Getting brands to pay us for the things we’re already creating is an entrepreneurs dream, but it can seem difficult to make this happen. Why is sponsored content something any creator can find success with, even without a massive following,? Do you have to be on certain platforms to get sponsor dollars? On this episode, Monica Pruett shares on strategies for getting sponsorship, how she’s helped entrepreneurs of different sizes, and why sponsorships give us freedom.
If you have goals for your income and you know that sponsored work can help you monetize your influence, now is a really good time to reach out to brands. -Monica Pruett
3 Things We Learned From This Episode
Why sponsorships don’t require hundreds of thousands of followers (12:32 - 13:01)
It doesn’t matter what size you are— it’s really about the fit and your audience. Your audience has pain points, and you won’t necessarily create everything that will solve every single pain point. Brands and companies who create products that can fill the gaps are great potential partners you can reach out to.
Which platform is best for sponsorships (22:42 - 24:58 )
You don’t have to be a blogger to be successful with sponsored content. Whether you have a following on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, or YouTube, having some kind of following is all that matters. The main challenge with some of the platforms is lacking the same level of metrics and data, so you’ll have to learn where to pull the info to use for your pitches.
Why sponsored content is so effective (25:21 - 25:48)
We’ve been conditioned to shut off advertising, but sponsored content is still effective because people will listen to people they already follow and like. Having an audience’s attention is what brands are looking for.
Whether you’re a blogger, Instagrammer, or a YouTuber, you can actually grow your business and your income through sponsored content and brand sponsorships. It doesn’t necessarily matter what platform you’re on. Being an influencer is the important part. As brands are planning their strategy for this year, this is the perfect time to reach out to brands. You could be their next influencer and meet your income goals.
Guest Bio-
Monica Pruett is a former advertising account executive turned full-time influencer, instructor, and strategist. She teaches other entrepreneurs who dream of working from home how to create a consistent income from their influence through public speaking, online programs and a range of other agency services. She specializes in helping her clients and students MONETIZE THEIR INFLUENCE through social media, networking, contract collaboration, and sponsored content creation.
Go to http://monicapruett.com/ for more information.
When you’re running an online business and you don’t address legal matters, it can come back to bite you. Why should we get the legality components straightened out right at the beginning when the business is small? How do contracts protect us from scope creep, disputes, and different expectations with the people we’re working with? What are the documents, agreements, and contracts we need to have?
On this episode, I’m joined by my lawyer and intellectual property attorney to many online entrepreneurs, Autumn Boyd, to talk about the due diligence we must have to protect our businesses.
An ounce of prevention by taking a little time on the front end will save you so much in time, trouble, headaches, and money. -Autumn Boyd
3 Things We Learned From This Episode
The very first thing you do when you start your business (05:19 - 07:03)
The first step you should take as you’re getting your business started is a search to make sure no one else is already using the name you’ve decided on. You can do a basic search on Google and through the patent and trademark office— which is free. In the US, we have trademark rights based on first use. If you’re the first, you get all the rights, and if someone else tries to use the same name, you have a right to ask them to stop.
Why you’re never too small to take care of your legal matters (16:45 - 18:48)
People on the internet will have a wide range of emotions toward you. Many people will like you, but there are others who might look for the opportunity to report you if you break any rules or regulations. Even if you’re a small business, this can happen to you. This is why it’s so important to have things like your privacy policy and terms & conditions done far in advance.
How contracts protect us and our businesses (20:30 - 23:01)
Contracts are important. You’ve got to be clear on responsibilities of each party and how to terminate a relationship if the needs arises. The contract protects you and the person signing it. Even though it isn’t a fun conversation to have, it is a necessary one.
Legal documents, contracts, and agreements in our businesses are not the most exciting thing to think about, but they are VERY important. The bigger we grow and the more people we work with, the more at risk we are if we don’t protect ourselves legally. By taking care of this stuff we’ll look more professional, and people will take us more seriously. We can take a lot of the emotion out of the formal stuff so it doesn’t come back to bite us. This is not a place to take a shortcut in our business, so we have to just get it done. If you’re running a business and you really want it go the distance, this is a step you can’t skip.
Guest Bio-
Autumn Witt Boyd is an experienced lawyer who helps innovative business owners reach their big goals. Together with her team at The Law Office of Autumn Witt Boyd PLLC, Autumn guides online and e-commerce businesses as they grow. She has special expertise in copyright and trademark issues, and her firm offers full-service legal support to creative businesses. Go to https://awbfirm.com/ for more information.
To grab Autumn’s 10 Step Legal Road Map® Checklist, go to https://awbfirm.com/checklist/.
Check out Autumn’s podcast here https://awbfirm.com/podcast/.
The start of the new year gives boss moms the opportunity to refocus their business models— but what exactly does that mean? How can we begin to focus on our businesses in a world saturated with courses and advice coming from everyone with a social media following? In the first podcast of 2019, I narrow down three key areas that will help us hone in on the things that make our businesses great.
I want 2019 to be a great year for us, so let’s figure out what you’re going to focus on. -Dana Malstaff
3 Things We Learned From This Episode
As online entrepreneurs, our goal is to create scalable businesses and courses that allow us to achieve sustained success without sacrificing more time. The only way to do this is to hone in on our gifts, establish systems, and delegate where necessary. 2019 is a new year with new opportunities. This doesn’t mean we need to look for entirely new solutions. Instead, we should focus on what’s been effective for us and refine the work we’ve already started.
As human beings, we all want validation. For entrepreneurs, no validation is as great as knowing there’s a demand for the problem we solve. Why is it so important to be clear on what we want to be known for? How can we drill down to that problem and turn it into something we can sell or share with clients? On this episode, I talk about some strategies you can implement to define your service and package.
You have to fall in love with the problem you solve, not the thing you sell. -Dana Malstaff
3 Things We Learned From This Episode
Businesses and brands that stand the test of time and make money in the long run are built on solving one key problem and really honing in on it. It’s important for us to work towards what we want people to know us for. We must also know the key intellectual property we have that solves a problem for our clients. You don’t have to know what it is right this second, but you can start getting clarity by thinking of what you’re constantly teaching, doing, or creating that could be packaged into a course. That will improve your messaging because you can start talking about the problem so you’re not just creating content without a purpose.
If the goal of an online business is to make money while we sleep, online courses are one of the most powerful ways to do this. What are the clues that tell us we have something we can build a profitable course on? How do courses help us free up more time to be more creative, systematize our expertise, and give value en masse? Why is it so key for us to nurture an audience while we work on the course?
On this episode, Amy Porterfield is back to talk about how to create an online course that can become a stream of income and boost our business.
What will genuinely make you money in a course is taking the results that you have created for yourself or other people and put it together in a system, a roadmap, or a process. That’s what sells. -Amy Porterfield
3 Things We Learned From This Episode
How to know we’re ready to create a course (01:52 - 02:34 )
You know you’re ready to make a course when you keep repeating yourself to different people over and over again. You also know you’re ready when you create results for yourself and other people.
Can we create a course if our clients have unique problems? (VIDEO 2 - 01:32 - 04:19)
Even when people have unique problems, they they are still in need of our system or roadmap we create to solving a problem. Many of the people enrolled in our courses will hit the finish line, but even those who don’t will still be completely satisfied because of the community around the course. The community is where you get to add that one-on-one advice that’s more personalized and unique.
How to market our courses and get people to want them (VIDEO 2 - 10:28 - 16:00)
The best way to market our online course is to use a vehicle that allows us to give value and earn our right to sell the course. Our course needs to be stellar and our marketing must be good and true. Marketing our course start with social media content that leads into our email list because that’s the audience that will buy from us. We do this by posting content consistently, and pointing people to our really cool freebies while we’re creating our courses at the same time.
After running a service business or doing one-on-one coaching, courses are a really cool way for us to transition into another method of making money and growing our business. Success leaves clues. If we’ve been able to get results for ourselves or somebody else, that is the area we should make the course about. What people pay for is the road map, system, or process we offer, and our unique way of solving a problem. To make sure this course can actually succeed, we have to nurture our audience through social media and build the list of people who will want to buy it as soon as we launch. We nurture that community by posting content that lends itself to our core message. If we have one course that creates consistent revenue, we’ll be able to say “no” to the things that drag us down, and “yes” to more of the things that light us up.
Guest Bio-
Amy is an entrepreneur, coach, speaker, author and podcaster. She runs a top-ranked business podcast and runs best-selling online courses.She teaches business owners, educators and entrepreneurs the profitable action steps for building a highly engaged email list, creating online training courses, and using online marketing strategies to sell with ease. For more information and to check out Amy’s podcast go to https://www.amyporterfield.com/.
Watch Amy’s first Boss Mom Podcast Interview here https://boss-mom.com/episode-320-tweaking-vs-pivoting-overcoming-camera-shyness-being-consistent-w-amy-porterfield/.
Many of us spend a lot of time in social media, but we don’t actually know what we’re getting from it. As a result, the content we put out ends up achieving very little or nothing. What are two of the biggest mistakes people make with their content calendars? How can our content calendars actually lose us business and money? On this episode, I talk about how to actually make our content calendars help our marketing efforts— not hinder them.
It’s better to post less, guide people the right way, and position yourself the right way than to just put out a lot of stuff for the sake of consistency of content. -Dana Malstaff
3 Things We Learned From This Episode
Our content calendars must not be taken lightly. It’s not just about putting out as much content as possible. It’s about having a structure and a strategy to reveal our point of view and establish ourselves as a worthy solution to the problems we’re trying to solve. A content calendar that’s too general won’t get you half as far as a content calendar that is really specific and strategic about where we want to drive people.
Sometimes life forces us to make scary choices and bold moves to get what we want. Going through this can be challenging and emotional. How does entrepreneurship make us more equipped to deal with challenges and differences with other people? What are some of the lessons that have come from going through a divorce, co-parenting, and remaining a family even after a split?
On this episode, founder of the Divorced Mommy Podcast, Julie Ciardi, shares her story and how she got through the rough times.
You have to be strong and focused on the kids without sacrificing who you are or your happiness. -Julie Ciardi
3 Things We Learned From This Episode
Why it’s so hard to walk away from something that isn’t bad (07:13 - 08:01)
Sometimes something is too comfortable for us to get out of. Whether it’s a job, a relationship, or a business, it’s harder to walk away from something that isn’t terrible than to get out of something that’s really bad. Sometimes we have to be forced into an uncomfortable place so we can make a decision.
The power of still wanting the best for our exes (24:22 - 25:52)
Many people are concerned about what happens when our former spouses inevitably move on with other people. When we care about our former spouse and trust that they will make good decisions, this isn’t something that should worry us. Through splitting up, we both get to learn what we really want. Our exes will find people that will make them happy, and that’s what we want for them.
How to be more compassionate (34:43 - 36:10)
There’s never perfect in anything— whether it’s relationships, motherhood or business. In any relationship, you will bump heads. The big thing is, we have to want to fix it and care about the happiness of the other person in the outcome as much as ours. We bump heads in relationships because we see the world differently, and we just have to be compassionate.
Whether we’re walking away from a job we’ve known for years, a relationship, or a business that isn’t making us happy, we’re sometimes going to be forced to make a scary change in our our lives. We have to know that it takes work to overcome that, but things can be so amazing on the other side. As entrepreneurs, we already have a leg up. There’s so much mindset work and personal development that comes with the entrepreneurial journey that we’re more equipped to handle these moments. The more we do work on ourselves, the more compassion and responsibility we have in talking to other people. What we learn as entrepreneurs can be applied everywhere else in our lives and enrich all our relationships.
Guest Bio-
Julie is the founder of the Divorced Mommy podcast and blog. She is a mom of 3, divorced & remarried. She has a very modern blended family that she has worked very hard for. She took the leap from corporate, leaving a high paying multi-six figure executive salary to be an entrepreneur with 2 businesses. She launched a brick & mortar women's boutique styling moms for their daily hustle called Haven Boutique
She launched her podcast to help divorced moms with their mindset & long term vision to create the life they want & their children need.
Find the podcast on iTunes and Stitcher. Go to https://divorcedmommy.blog/, and follow her on Instagram @divorcedmommy.
To read a blog post by Julie’s daughter about what parents should know about co-parenting, sign up for Julie’s mailing list.
When dealing with prospects, it can be tough to figure out when our advice should be paid for, and how much we should give away so people fall in love with us and want more from us. How we find the right balance between coaching and selling so we’re giving value but not giving away what we should be paid for? When is coaching the best way to sell or when should you just plain sell our program? On this episode, I talk about how to coach someone when they are still a prospect.
When you’re with a prospect, you have to be a walking sales letter. -Dana Malstaff
3 Things We Learned From This Episode
In everything we do, we are the sales rep of our businesses. This is especially true when we’re talking to prospects, how we interact with them depends on our goals, the problems we’re solving and frustrations and challenges our prospect is facing. What we need to learn to balance is giving value to bring people into our world and giving just enough of that away that people still want to buy from us. We have to fill in their gaps to show our value and then when they see our value, we can ask them to invest in us.
Communicating with animals is something we think only very few people can do, but we all have the ability. How do we tap into that gift and come into collaboration and partnership with our pets? How do we create a better family communication structure with our animals and help our children communicate with them? What are the techniques we can use to communicate better with animals and people?
On this episode, I talk to The Real Dr. Doolittle, Val Heart about better communication and solving behavior problems collaboratively.
Animals are really like our angels, teachers, guides and healers. -Val Heart
3 Things We Learned From This Episode
Why animals are so important in our lives (03:24 - 03:55)
Animals serve a very important purpose in our lives. They are our angels, teachers, guides and healers. When we learn to recognize, respect and revere them for who they truly are, they help us become the best versions of ourselves.
Why we shouldn’t treat animals like they need to be fixed (15:38 - 15:48)
When we come at something with the idea of trying to fix someone it sets us as an authority when we’re actually supposed to be in partnership and on one even playing field.
How not to treat our animals like property we own (16:26 - 18:04)
It’s easy to treat our animals like something we just own, but this is the wrong way to go about it. When we treat animals, or even other people like we own them or like they are a problem to be fixed, it immediately creates resistance and pushback. We’re not owners, we’re caretakers and guardians.
We all have the ability to talk with animals, and if we know how to tap into it, it would help even how we communicate with other people. When we communicate with animals, we have to approach animals from a neutral, witness, observer space. How we do this is to start by hearing the animal without judgement, evaluating the issue, taking action to change what’s not working, relief and clearing resistance and teamwork and trust. If we want to communicate with our animals we have to see it, feel it and say it. This is a gift we’ve all been given and can start using now.
Guest Bio-
Val Heart, aka The Real Dr. Doolittle is the world's leading animal whisperer. She is the CEO of Heart Communication Enterprises Inc, Founder of The HEART System™ for solving problems with pets. She is the bestselling author and a featured expert on ABC, NBC and Fox News, as well as in People Magazine, My S.A., and Great Day S.A. She solves problem with pets & teaches cat, dog, horse & animal communication. Val fell in love with horses when she was five years old and began her long term relationship getting to know and understand horses. Her work with horses led to intensive study in developing her gifts with animal communication and other supporting healing techniques. Go to https://www.valheart.com for more information.
When we’re trying to grow our businesses, it can feel like we need to invest in and buy #allthethings to get to that next level. Whether it’s coaching or a course, it can be hard to commit to just one thing. How can we make sure we’re investing only in what we need? What steps can we take to create decision confidence? On this episode, I talk about the 5 questions we need to ask ourselves in order to get clarity on what we should be investing money, time and effort in.
If you ask these 5 questions, you’re going to have a more confident and easy time knowing what to invest in for your business so that you are investing in the right things. -Dana Malstaff
3 Things We Learned From This Episode
In order to invest in something that will actually help our business, we have to have a clear goal of what we want that thing to achieve. We need to know where we’re most challenged in reaching that goal, and whether we’re really maximizing on current resources. We also need to know the things that will fuel the success of this investment and the potential roadblocks we can plan to overcome. Remember, we also have to ask ourselves if we’re willing to get uncomfortable in the commitment so that it actually works.
As moms and entrepreneurs, one thing we’re often guilty of is putting ourselves at the bottom of our long to-do lists. How does this negatively impact our kids and businesses? Why should we treat self-care as an urgent essential in our lives? Why are systems the only way we can grow a business that won’t burn us out?
On this episode, business growth coach and author, Kelly Roach, shares the mindset shifts that changed her life and how to add systems and leverage into our businesses to give ourselves more freedom.
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Our kids don’t listen to us—they model after us. And the best way to be a great mom is by being a happy person. -Kelly Roach
3 Things We Learned From This Episode
Life isn’t perfect, but we can find beauty in it (04:23 - 04:53)
The human experience is filled with crisis, turmoil, and juggling acts all mixed with the good stuff. You can find reason to be sad or wish your life was perfect, but you also have the opportunity to find the beauty in life and dig deep to make the best of it.
Put self-care in the “essential” category, not a luxury we can do without (08:28 - 09:15)
Most of us categorize working out as a luxury, but we have to make the mindset shift that it is an essential. Kelly works out during the business day, and she considers training a business priority. Exercise is essential to our happiness, our health, and how we show up as parents and business owners.
Take care of the most precious asset in your business (12:27 - 13:14)
It’s no coincidence that the most successful online entrepreneurs are very healthy people. Because we are our personal brands, we are our most expensive assets. Anytime you’re too tired or stressed to be productive, you are losing money in your business.
One of the biggest mistakes we make in life and business is not prioritizing our own self-care or having so much work on our plates that it leads to misery. There is nothing wrong with us asking for and getting help, and setting boundaries so we’re healthier and happier. The best thing our kids can see is us at our very best. If we’re miserable and frustrated, they will model themselves after that. If we want to instill the right habits into our kids, we have to prioritize our own self-care and build businesses that don’t burn us out.
Guest Bio
Kelly Roach is a highly sought after business growth strategist on a mission to help 1,000,000 entrepreneurs launch and scale their dream business… without compromising their quality of life or going broke in the process. From NFL Cheerleader to Fortune 500 exec and now million dollar mogul, Kelly is the author of the #1 international bestselling book and the new book, Bigger Than You. Kelly has been featured in Inc, Forbes, Bloomberg Businessweek, and ABC Good Day.
Go to https://kellyroachcoaching.com/ to get a copy of the book or for more information and check out her podcast, Unstoppable Success Radio here https://kellyroachcoaching.com/podcasts/.
Staying focused is hard, especially when we start a business and have kids running around. Is focus something that can be maintained consistently? Why are we more focused on certain parts of the day or certain days of the week, and how can we leverage this? What actions can we take in our business to generate more income using the power of focus? In this episode, I talk about how to stop getting pulled in so many directions and focus on what’s important for you and your business!
There is a cycle to our ability to stay focused. -Dana Malstaff
3 Things We Learned From This Episode
Our business requires focus, but we can’t stay focused if we’re trying to do too many things at once. There are many things that could help our business grow, but we have to limit our options if we want to perfect what we’re currently doing.
When we’re laser-focused on one thing, that endpoint can generate more income than spreading our focus out across several areas.
As entrepreneurs, we often feel like something is holding us back from getting to the next level. In a lot of the cases, it’s our own minds and negative stories we tell ourselves about taking a certain action. How does the way we mentally and emotionally process a challenge or opportunity impact whether we execute on it or not? What can we do to start telling and believing a story that’s more beneficial to us? On this episode, I talk to mindset mastery coach and consultant, Tracy Bech about how we create reality with our thoughts, and how to overcome the mental stumbling blocks in our businesses.
At some point you have to engage a certain mindset in order to deal with and process the opportunities and challenges you’re presented with. -Tracy Bech
3 Things We Learned From This Episode
The challenges we face as business owners are often unique to entrepreneurship, we have to push through a lot of obstacles, and we have to do it with a brave face. When doing a certain task feels unbearable it tells us that there’s something we’re not expressing that’s keeping us from doing it. In our subconscious we’ve planted a story about the task causing us to self-sabotage. In order to overcome, we have to remove the blinders we move through life with, and opt for a lens that’s more optimistic and supporting of the goal we have for our businesses and lives. If we clean that up subconsciously, nothing will stop us.
Guest Bio-
Tracy is a mindset mastery coach, consultant and the founder of Good Path Consulting.
For more information, go to goodpathconsulting.com and follow @goodpathconsulting on Instagram.
Appearing on podcasts is a great way to establish ourselves as experts and land more clients by reaching people who are in need of our help. But what kind of podcasts should we pitch? How can we find our niche? What should a pitch look like? And should we spend time sending pitches ourselves? In this episode, Matt Johnson talks about how to find the right podcasts and write a pitch that gets noticed.
Everyone is pitchable for the right show. -Matt Johnson
3 Things We Learned From This Episode
The process of discovering new podcasts and pitching takes quite a bit of time. This is why it’s so important for us to have someone do the pitching for us so we can spend our time on higher value activities. Another shortcut to successful pitching is using pitching templates that are proven to work.
Guest Bio
Matt Johnson is a marketer, entrepreneur, musician, and podcast host/expert. As founder of Pursuing Results, a podcast PR & production agency based in San Diego, Matt runs a worldwide virtual team helping business coaches and agencies break in and dominate new markets through podcasting.
Matt currently hosts and co-hosts niche business shows such as The YouX Podcast and Real Estate Uncensored. He also speaks to experts and entrepreneurs on how to turn a rockstar business into a YouX Machine. As a featured podcast guest he speaks to audiences around the US, Canada, and Australia.
Scaling our business doesn’t mean we have to work more or try harder. Why do only certain types of businesses fit the scalable model? How we can take our current business and make it scalable? Why do the owners of bigger businesses step out of production, and what’s their new role? In this episode, business owner, and Self-Made Magazine Top Entrepreneur, Allison Maslan talks about how to get to the next level.
Business owners are change makers. -Allison Maslan
3 Things We Learned From This Episode
Once we reach a higher level and we want to scale, we can’t do everything by ourselves. If we do, we’ll only end up burned out. We have to replicate what we do with a team. To do so, we need the right systems and processes, as well as competent people who are able to implement them.
The best way to keep turnover rates low and get the best from our team is to share our vision with them. If we can get our team excited about the work they’re doing, they’ll tell others about us and become more loyal and willing to walk the extra mile for us.
Learn to say no to clients or activities that aren’t priorities. It doesn’t mean that we have to sacrifice things we want to do for our business, but it does mean we can’t do it all right now. Adopting this attitude not only frees up our plate but it also helps us gain the respect of our clients.
We can’t scale a business if our income is based solely on how much we get paid per hour for our services. We can transform our business from the 1 to 1 model to 1 to many. Instead of us serving one client at a time, we can hire other people who offer the same services and duplicate our efforts. With this model, we can step out of production and shift our focus to managing our team and working on our business instead of serving the client directly.
Guest Bio-
Allison Maslan is the CEO of Allison Maslan International and was recently named “One of the Top Women Entrepreneurs Who Inspire” by Self Made Magazine. Alisson built 10 successful businesses from scratch on her own and now makes it her mission to help others build their way to the top as well.
Her experience and mentorship often put her in the spotlight, as she was featured on ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox.
You can find out more about Allison here.
During the holidays, it’s very easy for us to fall behind or work too much, but all of this can be prevented with a bit of planning. How do your industry and offerings determine how much time you should put into holiday promotions? What is the holiday revenue that you want? Why is it important to find out what our ideal clients do during this time of the year? In this episode, I talk about how to make the best out of the holidays by planning in advance.
In business owning, not all months and days are alike and not all industries are alike. -Dana Malstaff
3 Things We Learned From This Episode
We have to think about our ideal client and ask ourselves what sort of buyer behaviors they have during the holidays. Are they more likely to buy our products during this time of the year? The answers to these questions will determine how much time we need to invest in our holiday promotions ahead of time.
For many women, it feels like there are obstacles that stop them from getting to that next level and they desperately need someone to help them shed light on the path. Why isn’t it the best strategy to make friends and family the people to hold us accountable? How can we start spending time in the activities that get us closer to our goals? On this episode, Optio founder, Charlena Smith shares overcoming her biggest challenge, and how that helped her find her passion and legacy.
If you put your mind to it and you create the right goals, have the right partner and the right attitude, you can break through a lot of glass ceilings. -Charlena Smith
3 Things We Learned From This Episode
One factor that leads to burnout (07:19 - 09:09 )
Charlena went through two difficult pregnancies, one of which turned into an illness that completely derailed her life. Even when she was going through it, she still struggled to tell her loved ones she needed help, and overwhelmed herself with tasks. This is something many moms struggle with, because we feel like we should be good at multitasking and working well under pressure but this can easily burn us out.
The nurturing mistake we make (09:18 - 10:06)
As women, we are naturally nurturers and we’re wired to feel valued when we’re nurturing, whether it’s necessary or not. We always seek out ways to try and nurture, and very often we forget that it’s about the end result. So if our children need to be fed, we don’t necessarily have to do the cooking, we just have to make the food available.
How to find the right accountability partner (21:31 - 22:57)
One huge thing that holds us back from achieving our goals is having the wrong priorities. An accountability partner isn’t just about reminding us what we need to get done, it’s keeping us responsible to spending time in the right places. For this to be truly effective we need an outsider who can help us see those things and call us out on it when we’re not.
Guest Bio-
Charlena is the founder of Optio an organization that empowers women to live their best, most inspired lives through Matched and Guided Accountability. Go to https://www.myoptio.org/ for more information.
Get $50 off your first month of Optio with the promo code BOSS MOM.
Opt-ins have become very popular because they are a way for entrepreneurs to grow their email list and for consumers to get access to bits of free content. What are the two key things we should know before we do an opt-in? Where should our opt-in journey start? On this episode, I share a step-by-step roadmap for developing really good opt-ins, and outline some ideas to get you started.
When it’s in writing, people don’t read it in your tone. They read it in their tone, and their tone has baggage. -Dana Malstaff
Things We Learned From This Episode
Getting someone’s email is like a first date: we have to make a great impression and present ourselves well. Our opt-ins are something we should be taking seriously. At the same time, we shouldn’t take too long to put them out. You’d rather see the response and make changes, or leverage what’s working, than to wait to make the right opt-in. We have to put the opt-in within a bigger context, which is the product we want them to buy from us. It’s also critical that we’re clear on what they need to believe, and find a way for our opt-in to become infused in their daily lives and give them a quick win.
For many moms who are frustrated with 9-5 jobs, freelancing is a great way to make money and make time for their families. What’s driving this demand for freelance workers? How can we find the right jobs in freelancing? How can we leverage what we’re good at? On this episode, Micala Quinn shares how she turned her freelancing experience into a successful coaching business, and how moms can get into freelancing.
A lot of smart people will outsource some of the tasks they either don’t know how to do or want to do to a team of freelancers. -Micala Quinn
3 Things We Learned From This Episode
Why freelancing has exploded (16:11 - 16:41)
A lot of people who run businesses don’t want or need full-time employees and they have a demand for part-time workers who can work on a specific project. This is what has led to rise of freelance and project-based consulting.
How to find the right freelance opportunity for you (16:46 - 18:55)
Freelance work presents so many different opportunities that suit different skill sets and people. Working as a virtual assistant is a good start and so is social media management. Recently Pinterest strategy and management have really exploded and presented opportunities for freelancers.
Where to start when you don’t know the right freelance job for you (20:11 - 20:36)
When we’re not clear on what we’re good at and what kind of freelancing work we can do, just start as a VA. There are no set skills or requirements and we get to learn more about what we’re good at through that work. Not every business owner wants an expert, they might only have a budget for a beginner, so that can work perfectly.
Guest Bio-
Micala Quinn is a wife, mom, teacher, and founder of Live Free, Mama where she helps working moms leverage their current skills and talents into a profitable freelance career. When she’s not working she can be found going on a walk to the park with her daughter, making a home cooked meal, or watching Friends for the millionth time. If you’re thinking of starting your own freelance business, be sure to take Micala’s course. Go to https://micalaquinn.com/ for more information.
We’re all told we should save more and spend less. However, while budgeting helps, does it build wealth? Why should we take a look at our assets and liabilities instead? And what should we do to pour our money in investments that generate income instead of just paying off loans? In this episode, Natali Morris talks about how to build wealth by adding more performing assets to our lives.
For most people, their only performing asset is their body. -Natali Morris
3 Things We Learned From This Episode
Saving money keeps us afloat, but it doesn’t bring financial freedom. Instead of budgeting all the time and trying to save each penny, we should look into what we can do to grow our income.
Most of our income goes towards our liabilities to pay for assets that don’t generate any income. Instead of throwing money at assets that don’t generate money, we need to look into ways to increase the number of assets we have. Most of us have one asset: our labor.
Every journey should begin with identifying limiting beliefs about how much income we can generate. Otherwise, we’ll end up repeating the same financial patterns. We also have to come up with a freedom number. How much money do we have to make in order to leave our day job?
Guest Bio-
Natalie Morris is a broadcaster, writer, the anchor of Code Forward on MSNBC, and a contributor for CNBC.
Her specialties are business, technology, and personal finance, and her mission is to share with others how they can generate income, invest, and build wealth.
Her writing was published in Consumer Reports, WIRED, Variety Magazine, MarketWatch, TechCrunch, The San Francisco Examiner, PC Magazine, ELLEgirl, and many others
You can find her book How To Pay Off Your Mortgage In 5 Years here.
If an offer is always available, there’s no rush for our potential clients to buy, and they might forget about us altogether. How can we implement the notion of scarcity of time? Why is a countdown timer a must? What are the other two types of scarcity, and how can we combine them?
In this episode, I talk about why scarcity helps us sell more and how to implement it.
Scarcity brings you back on the priority list, back in focus, and makes people make decisions. -Dana Malstaff
3 Things We Learned From This Episode
We often ignore how important it is for people to see how much time they have left until an offer is no longer available. A countdown timer is a vital part of the offer because it increases people’s sense of urgency. If we use a timer, our audience can see when the offer expires, which makes it easier for them to prioritize.
Selling is one of the hardest parts of being a business owner, but it’s also a necessity. How can we sell without being salesy? What does good selling look like? What alternatives are there for introverts?
In this episode, Kendrick Shope talks about how we can sell with integrity while improving or ability to sell.
In order to passionately pursue and get what you want, you need to know what that is. -Kendrick Shope
3 Things We Learned From This Episode
The two steps of selling (10:35-11:22)
Sales is a people-based process, and the first two steps of selling are prospecting and engaging. Many business owners think selling is all about overcoming objections when in fact it’s about solving problems. Good selling involves helping people, not pushing them towards a sale.
We shouldn’t tweak something if we don’t know how it works (25:50-27:00)
When we purchase books, courses, or get advice from sales professionals, we have to follow it thoroughly. We should only tweak the script once we’ve had some success to prove that we understand the process.
There are sales strategies suitable for introverts as well (27:49-30:06)
One of the biggest fears many of us have when it comes to sales is getting on a call. Yet, selling doesn’t necessarily require phone calls. There are other ways we can sell that are more comfortable for us. In most cases, bad experiences can be avoided if we stick to the script because we sound professional and aren’t forced to reinvent the formula.
Guest Bio
Kendrick Shope is the CEO and creator of Authentic Selling. She’s also an author, speaker, media personality, and Radio/Podcast host. She was featured as a guest expert on NBC, Lady Business Radio, The Daily Times, and many others. Her mission is to empower other women to sell without sacrificing an ounce of integrity.
You can find her 10 keys to double your sales in 6 months for free HERE.
Business routines are challenging to build because there’s always that fear of missing out or making mistakes. Why isn’t there a size-fits-all routine we can all follow? Why should we ask ourselves questions instead of using to-do lists? Why is it important to always keep an eye on generating new leads?
In this episode, I talk about 3 questions I ask myself every day before I start working.
In the realm of making money, knowing what are you going to sell and how you are going to sell is extremely important. -Dana Malstaff
3 Things We Learned From This Episode
Focusing on driving income should be an everyday priority, but it gets complicated when there are no leads in the pipeline. This usually happens because we aren’t clear on what we sell and what problems we solve. It’s not enough to work on visibility. We have to know what our packages are and how we can bring value to people.
Subscription programs are rising in popularity, but it’s a model that works better for some than others. What’s the best way to test the waters before launching products? What are the two business models that work for subscriptions? What types of subscription businesses are more likely to succeed?
In this episode, Julie Ball talks about how she became a boss mom by building a subscription-based company.
Product discovery is a big reason why people like subscription boxes.
-Julie Ball
3 Things We Learned From This Episode
Build an audience before launching the product (09:40:08:40)
We buy from companies we feel connected to, and one of the best way to connect with potential clients is to give them a sneak peek inside our business. To do so, we can use email campaigns where we share our business journey, ask for feedback, etc. This gets us in front of people and helps us build trust before we invest any money in building our products.
Subscriptions programs have a unique draw (10:00-13:00)
People love subscription programs because there’s a joy of discovery. There’s always something new. Plus, once you set it up, you can forget about it and the packages will still arrive. However, if we want to start a business like this, we have to narrow down our niche.
Pick one business model and stick with it (15:50-17:30)
In the subscription space, we have to know what our business model is from the start. Should we go for subscriptions that are focused on brief periods of our clients’ lives, such as expecting a child? Should we focus on aspects of people’s lives that are unlikely to change, like motherhood or entrepreneurship? Figuring this out allows us to determine whether we need to focus more on retaining our current clients or chasing new ones.
Why create a product before we know whether our audience will like it? We need to engage with potential clients first and ask for feedback before launching our product. This way, we get to know what our clients really want without wasting money on developing products that won’t sell. Email campaigns are a great way to connect with potential clients and launch a pre-sale to gather the funds first.
Guest Bio
Julie Ball is the CEO of Sparkle Hustle Grow, speaker, and community builder, and author. She’s been featured in Forbes, Business Insider, Thrive Global, POPSUGAR, Mashable, and Buzzfeed. Julie ran an all female website design and development firm but wanted to make the switch to working from home and being there for her daughter, and this is how her online business was born. Today, she runs a subscription business for female entrepreneurs with the purpose of bringing positivity and words of encouragement to their lives.
Media appearances aren’t just for celebrities and big companies. Small businesses can leverage them as well. What are the first steps we should take towards exposure in the media? Are a few appearances enough to generate leads for years to come? How does the media cycle impact the number of times we need to be seen to stay relevant?
In this episode, Christina Nicholson shares why media appearances are superior to advertising and how we can leverage them.
You have to continue to put yourself out there because the cycle is always moving and changing.
-Christina Nicholson
3 Things We Learned From This Episode
Why it’s beneficial to make the transition from freelancer to business owner (13:00-14:00)
Being a freelancer and a business owner is almost the same thing, but people perceive these words differently. Plus, when we make the shift, we can add more people to our team who can help us out and free up our time.
How to leverage media appearances (17:37-19:20)
People assume that once they appear in the media everyone is going to see it and clients will flock to them. We still have to do our own PR and promote our appearances.
The importance of continually investing in media (24:01-25:08)
Like the stock market, we can’t just invest money, make a small win, and retire. We have to continue to invest in our PR efforts or we won’t get leads on a consistent basis. Our media appearances only stay relevant for so long, making it important to pursue and create new opportunities for exposure.
Earned media is different from advertising because our audience knows we're getting the coverage because of our value. Anyone can pay for ads, but it takes a certain level of skill and expertise to be featured on a major media outlet. This is why PR is so important for our businesses. It gives our audience clues about our value and what we can bring to the table.
What makes earned media different from advertising is our audience knowing that it’s because of our value that we get coverage. Anyone can pay for ads, but it takes a certain level of skill and expertise to be featured on a major media outlet, and this is why PR is so important for our businesses. It gives our audience clues about our value and how much we can bring to the table.
Guest Bio
Christina Nicholson is a former TV reporter and anchor who has worked in markets from New York City to Miami. She is still telling stories, but instead of doing it for a newscast, she's doing it to help businesses grow. With her business, Media Maven, she helps entrepreneurs reach thousands, even millions, of their ideal customers or clients in minutes instead of months through the power of media without spending big bucks on advertising. You can still see her in front of the camera as a host on Lifetime TV, in national commercials, and read her work online in Huff Post, Inc. Magazine, and Fast Company. Christina also has a local lifestyle and family blog, Christina All Day. She lives in South Florida with her husband and two young children.
Go to https://www.mediamavenandmore.com/ for more information, find her on Facebook http://Facebook.com/MediaMavenAndMore and follow @ChristinaAllDay on social media.