly success and impact. Main Topics: Why is spiritual inquiry the foundation of worldly success The relationship between soulful entrepreneurship and sacred activism Why in-person events matter Key Takeaways: Spirituality is the key to success even if you aren't spiritual In-person events can change your life You can achieve success with the right tools

If you are a business owner starting out, or an established entrepreneur who is looking to update your website, this episode is for you! Websites are an important part of any company's marketing strategy. They're the first impression people get when they visit your site and can be used to promote products, services, or events. But what if you don't know how to create one? There are so many options when it comes to building a site for your business, but how do you know you are utilizing all of the tools and optimizing the experience to the fullest potential? I'm so excited to share today's guest, Gabriella Cruz, as owner of G'sign Studios she is a brand designer, website expert and the biggest cheerleader for her clients! Her passion is cheering on entrepreneurs to build their dream businesses by helping them uncover the practical and essential steps towards creating their business. Tune in as we share tips on how to make a website for your business that will not only look great but also convert visitors into customers. Gabriella will walk us through all of the steps from start-to-finish so you can build the best website for your business!  Main Topics:   How to find your passion/dream businessHow to know it's possibleWhat actions to take to get started   Key Takeaways: You have a purpose beyond that jobYour dreams are possible and attainableYou're in charge of your life and your happiness 

If you're a creative professional who is serious about making big changes in your career or business, this episode is for you! Building your business on a strong foundation is the key to success.  Our guest today is Mark McGuinness, a poet and creative coach and we are talking all about the importance of creating assets for your creative career or business. Mark's background as a psychotherapist with clients such as actors, writers, directors and creatives,  inspired his decision to create a specialist coaching service for creative professionals dealing with the ups and downs of the creative industry and how they can overcome those challenges. He created a course for creative business professionals to guide them to success and outlines how they can thrive as 21st Century Creatives.  His books, Productivity for Creative People and 21 Insights for 21st Century Creatives are popular with artists of all kinds because he provides emotional sustainability whilst also addressing professional and financial sustainability.   Main Topics:   Forget the career ladder; start creating assetsWhat is Emotional Sustainability for your career/businessHow to create Professional and Financial Sustainability for your career/business Key Takeaways: *The crucial strategy for creative professionals in the 21st century.*Why creating assets provides emotional sustainability because you are working on projects that fulfil you *How creating assets also provides professional and financial sustainability, by attracting more opportunities and income (with less effort) as time goes by. 

If you have a business, which I know pretty much all of you who are listening do, then you'll be learning from an expert about how you creatives can get yourselves together! Our guest is attorney Girija Patel, and she is going to teach us all about contracts, something that is absolutely necessary in any business. You creatives may not always think about the law side of things, but doing this stuff correctly gives you the time to focus on creating. One of the things you must understand about a contract is that it not only protects your client but also you. To protect yourself, you need to have contracts and understand them. Make sure that you know your contracts so well that you can answer any questions on them. Also, make sure that your terms are extremely detailed and that you have a moral clause. Your moral clause will give you the security of withdrawing from any transaction that is not in line with your business standards. Your contracts create legal protection for your business. Because of that crazy thing we like to call the pandemic, we all had to learn things about flexibility. Some businesses were not flexible at all, but some were. Flexibility can be really great, especially during a year like 2020, but it still causes stress and pain. To instill a little bit of flexibility in your contracts, try including a waiver clause. Remember, however, that flexibility does have a cost.  Girija and I talk about intellectual property, specifically photos. You may want to use photos from your clients or photographers for advertising. This can get messy because the photographs are actually the property of whoever takes the picture. If you contract a photographer, you can only use their photos if they give you ownership. To avoid that problem, you may want to consider having a photographer as an employee on your team.  There are so many ways in which your contracts affect your business, and they can really make or break business interactions. Start to consider contracts as legal strategies that are part of your business processes. As you solidify that process, the legal stuff will become the easy stuff so that you can focus on doing the things you love. If you want even more contract advice, check out the podcast!    Main Topics: How to protect yourself in a contract How flexible things are now All about intellectual property   Key Takeaways: “With law we need to change the narrative a bit and not make it so reactionary but more so preventative and proactionary.” “You have to, at the end of the day, kind of curate the contract for your business.” “That one (bad) client is what makes you want to have all of those clauses in there.” 

What is your communication style? How do you communicate with others? What communication challenges would you like to overcome? Setting clear communication expectations and understanding why others interact the way they do is so important to the success of a team. Today we are talking with Lauren Sikes, Founder and CEO of Truth Collecrtive all about how honest conversations save us time, energy, and heartbreak.  Lauren is a learner and a teacher. But ultimately she is a dreamer and always has been. However, somewhere along the way, she stopped dreaming. As a kid, her joy came from sports and she was a gifted young athlete and nationally ranked. However, as the accomplishments mounted, her dreams became clouded by other people's expectations, comparisons, and timelines. Thus began a decades long journey of perfectionism and fear of failure that had her playing small, underperforming, and stuck in a rut. She carried this mentality into her professional career, all to one day realize, she was tired of it all -- tired of not showing up authentically. Little by little, she began to reconnect with the dreams inside of her. As she sat around the table with her family at home and around the table with her coworkers at work, there were so many untold stories, emotions unchecked, dreams unrealized. She realized we were all fearful of our own potential and possibility. What if we started believing and started cultivating the courage to be less of what has always been and more of what could be? What if we had honest conversations? So she did something she was not in the habit of doing, she asked for an opportunity rather than waiting for one to come to her. She asked her boss to start a program for teachers and that small program turned into what is her business today. She created something that she needed. Lauren created a place where people could have honest conversations with ourselves and others. A place where people connect with their potential and possibility both individually and collectively. What she didn’t realize at the time and knows now, having honest conversations transforms the way we live and work. It is liberating and empowering. She knows this because once she started having these conversations — imperfectly no doubt — her life started to shift. Thus began the journey of tapping into potential and possibility through honest conversations and now she gets to teach others to do the same. Lauren is the CEO and founder of Truth Collective, a leadership and culture company that helps leadership teams have honest conversations that transform the way they work. Main Topics: Honest conversations save you time, energy, and heartbreak. Barriers to having honest conversations. Getting this started in your workplace.  Key Takeaways: How did you find your way into teaching people to do this and why do people struggle with honest conversations? What is your process for helping people have honest conversations? How do honest conversations save time, energy, and heartbreak? 

If you’re a business owner who feels like you’ve lost your power, our guest today is going to come in and shatter all of your doubts. She’ll help you embrace your genius and own your success! She’s really going to be your personal wrecking ball, pulling down all of the fears that are keeping you from the life you want. Our guest is Jen Coken, an expert on imposter syndrome, and we’re talking about how you can get out of your own way and gain the success you want! I’m sure you all know what imposter syndrome is, but maybe it’s difficult to see it in your own life. There are a few different types of imposter syndrome that Jen talks about, which may help you figure out if and how you are affected by it. What they all have in common is this moment in your past, usually a small experience, that made you feel like you weren’t enough. Unfortunately, this little experience may still be stuck with you and affecting your mentality. To overcome this, you’ll need to examine this experience and how it is affecting you and move past it.  If you’re a high achiever, (and I know you are because you are even reading this) then imposter syndrome may be a bigger problem for you than for most people. The more you want, the more you have to overcome. You’ll face more doubts because you have a lot more that you are working towards. So if you have lots of goals and lots of doubts, don’t worry! It’s natural.  The type of people that don’t get pulled down by their imposter syndrome are the kind of people who love solutions. We’re the solution people, the people who make things work even when they aren’t going our way. So if you’re struggling with doubts, focus on solutions. You’ll get somewhere, I promise, and it will be good.  Imposter syndrome is a big problem for a lot of you because I hear you talking about it all the time. From both Jen and I: we know you can be the powerful and successful women that you want to be. Don’t get in your own way! Take the success and profit you want! If you want to hear more on this topic, listen to the podcast! Watch out for another episode in the next few days!  Main Topics:  Imposter Syndrome Why High Achievers feel more doubt The type of people that overcome Imposter Syndrome   Key Takeaways: “We’re always trying to be like other people, fit into other people’s idea of who we should be, fit into some other mold. You know what: do it your way because when you’re doing it your way, people are attracted to you.” “If you don't have imposter syndrome, you are not playing a big enough game.”  “The only person in your way is you. So get out of your dang way!”

In the past, we have talked about content and how it can make or break your business. Today, we are going to talk about personality types and how they affect your content creation process. Understanding who you are - and those around you - is key to creating content that is tailored for specific personalities; this will take your business from surviving to thriving! Once you understand how other people think and process information, it feels like the missing puzzle piece that completes the big picture. But at GSD Creative, we don’t think of that understanding as the missing piece, but instead as the foundation for everything. In this episode, I am diving in and sharing about each of the four personality types that make up the psychology methodology we use, and how it has become the foundation of everything we do - from team communication to how we assign tasks. We even use this methodology to help us serve our clients more effectively.  If you want to know more about how this foundational part of Angela’s business works, she walks you through everything you need to know in GSD Academy. Click here to learn more about how this step by step program helps you build and grow your business.    Main Topics: Understanding team members Communication methodology and framework   Key Takeaways: Sometimes when unexpected things happen in your business - especially when communication with other team members or clients is involved - it may help to have a system to understand how others think and what they value most so you can meet them where they are. When you’re being asked to make big decisions with limited time, having a foundational system like our psychology methodology allows you to make decisions with confidence.

Today, we’re pulling back the drape and sharing some deep, deep stuff with you guys. We are definitely not holding back today, so you are in for a treat! Our guest is Eva Kaszychki, and together, we are talking about freedom and passion and inspiration. We are talking a lot about how much we all need a sense of purpose, so if you’re feeling a little lost right now, this is the episode for you.  When you’re searching for a sense of purpose, the first thing you should listen to is your intuition. Most of us spend our entire lives in our head, but life isn’t always logical. It doesn’t always make sense on paper. You have got to connect to your spirit and heart to really understand what you should be doing. Also, you may think that you have to search outside of yourself for your purpose, but the truth is, your purpose is already within you. You’ll find out what it is when you learn to reconnect with yourself.  Going after your passion or your purpose is scary, but you have to get over your imposter syndrome. If you don’t, nothing will ever get done. Don’t buy into the idea that there isn’t enough success out there for you or that you’re not worthy of your dreams. You’ve got to believe that the success you want is available for you and that you are worthy of it. Once you have your mindset correct, things will go a lot more smoothly.   As you find your passion, you’ll learn that you attract not only your dreams, but also the right people into your business. You’ll learn to say no to the people that will have a negative impact on your life. And when you truly love yourself, you’ll truly be yourself, and people will be drawn to you if they are compatible with you. By taking care of yourself, you’ll get the clients you want and need. As you find your purpose, you’ll have to get over yourself, but you’ll find the people you need in your life as you do. Before you can worry about your productivity, processes, profit, and people, you’ve got to know the reason behind everything you do. Having a purpose makes the rest of it so much easier. There’s so much to learn from this podcast, so I hope y’all will give it a listen and join us again next week!    Main Topics: Finding a purpose Overcoming fear and imposter syndrome Attracting the right people   Key Takeaways: “The most powerful thing we have is our intuition...but most of us spend our entire lives in our head.” “I can guarantee you that if you start listening to silence and just quiet your thoughts, you are going to start feeling.” ‘Your feelings are powerful because they are a compass to get you where you need to go.”   

If you’ve already looked at our guest today, you might be thinking this is my sister because we share the same last name. Well, she is not my sister. I didn’t even know she existed until just recently, but I’m so glad I know her now! Her name is Krystal Proffitt, and she knows so much about podcasting from her experiences helping people create their own. So if you are interested in starting a podcast, this episode is for you! The podcast world has really taken off, so you may wonder if it’s too crowded for you to join in. Though there are so many talented people doing podcasts, it’s not as crowded as you may think. If you choose a topic for your podcasts that is too broad, then yes, it will be over-crowded. If you get very specific, however, there will be an audience for you and, surprisingly, more success. Speak to a very specific audience, and you’ll find that that audience actually exists outside of your mind.  Getting started is always the hardest part. There are two things that people usually get hung up on. One of them is that they are afraid that they’ll sound stupid. This is natural: no one likes the sound of their own voice. Krystal suggests that you practice talking to yourself so that you can get comfortable with your own voice. The other issue people have is that they don’t have a plan. Nothing gets done if you don’t have a plan! So to get started, practice speaking and start planning.  Sometimes you might not even know what to talk about, but Krystal has some brainstorming ideas for you. Start with answering the questions you get asked the most. Then, create podcasts on all of the stuff you already know. Get that easy stuff out of the way first before you start diving into research topics. As you get established, choose topics that will lead you towards your goal, whatever that is.  Podcasts are a great way to connect with people. If you, like me, want to make a difference in the lives of other people, then a podcast is a great place to start! It’s amazing how much influence your voice can have on your audience. It can be a point of connection between you and your audience. If you want to know more about podcasting, listen to this episode. Check in again next week for even more tips and tricks!    Main Topics: Is the podcast world overcrowded? Getting Started Brainstorming Ideas   Key Takeaways: “Just keep trying, keep exploring those voices that say ‘Hey! Try me!’...because you’ll be very surprised at what you’ll find out about yourself.” “The most important thing is to figure out who you want to talk to.” “There is nothing wrong with your voice. You sound just fine, and there are people out there that need to hear the messages that you have.” 

How do you know if you're a leader? I think that real leadership starts with having a vision and a plan for your life and business. You have to know where you want to go, what success looks like, and how you'll get there. That’s the only way you can lead a team to make your vision come to life and the only way you can decide what to focus on with so many things competing for your attention. Today, we’re talking about the need for vision in leadership. Now, my vision isn't going to be your vision. You've got to find your own. But where do you start? I recommend that you start by doing a vision board. If you're not familiar with this, it's something where you cut out images from magazines and glue them to poster board or cardboard in order of importance. When they're all put together in one place, your entire focus is clear right there for the world to see. Doing an exercise like this makes your goals and your vision visible. The next thing to do is to start working on the steps that will get you there. You can't just allow your vision to be a dream: it has to have actionable items in it, things that are doable and specific for you as an individual. When you know what those actionable items are, you need to block off time in your calendar each week to get those things done! If the time to complete the task isn't blocked off on your calendar, it isn't going to happen! Eventually, week by week, that vision on your vision board starts to become real. If you want to be a good leader or if you want to be profitable and productive, you need to have a vision for your life and business. You've got to know what you want your life to look like, and you've got to treat this like a business that supports that life. So my challenge for you this week is to take a step back and consider where you're headed. What is your vision for yourself as a leader in your business? What is your vision for your life five years from now? Ten years from now? If you decide to make a vision board, let me know! Share your experience on social and tag me @angelaproffitt and we can all work toward these goals together!

If you’re like me, you might not have any experience with franchising. You might even be a little confused about what counts as a franchise because some people claim their business is a franchise when it really isn’t. Franchising is a lucrative practice, but you’ve got to know what you’re doing. You’ve got to do your homework. Our guest today is franchising expert Lance Graulich, and he’s going to teach us everything you need to know about franchising.  If you’re like me, you might get lots of people reaching out to you about franchising, and you might be wondering why this happens and if it is normal. According to Lance, it is super normal. If you’re an experienced entrepreneur, people know that you have what it takes to be a franchisee, and that’s why they all want you!  2020 showed us just how weak our businesses can be and how important it is to make good investments. When you’re looking into franchising, there are definitely franchises that are more recession-proof than others. For example, let’s look at restaurants. During the last year, big box restaurants did not do too well because no one could come to their locations. Small restaurants, however, did very well because their take-out business increased. When you’re looking for a good franchise that will weather the storm, invest in the ones that people will always need, even when there’s a pandemic.  There are so many really great things about franchising. One of them is that it gives you the freedom you crave with the support of the corporate company. There are so many things you don’t have to do because corporate takes care of it, giving you the time you need to really focus on making your part a success. Also, you can talk to other franchisees about the franchise to make sure that it fits your lifestyle before even investing. You don’t build from the ground up: you use the already existing platforms and processes to create success.  Franchising is so fascinating, and entrepreneurs do really well with it. It can be a great wealth-building tool and lead to incredible profitability. Profitability is, of course, important to me, and this is a great way to go about increasing it. If you want to learn more about franchising, listen to this podcast or connect with our guest!

Good leadership starts with good communication. As you build your team and start to delegate and to give your team members tasks, the ability to communicate clearly is critical. The problem is that we all communicate so differently, and if we don’t have a system for communication, it can become one of the biggest time-sucks in our business.  The first thing you want to keep in mind is that your team members cannot read your mind. YOU are the leader. It is on you to be clear. It is on you to communicate. And if you can communicate in a way that honors your team members and how they process information, even better. But where do you even start with that? Last episode, we talked about finding the best apps for your business. Today, I am talking about three apps my company is using to communicate.  Right now, we are using Todoist, Marco Polo, and Loom. Each of these apps works a little differently, and they help us communicate in unique ways. I find that using more than one tool to communicate increases clarity and gives us versatility. I don’t force my team members to communicate in the exact same way as me. Instead, we find ways to communicate together, and this increases our productivity and creates bonds of trust. Using these apps has helped increase positive communication.  All of these apps and tools have free versions, so if you think they’ll be a good fit for you and your business, give them a try! As you increase efforts to communicate, you will see so many productive rewards! If you want detailed information on all of these apps, listen to the podcast! I hope you’ll be back again next week for even more tips and tricks!    Key Takeaways: “Your team members cannot read your mind, and YOU are the leader. It is on you to be clear. It is on you to communicate. And if you can communicate in a way that honors your team members and how they process information, even better.” “Many of the business owners I’ve worked with over the years are incredible people. However, they can also be intense, especially when there is stress involved! That intensity oftentimes means that they are reacting and not always creating a team environment that allows people to thrive.”

Today, we’re talking about one of my very favorite things in the topic of productivity: technology. I tell people all the time that if I could just set up people’s offices with Apple technology so that they could be paperless and wildly productive, I would be in heaven. Technology is an amazing tool if used properly, but it can get out of hand when you end up with more apps and technology than you could ever use and when you end up spending more time and money on apps and tech than you’re saving. When you’re looking at using technology to increase your productivity, there are three things you want to ask yourself: First, what is the job that needs to be done here? You have to know what you're doing before you figure out how to do it or else you may spend much more time on a simple task than you should. Sometimes we get so set in our ways of doing things that we don’t take the time to think through processes and the steps it takes to get something done. So before you pull in technology, double check and make sure you’ve got solid processes in place, then use the technology to help things go faster. Next, ask yourself “Is this app going to save time or money?” When I’m looking at a new tool or app to pull into my business, the thing I’m always thinking about is whether or not this is going to save me time. If something is going to save me 5 hours in a week, it’s a no brainer. Also, hiring an app or a piece of software to do a job is so much less expensive than paying a person (even yourself) to do it.  Finally, you need to ask “Will this app fit into the way I like to do things?”  Consider if the app will be something that will play to your strengths and be something you will actually use. For me, I communicate better through videos than through messaging, but that’s just a personal preference. Just because I do it one way doesn’t mean that you’ll want to do it that way. You have to make sure that the technology you use fits your style.  These questions may seem overwhelming, but this week, I want you to take some action. Take a look at the technology you’re using during the day. Do you know how to use it all? Are there things you’re not using right now? Are there things you need to learn? Are there new apps you need to consider adding to your stack? Asking these questions will help you answer the big questions we’ve talked about today. Getting your time back by using technology is a no-brainer, but you have to actually commit to trying new things and to using the things you have if you want to increase your productivity.  Key Takeaways: “It doesn’t matter if everyone is using a piece of technology if it doesn’t fit with who you are and how you like to do things.” “We want these tools and technology to be a permanent part of how you think about productivity in your business.”

Pay attention, new business owners. Our guest today has something that I needed to know ten years ago, and it can fast track you as an entrepreneur. Even if you’re a seasoned business owner, you might learn something new today. Our guest, Sylvia Inks, is a finance expert, and we are talking about the five tools that every business owner needs. These tools are so helpful, and they lead to increased productivity and sanity of mind, so I know that you’ll get so many good nuggets today! As all of you small business owners know, there’s a lot to invest in when you are first starting out. Sometimes, you don’t have the funds to get it all. Out of Sylvia’s five basic tools, there is one that she suggests investing in first: a scheduling tool. Scheduling tools will arrange your appointments for you and will save you from time-consuming emails as you try to schedule appointments. Sylvia’s preference is booklikeaboss because it offers multiple appointment types. Whatever tool you use, it will definitely have a positive impact on both you and your clients.  Once you have the first tool, there are 4 other tools you should get as you’re starting your business. You will want a contract signing tool because it helps you get things signed faster, and that increases your productivity so that you can start working instead of waiting for something to get signed. Sylvia also suggests getting freshbooks to keep track of invoices and payments. This next one is so important: get a cloud system. You’ll never have the pain of losing important documents if you have them in a cloud. Sylvia suggests using Microsoft 365 because you are the undisputed owner of all documents you upload. Finally, make sure you have at least one business bank account. You can have multiple business accounts that serve different functions, but make sure that your business accounts are completely separate from your personal accounts. These five tools that we talk about are essential for every new and seasoned business owner.  I absolutely love Sylvia’s five tools because they will increase your productivity, something that I am passionate about. Many of these tools simplify your processes so that you can make more money and have more time doing the things that you love. If you want more details on these tools so that you can increase your productivity, I invite you to listen to the podcast!    Main Topics: #1 tool business owners need to invest in 5 tools business owners should start out with   Key Takeaways: “People don’t realize that if you don’t have a scheduling tool, and it takes 3-5 emails to get an appointment time with you or a consultation call with a prospect, you could potentially lose a sale.” “If a prospect is excited and wants to work with you, get them committed. Once they sign the contract, they’re even more committed.”