Work Your Biz Like A Boss: Recent Episodes

View Details

Running a business is a demanding, all-encompassing job. You're managing deadlines, solving problems, and making decisions—all while striving to succeed. But here's something you might forget in the hustle and bustle: you’re not a machine. Taking time to recharge is essential for sustained productivity, creativity, and overall well-being. Here’s why—and how you can do it effectively.

1. Prioritize Quality SleepSleep isn’t just about feeling rested; it’s essential for cognitive function and decision-making. According to science, a full sleep cycle repairs and restores your brain, helping to consolidate memories and process emotions. Sleep also reduces stress levels by regulating cortisol, the body’s stress hormone.

How to Recharge: Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night. Start a bedtime routine (like powering down electronics or reading a book) to signal to your brain it’s time to rest. Don’t underestimate the power of a quick 20-minute nap during long days—it can give you an energy boost without interfering with nighttime sleep.

**2. Get Moving**Exercise doesn’t just build muscle; it’s a powerful tool for recharging mentally. When you work out, your body releases endorphins—those “feel-good” chemicals that give you a natural boost. Even moderate exercise stimulates your brain, improving focus and reducing anxiety. It also promotes better blood flow, delivering oxygen to areas that need it most, like your brain.

How to Recharge: Find physical activities you enjoy, whether it’s a brisk walk, yoga, or dancing in your living room. Even a 20-minute movement break during your workday can reduce stress and improve productivity.

3. Practice MindfulnessMindfulness and meditation help pull you out of the mental chaos and back into the present moment. A growing body of research shows that mindfulness reduces stress, improves focus, and enhances problem-solving skills by calming your body’s fight-or-flight response.

How to Recharge: Start small. Spend five minutes each morning focusing on your breath or trying a guided meditation. Apps like Headspace or Calm can make this practice simple and accessible.

4. Take Breaks for Mental ClarityYour brain isn’t designed to work nonstop. Studies show that working for long periods without rest diminishes productivity and creativity. Scheduled breaks give your brain the downtime it needs to reset and process information more effectively. This is rooted in the "Ultradian Rhythm," which suggests humans work best in 90-minute cycles followed by short breaks.

How to Recharge: Incorporate short breaks throughout your day. Try the Pomodoro Technique—work for 25 minutes, then take a five-minute break. Step away from your desk, stretch, or even zone out for a moment. Your brain needs it.

5. Tune into NatureSpending time outdoors has been proven to reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and boost mood. The natural environment allows your mind to wander, improving creativity and helping you to find solutions to challenges.

How to Recharge: Take a walk outside or spend your lunch break in a park. Even bringing a few plants into your workspace can replicate some of nature’s benefits when you can’t step outside.

6. Connect with OthersRecharging doesn’t always mean being alone. Humans are social creatures, and positive social interactions can reduce stress and release oxytocin, the “love hormone,” which helps regulate emotions.

How to Recharge: Schedule time to connect with friends, family, or fellow entrepreneurs who inspire and motivate you. A 10-minute coffee chat can uplift your mood and give you fresh perspectives.

Why Recharging Matters for Business OwnersTaking breaks isn’t indulgent—it’s vital. Science consistently shows that when you take care of yourself, you’re better equipped to handle challenges, think creatively, and make sound decisions. The most effective business owners treat themselves as their most valuable asset, knowing that rest is the foundation for peak performance.

At the end of the day, recharging is about working smarter, not harder. A rested mind and body bring clarity, energy, and focus—key ingredients for growing your business and thriving both personally and professionally.

Which of these tips will you implement today? Give yourself permission to recharge—you deserve it.

View Details

The first quarter of the year is a perfect time to press pause and evaluate your progress. Have the habits you started in January stuck? Are you tracking toward the goals you set? This check-in isn’t about judgment—it’s a proactive step to refine your plan and set yourself up for success. If you’re not quite where you want to be, don’t worry. Here’s how to assess, adjust, and move forward with confidence.

1. Review Your Goals and Work BackwardStart by revisiting the goals you set at the beginning of the year. Ask yourself, "Have I made progress? If not, why?" Sometimes goals feel overwhelming because they’re too vague or ambitious. For example, if your goal is “grow my business,” break it into smaller, actionable steps like “increase social media engagement by 10%” or “secure 3 new clients by the end of the quarter.” Specific, measurable goals are easier to track and achieve.

**2. Track Your Habits Honestly**Are the habits you intended to build supporting your goals? If not, identify the gaps. Maybe you intended to journal every morning but can’t seem to stick with it. Start by reflecting on what’s getting in the way. Is the routine too ambitious? Does it not fit your schedule? Habits stick better when they’re small and manageable—so if journaling for 15 minutes felt overwhelming, try starting with just 2 minutes instead.

3. Diagnose What’s Holding You BackIf you’re falling short on your goals or habits, look for patterns. Are distractions pulling you away from what matters? Are you great at planning but struggling with execution? Once you isolate the root cause, you can troubleshoot effectively. For example:

• Obstacle: Not enough time.

  • Solution: Time blocking. Dedicate small chunks of time to specific goals or habits without interruptions.

  • Obstacle: Feeling unmotivated.

  • Solution: Revisit your “why.” Remind yourself why this goal matters and the impact it will have.

4. Allow Flexibility, Not AbandonmentGoals and habits aren’t set in stone. If something isn’t working, pivot instead of giving up. For example, if you planned to work out in the mornings but find yourself struggling to wake up early, test out an evening workout routine instead. Adjustments don’t mean failure—they mean you’re committed to finding what works for you.

5. Recommit with Realistic AdjustmentsOnce you’ve identified what’s not working, set a new plan that feels doable. Maybe you reduce the number of goals you’re working on to focus on the most important ones. Or you scale back the intensity of a habit you’re building. Success comes from consistency, not perfection, so recalibrate in a way that feels sustainable.

6. Celebrate Small WinsRecognize the progress you have made, no matter how small. Did you tackle one habit consistently, even if others fell by the wayside? Did you move closer to one goal, even if you’re still behind on others? Celebrate those wins—they’re evidence that you’re moving in the right direction.

7. Plan Ahead for Quarter TwoUse this first-quarter assessment as a foundation for the rest of the year. Set milestones for the next three months and proactively anticipate challenges. For example, if you know certain times get busier for your business, plan lighter goals for those periods. Proactive planning builds resilience and keeps you aligned with your ambitions.

Remember, Progress is a ProcessChecking in with your goals and habits isn’t about perfection—it’s about progress. By taking these steps to reflect, adjust, and recommit, you can build momentum for the rest of the year. Give yourself grace, stay flexible, and continue moving forward.

View Details

Being a business owner is exhilarating—but it’s not without its challenges. From navigating setbacks to staying motivated during tough times, the path to success often requires an extra dose of mental toughness. Resilience and grit aren’t traits you’re born with; they’re skills you can develop with practice and intention. Here are some strategies to help you build both personally and professionally, so you can stay strong no matter what comes your way.

1. Reframe Your Challenges as OpportunitiesEvery obstacle you encounter offers a chance to learn, grow, and innovate. Instead of focusing on what’s wrong, ask yourself, “What can this teach me?” When you shift your mindset, you empower yourself to find creative solutions and emerge stronger on the other side.

**2. Develop a “Failure Is Feedback” Mindset**Failure isn’t the end—it’s a stepping stone. Every misstep brings you closer to figuring out what works. Instead of fearing failure, lean into it. Analyze what went wrong, take notes, and use the experience to fuel your progress. When you see failure as feedback, your resilience grows naturally.

3. Set Clear Goals—and a Plan to Reach ThemGrit thrives on purpose. Define your big-picture goals, then break them into bite-sized steps. Celebrate your progress along the way, no matter how small—each step forward builds momentum and boosts your confidence to tackle the next challenge.

4. Build a Strong Support NetworkHaving a circle of like-minded individuals who uplift and motivate you is invaluable. Surround yourself with other women entrepreneurs who understand the unique challenges you face. Lean on each other for advice, collaboration, and encouragement. Resilient people know they don’t have to do it all alone.

5. Prioritize Self-Care to RechargeResilience requires energy, both mentally and physically. Make time for rest, movement, and activities that bring you joy. When you take care of yourself, you’re better equipped to handle stress, make decisions, and show up as your best self.

6. Practice Gratitude DailyIt’s easy to dwell on what’s not working, but shifting your focus to what you’re thankful for can work wonders for your mindset. Keep a gratitude journal or simply take a moment each day to reflect on three things you’re grateful for. Gratitude helps you stay grounded and resilient, even when times are tough.

7. Remember Your “Why”Why did you start your business? When challenges arise, reconnect with your purpose. Whether it’s providing for your family, creating change in your community, or pursuing your passion, keeping your “why” front and center will give you the strength to keep pushing forward.

Building resilience and grit is a lifelong process. It’s about steady growth, learning from setbacks, and staying true to yourself and your vision. Challenges are inevitable, but so is your ability to rise above them. With resilience as your foundation and grit as your fuel, you can achieve anything—and inspire others to do the same.

View Details

Confidence isn’t just about knowing your stuff—it’s about how you present yourself to the world. Whether you’re leading a client meeting, pitching a project, or simply introducing yourself, the way you carry yourself defines how others will perceive you. Here are a few tips to help you command respect and inspire trust as a professional.

**1. Own the Room with Your Presence**Confidence starts before you even speak. Stand tall with your shoulders back, make steady eye contact, and offer a firm (but friendly) handshake. This posture communicates assurance and self-respect. When you walk into a room, your energy should say, “I’m here, and I’m ready to add value.”

2. Master the Art of Clear CommunicationThe way you speak can make or break confidence levels—yours and others’. Speak clearly and at a steady pace. Don’t shy away from pauses; they give you space to collect your thoughts and demonstrate poise. Most importantly, actively listen. People feel valued when they know they’re being truly heard. Confidence isn’t about dominating a conversation; it’s about facilitating meaningful dialogue.

3. Balance Boldness with AuthenticitySometimes, we feel pressure to “perform” in professional settings, but authenticity will always win. Be yourself—flaws and all—and own your unique strengths. People trust those who are genuine, and that trust fuels confidence on both sides. If you make a mistake, acknowledge it, learn from it, and move forward. Showing vulnerability is a sign of courage, not weakness.

4. Dress the PartThere’s truth to the saying, “When you look good, you feel good.” While fancy clothes aren’t required, dressing in a way that makes you feel put-together can make all the difference. Choose outfits that fit your professional environment and reflect your personal style. A power blazer, a bold accessory, or even wearing your favorite color can give you a confidence boost.

5. Stay Grounded in Your PurposeUltimately, confidence comes from knowing your “why.” Whether you’re building brands, creating websites, or empowering others through coaching, focus on the value you bring. When you’re purpose-driven, it becomes easier to stay composed and self-assured—even in high-pressure situations.

Remember, being a professional doesn’t mean being perfect. It’s about showing up fully, staying true to who you are, and demonstrating respect for yourself and others. When you exude confidence, you don’t just feel it—you inspire it in everyone you meet.

View Details

Getting Seen: Essential Steps for New Entrepreneurs to Build Their Business

Starting a new business is an exciting journey filled with opportunities and challenges. For new entrepreneurs, one of the most important steps is getting noticed in a crowded market. Here’s a guide to help you increase your visibility and start building your business effectively.

**1. Define Your Unique Value Proposition**

Before you can stand out, you must understand what makes your business unique. Your unique value proposition (UVP) is a clear statement that explains how your product or service solves a problem or improves a situation for your customers. It should highlight the specific benefits and key differentiators compared to competitors. Spend time refining your UVP, as it will be the cornerstone of your marketing efforts.

2. Leverage Social Media

Social media platforms are powerful tools for reaching a wide audience. Start by identifying where your target audience spends their time online. Whether it’s Instagram, LinkedIn, or TikTok, create profiles that reflect your brand’s identity and values. Share engaging content, such as behind-the-scenes looks, customer testimonials, and industry insights. Remember to interact with followers through comments and messages to build relationships and foster community.

3. Network to Grow Your Reach

Networking is crucial for entrepreneurs. Attend industry events, join local business groups, and participate in online forums related to your field. Networking not only helps you learn from others but also opens up opportunities for collaborations and partnerships. Don’t hesitate to reach out to potential mentors or peers for advice and support.

4. Build a Strong Online Presence

A professional website is essential for establishing credibility. Ensure your website is user-friendly, mobile-responsive, and optimized for search engines (SEO). Include clear information about your products or services, your story, and how customers can contact you. Additionally, consider starting a blog to share valuable content that positions you as an expert in your field.

5. Understand Your Target Audience

Knowing your target audience is key to tailoring your marketing efforts. Conduct market research to identify their needs, preferences, and pain points. Use this information to create targeted marketing campaigns that resonate with them. Tailor your messaging, offers, and promotions to meet their specific needs and interests.

6. Create Compelling Content

Content creation is a powerful way to engage your audience and showcase your expertise. Develop a content strategy that includes a mix of blog posts, videos, infographics, and social media updates. Focus on providing value, whether it's through educational resources, entertaining stories, or solutions to common problems. Consistency is key, so maintain a regular posting schedule to keep your audience engaged.

7. Engage with Potential Customers

Active engagement with potential customers can build trust and loyalty. Respond to inquiries promptly, ask for feedback, and encourage reviews. Use email marketing to nurture leads by sending personalized content and updates about your business. Consider hosting webinars or live Q&A sessions to directly interact with your audience.

8. Utilize Digital Marketing Tools

Take advantage of digital marketing tools to enhance your efforts. Tools like Google Analytics can provide insights into your audience’s behavior, while social media management platforms can schedule and analyze your posts. Consider running targeted ad campaigns to reach a broader audience and drive traffic to your website.

9. Embrace Consistency and Persistence

Building a business takes time, patience, and persistence. Stay consistent in your efforts, whether it's posting content, engaging with your audience, or refining your strategies. Monitor your progress, learn from setbacks, and continuously adapt to improve your approach.

Conclusion

By following these steps, new entrepreneurs can increase their visibility and lay the foundation for a successful business. Remember, the journey of entrepreneurship is a marathon, not a sprint. With a clear strategy, dedication, and a willingness to adapt, you can build a brand that stands out and thrives in today’s competitive market.

View Details

Unlocking Big Change Through Tiny Habits: The Science Behind Their Effectiveness

In the realm of personal development, the quest for change often feels daunting. Enter the Tiny Habits method, a groundbreaking approach developed by behavior scientist BJ Fogg. This method champions the idea that profound personal transformation can be achieved through small, manageable changes. By focusing on tiny actions that accumulate over time, individuals can build lasting habits without the overwhelm of drastic shifts.

**Understanding the Tiny Habits Method**

The Tiny Habits method is built on the premise that small, easy-to-do actions can lead to significant change when consistently practiced. Instead of overhauling one’s lifestyle overnight, the method encourages embedding minuscule habits into daily routines. These habits are designed to be so simple that they require minimal effort, yet they pack a punch when it comes to creating sustained behavioral change.

The Science Behind Tiny Habits

Several psychological principles underpin the effectiveness of the Tiny Habits method:

1. Simplicity: By starting with tiny, easy-to-accomplish tasks, the method reduces resistance and fosters immediate success. This simplicity ensures that habits are not only easy to adopt but also easy to maintain.
2. Positive Reinforcement: Celebrating small wins is a core component of the Tiny Habits method. When individuals experience positive emotions after completing a habit, it reinforces the behavior, making it more likely to be repeated in the future.
3. The Role of Triggers: Triggers, or prompts, play a crucial role in the Tiny Habits method. These are existing routines or environmental cues that signal when to perform the new habit. By anchoring new habits to established behaviors, individuals can seamlessly integrate them into their daily lives.

Practical Examples of Implementing Tiny Habits

Here’s how you can incorporate Tiny Habits into your daily routine:

• Morning Routine: After brushing your teeth, do two minutes of stretching. This small addition can improve flexibility and set a positive tone for the day.
• Work Environment: After you sit down at your desk, take a deep breath and review your top three priorities for the day. This habit helps in maintaining focus and enhances productivity.
• Wellness: After pouring your morning coffee, drink a glass of water. This ensures you're starting the day hydrated without having to overhaul your entire morning ritual.

Long-Term Benefits of Tiny Habits

The long-term benefits of adopting Tiny Habits are profound and multifaceted:

• Sustainable Change: Since the habits are tiny and easily incorporated, they create a foundation for lasting change without the burnout associated with larger-scale lifestyle overhauls.
• Enhanced Motivation and Confidence: Celebrating small victories boosts motivation and confidence, encouraging individuals to tackle more significant challenges over time.
• Cumulative Growth: Over time, these tiny changes accumulate, leading to significant improvements in personal and professional growth.

In conclusion, the Tiny Habits method offers a practical and scientifically-backed approach to personal development. By focusing on small, manageable changes, this method provides a pathway to sustainable transformation, empowering individuals to achieve their goals with confidence and ease. Embrace the power of tiny to unlock big changes in your life.

View Details

In the fast-paced world of business, time is one of the most valuable resources. The ability to streamline operations and capture time effectively can make the difference between thriving and merely surviving. Implementing well-structured systems is not just about saving time; it's about enhancing efficiency, reducing errors, and freeing up resources for more strategic tasks that drive growth.

**The Power of Systems in Business Operations**

Systems are the backbone of efficient operations. They ensure that tasks are carried out consistently, predictably, and efficiently. By automating routine processes, businesses can minimize human error and focus on what truly matters—strategy and innovation.

1. Improving Efficiency: Systems allow businesses to automate repetitive tasks, which not only speeds up processes but also ensures consistency in execution. For instance, using project management software can help teams allocate resources, track progress, and meet deadlines without the chaos of manual coordination.
2. Reducing Errors: In areas like financial tracking, systems can be vital. Automated accounting software reduces the chance of manual errors, ensuring accurate financial reports and helping businesses maintain compliance with regulatory standards.
3. Freeing Up Time: By handling mundane tasks, systems enable employees to focus on high-value activities. For example, customer relationship management (CRM) systems can automate follow-ups and store customer data, allowing sales teams to concentrate on building relationships and closing deals.

Examples of Effective Systems

Different areas of business can benefit from tailored systems:

• Project Management: Tools like Trello or Asana help teams organize tasks, set priorities, and collaborate seamlessly. These systems ensure everyone is on the same page and that projects progress smoothly.
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Platforms like Salesforce automate customer interactions, track leads, and provide insights into customer behavior, enhancing the ability to nurture relationships and boost sales.
• Financial Tracking: Software like QuickBooks or Xero automates billing, invoicing, and expense tracking, providing accurate financial insights and reducing the administrative burden.

Long-Term Benefits of Implementing Systems

The long-term benefits of implementing effective systems are substantial:

• Increased Productivity: With systems in place, employees can focus on strategic initiatives, leading to higher productivity and innovation.
• Better Resource Management: Systems provide insights into resource allocation, ensuring that time, money, and manpower are used effectively.
• Enhanced Business Growth: Efficient operations allow businesses to scale smoothly, adapt to market changes, and seize opportunities more quickly.

Practical Tips for Selecting and Implementing Systems

1. Identify Needs: Assess which areas of your business would benefit most from a system. Consider the tasks that are most time-consuming or error-prone.
2. Research and Select Tools: Choose systems that align with your business goals and are easy to integrate with existing processes. Look for solutions that offer scalability and flexibility.
3. Train Your Team: Ensure that your team is adequately trained to use new systems effectively. Offer ongoing support and resources to address any challenges.
4. Monitor and Adapt: Regularly review the performance of your systems. Gather feedback from users and be ready to adapt and update systems as needed to meet evolving business needs.

In conclusion, having robust systems in place is crucial for capturing time and enhancing business efficiency. These systems not only streamline operations but also lay the foundation for sustainable growth and success. By investing in the right tools and processes, businesses can unlock their full potential and drive future success.

View Details

In today's digital age, social media has become a vital tool for small business owners and entrepreneurs looking to connect with their audiences. However, with so many voices vying for attention, how can you ensure that your message stands out? The answer lies in being authentic and genuinely helpful.

**Building Trust Through Authenticity**

Authenticity is the cornerstone of trust in any relationship, and social media is no different. When businesses present themselves authentically, they foster a sense of reliability and credibility. Customers are more likely to engage with brands that feel genuine and transparent. This engagement leads to stronger relationships and increased loyalty.

To maintain authenticity, small business owners should consider sharing personal stories and experiences. Let your audience see the human side of your brand. This could be anything from sharing the journey of starting your business to discussing challenges faced along the way. Such narratives resonate with audiences and make your brand relatable.

Creating Value Through Helpfulness

Beyond being authentic, offering real value to your audience can set your brand apart. In a world where consumers are bombarded with information, being genuinely helpful can be a breath of fresh air. Providing valuable content not only attracts attention but also positions your brand as a leader in your field.

Practical ways to offer value include sharing tips, tutorials, or industry insights that solve common problems your audience faces. Engaging directly with followers by answering questions or addressing concerns shows that you care about their needs and are willing to go the extra mile.

Practical Tips for Authentic and Helpful Campaigns

1. Engage with Your Audience: Actively listen to your audience and respond to comments and messages. This two-way communication builds a community around your brand.
2. Share Behind-the-Scenes Content: Give your followers a glimpse of your day-to-day operations. This transparency builds authenticity and invites your audience into your brand's world.
3. Offer Solutions, Not Just Products: Address your audience's pain points by providing solutions through your content. This could be through informative blog posts, how-to videos, or interactive Q&A sessions.
4. Stay Consistent: Ensure that your brand voice and message are consistent across all platforms. Consistency reinforces trust and helps your audience recognize and relate to your brand.

Long-Term Benefits

By focusing on authenticity and helpfulness, small business owners can achieve more than just increased followers or likes. These strategies lay the foundation for lasting relationships with customers. Trust and loyalty, once established, can lead to repeat business and positive word-of-mouth referrals.

In conclusion, authenticity and helpfulness are not just buzzwords; they are essential components of a successful social media strategy. By embracing these principles, small business owners and entrepreneurs can create meaningful connections with their audience, differentiate themselves in a crowded market, and pave the way for sustainable business growth.

View Details

Have you ever found yourself driving home without consciously thinking about the route, or reaching for your phone the moment you sit down? These are examples of habits—actions so ingrained into our routine that they occur almost automatically. Understanding how habits become automatic can provide valuable insights into personal development and behavior change.

The Habit Loop: Cues, Routines, and RewardsAt the core of habit formation lies a simple neurological loop consisting of three components: cue, routine, and reward. This concept, popularized by Charles Duhigg in "The Power of Habit," explains how habits are built and reinforced.

1. Cue: A cue is a trigger that initiates a behavior. It could be a specific time of day, an emotional state, or a location. For instance, the sound of an alarm might cue you to start your morning routine.
2. Routine: This is the behavior or action you perform in response to the cue. Routines can be simple or complex, such as brushing your teeth or checking your email.
3. Reward: A reward is the benefit you gain from completing the routine. It reinforces the habit loop, making it more likely that the routine will be repeated. Rewards can be tangible, like a snack, or intangible, like a feeling of satisfaction.

Over time, this loop is reinforced, making the behavior more automatic. The brain begins to anticipate the reward upon encountering the cue, prompting the routine with little conscious thought.

The Role of the Basal GangliaNeurologically, the basal ganglia, a cluster of nuclei in the brain, plays a significant role in habit formation and automation. This part of the brain is involved in various functions, including motor control and learning. It stores and processes habits, allowing the brain to operate on autopilot once a habit is established. This efficiency frees up mental energy for other tasks, making habit formation a crucial aspect of human behavior.

Making Habits Automatic: Tips for Forming Positive Habits1. Start Small: Begin with a simple habit that can be easily incorporated into your routine. For example, if you want to start exercising, begin with a short, manageable workout. 2. Identify Triggers: Determine the cues that will trigger your habit. Consistency is key, so try to perform your new habit at the same time and place each day. 3. Establish a Routine: Clearly define the behavior you want to turn into a habit. Break it down into specific, actionable steps to make it easier to follow. 4. Reward Yourself: Reinforce your habit by rewarding yourself after completing the routine. This could be as simple as acknowledging your success or enjoying a small treat. 5. Be Patient and Consistent: Habits take time to form. Research suggests it can take anywhere from 18 to 254 days to form a new habit, depending on the complexity of the behavior. Consistency and patience are vital.

Breaking Negative HabitsBreaking a negative habit involves disrupting the habit loop. Here are some strategies:

• Remove Cues: Identify and eliminate triggers that prompt the unwanted behavior.
• Replace with Positive Routines: Substitute the negative routine with a positive one to satisfy the underlying craving.
• Focus on the Reward: Understand what reward you are seeking from the negative habit and find healthier ways to achieve it.

ConclusionThe process of habits becoming automatic is a fascinating interplay of psychological cues and neurological processes. By understanding the habit loop and the role of the basal ganglia, we can harness this knowledge to form positive habits and break negative ones. Whether you're trying to improve your personal development or conquer a challenging behavior, remember that consistency and patience are your greatest allies. Embrace the journey, and over time, watch as your desired behaviors become an effortless part of your daily life.

View Details

In today's dynamic work environment, finding effective ways to manage tasks and optimize productivity is crucial. One method that has gained significant popularity for its simplicity and efficiency is Kanban. Originating from Toyota's production system in the late 1940s, Kanban was designed to improve manufacturing efficiency but has since been adapted for various industries to enhance workflow management.

Understanding the Kanban MethodKanban, a Japanese term meaning "signboard" or "billboard," is a visual management tool that helps individuals and teams visualize their work, control the amount of work in progress (WIP), and maximize efficiency. The system's visual nature provides clarity on tasks, their status, and the workflow process, making it easier to identify bottlenecks and optimize productivity.

Key Principles of Kanban1. Visualize Your Work: At the heart of Kanban is the visualization of tasks on a board. This can be a physical board or a digital tool. Tasks are represented as cards that move through various stages of completion, typically labeled as "To Do," "In Progress," and "Done." By visualizing tasks, teams can easily track progress and identify potential issues promptly. 2. Limit Work in Progress (WIP): A fundamental principle of Kanban is to limit the number of tasks in progress at any given time. By doing so, teams can focus on completing tasks more efficiently rather than juggling multiple tasks simultaneously. Limiting WIP prevents overloading the system, reduces multitasking, and enhances the quality of work. 3. Manage Flow: Kanban emphasizes the smooth flow of tasks from start to finish. By regularly measuring and analyzing the flow of work, teams can identify bottlenecks and implement changes to improve efficiency. The goal is to create a balanced workflow that allows for consistent delivery of work items.

Setting Up a Kanban BoardCreating a Kanban board is straightforward. Here's how you can set it up and use it effectively:

• Choose a Platform: Decide whether you want a physical board with sticky notes or a digital solution like Trello or Jira.
• Define Columns: Set up columns that reflect the stages of your workflow. Common columns include "Backlog," "To Do," "In Progress," "Review," and "Done."
• Create Task Cards: Write each task or project on a card and place it in the appropriate column. Include details such as task description, assignee, and deadline.
• Set WIP Limits: Determine the maximum number of cards allowed in each column to prevent workflow congestion.
• Monitor and Adjust: Regularly review your board to ensure tasks are progressing smoothly. Adjust WIP limits and workflow stages as needed to optimize efficiency.

Benefits of Implementing KanbanKanban offers numerous benefits for both personal and professional settings:

• Enhanced Visibility: By visualizing work, you gain a clear overview of tasks and their status, making it easier to manage priorities and deadlines.
• Increased Focus: Limiting WIP helps maintain focus on current tasks, reducing distractions and enhancing quality.
• Improved Efficiency: By managing flow and addressing bottlenecks, Kanban helps streamline processes and boost productivity.
• Flexibility and Scalability: Kanban is adaptable to various workflows and can be scaled to suit teams and individuals of any size.
• Continuous Improvement: Kanban encourages regular review and adjustments, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and learning.

ConclusionKanban is a powerful tool for visualizing work, managing workload, and enhancing efficiency. By implementing this method, individuals and teams can achieve greater clarity, focus, and productivity. Whether you're managing a complex project at work or organizing personal tasks, Kanban can help you streamline your workflow and achieve your goals with ease. Start by setting up your own Kanban board today and experience the transformative impact of this simple yet effective approach to task management.

View Details

The art of time management is crucial for boosting productivity and achieving a balanced life. Whether you're juggling work, studies, or personal commitments, effective time management can help you make the most of each day. Here are some popular time management techniques that can enhance your efficiency and help you achieve your goals.

1. Pomodoro TechniqueThe Pomodoro Technique is a simple yet powerful method designed to improve focus and productivity. It involves breaking your work into 25-minute intervals, known as "Pomodoros," separated by short 5-minute breaks. After completing four Pomodoros, take a longer break of 15-30 minutes. This technique helps maintain high levels of concentration and combats mental fatigue.

How to Implement:

• Choose a task you want to work on.
• Set a timer for 25 minutes and focus solely on the task.
• Take a 5-minute break once the timer rings.
• Repeat the cycle and enjoy a longer break after four sessions.

Benefits:

• Enhances focus and concentration.
• Reduces burnout.

• Encourages frequent breaks, promoting mental agility.

• Eisenhower MatrixThe Eisenhower Matrix, also known as the Urgent-Important Matrix, is a prioritization tool that helps you decide on and prioritize tasks by urgency and importance, sorting out less urgent and important tasks which can be scheduled or delegated.

How to Implement:

• Divide tasks into four categories:

  • Urgent and important (do immediately)
  • Important but not urgent (schedule for later)
  • Urgent but not important (delegate)
  • Neither urgent nor important (eliminate)

Benefits:

• Clarifies priorities and improves decision-making.

• Reduces stress by focusing on what truly matters.

• Time BlockingTime blocking involves dividing your day into blocks of time, each dedicated to a specific task or activity. By scheduling every part of your day, you allocate time for both work and personal activities, minimizing distractions and maximizing productivity.

How to Implement:

• Identify your tasks and estimate the time required for each.
• Block specific periods in your calendar for each task.
• Stick to the schedule as closely as possible, adjusting as needed.

Benefits:

• Increases accountability and discipline.
• Helps balance work and personal life.

• Reduces procrastination by defining clear timeframes.

• Getting Things Done (GTD)Developed by productivity consultant David Allen, the GTD method is about capturing all tasks and thoughts and organizing them into actionable items. This system helps clear your mind, reduce stress, and increase productivity.

How to Implement:

• Capture everything you need to do in a trusted system.
• Clarify what each item means and decide on the next steps.
• Organize tasks by category and priority.
• Review your lists regularly and adjust as necessary.
• Engage in tasks based on your current context and available time.

Benefits:

• Provides a clear structure for managing tasks.
• Reduces overwhelm by breaking down tasks into manageable actions.
• Increases focus and efficiency.

Practical Tips for Implementation Start Small: Choose one technique to implement and gradually incorporate others as you become more comfortable. * Customize: Tailor each method to fit your personal workflow and preferences. * Consistency is Key*: Practice these techniques regularly to develop effective time management habits.

By integrating these popular time management techniques into your daily routine, you can enhance your productivity, reduce stress, and achieve a more balanced life. Experiment with different methods to find what works best for you, and enjoy the benefits of efficient time management.

View Details

In today's fast-paced world, maintaining strong family connections can be challenging. However, one powerful tool that can transform family dynamics is emotional intelligence (EI). By enhancing our ability to understand and manage emotions, we can create more harmonious and supportive home environments. Here’s how emotional intelligence can be a game-changer for families and some practical tips to develop these skills.

Understanding Emotional IntelligenceEmotional intelligence involves recognizing our emotions and those of others, managing emotions effectively, and using this awareness to guide our thoughts and actions. Within a family, these skills can improve communication, foster empathy, and aid in conflict resolution, leading to deeper and more meaningful relationships.

The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Family Life1. Improved Communication: Emotional intelligence helps family members express themselves more clearly and listen actively. This means more thoughtful conversations and fewer misunderstandings. 2. Enhanced Empathy: By understanding each other's emotions, family members can offer better support and respond with empathy, creating a nurturing and caring environment. 3. Effective Conflict Resolution: With emotional intelligence, families can address conflicts calmly and constructively, focusing on solutions rather than blame.

Practical Tips to Develop Emotional Intelligence at Home1. Practice Active Listening:
Encourage family members to listen attentively to each other without interrupting. This shows respect and helps in genuinely understanding the speaker’s perspective. Family meetings or one-on-one talks can be great for practicing active listening.

2. Recognize and Manage Emotions: Teach children to identify their feelings and the feelings of others. Discuss emotions openly and provide a safe space for expressing them. Simple exercises like emotion charades or discussing characters' emotions in stories can be effective.

3. Foster Empathy: Engage in activities that encourage understanding of others’ feelings, such as volunteering or discussing how others might feel in various situations. Encourage children to consider how their actions affect those around them.

4. Encourage Open Expression: Create an environment where expressing emotions is safe and welcomed. This can be achieved by leading by example—sharing your feelings openly and encouraging your family to do the same.

5. Develop Problem-Solving Skills: When conflicts arise, work together to find mutually agreeable solutions. Encourage family members to express their feelings and perspectives and brainstorm solutions collectively.

Benefits of Emotional Intelligence in FamiliesIntegrating emotional intelligence into daily family life can strengthen bonds, reduce stress, and enhance resilience. A supportive home environment fosters personal growth, promotes mental well-being, and prepares family members to handle life’s challenges gracefully.

Encouragement to Practice Emotional IntelligenceIncorporating emotional intelligence into family interactions doesn’t happen overnight, but the rewards are well worth the effort. By committing to these practices, families can build a foundation of love, understanding, and respect that lasts a lifetime. Encourage your family to embrace these skills and watch your home become a haven of warmth and cooperation.

Focusing on emotional intelligence strengthens families' bonds and creates an environment where each member feels valued and understood. Start practicing today and experience the transformative power of emotional intelligence in your family life.

View Details

Habits play a significant role in shaping our mental health. They can either contribute to our well-being or exacerbate stress and anxiety. Understanding the impact of habits on mental health is crucial for anyone looking to improve their quality of life. In this blog post, we'll explore how habits influence mental health and provide two actionable steps to start forming positive habits.

The Connection Between Habits and Mental HealthOur daily habits, whether positive or negative, have a profound effect on our mental health. Here’s how:

1. Routine and Stability: Having a structured routine can provide a sense of stability and predictability, which is essential for mental well-being. Consistent habits can help reduce feelings of chaos and uncertainty.
2. Stress Reduction: Positive habits such as regular exercise, mindfulness meditation, and adequate sleep are known to reduce stress levels. By incorporating these habits into your daily routine, you can manage stress more effectively.
3. Self-Esteem and Confidence: Achieving small goals through positive habits can boost self-esteem and confidence. Every time you successfully complete a habit, it reinforces the belief that you are capable and in control of your life.
4. Avoidance of Negative Patterns: On the flip side, negative habits like excessive screen time, unhealthy eating, and substance abuse can lead to poor mental health outcomes. These habits can create a cycle of negativity that is hard to break without intentional effort.

Action Steps to Start Forming Positive HabitsNow that we understand the importance of habits on mental health, let's look at two actionable steps to start forming new, positive habits.

1. Start Small and Be SpecificWhen trying to form a new habit, starting small and being specific is key to success. Rather than setting vague goals like "exercise more," define a clear and manageable action. For example, commit to walking for 10 minutes every day after lunch. This specific and small goal is easier to achieve and can gradually be built upon as the habit takes root.

Action Step: Choose one small, specific habit you want to adopt and commit to it for the next 30 days. Track your progress daily to stay accountable.

1. Use Habit StackingHabit stacking involves linking a new habit to an existing one. This technique leverages the power of your current routines to make the new habit more automatic. For instance, if you already brush your teeth every morning, you can stack a new habit onto it, like doing five minutes of stretching immediately after.

Action Step: Identify an existing habit and decide on a new habit you want to stack onto it. Perform the new habit immediately after the existing one for at least 21 days to establish the connection.

ConclusionHabits significantly impact our mental health, influencing everything from stress levels to self-esteem. By consciously forming positive habits, we can enhance our mental well-being and lead healthier lives. Remember, starting small and using techniques like habit stacking can make the process of forming new habits more manageable and effective.

Take these steps today to start building habits that will positively impact your mental health!

View Details

We all have habits that hold us back from reaching our full potential. Identifying and eliminating these negative behaviors can transform your life dramatically. Here are some effective techniques to help you on this journey:

1. Self-ReflectionTake time to reflect on your daily actions and behaviors. Journaling can be a powerful tool to identify patterns and uncover the root causes of negative behaviors. Writing down your thoughts and actions helps you gain clarity and recognize areas for improvement.

2. Seek FeedbackAsk trusted friends, family, or colleagues for honest feedback about your behavior. Sometimes, an outside perspective can reveal blind spots you might not notice on your own. Constructive feedback can provide valuable insights and guide you in making positive changes.

**3. Identify Triggers**Pay attention to situations or emotions that trigger negative behaviors. Recognizing these triggers is the first step in developing strategies to avoid or cope with them. Once you understand what sets off your negative habits, you can create effective plans to manage or eliminate them.

4. Set Clear GoalsDefine what positive behaviors you want to cultivate and set clear, achievable goals. Focus on replacing negative habits with positive ones rather than simply trying to eliminate the bad. Setting specific, measurable goals gives you a clear direction and makes it easier to track your progress.

5. Create a PlanDevelop a step-by-step plan to address each negative behavior. Break down the process into manageable actions and set deadlines to keep yourself accountable. A detailed plan provides structure and helps you stay committed to your goals.

6. Practice MindfulnessMindfulness techniques such as deep breathing, silence, and stretching can help you stay present and aware of your actions. This awareness makes it easier to choose positive behaviors over negative ones. Regular mindfulness practice can reduce stress and improve your ability to make conscious choices.

7. Reward ProgressCelebrate your successes, no matter how small. Positive reinforcement can motivate you to continue working towards eliminating negative habits. Acknowledging your achievements boosts your confidence and encourages you to keep moving forward.

By implementing these techniques, you can start identifying and eliminating the negative behaviors that stand in the way of your success. Remember, change takes time and patience, but the results are well worth the effort.

Wishing you success on your journey to better habits!

View Details

Creating a comprehensive business plan is a foundational step for any entrepreneur. It serves as a roadmap for your business, outlining your vision, mission, financial projections, market analysis, and operational strategy. In this blog post, we'll provide you with templates, examples, and step-by-step guides to help you craft a robust business plan that sets you up for success.

Why You Need a Business PlanA well-crafted business plan:

• Clarifies your business idea and strategies.
• Helps secure funding from investors or lenders.
• Guides your decision-making and progress tracking.
• Communicates your vision and goals to stakeholders.

Essential Components of a Business Plan1. Executive Summary: A brief overview of your business, including your mission statement, product/service offering, target market, and financial highlights. 2. Company Description: Detailed information about your business, its structure, objectives, and the problem it aims to solve. 3. Market Analysis: Research on your industry, market size, target audience, and competitors, along with market trends and insights. 4. Organization and Management: Your business’s organizational structure, leadership team, roles, backgrounds, and relevant experience. 5. Product or Service Line: Detailed description of your products or services, their benefits, lifecycle, and any R&D activities. 6. Marketing and Sales Strategy: Tactics for attracting and retaining customers, pricing strategy, distribution channels, and sales processes. 7. Financial Projections: Realistic financial projections, including income statements, cash flow statements, balance sheets, and break-even analysis. 8. Funding Request: If seeking funding, specify the amount needed, how it will be used, and the type of funding (equity, debt, etc.).

Templates to Get You StartedUsing a template can simplify the process of creating your business plan. Here are some reliable resources:

SCORE’s Business Plan Template: Download Here

• A comprehensive template covering all essential components.

Bplans’ One-Page Business Plan Template: Download Here

• Ideal for quick planning and easy updates.

LivePlan: Explore LivePlan

• Offers a cloud-based platform with customizable templates and real-time collaboration.

Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Your Business PlanStep 1: Executive Summary

Write a concise summary of your business. Highlight your mission statement, product or service, target market, and key financial data. Keep it brief but compelling, as it sets the tone for the rest of the plan.

Step 2: Company Description

Describe your business in detail. Include its history, structure (e.g., LLC, corporation), objectives, and the market needs it addresses. Explain what makes your business unique and your value proposition.

Step 3: Market Analysis

Conduct thorough market research. Analyze your industry, target market demographics, buying behavior, and competitors. Include data and insights to support your findings. Tools like IBISWorld and Statista can provide valuable industry reports.

Step 4: Organization and Management

Outline your organizational structure and introduce your management team. Highlight their roles, backgrounds, and relevant experience. A strong leadership team can instill confidence in investors and stakeholders.

Step 5: Product or Service Line

Provide detailed information about your products or services. Discuss their features, benefits, and how they meet customer needs. Include any patents, trademarks, or proprietary technology.

Step 6: Marketing and Sales Strategy

Detail your marketing and sales approach. Describe how you plan to attract and retain customers, your pricing strategy, and your distribution channels. Outline your sales process and any promotional tactics.

Step 7: Financial Projections

Create realistic financial projections for the next 3-5 years. Include income statements, cash flow statements, and balance sheets. Use historical data if available, and make reasonable assumptions. Tools like QuickBooks and Xero can help manage your financial data.

Step 8: Funding Request

If you’re seeking funding, specify the amount needed, the type of funding (e.g., equity, debt), and how the funds will be used. Explain how the investment will help achieve your business goals and outline your exit strategy for investors.

Examples of Successful Business PlansLooking at examples can provide inspiration and clarity. Here are a few examples of successful business plans:

1. Palo Alto Software’s Business Plan Pro: Explore Examples

   • A collection of sample business plans across various industries.

   • Bplans’ Sample Business Plans: View Samples

   • Over 500 free sample business plans to explore.

   • Shopify’s Business Plan Template: Download Here

   • A template designed specifically for ecommerce businesses.

ConclusionCreating a comprehensive business plan is a critical step for any entrepreneur. By using templates, examining examples, and following a step-by-step guide, you can craft a robust plan that outlines your vision, mission, financial projections, market analysis, and operational strategy. This roadmap will not only help you navigate the complexities of starting and growing your business but also communicate your goals and strategies to potential investors and stakeholders.

View Details

Understanding how habits are formed and broken is vital for anyone looking to make positive changes in their life. The science behind habit formation reveals key insights into what works and why, offering evidence-based strategies for creating new habits and breaking old ones.

The Anatomy of a HabitHabits are ingrained behaviors that occur automatically in response to specific cues. According to research by Charles Duhigg, author of "The Power of Habit," a habit loop consists of three components:

1. Cue: A trigger that initiates the behavior.
2. Routine: The behavior or action itself.
3. Reward: The benefit or pleasure derived from the behavior, which reinforces the habit loop.

The Role of the BrainThe basal ganglia, a region of the brain associated with emotions, memories, and pattern recognition, plays a crucial role in habit formation. Once a habit is established, the brain conserves energy by automating the routine, allowing you to focus on other tasks.

Evidence-Based Strategies for Habit Formation1. Start Small: Breaking down a desired habit into small, manageable steps increases the likelihood of success. For example, if you want to start exercising, begin with a five-minute daily workout and gradually increase the duration. 2. Consistency is Key: Consistency reinforces the habit loop. Aim to perform the new behavior at the same time each day or in response to the same cue, making it easier for your brain to establish the routine. 3. Use Positive Reinforcement: Rewards are essential for reinforcing new habits. Whether it's a sense of accomplishment, a treat, or positive feedback, rewards help solidify the new behavior. 4. Leverage Habit Stacking: Pairing a new habit with an existing one can be highly effective. Known as habit stacking, this technique involves using the established behavior as a cue for the new one. For instance, if you already have a morning coffee routine, add a few minutes of meditation right after.

Breaking Bad HabitsBreaking old habits requires disrupting the habit loop:

1. Identify Triggers: Recognize the cues that trigger the unwanted behavior. Keeping a habit journal can help identify patterns.
2. Replace the Routine: Substituting the bad habit with a healthier routine that provides a similar reward can be effective. For example, if stress triggers snacking, try replacing it with a quick walk or deep-breathing exercises.
3. Change Your Environment: Modifying your environment to remove cues that trigger the bad habit can reduce temptation. This could mean keeping unhealthy snacks out of the house or setting up a dedicated workspace to minimize distractions.

ConclusionUnderstanding the science of habit formation empowers you to take control of your behaviors. By leveraging cues, routines, and rewards, starting small, remaining consistent, and using techniques like habit stacking, you can effectively create new habits and break old ones. Remember, persistence and patience are key—lasting change takes time but is entirely achievable with the right strategies.

View Details

In today's competitive business landscape, traditional marketing tactics alone are no longer sufficient. Entrepreneurs need innovative marketing strategies and growth hacking techniques to stand out, build brand awareness, and attract and retain customers. In this post, we'll explore some of the most effective methods, including digital marketing, social media strategies, content marketing, and SEO.

Digital Marketing: The Backbone of Modern BusinessDigital marketing encompasses all online marketing efforts and is essential for reaching a broad audience effectively. Here are some key components:

1. Email Marketing Email marketing remains one of the most effective ways to nurture leads and convert them into loyal customers. Personalize your email campaigns, segment your audience, and use automation to deliver timely, relevant content.

2. Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising PPC ads, like Google Ads or Facebook Ads, allow you to target specific demographics and pay only when someone clicks on your ad. This method provides immediate visibility and can drive significant traffic to your website.

3. Retargeting Campaigns Retargeting involves showing ads to users who have previously visited your website but didn't convert. This keeps your brand top-of-mind and encourages users to return and complete their purchase.

Social Media Strategies: Engaging Your AudienceSocial media is a powerful tool for building brand awareness and fostering customer relationships. Here are some innovative strategies to consider:

1. Influencer Partnerships Collaborate with influencers who align with your brand values and have a loyal following. Influencers can amplify your message, increase credibility, and reach new audiences.

2. User-Generated Content (UGC) Encourage your customers to create and share content featuring your products or services. UGC not only builds community but also serves as authentic testimonials that can influence potential customers.

3. Interactive Content Engage your audience with interactive content such as polls, quizzes, live videos, and stories. These formats encourage participation and can boost engagement rates significantly.

Content Marketing: Providing Value and Building TrustContent marketing focuses on creating valuable, relevant content to attract and engage your target audience. Here are some effective techniques:

1. Blogging Regularly publish high-quality blog posts that address your audience's pain points, provide solutions, and position your brand as an industry authority. Use keyword research to optimize your content for search engines.

2. Video Marketing Video content is highly engaging and can convey your message more effectively than text alone. Create tutorials, product demonstrations, behind-the-scenes videos, and customer testimonials to showcase your brand.

3. Ebooks and Whitepapers Offer in-depth resources like ebooks and whitepapers that provide valuable insights and information. These can be used as lead magnets to capture email addresses and nurture potential customers.

SEO: Driving Organic TrafficSearch engine optimization (SEO) is crucial for improving your website's visibility and driving organic traffic. Here are some advanced SEO techniques:

1. On-Page SEO Optimize your website's content, meta tags, headers, and images with relevant keywords. Ensure your site is mobile-friendly, has fast loading times, and provides a great user experience.

2. Link Building Acquire high-quality backlinks from reputable websites to improve your domain authority. Engage in guest blogging, create shareable content, and build relationships with industry influencers.

3. Local SEO For businesses with a physical presence, optimize your local SEO by claiming your Google My Business listing, encouraging customer reviews, and ensuring your NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) information is consistent across online directories.

Growth Hacking Techniques: Rapid Experimentation and InnovationGrowth hacking involves rapid experimentation across various marketing channels to find the most effective ways to grow your business. Here are some innovative techniques:

1. A/B Testing Continuously test different versions of your marketing materials, such as landing pages, email subject lines, and ad creatives, to determine what resonates best with your audience.

2. Viral Loops Create incentives for your existing customers to refer new customers by offering rewards, discounts, or exclusive access. This can create a self-sustaining cycle of growth.

3. Leveraging Data Analytics Use data analytics tools to track and analyze customer behavior, campaign performance, and key metrics. This data-driven approach allows you to make informed decisions and optimize your strategies for better results.

ConclusionImplementing innovative marketing strategies and growth hacking techniques can significantly enhance your ability to promote your products or services, build brand awareness, and attract and retain customers. By leveraging digital marketing, social media strategies, content marketing, and SEO, you can create a robust marketing plan that drives sustained growth and success.

View Details

Starting a business is a thrilling journey, but securing the necessary funding can be one of the biggest challenges. Understanding the various funding options available and how to present your business to potential investors are crucial steps toward success. In this post, we'll explore different types of funding, including venture capital, angel investors, crowdfunding, and grants, along with tips on pitching to investors and creating compelling business plans.

Types of Funding**1. Venture Capital** Venture capital (VC) firms provide capital to startups with high growth potential in exchange for equity. This type of funding is ideal for businesses that need significant investment to scale quickly.

• Pros: Access to large amounts of capital, mentorship, and networking opportunities.
• Cons: Loss of equity and potential influence over company decisions.

2. Angel Investors Angel investors are wealthy individuals who invest their personal funds into startups, usually in exchange for equity or convertible debt. They often invest in early-stage companies with strong potential.

• Pros: More flexible terms compared to VCs, valuable industry connections, and mentorship.
• Cons: Limited funding amounts and potential dilution of ownership.

3. Crowdfunding Crowdfunding involves raising small amounts of money from a large number of people, typically via online platforms like Kickstarter, Indiegogo, or GoFundMe. There are different models, including rewards-based and equity crowdfunding.

• Pros: Validates market demand, builds a community of supporters, and provides marketing exposure.
• Cons: Requires significant effort to run a successful campaign and may involve platform fees.

4. Grants Grants are non-repayable funds provided by governments, non-profits, or private organizations to support specific projects or industries. They are highly competitive and usually have strict eligibility criteria.

• Pros: No equity dilution or repayment, and can enhance credibility.
• Cons: Time-consuming application process and stringent reporting requirements.

Tips on Pitching to Investors1. Know Your Audience Research your potential investors thoroughly. Understand their investment preferences, past investments, and what they look for in a startup. Tailor your pitch to address their interests and concerns.

2. Craft a Compelling Story Investors want to see a clear vision and a compelling story behind your business. Highlight your mission, the problem you're solving, and the impact your solution will have. Make it relatable and engaging.

3. Highlight Your Unique Value Proposition (UVP) Clearly articulate what sets your business apart from competitors. Explain why your product or service is unique and how it addresses a specific market need. Your UVP should be concise and compelling.

4. Showcase Traction and Milestones Demonstrate that your business is gaining momentum. Share key metrics, customer testimonials, partnerships, and significant milestones that show progress and potential for growth.

5. Be Transparent About Financials Provide a clear and honest overview of your financials. Include revenue projections, profit margins, funding requirements, and how the funds will be used. Transparency builds trust with investors.

Creating a Compelling Business Plan1. Executive Summary This section provides a snapshot of your business. It should include your mission statement, product/service overview, target market, and key financial highlights. Make it concise and captivating.

2. Company Description Provide detailed information about your business, including its history, structure, objectives, and the problems it aims to solve. Explain your value proposition and what makes your business unique.

3. Market Analysis Conduct thorough research on your industry, market size, target audience, and competitors. Highlight market trends and insights that support your business opportunity.

4. Organization and Management Outline your business’s organizational structure and introduce your leadership team. Include their roles, backgrounds, and relevant experience. Strong leadership can instill confidence in investors.

5. Product or Service Line Describe your products or services in detail. Explain the benefits, lifecycle, and any research and development activities. Include any intellectual property or proprietary technologies.

6. Marketing and Sales Strategy Detail your marketing and sales tactics. Explain how you plan to attract and retain customers, your pricing strategy, and distribution channels. A well-thought-out strategy indicates preparedness.

7. Financial Projections Provide realistic financial projections for the next 3-5 years. Include income statements, cash flow statements, balance sheets, and a break-even analysis. Use data and assumptions that can be backed up.

8. Funding Request If you're seeking funding, specify the amount needed, how it will be used, and the type of funding you're seeking (equity, debt, etc.). Explain how the investment will help achieve your business goals.

ConclusionSecuring funding is a pivotal step in launching and growing your business. By understanding the different types of funding, crafting a compelling pitch, and developing a thorough business plan, you'll be well-prepared to attract investors and achieve your entrepreneurial dreams.

View Details

In our fast-paced world, finding moments of quiet can be transformative. Here are four tips to help you master quiet, along with insights into why it’s important, the science behind it, and its benefits.

Why Mastering Quiet is ImportantQuiet time allows our minds to rest and recharge, which is essential for mental well-being. It helps reduce stress, improve focus, and foster creativity.

The Science Behind QuietResearch shows that silence can stimulate brain growth by creating new cells in the hippocampus, the region associated with memory, emotions, and learning1. Additionally, silence helps lower cortisol levels, reducing stress and improving overall health.

Benefits of Quiet Enhanced Mental Clarity: Silence helps clear mental clutter, making it easier to focus and make decisions. * Reduced Stress: Quiet moments can significantly reduce stress levels and promote relaxation. * Improved Creativity: A quiet environment fosters creativity by allowing space for new ideas to emerge. * Better Emotional Health:* Regular periods of quiet can improve emotional regulation and resilience.

4 Tips for Mastering Quiet1. Create a Quiet Space: Designate a specific area in your home or workplace where you can retreat for peace and solitude. Ensure this space is comfortable and free from noise distractions. 2. Practice Mindfulness: Engage in mindfulness activities such as meditation, deep breathing, or simply sitting silently. These practices ground you in the present moment and enhance your appreciation of quiet. 3. Limit Digital Noise: Minimize digital interruptions by setting specific times to check emails and social media. Use “Do Not Disturb” modes on your devices during quiet periods to maintain a serene environment. 4. Embrace Moments of Silence: Incorporate short periods of silence into your daily routine. Whether it’s a few minutes in the morning, during lunch, or before bed, these moments can significantly reduce stress and improve mental clarity.

Mastering quiet can lead to a more balanced, peaceful, and productive life. I encourage you to incorporate these tips into your daily routine and experience the benefits firsthand.

View Details

Have you ever struggled to maintain focus on important tasks amid constant distractions? If so, implementing time blocks for deep work might be the solution you need. Here’s how you can create effective time blocks for deep work, how long to engage in it, why it’s beneficial, and some practical tips to get started.

 How to Create Time Blocks for Deep Work:1. **Identify Your High-Energy Periods:** Determine when you are most alert and focused during the day. This is the best time to schedule your deep work sessions.

1. Schedule Specific Blocks: Allocate uninterrupted blocks of time, ideally 60-90 minutes, dedicated exclusively to deep work. Use your calendar to block off these times.
2. Set Clear Goals: Define what you aim to achieve during each session. Having a clear objective helps maintain focus and productivity.

How Long to Do Deep Work:Aim for at least one or two deep work sessions per day, each lasting between 60 to 90 minutes. This duration is optimal for maintaining high levels of concentration without leading to burnout.

Why Do Deep Work: Enhanced Focus: Deep work allows you to concentrate on complex tasks without interruptions. * Increased Productivity: By dedicating focused time, you can accomplish more in less time. * Improved Quality of Work:* Deep work fosters creativity and attention to detail, leading to higher-quality outcomes.

Tips for Effective Deep Work:1. Use a Physical Timer: Set a physical timer to mark the beginning and end of your deep work sessions. This creates a clear boundary and helps you stay committed. 2. Eliminate Distractions: Turn off notifications, close unnecessary tabs, and let others know you’re not available during your deep work periods. 3. Take Breaks: Follow each session with a short break to rest and recharge. This helps maintain productivity over longer periods.

By integrating these practices into your routine, you’ll find yourself more focused, productive, and satisfied with your work.

View Details

Launching a brand is an exhilarating journey, but ensuring its success requires a solid foundation and a well-thought-out marketing strategy. Here are the absolute essentials you need to hit the ground running and make a lasting impact.

**1. Define Your Brand Identity**

Your brand identity is the cornerstone of your business. It encompasses your brand's values, mission, vision, and personality. Spend time crafting a compelling story that resonates with your target audience. Consider the following elements:

• Brand Name: Ensure it’s memorable and reflective of what you stand for.
• Logo and Visuals: Create a visually appealing logo and consistent visual elements that convey your brand’s essence.
• Voice and Tone: Develop a unique voice and tone for your communications to ensure consistency across all channels.

2. Understand Your Target Audience

Knowing your audience is crucial for any marketing strategy. Conduct thorough market research to understand their needs, preferences, and pain points. Create detailed buyer personas to guide your marketing efforts. This knowledge will help tailor your messaging and offerings to meet their expectations effectively.

3. Develop a Unique Value Proposition (UVP)

Your UVP is what sets you apart from the competition. It’s a clear statement that explains how your product or service solves your customers’ problems or improves their situation. Make sure your UVP is concise, compelling, and prominently featured in your marketing materials.

4. Build an Online Presence

In today's digital age, a robust online presence is non-negotiable. Here’s how to get started:

• Website: Create a user-friendly, SEO-optimized website that showcases your brand and offerings.
• Social Media: Choose the platforms where your target audience is most active and maintain a consistent posting schedule.
• Content Marketing: Develop valuable content that educates, entertains, or inspires your audience. Blogs, videos, and infographics can drive engagement and establish your authority in the industry.

5. Leverage Data and Analytics

Data-driven decisions are key to a successful marketing strategy. Utilize analytics tools to track your marketing performance, understand customer behavior, and measure ROI. Regularly analyze this data to refine your strategies and make informed adjustments.

6. Create a Multi-Channel Marketing Plan

Diversify your marketing efforts across multiple channels to maximize reach and engagement. Consider a mix of:

• Email Marketing: Build an email list and send personalized, value-driven content to nurture leads.
• Social Media Advertising: Use targeted ads to reach potential customers based on demographics, interests, and behaviors.
• Influencer Collaborations: Partner with influencers who align with your brand to expand your reach and credibility.

7. Foster Customer Relationships

Building strong relationships with your customers is essential for long-term success. Engage with them regularly, listen to their feedback, and provide exceptional customer service. Happy customers are more likely to become loyal advocates for your brand.

ConclusionLaunching a strong brand and marketing strategy involves careful planning, continuous learning, and adaptability. By focusing on these essentials, you'll be well-equipped to create a powerful brand presence and drive sustained growth. Remember, consistency and authenticity are your best allies on this journey.

Ready to launch your brand? Start with these essentials and watch your vision come to life!

View Details

In the hustle and bustle of modern life, time management often gets reduced to mere lists of tasks—boxes to be checked off as we move through our days. However, effective time management and the tools we use for it hold the potential for much more than keeping track of our daily to-dos. At its core, time management is about crafting the life you aspire to lead, a deliberate design of your days that aligns with your deepest values and desires.

Personality Planners Quiz

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

Habits, those routine actions we perform almost automatically, play a significant role in shaping our daily lives. From the first cup of coffee in the morning to the repetitive scroll through social media before bed, our habits form the tapestry of our day-to-day experiences. But have you ever wondered how these seemingly automatic behaviors impact our brain? The nexus between habits and brain function is not only fascinating but also crucial for understanding how to harness the power of habits for our benefit.

Personality Planners Quiz

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

In today's fast-paced business environment, achieving strategic goals is more critical—and challenging—than ever. Organizations often grapple with the whirlwind of daily operations, which can overshadow long-term objectives. Enter the 4 Disciplines of Execution (4DX), a compelling framework designed to help organizations overcome these challenges and achieve their most ambitious goals. Developed by Sean Covey, Jim Huling, and Chris McChesney, the 4DX methodology is a proven formula for executing strategy effectively, turning aspirations into achievements.

Personality Planners Quiz

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

The allure of a fresh planner, brimming with pristine pages and the promise of organization, often sparks enthusiasm for embarking on a journey of productivity and structure. However, the unfortunate reality is that many individuals find themselves struggling to use their planners after the initial purchase. This phenomenon begs the question: why do people falter in integrating this powerful tool into their daily lives? Let's delve into some of the primary reasons behind this perplexing trend.

Personality Planners Quiz

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

In the quest to cultivate new habits, the age-old practice of jotting down a goal or intention on a humble sticky note holds remarkable potency. While digital reminders have become ubiquitous in the modern world, there's a distinct advantage to the tangible act of writing down a new habit and displaying it prominently. Here's why the simplicity of a sticky note can outshine the allure of digital prompts when it comes to solidifying new behaviors.

Personality Planners Quiz

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

Habits are the invisible architecture of everyday life, shaping our actions and decisions. Whether it's hitting the gym, practicing mindfulness, or honing a skill, creating new habits is a transformative endeavor. According to science, the process of habit formation revolves around a cue or trigger, a routine, and a reward. Understanding this framework can empower individuals to effectively instill positive behaviors into their daily lives.

Personality Planners Quiz

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

In a world driven by technical skills and academic achievements, the often overlooked, yet essential factor for achieving success is emotional intelligence (EI). Defined as the ability to understand and manage emotions, EI plays a pivotal role in personal and professional development. Research has consistently shown that possessing emotional intelligence is the number one predictor of success in various aspects of life.

Personality Planners Quiz

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

Are you looking to develop new habits and make positive changes in your life? Creating a habit-friendly atmosphere in your office or home can significantly enhance your chances of success. By optimizing your environment to support your desired habits, you can eliminate distractions, boost motivation, and increase your overall productivity. In this blog post, we will explore practical strategies to transform your space into a conducive environment for habit formation.

Personality Planners Quiz

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

In today's competitive job market, possessing technical knowledge and qualifications alone is not enough to guarantee success. Employers are increasingly recognizing the value of soft skills – personal attributes and interpersonal skills that enhance an individual's ability to work well with others and contribute effectively within a team. Understanding the most sought-after soft skills can give you a competitive edge in the marketplace. Based on industry research and expert opinions, here are some of the most in-demand soft skills for 2024.

Personality Planners Quiz

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

Creating new habits can be a challenge, but there's a powerful technique that can make it easier and more effective: habit stacking. Habit stacking is a strategy that involves linking a new habit you want to develop with an existing habit you already do consistently. By leveraging the power of routine and association, habit stacking can help you build lasting habits that stick. In this blog post, we'll explore what habit stacking is and how you can use it to create positive changes in your life.

Personality Planners Quiz

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

As an entrepreneur and small business owner, I'm always looking for ways to work smarter, not harder. After researching the capabilities of AI, I realized it could help me transform my business in some key ways. Here are 5 ways embracing AI tools has helped me improve my business.

Personality Planners Quiz

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

Welcome to the realm of elite time management! Are you tired of constantly putting off tasks and feeling overwhelmed by the never-ending to-do list? It's time to break free from the chains of procrastination and take control of your time. As an esteemed time management coach, I'll guide you through proven strategies that will empower you to overcome procrastination and become the master of your own time. Get ready to unleash your full potential and achieve greater productivity and success.

Personality Planners Quiz

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

As an entrepreneur, your days are filled with endless tasks and responsibilities. Balancing the demands of your business with your personal life can be a constant challenge. However, mastering time management is essential to create a harmonious balance between work and personal life. In this blog post, we'll explore effective strategies that entrepreneurs can implement to optimize their time, increase productivity, and maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Personality Planners Quiz

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

Creating top-notch content consistently can be a challenge, especially when it comes to managing various platforms like your website and social media accounts. AI had revolutionized how I create my content and opened up another service in my business. Let's dive into the exciting ways you can use AI to supercharge your website and social media content.

Your Hell Yeah! Life Planners Quiz

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

In the world of digital marketing, Google ranking is the holy grail for businesses and individuals looking to increase their online visibility. One effective strategy to improve your ranking on Google is to have a blog. I’m going to give you all the reasons why but make sure you read how to write a blog in five minutes or less without YOU writing a single word.

Your Hell Yeah! Life Planners Quiz

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

Persuasion is a powerful tool, used in business, marketing, politics, and everyday life. It's the art of convincing someone to align their beliefs or actions with your own. However, understanding the psychology behind persuasion is crucial, especially when you encounter resistance or hear the word "no". Let's delve deeper into this fascinating aspect of human behavior.

Your Hell Yeah! Life® Planners Quiz

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

n our fast-paced world, time is a precious commodity. We often find ourselves juggling multiple tasks and responsibilities within limited time frames. While it may seem challenging to accomplish high-intensity tasks in short periods of time, with the right strategies and mindset, it can be highly productive and rewarding. Here are some tips to help you make the most out of those fleeting moments.

Your Hell Yeah! Life® Planners Quiz

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

Stress is an inevitable part of life, but managing it effectively is crucial for our overall well-being. In today's fast-paced world, finding quick and effective strategies for reducing stress can make a significant difference in our daily lives. Whether you're dealing with work-related stress, personal challenges, or the demands of everyday life, here are ten powerful techniques to help you reduce stress quickly.

Your Hell Yeah! Life® Planners Quiz

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

Brand awareness and trust not just about being known, it's about being known for reliability, consistency, and the core values of your business and brand. It’s about story telling using visuals and words. It’s about making your customer/client the hero of their own story. It’s about being authentic and connecting with others who want to do business for you!

Your Hell Yeah! Life® Planners Quiz

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

In the modern world, we often find ourselves juggling multiple responsibilities at once. Amid this hustle, it's easy to forget about one crucial aspect: self-care. Many of us view self-care as a luxury, something to be enjoyed only when all our tasks are complete. However, neglecting self-care can negatively impact our time management and productivity. Let's explore why self-care is essential and how it can boost productivity.

Your Hell Yeah! Life® Planners Quiz

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

In today's fast-paced world, it's easy to fall into the trap of mistaking busyness for productivity. We often admire those who seem constantly busy, assuming they are accomplishing a great deal. However, being busy and being productive are not synonymous. Let's delve into the differences between the two and explore how to transition from mere busyness to true productivity.

Your Hell Yeah! Life® Planners Quiz

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

Silencing your inner critic is a challenge many of us face. This critical internal voice can often hinder our creativity, productivity, and overall well-being. However, recent research provides some valuable insights on how to quiet this inner critic and harness our true potential.

Your Hell Yeah! Life® Planners Quiz

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

Nonverbal communication is a powerful tool that we use every day without even realizing it. From our facial expressions to our body language, nonverbal cues play a significant role in how we communicate with others. And when it comes to persuasive communication, nonverbal cues can make all the difference.

Your Hell Yeah! Life® Planners Quiz

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

Are you struggling to keep track of your daily tasks and responsibilities? Do you often feel overwhelmed and disorganized? You're not alone! But fear not, because creating an effective to-do list in your planner can help you prioritize your tasks, reduce stress, and accomplish more each day. Here are some tips to help you create an effective to-do list in your planner.

Your Hell Yeah! Life® Planners Quiz

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

Learn how to develop habits using these 5 simple steps and learn the two secrets that fuel motivation and discipline.

Your Hell Yeah! Life® Planners Quiz

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

Learn how Elon Must works 11-14 hours a day plus has time with his family, to do his hobbies and time with himself!

Your Hell Yeah! Life® Planners Quiz

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

As a business owner, connecting with your clients on a deeper level is crucial for building trust and fostering long-term relationships. While it may be easy to view clients as just another transaction, taking the time to truly connect with them can make all the difference in the success of your business. Here are some tips for truly connecting with your clients.

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

Establishing good habits is often easier said than done. Whether it’s exercising regularly, eating healthily, or staying organized, sometimes we need a little extra help to make our routines stick. A planner is an effective way to create good habits and stay on top of your daily tasks. Here are some tips for using a planner to establish good habits:

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

Establishing good habits is often easier said than done. Whether it’s exercising regularly, eating healthily, or staying organized, sometimes we need a little extra help to make our routines stick. A planner is an effective way to create good habits and stay on top of your daily tasks. Here are some tips for using a planner to establish good habits:

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

As you know, stress is a normal part of life, but it can have serious consequences if we don’t manage it. Think of a leaky faucet. That’s what today’s stress is like—a slow and steady stream of stress, high cortisol, and low-level anxiety. If you feel like stress is taking over your life, then these 9 unusual ways to reduce stress can help you find more balance.

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

Good website design is essential for any business or organization that wants to succeed in the digital age. Your website should not only be attractive, but also easy to navigate, intuitive, and user-friendly. Here are some best practices for creating a user-friendly website.

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

A planner is only as good as you use it effectively and inline with your goals and personality. This podcast gives you four tips for how to use your planner to stay focused, get organized, and make 2023 THE best year so far!

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

You will probably hear things you had no idea about in this blog post like I did! Social media is crucial to your search engine results! Not only can you use hashtags as SEO words and phrases to improve ranking, but a strong social media presence also improves your ranking. Learn more by clicking play!

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

Life seems cluttered nowadays, huh? Our schedules, lives in general, relationships, work, social life, thinking! It’s all too much. In this episode learn some of the things I did to minimize the clutter and simplify life!

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

When it comes to branding, there's a lot of confusion out there. What is branding, exactly? Do I need to brand my business? If so, how do I go about doing it? And what are the benefits?

If you're new to the world of branding, never fear—you're not alone. In this blog post, we'll answer some of the most common questions people have about branding. By the end, you'll have a better understanding of what branding is and why it's so important for your business. Let's get started!

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

In the business world, Emotional Intelligence is the ability to manage your emotions and respond effectively to emotions in others. It is the strongest predictor of job performance accounting for 60% of success in ALL types of jobs. In this episode, learn the 5 benefits of EQ in your professional world.

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

As a small business owner, it's important to think about branding. What is your brand and what impression do you want to make? A strong brand can help you stand out from the competition and connect with customers. So how can you create a strong brand for your business?

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

Grief is not considerate more convenient. It comes at the worst of times and creates havoc, sadness, and uncertainty. Recently, through the loss of my dad, I learned a few lessons in dealing with grief and wanted to share those with you!

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

For many small business owners, entrepreneurs and organization, FB ads feels like trying to fly a plane without a pilot’s license or any experience! Well, I’m here to help! In this short and sweet episode, I share my exact ad strategy that I use with my clients with great success and in my own business. It doesn’t have to be hard. Here’s some strategy to help you today!

Google Tips & Tricks Blog Post

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

We all have things to do, obligations, and things we don’t want to do. And it can be quite overwhelming. I get it. But I’ve learned a secret that has helped me gain control of my time instead of time controlling me, and I want to share it with you today!

Learn about Your Hell Yeah! Life Coaching Intensive

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

Google search ranking can be tough and frustrating for small business owners and solo entrepreneurs. But there are a few things you can do now to help with that!

Google Tips & Tricks Blog Post

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

Note: This is an episode from Coach Greg and my other podcast, “The Art of Self-Change. It’s so good I wanted to put it on this one. :)

Love is the experience; marriage is the work. And we want to help you with these tips from years of experience in happy marriages. Sherri has been married to her best friend for almost 30 years (in 2022). Coach has been with his wife for years, and they are best friends, too. There are specific ingredients to a happy marriage and we share those in this episode.

Learn about Your Hell Yeah! Life Coaching Intensive

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

Your Definite Chief Aim is your “well-conceived purpose for life and work.” It’s behind all thought, decision, and action in your life. Too many, however, are wandering through life without clear direction and focused desire. This podcast will help you pinpoint what you really want your life to look like and start taking the action to make it a reality!

Learn about Your Hell Yeah! Life Coaching Intensive

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

Inflation is hitting hard! And it’s time to possibly increase your prices. Or is it? In this episode, we look at three things to see if you need to increase your prices, discuss how much to go up, and other ideas and inventive ways to make more money without increasing your prices!

SherriAnneWilson.com

Launch Your Brand

What’s Your Brand Personality?

View Details

The world is going crazy. Have you noticed? And with all that is going on (much of it being imposed upon you without your agreement), you might be experiencing overwhelm, anxiety, stress, anger, and more. In this episode, we discuss signs of a need to simplify your disorganized and cluttered thoughts into a single focus that will inspire hope and peace.

Learn about Your Hell Yeah! Life Coaching Intensive

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

There’s a lot of science behind using paper planners over digital. I’ve had years of experience with both as I developed my own planners based on the four major personality styles. I share my observations of using both and then give you some nerdy benefits of using paper planners.

Which planner is right for you? Take the quiz!

Learn about Your Hell Yeah! Life Coaching Intensive

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

Mom and Pop shops don’t have a lot of money to spend on websites. That along with a lack of branding experience can equal a site that will NOT make you money. Remember this: your website is supposed to make you money! In this latest episode, I show you the one thing NOT to do, my process in a recent website re-design with a local client, and how much a great website can cost (hundreds not thousands ;).

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

The only planner based on your personality are here! IN this episode, I share the story behind the development of these planners, what makes them different and beneficial to you plus give you four time management tips! I’m not big on “promoting” myself but these planners are worth it!

Learn about Your Hell Yeah! Life Coaching Intensive

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

This is probably one of the most important episodes we’ve done and a key to real change. One of the common practices (and it is a practice) we see in the individuals we work with is the recreating of a negative past and even molding people and relationships into that same “image.” You’ve got new people in your life, especially a romantic interest, or a new job and coworkers that have no idea of your past and come from different paradigms and backgrounds when all of a sudden, they are doing and interacting with you the same way everyone else has in your life. Hear us out: you are the common denominator. This episode will unveil what is going on and how to wake up to the day after Groundhog Day!

Learn about Your Hell Yeah! Life Coaching Intensive

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

This episode answers the question of whether you should be on LinkedIn and what to do once you’re there!

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

Trauma bonding. I (Sherri) had never heard that term but I knew when Coach Greg used it, I wanted to know more! In this episode, I ask him to describe what that is, signs you might be bonded to trauma, and more. It’s probably one of the best episodes we’ve done so far! If you are tired of living in cycles, listen to this episode!

Learn about Your Hell Yeah! Life Coaching Intensive

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

Whether you are a website designer, brander, or small business owner, you need a website that wows. And it doesn’t take much to do it either. It’s simply isolating key elements that will create an experience when people visit your website. It’s the art of storytelling visually. It’s those little touches that create connection. In this episode, I break down how I did that with my most recent website design along with some extra business advice thrown in as well.

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

We all have them—those areas in our life where we are living blindly. It’s like changing lanes on the highway not realizing a car is in your blind spot. You have to react fast or end up in a wreck. Nowadays, cars have safety features that alert you to something in your blind spot. We might not have those in us as humans, but there are signs you are in a blind spot and safety features you can put in place to prevent you from wrecking in life!

Learn about Your Hell Yeah! Life Coaching Intensive

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

Let’s be real. Some industries are boring—insurance, plumbing, window cleaning, dentistry, etc. But that doesn’t mean that your website has to be boring. I break down the two musts with some extra tips thrown in to help you design a website that makes a great first impression or build one for your clients that brings them business!

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

In this latest episode of my Hell Yeah! Life series, we are diving deep into the why behind the things we do. You know, the things we know we should not be doing or saying in the middle of doing and saying them? There are specific reasons for this, and I’m going to break them all down in this latest episode!

Learn about Your Hell Yeah! Life Coaching Intensive

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

Early in my branding business, I had to decide whether to work with my clients’ competitors. It was a hard decision because if I didn’t, I could lose potential clients. If I decided to, I could undermine my clients’ trust in me. For me, I chose not to work with my clients’ competitors. I give you the reasons in this podcast/blog post. But if you desire to work with anyone and everyone, I give you so practical solutions on how to do so while maintaining loyalty.

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

In this latest episode of my Hell Yeah! Life series, we are going to talk about that bridge of incidents you’re facing right now. What’s a bridge of incident? It’s those times in your life when you’re faced with a definition that’s challenging and involves risk. You have a choice to cross the bridge or turn back to what you know.

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

In this episode, I dive in to a client that had an existing brand that was hidden and not working for them. It was my job to uncover why their patrons did business with them and the benefit they received in the course of business. I also learned from the client the absolute necessity of collaborating together. Your clients are full of ideas. You can give them the confidence to execute them and make them work for their brand. I also learned the power of combining Facebook ads and radio ads. All of this more in this latest “Work Your Biz Like A Boss” episode!

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

Are you living your life on your own terms or under someone else’s impositions? In this episode, I share my story of not belonging. Shy kid who transformed into a bully and who then grew into a confident woman (with the occasional butterflies us introverts feel). You one Hell Yeah! life requires authenticity. My hope is that through my story, you will look at your story and make the changes needed so you can live your best life possible!

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

This is my first episode with my new focus of taking what I do for my clients and translating it into actionable material and steps you can take in your branding, marketing, hiring, and business. And this month we are looking at what the true essence of profitable branding is by examining one of my favorite clients, Coaches Korner. I’m going to take you through the process of rebranding him, a brand that started off with a boring blue wall and an old website that scared the heck out of me! Be on the lookout for the second podcast focus coming two weeks from now, which is how to live your Hell Yeah! Life!

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

What are we really doing when we give excuses? The one I hear the most is, “I’m too busy.” Heck! I used to say that all of the time until I realized that I was lying. I wasn’t too busy. I just didn’t want to. In this episode, we’re diving deep into what excuses really are. This is definitely an episode where truth confronts BS. We’re gonna get real!

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

There are two types of business owners: old school and new school. There is mostly one type of employee: new school. But is that really true? In this episode, I show you that as far back as the 1940’s there are three things employees have always wanted + I share two cultures you need to cultivate and combine in the workplace to have outrageously happy team members!

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

I see it all of the time. An entrepreneur or small business hires someone (like me) to manage their social media content and build their website only to find that when they need to hire someone else or desire to take over, they can’t get access to all of their stuff! In this episode, I show you three ways to prevent or fix content hijacking!

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

Would it surprise you that the majority of staff problems is actually not the staff? In 100% of the businesses Sherri has worked with so far, the problems in the staff are due to the owner or management put in place. Whether it’s ignoring problems until an explosion or creating a culture of anger and fear, the buck stops with leadership. In this episode, learn the extremely simple things you can do to change the culture of your staff and increase profits, loyalty, and happiness.

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

Calling all entrepreneurs and side hustlers! It’s time to talk about delivering your fee to a potential client. There are two cutes to look for that will clue you in on what to do next. Oh, and while we’re at it, I also talk about how to set your fee from the start! If you’ve struggled setting your fee or delivering you free, click the link in the bio for a quick 12 minute listen. It will help you!

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

We have arrived at the end of our journey. We are full circle back to where I originally started sitting on my couch devastated that I’d have another month of no income. And it was in this setting that I learned a principle that impacted my life in ways I could have never imagined! Learn what it is along with another key that kept me going until that last penny was paid!

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

It’s time for the nuts and bolts of HOW I paid off my debt fast! Learn how I started off with the snowball but ended up with the avalanche plus two more keys that helped me stay focused. I also answer the question on whether you need to start an ER fund or wait until you pay off your debt!

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

Guess what! I have another dream to tell you about in chapter three of my series on how I paid off lots and lots of debt fast. This dream is another that changed the direction of my life! I also share with you how I got my business strategy to get us out of debt and what I had to do that caused a lot of soul searching and ego killing! Have you ever had a dream that you knew was super important and that changed your life? I’d love to hear about it.

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

Have you ever had a dream that you knew was important? So important that you knew it could change your life? I had two dreams like that. Both of them were the exact same dream but with different “characters.” Those dreams became my guidebook to getting out of debt and a starting point to changing my relationship with money.

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

REAL TALK. I’m about to take you on a journey…if you wanna go. I want to warn you, though. There are dark, scary forests, monsters, heroes and heroines, and adventure. And it’s my hope that by you becoming a part of my story, you can experience the same fairy tale ending that I have. What’s the setting? Debt. Wait…don’t go! I know. Money stories can be tough. But I promise that you will learn some things and walk away with hope and a plan! 

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

Building your business can be tough and finances tight. Can I get an amen?! I wanna help! In this episode, I share with you two weird but free marketing strategies that have helped build my business! And if I know you guys, you are servants and will cheerfully embrace these two marketing strategies!

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

Wealth is built upon principles anyone can use. And one of the greats of wealth and success is Andrew Carnegie. In this podcast, I share with you some research I did on Mr. Carnegie and the principles he lived by. Thy’re so much more than principles for wealth, though, because true success is your whole life not just your finances.

Brand Personality Quiz

Launch Your Brand

Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

Failure is NOT fun. However, it is necessary. Think about it this way. Failure is a normal and required part of Research and Development so the finished product or service is top-notch! Failure is simply feedback. But how do you switch from the gut punch you feel when you fail to embracing the feedback? I tell you how in this episode!

Free Resource: Launch Your Brand

Brand Personality Quiz

Free Cheatsheet: Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet!

View Details

A very important part of our health as business owners is our spiritual health. As a Christian, I take my relationship with God very seriously. And I have found 4 must have apps that help me focus and enjoy my relationship with Father even more!

Free Resource: Launch Your Brand

Brand Personality Quiz

Free Cheatsheet: Quick & Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet!

View Details

I want to talk about empowerment as an introvert but I’m going to warn you, you might be offended. Have you heard of the phrase, “Fake it until you make it?” Yeah, for an introvert that is the worst thing to tell us to do! Our core is all about authenticity. However, in Amy Cuddy’s fabulous book, “Presence,” she talks about how faking it is exactly what we need to do to rewire our brain. She’s an introvert. And she gets us. There is a faking that is not being authentic but instead takes advantage of how the brain works.

View Details

Hope is one of the most powerful emotions we can nurture! And the most dangerous people are those without it. Unfortunately, many reduce hope to a wish or feel like it’s a mysterious myst they’re trying to catch. In my latest blog, you’ll learn that hope is actually a science and how to create hope in literally minutes!

Free Resource: Introvert Flavor Quiz

View Details

Building or keeping rapport and connection in emails and texts can be extremely difficult because they lack the bulk that makes up good communication—non-verbals. Ninety'-three percent of communications consists of facial expressions, gestures, posture, and tone. All of that is missing in emails and texts. But there are ways to do it, and I show you in this podcast!

Free resource: Build Rapport Fast!

Free training: Launch your brand on a shoestring budget in one day!

View Details

Motivation is a myth when it comes to producing lasting change. And if you implement this proven trick I’m giving you in this last podcast, you will triple your chances of success!

Free resource: Quick and Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

View Details

Eye contact is a trick thing, isn’t it? Some cultures view eye contact as rude. Others, like here in the United States, view lack of eye contact as a sign of deception or as rude. Eye contact is also one of the most important forms of non-verbal communication and a powerful source of social and emotional information. In this podcast learn how to use eye contact to build trust and rapport.

Free resource: Learn to Build Rapport with Others in Minutes

View Details

One of the most common questions I get asked is, “Do I have to post on all social media platforms? I don’t have time for that!” On top of that I get asked if a website is necessary and how to improve Google ranking. So I decided to create a cheatsheet that tells you EXACTLY what you need to do, how often, and what is necessary to have a digital marketing presence and strategy that brings you business!

Download the Quick and Easy Digital Marketing Cheatsheet

Free launch your brand training

Find our your brand personality

You Are Here! Success Map

View Details

Branding is way much more than colors, logos, symbols, your name, etc. In this podcast, we’re going to look at one of the most famous of pirates, Blackbeard. He had a very unusual branding strategy that worked like a charm!

View Details

Confidence is not elusive nor are others born with it. There’s actually a science behind confidence. In this podcast learn two brain hacks that will increase your confidence in two minutes or less and lower your stress before doing that task that makes you anxious.

View Details

This is week four on discussing the different types of clients you will work with in your business. This is the second personality style that is slower paced and complimentary to the slow and steady client. With this client, the Certainty Is King Client, being right is their top priority, and for that reason, they look for warranties and ongoing support after the purchase. 

View Details

This is week three on discussing the different types of clients you will work with in your business. We’re now going to one of the less intense and slower paced types—the slow and steady client. This type prefers a slower and more relaxed interaction with time to make decisions and just a smidgen of personal information about you so that he or she can trust you. This type is one of my favorites to work with because it’s nice to slow down. But this type can also be the most frustrating to work with because they take so long to decide! What’s important for you to know is that they make up 65% of the population so learn this type well!

View Details

Last week, we looked at the bottom-line client. This week, we’re looking at the life-of-the-party client, which is also an intense and fast-paced personality. This one is like Cyndi Lauper’s song, “A Girl Just Wants to Have Fun!” And they can be a lot of fun but also challenging. Learn how to persuade them in this podcast!

View Details

[ATTENTION HUSTLERS!] One of the best things you can do is read my latest blog post. “Why?” you ask. Because in it is the secret to my success both personally and professionally—understanding the different communication styles you’ll encounter in business. It’s my secret sauce of persuasion because once you understand your own style plus your client’s, you’ll then be able to “speak her language.” There are only four styles to learn, which I’ll be posting over the next four weeks. Apply this in your personal life, too! Your interactions with your kids, friends, and significant other.

View Details

How good are you at spotting lies? Most of us have a pretty good inherent metal detector for BS. But with just a little bit of training, you can detect lies over 90% of the time, which is very handy in raising kids, staying married (or not), and in business. I’ve taken my bonus module in my Genius Communication course on lie detection and put it in this latest podcast!

View Details

Would you like an inside look at how employers pick their new hires?  Then listen to this episode!

View Details

Self-care should be part of any entrepreneur’s business plan. And I have four apps that will help you give your self-care some attention and love! Everything from habits to intermittent fasting to sleep to sex! You do not want to miss this episode!

View Details

What exactly is failure? For some failure is a statement of value. For others it’s evidence of some perceived lack. But the reality is that failure is simply feedback. Nothing else. Failing successfully is simply taking data from your current experience and applying it in the next until you get better and better at what you are attempting to do. Mastery is never overnight. You must spend time in Research and Development until your product or service is flawless. This takes time and mistakes.

View Details

Knowing where you are is just as important as knowing where you’re going. Am I right? I mean, think about it. If you don’t know where you are, you can’t plan your trip. The same thing applies to a business. So let me ask you? Do you know where you are in your business? There are four stages to every business—dream stage, distress stage, develop stage, and demonstrate stage. What if I told you that there’s actually a fifth stage that you will want to avoid? Would you be interested? Click the link in my bio and learn where you’re at in your business, how to avoid the fifth stage, and a simple exercise to help you stay successful!

View Details

Have you ever done or tried to do a vision board? How did it go? Did you use it daily and allow it to guide you in decisions and actions? Or was it like my previous experiences where I made my vision board and never looked at it again. I also made a digital vision board in Pinterest and would forget to look at that one too. I mean, the entire purpose of a vision board is to use your vision to actually look at it, right?! Until I did this one thing.

View Details

My dad has a saying, “Why do today what you can do tomorrow?” He’d say it jokingly, but doesn’t this epitomize procrastination?! The real question, though, is why do we put off what we need to do today for tomorrow? For me it was fear of failure and not wanting to do something hard or unpleasant. You see, procrastination is a symptom not a cause. It must be dealt with ruthlessly! In my search for tools to help me, I discovered some very…let’s say…interesting way some of the greats solved their own procrastination problems!

View Details

Business relationships and situations don’t always go as planned or desired. And, often, the “not so business as usual” moments hit you like a curveball. And if you don’t have a guiding set of business principles and core values, you might be lost on what to do or find yourself in a situation that is mentally and emotionally stressful. Recently, I encountered a curveball situation where my core business principles guided me to a decision like exit signs on an interstate. Hopefully, my story will help you!

View Details

The value you give your clients or customers is rooted in two things: 1) how you see 👀 yourself and 2) how you improve your skill sets and yourself as a person. One of the best examples of the importance of how we see oursleves is when Julius Casesar was kidnapped BEFORE he was a Caesar yet acted as if already Caesar. His encouragement to demand more money for his ransom and how he behaved as a "captive" is fascinating and a great lesson to all of us. And one of the best examples of the value of improving your skill sets is the story of a mailroom employee who became an executive of a pharmaceutical business overnight because he did ONE THING, which I share in my latest podcast. Curious, yet? Click link in bio! 

View Details

The value you give your clients or customers is rooted in two things: 1) how you see 👀 yourself and 2) how you improve your skill sets and yourself as a person. One of the best examples of the importance of how we see oursleves is when Julius Casesar was kidnapped BEFORE he was a Caesar yet acted as if already Caesar. His encouragement to demand more money for his ransom and how he behaved as a "captive" is fascinating and a great lesson to all of us. And one of the best examples of the value of improving your skill sets is the story of a mailroom employee who became an executive of a pharmaceutical business overnight because he did ONE THING, which I share in my latest podcast. Curious, yet? Click link in bio! 

View Details

As an individual, you have specific combined cluster of skill sets, characteristics, and gifting that no one else has making YOU AS A PERSON NON-PIRATABLE even if what you do can be or already is. Your clients don’t want the same-o same-o. Your clients want and need the unique value you offer. By giving them what they want and need, become pirate-proof because people like doing business with you!

View Details

I’ve been car sick three times. And all three times were because of crazy hairpin turns and curves up mountain roads. But, man, was the view worth it at the top! Launching a business is like driving those crazy mountain roads!  You can sometimes feel that you can’t ever really get going because you have to slow down for a hairpin turn or you have to go slow up the side of a mountain in order to not slip and fall. Launching a business is never a straight line to the top. And sometimes you might feel sick to your stomach when a decision sets you back or almost stops you before you start!

But there’s a secret to launching a business that many miss. I discovered this secret by accident. I recognized it during my own business launch but didn’t know it was a pattern until I started mentoring other business owners and startups. And if you learn this secret, you will not only accomplish your dreams but also open up unexpected sources of income. 

View Details

Transcript:Hi! Welcome to this week’s training. I’m Sherri Wilson, an educator, strategist, and introverted entrepreneur that empowers other introverted entrepreneurs the art of persuasion and influence so you can communicate your message clearly and confidently.

Recently, I had writer’s block. The good thing about batch writing your training notes is you get it done in less time and have less stress. But the bad thing about it is that it’s not always easy to know what to write about. So what I do is I go to my favorite blog sites and read some of their articles to get inspired. Well, this thought from theintrovertentrepreneur.com founder Beth Buelow hit me between the eyes and I knew instantly what I wanted to talk about!

Listen to this:

One rainy afternoon a few years ago, I was driving into Seattle for a networking event when my husband called me on my cell. I answered (this was pre-hands-free law) and listened, noting the barely perceptible panic in his voice: something unexpected had come up, and he needed the car for an off-site meeting. Since I was in the car, traveling up I-5 at 65mph in the opposite direction from him, he clearly had a problem.

There was a time when I would have sighed, said, “I’ll be right there,” and gotten off at the next exit and turned around. He called me with a problem; I had to save the day, right? I would have felt mildly annoyed but, in a twisted way, virtuous for having come to his rescue and fixed his problem.

But that’s not how this story ends. I listened to his description of the situation and said, “Oh dear, I’m sorry to hear that. How else can you get to the meeting?”

We brainstormed for a moment, he said, “I’ll figure it out,” and we hung up. And I forgot about the conversation until I got home later that evening.

This might not be a big deal to some people, but it was a true turning point for me. It was one of the first times I’d intentionally taken a concept I use in coaching and put it into practice personally: view and hold others as whole, capable, and resourceful.

While the words are simple, the concept is a game-changer.

If I choose to hold someone else as whole, capable, and resourceful, I see her not as a person to rescue, but a person to respect. Not broken, but healthy. Not helpless, but self-reliant. Not clueless, but creative.

What?!!! OMG! View and hold others as WHOLE, CAPABLE, AND RESOURCESFUL. The reason this struck me as so relevant to us introverted entrepreneurs is that it can be really hard for us to say “no.” I think it’s actually a human problem not just an introvert problem, but the majority of introverts are S personality styles—accommodating, tactful, diplomatic, nurturing, salt of the earth, altruistic, safe, accepting—you get the point. IT CAN BE REALLY HARD FOR S PERSONALITIES TO SAY “NO.”

And if you think about it, some situations are designed to make it hard to say “no.” The request from your boss or best friend or mother-in-law. The salesman you feel pressured to buy something from. The list goes on. What happens is we enter a martyr complex of saying “yes” and doing things we really don’t want to do. And to make it worse, sometimes we passively aggressively LET the other person know we really don’t want to be there doing what we’re doing.

If You Really Don’t Want To, Don’t!Years ago, I had a problem saying No.” My main reason is I didn’t want people to get mad at me or let them down. So I’d say “yes” and then either never do it or be fussy the whole time on the inside. Then one day I was in this Christian bookstore and a lady asked me to help with some ladies Bible study and I was about to give my auto-yes (you know…the one where you just blurt out “yes” like someone else is in control. Push the button and get “yes” syndrome) when Holy Spirit stopped me and I heard this whisper, “If you really don’t want to do it, say “no.” Be very cautious in what you agree to.” So I said NO. The person didn’t looked please but from that point on I was free to say “no.” And I also learned that keeping my word was very important to God and I needed to create a lifestyle that made that easier.

I’ve never ever thought of how empowering it can be to not “rescue” people like we sometimes feel the need to do. And often we do it when we’re not even asked! And that to me, makes saying “no” at times even more important. What if our “yes” is actually hurting the person and not allowing them to step up to the plate, solve their problems and grow as people?!

Recently, my husband made a shift after 7 plus years of saying “yes” to his own hurt and others. He is a property manager and when he was hired, his only job was to collect money. Whatever he collected, he received a commission. But what happened is that he ended up doing ALL of the maintenance work, renting them out at times, and anything else you can imagine. He basically ran someone else’s business with all of the stress like it was his.

What happened is that the hours he put in, put the commission pay he received at less than minimum wage! I finally told him that he could get a job with less stress and make more and on top of that, his “help” would be forced to step up and do the work. With the current situation, they didn’t need to because he did it all. Guess what. He took my advice. Got a job and his hired help stepped up to the plate! He gets paid for only what he was originally hired to do.

At first, it was a transition because the owner of the properties was used to the free labor and still resents the fact that my husband got a job and couldn’t devote his full attention to his business. His hired help had to also adjust and get past the initial “I DON’T KNOW WHAT I’M DOING” and figure it out.

How to Say “No” GracefullySo here are some tips to say “no” gracefully:

1. Have them email you the details.This gives you a way out of the awkward moment and lets you see what all is involved and decide if maybe you do want to do what they’re asking. But remember your trade-off for doing it. I like to get what exactly I’ll be doing, when, how many hours it will take, etc. If you decide it won’t work for you, politely email them back that you can’t at this time. Thank them for considering you.

2. Don’t give them a “why.”When you say “no” and then give them the why for it, they might change the request to accommodate your why and things can get awkward. Let’s say someone invites you to an event, but you tell them that you can’t because you don’t have a sitter. They can say that you can bring your kids. If not careful, your “no” will look like a bartering session.

3. Awkwardly pause.Pause for about three seconds after the request and then politely decline. It throws people off and lessens the odds of them trying to convince you.

4. Offer another option.I actually use this quite a bit. When someone asks me if I can do something and I decline, I’ll point them to a person who might be able to help them or offer a suggestion that eliminates the need for anyone at all.

5. Use humor.This can work both in person but really well in an email. Be creative.

6. Compromise.If you can’t do all of the request but can part of it and it not require a trade-off, go for it. I’ve done this plenty of times, too. I’ll let people know I can do this, this, and that but someone else or you will need to do the other things. More often then not, they ask someone else for all of the request. Other times, I do the parts I can and not lose my focus.

7. A soft “no.”This is a definitely “no” now, but keep me in mind for a future request. Or I can’t now, but at the end of next month, I’ll be available.

8. Say “Yes. What should I eliminate to do this for you?”This can work in a professional environment really well. If you’re the one that always gets extra work thrown at you because you’re the dependable one, it’s probably time to say you’d be happy to do the request, but which other project do they want you to put on hold or hand off.

Beth wrote another incredible thought for us introverts that I want to leave you with:

So much of being a healthy, happy introvert is about managing our energy. To do that, we often find we need to establish boundaries: around our quiet time, our work spaces, our social interaction. And depending on our personality, we might find those boundaries frequently being violated because of our equal need to help (to be of service), to feel needed, to show love by being the shoulder to cry on or the sympathetic ear.

Being “The Fixer” is a comfortable role, especially for the introvert who almost feels relief when there’s a problem to focus on (which steers attention away from the social aspect of the interaction).

View Details

Don’t you just love podcasts?! You can improve your business by listening to business podcasts. Satisfy your true crime addiction with true crime podcasts. Better your marriage using marriage podcasts. The topics are endless! As a business owner, you can use a podcast as a marketing tool. In fact, that’s how I want you to view podcasts—a marketing tool to position yourself as an expert, build rapport, and get people to your website. In this latest episode, I share a recent podcast launch with you so you can learn how to launch your own!

View Details

Many introverts hate sales. I used to until I realized that sales is actually persuasion. I also discovered that my number one entrepreneurial strength is sales (Gallup 10), which is weird considering I’m an introvert. Most introverts think that extroverts are great at sales because they seem to be good people persons. But research tells us a different story. In this episode, learn why introverts are genius at sales!

View Details

Customer complaints are just part of business like bills. But recently I learned that the way we handle complaints starts with discerning if they’re valid or invalid. And we’ve all experienced both. In this episode, you’ll learn how to tell, the motives behind each and the exact steps to respond to each type!

View Details

If you want to accelerate your progress, find a mentor! A mentor is a “wise and trusted counselor or teacher” that comes alongside you to advise and help you develop the best course of action to take. As one who mentors professionally and one who has been mentored, I have seen abuse and control from so-called mentors as well as advice that actually caused more harm than good. In this episode, learn what to look for in a mentor. P.S. I also included interview questions for you when considering a mentor!

View Details

[QUESTION] If I was to take a gander at your social media and website, would it present a clear, cohesive brand and brand message to me? I bet you’re hoping so, right? Branding is like putting a puzzle together. And, if you think about it, you are the biggest puzzle piece because your brand is a reflection of who you are. Or maybe you’re one of those who already has a clear, cohesive brand but it’s tired. Let’s refresh that sucker! And take it to the next level! In my latest blog/podcast, I share the two most common marketing mistakes as well as a simple exercise to revamp a tired brand!

View Details

Transcript:Today I want to discuss the POWER OF WORDS. I have a short video for you to watch below that will communicate what I want to say more powerfully and then I’ll give some tips for all your written content or what’s called copy.

But first, I want you think of two words: pink elephant.

Ok, did you see the actual words PINK ELEPHANT or did you see a pink elephant?

Words create pictures in the minds of those who read or hear them; therefore, you want to write your copy in such a way that you paint a picture that engages the imagination and the heart, which then taps into your client’s desire.

Tips:1. Choose words carefully. Listen to this sentence and tell me which one sparks a stronger emotion and word picture. “I’ve reduced the cost of my course 50%.” Or “I’ve SLASHED my price 50%!” Slashed carries more punch. Like you can “see” the price tag being slashed in half! 2. Engage the senses. Use words that engage or describe the senses of sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste. This takes your copy from boring to memorable. 3. Precise parts of speech. Verbs, nouns, adverbs, and adjectives. You want to use vibrant verbs and avoid passive voice. You want zing and zip with your verbs. You want people to take action NOW. Use adjectives sparingly. Use comparisons like metaphors or figurative language. And pay attention to your nouns. Instead of using dog, you can say Golden Retriever, mutt, black lab, or Chihuahua. 4. Use synonyms. Synonym.com is a great resource to help you pick a more precise word or find something that’s not as overused or tired as some words. Make sure you look up the definition of the word though so it for sure communicates clearly your thought. I also love this handy reference, “Words That Sell.” It’s broken up by Grabbers to get people’s attention, descriptions and benefits of your product or service, clinchers to persuade to action from your client, and added strategies. 5. Don’t sacrifice your style. You have a unique voice in both verbal and written content. One thing I do is I write my copy freely first and then go back and change out a few words to add imagination impact. But be authentically you.
6. Text position. This tip isn’t so much about the writing but how the words fall on the screen. Research tells us that people will read your content if the text is narrower. Add a few bold or larger headlines and you’ll increase chance of all your text being read 95%.

Movies have come a long way since the early days. Technology allows producers to add incredible explosions, car chases complete with unbelievable crashes, and superhuman physical feats like jumping, spinning in the air while shooting the cut and stabbing a few people using the other hand mid air and then landing with everyone dead around you.

But it’s the small touches and attention to detail that really grabs our imagination and touch the deepest parts of our emotions. You don’t need a masterpiece or over do it with this word thing. Just a few discerning changes will take your copy to the next level.

View Details

Transcript:A GIF (pronounced with a “j” despite all the controversy to the contrary) is simply an animated graphic. I’m sure you’ve seen them or maybe you’ve even downloaded some and used in your social media. Personally, I love to add them to my weekly blog/podcast email because they’re fun. I always smile when I see an awesome GIF. I imagine I bring a smile to my readers’ faces, too (except for maybe a few grouches). Using appropriate humor is one of the strongest rapport builders out there.

How to Create a GifI usually create GIFs of myself since I mostly use them in my social media feeds or emails.

1. Plan out your “moves.” The first step is creating a Boomerang image of yourself doing something. Waving. A hand gesture. Some type of head movement. I’ve done Boomerangs taking a bite of my dark chocolate, putting on my lipstick, shaking my head up and down or side to side, a thumbs up or down, drinking coffee, stirring coffee, dancing, pushing glasses up my nose or down my nose. The list is endless. You can download Boomerang onto your phone. If you need both hands, though, get someone to help you. You can also search for different Boomerang images to get ideas. You can also upload a still image to create great GIFs.
2. Go to giphy.com. Once you have your Boomerang, go to giphy.com and sign up to create GIF’s for free. Once you sign up and are logged in, click Create.
3. Upload image. Click Choose Photo or GIF or Upload a Video. Boomerangs record as movies, so choose Upload a Video. If a still picture, choose photo. You can do other videos as well. I’ve taken training videos anywhere from three minutes to 30 minutes and created a GIF from a small section of it. Your GIF must be four seconds long to post on Instagram and Facebook.
4. Decorate. Once you upload your image or video, you can decorate with words, stickers, other animations. I usually don’t just because of my brand feel. But I will sometimes for my emails.
5. Upload to giphy. Once you’re done decorating your GIF, you’ll click "Continue to Upload.” In the next screen, you can turn off Public meaning only you will see your giphys. You can also add tags and a source URL for your GIFs. I usually don’t because they’re only for me. But if you want others to find and use yours, do it! Then click Upload to giphy.
6. Download. Once your GIF is created, you can right click on top of it and Save Image. I like doing that more than embedding, copying the link, etc. I have it on my computer as an image. Remember when you insert it into your emails, insert as an image not a video.

One more trickThis might feel like you’re going backwards, but have you ever noticed a GIF on FB that doesn’t GIF. You either have to click it or it looks like a still image. I convert my GIF’s into MP4’s when I post them on Facebook so that they automatically play. There are many websites where you can do this for free.

summaryIn reality, aren’t we just children in adult bodies? Emojis. GIFs. All these seemingly childish things make us really happy. They tap into that “play” part of our brains that we need. They give us a few seconds to feel like a kid again, which is why cat videos are so popular and reduce stress according to research. Use GIFs to make your client smile and take a breather from adulthood.

how-to video

View Details

Transcript:Core values are the core of who you are, the filter for your personality, and what drive and motivate you. However, if violated, they can trigger you causing negative emotions, distrust, and conflict. Knowing your KEY CORE VALUES empowers you to respond instead of react when violated.

“Integrate purpose into your for-profit business model through a long term commitment to a cause that is aligned with your core values and those of your community. ”

— Simon Mainwaring

Core values are formed in childhood from both positive and negative experiences. For example, you might have lived in a home that highly valued education forming a core value where you place priority on learning and acquiring knowledge.

Negative experiences can be even more powerful causing immediate reaction to anything similar to what you experienced and leave you wondering why you reacted that way. For example, if you were bullied, you might have developed a strong compassion core value. If you view anyone who acts like a bully and doesn’t show compassion for others, you might become hostile.

A Few QuestionsLet’s go through a few questions to see what might be your primary core values.

1. What is most important to you?

2. What motivates you to work hard?

3. What are your redeeming qualities?

4. What are your moral absolutes?

5. How do you define right from wrong?

What Ticks You Off?One great way to discover your core values is to evaluate what makes you angry and then why that makes you angry. Think back to the last time you were upset. What happened? Who was involved? What was your reaction? What was their reaction? Did their reaction help or hurt? Did your reaction help or hurt?

1. What was the core issue or situation that upset you?

2. What was the negative emotion you felt? Many immediately say they were angry. But actually anger is often e a “once-size-fits-all” emotion that masks other emotions. For example, maybe you felt betrayed? Insignificant? Forgotten? Bullied? Worthless?

3. Now ask yourself why you felt that emotion. What about the incident or what was spoken during it that triggered that reaction?

4. With this in mind, think back and see if your reaction to similar events is a pattern. If yes, go back even further in your life and see if something repeatedly happened to you or was done to you that made you feel that same emotion.

5. And, finally, If there are repeated incidents of similar things happening to you throughout your life, have you developed a core value in response? If so, what is it? For example, people keeping their word is a core value to me because as a child I had a parent who didn’t keep their word.

A Real Life Example

“I’m good enough; I’m smart enough. Self-affirmation is where people list their core values. These are things that really make them who they are. ”

— Amy Cuddy

Let me give you a real life example. A few weeks ago, I was up at our new location working in the store room and was overwhelmed with a sudden feeling of intense sadness. It was so intense that I simply left. I no longer wanted to be there. In fact, I know longer wanted to rent the building!

A few days later, I was back in the storeroom and I knew what had happened. It smelled like a place I lived when I was 14-16. I was incredibly sad during that time. In fact, it was a sadness that ended several years of sadness. Once I knew what had happened, I realized I had more work to do. But the point is wounding and triggers can hit you out of nowhere.

Most have at least 3 core values operating in their life. This website: jamesclear.com/core-values has a great list to get you started on figuring out your core values so you recognize when triggered and respond instead of react.

Recap:1. Core values are the core of who you are, the filter for your personality, and what motivates you.

1. They are often formed in childhood through negative or positive experiences.

2. Negative emotions or overreaction occurs when a core value is triggered.

3. A key to discovering your core values is thinking back to the last time you were upset.

4. Most have 3 main core values.

5. If you feel an emotion out of the blue for no reason at all, a core value or emotional wound was triggered.

6. Pause and recognize that so you can respond instead of react.

I’d love to hear your 3 core values. But since none of you talk to me and have been violating my love language of quality time, I won’t hold my breath. LOL!

And, finally, please share this training with others you think it might help. I see all kinds of relationships—business and professional—negatively affected by these hidden things. Let’s spread the love and help others! You can invite them to this FB group or send them to at geniuscommunication.org/blog.

Until next week

View Details

TRANSCRIPT:Hi! My name is Sherri Wilson! And welcome to Work Your Biz Like a Boss—the one-stop shop podcast for everything business. I’m about to make a statement that might offend you, but I promise that if you keep listening, you’ll discover keys to help you! Ok, here it is: It’s a myth that events or circumstances cause stress. The truth is that stress is caused by your perception of those events.

I can already hear some of you. What do you mean an impending divorce isn’t causing me stress? Or my lack of employment is causing me stress? Or my impending bankruptcy isn’t causing me stress? Or a global pandemic isn’t causing me stress?

HAVE YOU NOTICED?Have you ever noticed how some go through crises and difficulties much better than others? You can have two people going through the exact or at least similar crises and one person is thriving and the other is barely surviving. One always has a great attitude and is hopeful while the other is depressed, anxious, and possibly suicidal. Why? Why is it that one person thrives and one doesn’t?

Perception.

PERCEPTIONWe think 60,000-70,000 thoughts per day, and 70% of those are negative. And most of them are taking place in our subconscious—under the surface.

“You don’t make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas.”

— Shirley Chisholm

Your subconscious is like an iceberg. What you see on top is small compared to what’s underneath. Your perceptions are sourced in your subconscious meaning you might perceive things not from facts plainly seen but from thoughts unseen. You take that “data” and feed it into the subconscious. And the funny thing about the subconscious is it only executes the data you give it—whether good or bad.

ScriptsOften we don’t know that our subconscious perceptions are hurting us or how big they are until our dreams and goals collide with our subconscious scripts stopping progress and making us feel stressed!

What exactly are scripts? Scripts are the “mental brew” powerful enough to direct emotions and actions. Learned norms become subconscious scripts. Everything you learned about yourself and life from others and experiences make up your scripts, again, good or bad.

Often you don’t know you’re swimming around in a script until it’s pointed out by others or circumstances.

““Two fish are swimming in a pond when
an older fish starts swimming the other
way towards them. When the older fish
passes them, he nods and says, “Good
morning! How’s the water?” The two fish
swim for a while before one of them looks
to the other and asks, “What the hell is
water?””

— Unknown

The Brain’s BiasOn top of negative scripts and perceptions, your brain has a natural negative bias in order to keep you alive, which is why we recognize angry faces more quickly, overestimate threats, underestimate opportunities, and over-learn from bad experiences. Throw in negative thought patterns (scripts) and you might find yourself depressed and anxious! Plus negative thoughts lead to more negative thoughts, which literally shapes your physical brain if left unchecked.

Two Types of Scripts Ripples are the subtle scripts playing in the background that “seem” normal. * Waves* are the scripts that crash down on you creating mental and emotional distress.

It’s important to learn to recognize each script type, and as my good friend and counselor, Coach Greg McNeil teaches, “Let your scripts mentor you.” When you recognize a ripple script or feel a wave script crashing, you can use them as opportunities to expose the source of the negative script and retrain your subconscious.

how to get unstuck1. Recognize. Sometimes just the act of recognizing the script is enough to effect change. But it’s definitely the first step and most important if you think about it (pun intended). How can you change your scripts if you don’t know what they are? 2. Challenge your thinking. Do you really believe the script or did you inherit the thought? 3. Retrain your subconscious. It only understands data and present-tense and is geared to process faith. Vision boards and words spoken in faith are great ways to retrain. 4. Be kind to yourself like you would a friend. This takes time. When you find yourself thinking the same ole way, don’t beat yourself up! Recognize it and get back to work! 5. Stay on top of it. The brain’s neural pathways fight off new neural pathways. Literally. Keep working on that new way of thinking because eventually the old neural pathway will dissolve and the new one will get stronger.

ONE MORE GREAT TIPWhen Coach Greg and I did this training in person at our local Chamber, he said a great way to retrain your subconscious is to purchase a journal and a blue pen (because blue ink helps with memory) and write down your desires each day. He said to only record those that are an 8-10 on a scale of 1-10 in desire. This inspires hope, motivation to change, and aspiration, which is one of the most powerful motivators.

View Details

transcriptHi! My name is Sherri Wilson! And I have a confession to make. I’ve been lazy. Yep. Lazy. I’ve been repurposing old content for my podcasts. There’s nothing wrong with that, especially when many didn’t even know I existed back when I first started it and might not have listened to my older stuff. But you deserve the best I got! So this one is a brand new podcast.

I think part of the reason I was reusing old content too much was writer’s block! And, so, as I sat here tempted to pull another old podcast transcript, I thought about a conversation I had last night while mentoring one of my clients that I think will help those of you that are what I call “idea factories” to organize your ideas and help you manage distractions…you know…those rabbit trails you find yourself on before you realize it.

Idea FactoriesWhat exactly is an idea factory? An idea factory is a person whose head is always swimming with ideas. Idea factories love learning and researching, which often leads to learning and researching even more ideas and topics from the initial idea research leading to never fulling developing and executing the idea! To an idea factory, ideas are like shiny new objects that tend to be replaced by the next shiny new idea.

“You don’t make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas.”

— Shirley Chisholm

the problemI am an idea factory. I love ideas! One of my favorite things to do is mastermind with others just to generate ideas and think outside the box. Unfortunately, all those ideas swimming around in my head stressed me! It felt like flies buzzing around. I needed a way to organize my ideas. I also needed a way to research and to execute the ideas that seemed viable without getting distracted. And, most importantly, the method to do these things had to work for me. I know that if they created more stress or took too much time, I just wouldn’t do them.

method 1: notes!The best thing I did was I started using my Notes app to brain dump all of my ideas. At first, I had tried journals and writing them down but then I ended up with all these journals and even pieces of paper everywhere. Then when I’d want to go back to an idea, I had no idea where it was! I can search using keywords in Notes and pull up that beautiful idea fast!

Here’s what I do.

1. Create a note and title it based on the idea or area of business. For example, I conduct monthly lunch and learns at my local Chamber. I have a note titled “Lunch and Learn Ideas.” I have another titled Podcast Ideas. I have ideas for my clients, too. I title them using their name or business name. You can also create folders, which I do to keep track of not just ideas but other important things I need to remember. For example, I have a True Crime folder for my true crime podcast. Inside it, I have episode ideas, website ideas, how I want my intro and outro to sound, Instagram pic ideas, and more.
2. As you go about your day and get an idea (no matter how small or big), put that idea in the correct note or folder.
3. I then occasionally go through my ideas in my notes to see which ones I still really like and those that sounded good at the time, but don’t now. I delete those.

“Wealth flows from energy and ideas.”

— William Feather

method 2: online organizationEvery idea needs to be researched no matter what it is. Most of us start with Google. But for us idea factories, initial research can branch into a ton of rabbit trails of other things that catch our eye. If we’re not careful, we’ll end up researching for hours but not on the original idea that we picked because it was viable and would help us reach our goals.

What I do is I create a Bookmark or Favorites folder of that rabbit trail or idea. I then bookmark all the pages I want to visit later in there and return to my initial research. This has helped me so much! I don’t have to keep hundreds of tabs open. And I see my bookmark folder every day because I set my browser to open that instead of a home page. I also arrange those folders based on priority with the top “to-do now” folders at the top of my favorites.

method 3: time blockTime-blocking is probably the glue that holds everything together. I literally schedule time in my calendar for researching, developing, and executing ideas. Time blocking is where you schedule a minimum of 20 minutes to four hours to devote to one task. No emails. No texts. No social media. Phone is either put up or on silent. I do this for everything, including dreaming, goal setting, researching, idea generation, development, personal time, etc. Pretty much anything I’m doing is done in blocks.

But another great time blocking method is to assign projects to quarters. For example, the last quarter of 2019 and the first quarter of 2020 was devoted to developing my new online course, “Build Your Brand Like A Boss.” I’m so glad I stayed focused but COVID hit and business owners needed my course!

Blocking quarters means I don’t start any major projects until that project is complete. Of course, I’ll have related projects or client projects that will need to be done. But no big projects are allowed! For example, after my course was done, I then devoted a quarter to revamping my website and honing my brand even more, which has resulted in a lot more business. I then devoted the next quarter to developing my true crime podcast. That is almost done. My next quarter project will be designing planners that are going to be the most unique of any out there. I don’t want to give away my secrets.

summaryThe greatness of idea factories is our innovating spirit, which is key to keeping a business relevant and long-lasting. The weakness of idea factories is never executing all of those great ideas. By using these techniques, you can harness your greatness and manage your weakness!

View Details

transcriptHi! Welcome to this week’s training. I’m Sherri Wilson, an educator, strategist, and introverted entrepreneur that empowers other introverted entrepreneurs the art of persuasion and influence so you can communicate your message clearly and confidently. Let’s jump right in!

My two fearsI have two fears when I’m talking to people:

1. Starting a conversation with them in a non-awkward way
2. Ending a conversation in a non-awkward way.

And I don’t want to be boring either, which I’m usually not so I’m good. Lol. Vanessa Van Edwards, who calls herself a “recovering awkward person,” said, “I think we can become boring out of fear” because we’re afraid of being rejected or we feel awkward.

“I don’t actually like dates. I get awkward as I never know what to do.”

— Selena Gomez

And that fear ACTUALLY MAKES US AWKWARD because we become overly aware of how we’re “performing” making it worse. Guys, performing is not being REAL anyway! And being real is very important to introverts so don’t try to perform.

Here is an easy way to NOT be awkward and let people know you like them so they’ll like you in return:

Smile and say, “Hello.”

Seriously, that’s it. There’s science behind a genuine smile and if you’re not used to smile at people you don’t know, you better start practicing! I did. I’d smile every time I walked into a different room and then every time I saw my cat. I then graduated to smiling at strangers at the store, and then finished my training by smiling at people at the gym! That’s like a doctorate from smiling college!

This simple act of smiling and saying, “Hello” and even adding this, “My name is Sherri. What’s your name?” is all it takes to start a conversation and avoid being awkward from the start!

can’t I just send out friend signals and not talk?No.

Research has revealed a condition (I swear it’s an introvert condition) called SIGNAL AMPLICATION BIAS where people tend to think their social cues are obvious but they aren’t. We fear rejection so we either don’t cue at all or we’re so subtle they’re missed.

Let me give you an example. IT TAKES 13 DIRECT GLANCES FROM A WOMAN BEFORE HER INTENDED WILL APPROACH HER. 13!

Now what?Once you’ve initiated the conversation, now need to keep it from GETTING awkward. And it’s pretty easy, too.

You simply ask them what brought them there or what they hope to get out of it (like if it’s a convention, conference, etc.).

Then look for similar values and interests that you can use to keep the conversation going. And if you’re brave, do a fist bump or high five when you find those similarities, especially the ones you’re most passionate about.

And, please, don’t be afraid of pauses in conversation. It’s normal. If you’re afraid of them, you’ll get all nervous and then start rambling making things really weird.

And, finally, BE REAL! UCLA discovered that out of 500 adjectives connected to likeability, the top were sincere, transparent, and capability for understanding NOT smart, attractive, or extroverted. PEOPLE LIKE REAL.

“Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.”

— Brian Tracy

The capability for understanding is powerful. Scientists have discovered that when a person feels understood, it literally creates new neural pathways in the brain. It can also reframe a bad memory into something more positive.

This is great for us entrepreneurs because we can show that we understand our clients and reframe any negative experiences they might’ve had with someone else in our industry by being understanding and making sure they have a powerful, positive experience with you. I think not being listened to or understood is a universal pet peeve when doing business with others!

View Details

Transcript:Have you tried to make a cake lately? It’s amazing how many options we have! I mean an entire one-third of an aisle is devoted to cake mixes! Yellow, white, orange, brown, multicolored, oil or butter based. And then the icings! Thank goodness I’m gluten free so I’m pretty restricted to what I kind of cake I can make!

And what about cereal? I believe the last time I looked there was an entire aisle plus a one-fourth of another aisle that was nothing but cereal at my local Wal-Mart. I don’t know about you but I feel overwhelmed just walking past all of those choices.

The Gourmet Jam StudyResearch reveals that giving your customer too many choices can hurt your business! Sheena Iyengar and Mark Lepper conducted research on choice overwhelm in 2000 in an upscale food market using 24 varieties of gourmet jam. Samplers received a coupon for $1 off any jam. Every few hours, the selection dropped to a group of six jams also offering the same coupon. On average, people sampled 2 jams regardless of whether 24 or 6 were displayed.

But here is where it gets very interesting—sixty percent of customers were drawn to the large assortment and 40% to the small one but 30% purchased from the small display and only 3% from the large proving that althoughchoices are appealing in theory, PEOPLE FIND IT MORE DIFFICULT TO DECIDE WHAT TO BUY SO THEY BUY NOTHING! There’s a technical term for it, “choice paralysis.”

Other studies revealed that more choices also cause “buyer’s remorse” because each new option diminishes the feeling of satisfaction and well being. In other words, your customer wonders if he or she bought the right product. Too many options also causes anxiety, excessive high expectations, and self-blame if the choices don’t work out.

Bottom line. Simplify your products and services.

Steve Job's GeniusOne of the first things Steve Jobs did when he returned to Apple was slim down the product line, which had grown exponentially during his absence. He then focused everyone at Apple on the remaining products to make them the best and easiest to use as possible. It worked and, literally, saved Apple.

“In character, in manner, in style, in all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity. ”

— Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

As a side note…Jobs was known for always wearing jeans and black turtlenecks because he limited his choices as much as possible so he could focus on the most important ones. The super successful leverage the power of LIMITED CHOICES by eliminating all unnecessary ones.

When I owned a personal training business, I always encouraged my new clients to eat the same things every day until they learned how to eat healthy. Have eggs and bacon for breakfast. Eat grilled chicken salad for lunch. Eat pork roast and steamed veggie for dinner. Eat the same snacks.

You would’ve thought I asked them to eat their kids! I’d hear things like, “I like variety! How boring! I couldn’t do that!”

What happened was that by insisting on too much variety at the beginning of their fitness journey, they sabotaged their weight loss efforts because every meal became a decision to make causing overwhelm and they’d revert to the same fast food and junk food that caused the weight gain in the first place. A major part of my fitness success is that I eat the exact same meals every day with minor variations. Occasionally I’ll find a new recipe I like and eat it regularly, but I limit my choices because who has time to think about what to eat all the time?

Barry Schwartz in “The Paradox of Choice” states, “Seeking the perfect choice…is a recipe for misery. This includes both big and small choices from everyday choices to relationship choices, etc. The more options you have, the more it costs you in time and effort not to mention a lack of certainty as well as decision fatigue.

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. ”

— Leonardo da Vinci

What To Do for your business1. Limit your products and services. This is especially true for course creators, photographers, and other service-based businesses. I know this can be hard. I’m an idea generator and not creating a course on every idea I think up is hard! But it can be done. :) 2. If you have ideas or need creative inspiration or direction, record all your ideas and ponder them until one just seems to “fit.” I do this a lot. When I start the design of a new course, a new website, etc. the hardest and most intensive part is the design, the colors, etc. I literally draw out my ideas if applicable, play around with colors, and layout. Next I start inserting pics, using colors, etc. and see what works then rest from that and still ponder as I go about my other tasks. 3. Keep your business model simple and strategic. 4. Do beta testing and see what are the most popular and useful products, courses, and services you have. Eliminate the rest.

What to do for yourself1. Make the most important decisions earlier in the day. Willpower has a shelf life. Every decision you have to make drains your willpower gas tank. Eliminating unnecessary choices for yourself is the smart thing to do! 2. Sleep on it. This is such a great strategy because you give yourself space to decide and wake up refreshed to make your decision. 3. Don’t go to extremes. Be okay with a middle ground. Psychologist, Dan Ariely, warns of UNCHANGEABILITY BIAS because it blocks decision-making. It’s ok to try something or experiment before making big decisions. Avoid the ALL OR NOTHING MENTALITY. Work your current job and your side hustle until your hustle makes you more money than your current job! 4. Don’t try to figure out exactly how everything will go. Choices beget other choices. You can’t know what opportunities are going to come from your choices until you start making them. Same with obstacles. You can try to imagine potential obstacles and how you’ll handle them. But also know that predicting everything is impossible. So what if your idea fails? You learned great things in the process to take to the next idea.

View Details

Guys! I am so excited about this blog post because even though it’s taken me all of my life, I finally found a curly hair product that works! Now, if you’ve never had curly hair, you won’t understand the excitement and emotion I’m feeling! But for my curly hair friends out there, I’m sure you feel my excitement! Before I tell you about the product, let me briefly share my hair journey.

The JourneyGrowing up I had wavy hair. Then my hair drastically changed when I got pregnant with my son. My chocolate brown hair turned into a reddish, lighter brown, and my waves turned curly. You can imagine how lost I was. I didn’t know how to style it. If I blowdried it, I looked like Diana Ross. If I used curly hair product, it was either frizzy or had that weird, stiff crackly feel. So I bought a Chi straightener and kept it straight for almost 10 years until I discovered LUS Brands Love Ur Curls from a Facebook ad.

Something about the ad impressed me and stopped my mindless scrolling. I immediately went to their website and purchased a trial of their curly hair set that includes the shampoo, conditioner, and all-in-one. They have wavy and kinky, too. I was skeptical because I had tried so many products before only to have the same frizz or crackle problem as before.

The productNormally when I straighten my hair, I don’t have to wash it for days. I don’t have oily hair so that works perfect for me. But by the time I do wash it, it needs it! And I usually have to wash it twice. I grabbed the shampoo (after carefully watching how-to videos) and massage it into my hair. OMG! This felt different!

It thoroughly cleaned my hair with just one wash, and it was squeaky clean almost like it clarified it. I then applied the conditioner, and at first I thought it wouldn’t do much. It seemed thin, but I left it in the full two minutes like it said, and when I rinsed it, my hair felt silky soft.

I got out of the shower, applied lotion, and my face products with my hair in a towel. When I got ready to apply the all-in-one product, I had to rewet my hair because it has to be super wet (like dripping). I sectioned off my hair and applied the product. I then soaked up some of the excess water with a microfiber towel like they suggested and then used the towel to crimp my hair. I then let it air dry. After it was dry, I ran my fingers through it and was shocked! No frizz. No crinkly. Just soft, beautiful curls!

Now it did take a couple of times to figure out exactly how to get the curls to lay the way I wanted, but I was impressed!

Tips and Tricks I learnedSince then I’ve used the product several times. I’ll probably try the wavy next because I’m curious how that will do in my hair since I’m not super curly, but here are some things I’ve learned.

1. It doesn’t have to be as wet as they say. Having dripping wet hair air dry takes forever! My hair is pretty wet when I apply the product but not dripping, and it works just fine. I will say that I had slight frizz, but not enough to bother me at all.
2. Air dry is best. Sometimes, I’m in a hurry and air drying takes a while, so I’ll use a diffuser. Diffusing makes it a bit fluffy and slightly frizzy. If at all possible, I air dry.
3. I scrunch upside down. When I’m getting the excess water out and scrunching, I do it upside down and then fling my head back. This gets my hair in the perfect drying “position.” I tweak a few areas on the side. My curls dry so pretty.
4. It needs to be fully dry! I learned this last week. I was in a hurry and even though I diffused some, I didn’t enough. When I ran my fingers through my hair (which I do upside down), it looked fine at first but as it continued to dry, it frizzed more than I like.

In summaryI might try more products out there because they seem to be getting better, but for now LUS Brands Love Ur Curls is the product I’m using! And it’s so nice to have options. I still straighten it, but if I’m in a curly mode, I’ll go a la naturale!

View Details

Transcript:Hi! It’s Sherri Wilson again! And this week I’m going to talk about something that just absolutely ticks me off. If you can hear the irritation in my voice, it’s because it’s there. One reason I’m irritated is this pet peeve of mine is so unnecessary and, quite frankly, stupid. Before I dive in, I want to say that I have been guilty of this in my early years as an entrepreneur. So no judgment even though I sound quite judge-y. But this must stop. Okay, here is the pet peeve—not getting back with customers in spite of it being customer service 101!

Let me give you two scenarios that I’ve recently encountered.

Scenario 1The first is with one of my clients. Now this client is a D personality like most business owners are so keep that in mind. A D hates being ignored, and being ignored is a sign of disrespect, a huge trigger for a D. No one likes lack of communication from a business, but it’s especially frustrating for certain personalities.

My client had hired a gentlemen for a particular project and then COVID hit. The project was put on hold due to shut downs, which was fine. He understood. He paid for the work in advance because he’s a businessman and wants to take care of fellow business owners. Over the course of several months, my client had sent friendly texts and phone calls to keep in touch. No text response back. No phone calls back. Nothing. Zip. Zero. Nada.

That was a tad irritating but nothing to be concerned with yet. Then after things starting opening back up, my client called to touch base. Nothing. Finally, the business owner walks into his business, and they catch up. My client asks him if he could do a separate small project for him. Of course! Yeah, no problem. Ok!

Almost a week later, he texts him to see how it’s going and when he expects to be done. Nothing. No phone call. No text response. Nothing. Now, he’s mad. It’s one thing to ignore him during COVID and the shut down. But to say he can do a new project and not return his phone calls or texts is CLEARLY sending a message that his business and him as a person are not important to this man.

I contacted this man on behalf of my client, and I’ll never forget what he said at the end of a somewhat tense conversation about his lack of communication, “I’ll call him in the near future.” What?! OMG! The reason I’m calling you is because of your lack of communication, and you lack such emotional intelligence to not understand how that right there would send someone over the edge?

Since that time, they have talked. I’m not sure how things stand at the moment.

Scenario 2This one involves me. I bought my first new car almost five years ago at the age of 41. I love my little car. I’ve taken very good care of it. And it was time for my usual servicing plus I needed my first set of new tires. I always go to the dealership where I bought it because of their exceptional customer service even though I have to travel 90 miles. It’s worth it.

I hop in the car Tuesday and travel to the dealership enjoying some good true crime podcasts on the way. I happily wait in the waiting room, and get some work done. For my oil change, multipoint inspection, new windshield wipers, and tires, I only had to wait two hours, which I thought was perfect. I then happily drive home listening to even more true crime.

My husband comes home from work, and I run out there to show him my new tires. I know. They’re just tires, but I was proud. He took a look and said, “Hey, it looks like they scratched your wheels.” What?! I look and saw that every single wheel was ruined. The tire machine scratched them all and took chunks of the coating out. On top of that, the stuff they use to put the tire on was all over my wheels. They didn’t even clean it off, which was unusual. My car always comes back clean or cleaner.

Your first response might be, “Why didn’t you check your wheels before you drove back home?” Good question! I didn’t check them closely because they’ve ALWAYS taken such good care of me that it didn’t even occur to me that they would let my car leave like that. I trusted them, which is not easy for a D personality like me. Yep, I’m a D, too. But it gets worse.

I call them the next day and explain what’s happening. I was asked if I could come in. No, I’d prefer to send pictures since I live 90 miles away. But if you’re going to make me come in, I guess I’ll have to. Oh no, you don’t need to do that. Pictures will work. I’ll send an email over to the service manager, and we’ll get you fixed up. Ok!

Wait the rest of the day. Nothing. Call again the next morning. This time, I’m cc’d in an email to all of the managers, and I fully expected someone to call me back. Between those two calls, I did get a text (probably automated) from one of the managers asking me about my recent experience (eye roll), and when I responded explaining what happened, no response. Zip. Zero. Nada. I waited another 24 hours and still received no communication. So I sent pictures to all of the managers of my wheels. Nothing. No freaking response.

I then let them know that if someone didn’t take care of this, I was prepared to leave a Google review and hire a lawyer. I’m not prone to suing, but this was ridiculous. So, I wake up Friday ready to call the owner of the dealership if necessary and let him have it. I then get a text from the manager saying he’d call in a bit. Ok! Good! Finally!

I get a phone call, and it’s a PRE-RECORDED MESSAGE from him asking if I had concerns!!! Are you kidding me?! Now, I understand it’s probably automated, but it threw me over the edge. I went from a low burn to boiling in seconds. I texted him about how stupid that was, that my patience was wearing thin, and I wanted a call…TODAY. A few minutes after, I finally got a call from him. He apologized and explained that they are getting it arranged to fix the issue. He said they would even come get my car, fix it, and bring it back. All I know is they better not show up with the same wheels. They better either look new or be new!

We’ll SeeThis saga is obviously still going on, but what I want to point out is that if they had simply called even if it was to give me no news but let me know they were working on it, I would have been fine. It was the ignoring me that pissed me off. It’s not necessary. So I want you to remember this statement:

No news is NOT good news!

At least, not in these situations. If you’re waiting for a jury’s verdict, no news might be good. If you’re waiting for test results, no news might be good. But when you have situations like these, a lack of communication is sending a very clear message that you just don’t care. It can send a worse message that you’re not going to fix it. Even if you don’t know any more than the last time, a quick text, phone call, or email to let them know that they’re not forgotten and you’re working on it is perfectly fine.

And don’t give me this crap that you’re too busy. We’re ALL busy. How many seconds does it take to shoot a quick email or text? Do it while you’re using the restroom if you have to. But don’t leave your customers hanging, especially if a mistake has been made.

Secret JackpotHere’s a secret that you need to know—if you solve your client’s problem well even if it was your fault, you will create more loyalty in that customer than all your other customers that have never had a bad experience with you. Fixing mistakes creates an intense loyalty and a fan for life. It’s a hidden jackpot that many business owners don’t know exists.

View Details

If you’re truly an introverted entrepreneur, you know the most difficult part of sharing about your product or service is 1) approaching a person and 2) actually closing the deal by asking.

I used to go through an entire presentation when I sold essential oils and then get to the end when it was time to ask and NOT ask! Thank goodness most wanted to order because I was a good presenter but some left looking confused because it’s like stopping right before the climax of a story and you’re left hanging.

There are many reasons we freeze up at the ask. I think part of it is an unreasonable fear of “the no” because it feels like personal rejection. We also don’t want to seem pushy but you literally just spent an hour going over your awesome product. And if you don’t ask, you just wasted your client’s time.

Because you’re here with me live, I know that you don’t want to do that! So here are three things I have learned about closing the deal:

1. I learned my client’s trust currency so I could present and ask in her preferred communication style. Short and to the point. Very detailed filled with data. More relaxed and personable. Fun and exciting!
2. And then I learned to ask like this: “Where do you see my service fitting in your business? And if you don’t see it fitting anywhere, that’s just fine. I don’t take your “no” personal!”
3. Here’s the key thing for you: YOU’RE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO BITE THE BULLET AND ASK. That’s it. But asking it like I just showed you helps so much!

If you truly believe in your product or service and genuinely care for your client, not asking is a disservice for your her. You have a solution to her problem. Be confident in that!

Free TrainingIf you want some more help with sharing your product or service and other introvert entrepreneur things, click here for free webinar where I teach you:

1. How do business as one of four introvert flavors—social, thinking, anxious, or restrained.
2. The ONE CRUCIAL SKILL every entrepreneur must have to build trust quick and that takes the guessing game out for us introverts
3. Common hindrances in building our businesses unique to us introverts and how to overcome them
4. And 5 simple ways to create presence

I give you a LOT of practical and actionable things you can use immediately in your business. Think of me as the person that TAKES THE AWKWARD AND ANXIETY OUT BY GIVING YOU THE “HOW!”

View Details

Transcript:Hi! Welcome to today’s training! If you’ve followed me for any time at all, you’ve heard me say that customer service is dead. Today, it’s platinum touch, which is defined by creating an experience that creates loyal fans. And it’s not really that hard. We just don’t do it consistently. Or maybe we don’t have it written into our company culture and core values. Smart businesses recognize that each customer is unique and valuable, that how they are treated affects how profitable you are, and that going beyond what’s expected is incredibly satisfying.

What exactly is customer service?Chris Croft, an expert in the field of customer service, blew my mind recently with his perspective. He said that customer service is HOW customers “grade” you because most people assume that you know what you’re doing.

“When customers receive exceptional service, you don’t just earn their business—you earn their loyalty.”

— Chris Croft

In other words, when I enter an insurance agency, I expect them to know how to write my policy. I expect them to give me options based on my specific insurance needs and budget. But I also expect them to treat me well. If they don’t, I will go somewhere else.

And get this—research shows that people will do business with you if they like you even if you have an inferior product! You see, the brain looks for two things immediately: trust and competency. Can I trust this person? Am I safe? And then it’s, “Is this person able to do the job?” Trust is more important because it’s tied to survival. Trust is sparked by a genuine smile, kindness, and being seen and heard.

basics vs platinum touchBasics in customer service are the expected things that if NOT done will make your customer unhappy. Platinum touch are the unexpected things you do that delight your customer.

Here’s a hint—if you do all of the basics well, you will delight your customer because no one does all of the basics well! In fact, most businesses spend more time thinking about product, the offered service, advertising, new features, websites, etc.

The 8 basics (a.k.a. the expected)1. Importance. Make them feel important by acknowledging them and not making them wait long. 2. Eye contact and smile. People EXPECT you to smile at them. It’s sign of friendliness. Eye contact is tied to number one in that you’re acknowledging them. 3. Names. Get them correct and use them. Your customer’s name is the most important word to them. It’s what sets them apart and what makes them unique. 4. Be easy to reach. Answer the phone within 2-3 rings. Have an email signature with your contact information. Be prompt in returning phone calls. I’ll even shoot a quick text to let the person know I’ll call them as soon as I’m done with my current appointment if I can’t answer my phone. 5. Keep your promises. Call back WHEN you promised. Get that info when you promised. 6. Inform. Keep customers informed even if it’s bad news or no news. No one…I repeat…no one likes to be ignored or forgotten, especially if you’re a B2B business. Most business owners are D personalities (DISC scale) and being ignored is a definite trigger. 7. Clean. A clean, well-kept environment both inside and outside sparks confidence. You’d think every business owner would know this. They don’t. I can tell you that I decided I’d not go to an automated carwash again because of the lack of upkeep, dirtiness, and lack of customer service. No smiles. Lackadaisical attitude. Trash everywhere. 8. Adapt. If your customer prefers text, text. Do they like lots of detail or very little? Observe and take note of your customer and adapt.

in summaryIf you think about it, all of these are how you want to be treated when you do business with someone. It’s simply intentionally following the Golden Rule.

View Details

Transcript:Hi! Welcome to today’s training! Today, we are going to dive into branding for those of you that are reluctant to brand yourself. If that’s you, know that that’s me, too!

When I first started my business, Genius Communication, Ltd Co, I branded my business, but it soon became apparent that I AM my brand! No one said, “Hey, you should call that lady over at Genius Communication.” It was ALWAYS, “Hey, you need to talk to Sherri Wilson.” But here was the problem: I’m an introvert, and while I didn’t mind my name being out there, I sure didn’t want my face out there!

Until I learned this little nerdy fact—people like you the more they see your face.

Of course, I totally rolled my eyes and dismissed it for a while. But I knew it was true. I mean, think about it. All of those influencers on Instagram that you love and feel like you know…how many times do you see their faces and even a glimpse into their personal lives? What about the brands that never show a face? Don’t you find yourself wondering what they look like? Now that alone can be used to your advantage.

I follow an introvert that had herself in some of her photos but her face was always hidden. Just the curiosity of ever seeing her face kept me hooked! But I do believe I would’ve been disappointed if she ever included her face because that was part of the fun, the mystery. If that fits your brand and your business, go for it! Mystery is a great motivator in business!

why do you buy lucky charms?When I used to eat cereal, I loved Lucky Charms, Cheerios, Fruit Loops, and Count Choculas. And I remember the day when generic cereal came on the market. I was like, “What the heck? No thanks!” And I was so poor back then, I was PO! I couldn’t even afford the OR! But there was no way I was going to buy generic cereal! Perish the thought!

Why did I have such a strong reaction? Because all of those cereals were BRANDS! There was a connection and story with them along with a quality that I just wasn’t sure I’d get from the generic, which by the way, I did have some generic Lucky Charms eventually, and they weren’t as good as the real thing. The taste and texture was different.

But the main idea is that we buy from brands we feel we truly know. Branding is a trust issue.

So let’s get you some tips and ideas to help you assuming you’ve already developed your brand message and personality. If not, go to my Brand Personality Quiz and get started!

tips and ideas Make a quality* decision to put your face out there. If you don’t, you will keep making excuses. * Plan on starting with at least two pics of yourself a week on your social media platform. These can be behind-the-scenes, at events, relaxing at home, enjoying a hobby—really anything that is consistent with your brand and creates a connection to your followers. * Research how to pose, take the pics, and edit them. JasmineStar.com and JennaKutcher.com both have tons of blog posts that will help you with this. Quite frankly, it can be awkward and difficult to pose for shots, especially if you’re an introvert. * Apply filters. This helps so much and allows you to brand your photos with the feel you’re wanting. If you look at CharCo on Instagram, they are neutral and moody. If you look at Hilary Rushford’s, hers are light, airy, and colorful. * Use the copy to truly connect with your audience. Allow your personality and values to come out in your copy. By being your authentic self, you’ll connect with those of your tribe. * If you just don’t feel you can pose for shots, hire a photographer that specializes in branding. It was one of the best decisions I made. A good brand photographer can pull you out of your shell and highlight your personality. If you can’t afford a brand photographer, hire a college student majoring in photography or a high school student that’s really good to grab some shots for your social media posts. But when it comes to your website, it’s worth the expense to hire a brand photographer. * And if you simply refuse to post your face, then use the mystery of never showing it. Take a look at TheSlowTraveler and see how she does it.

View Details

Transcript:Hi! Welcome to today’s training! I want to talk about your fizz. Yes, fizz.

Sam Chand, a self-described "dream releaser," who works with pastors, ministries, and businesses as a leadership architect and change strategist shared powerful insight in a Christian business conference at Faith Life Now pastored by Gary and Drenda Keesse.

He was discussing the importance of determining what makes your business or church stand out among all the others so you can fine-tune that in your marketing, strategies, direction, etc. It’s your SECRET SAUCE, the combination of your unique personality, fascination advantage, and skill set only you can bring.

He said, “Let’s pretend this water bottle is a Coke. You open it up, get a drink, and set it down with the lid off to do something else. Hours later, you come back to your Coke only to find it’s now flat. Unless you’re a weird person that likes to drink flat coke, you throw it out BECAUSE YOU DON’T BUY COKE BECAUSE IT’S A COKE. YOU BUY COKE FOR THE FIZZ. What’s your fizz?”

In the past, marketing was throwing as much money as possible at airtime on television and radio to get that “top of mind” advantage. But with the Internet and the proliferation of products and services out there, you must now become a purple cow.

Here’s the scenario. Let’s say you’re a city guy or gal. You want to get away from the hustle and bustle. You hop in your car and zoom out of the city into the countryside filled with cows peacefully grazing and lounging in the grass. You feel the peace, contentment, and beauty and begin to relax. But after a while a cow is a cow. Grass is grass. And peace is…well…too peaceful so you head back to the hustle and bustle of the city. But what if on the way back to the city, you see a PURPLE COW. Now that will make you stop and take another look!

Remember, better is not better in today’s market. Different is better. What makes you purple? What makes you fizz? People don’t buy the Coke. They buy the fizz. People don’t buy your product or service. They buy your fizz.

Watch these two vintage Coke commercials and take note of what they are actually promoting. If you’re listening to this on my podcast, go to sherriannewilson.com/blog to watch them.

Notice the words refreshing NEW feeling. Coca-Cola is bright and lively, adds more zest and has more ZING! High-energy, refreshing, new, zest and zing all describe the fizz. You know, the fizz that gets you right here in the throat. If that doesn’t give you a zing, I don’t know what will. And notice their motto is, “Coca-Cola, sign of good taste” implying that you have good taste and coke tastes good. Now watch this next one.

Now we have LIVELY LIFT after she’s been working hard all day. ICE COLD. CRISP. REFRESHING NEW FEELING. QUICK ENERGY. The “no more calories than half a grapefruit” is genius! Everyone knows grapefruit is the fruit people on diets eat! And then they suggest drinking it instead of eating something you shouldn’t. Now we know that soft drinks are very fattening. But the servings back then were smaller. Very smart move to emphasize weight maintenance at a time when being rail thin was the look.

I have to say that Coco-cola and Pepsi might be similar in taste but no soft drink has that ZING like Coke. LOL.

Now let’s move on to another purple cow that was genius! Prell shampoo. Watch this commercial.

The pearl is the purple cow. First pearls represented richness, luxury, and refinement. And then to show how fast it fell in the regular, peasant shampoo versus THE EXTRA RICH SHAMPOO (Prell’s motto) was a visual that everyone knew about when I was little. And pearl is close to prell so you immediately put the two together back then. The pearl “drifts through emerald green richness.” Notice how many times the narrator said LUXURIOUS. And sparkling clean. Didn’t leave you flat or dull, which they really promoted in later commercials. Now watch this one.

Thin versus thick. Luxurious. Lovely. Hair glows. Become anything you want. The smooth, sultry voice. Extra rich. Here we see the same idea of luxury and richness with the law of humor employed. I remember as a kid using the lather to turn my hair into different shapes! The child-likeness was a genius touch. And then to finish it off with the power of your beauty on your man was a great finishing touch.

So what is Prell’s fizz? The extra rich or thick shampoo. They then took that fizz and communicated it brilliantly in these commercials. Even if you weren’t rich, you wanted to feel like it. Or at least you wanted your hair to feel like it. Shiny, luxurious, rich, fun, and clean.

So what’s your fizz? If you focus in on your fizz, you’ll stand out in a sea of others who do what you do and maybe better.

Ask yourself:

1. What is the BENEFIT of your product or service? People don’t buy products or services. They buy benefits.
2. What makes you purple? What can people find at your business, church, or with you that they can’t find anywhere else?
3. And are you doing those things to a standard that makes you stand out?

Let’s recap:

1. Your secret sauce is your personality, fascination advantage, and skill set that makes you unique.
2. You must become a purple cow because different is better not better is better.
3. People buy your fizz not your product or service or the benefit they gain from doing business with you.
4. If you focus in on your fizz, you’ll stand out in a sea of others who do what you do and maybe better.

View Details

TRANSCRIPT:Hi! Welcome to this week’s podcast. I want to discuss the one thing that is an absolute requirement to a successful social media strategy. Before I share what that one thing is, we need to first define success because contrary to what most believe, it’s not how many likes or followers you have. A truly successful social media strategy means more paying customers and clients.

THE ONE THINGWith that out of the way, here is the one thing you must have: PATIENCE! Now don’t stop reading (and I see you rolling your eyes lol). I’m not just throwing this out there. I’m going to give you the literal strategy and time it takes for my local clients.

FIRE ME IF…Not only am I a course creator. I’m also a social media strategy, marketer, and manager. I’m very selective with who I work with. I have to believe in what they do and like them. Integrity. Kindness. Friendliness. All of those things are what I look for.

When I meet with a potential client to discuss their social media strategy, I tell them, first, to look at their current numbers. Get a baseline of profits so that we can compare them in a year. Some have a percentage or number they’d like to see. Others have no idea how much more they want to make.

Then I say this: “If I’m not making you more money in one year, fire me.”

A YEAR?!Yep, a year. Now most of my clients start seeing really good results in about 6 months. But it’s usually in a year where we really see the effectiveness of our social media work like, for example, 18% increase in profits in one year or a $9,000,000 increase in one year for another client. Of course, our social media strategy isn’t ALL that’s involved in profits. You have to have a great staff, good business practices, etc. But when everything is the same except the social media strategy, you can come to the conclusion that that plays a significant role in the increased profits.

Social media is a mystery to most and often works unseen so much so that you wonder if it’s even working until you look back and find out you made more money.

“But the fact is that social media is a marathon—you cannot reach the finish line without patience and determination.”

— Gary Vaynerchuk

how I do itHere’s what we do:

1. A consistent posting strategy (notice I said strategy because it’s more than just posting stuff) that includes behind-the-scenes, your staff’s faces, your face, helpful information, infotainment, humor, etc. It’s at least three times a week consistent with your brand and includes both photos, videos, and sharing of content that is relevant to your audience. Create and curate.
2. Run Facebook ads for two weeks at $5 a day each month. We usually don’t see more customers in the door for at least six months from our ads. But when you do them consistently, you get results. We use videos (least expensive), pictures of product or behind-the-scenes, giphys, and carousels.
3. We respond to EVERY comment.
4. We also create a unique strategy for each business. Some of my clients share useful video tips every two weeks along with helpful posts. Others it’s all about the food and community so we have live videos of live music, behind-the-scenes, and highlight the staff. Others wanted to promote other local businesses and have giveaways.

IN SUMMARYThis strategy has worked very well for my local clients. Remember, success is increasing your profitability. But I do have one disclaimer. If you’re in an online course business like I also am, it can be trickier. In a local community, word-of-mouth still plays a huge role in our strategy because our target market is local and recognizes these businesses. When you have an online business, you’re just a stranger. It can take more time, more strategy, and more patience! But keep it up!

View Details

transcript:Hi! Welcome to this week’s training. I’m Sherri Wilson, an educator, strategist, and introverted entrepreneur that empowers other introverted entrepreneurs the art of persuasion and influence so you can communicate your message clearly and confidently.

There were over 3400 Google searches on “how to know if someone likes me.” Just as mysterious to us is how to get someone to like us.

“Social acceptance, ‘being liked,’ has so much power because it holds the feelings of loneliness at bay.”

— Rollo May

Remember the good ole days as kids. It was as smile as:

“I like you. Let’s be friends.”

Or grabbing someone’s hands and saying, “Let’s go play!”

That confidence of making new friends was smothered by the reality that NOT everybody likes us. But why is that such a bad thing? When we were young, it felt like a life or death matter. But who cares?! Do you like everybody? Of course not.

However, it’s important as entrepreneurs to know the HOW of being liked because being liked is essential to getting new customers, keeping them, and turning them into fans.

Extroverts think everybody likes them. They’re often the life of the party, can tend to be very confident, and laugh at their own jokes and like their own stories! And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. It’s how they’re wired.

But for introverted entrepreneurs initiating that first conversation and then it not being awkward after is tough! Sometimes I feel I’m missing the part of the brain that’s designed for small talk!

But there is a hack, actually a chemical called oxytocin that YOU, yes, you, the introverted entrepreneur can use to spark likability.

oxy what?Oxytocin is often called the “Love Hormone” or the “Bonding Hormone.” Mothers are overflowing in oxytocin after the birth of their babies so they bond with them. Men are flooded with oxytocin after sex. Even animals have oxytocin, which is evident by the weird videos of cats nursing other animals or adopting baby ducklings when they’d normally eat them.

You can use oxytocin to spark likability very easily by creating positive interactions with others that causes their brains to release oxytocin and a desire to return the favor.

You see, oxytocin is a tool the brain uses to know who’s safe and who you should avoid.

the hackAnd it’s not hard at all except for the fact you have to START the conversation. And here’s how to do it. Are you ready? Ok, here goes. You say…

“Hello, how are you?”

Right! That’s it.

Of course, you want to keep the conversation going by using the context of it. For example, if you’re at a conference, you can ask them, “What brought you to this today?” Or “What do you hope to get out of this conference?”

Or maybe you meet someone on the elevator. You can ask them, “What brought you here (the city not the hotel lol)?”

And then give your full attention to them and use the rest of the convo for more opportunities to continue the conversation for however long you have or feel is good.

how to land the suckerBut how do you end it, which can be AS STRESSFUL as starting it!

Ok, here it is:

“It’s been nice visiting with you but I better get to my next thing!”

I know. Earth shattering, huh?

Other ways to spark oxytocin is touch (like on the shoulder), group movement like exercising or dancing, stories, movies, and music. Gazing at one another and sex are always ways to spark oxytocin but I’m assuming that’s not really your goal in professional interactions. Lol.

All of these (minus the gazing and sex) are great ways to continue a pleasant working relationship including hugs if and when you feel appropriate because hugs release oxytocin.

If that goes too far for your introverted-ness just sign off your emails with, “Hugs.” :)

View Details

TRANSCRIPT:Hey guys! Welcome to this week’s podcast! Now before you think the F Factor has to do with the F word, let me assure you it does NOT! The F Factor is how people read websites, so you want to make sure that your website is designed within the F Factor (see pic below).

As you can see the eye pattern is in an F shape. The top left corner has the most concentrated viewing and then about three lines down, you see that the concentration diminishes. This is excellent information for your blog, especially, which we’ll get into. But it also shows you why Amazon has it’s menu along the top and its sidebar on the left side.

even more data1. The logo gets 6.48 seconds of focus. 2. The main menu gets 6.44 seconds. 3. The search box gets 6 seconds (discuss how couldn’t find a search box other day on a blog and how annoying it was). 4. Social networking links get 5.95 seconds of focus. 5. The sites main image gets 5.94 seconds of attention. 6. The site’s written content gets 5.59 seconds. 7. The bottom of site gets 5.25 seconds.

On top of that, visitors make an impression about your site AND your business in less than two seconds! It is crucial that your website is not only well-designed to make a great first impression, but you can also take advantage of this science to get your visitors to stay longer.

StrategiesYour logo needs to be on the top left corner because it gets the most attention, which is funny to me since it’s just a logo, but it does. You need to then position your main menu right under that or directly to the right. And I usually put my search button on the left side before the main menu (if my logo isn’t there) or right side at the end of the main menu. Same with my social networking links.

Next is your website’s main image. If you noticed, my main image is me, which is a great strategy because the more people see your face, the more they like you. Having a professional, nice branded photo of yourself is a great idea. People will study it. I do. Seeing the business owner’s face is my favorite part of her site! Content is next. You just feel a connection with a smiling face. :)

Another tip is to put your most important content above-the-fold, which is an old newspaper trick of putting the most important headlines above the fold of the newspaper. You’ll notice that on my home page, I have a free training to launch your brand. I want my face and that offer to be the first thing my visitors see.

We’ll get into the written content in a second. But the final area is the bottom of your site. This is where many of us put our privacy policies, disclaimers, etc., which is a great idea. It’s also a great place to put your Instagram feed, freebies, and other things that you really want your visitor to see.

your written contentSome websites are blog focused and others are action focused. If your site is action focused, you need to use pithy, tight written content. Do not be wordy. Your action buttons need to pop and use high energy colors. For some of you, you want people to stay on your site for a while reading your blog, your freebie descriptions, your about, and more. If that’s the case, you want colors that are calmer like blues, greens, and grays. Your written content still needs to be tight, but you will probably have longer sections of texts. To keep your visitors reading, follow these tips.

1. Make your introductory paragraphs boldface or visibly bigger than the rest to improve attention. Studies reveal that 95% of viewers read all or part of it.
2. Keep your paragraphs short and in a single column.
3. Narrow your text (a trick Apple uses all of the time).
4. Make dominant headlines bold and large to draw the eyes and keep your visitors reading.
5. Use headlines to spell out the next section or use them to create curiosity.

in summaryIt goes without saying (but I’m gonna say it anyway) that you need top-notch, helpful content. But even with good content, you might not get the engagement you want without using some of these tips. It’s also important to use high-quality images. Fuzzy and small images communicate a lack of excellence and care. If you need to use images with cell phones, tablets, and computers, use Apple products because those get more views than non-Apple products.

View Details

TRANSCRIPT:Hey guys! Welcome to this week’s podcast! I am excited to share with you a simple process for your personal or professional development plan that really works. I first heard of it from Lance Wallnau, a business consultant out of Texas.

So here’s the problem. We all want to improve ourselves personally and professionally. I think that’s part of an entrepreneur’s DNA. But with the busyness of our lives and businesses, our development often gets put on the back burner. Here’s a way to get it upfront and center in minutes a day.

90 DAY SEGMENTSThe first part of a working personal and professional development plan is to focus in on your goals in 90 day segments. The brain loves this. Sure, it’s great to have a 5, 10 or even lifetime plan. But for it to be workable, it must be broken down into a year and that into months, and that into weeks and that into days and that into today. By the way, this is a great way to approach projects, too.

Here’s how it might look:

1. You decide on 4 big projects you want to accomplish over the next year and assign them a quarter to accomplish them in.
2. Next, you break down what all you will need to do to complete the project. For example, if you want to launch a podcast, you need learn HOW to do a podcast, research best practices and the equipment you need, write your podcast scripts, record them, upload them, create your cover art, and advertise your new podcast. You might need to build a website dedicated to your podcast or at least a blog if part of your current business and, possibly, dedicated platforms for it on Instagram and Facebook.
3. Once you have a list of your steps, you then take that to-do list and break it down to daily tasks. Some will only take a few minutes. Others might take days or weeks like a website or writing your podcast scripts.

I do this myself. I just launched my new course, and I’m now working on a true crime podcast that will actually take six months to launch, so I divided it into 90 day segments. The first part is research and writing of the podcast scripts, which takes a bit. The next 90 days will be recording them, editing them, and building a website. But you get the gist.

THE FIRST STEPNow it’s time to pick what you want to develop. It could be emotional intelligence work, tighten up your finances, learn a new skill like how to build and launch a course (or podcast), a fitness goal, your marriage, or anything that you have been telling yourself, “I really need to work on this.” Wherever you hear yourself saying that is the area you need to develop a plan for.

THE THREENext, you need to look at three areas to develop during the next 90 days to accomplish your goals—skill, knowledge, and personality constraints.

1. Skill is the training you need to accomplish your goal. For example, when I built and launched my first course, I needed three skills—time management to focus, how to build my email list using Facebook ads, and how to build a course. So I purchased two courses to learn the Facebook ads and building a course parts and then read a book recommended to me that changed my life on how to laser focus called, “The One Thing,” by Gary Keller. Time management is a skill. Believe me.
2. Knowledge is an acquisition of facts, truths, and principles and then putting those things into action. In fact the word “knowledge” has the idea of practice and action in its original meaning. Now you’re taking the skills you’ve acquired and the principles you’ve learned and executing them. As you execute and gets some feedback and data, you perfect your process until it becomes part of your life and business.
3. Personality constraints are those aspects of your personality that might prevent you from reaching your goals. These are not only the vulnerable areas of your personality but also any strengths that are overextended and become a weakness. For example, a C personality’s greatest fear is criticism and being wrong, and while that helps you to dot those i’s and cross those t’s, it can stop you from pulling the trigger on a new venture or make changes. In fact, you might go into a data loop in the knowledge step and enjoy learning new things so much that you never implement what you learn. When I was learning how to get my finances in order, I recognized that my strength of making decisions fast was actually contributing to impulse spending. I use the DISC personality assessment, and you can take one for free at tonyrobbins.com/disc.

The tools for gaining skill and knowledge are online courses, in-person courses, books, research, coaches and mentors, masterminds, and so much more. If you decide on a book, divide the chapters into how many you can read a week and implement what you learn. That might be only one chapter. That’s ok. Same thing for courses. Do a video a day and another day to implement what you learned.

IN SUMMARY We know that life rarely goes unexpected, and you might have a week or weeks where you can’t seem to get to your 90-day plan. That’s ok. But don’t make it a life habit. Make it a priority. I have a golden rule for personal and professional development: I never move onto a new thing until I have implemented what I last learned and have acquired some mastery of it. And if your 90-day has to become a 180-day plan, that’s just fine. The main thing is to keep moving forward!

View Details

Transcript:It all happened by accident. I had just gotten done launching my new course, “Build Your Brand Like A Boss” and decided that I wanted to step up my website game by redesigning my entire site as if doing two launches in two weeks wasn’t enough!

And, man, I spent hours on my site! Digging through code. Troubleshooting code. Reading about code. All of that good stuff that’s needed to customize a site. I thought about buying a template already made, but I’m on a shoestring budget. Besides I like learning.

The more I worked on my site and with each victory over getting the code to do what I wanted, I realized that my current pictures weren’t cutting it. I had a couple from a shoot I’d done years before that were okay. And then I had pictures I’d taken for Instagram. But I knew that if I wanted to up my game and be taken seriously as an online course creator and business consultant, I needed a brand shoot.

lesson 1: photographer personalityI had thought I’d had a brand shoot years before. But this recent shoot let me know what a real brand shoot looks like. One thing I learned from my previous experience is that the photographer’s personality is crucial to a great brand shoot. The previous photographer was more introspective, introverted, and serious. Much of her photography had a moodiness to it. And she is talented. Don’t get me wrong! But I needed a photographer that was more extroverted, upbeat, and happy to pull me out of my introverted self. And I have to say that knowing body language didn’t help me at all! I knew when I was fake smiling, which triggered anxiety.

lesson 2: research your photographerIt might be common sense but I didn’t do that the first time. I went solely by recommendation and price. This time I followed my photographer, Cristy Cross, on Instagram. I poured over her website to get a sense of her personality as well as view her work. I saw that she specializes in branding shoots, which is a big plus. Her photos were bright and happy. She has a t-shirt she sells that says, “Have a nice day!” revealing her cheerfulness and fun. Her website was colorful. And, although, I didn’t want a lot of color, I needed pops of it.

I was still nervous because it was a big investment for me. But I took the plunge and paid for my shoot. I then received a handwritten card in the mail telling me how excited she was to do our shoot with her card in there. Bam. Good branding right there! Then I received a survey asking all about my brand, which comforted me that she was serious and doing her homework. She also viewed my website that I had just finished to get a feel for my colors, my brand message, and my business in general.

LESSON 3: GET YOUR MAKEUP DONE

I have the luxury of having a gifted makeup artist for a daughter-in-love who also happens to live in our home. I still happily paid her going rate even though she would’ve done it for free. A good makeup artist will do your makeup in a way that’s natural to you and your look while at the same time applying it in a way that shows up for the camera. You don’t want to look washed out. The trick is to have a makeup artist accentuate your existing look so that you stay comfortable during the shoot. It is a shock to see so much makeup on your face if you’re not used to it! But keep in mind that it’s necessary for the camera.

lesson 4: pick your clothes and jewelry beforehandYou don’t want to be trying to decide what to wear the day of the shoot! It’s too stressful. I knew that I wanted a professional look with black pants and nice blouse along with a more casual look with a nice top, necklace, and ripped jeans because my brand is both professional and casual since I work with local businesses as well as my online business. To me you can’t go wrong with black so I definitely had a black top ready. But I wasn’t quite sure about a white top so I asked my daughter-in-love, who also has fashion sense unlike me, her opinion. She agreed that my choices were perfect. I highly suggest finding someone to help you if you’re unsure or have no sense of style like me!

lesson 5: Gather your propsI’m known for coffee and my cat, Joseph. He inserts himself into my trainings, my videos, my IG lives, my pictures, and my live FB and Zoom sessions. I jokingly call him my business partner. I blog about him once a month because he’s such an unusual cat. And I regularly post about him on my Instagram. I knew I wanted him in at least one shot. And, of course, I had to have a coffee mug. I used a special one my daughter-in-love got me for Christmas that says, “Sorry, I can’t. I’m an indoor cat.” I also love planners and am a computer nerd plus use tech in my business all of the time so I included those things. All of my props complimented my color scheme. And then I used a fabulous blue chair that I have in my office for my pop of color.

lesson 6: You get what you pay forWhen it comes to a brand shoot, it just pays to pay more! Sure you can try out a high school kid or even a college student majoring in photography. I’m all about giving those just starting out a chance. But if those don’t work out, save up your money and hire a professional. A website with branded photos shouts that you’re a professional and serious business person and that you know what you’re doing. They are very powerful and set you above others in your industry.

in summaryMy brand shoot was one of the best decisions I’ve made in my business. It just pushed my website over the top not to mention all the other platforms I can use my photos on. It’s really like that high-end finishing touch of an outfit or well-designed home from an interior designer. It’s worth the time, the money, and the planning!

View Details

Transcript:Hey guys! I hope your week is fabulous! I want to get pretty real this week and share with you something that I occasionally battle and many entrepreneurs battle. It’s called IMPOSTER SYNDROME.

I first heard the term “imposter syndrome” on the “Art of Charm” podcast and immediately identified with it. I think some of you might as well. Let me read this definition of “imposter syndrome” from fastcompany.com’s website.

“If people knew how hard I worked to get my mastery, it wouldn’t seem so wonderful at all. ”

— Michaelangelo

Many high achievers share a dirty little secret: Deep down they feel like complete frauds–their accomplishments the result of serendipitous luck. This psychological phenomenon, known as impostor syndrome, reflects a belief that you’re an inadequate and incompetent failure, despite evidence that indicates you’re skilled and quite successful. Valerie Young, who has researched it extensively and written about it in her book, The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women: Why Capable People Suffer From the Imposter Syndrome and How to Thrive in Spite of It, has divided it into 5 groups of people:

1. The Perfectionist
2. The Superwoman/man are those that will overwork because they feel they never measure up.
3. The Natural Geniuses are those who judge their success by their abilities not by their efforts. If a natural genius has to work hard, he will assume he’s bad at it. One stand out mindset with these is that if you don’t get it right the first try, you judge yourself harshly.
4. The Rugged Individualists are those who feel phony if they have to ask for help.
5. The Experts feels they tricked their bosses into hiring them and will be found out that they are not as expert as their bosses believed.

I think another aspect of imposter syndrome is comparing yourself to others. For example, recently I met with an entrepreneur and walked away feeling like a complete fake after hearing her illustrious career, academic achievements, and really how put together she was. I have NONE of that. I’m from humble beginnings, didn’t go to college for business, haven’t had an illustrious career, and I was proud of my academics until after that meeting! LOL! So I came home and looked at my life, my business, my home and finances, and even my church and thought, “I can’t see anywhere that I’ve been successful at all. I basically suck at everything!”

Now don’t get me wrong, I am very confident of my skill level and ability to help my clients. But when I look at the overall picture, I kind of wonder what the heck I’ve been doing for almost 45 years. Am I really going to have an impact before I die? Is my destiny really going to matter?

I’m going to get “pastoral” on you now. As I sat there and discussed with God my thoughts, I heard the faintest reminder of this scripture.

For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many might, not many noble are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29

Regardless of your faith if you watching this, know that everyone is important and has something in them that only they can bring into the world.

The Process of MasteryI want to share something with you that blessed me a lot when I first heard it years ago by Dr. Lance Wallnau. He calls it the 4 stages of mastery.

The first stage is UNCONSCOUS INCOMPETENT meaning you have no idea that you have no idea what you’re doing. LOL! You’re very confident when you start your journey toward your dreams but you’re not aware that you don’t have the skill level needed to get you there.

Then you enter into CONSCIOUS INCOMPETENT. Now you know you don’t know what you’re doing. You’re advancing some in your skills but realize you don’t know what you need to know to achieve your dream. He suggests a mentor at this point to speed up the process.

“Only one who devotes himself to a cause with his whole strength and soul can be a true master. For this reason mastery demands all of a person. ”

— Albert Einstein

The third part of this mastery journey is CONSCIOUS COMPENTENT. Now you’ve acquired what you need, improved your skill level drastically, and are on an upward trajectory. And then in fulfillment, you enter the final stage called UNCONSCIOUS COMPENTENT or MASTERY. You’re now living in your dream and making money doing it.

It’s in that CONSCIOUS INCOMPETENCE that many quit. I believe it’s in this stage that some of us feel like imposters. His suggestion: MASTER THE ART OF FULFILLMENT NOT THE SCIENCE OF ACHIEVEMENT. LEARN TO ENJOY THE PROCESS.

I hope you saw that this syndrome hits HIGH ACHIEVERS. If that’s you, identify what stage of mastery are you at in your journey and take appropriate action to get you to that next stage whether it’s learning a skill you need, improving on one, getting a mentor, etc.

Also, avoid the comparison trap. Everyone falls into it. We all meet someone we think is smarter, better at what they do, more education, etc. I guarantee that they cannot do what you do like you.

To help with this, get to know your personality in depth, discover your fascination advantage, which I’ve taught on, and ponder when you’re in the zone and feel alive. That’s who you are. The more you know who you are and you’re confident in that, the more you can flow in your uniqueness and not try to be someone else.

Recap:1. Imposter syndrome is feeling like a fraud.
2. It hits high achievers most.
3. There are 5 categories: perfectionist, superwoman/man, natural geniuses, the rugged individualist, and expert.
4. It often hits us hard when we start comparing ourselves with others.
5. Identify where you’re at on the mastery process.
6. Take appropriate action based on where you’re at.

I hope this helps you guys. It helped me thinking about it and writing about it for you. There’s a dark side of entrepreneurship that sometimes no one talks about because we don’t want to appear INCOMPETENT! LOL. But we need to talk about these things. If you want to share or add how you’ve struggled, please feel free to comment or even post a video. If you have found ways to help yourself with that, please share. We’re a community and that’s what community’s do.

View Details

Transcript:Hi! Welcome to this week’s training. I’m Sherri Wilson, an educator, strategist, and introverted entrepreneur that empowers other introverted entrepreneurs the art of persuasion and influence so you can communicate your message clearly and confidently.

Today I want to discuss the NUMBER ONE SKILL NEEDED IN THE NEXT DECADE ACCORDING TO THE US DEPARTMENT OF LABOR. It’s called sense-making and has been around since the 70’s.

Sense-making is basically the process by which people give meaning and make sense of their experiences. In business, it’s the ability to make sense of the unknown by communicating in such a way that you begin to “sense” or piece together what your client needs from HER PERSPECTIVE not your own.

“I think the secret is really observation. Well, if you observe what’s going on and try to figure out how people are thinking, I think you can always write something that people will understand.
”

— Sam Cooke

Think about it this way. Your client has a problem. You have a solution. But between you and her is a gap, which is often a lack of knowledge of how your product/service will solve her problem. Your job is to build a bridge by providing her the knowledge needed.

The problem comes in HOW we build that bridge. Many business owners use their experience and expertise to build the bridge thinking that’s what the client needs to hear to make an informed decision. But if that knowledge doesn’t tap into your client’s perspective, you’ll lose that client and rob them of your valuable product/service.

Let me give you an example. I was chatting with a woman at a business event about the importance of sales people to actually listen to what people are saying. Not listening is one of the FASTEST ways to make your client feel insignificant and frustrated.

She told me about one of her sales associates who did that very thing. A lady had come in to buy a gun. She was telling him she didn’t feel safe and needed a gun. He proceeded to go through the entire script about the BEST gun for women and all the technical details. Instead of helping, it overwhelmed her.

The lady again tried to communicate that she needed protection because she didn’t feel safe. The guy continued on his sales pitch. Finally, she intervened and visited with the woman about what was going on. She was able to point her to some legal help, signed her up to learn how to use a gun, and sold her the appropriate gun for her physical protection to use AFTER proper training. The woman needed knowledge, confidence, and security. A gun, alone, wouldn’t have done that.

Sometimes we communicate with others based on culture and thinking we know that culture. But no one is a ONE SIZE FITS ALL. No business, no individual, no family is the same. WE ARE ALL UNIQUE.

In my business, I refuse to offer my clients solutions without first sitting down with them and learning their unique needs and desired outcomes because no business is average. No woman or man is average. No black person is average. No Hispanic is average. No one is average. And wisdom is to look for your client’s uniqueness AND ASK QUESTIONS BASED ON HER WORLD NOT YOURS.

Now this can be tough because our brain is designed to find safety in thinking people are just like us. So you’ll always need to fight that tendency of ASSUMING people are just like you while at the same time taking advantage of common ground as you discover it. But learn to shift from you to your client and try to get inside her head.

Before we go into the 7 aspects of sensemaking, I want to share another very important perspective you need when communicating with your clients. In my course, I teach my clients that you’re not just interacting with the person you see in front of you. You’re dealing with your client’s past experiences—good or bad, current situation, and future hopes. If you train yourself to hear for any past that can create an obstacle, any current that can alert you to her situation, and any future hope so you can craft a unique strategy for her, you’ll create such an experience for your client that she’ll become a repeat client, you’ll build a quality relationship, and she’ll become a referral engine for you.

Remember this statement: YOU WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE FOR HER.

The 7 properties of sense-making:

1. Identity and identification—who people THINK they are shapes what they do and how they interpret events. If you client is self-assured and confident, a positive experience will be easier to create. But people that are unsure and not comfortable trusting you yet will take more finesse. The same is true if YOU’RE self-assured and confident. Who you think you are shapes what you do and how you interpret events.

1. Retrospection—looking back and reviewing past events in life affects what people notice. If events were positive, your client’s perspective will be positive, more flexible, and more prone to give you grace. If events were negative, again, you’re dealing with how those past events affected your clients. BUT retrospection is needed by you, too. Your past can affect your business today without you even realizing it!

2. Enact—people enact in the situations they face in DIALOGUES and NARRATIVES meaning as you both dialogue, you are building a narrative that helps your client to understand what she thinks so she can organize her experience and predict change. EVERYONE WANTS TO BE UNDERSTOOD. If you can tap into that, it’s golden! In fact, when a person feels really understood, the brain is literally rewired for good and can reframe negative memories into less negative or even positive memories. Memories are fluid meaning they are always changing. If your client has had a negative experience with someone in the same industry as you, but you reframe her story, you’ve not only provided a valuable product or service. You’ve lessened the negative memory considerable.

3. Social activity—the experience and narrative created are preserved, retained, and shared, which is WHY IT’S SO CRUCIAL TO MOVE FROM JUST SELLING YOUR PRODUCT AND SERVICE TO CREATING AN EXPERIENCE THAT IS THE CONTEXT OF YOUR PRODUCT/SERVICE. What’s interesting is that the narratives you create with your client are both shared and individual meaning you have shared an experience together, hopefully positive but you as individuals have different perspectives based on your uniqueness. That’s why two people in the exact same meeting can have two totally different perspectives.

4. Ongoing—people are “simultaneously shaping and reacting to the environments they face. As they project themselves onto this environment and observe the consequences they learn about their identities and the accuracy of their accounts of the world. This is a feedback process so even as individuals deduce their identity from the behaviour of others towards them, they also try to influence this behaviour.

5. Extract cues—from the context to help your client, decide what information is relevant and what explanations are acceptable. GIVING INFORMATION OR KNOWLEDGE FOR YOUR CLIENT TO MAKE A DECISION DOES NOT MEAN GIVING THEM ALL OF IT. Tailor the knowledge you share by what you sense your client is needing and wanting, again, from HER PERSPECTIVE not yours. Cues are “simple, familiar structures that are seeds from which people develop a larger sense of what may be occurring.” You’re looking for those cues. But know that your client is also extracting cues from you.

6. Plausibility over accuracy—in accounts of events and contexts, your client will prefer to believe what she thinks is plausible over what is actually accurate. Plausible means “having an APPEARANCE of truth” and what’s believable. If you think about it, this can be scary. This is WHY IT’S SO IMPORTANT TO UNDER PROMISE AND OVER DELIVER.

I hope you see that INTROVERTS can be really, really good at sensemaking. Research shows that we tend to be more sensitive to our environments and those in them. We are good listeners. And we don’t like to exaggerate, seem salesy, or over promise. We tend to be pragmatic and practical.

“Wisdom and understanding can only become the possession of individual men by travelling the old road of observation, attention, perseverance, and industry.”

— Samuel Smiles

Now before we end this training, I want you to look at each aspect of sensemaking and how you do those things in your own life and recognize that you might believe plausible or accuracy. You might be interpreting your client’s words and actions from the sense you’ve tried to make of your past experiences. Are they accurate? I’ll give you a clue: IF YOU REACT TO SOMETHING STRONGER THAN THE “OFFENSE” COMMITTED, THAT’S A HUGE SIGN YOU’RE DEALING WITH A PAST ISSUE NOT A PRESENT ISSUE.

When this happens to me, I always PAUSE on the inside and begin looking at the situation objectively to see what exactly I’m reacting to. Sometimes I see it right off the bat. Others times I have to sit down and really think about it and journal. I love the 5 WHY EXERCISE too.

Sense-making is not only a crucial communication tool but it is also fun to look for those comments, facial expressions, etc. to discern exactly what you’re client is looking for and then deliver!

There’s a lot of other ways in business to use sense-making, but this will give you a start in helping your clients.

This sums up our training. I know it’s been a while, but I have been way too busy that I just couldn’t seem to get back to this. But I have a plan and I know as I implement it, I can bring you regular quality training! Until next week, be who you authentically are!

View Details

Transcript:Hello! My name is Sherri Wilson, and I have to say how excited I am about today’s podcast because I’m about to give you an extremely powerful tool for change that most are oblivious to even though it’s everywhere— influence.

If you’re a true entrepreneur, you are always seeking out ways to be better. Better in your business. Better in your marriage. Better as a parent. Better as a person. That’s just what we do. It’s a key entrepreneurial trait. And I’m sure you know that one of the best ways to see how jacked up you are is starting a business. Entrepreneurship can make or break you! Can I get an “amen?!”

The other day I was brainstorming key things in my life that have caused exponential growth in me as a person and in my business. I immediately thought of my best friend Cindy and her positive influence in my life. She was key in helping me get out of my shell as an introvert. And then my hubby who allowed me to be me. He never tried to change me. And his confidence in me increased my confidence. And if you’re a parent, you know that being a parent is a crucible of influence unlike anything else. I mean, I was forced to become a better person because I was determined not to ruin my kid!

As I sat there thinking, I saw a pattern—all of these were influences.

And then I couldn’t help but think of my favorite Instagram influencers—Jenna Kutcher, Hilary Rushford, Amy Porterfield, Gary Vee, and Jasmine Star. All of these have powerfully helped shape my business; and, yet, I’ve never personally met them.

That is the power of influence.

WHAT IS INFLUENCE EXACTLY?Dictionary.com defines influence as “the capacity or power of persons or things to be a compelling force on or produce effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of others.” Influence can be good or bad. It’s like the wind. A gentle breeze is refreshing and helpful, but winds that are too strong are damaging.

“Blessed is the influence of one true, loving human soul on another.”

— George Eliot

I’m sure you like me have been in relationships that weren’t a good influence and brought out the worst in us. And it’s easy to blame the other person. But I eventually learned that my lack of self-esteem was the real problem. I decided that I’d never give my power away and allow someone to make me worse instead of better. It also sparked in me a desire to ALWAYS make people better around me by bringing value everywhere I go.

even good influence can be badFor example, I’m sure you’ve scrolled through Instagram admiring all of your favorite influencers and only to look at your Instagram compared to theirs and feel you will never measure up or get there. Comparison is when we allow what’s supposed to be a good influence turn bad due to our insecurities. Comparison is never a good idea.

Years ago, I came to the conclusion that people want my normal because my normal is pretty awesome! I have gifts, skills, and knowledge that to me are no big deal but to others, they’re life-changing. Once I realized that, I was able to get comfortable in my own skin and in the influence I have with others. It was then that comparison became an everyone-once-in-a-while issue instead of daily.

how to harness the power of influenceJust like wind can be harnessed for our benefit, so can influence. And often influence’s power is most effective when we are uncomfortable. Let me give you an example.

Recently, a couple from our church let me know that their daughter was coming into town to visit. Of course, this was pre-COVID-19. I was super excited and asked if they were going to bring her to church. Yes, they were. That Sunday came and went with no daughter.

At first I felt a mild irritation because a core value is for people to keep their word. But as the week went on, I could feel it growing into offense. I had thoughts like, “Are they embarrassed of our church? Of me? Are they afraid we’ll make their daughter uncomfortable? Did their daughter not want to come and talked them out of it?” By our Friday meeting, irritation had turned into a feeling of betrayal and disloyalty! I know! It’s ridiculous.

I recognized some of what was going on and was fighting it without much success. Everyone started showing up at our next Friday meeting, including this couple (by this time their daughter had gone home). I felt awkward and weird around them. You know how it is. You’re offended but trying to act normal.

We all sit down to eat before starting our Bible study, and they mentioned they were sorry they didn’t come to church so we could meet their daughter. I said, “Yeah, we were ALL disappointed.” The minute I said it I knew I was being petty. Who cares if they decided to stay home? They’re adults and can make their own decisions. Why was I letting it get to me? They had done nothing wrong.

The rest of Friday night and all day Saturday, I struggled trying to understand what was going on in me. And I felt bad for making them feel bad. I had broken my personal decision to use my influence to make others better not worse! I knew I needed to apologize. I did that Sunday in front of everybody and confessed my struggle while assuring them that they did nothing wrong.

Later that week I sat down with my journal and processed the why. I couldn’t stay upset because I valued them more than my personal right to be unreasonably fussy. My relationship with them forced me to be a better person. And that’s when this post was birthed.

I saw how influence could make me a better person if I embraced being uncomfortable long enough to process areas where I was messed up.

So here are two tips:

1. Allow those you value in your life to influence you to be a better person. Don’t just accept negative feelings or dismiss them. Instead process them in light of how important their friendship is to you.
2. Allow those you want to be like to influence you. This one can be tricky. It’s very easy to fall into comparison. The key is to stay authentic to who you are and celebrating those things while learning from the other person’s journey and wisdom.

“It takes tremendous discipline to control the influence, the power you have over other people’s lives.”

— Clint Eastwood

I’d encourage you to think about the power of influence in your own life—the good, the bad, and the ugly. Learn from those lessons. And think about your influence on others. Is it helpful or hurtful? Once you analyze the power of influence in your own life, make a core decision to live your life in a way that influences others for the better.

View Details

Spring has been a season of new things for Mr. Joseph! The first huge new thing is going for daily walks! Since Joseph is so smart…plays fetch, gives hugs, talks to you, etc., I wondered if he’d go for a walk. Now I’ve had cats all of my life and any time I’d put a collar and leash on them, they stiffen and fall over. Lol! I put the collar on Joseph and off we go. In the video below, he was a little unsure at first because of all of the horns honking in the background.

🖤

You can see in first three rows of pics that he’s being quite vocal about his walk. First, he’s setting next to his collar because he wants to go outside. In the second and third pictures, he’s meowing obnoxiously to go on his walk.

🖤

The next row reveals some of his new hiding places. Under a shirt, under the shower curtain, and in a drawer. I was changing out winter clothes for summer, and he decided to camp out there. And he’s so heavy (17 lbs) that he broke my drawer. But I was able to fix it.

🖤

And, finally, he discovered that he likes sleeping on the master bedroom ottoman and sitting on our dining room chair. But the biggest surprise to him this year was a bath. Since we moved into our new home May of last year, I hadn’t taken one bath. So I decided it was time. He just didn’t know what to do. The bath had been his play area and all of a sudden it’s full of water and I’m in it! It was funny. He kept walking back and forth trying to decide whether to jump in. I’m very glad he didn’t. I could just imagine the shock, the scrambling to get out, and all of the scratches I’d get in the process!

🖤

View Details

Transcript:Hi! My name is Sherri Wilson and I empower introverted entrepreneurs with genuine solutions to find their voice true to who they are.

Ok, let’s jump right in to one of the most important questions you need to answer as an entrepreneur because it will 1) help you filter all of your interactions with others in a focused way that brings you more business and 2) provide you a framework of communication that eliminates awkwardness from not knowing what to say, which I call the “deer in headlights syndrome.”

So! Let me ask you a question. Why do you go to Walmart? For some I could ask why you DON’T go to Walmart.

“Business is all about the customer: what the customer wants and what they get. Generally, every customer wants a product or service that solves their problem, worth their money, and is delivered with amazing customer service. ”

— Fabrizio Moreira

The obvious answer is to purchase groceries and other items we need. But I know you guys are discerning and know that some of us go to Walmart because is it’s cheaper. Others like the convenience of getting everything needed in one place.

Convenience and cheaper prices are strong motivators for us in spite of larger crowds, longer lines, and the lack of an aesthetically and pleasant experience compared to other grocery stores.

As a side note, Walmart strategically sells some things really cheap but makes up the difference with items that are more or equal to other stores?

I’m sure there’s another store you like to go to like United Market or Albertson’s or HEB. Why? Again the obvious answer is to get groceries. But most pick another store for quality, hard to find items, friendlier staff, the coffee shop in it, or even how close it is to your home, especially if you have just a few things to get. Why brave the crowds of Walmart for 2-3 items when you can run into a smaller chain even if it costs a little more?

I’ve taught you guys a lot of this already in “What’s Your Fizz?,” but I wanted to reiterate it and then go deeper.

Even though we know that we don’t shop at a certain store for the products but for the benefits, many of us entrepreneurs still tend to think that our product or service is what our clients want from us. So we push the product or the service. But I want you to instead use this question for all your interactions:

WHAT PROBLEM DOES YOUR CLIENT NEED SOLVED?

Now before you think you know the answer, I want to stop you. Because you can’t truly know the answer to that question until you LISTEN TO YOUR POTENTIAL CLIENT TELL YOU WHAT THE PROBLEM IS.

You can get a general idea of the problem you solve and your benefits for your website and marketing content. That’s fine. But I guarantee you that if you simply spout off your benefits to a potential client like a script without truly listening to them and understanding what they’re saying and need (even if they don’t), your potential client will feel you’re just following a script and don’t care about them. We all know how frustrating it is when sales people don’t listen to what you’re saying.

Seeking the answer to this question provides a focus for you as you interact with your client. It’s like a filter for your brain to weed out the unnecessary and target in on the main problem. Like a stated, a lot of people aren’t even sure what they need but the more they talk, the more a picture develops.

For example, let’s take the cheap prices of Walmart deeper. What if a single mom with three kids isn’t just looking for cheaper? What if Walmart is the only solution for her to feed her family on her very limited income? For her, the stakes are higher. Hear the deeper need. Go below the surface.

One of my clients hired me to train his staff to increase sales, which we did. But the more I was around him and his staff, I realized that his deeper problem was a team not at the level needed to increase sales and expand his business. Some restructuring was needed so now my role switched to a more advisory role and soundboard for ideas and later to the problem of who to hire that’d be the best fit for his vision and his current team.

And, finally, by keeping your eyes and ears open to what problems you can solve, your communication will be insightful and helpful. Your thought path will not be on just closing the deal and then you’re caught off guard (the deer caught in headlights syndrome) when a question or statement doesn’t fit your script. Instead you’re already thinking strategically and can offer genuine solutions.

Here’s a final question to ponder:

WHAT PROBLEM WERE YOU BORN TO SOLVE?

All of us are uniquely designed with skills, talents, and gifts to solve specific problems. I’d suggest evaluating a few things to answer this question:

1. What do people come to you most for when they need help?
2. When you’re helping others, what energizes you the most?
3. What are you most passionate about?

The ProcessLet me walk you through the process using my husband’s answers and then mine. My husband is a property manager. He oversees a few guys under him. Most of his guys come to him for know how. Like repairing something, building something, or anything related to property management including court-related things. What energizes him is helping others do things themselves by planning ahead. And his passion is doing it right, which requires planning ahead and having know how. He’s perfect for overseeing others and properties. I’ve also seen him coach others in personal life areas.

“The highest levels of performance come to people who are centered, intuitive, creative, and reflective - people who know to see a problem as an opportunity. ”

— Deepak Chopra

People want me to discern and solve problems that are hurting or hindering their bottom line by developing and implementing strategic solutions unique to that person or business and staff. I’m passionate about removing any obstacle that keeps an entrepreneur from reaching his or her goals.

I guess you could say a sub-category of mine is communication problems. I empower introverts with the know-how and tools needed to find their voice as an entrepreneur. I train teams to communicate with each other based on each other’s personalities to reduce conflict and promote understanding. I teach professionals how to build rapport within minutes to truly connect with clients and increase sales and customer satisfaction. And I help my clients craft a message and identity that speaks to their target market.

You might find you have sub-categories too. That’s just fine. Many of you are multi-passionate entrepreneurs and solve many problems. I encourage you to go through this process. You’ll be more targeted and confident in helping your clients. Your business identity will become clearer. And you’ll be more sensitive to the problem your client needs you to solve.

Today’s sales culture requires that you truly LISTEN and genuinely care about your client’s problem. This is the WOW factor your business must have that will generate referrals and bring repeat business. But, most importantly, it’ll bring meaning to what you do.

Recap1. Most of us mistakenly push our product or service missing the actual problems our clients need us to solve.
2. Instead ask, “What problem is my client telling me I need to solve?”
3. You discover the actual problem by LISTENING to your client.
4. Don’t make the mistake of addressing your client’s problem with a script. Your client will feel that you don’t care and you’ll lose them.
5. Seeking to solve your client’s problem is a filter for all of your interaction and promote strategic thinking.
6. What problem were you born to solve?
7. By solving problems, you’ll bringing meaning into your work and life.

I’d absolutely love to hear what problems you were born to solve! Please post them in the comments below. And don’t forget to share this training because you care! Invite them to our group or share this training from the blog at geniuscommunication.org. Love you guys and see you next week!

View Details

I hope all of you are staying well during COVID-19. I’ve been wanting to write this blog post for a loooonnnggg time. And I decided today that there’s no better time than right now to share my must-have vitamins that help me stay healthy and strong.

But I want to be clear that I’m not telling you to take these supplements nor giving medical advice. I’m simply sharing the supplements I take and how they’ve helped me.

My Mono Story

December 13, 2007, my husband and I were at an intersection in my hometown when I commented that I felt I was coming down with a cold. I remember saying these exact words, “I’m sure it’s just a cold and I’ll be good in no time.” I didn’t recover until December 2011!

Long-story short, I had chronic Epstein-Barr that had turned into mono. I guess I’d been sick for a while. And then after the mono, my immune system was so out of whack that I was allergic to corn, eggs, soy, gluten, peanut butter, blah, blah, blah.

On top of that, I’d gained 50 pounds! I was borderline insulin resistant, had a fatty liver, my kidneys were struggling, and my body was inflamed. It was a sad, sad situation.

PA Dan Otero Changed My Life

In 2011, I was finally able to get health insurance, and I went to see PA Dan Otero at Trinity Family Medicine. I’ll never forget at my first appointment, he told me we were going to get to the bottom of why I felt so bad and close all those doors! He was not kidding! Over the next several years, we worked, mostly with supplements and essential oils along with diet changes, to reverse all my health problems, which laid a foundation of health that I follow to this day.

A huge part of my health strategy is eating keto, being gluten free, and exercising four to five times a week. Three is all that’s needed for most, but I love training and try to get in at least four workouts a week. Diet and exercise to me is the largest part of my health strategy because vitamins can’t do their job in a body already broken down from bad habits.

My Favorite Vitamins

• 7-Keto. I first learned of this supplement from PA Otero when a blood test showed that my raw testosterone levels were those of a 90-year-old. I gained immediate energy, improved muscle tone, weight loss and maintenance, and increased libido.
• Vitamin D. This one also was extremely low when PA Otero took my blood tests. Vitamin D helps with depression (think sunny days and vitamin D). But I mainly take it to boost my immune system, especially during this COVID-19 madness.
• Fish oil. This is THE oil that sent body inflammation packing! It also helped to increase my good cholesterol, decrease my bad cholesterol, and restore my liver.
• Magnesium. Not too long ago, I was hurting! Lower back, hips, upper back, even my toes! I realized that I hadn’t been eating as much raw spinach, which is full of magnesium, and decided to use a supplement. All the pain left.
• BHB salts. This is mainly to help me on my keto diet. If I don’t take this, I’m nauseous all of the time.

Young Living Must-Haves

On top of those supplements (I mostly buy the Vitacost brand), I use several Young Living oils and supplements. I’m a huge believer in their products.

• Inner Defense. This capsule supports the immune system and has Thieves essential oil blend in it. Thieves is based on a formula from back in the Bubonic plague that kept four thieves alive in spite of robbing dead victims’ bodies! I only take as needed when I feel ran down or I’m fighting something.
• Thieves. I put this oil blend on the bottom of my feet each night.
• Immupro. This is a chewable that I take with Inner Defense when I feel ran down. It’s full of antioxidants and essential oils.
• Lavender and Lemon Essential Oils. I take one drop of lemon and three of lavender essential oil in a capsule daily. Lavender helps with allergies and one drop of lemon is more powerful than taking vitamin C.

In Summary

And that’s it! Like I said, I’ve used these for years.I feel like a 20 something even though I’m about to be 47. And I am strong, healthy, and able to maintain my weight easily.

View Details

Transcript:Hi! Welcome to this week’s training. I want to teach you how to engineer happiness.

But first let me give you some Happy Math.

“Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present. ”

— Jim Rohn

According to Vanessa Van Edwards’ research at the Science of People, they discovered that happiness is 40% is genetic., 10% is environment, and 50% behavior and mindset. The problem is that most people focus 90% on the environment like moving somewhere else, a new house, or making more money. But the true KEY TO HAPPINESS IS YOUR BEHAVIOR AND MINDSET.

They also discovered that Happiness is a skill that can be developed. They realize that happiness is not the end result but is the CAUSE. I.e. They build happiness into the structure of their life causing happiness. And another surprising insight was that the SMALLEST THINGS CAUSE HAPPINESS.

Here’s a HAPPINESS RECIPE you can implement today and start building happiness into your life!

Happiness Recipe1. The first ingredient is capability. This is feeling powerful and expert in your area professionally. Vanessa recommends job crafting, which is creating your day around your skills. 2. The second ingredient is hope. What’s interesting about hope is that you can generate hope by LEARNING NEW THINGS. 3. And the final ingredient and the easiest and cheapest is AWE. Being awed by nature on a walk or being awed by great pieces of art, music, or a museum that interests you. Or watching a favorite movie. JUST THINKING ABOUT WATCHING YOUR FAVE MOVIE INCREASES ENDORPHINS 27%. The very, very smallest things create awe.

Let’s look at each one a little more in-depth.

Job CraftingSit down and write down the skills you use to complete your job tasks. For example, as a strategist, one of the most important skills I must have is LISTENING to what my client really needs. So listening is a top skill. If I don’t listen well, I don’t help my client well.

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. ”

— Albert Schweitzer

Next circle the two to three of the ones you’re really good at and love doing. Then look at the remaining ones and ask yourself if you don’t like them as much due to lack of knowledge or the task itself.

If it’s the task, there’s not much you can do except delegate if possible. But if you don’t like some because you don’t feel you’re good at them, get the skills you need. A good resources are those you work with that do them well. be mentored by them. Also, lynda.com has great courses to learn many professional skills and of course udemy.com.

HopeAs stated, learning new things increase hope so create a LEARNING BUCKET LIST of all the books, courses, seminars etc. you want to learn from. Some companies might even pay for it. Take advantage of that.

ProgressFocus on progress! This motivates you more than anything including money, promotions, and bonuses. Pick specific goals and take risks to reach them. Mark why something didn’t work and analyze why. I love the 5 Why exercise for analysis. Basically, you ask why something didn’t work and then ask why on that answer and so on until you come to the 5th why. That answer is your solution. Jeff Bezos is the one that discovered this process.

Start. Stop. Continue.What do you want to start? What do you want to stop or do less of? And what do you want to continue? Vanessa does this every 1-4 weeks. She also recommends Quests like reading every book on the New York Top Seller’s list, learning a new language, or eating or cooking food from every cuisine because CHALLENGING YOURSELF INCREASES ENDORPHINS.

Remember that stress is scientifically more your perception of something rather than the “something” itself. You are in CONTROL OF YOUR BEHAVIOR AND MINDSET and can determine your perception.

View Details

Warmer weather is here! Well, until Sunday when the low will be 24 degrees! I refuse to even think about that right now! All I can say is that Mother Nature better get her act together!

Each year I change my skin regimen and makeup for the warmer months to control oil, create a fresher look, and take advantage of my sun-kissed face!

Amazonian Clay Airbrush Foundation

In my blog post, “My 3 Tarte Must-Haves,” I wrote this about Tarte Cosmetics Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Foundation, “I will never use another “liquid” foundation ever.” And I have not changed my mind. But in the summer, a liquid foundation just doesn’t work as well for my skin because my oily T-Zone goes into overdrive.

Usually in April or May, I switch to Tarte’s Amazonian Clay Airbrush Foundation (see me apply it in my IGTV @sherriannewilson). I love this just as much as their liquid foundation, and I’ve tried all of the “mineral” foundations out there. This is absolutely the best coverage of any I’ve used. It’s great for a nice clean look. I usually go a shade darker to take into account darker skin tone in the warmer months.

Tip: Their foundations do tend to be darker than others so I usually go a shade lighter.

Quench Lip Rescue

Ok, so I don’t make enough money right now for these! Not because they’re expensive but because I use them so much throughout the day, they’re gone in two weeks! I love these more than anything else from Tarte!

These are vegan lip balms that feel like you’re literally putting “moisture” on your lips! They feel so good! The colors are vibrant (but not too much just a kiss of color) and so pretty! I’ve tried tinted lip balms before, and you could hardly see any color at all or they dried out my lips. Not these! They are perfect for a light summer look while keeping your lips hydrated durring warm weather activities that can tend to dry your lips out.

In Summary

You. Can’t. Go. Wrong. If you’re looking for vegan, chemical free cosmetics that actually work, Tarte is the place to go!

I have an IGTV using these products for the first time if you want to see it in real time @sherriannewilson!

View Details

Transcript:Hey guys! I pray that all of you are physically and emotionally well. We’re doing good here! I’m just as busy in my business as before all this craziness, thank goodness, and we’re healthy and happy! I must admit the first week of shutting down the economy in my state was tough! It seemed like each day a new order came down shrinking the economy. That was the hardest part for me because I love business owners and the marketplace and helping my clients basically shut down the majority of their businesses was not easy! But we are all adapting and, hopefully, will be able to make a strong comeback!

A Look BackI probably should do a podcast to help you with working from home, reduce stress, and other COVID-19 business topics, but I just want to write about something normal that’s not dictated by a virus this week. So let’s revisit my blog post from December 9th, 2019 on setting up my business systems and processes, especially for social media and content creation. I promised I’d give you an update so here it is: it just didn’t work! Let me share what I tried and what I ended up with.

Quick RecapI first setup a system of:

1. Brainstorming what I wanted to post on all platforms and put those ideas in my iPhone Notes
2. Using a social media calendar that had columns of each social platform, dates to post, what I would post, content to create, and copy to write
3. Setting aside a day to capture and create all of the photos and videos
4. Sitting down and using my social media calendar to plan out all of my content for Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn
5. Editing and putting my content into my Plann app and scheduling it for the week
6. Also posting spontaneous content as I went

This. Took. Me. Days! It was so frustrating! I didn’t have DAYS to spend doing all of this! I wanted to up my level but not at the expense of my sanity. I had to figure out a different system. I needed to simplify it.

What I ended up withAfter attempting all of that for two months, I sat down and looked at what was working and what wasn’t working. What was working was Notes. What wasn’t working was the social media calendar. It was a bottleneck. I threw it out and focused solely on using Notes.

I divide my note into different sections:

• Business blog. At least four weeks of blog post ideas that are also social posts once the blog goes live
• Personal blog. Same for personal blog topics.
• IG Live. At least four IG live ideas and then I’d create my slides on Canva.com for those.
• IGTV. I then save my IG Lives and post those on IGTV. I add captions using ClipScribe, a great platform for creating amazing videos and the easiest for closed captions.
• IG Stories. Humorous or helpful and behind-the-scenes or tutorial. I love to post my keto recipes, too.

Using these categories I now have at least four days of posting ready to go. I then look ahead at what I need as far as pictures and videos and spend about 30 minutes (if that) grabbing and editing that content for the week.

I then decided to theme my days as a general guideline, which I follow loosely.

• Monday motivation
• Tuesday biz blog post
• Wednesday behind-the-scenes/product/service
• Thursday personal insight/about me/my why
• Friday personal blog post
• Saturday open
• Sunday open

LinkedIn is a tad different. I usually don’t have personal insight. Instead I post a short educational slide show.

this helped a lot!I spend about an hour going through the posts of my favorite influencers to get ideas. My favorite is Jasmine Star. I like Jenna Kutcher as well. I put those ideas in notes and put checkmarks next to them when I’ve posted them. I tweak them, of course. I don’t want to copy exactly. And it’s working!

future plansI am going to check out Lovetagency’s Instagram Planner that I purchased a few weeks ago to see if it can help me, too. It looks really, really good. I’ll fill you in on that later.

The main thing I needed wasn’t so much a social media calendar; I needed a way to organize my thoughts. By doing that, I can spend just a bit of time each week creating and posting.

View Details

I can’t tell you how happy I am that I don’t have to go in and get my hair done anymore! With COVID-19, my roots would be pretty scary by now with all the beauty salons closed. And box color wouldn’t help me at all since I purposefully had blond highlights to hide my gray and make my color last longer.

Some of you might be considering going el naturale so I wanted to share my process with you! And give you some tips.

Why I Went Gray

Bottom line. No money honey! My husband’s business had closed, I wasn’t making much money at the time, and we had tons of debt. It just didn’t make sense to keep spending the money on hair color. I loved my blond highlights, but I couldn’t justify the expense.

How I Did It

The first thing I did was sit down with my hair stylist. I trust her, and she always gives it to me straight. I wanted to know two things:

1. Should I color it gray to help with the transition?
2. How long will this take?

She said, “Absolutely not!” to the first question and about a year to the second. She said that no matter how hard a stylist tries, coloring your hair gray just doesn’t work. It doesn’t look natural nor does it blend naturally. Not wanting to look weird for a year, I confirmed it with my daughter-in-love who’s in the beauty industry, and she agreed. Plus the idea was to save money so coloring it gray just wasn’t an option anyway. So be prepared to avoid any cameras for a year. I had to take one professional photo at the beginning. It wasn’t bad because my roots weren’t showing too much yet, but you can still tell (you can see it at thewatersgroupnm.com).

That year seemed to take forever! But from the half-way point on, my stylist recommended that I cut my hair shorter to help and add a few more layers. It was like magic! The old color and now my gray blended in great! Come to think of it, it might’ve been a little past half way. Either way, the added layers and shorter style helped tremendously, and I didn’t feel so self-conscious.

Unexpected Surprises

I wasn’t prepared for a couple of things. The first was the admiration I got! Both my husband and I weren’t sure about the gray thing. It was kind of emotional like leaving your youth behind. But I’ll never forget the day I got in the car after running into the store (he waited in the car) and he said, “Your gray is all sparkly. I think I’m going to like it.” Others expressed their admiration for being so courageous to embrace my gray (not sure that was a compliment lol). And, I got so many compliments on it even from youngsters (might as well start talking old, right? Lol).

Pre-gray. You can see the gold tones in makeup.

Post gray. Softer corals and purples.

The other surprise was I had to change some of my wardrobe and makeup! The makeup thing was tough! I love makeup and normally wore gold-toned colors but that was no longer an option with gray. I gave away all of those to my daughter-in-love (she’s a makeup artist) and switched to pinks, corals (on lips and cheeks), and continued using my gray-toned and purple colors. I rock red lipstick, too, like never before! At first, I felt my skin looked washed out and pale, which I didn’t expect. I’m now used to the softer look and don’t feel like I look dead. Lol. Since I wear black and white more than anything anyway, my wardrobe wasn’t as hard because gray looks really good with those colors. Teal, coral, and jewel tones look pretty good, too.

And the final surprise is that I didn’t like my natural color at all at first. I think it’s because I loved that golden coloring I had, which is my favorite to this day. After I went gray, I had the pretty gray highlights but just plain old dark brown. That took a good few months to get used to. The more I’ve grayed around my face, the more I like my hair color. I do think not being completely gray or silver helped a lot. Having my natural color made the “going gray” process easier for my ego and not as much of a shock.

In Summary

I think it was one of the best decisions I’ve made. I still need to get some more photos taken for my website, social media, etc. since going gray. That’s my plan once this pandemic is over.

There ya have it. If you’re considering it, be prepared with a heavy dose of patience, creativity, and some changes in your wardrobe and makeup.

View Details

Transcript:Hey guys! Today I want to talk about something all of us do and many think we’re good at—multitasking. The reason I want to discuss it is because I’m doing an in-person training at the Chamber next Wedesnday at noon on how to literally create time. One of the aspects of the training touches upon the fact that multitasking is a myth according to science.

But I’m not going to have enough time to go in-depth on this very important topic so let’s do so here.

First, listen to this true story written about in Harvard Health on the dangers of multitasking:
In a case report for the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Dr. John Halamka, the chief information officer at Harvard Medical School, described the so-called mishap, which happened to a 56-year-old man with dementia who was admitted to the hospital to have a feeding tube placed in his stomach.

One of the man’s doctors increased the dose of the blood-thinner warfarin the man was taking. Warfarin helps prevent clots from forming in the bloodstream. The next day, the doctor decided to evaluate whether the man needed warfarin at all, and asked a resident (junior doctor) to temporarily stop the order for daily warfarin.

Using her cellphone, the resident began to make the change via a computerized order entry system. Part way through, she received a text message from a friend about a party. She responded to the text, but forgot to go back and complete the medication order canceling warfarin. As a result, the man kept getting a high dose of warfarin. His blood became so “thin” that, two days later, blood was spontaneously filling the sac around his heart, squeezing it so it couldn’t pump properly. He needed open-heart surgery to drain the blood and save his life.

You might think that, of course, medical personal should be extra careful. But by the end of this training, you’ll learn how destructive multitasking is to your life, especially your professional life.

Your Brain on MultitaskingI first want to say that I used to take pride in the fact that I could multitask. But I learned two years ago that’s there’s no such thing as multitasking for the brain. Now to clarify, you can do a load of laundry and read a book or surf the Internet. But when it comes to learning or cognitive tasks, which are activities that require us to be able to focus, concentrate, and think, our brains simply cannot do it. Instead we are actually RAPIDLY SWITCHING from one task to another and to another and so on.

Researchers are finding that this constant switching back and forth between tasks is the NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF STRESS in the workplace and costs U.S. economy an estimated $650 BILLION a year in WASTED PRODUCTIVITY. It also leads to mental and physical fatigue because the constant switching requires the brain to use oxygenated glucose faster. And as a certified personal trainer, I also suspect it leads to carb cravings to get those brain sugars back up.

The term multitasking didn’t exist before 1965. It was originally coined for computers that could perform more than one task at a time. In spite of the fact some think our brains are like computers, they are not. They’re designed to focus on one thing at a time and absolutely love being in the ZONE.

When you’re focused on a task and interrupted or distracted by a text or email, it takes about 23 minutes to return to the task in a focused and productive way. Dr. Gloria Mark,associate professor at the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences at the University of California, “found that average information workers are interrupted every three minutes or nearly twenty times per hour!”

Now most of those interruptions are miniscule and don’t impact you as much. Four is the average number of significant interruptions that decrease productivity. If it takes 23 minutes to recover, an hour-long task now takes two hours. And studies have also found that 40% of the time people don’t return right to the task but use it as an opportunity to get a couple more smaller tasks done real quick.

Dumb and DumberLet me share with you the costs of multitasking (and believe me they will surprise you):

1. Constant switching encourages bad habits. When you complete a tiny task like sending an email, responding to a text, or posting on FB, your brain gets a dollop of dopamine, the reward hormone. Our brains LOVE dopamine so it then drives us to keep switching to those little tasks to get more. And on top of that, we THINK we’re getting a lot done, but we’re not. In fact, research is showing that just picking up the phone releases dopamine in anticipation and is quite addictive leading to the need to self-interrupt. I.e. now you’re not just being interrupted by others but doing it yourself.
2. Shortens attention span. Before the proliferation of cell phones, email etc., our attention span was 12 minutes for learning. Now it’s 3-5 minutes. General attention span that doesn’t require learning a new thing is now 5 seconds, less than a goldfish.
3. Increases cortisol, the stress hormone leading to mental fatigue, irritability, feeling overwhelmed, etc.
4. Makes it difficult to organize thoughts and filter out irrelevant information. Now that’s huge. To be productive and successful, you must be able to filter out the irrelevant. Constant switching, instead, clutters your brain making it hard for you to know what’s relevant and what to focus on. Like where to start on a project or what to do first.
5. Reduces quality and efficiency of work. Productivity drops 40%. Error rates increase 20%. Spelling errors. Answering questions with wrong information. Overlooking things. And many more things fall through the cracks because our brains simple can’t remember it all especially if we’re suffering from unorganized thoughts from habitually interrupting ourselves with emails, texts, and social media.
6. Lowers IQ by up to 10 points in women and 15 points in men. In fact, studies revealed that the IQ difference was so significant in men that they became the age equivalent of an eight-year-old! This IQ lowering happens when you stay up all night or smoke marijuana!

Do These Two ThingsI want to give you two things to start now.

1. Block at least 25 minutes to two hours to focus on singular task. It takes 25 minutes to get into the zone, which is, again, why it’s so important to minimize interruptions because remember it takes 23 minutes to get back into the zone.
2. Create an email-checking schedule and turn off notifications. That little ding causes a dopamine dollop too. Check your email in the morning, at lunch, and before leaving work. Here’s one final fact on the email issue. McKinsey Global Institute learned that employees spend 28% of work week checking emails! That’s 11 hours of a 40-hour week.

And, finally, recognize you might be addicted to your phone and self-interrupting. There are plenty of apps you can use to not only track your phone and social media use but also literally lock you out of your phone when you tell it to so you can focus.

Now I have found that those most addicted immediately think there’s no way they could do time blocks, only check email 3 times a day, or lock their phones because they might miss an important call, email, etc. That right there reveals a problem. If you can’t time block 25 minutes to do a task well, you just might be addicted or placing equal significance on all tasks.

View Details

NO TRANSCRIPTThings have gotten crazy, huh? A month ago, I announced at my monthly Chamber of Commerce morning coffee and coaching and noon lunch and learn that I would be discussing the cause and cure of stress. I had no idea we’d be in the middle of a pandemic! I felt this topic was so important that we conducted it virtually on zoom. Below is the video as well as the worksheets. I hope it helps you as much it did my attendees.

View Details

TRANSCRIPT:This past week has been tough. I had to post for two of my clients that had to close because they own restaurants. Even with delivery options, it just wasn’t worth it financially. I was scrambling with updates and changes for other clients while silently worrying about those that are seeing half of their normal business.

I hope that you’re one of the fortunate ones that is able to work from home like my sister. If so, I’m sure you’ve noticed by now that your lack of schedule is making the transition harder than you thought it’d be. That’s because our brain likes order and knowing what comes next. When those things are missing, it just kind of wanders and wonders what to do! So I want to offer you some tips.

I’ve had a home-based business since 1998 and have worked from home since 1992. When I started my computer training business, my son was six. But even before that I did medical transcription. He was five months old and would play on the floor while I worked. I did that for several years. He was such a good kid that it was easy for me to work from home. Hopefully, that’s the case with you or you have someone to help you with the kiddos while you work. If not, get creative!

Create your spaceThe first step is to create a work space that’s free from any distractions, pretty, and in a room where you can close the door if possible. I’d put up all your bills, household to-do lists, and anything else non-work related. Make it feel as close to your normal office as possible.

Get up and show upYou might be tempted to sleep in each day, but that might not be the best idea. Again, your brain is looking for its normal routine. I recommend getting up like you’d normally do if going in to work (unless you don’t have a commute and can sleep in a little bit), follow your normal morning routine including putting on makeup and getting dressed, and then start work at the time you normally would. Of course, getting dressed can mean you change your PJ bottoms to yoga pants, but getting ready signals that it’s time to work!

Note: I can get up, never put on makeup, brush my hair, or change out of my PJ’s and still be productive. But I’ve been doing this for a loooonnnnggg time!

keep regular hoursIf you go to work at 8, be at your newly created workspace at 8. If you work until 12, work until 12. Of course, you might have to be flexible if you have kids in the home. But try to focus for 1-4 hours on your work minus any distractions, including Netflix, Facebook, Instagram, and any other temptation. Enjoy your lunch and then get back to work!

You might find that you’re able to get more done faster than at work because the typical office distractions are gone. The key is not to let other distractions form. Here’s what many don’t know—your brain can become addicted to distractions, especially social media, texts, and emails. The brain drops a dollop of dopamine in your system every time you hear an alert on your phone. Over time, you’ll self-interrupt.

Research also shows that multi-tasking and the constant switching between tasks is the number one cause of stress in the workplace. Your brain needs at least 25 minutes to enter the zone. When you’re pulled out of the zone, it takes at least 20 minutes to get back in. This might surprise you because you think you’re a great multi-tasker!The reality is that your brain merely switches between tasks slowing it down and lowering your IQ!

In summaryI love working from home! But I did have to learn to focus. When cell phones became the norm, I really struggled. I still find myself driven to look at my phone for no reason! If I’m in a self-interrupt loop, I’ll put my phone in another room and get to work.

I think for me the most important part of being productive working from home is having a designated workspace. It makes it more legit.

View Details

Anyone else feel that way? This entire COVID-19 thing absolutely sucks. I’m not concerned about the health aspect for me and my family. We’re very healthy. However, I do feel bad for those who are seriously ill or families whose loved ones have died. But my heart is struggling with all the small businesses out there that are having to close their doors. Some might not ever reopen.

Isn’t it crazy that just a few days ago, we were all working on our business projects, client work, and getting ready for spring? And now I’ve literally spent the entire morning removing all scheduled posts for my restaurant clients who had to close their doors and send 90 plus employees home. It’s absolutely heart breaking. And I wonder how many others will have to do the same thing.

As I sit here and literally feel myself going down dark rabbit holes of what-ifs and how-longs, I decided to do something about it.

1. Use my own tools.
2. Pass those on.

Don’t Stop DreamingThe word “dream” is an Old English word that meant “joy, mirth, and gladness.” Today, it means “to form in the imagination, devise (plan).” I want you to intentionally dream, imagine, and plan your next business launches, levels, products, and expansion. Write down what you want your business to look like after all of this is over and then in one year, in five years, and in ten years. Then reverse engineer the steps you need to take to make your dreams come true and execute them!

Dreaming inspires hope, joy, and gladness. It gives you something to focus on as you walk through what’s difficult.

Create hope and happinessThe most dangerous are those without hope. Hope anchors us when things get rough. And hope and happiness go together. Here are some scientific ways to do both:

1. Learn new things. Science shows that this inspires hope and happiness because the brain thrives on new. I think it’s because as long as we’re learning new things, we’re alive!
2. Become expert in your field. This goes along with number one. This is a perfect time to take that online course, read that book, and become even more expert in your field.

Express intentional gratitudeIt’s hard to be fussy when you’re making a gratitude list. Any time I’ve gone through difficult times, I kept an on-going gratitude list while at the same time thinking and praying for those going through worse things. It’s awfully hard to be mad at not finding toilet paper when others have died.

Gratitude for friends and family, your job, your business and that you’re healthy and whole. Don’t forget to express gratitude for the things you like about yourself. Many overlook this, but it’s just as important.

In summaryI hope this helps you like it has me. And in writing this, I realized that the best way to stay away from negative dark holes is to help others. Find someone to help during this time. Practice all precautions, of course. Even if it’s just calling one who’s more scared than you, buying groceries for the elderly, or feeding the neighborhood kids peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, find someone to help. 💛

View Details

TRANSCRIPT:Have you tried to make a cake lately? It’s amazing how many options we have! I mean an entire 1/3 of an aisle is devoted to cake mixes! Yellow, white, orange, brown, multicolored, oil or butter based. And then the icings! Thank goodness I’m gluten free so I’m pretty restricted to what I kind of cake I can make!

And what about cereal? I believe the last time I looked there was an entire aisle plus a 1/4 of another aisle that was nothing but cereal at my local Wal-Mart. I don’t know about you but I feel overwhelmed just walking past all of those choices. More isn’t always better!

THE GOURMET JAM STUDY

“In character, in manner, in style, in all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity. ”

— HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW

Research reveals that giving your customer too many choices can hurt your business! Sheena Iyengar and Mark Lepper conducted research on choice overwhelm in 2000 in an upscale food market using 24 varieties of gourmet jam. Samplers received a coupon for $1 off any jam. Every few hours, the selection dropped to a group of six jams also offering the same coupon. On average, people sampled 2 jams regardless of whether 24 or 6 were displayed.

Here is where it gets very interesting—sixty percent of customers were drawn to the large assortment and 40% to the small one but 30% purchased from the small display and only 3% from the large! Although more choices are appealing in theory, PEOPLE FIND IT MORE DIFFICULT TO DECIDE WHAT TO BUY SO THEY BUY NOTHING! There’s even a technical term for it, “choice paralysis.” Other studies revealed that more choices causes “buyer’s remorse” because each new option diminishes the feeling of satisfaction and well being. In other words, your customer wonders if he or she bought the right product. Too many options also causes anxiety, excessive high expectations, and self-blame if the choices don’t work out.

Bottom line. Simplify your products and services.

STEVE JOB'S GENIUSOne of the first things Steve Jobs did when he returned to Apple was slim down the product line, which had grown exponentially during his absence. He then focused everyone at Apple on the remaining products to make them the best and easiest to use as possible. It worked and, literally, saved Apple.

As a side note…Jobs was known for always wearing jeans and black turtlenecks because he limited his choices as much as possible so he could focus on the most important ones. The super successful leverage the power of LIMITED CHOICES by eliminating all unnecessary ones.

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. ”

— LEONARDO DA VINCI

When I owned my personal training business, I always encouraged my new clients to eat the same things every day until they learned how to eat healthy. Have eggs and bacon for breakfast. Eat grilled chicken salad for lunch. Eat a lean meat and steamed veggie for dinner. And eat the same snacks. You would’ve thought I asked them to eat their kids! I’d hear things like, “I like variety! How boring! I couldn’t do that!”

By insisting on too much variety at the beginning of their fitness journey, they sabotaged their weight loss efforts because every meal became a decision to make causing overwhelm, and they’d revert to the same fast food and junk food that caused the weight gain in the first place. A major part of my fitness success is that I eat the exact same meals every day with minor variations. Occasionally I’ll find a new recipe I like and eat it regularly, but I limit my choices because who has time to think about what to eat all the time?

Barry Schwartz in “The Paradox of Choice” states, “Seeking the perfect choice…is a recipe for misery. This includes both big and small choices from everyday choices to relationship choices, etc. The more options you have, the more it costs you in time and effort not to mention a lack of certainty as well as decision fatigue.

WHAT TO DO FOR YOUR BUSINESS1. Limit your products and services. This is especially true for course creators, photographers, and other service based businesses. I know this can be hard. I’m an idea generator and not creating a course on every idea I think up is hard! But it can be done. 2. Record all of your ideas and chew on them until THE ONE seems to “fit.” I do this a lot. I ponder my ideas. I write or draw them out. I seek advice if needed. And then…BAM! The one clicks, and I go for it. This process will help you do #1. 3. Keep your business model simple and strategic. 4. Do beta testing and see what are the most popular and useful products, courses, and services you have. Eliminate the rest (I can hear your screaming on the inside at the idea of eliminating your beautiful ideas, products and services but just think of the screaming on the inside when you’re actually making more money!).

WHAT TO DO FOR YOURSELF1. Make the most important decisions earlier in the day. Willpower has a shelf life. Every decision you have to make drains your willpower gas tank. Eliminating unnecessary choices for yourself is the smart thing to do! 2. Sleep on it. This gives you space to decide and wake up refreshed to make your decision. 3. Don’t go to extremes. Be okay with a middle ground. Psychologist, Dan Ariely, warns of UNCHANGEABILITY BIAS because it block decision-making. It’s ok to try something or experiment before making big decisions. Avoid the ALL OR NOTHING MENTALITY. 4. Don’t try to figure out exactly how everything will go. Choices beget other choices. You can’t know what opportunities are going to come from your choices until you start making them. Same with obstacles. Predicting everything is impossible. So what if your idea fails? You learned great things in the process to take to the next idea.

View Details

Joseph is unlike any cat I’ve ever had, and I’ve had cats my entire life. Most cats eat, sleep, and use the litter box. They will only let you hold them or pet them if it’s on their terms. And they can be quite “catty” in their attitude.

Not Joseph! You can pick him up any time to love on him. He’ll give you hugs and head nudges to let you know that he loves you, too.

He’s fascinated with toilet paper and tissues. He loves violently rubbing his paws on windows, in bathtubs and sinks, or anything with a smooth shiny surface.

And when he’s ready to lay down, he loves “making biscuits” on soft blankets or sweaters. Recently, he discovered himself in the mirror. He’s the most laid back, lovable cat I’ve every had. 🖤

View Details

Nestled in the center of Seattle Washington is Green Lake, a picturesque and popular site for locals and vacationers. In 1970, one group of vacationers was a sweet couple with a 3-year-old little boy whose natural curiosity led him away from his parents and toward the lake unbeknownst to them. Within seconds this little boy fell into the waters and would have drowned if it wasn’t for a dark-haired handsome college student who jumped into the lake without hesitation and saved the little boy.

“Not all psychopaths are in prison - some are in the boardroom. ”

— Robert D. Hare

This charismatic young man, a true hero, would go on a murderous rampage 4 years later. Before his execution, he confessed to killing 30 women; although authorities suspect the actual number is 100. They also believe that he had already killed by the time he saved the little boy on that fateful day. At his execution, prison guards stated that the only time they ever saw fear in him was when he walked into the death chamber and saw the electric chair waiting for him.

A true psychopathic serial killer named…Ted Bundy.

Just the word PSYCHOPATH conjures up images of serial killers like Ted Bundy, the Zodiac Killer, BTK, and Norman Bates from Bates Motel. However, many NORMAL individuals who would never kill another human being have psychopathic tendencies.

Listen to this quote from one of the world’s top neurosurgeons:

"In the operating theatre I am reborn: as a cold, heartless machine, totally at one with scalpel, drill and saw. Emotion is entropy and seriously bad for business. I’ve hunted it down to extinction over the years."

Psychopathy is measured on a spectrum scale meaning some have a measure of psychopathy but are able to function like everyone else in society. Dr. Keven Dutton, describes psychopaths as possessing a distinct subset of personality characteristics such as ruthlessness, fearlessness, self-confidence, focus, coolness under pressure, mental toughness, charm, charisma and a zero-calorie conscience.

Psychopaths are attracted to the following careers:

1. CEO

2. Lawyer

3. Media (Television/Radio)

4. Salesperson

5. Surgeon

6. Journalist

7. Police officer

8. Clergy person

9. Chef

10. Civil servant

You will not find psychopaths working as nurses or teachers unless they have some nefarious purpose (like the serial killer nurse Charles Cullen, also called the ANGEL OF DEATH, suspected of killing 300 people) because they lack emotions and the ability to identify with others or what we call empathy.

But there are some things we can learn from psychopaths:

1. Cool under pressure (that’s due to that whole “no emotion or empathy thing). When Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin arrive at the moon, they were surprised at how rugged the terrain was. In fact, it was so rugged, they couldn’t find anywhere to land. With mere minutes left of fuel, Neil told Buzz to start counting down at 10 seconds. Sure enough, at the 10 second mark, Buzz started…10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5… And the rest is history.

But here’s what’s interesting. Buzz’s respirations, pulse, and blood pressure showed definite stress while Neil’s pulse actually slowed down revealing he was calmer. Research has revealed that when psychopaths smell fear, they actually calm down and enter into a zone of increased focus and calculation. Non-psychopaths feed off others’ fear and get scared themselves when they smell it. You don’t want a brain surgeon getting nervous while inside your skull.

“Pretend and real are all real to a psychopath. ”

— Lorraine Toussaint

1. Extreme focus. Once a psychopath focuses on a goal, he is relentless until he completes it. All else disappears. While this might be obsessive for psychopaths, it’s a good trait for non-psychopaths to develop. When you’re focused on a task, you enter into “the zone” where you get 80% done using only 20% effort If that zone is interrupted by anything, it can take an hour to recover your focus. Sometimes longer.

2. Live in the present. Again, you can see how this trait could cause problems if one never learns from the past. Our past experiences can be used to help us grow as individuals. But too many are bound by their past and unable to live in the present missing all the opportunities and moments that add flavor and zest to life.

3. Mental toughness. Any entrepreneur knows that mental toughness is a must! Obstacles are the name of the game. Rejection is normal. Solving problems is required. Psychopaths have a mental toughness that serves them well whether escaping prison like Ted Bundy (twice) or having your windows idea stolen by a competitor and going on to develop the iPhone and iPad like Steve Jobs did.

4. Persuasive. This trait is what serves the psychopath well in his career of choice: CEO, Salesperson, Clergy, murderer. Psychopaths are able to charm the socks off most. I mean Ted Bundy persuaded some of his female victims to help him to his vehicle sporting a fake arm cast…at night. Persuasion is the number 1 skill needed by salespeople, realtors, and CEO’s. Note I said, “Skill.” It can be learned. On the surface, psychopaths are very charming, likable, and a lot of fun. Spend too much time with them, you might see the shallowness, arrogance, and lack of empathy. But you’ll still like them.

So how could Ted Bundy save a child when he was a psychopathic serial killer? Well, it’s a tad complicated. Researchers have discovered two types of empathy: hot or cold.

The late philosopher, Philippa Foot, suggested the following conundrum:

A railway trolley is hurtling down a track. In its path are five people who are trapped on the line and cannot escape. Fortunately, you can flip a switch that will divert the trolley down a fork in the track away from the five people—but at a price. There is another person trapped down that fork, and the trolley will kill him or her instead. Should you hit the switch?

Most of us would probably flip the switch even though unpleasant to save 5 and only kill one. But let’s take this conundrum a bit further, proposed by philosopher Judith Jarvis Thomson:

As before, a railway trolley is speeding out of control down a track toward five people. But this time you are standing behind a very large stranger on a footbridge above the tracks. The only way to save the five people is to heave the stranger over. He will fall to a certain death. But his considerable girth will block the trolley, saving five lives. Question: Should you push him?

In both scenarios, 1 dies and 5 are saved, but in the second scenario, you have to PERSONALLY kill a man of “considerable girth” to save the 5. This is where many diverge. Most people’s empathy is hot meaning when the situation is no longer “hitting a switch” but actually harming another person, most just can’t do it. A psychopath would happily through the man over the bridge to save the 5. It’s called cold empathy, a steely reasoning that psychopaths possess.

The death of a little boy drowning didn’t serve any purpose for Ted Bundy. No pleasure in that death. Senseless. I guarantee you, though, he felt no emotion or empathy in saving the toddler. It was simply a calculated decision and it made him a hero.

View Details

I’ve put off writing this blog. I genuinely believe it can help you overcome any past pain and wounding, but how do I write it without dishonoring those in my past and short enough that you’ll read it! :) I’m going to do my best because in my story (and I’m sure in yours) are lessons and tools that helped me heal and learn who I am as a person.

When It Was Just Me and Pink Panther

My first memory of my mother was when I was four. I remember playing at a park on something that reminded me of candy canes. I remember seeing a little baby there, but I didn’t know who she was my sister until later, and I couldn’t remember my mother’s face. My dad raised me, and we’re very close even to this day. Long story.

Fast forward to my next memory. This one is of my first step mother. I remember thinking she was beautiful. She was also mean. I only have a few memories of her like her brushing my hair and hitting me in the head with her very hard Goodie bristle brush (for no reason), eating alone at the table every day (can’t remember ever eating with anyone), and being confined to my room except to come out and eat. I don’t remember any toys. I had a king-size waterbed (tad large for a 6 year old), and my favorite book about Pink Panther. I’d read it over and over after school and stare out my window. We had a parakeet. And I was allowed to shoot my BB gun outside occasionally. One time I shot at a piece of firewood, and the BB bounced back and hit me in the neck. Never shot it again.

My dad had no idea what was going on. They had divorced and he left me with her because he always felt having a mom was more important. He had no idea how mean she was. For over a year, I’d thought my dad had forgotten me because I didn’t get any cards, Christmas presents, birthday presents, nothing. Later I learned that all of the gifts she’d given me were actually from him. The overwhelming feel of that time was feeling intensely unloved and alone.

Finally!

And then one day when I was home alone in my bedroom afraid to come out because she could show up any minute, my dad drove up in a black Chevy pickup with a flat bed on the back and a wench. I remember that clear as day. I was so excited! He said he’d come to get me and take me with him. He had this beautiful blond with him. I thought she looked like a princess.

I was fascinated with the wench and loved jumping off the flat bed. We went on a small trip and explored ghost towns, stayed at a hotel, and then went to my new home in Odessa, TX. But things didn’t turn out like I expected.

Her Wounding Turned into My Wounding

The first clue that things weren’t going to be great was not long after we got to Odessa, my dad and his girlfriend (soon-to-be wife) went out in the afternoon and didn’t return until well past dark. I was by myself in the garage apartment we lived in and was very scared something bad had happened to them. There weren’t any cell phones. I didn’t know who to call for help, including the landlords who owned the property and lived on it. I didn’t even know what landlords were. When they finally returned, I smelled alcohol. I remember thinking very, very clearly that they chose to leave me alone in a strange new place so soon after getting me and something switched on the inside. I literally felt a hardening and a withdrawing.

I loved my second step mom so much. But no matter what I did or said, she didn’t believe me so it became this weird issue between us. I just didn’t know how to show her, I guess. Or maybe I was but she didn’t recognize the love I had for her. This kicked off a weird relationship between us. I didn’t feel loved. She didn’t feel I loved her. Her and dad started having issues. And, once again, I paid for it. She did the best she could. But at this point I’d had it. Plus with school bullies and trouble making friends, I struggled with shyness, making friends, and then became outwardly aggressive a.k.a. a bully.

Driving Her Crazy Became My One Goal

Fast forward. She and my dad are divorced. Once again, I’m left with a step mom who doesn’t like me. She partied a lot, and I hated her guts. Hated her. I dated a boy they didn’t like on purpose. I started doing drugs and drinking. I’d sneak out every night and skip school (although I maintained a very high grade point average). We got into physical altercations. And I was determined to literally drive her crazy. I wanted her gone—either mentally or physically. Didn’t care. Thank goodness, my step grandma saw what was happening and got her out and kept me until the summer when my grandparents came and got me at the end of my sophomore year. What’s amazing is once my step mother moved out, I instantly changed. I quit drugs, drinking, and smoking cigarettes.

On the Road

After I got to Clovis, I didn’t expect it to be good. I loved my dad but by this time, I had learned to fend for myself. I really didn’t have any interest being around him even though he’s the sweetest and kindness dad you could want. I guess you could say it’s like a wounded animal that withdraws from help because they’re hurt and scared.

I started my junior year happy with some stability, a new boyfriend, new clothes, and new friends. However, my lack of desire to spend time with my dad broke his heart. He decided to go back on the road as a truck driver. My grandparents lived across the street and kept a good eye on me. But once again I’m on my own.

A New Faith

During my junior year, I got born again as a Christian. I discovered Someone who never leaves me. I was discipled by my future in-laws and ended up dating their son. We married March 23, 1992. I was already expecting our child. We’ve been together since and are best friends.

Work Is Required

By this time, that shy, withdrawn kid was now easily angered, aggressive when cornered, and harsh in spite of being a Christian. I realized that being a Christian didn’t erase all the hurt. Instead, my faith in a good Father empowered me to start dealing with all the wounding and wrong identities I created that I thought would protect me from further hurt. My faith started my journey toward healing, a journey I’m still on to this day.

5 Key Things

Looking back on the work I’ve done, I see five key things I did that helped me:

• I didn’t hide from pain. Feeling pain isn’t pleasant. But hiding it doesn’t make it go away. Emotions buried never die. They come out sooner or later in bad decisions, ruined relationships, health problems, financial problems, and more. So I faced the pain one pain at a time.
• I was strategic. How do you know what pain to start with? Holy Spirit helped with this a lot. He’d point out things He wanted to deal with. But the main strategy I used was recognizing harmful and habitual behavior and thought patterns and then uncovering the why behind them. I do this to this day through journaling and my 5 Why’s exercise (read about it here).
• I learned my core values and triggers. Core values are your guiding values in life. My top three are keeping my word, integrity, and honesty. These were formed in me from negative experiences that made these very important to me. Core values can be formed by positive experiences. But I’ve found the strongest are created from negative experiences. Once I knew my core values, I learned that when they’re violated, there’s a danger I’ll react instead of respond. Knowing that helps me to pause and realize that my reaction might not even be tied to the current situation but actually a past experience that’s heightened my emotions.
• I’m vigilant to strong emotion. I’ve learned that a strong emotional response that’s not warranted in the moment is a huge clue that I need some emotional intelligence work. I always note it and later get to work on uncovering and healing.
• I studied personalities. In both my business and ministry, I’ve found that the majority of problems we have in relationships and communication is a lack of understanding personalities. Each personality has its own trust currency or language and way of processing life. If you know each other’s trust currency and how you each thing, you’ll avoid a lot of misunderstanding and conflict.

The Most Surprising Result

As I did the work (and continue to do the work), I discovered that I’m a confident, focused, competitive, and strong personality style. But I’m also introverted, which simply means, I need time alone to recharge. I’m no longer withdrawn or hiding behind protective walls. I’m healthy and whole in who I am as a person. And that has restored a child-like confidence that I can do anything and be anyone I want! And that sparked the motivation I needed to go after my dreams.

Summary

Emotional intelligence is the number one predictor of success both professionally and personally. But it’s much more than that. It’s a healing journey that uncovers your true identity from all the disappointments, rejections, bad messaging, abuse, and failures of others and even yourself that have skewed who you are.

View Details

Transcript

Have you ever experienced any of these “symptoms” when you walk into a networking event or a social gathering where you don’t know everyone who will be there?

• Anxiety
• Physical symptoms like sweating, dry mouth, and butterflies in your stomach
• Insecurity
• Threatened
• Out of control
• And a lack of confidence

Guess what that is? It’s called personal powerlessness. The problem with personal powerlessness (other than the uncomfortable symptoms) is that when you feel you lack power to control a situation, you view it as a threat. Feeling threatened prevents you from seeing opportunities, thinking clearly, and being flexible.

Personal power a.k.a. presence is when you feel:

• Free
• In control
• Unthreatened
• Safe
• Unrestricted from social pressure
• And attuned to opportunities

The Myth

One of the reason we introverts feel powerless is because we fear looking stupid. Here’s the reality—people are not thinking about you as much as you think. This is a scientific fact. Most are thinking about themselves.

Three Ways to Create Presence

The things I’m about to share with you I do all of the time. Most have no idea I’m an introvert let alone nervous, sweating, and struggling to speak around cotton mouth. I promise, these work!

1. Use powerful movement. Nerdy fact—body language shapes the mind. Closed body language like hunching, arms crossed over chest, and even being on your cell phone reduce testosterone (confidence hormone) and increase cortisol (stress hormone). Powerful people have a longer stride, more movement, and open body language. Walk with your head up and with confidence and that will inspire confidence!
2. Reframe anxiety. Another nerdy fact—your brain can’t tell the difference between anxiety and excitement. A quick trick is to say out loud with conviction, “I am excited!” Your brain will be like, “Oh! I thought you were anxious. Ok! Let’s turn on excitement!” By the way, telling yourself, “Keep calm,” does NOT work. It heightens your awareness of how calm you’re not!
3. Strike a pose. Holding a superman/woman or victory pose for 2 minutes boosts testosterone and lowers cortisol significantly! If you don't want to stand there feeling stupid, imagine yourself holding the pose. Nerdy fact—quadriplegics had the same hormonal effects by imagining themselves doing the poses.

In Summary

Practice makes perfect. The more you challenge yourself by attending events and networking and socializing, the easier it gets.

Some might possess a natural charisma, but I know that I’ve created charisma by using these techniques.

View Details

I’m a recent Tarte Cosmetics convert. For years, I was a huge MAC fan but wanted something without the usual chemicals—parabens, sodium laurel sulfate, gluten, and the rest. While visiting my mom, I overheard her and my niece discussing Tarte and how awesome they were. Then I asked my daughter-in-love, who’s a makeup artist, about Tarte. She told me they’re amazing, especially their shape tape! Shape tape?

I immediately ordered the face tape and some lip balm (all of this shows the power of word-of-mouth). And I was instantly in love! It’s hard to explain why these products are so amazing. Like the lipsticks, balms, and glosses feel like silk. Soft, and I don’t want to sound corny, but luxurious! The foundation coverage is instant but feels like I have nothing on my skin. Their mineral foundation covers better than any brand I’ve ever tried. I’ve not yet tried anything that hasn’t wowed me.

Amazon Clay Full Coverage Foundation

I will never use another “liquid” foundation ever. It’s instant coverage, matte finish, doesn’t cake or settle into lines. It literally feels like I have nothing on my skin. I use this one in the cooler months because my skin tends to dry out and then causes an oily T-Zone. In the warmer months, I use their Amazonian Clay Airbrush Foundation.

Tip: Their foundations do tend to be darker than others so I usually go a shade lighter.

Gifted Amazonian Clay Smart Mascara.

I’ve had a love-hate relationship with mascara my entire life. I love that I have instant lashes, but I hate it because every single mascara I’ve used no matter the price has clumped and flaked. Then I tried this mascara, and my life has officially changed for the better! Like everything else, it goes on like silk. No flaking. No clumping. And I swear it makes my lashes look longer. I’ll never use a different mascara.

I just read their description for this mascara as I was typing this blog, and it says it’s a “lengthening mascara…delivers soft volume.” Guess it wasn’t my imagination. :)

Shape Tape

Again, it goes on like silk, doesn’t accentuate fine lines and wrinkles, and completely hides my dark circles, which I’ve always had. A little goes a long way, and it blends perfectly. I went lighter thinking it was like the foundation, but I do wish I’d gone with my shade because these seem to be spot on and the lighter was a tad too light. I put a tiny bit of my foundation over it, and it’s perfect.

Lip Sculptor Lipstick and Lipgloss

OMG!! The end. Lol! Just kidding! I’ve never had a lipstick go on and cover like this! Unfortunately, the color I picked didn’t quite work with my complexion, so I gave it to my daughter-in-love, but I can’t wait to get some more! Again, it goes on like silk (seeing a theme?)

Another lip favorite is their lip balm. However, I use it so much that it doesn’t last as long and could easily blow my budget. Can anyone say obsessed?

In Summary

You. Can’t. Go. Wrong. If you’re looking for vegan, chemical free cosmetics that actually work, Tarte is the place to go!

I have an IG story on using these products for the first time if you want to see it in real time!

View Details

Transcript

Before we dive into the three shortcuts to discovering your brand, I need to address the #1 marketing mistake most make and the difference between branding and marketing. Drum roll, please…the most common marketing mistake according to research is an inconsistent message that creates cognitive dissonance.

Have you ever watched a commercial and you’re like, What the heck was that?! I don’t even know what they’re saying let alone selling! You’re left irritated and confused. In fact, you probably can’t even remember the name of the business because of the immediate confusion. That’s cognitive dissonance. Being cute, clever, and edgy means nothing if people don’t know what you’re saying. Your message needs to be so clear that a two-year-old gets it. Well, maybe not that extreme but pretty darn close.

The Difference Between Branding and Marketing

Now, let’s look at your branding and marketing. First, you need to develop your brand before you even begin marketing. Very simply, your brand is the personality of your business. It’s who you are as a person—core values, personality, and aspirations—that translates over into your business. Your identity is your business’s identity.

For example, your personality will be drawn to certain colors, textures, and even fonts. Some like muted, earthy colors. Others love all the primary colors. More than likely that has translated over into your website. But your brand is more than colors and fonts It’s the feel and the experience people have when with you. That experience and feeling draws in your tribe.

Note: Be careful though. Your website colors need to inspire the action you want people to take. If you want them to stay for a while, you need to use muted colors that are peaceful. If you want them to take action, you need bold colors like yellow, red, and orange. But don’t make your site so boring, people fall asleep and don’t make so colorful that they feel they’re trapped in a crayon box.

Marketing is the vehicle to get your brand and its message out to your tribe, your target market. Your marketing whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, radio or TV needs to ooze your brand. People need to get a taste of your brand that leaves them wanting more.

Three Shortcuts to Discovering Your Brand

Okay, so two of these are free and one is $45 but totally worth it. After your finish this blog, click the announcement bar at the top and take my brand personality quiz. It takes about five minutes, and you’ll learn which of the 12 personalities you are, your goals, philosophy, fears, and what your followers expect from you, which you can use as a filter for all of your content not just marketing content.

Next, go to howyoufascinate.com and take Sally Hogshead’s Fascination Advantage assessment. What I love about this assessment is that it shows how your potential clients see you. For example, I’m a Power and Trust combo meaning that I’m the one that solves my clients problems with authority and expertise. I’m the one that shows up when no one knows what to do and says, “Let’s do this and this and that.” The trust factor means that my clients trust me quickly and know that I’m dependable, reliable, and comfy like a cozy blanket. It also tells me that my clients don’t want surprises. When I conduct business with my combo, I’m in my zone and best received by others.

And, finally, go over to Pinterest where you’ll create a board of the colors, textures, and fonts you like that you’ll then use for your website, Instagram, Facebook, and all other content.

Use the following guidelines:

1. Keep it within 15-20 images (you might start with a lot more but narrow it down in the end)
2. Try to pin about 5 pins that fit into these categories: colors, fonts, textures, patterns
3. Shoot for consistency. Entire board should be a cohesive visual representation of what you thing fits the look and feel of what you want your site to be

By the time you’re done, you should see an overall picture of what you’re drawn to that’s cohesive and has the feel you like. For example, my Pinterest board has a lot of black, white, yellow and teal. Yellow is happy. Teal is a touch of peace, which I love. And black and white is professional and classy. So I’m professional with a lot of joy. You’ll have fun with me.

In Summary

Discovering your brand personality is a lot of fun. I didn’t know how to do any of this when I started my business. It took me a lot longer to figure it out. I don’t want you to struggle like I did. Use these tools, and you’ll save a lot of time, headache, and confusion!

For more information on this process, read “My Exact Branding Research Process.”

View Details

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

— Mary Oliver

Does that question grab you like it does me? We have only once chance to live this life, and it needs to be a “Hell Yeah!” life! So what does that even mean? Derek Sivers’ coined the term in his video, “No More Yes. It’s Either HELL YEAH! Or No.” The idea is that we must make decisions by design meaning you make decisions based on the life you want.

No more:

• Living by other people’s agendas
• Feeling guilty when you say, “No”
• Pleasing everyone but yourself
• FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)

If you’re tired of a life pressured by other people’s agendas or your own sense of obligation that’s hurting you, read the rest of this blog! I promise, it will help!

Start Here

The first step is designing your perfect day (based on Lewis Howes’ book, “School of Greatness) by answering these seven questions:

1. How do you want your perfect day to look?
2. How do you want to feel each day?
3. What are you creating daily?
4. What are you doing daily? In work and in personal life?
5. Who are you spending time with?
6. What places are you exposing yourself too?
7. What passions are you fulfilling?

The key is that you can’t let your current education, situation, money or anything else influence your answers. I.e. if money was no object, what would your perfect day look like? If education was no object, what would your perfect work day look like? Don’t put any limitations on yourself during this exercise. Also, be as detailed as possible. What are you wearing? Describe it. What does your house look like? Your office? Describe it in detail.

Zero-Based Budget of Time

I’m sure you heard of a zero-based budget meaning you allocate your money based on needs instead of your spending history. In other words, you reevaluate where your money is budgeted and make changes based on your current financial goals. For example, you might have budgeted $50 a month for coffees in 2019, but for 2020, you want to allocate that money for professional development so you can start your side hustle. Your goal has changed from designer coffee to side hustle; therefore, you direct your money differently. It’s the same budgeting method but with your time and current commitments.

First, let’s assess what’s most important for you at this season in your life. Number each of these from 1-9 with 1 being most important and 9 least important:

• Career/professional development
• Fun/recreation
• Marriage/romance
• Health
• Family
• Personal growth
• Friends
• Spiritual
• Emotional

This is the most important step

Now I want you to examine your current time calendar and clear all existing commitments as if they’re no longer commitments. I.e. start from scratch. I know. You can’t do that. There are some commitments you have to keep. But I want you to act like they aren’t. Don’t worry. You’ll add your commitments back.

Grab a sheet of paper and write down all of your time commitments everything from volunteer projects to your kids’ projects to work projects. Everything including fun stuff. Now, justify each one anew before adding them back to your calendar by filtering them through these questions:

• Is this essential? Essential is defined as absolutely necessary.
• Does this add or take away from my current priorities and goals?
• Do I really want to do this?
• Am I willing to give up what’s more important to me to do this?

You can’t do it all. But people’s expectations and pressure can make you feel that you have to do it all. If your goal for the year is more time with your family in the evening then that means that you choose not to volunteer at your church’s youth group on Wednesdays. Remember, whatever you say “yes” to is saying “no” to something else. Is it worth it?

Add These Two Things—Buffers and Routine

Buffers is a scheduling technique where you add 50% to your time estimate. Research shows that we always assume the best-case scenario and chronically underestimate how much time something will take. By adding a buffer, you’ll make sure you have enough time and if you finish on time, you’ve got a nice buffer to do something that energizes you like stretching, reading, or calling a friend for a quick conversation.

Steve Jobs was famous for his routines. Like have you noticed how he always wore the same black top and jeans? He did this because it took away the need to decide what to wear everyday. When I owned my personal training business, I’d encourage my clients to eat the same snacks and meals every day because it saved time trying to figure out what to cook each night.

For some of you, the idea of adding routine is B-O-R-I-N-G. You want adventure! Spontaneity! Ok. That’s fine. Scheule that into your schedule but wherever you can, add routine so you don’t have to waste precious time making decisions that don’t matter.

Schedule These Three Things

• Escape. Schedule blank space for you to think, focus, and engage with absolutely no phone, laptop or anything else that can distract you from the full power of your mind. The faster and busier your life gets, the more you need space to escape.
• Play. Play improves your personal health, relationships, ability to learn new things and the ability to innovate. It keeps your brain young, reduces stress, and stimulates the logical, reasoning part of your brain as well as the carefree exploring part of your brain. Play can be simple or elaborate. Simple might mean decorating your desk with childhood toys you liked. Elaborate can be scheduling time to explore your city, county or state with your spouse.
• Sleep. Sleep is one of the most important ways to keep your body and mind running on all cylinders. When you sleep, your brain gets to work encoding and organizing information while also healing your body. The greatest asset you have is yourself and sleep is crucial to your health.

Summary

Remember, if it’s not a “HELL, YEAH!” don’t do it. Of course, there are times that you have to do things you don't want to do like laundry, sitting in DMV for your new license, and cleaning the cat litter box. But the majority of your life is within your control to design it just like you want!

View Details

Transcript:

I used to be an impulse spender and didn’t even know it. I had in my mind that I was only an impulse spender if I spent all of my paycheck on stuff instead of rent, bills and food or if I spent hundreds or thousands of dollars on impulsive shopping sprees. I never did any of that. Then I realized that it wasn’t the amount of the purchases or whether you spent bill money or not that determined if someone was an impulse spender. I was focusing on “spender” and not including the “impulse” part. Impulse is “a sudden wish or urge that prompts an unpremeditated act.”

“Uh oh. I do that all of the time,” I thought.

If I felt I needed a dog kennel, I was on Amazon getting one. If I thought I needed new earphones (even though the old ones worked perfectly), I’d buy them. If I wanted this book or that book, it was on the way within minutes. And here’s the deal. All of those little things added up to over $40,000 worth of debt because I didn’t curb spending when my husband’s business started failing. I had to start putting food on the card in essence spending my money on unnecessary things instead of food. So even though I didn’t spend all of my stuff on useless junk at one time, I was slowing sinking financially from a steady flow on things on useless junk.

I Needed Guidelines

Once I realized that I was an impulse spender, I determined to get to the root of it. Through several emotional intelligence journaling sessions, I realized why I impulse spent (read my story). This wasn’t enough, though. I still need some guidelines to help me curb spending. I found them in the book of Proverbs. Now my guidelines don’t need to be your guidelines. Find what speaks to you like these do to me.

They are:

1. A treasure. It had to be a treasure to me because of its beauty or sentimental value not price. For example, I have a large picture of hometown’s Main Street from the 1930’s hanging in my living room. Why? Because I love my town, and it reminds me to pray for my city. I paid for the print and got the frame for half off and to me it’s a treasure. I have a coffee table that’s a treasure because I love it! When we moved, I spent a week sanding it down and refinishing it to compliment our new home and new TV console. I could’ve bought a new one. But I love my coffee table and revamped it into a “new” old treasure.
2. Bring joy. Each item around me needs to bring joy. Throw blankets, my pajamas, my furniture, wall decor, shoes, etc. I don’t buy shoes just because they’re on sale. I save up and buy Sanuk’s because they make me happy. I have a vase with cotton bolls and a metal rooster in my dining room because it reminds me of my grandparents and that makes me happy. I often find myself pausing and looking around feeling joy at what I see around me.
3. Excellence. If I buy anything, it must have excellence. I used to buy junk, things that cluttered my home instead of adding value. Excellence doesn’t mean expensive. It means worthy. For example, I was looking for a chair for my office. In the past, I would’ve bought the cheapest, most boring chair I could find. But now I spend days even weeks finding the right one. This has created patience in me because I’m now willing to wait and hunt for that perfect piece that is excellent, brings me joy, and is a treasure. And I found it. It’s a beautiful royal blue velvet chair. I love it! Every time I walk into my office, I am happy just seeing it.

A few of my favorite things:

I love flowers. When I saw this bowl, I knew I had to have it. It’s one of my favorite pieces. I searched high and low for those ottomans. The color had to be just right. Velvet with buttons on top. Anything with roosters and cotton brings back great memories of my grandparents. And this picture doesn’t do that blue chair justice! It’s so rich and absolutely gorgeous. Velvet, too. The painting is an original I had done of my beloved cat, Joseph. And when I saw a book all about black cats, it was a no brainer. And, of course, the picture I had printed and framed of Main Street in the 1930’s.

The Devil Still Whispers

Even with the pain of paying off $50k of debt, my guidelines, and the emotional intelligence work I’ve done, I can still hear the devil on my shoulder tempting me to impulse spend. Whenever I hear those whispers, “Go ahead. You make more money now and can afford it,” I remind myself that wealth is attracted to good management. Spending should never be because you can afford it. It needs to be filtered through guidelines, core values, and purpose.

What Are Your Guidelines?

I am now frugal because of the money work I’ve done. It’s empowering to control my spending and not let spending control me. If you recognize a need for change in your spending, I’d suggest sitting down and thinking about what guidelines you’ll use and then use them to shut the devil on your shoulder up!